In a game the had a bit of bite down to the last whistle, the Philadelphia Union defeated Indy Eleven on penalty kicks Wednesday night to advance to the US Open Cup Round of 16 for the first time since 2018.
An early goal from Ale Bedoya and a number of timely saves from young goalkeeper Andrew Rick were the deciding factors in the midweek cup clash. The win sets The Union up with their first meeting against USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the next round, with a chance to punch their ticket to the tournament’s Quarterfinal at Subaru Park.
Starting XI
With fixture congestion at the thickest we’ve seen it so far in 2025, Bradley Carnell put a rotated side out on the field on Wednesday night with one eye on this weekend’s matchup against Daniel Gazdag and the Columbus Crew.
15-year-old Cavan Sullivan and 19-year-old David Vazquez both made their first starts for Union’s first team on Wednesday night, with Vazquez playing out of position and stepping in at Left Back for Kai Wagner.
Union veteran Ale Bedoya and homegrown Jeremey Rafanello both got their first start of the season and played all 120 minutes, while Jesús Bueno and Olivier Mbaizo both got the nod from Carnell as well on Wednesday, giving Danley Jean-Jacques and Jovan Lukic a much-needed rest before the weekend.
Formation: 4-2-2-2
GK: Rick
RB: Mbaizo, CB: Glesnes, CB: Makhanya, LB: Vazquez
CDM: Bedoya, CDM: Bueno
CAM: C. Sullivan, CAM: Rafanello
ST: Damiani, ST: Uhre
Bedoya Header Gives Union Early Lead
6 minutes into the match Ale Bedoya gave the Union the start they were looking for when he got on the other end of an Olivier Mbaizo cross into the box. Mbaizo received the ball along the right sideline, surveyed his options, and played a right-footer to the top of the 6-yard box where Ale Bedoya was waiting and ready to beat his man to the ball.
Bedoya tracked the ball through the air, positioned his head to redirect the cross, and placed it perfectly in the far corner to give Union an early 1-0 lead over their USL opponent. The goal from Ale Bedoya was his first of the 2025 season and his 30th as a member of the Philadelphia Union across all competitions, becoming just the 8th player to achieve that feat in club history (Gazdag, Le Toux, Carranza, Przybylko, Uhre, Sapong, Burke)
Indy Eleven Equalize Early in 2nd Half
Just 3 minutes into the 2nd half Union’s lead was erased when Indy Eleven’s Maalique Foster got behind David Vazquez, making his first start and playing out of position, down the left side of the pitch.
Olwethu Makhanya drifted over towards Foster to try and close down open-space, which only left Amoh wide open in the middle of the box. Foster snuck the ball in a tight window between Vazquez and Makahnya and found Amoh waiting on the doorstep, who placed the ball into the net with a cheeky behind the leg flick with his first touch, leveling the game at 1.
Goalkeeper Battle Sends Match to Penalty Kicks
This match would end in a 1-1 draw and would need kicks from the spot to settle the score after a goalless 30 minutes of Extra Time, but it wasn’t for a lack of chances from either side. Both Andrew Rick and Reice Charles-Cook put on a show on Wednesday night, combing for a total of 13 saves between the two.
It was Charles-Cook who almost stole the spotlight on Wednesday, making 10 saves on Union’s 33 total shots (11 on net) taken. One of the biggest of the night came in the early stages of Extra Time when a Kai Wagner free-kick was headed back into the middle of the Penalty Area. Makhanya’s initial header attempt on net was blocked by an Indy defender but fell perfectly for Tai Baribo, who struck the ball with his right foot off the bounce, but Charles-Cook got a strong palm to the shot and deflected it over the bar to keep things level.
Charles-Cook made another huge save in the 115th minute when a through-ball put Indiana Vassilev in on net, but his attempt to finesse the ball around Charles-Cook was denied by an impressive kick-save from the Indy Eleven keeper.
Andrew Rick, though only needing to make 3 saves on the night, also made an important stop in the late stages of Extra Time to keep Union level. A cross from Andrew Rick’s right side flew over the Union backline and found an Indy Eleven attacker at the back post, but the diving header labeled for the back of the net was stopped by the diving glove of Andrew Rick and was cleared away to safety, keeping things knotted at 1.
Union Advance on PKs
At the end of 120 minutes of soccer, Indy Eleven and the Philadelphia Union would need kicks from the Penalty spot in order to decide who would advance to the US Open Cup Round of 16. After the first 2 attempts from both teams were converted, Andrew Rick made a diving stop on Indy Eleven’s 3rd attempt to give Union the advantage.
Philadelphia’s PK takers would go 5-for-5 on the night, with Jovan Lukic’s conversion helping Union seal the victory and survive the cupset scare from Indy Eleven, punching DOOP’s ticket to the next round of the Open Cup. They’ll face off against USL’s Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Subaru Park with a chance to earn a spot in the competitions Quarterfinal for the first time since 2018 – the same year Union lost in the Open Cup final to Seattle Sounders.
Mandatory Credit: Caean Couto-Imagn Images
