CHESTER, Pa.— Over a month has passed since the end of Union II’s season, which came to an earlier end than it has the last few years as they missed the playoffs after a late-season push. While it could be seen as a disappointment or a down year, there were numerous stories, high points, and reasons to be optimistic, and yes… some learning moments. It is time to dive into a retrospective where I examine the ups and downs, the roster, and more.
It was certainly a season of change, with a new cycle of players as well as coaching changes. Ryan Richter was at the helm until late May when he was named interim head coach of the first team following the firing of Bradley Carnell. Assistants Henry Apaloo and Fred da Silva briefly took over until U18 head coach Chris Harmon was named interim head coach for the rest of the season.
The One Team We Agree On spoke with Richter during the preseason last February, and he had noted that it was a transitional season for a lot of players. You can read that whole season preview and see the video interview of Richter here.
“A lot of guys that are kind of in that space now where it’s gonna be a great opportunity to see how much they can grow this season, and see how far we can get, kind of month by month, game by game… see how much they can continue to grow and adapt to the level, and see how far they can push it,” Richter had said. He noted players like Willyam Ferreira, Malik Jakupovic, Kellan LeBlanc, and Jordan Griffin, who could be taking that next step, while many young Academy players would get their chances.
Looking back at the players who were part of Union II during 2026, it was quite an extensive list, and a very young team. With a combination of first team players who need to develop or get playing time, signed Union II players, and Academy amateurs, it can be a bit of a fluid roster. Let’s dive into some thoughts on those players.
Union II contracts
There were several teenage signed players who came up through the Academy, including Kellan LeBlanc and Jordan Griffin, who were signed in February 2026, as well as Willyam Ferreira, who was signed in 2025.
LeBlanc was a standout during the season, especially in the latter part, as he picked up the goal scoring. The midfielder ended the season with five goals and four assists. He made his first team debut in Leagues Cup, coming off the bench against Santos Laguna. In my opinion, he looks the most ready to make the jump to the first team of those players.
Griffin also had a big season, with two goals and four assists as he took hold of that starting role at left back. He definitely had some learning moments and has some room to grow, but he is developing nicely— and that hard work paid off when he made his MLS debut off the bench against Orlando on September 26, and also was on the bench against FC Cincinnati on October 31.
Ferreira had four assists on the season, but still has yet to find that elusive first pro goal. He needs to keep sharpening his skills and working on the discipline with the second team, but has the talent to be sure.
Rafael Uzcátegui, Giovanny Sequera, and Óscar Benítez returned after joining the team in 2025. Rafa was the team captain and was not only a fantastic defender for them, playing every minute of every match until late in the season, but showed exemplary leadership qualities.
He played just about every minute of every game, and even played the full 90 in his first team debut against Santos Laguna in Leagues Cup— until he was injured in August and had limited minutes in the remaining part of the season. He was on the bench against Orlando with the first team, but did not play. It will be interesting to see if he continues with the Union organization as his contract will be up at the end of the year, and Richter has always spoken highly of him.
Sequera is another player who was not only valuable, but versatile. He could play more in an attacking role, but also be at right back, and even left back— where he made his MLS debut way back in March against San Jose. He always has brought energy and some nifty dribbling to boot. He also had the dubious honor of having the most yellow cards (11) in Next Pro. I will be really interested to see what his future holds and if he returns.
Benítez, also the recipient of many a yellow card, showed growth during the season and was a solid defender with great speed. He is one I could see doing well going to USL if he does not stick around Philadelphia.
Defender Oliver Pratt, who signed this season after a strong college career at Penn, began the season with several starts, but saw those minutes dwindle as the season went on. He is likely on his way out judging by social media posts, and I look forward to seeing what is next for him.
Likewise, Malian midfielder Mamoutou Berthé, who dealt with some injuries at times, got a lot of minutes earlier in the season and had what Richter called his best game against CT United where he registered an assist. He is still young and developing, but will that still be with Union II?
A midfielder who did not see any action in 2026 after sustaining an injury in preseason is Paco Dadi, so we really did not get to see what he could offer. He was around the team all season and working to get back, but it is unknown what the future holds for him.
Did you forget that José Riasco is still a Union II player? He is currently on loan to Sequera’s former club, Metropolitanos, through July 2027. He has not played for Union II since the MLS Next Pro Cup Final in November 2024, where he played 10 minutes. He has five goals in nine appearances for Metropolitanos since moving there in July.
Finally, there is goalkeeper Pierce Holbrook, who completed his second season with Union II and was the main goalkeeper with 16 games played after he returned from his knee injury sustained late in the 2025 season. He brought quality leadership and maturity to the young squad, and had 81 saves, with two penalties saved. If he does not continue on with the Union, he is also one who could do well at this point either in USL or even possibly as an MLS backup.
Academy players
Many, many amateur players from the U18 squad got their opportunities with Union II in 2026, and with Harmon having been their coach at the Academy, there was a lot of familiarity.
The biggest story has to be Matheus De Paula. He ended the season with the most minutes out of any player with the second team (2,033), even surpassing Uzcátegui (2,002), who had held that honor until almost the end. With three goals and four assists, he proved to be indispensable either at defensive mid or at right back. It would come as absolutely no surprise if the Penn State commit decided to go the pro route, though the Union have shown they also believe in the college route for players too as they are keeping tabs on several alumni. Either way, De Paula has a bright future and I look forward to seeing his play with the U18s and in the next season with Union II.
Another breakout player was forward Theo Reed, who has committed to University of Michigan. His role grew as the season progressed, scoring five goals in 14 appearances. He recently was called to the U19 Men’s Youth National Team, along with Kellan LeBlanc, where the two were very successful. Fellow forward and senior John Ruf, who is committed to UCLA, also showed flashes of promise and scored one goal, but had somewhat limited minutes. Look for him to have a big season with the U18s with Reed, however.
A player who I would like to see more of with Union II is Tyler Gladstone, who has been consistently one of the best players on the field for the U18s (see this set piece goal!), and has been great on set pieces (along with De Paula). His minutes were very limited with Union II (373) in 13 appearances and three starts. He had two assists. He is currently committed to a very strong program in Indiana.
Isaiah (Timo) Mendoza saw a good amount of playing time with Union II in the midfield, with 16 appearances and nine starts. He will be one to watch as he could see a bigger role next season. Also in the midfield and making their debuts this season were Abdoulaye Diop and Sammy Gallego, and I expect to see their roles grow next season. Keep an eye on their performances with the U18s as they are integral.
Several other academy players made limited appearances, including Jett Harrison and Mateo Gallegos with one apiece, who could see more time before they head off to college. Jett, who was just named to the UPSL Best of Season squad for Union III, is committed to UNC. Mateo, who can deliver a killer cross and is key with the U18s, is headed to Penn State. Goalkeepers Alex Smith, Matthew White, Charli Lorenz, and Abram Judy all made the bench but did not see any minutes. Perhaps a chance in the next season will come, though likely not Smith as he is excelling at St. Joe’s and breaking records.
Speaking of college soccer, the trio of Andrew Craig, Lennon Harrington, and Nehan Hasan saw action with the second team before departing in the summer. They had big senior seasons with the U18s, and continued that strong play with Union II.
Harrington had one goal for Union II and earned Rising Star of the Matchday before heading to Cornell, where he has found a lot of success as a freshman with four goals and one assist so far.
Craig had limited appearances with Union II, but impressed every time he set foot on the field and is one I could see the Union keeping track of in college. He was a standout with his IQ and physicality on the back line, and as a captain for the U18s, brought leadership qualities. He was off to a hot start with Michigan before he injured his knee and will miss the rest of the season, though I understand he should be good to go by next season.
Hasan, meanwhile, has been part of a Penn State squad that has been up and down, and has one assist.
First team players
The majority of first team players who saw time with Union II were forwards, with Stas Korzeniowski going on a streak of scoring before going on loan to Rhode Island FC in August. He was the top scorer for Union II with 10 goals in only eight matches played, plus two assists.
Eddy Davis also had a good run with five goals before going on loan to Loudoun United. The loan has appeared to be a successful one, and for both Korzeniowski and Davis, they appear to be above the Next Pro level. Whether they get roles with the first team remains to be seen.
Malik Jakupovic was up and down between the first and second teams, plus saw US Youth National Team call ups, and is expected to play in the FIFA U17 Men’s World Cup in Qatar, which starts later this month. He scored three goals and had one assist in a bit of a down season for him with Union II after an impressive 2025, however he saw his time increase with the first team as Richter has shown great belief in him. He scored his first MLS goal in September at San Diego, and got his first MLS start against Nashville last week. He appears to be benefiting from those first team minutes and growing in confidence, and probably has the highest ceiling of any of the players discussed in this article.
Rounding out the strikers, Sal Olivas simply had a rough season. After making his first team debut in 2025, he made one MLS appearance in 2026 (March 1 off the bench), and saw his playing time dwindle with Union II, especially after the incident in May where he picked up a second yellow and swatted down the red card out of the referee’s hand. In my opinion, a loan would have been ideal for him as he seems to need a change of scenery to get back on track as he can bring quality in the attack.
Defenders Finn Sundstrom and Kaiden Moore showed growth through the season with Union II. Sundstrom had a rough start being thrown in as a last-minute starter in the Union’s opening match at DC United, but found his groove with the second team as he often paired with Uzcátegui at center back, and had one goal. It was a big adjustment coming from USL for him, but I liked the development over the season as he became a regular, dependable presence on the back line.
Moore, who was loaned from Atlanta United II late in 2025, became a homegrown with Atlanta, and then was loaned again to the Union, where the plan was for him to continue to develop at the Next Pro level. He looked at his best when he was able to play at center back, and saw his role increase later in the season, especially when Uzcátegui was injured. He needs to continue in that growth, and whether that will continue in Philadelphia or in a return to Atlanta remains to be seen.
It is worth noting defender Geiner Martinez made two appearances late in the season for Union II, and they were, to be honest, rough. He needs playing time to be sure, and certainly had some learning moments in those two matches.
In addition to Holbrook, the goalkeeping duties went to Andrew Rick and George Marks at times, with both of them putting in quality work. They are both clearly too good for Next Pro, especially the nearly-27-year-old Marks, who could be at least a backup in MLS or go to USL. Rick could be a starter in MLS (and has been for the Union when Andre Blake is not available), and is clearly the successor when Blake’s time is done. Still, it is harder as a goalkeeper to get minutes and stay fresh, so the Union II appearances served their purpose.
Top moments
Union II had their ups and downs during the season, and at one point were in second place in the East. One particular match that stands out to me early in the season is the 1-1 draw at Red Bulls II. Regulation was fairly stale, aside from Harrington’s header for the goal. A late Red Bull equalizer sent it to a shootout, with the highlight being Marks’s two saves, and then the keeper stepping up himself and confidently burying the winning penalty.
Another was the 4-1 drubbing of Carolina Core in April after only scoring one goal in each of their first four matches, and saw a brace from Korzeniowski and goals from Jakupovic and Uzcátegui. That kicked off a strong stretch for the squad through Richter’s last match, the 2-1 victory in the rain over Atlanta United 2, with the late game-winner by Reed.
Philadelphia Union II.
A unique opportunity to test themselves came in June as Union II played the Côte d’Ivoire Men’s National Team in a friendly at Subaru Park as that squad prepared for the World Cup. In front of a large crowd and against a talented team, Union II held their own. They also had Cavan Sullivan in the squad and some guest players such as alumni who are currently playing in college. Perhaps my favorite moment was when alum and University of Delaware goalkeeper JoJo Elliott make a penalty save on La Liga player Nicolas Pépé.
Harmon took over in the summer, and the squad had some thrillers and bummers. The Eddy Davis hat trick in the 4-0 road victory over New England in July was much needed after a dreadful 5-0 road loss to Red Bull New York II.
The final stretch for the second team as they fought to make the playoffs showed they had some fight left in them, and made for an exciting last several matches. Though in the end they came up short in a tough PK loss to NYCFC II on Decision Day when they needed a win, the young squad showed they have the talent to compete next season. Such is how it goes in Next Pro, when a team who was a bottom-feeder like Columbus Crew 2 in 2025 can be in a position to make the Next Pro Final this year.
After falling in the Next Pro Cup Final in 2024 as Eastern Conference Champions, and losing the Eastern Conference Final in 2025, one would certainly have liked to reach the pinnacle again. That 2024 team under Marlon LeBlanc was stacked, and the 2025 team perhaps did not have the talent as the year before, but we at The One Team We Agree On believe Richter got the most out of that squad as he seems to do when at the helm. It is no surprise to us he has seen great success since taking over the first team. Would Union II have done better if Richter had still been coaching them? Maybe, maybe not, and that is not a knock on Harmon. We always knew the season was going to be what it was with the new cycle of players.
Harmon, who is no stranger to Next Pro as he came from Austin FC II, had the task of taking over a young squad midseason and brought his own experience with development. As the future of the coaching positions surely hinges on if the interim tag gets dropped for Richter, then the rest of the coaching decisions will follow that as the Union II staff are also considered interim. That being said, Harmon did a quality job leading the squad and I would not be surprised to see his interim tag also dropped depending on how things go, or one of Richter’s interim assistants get the position.
Looking ahead to 2027
Roster decisions may not come out for quite a while, and it took until February/March to hear many of the Union II moves this year. While I have heard rumblings and rumors about players, who will be back remains to be seen. What I do know is that I would like to see a few things looking to Union II’s sprint season in 2027:
Ferreira needs to take that next step. He just completed his second season with Union II, so where does he go from here? He is still very young, but it is time for him to really break out. I would like to see Gladstone, Diop, and Gallego get bigger roles, especially depending on how their U18 season goes. The other college-bound players (Reed, Ruf, Harrison, Gallegos) could also be important pieces, but they will just really be around for the sprint season. I could also see Matthew White especially getting opportunities in goal depending on the decisions at keeper.
And when looking at the U18s, there is a lot of depth and talent. Chuka Ebo has been scoring quite a bit, especially for Union III against teams that often include grown men. Timoni Gbalajobi has also been scoring and showing promise. Another one to watch is defender Landon Mulvenna, who recently went to Spain for the USYNT 2010 camp. He is a very physical presence on the back line.
Look for more info soon about the MLS Next Pro 2027 sprint season, which could be very interesting. Also, it remains to be seen if Union II will be affected much by the strategic investment of KKR. For now, Union II have some bright spots and growth opportunities to reflect on, question marks for next season, and reasons to look forward to what 2027 brings.
Main article photo: Emily Wallace-Sutton
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