ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—In their first of two preseason friendlies during their Florida preseason training camp, the Philadelphia Union—and even Union II—got to test their fitness and some formations against USL Championship side Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Bradley Carnell’s starting lineup was filled with a lot of young players and some who do not typically start, with half the players having been a part of Union II last year. Wearing the captain’s armband for the squad was midfielder Jesús Bueno. Andrew Rick got the start in goal. Ben Bender, Rafael Uzcátegui, Olwethu Makhanya, Olivier Mbaizo, Jeremy Rafanello, Cavan Sullivan, CJ Olney, Sal Olivas, and Stas Korzeniowski were the other starters. Uzcátegui, it should be noted, is a Union II-signed center back, but has had the opportunity to train with the first team.
Tampa Bay came out firing, making young Andrew perform two great saves in the first ten minutes. Jeremy Rafanello had the first attempt for the Union, as the midfielder shot the ball over the cross bar.
After Jesús Bueno was charged with a yellow card, Tampa Bay got another big opportunity, but could not capitalize. Sal Olivas was then fouled in the box, which looked like it could lead to a penalty kick and incited pleas from the Union, but referee Tori Penso did not call it.
Making his preseason debut for the Union since being signed recently, Geiner Martinez subbed on for Makhanya in the 31st minute. While he is certainly still getting acclimated to the the team, glimmers of his speed and strength were there.
The Union would have a few chances in the first half, including a shot by Olivas that hit the post, but nothing came to fruition as both teams faced a 0-0 draw at half. Some solid plays were made by the young players, especially as many of them have had ample time together with Union II, but the Rowdies brought a lot of pressure.
Union would best tested early in the second half when Penso called a foul in the box against the Union, setting up a penalty kick in the 49th minute. Ever the PK specialist, Rick made a great save, diving to his right and batting the ball away. The Rowdies’ second attempt on the rebound went wide.
Rick, a 20-year-old homegrown who has shown so much growth the last two years, was fantastic on the night, and exudes so much confidence and command that one has to be excited for his future. In The One Team We Agree On team’s opinion, he was easily the player of the match.
As expected for a preseason friendly, a mass substitution came in the 62nd minute as Jovan Lukic, Nate Harriel, Frankie Westfield, Alejandro Bedoya, Jordan Griffin, Kellan LeBlanc, Ezekiel Alladoh, Milan Iloski, Danley Jean Jacques, and Andre Blake replaced all but Rafanello. Notably, left back Jordan Griffin and midfielder Kellan LeBlanc are Union II players who were big pieces of that team’s run last year, and both featured in the U-17 World Cup in November 2025. LeBlanc is signed to Union II, but nothing has been announced of as now about Griffin, who has also come up through the Union Academy.
The Union finally found the back of the net in the 70th minute, courtesy of Bedoya (now wearing the captain’s armband), which came after a great play by Alladoh.
The Union doubled their lead in the 78th minute after Westfield served a perfectly-placed cross to Danley, who headed the ball into the net. Blake would make a few saves in the second half, preserving the lead, and the Union would go on to finish with a 2-0 victory.
The match was a good test of a wide range of players and combinations, as one wants to see in preseason. The Union will play one more preseason friendly down in Florida on Tuesday, February 10 as they take on fellow MLS side CF Montreal at 6:00 PM, which will apparently be streamed according to the commentator during the broadcast—stay tuned for more info on that.
Jillian Almoney contributed to this article.
Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union
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