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The U18 team blew a two-goal lead in the first half but scored twice in the second half to capture their eighth-straight win over Richmond United at YSC Sports on Saturday.
Thanks to crosstown rival Continental FC Delco, which held New York Red Bulls to a 2-2 draw, the U18s moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with the win.
Josue Monge gave the U18s the lead in the fifth minute with his second goal since joining the team earlier this year and his fourth overall. Raheem Taylor-Parkes, making just his second start of the season, doubled the lead in the 18th minute and it appeared as though the Union were well on their way to keeping alive a win streak that dates back to December.
But Richmond stormed back with goals from Brandon Perdue in the 23rd minute and a 40th-minute equalizer from Julian Ngoh.
Taylor-Parkes restored the lead with his second of the game in the 55th minute and Frederick Gil made it 4-2 in stoppage time with his third of the year. After not scoring in the first half of the season, Taylor-Parkes has helped pace the offense with six goals, two of those winners. He's now tied with Tiger Graham for the team lead.
The Union (16-3-4) are six points clear of New York Red Bulls with three games to go but the Red Bulls have two games in hand. The teams will meet on May 21 in Chester.
U16s
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Isaiah Holquist and Issa Rayyan both registered braces and goalkeeper CJ dos Santos recorded his sixth clean sheet of the season in the U16 team's 5-0 win over Richmond United.
Holquist found the back of the net for the first time this season in the third minute and scored again a half hour later. Rayyan scored on each side of halftime to make it 4-0 and Chad Letts added his third goal of the season in the 79th minute. Rayyan is second on the team in goals with 10.
Jason Aoyama, who leads the U14 team in goals with 15, made his U16 debut when he checked into the game in the 59th minute.
With the win, the Union (15-3-5) stayed even on points with the New York Red Bulls in the Atlantic Division standings, but the Red Bulls still have two games in hand after a 2-0 win over Continental FC Delco on Sunday.
Up Next
The U18 and U16 teams host Montreal Impact at the Training Grounds in Chester. The U18s play at 11 a.m., followed by the U16 team at 1 p.m. The U14 team hosts NJCSA at YSC Sports on Saturday at 7 p.m.