When Philadelphia Union II takes to the pitch on Sunday afternoon in its first match of MLS NEXT Pro play, it will be the culmination of nearly two years of work put in mostly behind the scenes. While the league was formally announced in early December, Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc was over a year into building his squad and points to one concept that helped him, his staff, and his players enter this league in a strong position: Culture.
“We have this really great culture that starts at the first team and goes through to the second team and down to the Academy,” LeBlanc said during his season opening press conference on Thursday. “Because of that strong culture, it is really easy to integrate these new guys. My Spanish from college from many decades ago has had to be kicked back into action. It’s been quite seamless.”
2020 saw Union II play matches against a multitude of opponents, ranging from local sides to depth pieces from MLS squads looking for minutes to prove their worth. Playing with a mix of first team players and members of the prolific Philadelphia Union Academy, one could argue that the Union first team’s deep postseason run was helped by the club’s depth, which rose to the challenge in the Eastern Conference Final.
“What’s been cool about this project is that we’ve been doing this for so long,” LeBlanc continued. “Luckily we’ve been doing this with the same guys so we are positioned well for this squad rotation and in-and-out movement. The young guys like Brandan Craig, Quinn Sullivan and even Nathan Harriel – they’ve all played for me already and because our model is so similar to the first team that it is what they are used to. Last year we played so many games with so many different groups that I think right now it’s about putting on your boots and everyone is prepared to seize the opportunity. A lot of these guys are still with this group because of how they’ve done in the last 12 to 18 months.”
Looking to build the club’s culture and start the season out strong, Union II made the trip to Clearwater, Florida with Jim Curtin's side. LeBlanc and his staff were eager to hit the ground running at their first session of the 2022 preseason and were quickly ahead of schedule.
“I think the greatest surprise during preseason was how well we did and how quickly we came together,” LeBlanc said when asked about blending Academy prospects with their new international signing class. “I think we were ahead of where we were going to be in preseason. The guys adapted to the style of play really well and the new guys adapted quickly. They all jumped in and it was a surprise but our culture I think brings that out too. It’s been a long nine weeks and a long 18 months in terms of where we’ve been as we waited for MLS NEXT Pro but I don’t think many saw just how productive we were over that time. We’ve seen significant growth out of these guys that I think came out in preseason; that was really positive.”
Sunday might be the start of the MLS NEXT Pro schedule that will see the Boys in Blue play 24 matches but it is hardly the end. Blending together some of the best prospects from the Union Academy, Philadelphia Union and South American signed talent, the club’s culture provides a foundation that will only see the club rise to even new heights as it begins a journey in a new league.
