Philadelphia Union II’s Nelson Pierre scored two unanswered goals in a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Inter Miami II at DRV PNK Stadium Saturday evening.
Pierre drew the match level right before the halftime break and then scored the go-ahead winner five minutes into the second half.
The opener came against the run of play, with Union II hitting the counter and Pierre getting the ball near the outside of the box. The forward took a few dribbles and drilled a curling effort across the box and into the side-netting with a stunning finish.
Pierre scored his second of the night with a close-range finish just five minutes into the second half, doubling Union II’s lead and putting Inter Miami II to bed.
With the three points, Union II moved to three straight matches unbeaten with their first road win of the season.
The home side’s lone goal came in the 10th minute of play, where Kobi Thomas found the back of the net after Union II goalkeeper Brooks Thompson parried the ball into danger off a Romeo Beckham cross.
The two sides clashed in week two of the inaugural MLS NEXT Pro season in a 3-3 six-goal-thriller, but Saturday’s contest ended in the favor of the away side.
Union II returns home to take on Orlando City B on Monday May 16.
Union II’s hot form continued into Saturday in their come-from-behind victory over Inter Miami II with Nelson Pierre’s two goals giving them all three points in the 2-1 victory at DRV PNK Stadium.
Three straight matches unbeaten and two straight wins have Union II climbing the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference table, with Marlon LeBlanc’s side jumping Inter Miami II in the rankings. Union II now sit third in the East with 12 points while Darren Powell’s side stay at 10 points for the second-straight week.
The big picture for LeBlanc’s side is learning from their mistakes in week two, where they allowed three late goals from Inter Miami II over the final 16 minutes while giving up a 2-0 lead. The match ended 3-3 in a six-goal-thriller, with Union II taking the additional point in the ensuing shootout.
Inter Miami II’s Shanyder Borgelin came off the bench and scored twice for them in their first meeting, but the Union II defense shut down the home side’s talisman and held him to a single shot on target in Saturday’s contest. Despite leading in both possession and shots on goal, Inter Miami II could not get past the Union II defense over the final 45 minutes.
The growth from week two to week seven was seen on the pitch for the away side, who played calm and composed under pressure, with some help from goalkeeper Brooks Thompson’s seven saves.
The two sides will go head-to-head once more this season on August 14, in their third and final meeting of the regular season.
