CHESTER, Pa.— In their earliest match in team history, kicking off the season on mild, sunny February afternoon, Philadelphia Union II got their first win of the season in their home opener. The 1-0 victory, courtesy of a Malik Jakupovic goal, did not come easy, however. The story of the day was leadership and defensive prowess of team captain Rafael Uzcátegui (whose 2026 option was exercised, announced early in the day) and goalkeeper George Marks, as eight players had their first match at the MLS Next Pro level—six of them current Philadelphia Union Academy players. Aside from Marks, it was a very, very young squad that was given a big test to begin the season.
The starting lineup saw several new faces alongside the returning players that helped Union II reach the Eastern Conference Final in 2025. Malik Jakupovic, coming off a solid bench appearance with the first team on Thursday against Defence Force, was paired up top with Academy striker John Ruf, who was making his Union II debut.
Returning midfielders Kellan LeBlanc, Willyam Ferreira, and Óscar Benítez were joined by Academy amateur Isaiah (Timo) Mendoza, who was also making his Union II debut. The back line saw new signing and Penn grad Oliver Pratt in his Union II debut at right back, Uzcátegui and Kaiden Moore at center back, and recently-turned-pro Jordan Griffin at left back. Marks, who is the Union’s third keeper and made several appearances late in 2025, was in goal.
On the Toronto FC II side, it was a homecoming for Schwenksville native Jackson Gilman. TFC II’s captain came through the Union Academy and played for Union II before graduating from YSC and playing collegiately at Pitt. He was selected by Toronto FC in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft. He played the full 90 in front of a sizable crowd of supporters.
Union II had early chances with a corner and a flurry of activity in the box shortly after, but the attempts on goal were thwarted. It did not take long for the home team to find the back of the net, however, as Jakupovic sent a fantastic strike past TFC II’s keeper, Zakaria Nakhly, to make it 1-0 in the 8th minute.
TFC II came surging down in the 15th minute, but a well-timed block by Uzcátegui knocked it out out for a corner, and Marks made nice grab on the corner attempt.
TFC II committed a handball in the 23rd minute right outside the box led to a free kick that was well-struck by LeBlanc, and it was deflected out for a Union II corner which would go for naught. After scoring the first goal of the season for Union II, Jakupovic was handed the first yellow card as well in the 26th minute on a foul, and TFC II was starting to really put some pressure on their hosts. If not for some solid defense from the center backs and a strong presence from Marks, the scoreline could have easily swung the other way several times.
Union II seemed to still be figuring themselves out and the less experienced players were finding their way as the game progressed. It was not without its hiccups as John Ruf was shown a yellow in the 35th minute for a hard foul. Still, after one minute of stoppage, the home team headed to the locker room with a 1-0 lead at the half.
A break almost came for TFC II in the 53rd minute as it looked to be a 1v1 on Marks, who made a nice save, however it was inconsequential as TFC II was called offside. Another threat came when Gilman made TFC II’s first shot on target that Marks tipped over the goal.
Ryan Richter made his first subs in the 57th minute, replacing Mendoza, Ruf, and Moore with Matheus De Paula, Nehan Hasan, and Finn Sundstrom. All three replacements were making their Union II debut, though Sundstrom is a first team player who started against D.C. United last weekend and was coming back from an ankle injury sustained in that match.
Ferreira received a yellow card in the 69th minute for a foul as the battle of the midfield continued. LeBlanc made a strong shot in the 70th minute that was deflected out for a corner—the first real chance for Union II in a while.
Academy striker Theo Reed made his Union II debut in the 72nd minute, subbing on for Ferreira, and allowing Hasan to be more in the midfield.
Marks made another huge save in the 83rd minute after a defensive breakdown, and then TFC II got a chance with a dangerous free kick moments later that was blocked by Union II’s wall. With TFC II pushing for the equalizer, a fresh defensive reinforcement came in Lennon Harrington for LeBlanc as the final substitution in the 85th minute, leaving backup goalkeeper Alex Smith as the only player not used. It was also Harrington’s Union II debut.
TFC II got another chance in the 89th minute on a corner, but Marks came up with the save once again. De Paula received a yellow card in the 90th minute after a foul on former Maryland Terrapin Luca Costabile, and four minutes of stoppage time followed. Marks was shown Union II’s fifth yellow of the afternoon for time wasting two minutes into stoppage. The keeper was heard calling for his teammates to take the ball to the corner, which was partially done. Jakupovic and Harrington managed to rip off some late shots, with the latter making a Jakob Glesnes-esque power shot from distance that unfortunately went just over the goal.
TFC II’s Tristan Blyth was shown his squad’s only yellow in the dying moments of the match for a foul, and Union II staved off the late threats to hang onto the 1-0 lead for the victory.
As we at The One Team We Agree On discussed with Richter earlier this week as we previewed the season, it is a bit of a new cycle of players, and a lot of learning will need to take place. The first game also always presents challenges, and it was an extremely young squad with several first team players who feature unavailable. Richter shared his thoughts after the match, saying “It was a great goal by Malik, makes it 1-0, and we defend them all as a team, and George helped a lot. So a lot of things weren’t perfect, that’s for sure. It’s the first game of the season.”
Richter had plenty to be proud of with his team, and how many of them handled the pressure that came with making a debut.
“But I really like the attitude and the mentality to come away and not give a goal in this when they were putting a lot of pressure on us. And that’s part of a game that these guys have to learn too, is [when] we don’t have the momentum, how can you survive that? So I was really proud of that from the group. And I think we went through seven guys that made their first game with MLS Next Pro.
“And for a moment for those guys, really proud of them. And then the journey that they’ve been on, some of the kids I’ve known since they were eight years old, and to see them taking this step is awesome. I’m happy for them. I’m proud of them, happy for their families. And, you know, we have to get better. That’s what we do, is we reflect on it whether win or lose, we have to improve next week.”
While many of the debutants for Union II were accomplished at the Academy level, it was a new experience for them, and that brings its challenges. The leadership provided by Uzcátegui and Marks was crucial, and Richter appreciated what he saw from them.
“[Uzcátegui has] grown into a really nice young leader, and he helps these guys along, and having George as well, makes a big difference just to kind of calm things down when it gets a little chaotic, just a little bit more experience that can help these guys who haven’t been in that situation before.”
Jakupovic and Marks appreciated their captain’s contributions.
“Yeah, he was he was awesome today. He’s really a big leader. I’ve been looking up to him these last two years since I’ve been with him, and he’s really a big leader. He works his tail off every single day and he’s a great guy,” Jakupovic said.
Marks reiterated that sentiment. “He’s great. He’s talked about how he’s going to take a new role with this team. He’s with us with the first team all through preseason. He’s fantastic. He’s a really loved guy in that locker room, just as a guy who does things the right way, plays with intensity always, and yeah, he’s going to be great for the club. So he’s a great leader. He’s going to be needed throughout the season, and is going to be someone that they rely on.”
Uzcátegui said he got a lot out of the time spent with the first team during preseason, calling it “an amazing experience” and said he learned a lot from the other players and the coaches, and hopes to make it to the first team one day. This role with Union II can certainly help in that process.
“I am working every day to improve, and to approach every opportunity that I have on the field,” Uzcátegui said. “I think one of the things that I have to improve this year is my composure with the ball,” and he noted how he was trying to learn every day from the first team defenders. It seemed he did have better composure in the match, and bailed the team out multiple times.
Marks was equally complimentary of Jakupovic, who has had quite the week between the first team appearance and scoring the game-winner for Union II. “I mean, it’s big for him and it’s awesome,” Marks said of the opportunities Jakupovic is getting. “I think it’s the same kind of story with [Cavan Sullivan]. You know, you forget how old these kids are. So you have, like, the frustration, then you remember they are 16 years old. And I remember what I was doing at 16 years old and it was nowhere near this. So to see their maturation from last year to this year, and especially Malik, who wasn’t so much with the first team, it’s fully deserved. He’s a great talent and you know, I think more than anything, it’s about staying out of his own way because he’s going to do great things.”
Malik, while close in age with his striker counterparts in Ruf and Reed, was, for how young he is, the more experienced one at the Next Pro level having debuted in June 2025. He thought both were great, saying “Yeah, [Ruf is] a really good striker to work with. He runs a lot. He runs for me, and he does all the defensive work for me. He really works really hard and I really like him.” On Reed, he said, “He came into the game and he was really electric. He was a really dangerous striker today and he could have scored maybe two goals, and he was helping me a lot.”
Union II has a lot of raw talent that will be exciting to watch. They also definitely have areas to clean up as they prepare for their next match, which will be against FC Cincinnati 2 at home on Sunday, March 8 at 3:00 PM.
Uzcátegui summed it up saying, “The season is just beginning. We have a lot of things to improve on to correct, but I think it’s important to win today to gain confidence. We have now this week to to improve on to see the things that we can do better.”
Main article photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union II.
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