Philadelphia Union II looks to continues its record-breaking campaign as they battle rivals New York City FC II in the club first-ever home playoff match on Sunday evening at Subaru Park. Tickets can be purchased online or you can watch the action with MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
Sunday's matchup was chosen by Union II as they earned the second choice for MLS NEXT Pro's Pick-Your-Opponent Selection Show which saw Union II Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc and Director of Academy and Professional Development Jon Scheer announce the selection.
The youngest team in the Eastern Conference, the Boys in Blue earned its highest finish in the conference table in club history with a record 15 wins and 52 points across the regular season. Union II comes into the playoffs with the best offensive in the league with 59 goals scored and the second best defense in the East. 2024 has already been a historic run for the club with Union II earning its first ever home playoff match via a comeback win against New York City FC II on September 23rd. On the individual front, Academy graduate Eddy Davis III has 13 goals to surpass the single-season scoring record previously held by former Bethlehem Steel FC and current Marseille forward Faris Moumbagna. CJ Olney, Andrew Rick and David Vazquez have also impressed this season and earned MLS homegrown deals during the season as well.
Vice Captain Frankie Westfield and CJ Olney earned postseason honors earlier this weekend with the duo becoming the first players in club history to earn MLS NEXT Pro Best XI selections. 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.
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.
Philly and New York met twice in the regular season with both matches providing fireworks late in the contest. Both times the hosts would emerge victorious with late goals starting with NYC who scored twice in the final four minutes to nab a 2-1 result and snap Union II's three-game winning streak. The two sides the battled on September 23rd where the Boys in Blue secured their third-consecutive trip to the postseason.
Markus Anderson opened the scoring early for Union II with an 11th minute finish set up by CJ Olney but the opposition responded with a trio of first half goals to grab a 3-1 lead just past the half hour mark. The youngest side in MLS NEXT Pro kept battling with Nick Pariano cutting the deficit in half right before the break with a finish from the penalty spot. The Boys in Blue kept the momentum with a dominant display in the second half as Eddy Davis III scored his 13th goal of the regular season to knot the contest up at 3-3. A free kick service from Cavan Sullivan to Westfield proved the difference with the duo combining on a historic goal in the 64th minute.
New York City FC II was one of four teams to finish the regular season with 45 points but earned the No. 6 seed with a +12 goal differential. The New York side bagged 58 goals on the season but are coming in with just one win in since the start of September. That one victory came against top seed FC Cincinnati 2 but NYCFC II has had three draws where they came up on the wrong side of the penalty kick shootout. They are led by Best XI honoree Taylor Calheira with 14 goals scored and five assists.
