Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union II Communications
With the season opener Sunday afternoon against Toronto FC II at Subaru Park, it is time to guess what players might comprise Philadelphia Union II’s roster until the mid-summer transition from this Academic-and-MLS-NEXT-year to the next.
(Editor’s note: As this article was being submitted, Union II announced they had signed Folsom native and West Chester United alumnus goalkeeper Mike Sheridan to a Union II contract.)
The roster
A spinning kaleidoscope (see ed. note above) best describes the dynamic fluidity that we try to make still and understandable.
Every Union II gameday roster draws from three different sources:
- First team reserves
- Union II signed professionals
- Amateur players from the academy playing on what is counterintuitively called zero-dollar contracts
The individuals from the first and the third sources will vary from game to game, heavily influenced by the sequences of first team and U17 games. Even the second will not be “constant” in the mathematical sense of the term because Neil Pierre remains eligible for U17 play.
Also, the two professional sources play a calendar that runs from February through October and longer. The amateur source plays a calendar with a different rhythm: the academic one. That means there are significant Union II roster shifts late in the summer.
Individuals
Below are details about each of Union II’s roster sources up until mid-July and early August.
First team reserves:
All comments below include, “… barring departure, unforeseen circumstance, or injury, … .” and “… now that the first team is out of the Champions Cup, … .”
| 1 | Jamir Berdecio | RB | 21.6 | Should start most Union II matches to learn the organization’s system. |
| 2 | Nick Pariano | RM | 21.0 | He will probably get most of his game minutes with Union II. |
| 3 | Olwethu Makhanya | CB | 19.9 | He needs Union II minutes to learn the system, especially since Jim Curtin trusts new young center backs cautiously. |
| 4 | Sanders Ngabo | LM | 19.7 | Because he is rebuilding from injury in addition to learning the system, he may get plenty of Union II minutes. |
| 5 | Markus Anderson | S | 20.3 | The apparent number three first-team striker will see Union II minutes to build and restore conditioning and confidence. |
| 6 | Holden Trent | GK | 24.7 | He should get a tune-up match in advance of each predictable Andre Blake absence. |
| 7 | Isaiah LeFlore | LB | 21.3 | Should his surgical recovery allow him to play this season, it will begin with Union II. |
Contracted Union II professionals
| 1 | Andrew Rick | GK | 18.1 | He is the presumed starter for nearly every match since he needs to maximize minutes and experience. |
| 2 | Neil Pierre | RCB | 16.4 | He should start most Union II games, although he will go with the Academy U17s for their big tournaments. |
| 3 | Carlos Rojas | LCB/
DM |
20.1 | He will rotate among positions as needed, both in the midfield’s back line and the defense. |
| 4 | Kyle Tucker | DM/M | 24.6 | The newly named captain now covers the acreage required of an MLS NEXT Pro single six, and the other midfield roles. |
| 5 | CJ Olney | LM/
AM |
17.1 | He already practices frequently with the first team. Should Jack McGlynn leave, he could move up as a depth piece. |
| 6 | David Vazquez | AM/
S |
18.0 | He already frequently practices with the first team. Should there be summer departures, he would likely move up. |
| 7 | Sal Olivas | S | 17.7 | He is a primary in-house Union II striker prospect. Reinforcements will come from the Academy after July. |
| 8 | Randy Meneses | D | 19.9 | He can fill needed spots at defense and midfield. He needs to learn the system and earn minutes. |
| 9 | Giovanny Sequera | AM/
S |
18.1 | He is a pacey loan acquisition from Venezuela who is primarily a 10 or an 8. |
| 10 | Mike Sheridan | GK | 22.6 | (ed. Note: Signing announced as we went to press) |
| 11 | Jose Riasco | S | 20.1 | His loan to Boston River of Uruguay’s top division continues into 2024. Ernst Tanner intends to sign him to the first team. |
Academy Amateurs:
| 1 | Frank Westfield | LB/
RB/ M |
18.3 | The newly appointed vice-captain begins his third season with Union II and will be the left-back of choice to encourage him to become more two-footed. |
| 2 | Alex Perez | M/
DM |
17.9 | He has been an effective Union II midfielder, a sometime starter and a constant game-day roster member and substitute. |
| 3 | Gavin Wetzel | D | 17.5 | He will be an effective depth in the defensive line at center back primarily. |
| 4 | Edward Davis | S | 17.7 | He will start frequently at striker and seems to be playing more freely and confidently this year. |
| 5 | Jonathan Evans | GK | 17.7 | He is a primary Union II practice goalkeeper, next to newly signed Mike Sheridan. Andrew Rick practices with the Union. |
| 6 | Antonios Horozoglou | M | 17.7 | He is emerging as a depth player in the midfield as he begins to be more comfortable at the Union II level. |
| 7 | Jack Andrus | LB | 18.2 | He is depth at left-back but will graduate alongside Westfield. |
| 8 | Diego Rocio | AM/S | 16.5 | He seems to belong at Union II’s practice level when rested. |
| 9 | Anisse Saidi | S | 15.7 | He seems to belong at Union II’s practice level when rested. |
| 10 | Cavan Sullivan | AM/S | 14.5 | Consistently “practicing up” with Union II wears him down. He will appear here and there with greater frequency as time passes. |
Writer’s post-publication note: Because the text boxes for each of the amateur players listed did not appear in full, we reproduce them below as simple text. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Westfield: The newly appointed vice-captain begins his third season with Union II and will be the left-back of choice to encourage him to become more two-footed.
Perez: He has been an effective Union II midfielder, a sometime starter and a constant game-day roster member and substitute.
Wetzel: He will be an effective depth piece in the defensive line at center back primarily.
Davis: He will start frequently at striker and seems to be playing more freely and confidently this year.
Evans: He is a primary Union II practice goalkeeper, next to newly signed Mike Sheridan. Andrew Rick practices with the Union.
Horozoglou: He is emerging as a depth player in the midfield as he begins to be more comfortable at the Union II level.
Andrus: He is depth at left-back but will graduate alongside Westfield.
Rocio: He seems to belong at Union II’s practice level when rested.
Saidi: He seems to belong at Union II’s practice level when rested.
Sullivan: Consistently “practicing up” with Union II wears him down. He will appear here and there with greater frequency as time passes.
The text of comments about the Amateurs got truncated. I will post those comments verbatim as simple text below the chart.
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Apologies for the screw-up.