Philadelphia Union Academy teams struggle against Red Bulls Academy

A weekend road trip to North Jersey for the Philadelphia Union Academy teams produced only one point from four games against the rival New York Red Bulls Academy.

The one positive takeaway from the weekend in terms of results was a two-game sweep by the U12 team over Cedar Stars Academy.

The U18 team lost to the Red Bulls 7-2, the worst loss the team has suffered since a 5-0 drubbing by Real Salt Lake AZ in November 2014. The seven goals were the most surrendered by a U18 team since joining the U.S. Soccer Development Academy in 2013-14.

The Red Bulls jumped out to an early lead less than two minutes in on the first of two goals on the day for Chris Bermudez, but Alexander Soto responded less than five minutes later with the equalizer for the Union.

After that, the wheels fell off as defender Isaiah Holquist was shown red in the 26th minute and Zachary Ryan scored twice before halftime to make it 3-1 going into the break. The Red Bulls took full advantage of the shorthanded Union defense, piling on three goals in the first five minutes of the second half.

Ryan finished off his hat trick in the 54th minute to make it 7-1 and Manny Perez scored his second of the season in the 73rd minute to make it a five-goal deficit.

The win for the Red Bulls was their fourth straight to start the season and the third time already this season they have scored four or more goals. Omir Fernandez scored his team-leading fifth goal in the game and Carlos Alvarado scored his first of the season. They have outscored opponents 19-4 in the four games.

U16s

Iverson Brisma scored a late equalizer to secure a point for the U16 team in their game against the Red Bulls on Saturday.

The Union took the lead in the 51st minute on Daniel Bloyou’s third of the season but surrendered goals in the 74th minute to Scott Taylor and the 78th minute to Ariel Jackson.

U14s

Esteban Molina scored in the 43rd minute to lift the Red Bulls U14 team to a 1-0 win over the Union on Sunday.

The loss was the second of the season for the Union U14s and the second time in three games they’ve been kept off the scoresheet.

U13s

Eligio Guarino scored less than a minute into the game for the Red Bulls in a 3-1 win over the Union on Sunday.

Dion Ahmetaj added a goal in the 16th minute and Adam Havens restored the two-goal lead a minute after Selmir Miscic pulled a goal back for the visitors.

U12s

The U12 team swept a pair of games against Cedar Stars Academy in North Jersey on Saturday.

Timothy Madden and Ian Abbey scored on each side of halftime in a 2-1 win in the first game while Nicolas Rubio had a brace and Sawyer Koza, Safiyy Harris and Nelson Pierre added goals in a 5-1 win in the second game.

The team’s record improved to 7-1-0 with the two-game sweep. They’ve outscored opponents 43-9 over that stretch.