Photo Philadelphia Union II

After falling behind to an early goal in Matthews, North Carolina, Union II tried to get back in the game, but a 75th-minute second yellow to center back Finn Sundstrom proved to create too deep a hole for the Boys in Blue.

In advance

The match occurred on the Friday before the start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Philadelphia Union and Charlotte FC first team players were ostensibly not allowed to play because MLS mandated that the league take time off between the weekend of May 23^rd-24^th and June 15^th. We infer there may be an exception for those players whose game minutes have occurred primarily with their respective second teams.

Illustrating the probable exception, the Union’s Finn Sundstrom played for Union II on May 29^th against Toronto II in Canada last Friday.

Malik Jakupovic was away with the US U-17s through and including Wednesday, June 11^th, and Kellan LeBlanc and Jordan Griffin were supposed to be away with the U-18s through Tuesday, June 9^th. While Griffin came off injured in the 50^th minute last Friday in Canada, sources indicated he may have attended the camp. Crown Legacy was also missing a few key pieces to USYNT camps.

Although new Union II interim head coach Chris Harmon has left Utah, he is not yet with his team in North Carolina. He is now with the US U-18s at their June camp as an assistant coach. His continued absence meant Henry Apaloo remained as the team’s leader on the bench in North Carolina, as interim head coach pro tempore.

Academy players were available to fill out Union II’s bench, contingent on accommodating their families’ plans for summer holidays. (Since the earliest days of Bethlehem Steel FC, Philadelphia has always deferred to the family vacations of its academy amateurs at the end of an academic year.) Apaloo’s bench was equally as frugal as it had been last Friday in Canada.

Crown Legacy went into the match with the best record in the MLS NEXT Pro’s Eastern Conference. They held 27 points after 12 games. Before tap-off, Union II had lain in 10^th on 18 points, also after 12 games. Charlotte FC’s farm team led the entire league in goals scored with 36, having given up 16. Philadelphia had scored 15 and allowed 13.

First half

Crown Legacy struck first, finding the opener in the 6th minute. The hosts’ winger Nathan Richmond hit the back of the net with a wormburner from the edge of the box.

Forward Theo Reed displayed some promising efforts in the first ten minutes, but couldn’t body the Crown Legacy defense on solo runs.

Nehan Hasan had a chance to equalize in the 16th minute, but opted to take an extra touch instead of hitting it one-time. The midfielder had another opportunity on the near sideline and crossed it over to Eddy Davis, whose shot was saved. That combination resulted in the Union’s first shot on target.

Union II kept the attacking pressure on, and Matheus De Paula had a long-range effort in the 24th minute denied by the keeper that looked nearly identical to his goal last time out against Toronto FC II, which was nominated for Goal of the Matchweek.

De Paula was cautioned in the 34th minute. That caution will see him suspended for Union II’s next MLS NEXT Pro match on June 14 against NYCFC II.

Finn Sundstrom saw mustard in the 40th minute for a sliding challenge.

The half finished with Union II down in the scoreline, but not in spirit. The Boys in Blue had nine shots through the first 45 minutes, two of them on target.

Second half

Neither side made changes at the break.

Giovanny Sequera got a yellow card of his own in the 48th minute.

Crown Legacy’s goalscorer, Nathan Richmond, saw yellow in the 51st minute just after his side was clamoring for a penalty on the opposite end of the pitch.

Nehan Hasan tried a long-range strike in the 59th minute, but his effort was saved once again. Eddy Davis brought the ball up on a solo counterattack a minute later, but the Crown Legacy keeper smothered his attempt too.

There were multiple occasions in the half when center back Rafael Uzcategui had to come across stand-in left back Kaiden Moore to shut down a Crown Legacy attack. Moore is still yet to figure out the outside back positioning despite most of his Union II minutes coming there.

Pierce Holbrook had an impressive foot save in the 66th minute to keep the hosts from extending their lead.

Sal Olivas entered the match for Theo Reed in the 69th minute, marking Olivas’ first minutes since his red card and subsequent three-game suspension on May 13.

Finn Sundstrom got a second yellow for a 75th-minute foul just outside the box. Union II had to go the final 15 minutes down a man and with just three available field substitutes remaining.

Mamoutou Berthe entered for Nehan Hasan to put an extra defensive player on the pitch after Sundstrom’s ejection.

Academy amateur Andrew Craig entered for Kaiden Moore in the 83rd minute during a stoppage in play for a Crown Legacy injury. Craig was cautioned for a foul minutes later.

Two Crown Legacy players got yellows in two minutes just before stoppage time. The second caution set up a free kick that proved to be Union II’s final promising attempt of the match, where Uzcategui’s header went just over the bar.

The frequent stoppages for fouls throughout the half necessitated a minimum of four minutes of stoppage time. Union II could not get an equalizer, but they did manage to hang on to the scoreline after going down a man.

Next match

In MLS NEXT Pro itself, Union II next play on the ninth day, June 14, at home to NYC FC II at Kinetic Field 1 of the WSFS Sportsplex on the Union’s integrated campus in Chester. Livestreaming should be available via One Football and YouTube.

As part of hosting the Côte d’Ivoire national team, Philadelphia has announced a “friendly” between Les Elephants and Philadelphia Union II this coming Monday, June 8th, at 7:00 PM. Tickets are required but said to be free and can be acquired here. There was no mention of a livestream or other remotely available video.

The entire Union announcement itself is available here as well, including information about a community training session with Les Elephants on Friday, June 12^th.

Three points + one

1. Matheus De Paula’s yellow card means he will miss Union II’s next MLS NEXT Pro match on June 14 against NYCFC II.
2. Eddy Davis played his first full 90 minutes of the season.
3. Despite the score, Pierce Holbrook had a solid outing with five saves.
4. MLS NEXTPro’s 2027 season: While there has been no official announcement concerning the farm-team league’s calendar next season, language on the websites of the league’s three expansion teams that intend to join next year implies that it will probably follow the first-team league’s calendar shift. The last official public comment on the matter was made last year, on November 13^th, 2025, when Major League Soccer indicated that conversations with MLS NEXT Pro about the calendar change had been ongoing for several months. Those three expansion teams are Forest City Cleveland, AC Grand Rapids, and The Island FC (Long Island, NY).

B O X S C O R E

Lineups

 Union II (4-2-2-2, L-R). Interim head coach “pro tempore” Henry Apaloo. 1^st – 2+1; U II – 6+1; AA – 3+3. Starters’ Average Age = 19.6.

Starters: Pierce Holbrook; Kaiden Moore (Andrew Craig— 84′), Rafael Uzcategui, Finn Sundstrom, Gio Sequera; Mattheus De Paula, Oscar Benitez; Willyam Ferreira, Nehan Hasan (Mamoutou Berthe— 79′); Eddy Davis, Theo Reed (Sal Olivas— 69′)

Holbrook	Moore	Uzcategui	Sundstrom	Sequera	DePaula
U II	U II	U II	1st	U II	AA
23.1	18.6	21.7	19.5	20.3	17.6
Benitez	Ferreira	Hasan	Reed	Davis
U II	U II	AA	AA	1st
22.0	17.3	17.9	17.6	20.0

Substitutes: Unused: Alex Smith; Lennon Harrington.

Smith	Harrington	Craig	Berthe	Olivas
AA	AA	AA	UII	1st
18.2	18.0	18.7	19.4	19.9

Crown Legacy (4-3-3) Head Coach Kevin Sawchak

Starters: Lazar Kalicanin; Ashton Kamdem, Assane Ouedraogo, Andrew Johnson, Will Cleary, Daniel Longo, Baye Coulibaye (Erik Peña— 84′), Adrian Mendoza (Simon Tonidandel— 84′), Emmanuel Uchegbu (Brian Romero— 79′), Michael Ayovi (Sebastian Ventura— 61′), Nathan Richmond

Unused Substitutes: Brendan Urtecho; Wyatt Holt, Mikah Thomas, Magic Smalls, Daniel Brown.

Goals

CL: Richmond— 6′

Yellow cards

UII: De Paula— 34′

UII: Sundstrom— 40′

UII: Sequera— 48′

CL: Richmond— 51′

UII: Sundstrom— 75′ (Second caution, ejection)

UII: Craig— 86′

CL: Kamdem— 88′

CL: Cleary— 90′

Whistle & Flags

REF: Alejo Calume

Stats

CL	Statistic	U II	CL	Statistic	U II
10	Shots	13	5	Offsides	3
6	Shots on goal	4	4	Goalkeeper Saves	5
2	Blocked shots	3	3	Clearances	4
410	Total Passes	350
83.7	PassAccuracy%	79.4	17	Fouls	18
6	Corners	1	3	Yellow Cards	4
2	Total Crosses	2	0	Red Cards	1