Philadelphia Union II vs Côte d'Ivoire

Ivory Coast closed out their World Cup preparations with a commanding 2-0 victory over Philadelphia Union II at Subaru Park on June 8, giving Les Éléphants a clean sheet just days before the tournament begins. The friendly was played across three 30-minute periods with unlimited substitutions. Evann Guessand got things going in the 9th minute, and Ange-Yoan Bonny doubled the lead from the penalty spot in the 40th. The drama wasn't one-sided though — Cavan Sullivan had a 23rd-minute spot kick saved by goalkeeper Alban Lafont, and Nicolas Pepe saw his own 82nd-minute penalty stopped by Union II keeper Jojo Elliott. For Ivory Coast, it was a near-perfect send-off ahead of their World Cup opener. For Union II's young, academy-heavy roster, competing against World Cup-bound opposition was a rare and valuable test.