Photo courtesy of Kevin Barrett

We continue the 2026 Union II end-of-season roster analysis with the midfielders.   

Again, we expect that Union II’s end-of-season roster decisions will not be announced in the near future. We will combine PSP’s inaccurate, cloudy, cracked crystal ball with our end-of-season roster analysis and include our guesses about 2027’s sprint season within it.

We will present the work in three parts based on positions: ten goalkeepers and defenders, seven defending and attacking midfielders, and four strikers. Goalkeepers and defenders were discussed on October 7. 

All data provided for each player in their respective chart is strictly from MLS NEXT Pro appearances.

We exclude players who are loaned away from the organization, as we guess that none of them are likely to return and secure playing time. We can think of none from the past who have done so, even if they were still officially carried on the Union organization’s books. The loan-aways are CJ Olney, Stas Korzeniowski, Eddy Davis, Markus Anderson, and Jose Riasco. 

Midfielders

The midfield position saw the most total changeover from the 2025 season. Phenom Cavan Sullivan fully moved to the ranks of the first team and former Union II captain, homegrown defensive midfielder Nick Pariano, did not have his first-team option picked up. This left plenty of room for competition and opportunity among the remaining squad in both the attacking and defensive midfield pairings. 

Head coach Ryan Richter and interim head coach Chris Harmon experimented with different players in these positions throughout the year and, most importantly, gave engine-building minutes to young players, including YSC Academy graduates who have moved on to pursue collegiate careers and thus will not be discussed in this analysis. 

Ages in this segment are as of October 8, 2026. 

Player	Age	“Source”	Citizenship(s)	Contract
Kellan LeBlanc	18.6	2nd team	USA	26
Position	Total Mins	Apps	Starts	Full 90s
Attacking Mid	1931	25	25	7

Of the Union II players we will discuss in this entire analysis, LeBlanc is perhaps the most ready to move up to the first team level. He took important strides in his development this season with his technicality and set-piece delivery, but still has room to grow in his engine-building towards playing more consistent full 90s. 

LeBlanc had 5 goals and 4 assists in MLS NEXT Pro and joined the first team’s travelling squad to Inter Miami back in May. He remains involved in the US Youth international ranks, most recently having been called up to the US U19 training camp for FIFA’s September-October window. 

Player	Age	“Source”	Citizenship(s)	Contract
Willyam Ferreira	17.7	2nd team	USA, Brazil	26
Position	Total Mins	Apps	Starts	Full 90s
Attacking Mid	1376	25	19	4

The technical skill is there. Ferreira has yet to translate it into goal involvements. Luckily, he’s a full year younger than Kellan LeBlanc and can take another year to mature his game. He has yet to score an MLS NEXT Pro goal, but assisted four times this year.

At the same time, he is still engine-building, and his body is still developing. He will need another year with Union II to work towards playing full 90s more often. 

Player	Age	“Source”	Citizenship(s)	Contract
Tyler Gladstone	17.3	Academy	USA	Amateur
Position	Total Mins	Apps	Starts	Full 90s
Attacking mid	373	13	3	0

Gladstone is another promising prospect in YSC Academy’s class of 2027. He did not get many opportunities with Union II this year behind LeBlanc and Ferreira, but he remains one of the highest-rated players in the Academy not already signed to a professional contract. 

Gladstone is committed to play his collegiate ball at Indiana. The Philadelphia Union organization has plenty of depth at the attacking midfield position, and there likely will not be room for him to compete with players who are already on professional contracts. 

He may be a candidate for the “less publicized paths to the pros” previously discussed by PSP colleague Tim Jones. The MLS Superdraft and other professional opportunities will be available to him during and after his time in college. 

Player	Age	“Source”	Citizenship(s)	Contract
Oscar Benitez	22.4	2nd team	Columbia	26
Position	Total Mins	Apps	Starts	Full 90s
Defensive Mid	1879	26	20	12

Benitez was tasked with being the mature player in the double pivot this year, with academy amateurs Matheus De Paula, Timo Mendoza, and Abdoulaye Diop rotating beside him. His usual playstyle of aggressive defending and making tackles to stop breaks made it difficult to complement these less-experienced partners.

Benitez committed 52 fouls, earned eight yellow cards and two red cards this year. At his age, when it comes to Union II-contracted outfield players, they are either ready for the first team, or they need to move on and explore other options to open development opportunities for younger players. Benitez’s situation is the latter.

Player	Age	“Source”	Citizenship(s)	Contract
Timo Mendoza	17.2	Academy	USA, Mexico	Amateur
Position	Total Mins	Apps	Starts	Full 90s
Defensive mid	903	16	9	5

Mendoza was the first Academy amateur to slot in beside Benitez in the double pivot. He lost that spot to Matheus De Paula. When Chris Harmon moved De Paula to right back, Mendoza was given another opportunity, but was flushed out toward the end of the season by 2010-born Academy standout Abdoulaye Diop and Swiss Army knife Giovanny Sequera. 

Mendoza is more than likely a college-bound player. He will spend the early part of 2027 working and developing with Union II as an Academy Amateur before moving on to other opportunities after he graduates from YSC Academy. At the time of writing, he has not yet announced a college commitment. 

Player	Age	“Source”	Citizenship(s)	Contract
Mamoutou Berthe	19.8	2nd team	Mali	26
Position	Total Mins	Apps	Starts	Full 90s
Defensive mid	498	12	6	1

Berthe was brought in to support the young defensive midfield group in a transition year for the club. Former Union II head coach Ryan Richter gave him opportunities and included him in matchday squads. Interim Chris Harmon did not. He instead chose to leave Berthe at home and give opportunities to Union Academy players he had worked with at the U-18 level. 

Harmon was asked by PSP at a training session in July about Berthe’s absences from matchday squads. Harmon replied that those opportunities are earned in training. Berthe received 87 minutes of playing time under Harmon. 

Berthe will likely remain with Union II to continue pushing the development of Academy amateur Abdoulaye Diop as the teenager progresses. 

Player	Age	“Source”	Citizenship(s)	Contract
Abdoulaye Diop	16.7	Academy	USA, Senegal	Amateur
Position	Total Mins	Apps	Starts	Full 90s
Defensive mid	336	9	4	0

Diop is the highest-rated 2010 prospect in the Union Academy and was the first 2010-born player to debut for Union II. He does not have a large sample size to discuss the exact details of his play. He is adjusting and building confidence at a new level.

That limited sample size tells us that he is in the beginning stages of his engine building at the NEXT Pro level.