Chester – When Philadelphia Union II meet Toronto FC II for the second time this season at Subaru Park on Wednesday, it could be just what Union II need to get back on track. In their previous matchup, Union II was riding an unbeaten streak and completely dominated TFC II in a 5-0 win that featured goals from Markus Anderson, CJ Olney, David Vazquez, and most memorably, a brace from Malik Jakupovic in a marathon of a game that finished with 14 minutes of stoppage time. It would also end up being Olney’s last game with Union II before he was loaned out to Lexington SC for the remainder of the season.

This time around, Union II has lost three of their last four games, including losses last week to New York Red Bulls II and Chicago Fire II, and have not scored since their 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati 2 on August 3. They have dropped to third place in the Eastern Conference as Huntsville City FC just pulled ahead by one point, and RBNY II maintain their first place position. Union II still (barely) have the best goal differential in MLS Next Pro, and have conceded the fewest goals. They have a 5-1-4 home record, and all three recent losses happened on the road, so a return to Subaru Park will likely be very welcomed.

Meanwhile, 7th place TFC II is coming off a 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati 2 and have been in decent form, getting above the playoff line. They have an away record of 5-5-1, so they are solid on the road. They also concede a fair amount of goals, and have a differential of -8. It could be a good chance for Union II’s goal scoring to get rolling again.

Player notes

Union II announced Sunday that they have acquired defender Kaiden Moore on loan from Atlanta United 2 for the remainder of the 2025 season. The 18 year old Macon, Georgia native joined Atlanta’s academy in 2022 and was a part of the U-16 team that won the 2023 MLS Next Cup Championship. He also has featured with the USYNT U-18 squad, most recently having a call-up in May where the squad, coached former Union II coach Marlon LeBlanc, won the UEFA Friendship Cup. He made his professional debut against Union II in April 2024, and in his 23 appearances in two seasons with Atlanta United 2, he scored one goal, had an 89.5 passing percentage, and a 66.7 aerial duel win rate.

From Union II’s press release:

“Kaiden is a promising young center back who has already shown an adept ability to read the game and distribute the ball under pressure,” said Ryan Richter, Head Coach, Philadelphia Union II. “We’re looking forward to integrating him into our group and believe his skill set can play a role in our push during the second half of the season.”

The move gives Union II some depth at center back, which lately has been a bit of an issue. Neil Pierre is sometimes needed for the first team, though he has yet to make his MLS debut. Additionally, Óscar Benítez, who has sometimes played center back, but more recently has been at midfield, dislocated his shoulder last week and has been on the mend from that.

Additionally, Jamir Johnson should be returning from being a guest player with PSV in the Otten Innovation Cup, though he may or may not be in the lineup Wednesday. When he does return, his ability to create chances and score will be a welcome addition. Another player who has been strong in creation and scoring in Union II, Cavan Sullivan, who has five goals on the season, could possibly get some playing time since he did not see the field with the first team on Saturday.

Union II played much better last Friday against Chicago Fire II, despite the 2-0 loss, so they are trending in the right direction. An especially positive performance was had by Jordan Griffin, who will be one to watch. The squad had a large number of chances, but were unable to finish them against the Chicago Fire II keeper David Molenda who had a tremendous game that earned him Rising Star of the Matchweek. Leading goal scorers Malik Jakupovic, Eddy Davis, Markus Anderson, and Sal Olivas could be a big part of getting the scoring back on track, but like the first team, Union II has had a wide range of players scoring goals this season—almost everyone on the squad, in fact. If the team can build on last Friday’s performance and finish those chances, it could start some momentum heading in to the final stretch.

Catch the action with Union II on Wednesday, August 20 at 7:00 PM at Subaru Park or on MLS Season Pass on AppleTV.

Main article photo credit: Philadelphia Union II