CHESTER, Pa. – After a week and a half off from MLS NEXT Pro play, Philadelphia Union II returned to a windy and overcast Subaru Park for a Thursday night clash against fellow Eastern Conference side Atlanta United 2.

Fans who braved the weather were treated to a scoring outburst by Union II, as Ryan Richter earned his first victory as head coach. The team notched its first win of the season, defeating Atlanta by a final score of 5-1.

“It was a really good first win of the season,” said Union II midfielder Nick Pariano. “Not to dwell in the past, but we’ve had a couple of games I really felt we should [have] gotten more out of it than we have. So it’s great to just get that off our backs at home and get three points.”

Davis, Wetzel Return to Starting XI

When Union II head coach Ryan Richter revealed his starting XI, Philadelphia Union Homegrown forward Eddy Davis began the match on the bench as he continued to return from injury. Richter had said in his weekly press conference that Davis was ready to go. Davis led the second team in 2024 with 14 goals in MLS NEXT Pro competition.

Davis played 29 minutes in his return, registering two shots (one on target), two assists, and completing 90 percent of his passes. He was effective on the night after coming off the bench for Sal Olivas.

“Great!” exclaimed Richter about Davis’s performance. “You know, when he’s lively and comes in with that kind of energy. You see his quality, and you see what he can create.”

Also returning to action was right back Gavin Wetzel, who had missed the previous match in Huntsville due to a red card suspension against Red Bulls II.

Wetzel played 90 minutes and, while he completed only 67 percent of his passes, he led the squad with four key passes and made several important defensive stops.

Attack Starting to Find Form

Through the first three matches, Richter had emphasized the need to finish scoring opportunities. While Union II put five goals in the net Thursday, Richter still felt his squad left a few chances on the field.

“I still think the way the end of the game went, I’m being greedy,” Richter said. “There were more chances for guys to get more goals. But it was good—I was happy for Stas to score his first goal, Kellan to score his first goal of the season, Nick to score his first goal of the season, Neil to score his first goal this season. So that was really cool. CJ as well.”

Union II’s first goal came in the 21st minute when Cavan Sullivan delivered a sharp pass in transition to David Vazquez, who crossed into the box and found the head of Stas Korzenowski for his first Union II goal.

In first-half stoppage time, Philadelphia netted its second goal. After a wide corner kick, Pariano found C.J. Olney, who crossed into the box for Neil Pierre to head in his first goal of the season, giving Union II a 2-0 lead at the break.

At halftime, Richter made two planned substitutions: Ramzi Qawasmy for Pierre and Markus Anderson for Sullivan. Richter confirmed the changes were due to first-team considerations ahead of Saturday’s match at NYCFC.

The floodgates opened in the second half after Atlanta United 2 defender Dominik Chong Qui was sent off in the 56th minute for a second yellow card.

Union II’s third goal came in the 70th minute from Olney, his first of the year, assisted by Davis, who made a dynamic run down the right and crossed into the box.

Five minutes later, Kellan LeBlanc was fouled in the box, earning a penalty kick. Pariano converted to make it 4-0.

“Tonight we really capitalized when we had those moments,” Pariano said. “Which is great, because that’s what wins you games. So you know, once you score the second and third goal, that’s what makes a game 5-0.”

Union II’s final goal came just one minute later when LeBlanc created space in the box and beat Atlanta keeper Jayden Hibbert in the 76th minute. Davis picked up his second assist of the night on the play.

It was LeBlanc’s fourth career goal at Subaru Park.

“My job when I came in off the bench was to make a positive impact,” LeBlanc said. “I was glad to do that and get a goal in front of the fans here.”

LeBlanc is now set to join the squad heading to the Generation Adidas Cup, which he said he’s looking forward to.

“I’m really excited. I think our team—Philadelphia—is always a favorite in the tournament, so we’re going there to win.”

Overall, Union II produced 27 shots, with 17 on target, and completed 78 percent of their passes. While Richter and company always expect more, Thursday’s result was a strong reminder of the team’s potential when finishing chances.

Strong Defensive Showing

Union II couldn’t keep a clean sheet, as a defensive breakdown in the 86th minute led to a penalty. Javier Armas converted from the spot to give Atlanta its lone goal.

Despite that, Richter was pleased with the defensive effort overall.

“I thought it was pretty solid,” Richter said. “There were a couple moments in the first half where our midfield was a bit disconnected… but I thought we cleaned it up in the second half. Before the red card, it looked way more organized.”

Atlanta had just seven total shots (five on target). Union II goalkeeper Oliver Semmle made several key saves, and the back line kept an Atlanta squad that had scored nine goals entering the match largely quiet.

In particular, Richter praised center back Rafael Uzcátegui.

“You see he’s in the style we want to play,” said Richter. “There are so many situations where center backs are in 1v1 situations. To stay aggressive and continue to defend forward, you have to be really confident and brave. He does a great job with it.”

Up Next

Philadelphia Union II will travel to Belson Stadium to face NYCFC II on Wednesday, April 23, at 7:30 p.m. The match will be available on Apple TV via MLS Season Pass.

Jillian Almoney contributed to this article.

Main article photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union II