It may be an international break, with the Union and Union II not resuming play until 4/4 and 4/12, respectively, but that does not mean Union players have not been in action. Numerous players received national team call ups, and the Union Academy squads are currently taking part in tournaments. Here is a roundup of recent competitions:
United States Youth National Teams
While the matches were unavailable for streaming and information was not plentiful, the Union players involved with the USYNT had some great performances.
The U-17s had a 3-3 draw in their friendly with Paraguay on Saturday. The Union’s Willyam Ferreira, Tyler Gladstone, and Malik Jakupovic started, and Ferreira had one of the goals for the US. Goalkeeper Matthew White was also in the squad.
The U-18s, of which Kellan LeBlanc is a part of, defeated Iceland 2-1 in the Torneio Internacional de Lisboa in Portugal on Friday. They fell 2-1 to Morocco on Saturday, and will face Portugal on Tuesday, March 31.
The U-19s defeated Wales 4-0 in Spain, which included a goal by Cavan Sullivan. Also in the squad was Neil Pierre, currently on loan at Lyngby, who recorded an assist.
The U-20s had great representation by the Union, both past and present. Sal Olivas, Andrew Rick, and Finn Sundstrom got the start, with Olivas scoring a goal, which was assisted by his former Union teammate, David Vazquez. They defeated Argentina 3-0, and will next face Club Atletico Independiente reserves on March 31 at 9:30 AM ET.
Jamaica National Team
Goalkeeper and captain Andre Blake led his Jamaican squad to a 1-0 win over New Caledonia as the Reggae Boyz continue on their quest to qualify for their first World Cup since 1998. They will need to defeat the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Tuesday (5:00 PM ET/FS1) to get a berth in Group K with Colombia, Portugal, and Uzbekistan.
Generation Adidas Cup
The U-15 and U-16 Union Academy squads had three GA Cup group stage matches over the weekend at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. The U-15s started strong with a 2-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Friday, with goals from Gino Cecere and Mason Cannon, but were bested by Inter Miami 1-0 on Saturday, and Toulouse FC 2-0 on Sunday. They unfortunately did not advance to the knockout round, and will play in showcase matches.
The U-16s, however, did advance. On Friday, Timoni Gbalajobi scored in their 1-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City. Saturday saw a rematch with their foe from the 2025 MLS Next Cup, Atlanta United FC, when these players were in U-15s. Atlanta got the better of them this time, winning 3-1, with Jayden Kouadio scoring the Union’s lone goal.
With a trip to the knockout round on the line, the Union came out strong with a 2-0 victory over Mexican side Monterrey on Sunday with goals from Samuel Gallego and Timoni Gbalajobi. They finished at the top of their group to move on.
Dallas Cup
Meanwhile, the Union Academy’s U-18s traveled to Texas to compete in the Dallas Cup, which began Sunday with group play. Facing Mexican side Toluca in their opening match, the lineup was a strong one with many players who have been featuring with Union II as well.
The starting XI saw the striker pair of Theo Reed and John Ruf, midfielders Erik Guzman, Matheus De Paula, Nehan Hasan, Lennon Harrington, defenders Max Owusu-Antwi, Andrew Craig, Nick Greer, and Mateo Gallegos, and Alex Smith in goal.
During the first half, Toluca got a huge opportunity when they were awarded a penalty kick, but Smith made a fantastic save to keep Toluca off the scoresheet. The Union would get a penalty of their own a short time later, with Harrington—no stranger to PKs, including recent success with Union II—stepping up and burying the shot to make it 1-0. That score would hold until the final whistle, and the Union emerged victorious.
Their next match is Monday against Sao Paulo FC at 3:00 PM ET. Matches can be livestreamed here.
Main article photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Union Academy
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