CJ Olney and Frankie Westfield made history on Wednesday as the duo became the first Philadelphia Union II players in the organization's history to recieve MLS NEXT Pro Awards, earning spots on the league's Best XI.
The 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Best XI recognizes the league's top players at each position with the duo certaining setting high marks for Union II as they set club records for points, wins and position in the table en route to earning its first-ever home playoff match.
In 2024, Union II defender and Vice-Captain Frankie Westfield set the pace for all defenders with 26 games played and 26 games started, logging the most minutes amongst his teammates with 2,313 minutes on the pitch. This season, Westfield set career highs with six goals and six assists, ranking second on the team in both categories. His six goals mark the most by any defender in club history, surpassing the previous record of five goals set by first team Assistant Coach Ryan Richter in 2016. On October 7, Westfield received his first call-up to the U.S. Under-20 Men’s Youth National Team for a training camp in Chile, where he made an appearance as a substitute in the team’s 3-0 victory against Chile.
Olney, 17, featured in 22 games (20 starts) and scored six goals while registering eight assists. His eight assists, along with 49 key passes and 42 corner kicks, ranked him highest among all Union II players this season and tied him for the third most assists in the league. Olney made his MLS debut on June 22, 2024, against Charlotte FC, coming on as a substitute in the 72nd minute. On August 6, 2024, he became the 25th Homegrown player in club history. In June, Olney received a call-up for the U.S. Under-19 Men’s Youth National Team and contributed as a substitute in two matches.
Union II will face New York City FC II in the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference quarterfinals and first-ever home playoff match at Subaru Park on Sunday, October 20th (5:00 p.m. ET / Apple TV). Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.
