Union II defender/captain and Philly native Frankie Westfield signed an MLS Next Pro professional contract, electing not to play for Penn State in the fall. Meanwhile, Union II were victorious on Thursday over Chattanooga FC, including another goal for Cavan Sullivan.
Photos courtesy of Philadelphia Union II
Frankie Westfield goes pro
On July 5th it was announced that Union II defender and YSC grad Frankie Westfield had signed an MLS Next Pro professional contract. When we spoke to Frankie a couple months ago on the podcast, the 18 year old was planning to attend Penn State in the fall, but said he was going to try out college for a year, but wanted to go pro at some point.
Frankie stated on the podcast:
“My main goal is as of right now, probably just go to college at Penn State. Go to college, hopefully play there for a year maybe, that’s what my hope is- just a year and then come back to the Union. I’ll hopefully sign for the Union, and then you know, just ball out and then make it into Europe.”
It seems he got the opportunity sooner than expected, which he jumped on. After the 3-1 win versus Chattanooga on Thursday, Kyle Almoney and I followed up with Frankie about the game and his pro contract. While a tough decision, it was a chance he could not pass up and he is excited for the future. He had this to say:
Coach Marlon LeBlanc, in his interview on “The DOOP” podcast with Sage Hurley, touted Frankie’s playing style and personality, saying how well he fits in Philly. He remarked:
“Frankie personifies everything this club is supposed to be about. If you were to cut him open, he’d bleed blue and gold. You watch him play, he is emotional, he is fighting, he is scrapping, and if you saw him in his first Union II game a couple years ago and you see him now, you can see how much better he’s gotten…”
and Marlon, with his great sense of humor, added:
“…even though he tried to dye his hair to look like Cavan, that’s probably the dumbest thing he’s done.”
It also has to be mentioned how quickly he named Frankie as the player who would most likely survive a zombie apocalypse, because he is Philly through and through. I suppose you would want a defender with those qualities.
Union II defeat Chattanooga 3-1 to remain on top
Union II took on Chattanooga on Thursday at Subaru Park, defeating the visiting squad 3-1. As of Sunday night, they were not only on top the East, they held the top spot overall in MLS Next Pro (albeit with more games played than the teams in second and third). They have the best goal differential at 20 and lead the league in goals (37), CJ Olney leads the league in assists (10), and Eddy Davis is tied for second for goals (9).
Eddy Davis opened scoring early with a goal in the 6′, and then Chattanooga answered in the 34′ to even the score. In the second half, Cavan Sullivan found the back of the net in the 48′ for his first goal at Subaru Park and second in back to back games.
The Chattanooga keeper, Jean Antoine was given a straight red card in the 65′ and Union II capitalized shortly after with a goal by Leandro Soria in the 71′ to go up 3-1. That score would hold to seal the victory.
Following the match, I asked Coach Marlon LeBlanc about Cavan’s performance, and if thinks he is adapting to MLS Next Pro level of play. Ever the development-focused coach, he noted that Cavan could have had more and still has a lot of room for growth, but did a good job making adjustments to his play after a lackluster first half.
There are people that are definitely clamoring for Cavan to play with the first team, but perhaps it would be best to temper the expectations of the 14 year old. He still has much to learn, but the good news is that he is responding well to the coaching and making those game-time adjustments. He looked stronger in the second half and sure enough, he scored a goal. We may very well see him on the bench, and even come off it if so, on Wednesday at the home Union match versus New England Revolution.
We also asked Marlon after the match about Leandro Soria’s performance, with him coming off the bench and scoring not long after. He and other players have made an impact with the various roles they can play on the field. There is some versatility to be had, such as Frankie shifting from left back to center back, which we also asked him about. At the MLS Next Pro level, it is still about development, after all, so the coaches do try out different formations and tactics, especially depending on the game situations.
It has been bleak times with the first team for weeks, but the second team is a refreshingly enjoyable and talented group to follow and has been all season. The future is bright for the squad, and will be worth following as the rest of the season progresses.
More from the match:
Game photos from Union II vs Chattanooga. Photos courtesy of Philadelphia Union II
The One Team We Agree On 
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