With one piece of hardward on the mantel, Philadelphia Union II seeks the top prize as they face off against North Texas SC at the 2024 MLS NEXT Pro Cup on Saturday night. Union Yards will be the official watch party location fo the match with doors opening at 7:30PM ahead of the 8:30PM ET kick.
Play The Match, Not The Moment. Those were the words that echo'd inside Subaru Park as Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc spoke with media before the club departed for the Lone Star State. The youngest squad in the league has done just throughout the 2024 season with new accomplishments taking place nearly every contest.
Union II has been the definition of grit and determination since the opening match of the season, with a passion for the badge that took the youngest side in the league to new heights. Union II turned in its best finish in league play with a club-record 15 wins that saw them claim the No. 2 seed in the East. In fact, falling on Decision Day that saw the top-seed fall out of their control fed their hunger for even more accomplishments.
First up was a first-ever home playoff match that was earned in September with a comeback victory against rivals New York City FC II. Trailing by two goals, Union II fought back like Rocky Balboa on September 23rd to secure the historic match. A few weeks later they checked the first item off their bucket list: a MLS NEXT Pro playoff win. It wasn't easy with both sides seemingly looking destined for extra-time but the club's key pieces came up clutch as 17-year-old Neil Pierre struck a perfectly weighted diagonal ball to CJ Olney. The Union II midfielder who earned a MLS Homegrown contract during the 2024 season rose up with the game winning with a blast off the crossbar and into the back of the net with little time left.
A single playoff win wasn't enough as they hosted an underdog side in Crown Legacy FC who had just battled back to defeat the top team in the East the previous weekend. The match was much more than just a game as the side sought to honor the memory of goalkeeper Holden Trent, learning of his passing a hour warmups. Paying tribute meant getting a win and Union centerback Olwethu Makhanya sent Subaru Park into a frenzy in the first half with a set piece finish set up by David Vazquez. Vazquez too had followed the club's Pathway To The Pros, signing a homegrown deal as well in 2024. When Crown Legacy scored late in the second half, Union II didn't hang their head. They looked forward and sought to keep fighting. That fight came out in the penalty kick shootout as Andrew Rick made two saves before setting up Olney for his second straight game-winning finish.
In front of the biggest MLS NEXT Pro crowd for a Union II match, the Boys in Blue turned in a dominant display on both ends of the field with three different goalscorers on the scoresheet while limiting the two-time Eastern Conference Champions Columbus Crew 2 to just one shot on the night. Union forward Markus Anderson bookended the the contest with a brace to help Union II on the socring front, finding the back of the net in the 16th minute to put the home side ahead. 15-year-old Cavan Sullivan sent Subaru Park into frenzy with his second golazo of the season against the Ohio side in the 42nd minute to put the Boys in Blue in the driver's seat.
On the other side sits North Texas SC who ran away with the best overall record in MLS NEXT Pro with 62 points and a 16-4-8 regular season record. The FC Dallas tied side took advantage in front of their home supporters with an unbeaten 9-0-5 record. Goalkeeper Michael Collodi was voted the leagues's Goalkeeper of the Year after backstopping his team to the best record in the League. The 23-year-old led all MLS NEXT Pro goalkeepers in wins (13), tied for first in clean sheets (6), ranked second in save percentage (73.1%) and ranked third in games played, games started and minutes (23gp, 23gs, 1991 mins). Collodi conceded only 28 goals on the year, the least amount by a goalkeeper with 19 or more games played in 2024. He was also named the MLS NEXT Pro Goalkeeper of the Month for May. Nico Gordon joined Collodi with MLS NEXT Pro Best XI honors too as they rolled in the postseason with home victories over Whitecaps 2, Tacoma Defiance and St Louis CITY2.
