Match Recap: Huntsville City FC draw Philadelphia Union II 2-2, win shootout for first time since 2023
(Image courtesy of Huntsville City FC)
On a very pleasant late March Friday evening in northern Alabama, Huntsville City FC welcomed in the Huntsvillains for the first time in 2025 as they prepared for a home opener against Philadelphia Union II.
3,512 Huntsville faithful were on hand for a chaotic, thrilling affair, which really could’ve gone either way in the 90 minutes. However, it went to a shootout, which saw Huntsville gain the extra second point on the table for the first time since August of 2023. Let’s dive in.
The Lineup
(Image courtesy of Huntsville City FC)
A couple injuries and some Nashville reinforcements offered a bit of a different look to Huntsville in this one. Gio Miglietti and Adem Sipic started the game as a pair up top, supported by Christian Koffi and Damien Barker John on the wings.
In midfield, it was a group of two, those being Pep Casas and Moises Véliz. Chris Applewhite, Tyshawn Rose, Blake Bowen and Wyatt Meyer made up the defense in front of Erik Lauta in goal.
Between the Whistles
Things started incredibly quickly for the hosts. Just 7 minutes in, Christian Koffi, as he would do time and time again in this game, dribbled his way through traffic before laying it off to a wide open Damien Barker John. From there it was academic, as Barker John pulled back for Koffi to finish, giving the hosts a 1-0 advantage.
Philadelphia would grow into the game, however, and with just about the last kick of the first half, Isaiah LeFlore picked out a clean pass to Sal Olivas in the box, who finished nicely, ensuring the scores were level at the break.
As entertaining as the first half was, the second would get wacky.
Philadelphia remained dominant coming out of the break, and the first sign of real trouble was in the 55th minute when Cavan Sullivan decided to ping a left footed trivela half volley off the far post. Probably would’ve been a Goal of the Season contender, but it was not to be.
However, that was just a harbinger of things to come.
Three minutes later, Stas Korzeniowski played in CJ Olney, who was able to pull the ball back to Sullivan for an easy tap in, to make it 2-1 to the visitors. Philadelphia probably should’ve had more, as further clear cut chances in the 62nd and 65th minutes went begging.
By this point, Huntsville needed a change. Off came Sipic and Miglietti, and on came Gunnar Studenhofft and Huntsville debutant Alan Carleton, formerly of Atlanta United.
Philadephia expended a lot of energy in that first 20 minutes or so, and now it was Huntsville’s turn. Just two minutes after that last Philadelphia chance, in the 67th, Carleton clipped a cross to the back post, which was headed in by Barker John to even the scores oncemore.
The game, from this point on, was total up and down insanity. Chances flying at both ends, hands in surrender cobra position after failed chances on both benches, unbelievable goalkeeping in both nets, this game truly could’ve ended something like 5-5 and you wouldn’t hear me suggesting that was unfair.
But, the soccer gods determined four goals was enough for the Rocket City crowd, so we went to a shootout with the score knotted at two apiece.
The first four attempts for both clubs went the same way. Both sides converted their first two, with a miss each in the third round, from Philly’s David Vazquez and Huntsville’s Carleton respectively. The fourth came and went with two converted penalties, before the fifth and decisive round.
Markus Anderson stepped up for the visitors, and his attempt was saved. However, the stutter step in his run up had drawn Huntsville’s Erik Lauta off his line, so the attempt was retaken.
Honestly, the stutter nearly got Lauta a second time, but he held his ground, and made another save. This time it was legal. Blake Bowen scored for the hosts in the fifth round, marking their first shootout victory in their last six attempts.
The Numbers
Huntsville City FC
Shots- 14
Shots on target- 6
Possession- 61%
Corners- 5
Yellow Cards- 2 (Gunnar Studenhofft, Christian Koffi)
Philadelphia Union II
Shots- 24
Shots on target- 10
Possession- 39%
Corners- 6
Yellow Cards- 3 (Sal Olivas, Markus Anderson, Rafael Uzcategui)
Analysis
This was a Philadelphia team that won the Eastern Conference last year, and can frankly out-talent and out-depth Huntsville the majority of the time. But Huntsville found something here. For me, this is a playoff caliber team.
Christian Koffi is far, far too good for MLS Next Pro. If he didn’t require an international slot with the first team, and given he’s been training in the Music City lately, I’d bet he’d already be wearing Gold right now.
He still may, as the US Open Cup rules are different than MLS rules, and who knows where Koffi is in the green card process, but it’s important you know he’s only in MLS Next Pro because of roster restrictions. If he keeps this level up, he will not be in Huntsville this time next year. He will be 120 miles up I-65 in Nashville with the first team.
There were a number of other standouts as well. Early in the second half, Gio Miglietti dropped from his striker position to a more midfield role, and his passing range was superb, and not even just for a guy his size.
A few weeks ago, I spent a morning in Huntsville watching training and talking with staff. Director of Soccer Operations Matt Cairns told me if things had fallen a different way in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft, Nashville SC was prepared to take both Damien Barker John and Gunnar Studenhofft.
You can visually see why every time they hit the field. Impressive, impressive stuff from the two of them, even if Studenhofft needs to rein in his touch and passing.
Moises Véliz and Pep Casas are also forming quite the partnership in the center of midfield, looking very reminiscent of the last Nashville midfield pairing of Gastón Brugman and Eddi Tagseth in terms of playstyle.
That seamlessness in style not only helps the potential upward mobility of Casas or Véliz, but also everyone around them. It’s much easier to know the positioning and tendencies of a Brugman and Tagseth when you’re seeing the same things out of Casas and Véliz in Huntsville.
Big shoutout to the Huntsville crowd too. 3,512 on hand, and that number should only increase as the wins and goals pile up. Pat yourselves on the back, Huntsvillains.