While the women were starting their East Region playoff march, the Reading United AC men wrapped up the USL League Two regular season with a 2-1 come from behind victory over visiting Lehigh Valley United on a sweltering Saturday night at Alvernia University Stadium. Goals on each side of halftime from Dominik Topolsky and Jack McDaid powered United to the club’s seventh win of the season and booked a place in the USL League Two Playoffs for the first time since 2019.

Needing a win to guarantee a place in the USL League Two postseason, the hosts stumbled out of the gate. In the sixth minute, Lehigh Valley, who sat buried at the bottom of the Mid-Atlantic Division, scored the game’s opening goal. Sebastian Tis staked the visitors to a 1-0 lead when he slotted a shot past United goalkeeper Francisco Ranieri.

United rallied after conceding, putting Lehigh Valley under near constant pressure. The visitors put up a dogged defense that frustrated Reading’s potent attack. Sam Hershey and Modou Faye saw several good attacks turned away by Lehigh Valley.

In the 37th minute, Topolsky was cut down by a heavy challenge from an LVU defender nearly 30 yards from goal. Gathering himself after the nasty tackle, Topolsky took the free kick and launched a shot into the top corner of the goal past a diving Lehigh Valley goalkeeper, Matt Link, to level the match at 1-1. It was Topolsky’s seventh goal of the season, tying him with Sam Hershey for the team lead in goals.

Coming out of the halftime break, Lehigh Valley nearly snatched the lead on a corner kick in the 48th minute. A timely intervention by Reading defender Eamon McLaughlin saw a sneaky chance at the back post by LVU poked inches wide to keep the game deadlocked.

Reading’s hunt for the all important go-ahead goal paid off in the game’s 64th minute. Substitute forward Jaylen Orr was dispossessed by a Lehigh Valley defender. The loose ball was rifled home by an alert Jack McDaid, pushing Reading to a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute.

United outworked their local rivals over the game’s final 25 minutes, thwarting Lehigh Valley's search for an equalizer. The 2-1 victory meant Reading United would finish the regular season in second place in the Mid-Atlantic Division on 23 points, besting West Chester United by goal difference. The postseason berth was the first for the club under Head Coach Casey Moore’s leadership. The team celebrated on the field after the match, dousing Moore with a traditional Gatorade bath.

Reading United will open the 2024 USL League Two postseason on the road in a playoff “play-in” game at Vermont Green FC the Northeast Division 3rd place team on Tuesday July 16 at 7PM.

Vermont Green FC Livestream of the Match:  https://youtu.be/CN9P1cVSEmk