Despite a late penalty goal from Javier Armas, Atlanta United 2 suffered a decisive 5-1 loss to Philadelphia Union II.
Atlanta created a handful of opportunities across the two halves, but the Union 2’s were simply the better side on the day.
In goal for the 2’s was Jayden Hibbert, whose penchant for playing aggressively off the line may have gotten the better of him on the first goal. He went up against some tough shots throughout the 90 minutes and made a few spectacular saves, but Philly’s opener will definitely be one to reflect on. He initially tried to come out to punch the ball away but got caught in no-man’s land, and the subsequent header was a simple dink over his head.
That first goal from Stas Korzeniowski after a cross from David Vasquez came in the 21st minute. Philly’s Neil Pierre scored another header from the center of the box just before halftime.
Dominik Chong Qui’s second yellow card removed him from the game in the second half, forcing Atlanta United 2 to play with 10 players to finish the game. Chong-Qui’s red card was admittedly debatable, as he initially lost the ball in his own half before getting tangled up trying to win the ball back. The argument for the card – as a tactical foul – would be that Philly’s player was slightly past him moving towards goal, but it seemed harsh. Either way, the 2’s had to play the match down a player, a circumstance of which the Union II’s took full advantage.
Immediately after Chong Qui’s exit, Philadelphia scored three goals within six minutes. The 70th minute fostered an explosion of play and action from both teams. A goal from Christopher Olney Jr. into the bottom left of the box started the propulsion and was followed by a penalty kick by Philadelphia Union II captain Nick Pariano. To top it off, Kellan LeBlanc sent a left-footed shot into the bottom right corner as scored, making it 5-0 in the 76th minute.
Javier Armas was able to score on a penalty in the 86th minute with a shot into the bottom right corner, making the score 5-1. The moment came after Patrick Weah was subbed in and subsequently beat his defender in the box before being tripped. Ultimately it was a consolation goal, though, after a thoroughly tough day at the office for the 2’s.
They return to play Carolina Core on April 23 at Fifth Third Stadium. Atlanta United 2 has lost the past two matches against them and the Core have scored 12 (!) goals in their past five matches, so the young guys have their work cut out to shake the frustration off from Philly.