CHESTER, Pa.— Philadelphia Union II return to action Saturday at the WSFS Bank Sportsplex Kinetic Field as they host Atlanta United 2. Union II are coming off a 1-1 draw with Columbus Crew 2, and at the time of this article sit in ninth. However, they do boast the fewest goals allowed in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta, meanwhile, are in fourth and coming off a 6-2 win over Huntsville. That match saw two Huntsville players sent off, and five goals for ATL2’s Arif Kovac.
Now ten matches into the season, how is the team looking in comparison to Richter’s expectations?
“Yeah, honestly, it’s kind of how I expected it to go,” he said. “You know, the thing is with guys who are playing more minutes at this level than they ever have, and have to adapt, it’s not consistent. And that’s the thing, is that we have to get these guys that they’re playing at a high level consistently. There’s been some different things that are positive from a Union II standpoint that affect maybe the result. So many guys getting called to the first team, playing minutes with the first team—that obviously is what the goal of this is, but when you look at the results of the second team, you take guys out, it makes it harder, you know, and that’s the fun part of the project, and that’s the great part.”
“But I would say it’s kind of how I expected it to go, where it’s going to be difficult for us,” Richter continued. “And if we’re not on our best game or not taking chances in the game, then then the games can go how they do, and I think you’ve seen with a lot of the guys is some inconsistent performances, some really good performances, but we have to build through the season to kind of get where it’s consistently each week, where guys are able to perform at their best.”
Union II’s lineup will be a little thinner for this match according to head coach Ryan Richter. With the first team playing in Miami on Sunday, Malik Jakupovic will be with them, and Stas Korzeniowski is out for a few weeks with a knee injury. The good news is that Eddy Davis and Willyam Ferreira should be good to go, though their minutes could be more limited. No official update has been given on Sal Olivas and if he will be suspended another match due to his red card incident. Additionally, Bradley Carnell noted in his press conference that Kellan LeBlanc may travel with the first team to Miami, which would be LeBlanc’s first MLS match.
The Academy’s U-18 squad, which includes quite a few players who feature with Union II, will be playing at the MLS Next Cup. Richter commented on this ahead of the match, but knows the value of those players heading to Salt Lake City to represent the Academy, especially as a former Academy coach himself.
“Yeah, we’re gonna have a thin group, because it’s also important for us that we go to these events, and that we win, you know. It’s won the reputation in the club, you know. We have one of the best academies, and everyone knows that, from the amount of guys that we’re putting into the first team, but it’s also important you go to these events, and you show really well, and you win these events. So we want to put our best group with the U-18s.”
Richter noted that a few U-18s will stay back with Union II however, before heading to Salt Lake City. “A couple guys will play the game, then join them after that, but I think you know, I love these events, and how we can kind of showcase our talent, and how we can showcase what our academy is about, and level that we can play at. It’s important for us that the guys, you know, that are still amateur players, at least, can go and perform in these events, and give us the best shot at doing well.”
The match will be a bit of a reunion for defender Kaiden Moore, who is on loan from Atlanta. Moore, 19, who joined Union II on loan late last season, still has friends on ATL2 and is looking forward to it.
“I know almost all of them, but yeah, it’ll be a very competitive game for sure. And I’m excited,” Moore said. Joining Atlanta United in 2022, he was also a part of their 2023 U-16 squad that won the MLS Next Cup. Joining their academy was an easy decision for Moore.
“Yeah, I mean, it was my hometown, so it was an easy decision. I played at a local club in Atlanta for most of my youth career, so then Atlanta scouted me, I came on a trial and joined immediately,” he said. And on winning the MLS Next Cup, he noted, “Yeah, it was really good, probably one of my most memorable moments in Atlanta, winning that tournament with that team. A lot of my close friends.”
Moore then signed his first professional contract with Atlanta in 2024, and ironically, made his professional debut against Union II. “Yeah, I mean it was huge when the negotiation started. My family was very excited, and yeah, I was, I was very happy to join their club at that time,” Moore said.
Joining Union II on loan in August 2025, it was a big step for Moore. “Yeah, I mean it was personally it was my first time moving away from home, so that was that was a big step for me, which I think I’ve grown a lot from that. And then tactically we just play here, we play very direct and we defend very hard and forward, which is something I wanted to improve, which I think I have since being here.”
In January it was announced that he was once again loaned to Philadelphia through 2026 as an off-roster homegrown with an option to buy. He has also been called to the United States Youth National Team several times.
Though Moore has not gotten a lot of minutes this season, he has continued working hard, and Richter was complimentary of him. “Yeah, he’s been patient with the lack of minutes that he’s had in games,” Richter said, “but he’ll get his opportunity tomorrow, and it’s going to be awesome for him against his former club, and to see what he can do. I’m hoping that he puts together what he’s capable of, which is, at this level, he can do a really good job. So think he’s in a good head space, he’s been patient when he was out of the team, and now it’s time for him to step up and have a good performance.”
Moore, likewise, was very positive about working with Richter. “Yeah, he’s helped me so much mentally,” he said. “My side of the game hasn’t been exactly where I wanted to have been, and he’s been working with me on that, and I feel like I’ve grown so much this year, just hoping for some opportunities to show it.”
As Richter pointed out, Moore will have his chance to contribute on Saturday against Atlanta, and take on players in good form like Kovac and Liam Butts. The margins, as with the first team, have been thin, and their record does not necessarily reflect the strength of the team.
Moore shared, “I think we’ve been doing well. We just got to pick up a few more results. Like, I feel like we’ve been the better team in these past few games we’ve been playing, but just finding ways to win games, like, I don’t think the score sheet has shown our performances.”
Union II is poised to have a good battle against Atlanta United 2 on Saturday, and will kick off at 3:00 PM. If you’re unable to attend at Kinetic Field, you can stream the match on mlsnextpro.com or OneFootball.
Kyle Almoney contributed to his article.
Main article photo: Kaiden Moore. Courtesy of Philadelphia Union II.
The One Team We Agree On 
Leave a comment