Chester – The Philadelphia Union is well-known for having gifted young players rise up through the ranks from the Academy that go on to play in college and/or professionally, and with many who have gone on to sign with the Union or Union II. A certain 15 year old that is headed to Manchester City in a few years has gotten a lot of attention, but he is only one of the many talented teens signed professionally to the club. One such player who has garnered a lot of attention, especially recently, is 16 year old striker Malik Jakupovic.
I wrote about Malik back when he signed with Union II officially in May. He is 6’3″ with room to grow, both in height and skill. He can finish chances, and that became very apparent as he went on an incredible run of scoring in each of his first five appearances- and in one, he had a brace. He is currently the leading goal scorer for Union II at six, and generated a lot of buzz around the scoring streak. Each of those appearances were off the bench, but the thing about streaks is they usually come to an end at some point. Malik had his first professional start in the 3-2 loss to Carolina Core on July 30, where he did not score, ending the streak. He also started in their 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati 2 on August 3.
The last month had a lot of special moments, as he was chosen to participate in the MLS Next All Star game along with teammate Jamir Johnson, and started that game as the East went on to win 4-3 via a game-winning penalty kick by Jamir.
Being a teenager is hard enough, but being signed as a professional soccer player that gets international attention, having a rigorous training schedule, and also being a student is a lot. Malik seems to be handling it fairly well from my many observations at training and matches. The young player displays a calm, confident demeanor and a focus. His coach, Ryan Richter, has said succinctly in the past that “he knows where the goal is.” He will be one to watch for sure as the season plays out, and moving forward.
Malik’s thoughts on his accomplishments and Union II’s season
I had the chance to catch up with Malik at training on Thursday and get his thoughts on recent events for himself and the team. I had talked to him in July at training about his debut and again after his brace against Toronto FC II, but I was curious how he was handling all the recent hype.
So first of all, could you talk about your experience with the All-Star game?
Malik Jakupovic: Yeah, it was it was a really good experience. The level was really good, a lot of fans too. And overall, it was a really good experience. We went to the Goalie Wars, the Skills Challenge, all of that… watched the [MLS All Star] game and yeah, it was a really good experience.
So what was it like getting your first pro starts, including your first in front of the home crowd?
MJ: It was really good. It’s really different from coming on the pitch because it’s a lot more tighter. Took me a little bit to get fit in the game, but it was good, I think I did good.
And then you went on that incredible run of scoring six goals in your first five appearances. Obviously, there was a lot of buzz about that. Did you feel like there was a lot of pressure or weight on you because of that, or did it not really affect you?
MJ: No, not really. I mean, I knew I was going to score one of the games, but I just knew that I was not going to score every single game, so it was just good to have a good result at the end of the day.
After losing to Carolina Core, how much confidence did that win over FC Cincinnati 2 give to the squad heading into this big match up with Red Bulls II?
MJ: I think the confidence was a little down, but Richter was saying in the locker room before the Cincy game that this is probably one of the most important games of the season. This will bring us to first place and give us a good run coming into playoffs, so it was a really important game.
What do you think the keys are to the match up on Monday?
MJ: Confidence again. Red Bull, they lost pretty badly [within the past two games]. So, coming in to try to win.
Ryan Richter’s thoughts on Malik‘s progress
At training on Thursday, after speaking with Malik, I asked Union II head coach Ryan Richter about how he would rate Malik’s progress. Richter has noted in the past how Malik is doing really well, but still has a lot to learn. It is definitely still the case, but he also noted the differences of playing as a starter versus coming off the bench, which Malik had mentioned.
“Yeah, he’s doing well,” Richter said of Malik. “I think it’s a different position coming into a game from the bench than it is from the start as you have to be more part of the tactics of the team. I’ll call it in the first 60 minutes of the game rather than the last 30 minutes when the game is a little more open and it’s more, you have more space, more opportunities for transition, more opportunities to run behind.
“Still do the job for the team, but it’s a little different in the beginning of the game when things are a little tighter. You have to be more with the tactics with the team, and he did a much better job of that in the second game than I think in the first game. The first game, he was kind of going on a solo mission a lot in his defensive work, and he was trying, so it’s not like the effort or the attitude. But the second game, he did a better job of being more controlled and working with the players around him. I thought he did a good job.”
Malik will have an opportunity to help his squad take sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference. Union II will face New York Red Bulls II on the road at Montclair State University on Monday, August 11 at 7:00 PM, and can be viewed via MLS Season Pass on AppleTV. The teams are tied for points, but the Red Bulls have more wins, so it will be an important match for Union II and a must-watch for the fans.
Main article photo credit: Philadelphia Union II
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