CHESTER, Pa.— Philadelphia’s second team returns to action on Sunday at Subaru Park after having a break from matches since March 22nd when they drew RBNY II 1-1 and won the shootout. They will face Carolina Core for only the third time ever, and the first time at home after traveling to High Point, NC the previous two seasons. In their 2024 meeting, Union II prevailed 2-0 while in 2025 they fell 3-2, ending their winning streak at the time.
Currently, Union II sit in 4th in the East at 2-1-1 and have had a strong start with a very young squad, though they have struggled to score goals. Their stellar defense, led by captain Rafael Uzcátegui, and standout performances by goalkeeper George Marks, have helped Philadelphia get results despite not finding the back of the net as often as they would like.
While winning the penalty shootout against Red Bull New York II on the road was an exciting result, Union II’s sheer inability to produce shots and get goals, as well as some other mistakes in that match up left Coach Ryan Richter dissatisfied with the attacking, transitions, and chance creation.
“It was not good enough, you know, that that was the reality. And it’s like, we have our style of play, and the guys are bought into that, but we have to have the composure to be able to also be soccer players, not just a bunch of of guys going out, crashing into each other, and then we got the ball, and we’re still going to crash into the other team,” Richter remarked.
Richter added that they are looking for more quality from the squad, saying, “I would say, for my expectations, and our staff’s expectations, and the players’ expectations of themselves, that we have to play better soccer than this. You know, it doesn’t change the style, it doesn’t change the things that have made us successful and what we’re trying to prepare them for, but we have to play with more quality and I think everyone’s on the same page with that.”
During the break, many Union II players were either called to national team duty or were with the academy U-18 squad at the Dallas Cup, where they were victorious. The time off from matches, however, presented Richter and his staff with some valuable time to work on areas needing attention.
“It was a really productive couple weeks,” Richter said. “Obviously low numbers, just with everything going on, but it gave us a chance to focus on a lot of individual topics. And I give credit to the players in the way they push the competition in training, the way they push their level of fitness. And really, we just approach from the beginning, it’s like, okay, we have two options. We play 5v5 and we go through the motions for two weeks, or we focus on a lot individual things. We improve, we push our fitness, we push the competition.”
Richter was pleased with how training has gone, remarking “They did a great job over the course of the time with a lot of players out to stay motivated and to really use this time to try to get better. And that’s what we’re trying to do, and I appreciate, really, the way that they approached it, because I think we got a lot out of it.”
In comparison, Carolina Core are currently winless at 0-2-2 and are 15th out of 16 in the standings. They, too, have struggled to score, but have conceded more goals. Richter always appreciates playing against independent teams like them as it often brings a different level of competition that can include some older players.
“Yeah, it’s similar to the independent teams where they presented a little bit different of a challenge with some older players and some some senior guys,” Richter said. “And it’s exactly the kind of games we need, where the physicality is at a different level, and that we have to be up for that challenge in the game.”
Despite their record, Richter does not take the match up lightly. “I think looking at them, you know, they have a solid team, but it’s one that we go in confident that we can outplay them and hopefully get a result from the game.”
On Malik Jakupovic
One player who has been important to Union II has been Malik Jakupovic, who has two of their four goals scored this season. The 16 year old striker was recently signed to a homegrown contract, officially bringing him into the first team fold.
Richter saw the move as great for Jakupovic and that it was only a matter of time for that to happen. “When you got a guy like that performing at his level with his ability, it’s only a matter of time until he can take the next step,” he said. “And you know, he’s shown and gotten the trust from Bradley [Carnell] in the last couple of weeks to get opportunities in first team games. So we’re proud of him, but, you know, this was always kind of part of the plan, so it’s not a surprise, and it’s not something that wasn’t deserved, that wasn’t coming. It’s just a nice another little milestone, you know, keep building that, keep gaining confidence from it, and keep working on his game and keep getting better.”
On the Dallas Cup and Willyam Ferreira
Richter, a former coach himself with the Union’s Academy, was proud of his players and the U-18s as a whole for winning the Dallas Cup and performing well.
“They should be proud of themselves, proud of the way they represented themselves, Union II, the U-18s, and the club as a whole. It’s important to go to these events when you’re playing against great competition. It is important to win, and it’s important to show, hey, we have the best players, we have the best mentality, and we go out and we compete in these events. It’s not just about getting the experience. It’s also about showing what this club is capable of.”
Additionally, Alex Smith, who has been a backup keeper so far for Union II, was MVP of that tournament and came up big in penalties. Richter was not surprised he earned MVP, saying, “I think the two penalty shootout wins, that always gives attention to the goalkeeper. So it’s a great thing for him. Hopefully he takes confidence from it. And I think it was deserved.”
That tournament was not without its ups and downs, and one of his players in particular had some learning moments. Midfielder Willyam Ferreira shows a lot of passion and energy on the field, but also is still working on his composure. He got into some heated moments with players from Botafogo in the final, at one point even being picked up and carried away by teammate Lennon Harrington. Richter reflected on this:
“Yeah, he needs to, you know, grow up a little bit in that sense. Soccer is a frustrating game. Your emotions go crazy sometimes, but you have to have the maturity to calm down and still take good decisions. And sometimes with him, it’s something that he’s, you know, kind of struggled with over the years, that we’re all here trying to help him with. We’re trying to lead him to being the best player that he can be, and part of that is he has to be able to control himself and control his emotions on the field and not get thrown out of his game because he’s completely lost control of what the what the plot is.
“The plot is to play well, not to be fighting and go out to fight guys. Play with passion, play with this edge, but don’t cross that line where now you’re not playing the game anymore. You’re focused on something completely different. That’s something he has to take a big step in, you know, because we have high hopes for him. The club is invested in him, and he’s given everything here. He needs to get out of his own way with some of this stuff. Now he’s getting to a point where he’s 17 years old, he’s not 15, he’s not 12. He needs to start maturing in that sense of the way that he can control himself, because he’s got so much ability and he’s got so many great qualities. Now, let’s take the step to to kind of show those and not get in your own way sometimes.”
Richter will need great performances from Jakupovic, Ferreira, and the rest of his young squad as they host Carolina Core on Sunday, April 12 at 3:00 PM at Subaru Park. If you are unable to attend the match, it will be livestreamed on OneFootball and at mlsnextpro.com.
Main article photo courtesy of Philadelphia Union II.
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