We were in attendance on February 26th as the Philadelphia Union hosted Defence Force FC in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
With kickoff set for 7:00 PM in a crisp 40-degree atmosphere, the Union entered the night holding a commanding 5–0 advantage from the first leg and looking all but certain to advance.
Squad Rotation & Fresh Faces
The Union rolled out a heavily rotated XI, featuring strong Philadelphia Union II influence.
- Giovanny Sequera and Malik Jakupovic both signed short-term first-team contracts ahead of the match.
- Sequera earned the start at left back, while 16-year-old Jakupovic looked set to make his debut off the bench.
- 2025 Union II top scorer Stas Korzeniowski made his second start of the competition.
- New signing Geiner Martinez earned his first start of the season at center back after featuring off the bench against D.C. United the previous week.
With the aggregate score heavily in their favor, many wondered:
Was this the night for Cavan Sullivan’s first professional goal?
Starting XI for the Philadelphia Union (4-4-2)
- GK – Andrew Rick
- LB – Giovanny Sequera
- LCB – Olwethu Makhanya
- RCB – Geiner Martinez
- RB – Oliver Mbaizo
- LM – Cavan Sullivan
- LCM – Jovan Lukic
- RCM – Jeremy Rafanello
- RM – Alejandro Bedoya
- ST- Stas Korzeniowski
- ST – Ezekiel Alladoh
Subs: Ben Bender, Sal Olivas, Malik Jakupovic, Jesus Bueno, Andre Blake, George Marks, Japhet Larsen, Nathan Harriel, Danley Jean-Jacques, Indiana Vassilev, Milan Iloski, and Bruno Damiani
First Half: Total Control
From the opening whistle, it was one-way traffic — a true David vs. Goliath matchup, especially with the towering duo of 6’5” Stas Korzeniowski and 6’3” Ezekiel Alladoh leading the line.
⚽ 7’ – Martinez Opens the Scoring (1–0)
A Jeremy Rafanello free kick earned the Union an early corner. After a short routine, the ball deflected kindly to Geiner Martinez, who fired home a first-time strike into the left side netting.
⚽ 9’ – Lukic Converts from the Spot (2–0)
Sequera won the ball high up the pitch before Rafanello drew a penalty inside the box. Jovan Lukic stepped up and, despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it, converted to double the lead.
⚽ 12’ – Stas Gets His First Pro Goal (3–0)
A beautiful one-touch sequence between Korzeniowski, Alejandro Bedoya, and Cavan Sullivan ended with Sullivan back-heeling Stas through on goal. The young striker calmly slotted home his first professional goal, pushing the aggregate to 8–0.
42’ – Denied a Brace
Korzeniowski nearly had his second before halftime, but a stunning save from the Defence Force keeper kept the score 3–0 at the break.
Second Half: Goals Continue to Flow
Tactical Adjustments (46’)
Ben Bender and Sal Olivas entered the match, prompting a defensive reshuffle. Bender slotted in at left back while Sequera shifted to right back.
⚽ 48’ – Stas Again (4–0)
Olivas made an instant impact, delivering a cross that fell to Alladoh, who set up Korzeniowski for his second goal of the evening.
⚽ 54’ – Bender on the Scoresheet (5–0)
Cavan Sullivan switched play brilliantly to Bender, who controlled the ball out of the air and rifled a right-footed strike past the keeper.
59’ – Jakupovic Debuts
Malik Jakupovic replaced Korzeniowski, marking his first-team debut.
75’ – Final Change
Jesus Bueno replaced club captain Alejandro Bedoya.
The Cavan Sullivan Moment
⚽ 76’ – First Professional Goal (6–0)
After Alladoh forced a turnover, Sullivan collected the ball inside the box, cut onto his left foot, and confidently slotted home his first professional goal.
⚽ 88’ – Second of the Night (7–0)
A cleared corner sparked a Union counterattack. Sullivan carried the ball from deep and found Bueno with a trivela pass. The move eventually came back to Sullivan, who slid home his second goal of the night to seal a dominant performance.
Full-Time
Philadelphia Union 7–0 Defence Force FC
Aggregate: 12–0
A complete performance from start to finish, exactly what was expected from the Union. They now advance to the Round 16 where they will face Club América on March 10th in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Attention now turns back to MLS play as the Union prepare for their home opener against New York City FC on March 1st — a derby clash and a chance for redemption after last season’s playoff elimination.
Goal Contributions
- Cavan Sullivan – 2 Goals, 2 Assists
- Stas Korzeniowski – 2 Goals
- Ezekiel Alladoh – 2 Assists
- Geiner Martinez – 1 Goal
- Jovan Lukic – 1 Goal
- Ben Bender – 1 Goal
- Sal Olivas – 1 Assist
Leave a Reply