Photo courtesy PSP / Kevin Barrett

After running the gauntlet in May, the Union took advantage of the international break to test new combinations against Atlas FC of Mexico. 

Starting XI:

Oliver Semmle – 7

The German goalkeeper earned his first start with the first team in 2025 and had some impressive moments to keep Atlas from increasing their tally. His four matches with Union II at the Next Pro level have kept him sharp enough to pull off the performance. He had a solid night with very little to complain about. 

Jakob Glesnes – 6.5

Glesnes was substituted at halftime in favor of looking at academy graduate Neil Pierre. He was a solid senior presence during his shift. 

Kai Wagner – 7

Wagner also only played the first half, but continued to show his ability on both sides of the ball. 

Olwethu Makhanya – 7

The South African was confident against the physically smaller opponents. He had a solid first-half shift.

Olivier Mbaizo – 7

The only Union field player to see the full 90 minutes, Mbaizo spent the first half at his more natural right-back position and shifted into the right center-back position after the halftime changes. His overeagerness to attack and be slow to recover remained visible at right-back. He eventually put on the armband in the second half and was the most senior among the defenders in that back line. He appeared confident in the role and raised fewer questions, surprisingly, in the second half. He was previously tested at center back during preseason camp against Slavia Prague. 

Jesus Bueno – 6

Bueno had a quiet night. His only memorable contribution was fouling an Atlas player at the midfield line and starting a tussle between both teams. 

Alejandro Bedoya – 6.5

Bedoya stayed on the field as long as he could to be the anchoring senior presence, but tired himself out with countless runs on the right wing that ultimately went unserviced by the rest of the squad. 

Ben Bender – 5.5

Bender continues to make space with the ball on the attack, and then gets caught in two minds and has to recycle possession. He has yet to show much promise in anything more than running around so others don’t have to. 

Jeremy Rafanello – 7.5

The homegrown played out of position in the defensive midfield, but was not a cause for concern. He took a number of strong challenges, but looked primed to see the full 90 minutes until a particularly strong and unnecessary foul had him go down holding his right knee. He was able to walk to the locker room under his own power, but did need to leave the match. 

Bruno Damiani – 5.5

In a match suited to boost his confidence and form, Damiani failed to find the net on multiple occasions. His shots were simply off target. 

Chris Donovan – 6.5

Donovan continued to be an eager and energetic presence up top. He did not create many chances, but also did not appear to be a liability. 

Substitutes:

Nick Pariano – 6.5

Pariano made his first-team debut and spent the entirety of his 45-minute shift at right back, not his natural position, but one he has learned over the last year and a half at the Union II level. He involved himself in the attack and had a strong positional awareness.

Jovan Lukic – 6.5

Lukic entered with the halftime subs to be the senior team presence and control the tempo of the match. He wasn’t outstanding, but did not raise any complaints either. 

Neil Pierre – 6

As another first-team debutant, Pierre returned from his knee injury and had a decent performance at center back alongside Mbaizo. He stuck out a leg and missed when trying to interrupt a give-and-go in the box that led to Atlas’ lone goal. The teenager was solid otherwise. 

Isaiah LeFlore- 5.5

LeFlore’s debut was marked by his being beaten by Atlas’s goalscorer on the give-and-go mentioned earlier. For the rest of his shift, he looked promising when helping in the attack on the left wing. 

Markus Anderson- 9 

Anderson’s first minutes with the senior team this year resulted in a goal immediately following the kickoff of the second half. Anderson received the ball, beat three defenders on the dribble, and took a shot from about twenty yards out to break the deadlock. Anderson also had the secondary assist on Davis’s goal. He started the half at his natural position at striker, and eventually moved to one of the attacking midfield positions that he has played in for the last two matches with Union II. 

Stas Korzeniowski- 8

The big man had his first minutes with the first team and took full advantage to show us a side of him we have not seen with Union II. While getting his shirt tugged in every direction by the much smaller Atlas defenders, Korzeniowski danced through them with the ball and had some excellent hold-up play outside the box. He may not have scored, but he certainly impressed. 

Indiana Vassilev- 8

Vassilev entered with Eddy Davis in the 65th minute and bagged the assist to his goal almost immediately after the restart. He appeared very much in control when moving back into the defensive midfield with Lukic after Rafanello’s injury saw attacking midfielder Leandro Soria, the only remaining field player on the bench, enter in the 77th minute.

Eddy Davis III – 8.5

Davis scored on his first team debut just moments after stepping onto the pitch. The young striker came hungry and showed up to prove himself. He worked well with Anderson, Korzeniowski, and eventually Soria in the attack. 

Geiger Counter – 6

You can’t be too harsh when judging the officiating in a friendly match. This official did not make himself the center of attention, which is a positive, however, he did seem to have a lack of concern when Atlas’ goalkeeper took a point-blank shot from Damiani into his face and immediately waved for medical attention.

Player of the Match – Markus Anderson

Anderson marked his first senior team appearance of the year with a goal and a secondary assist off the bench, and there really isn’t more you could ask for. He’s shaping up to be another in the long line of players Ernst Tanner has bought from some unheard of places and molded into a productive player in our system with a high ceiling. At just twenty years old, Anderson has plenty of time to continue his development.

What’s Next….

The Philadelphia Union is back in action next weekend at Subaru Park against Charlotte FC.