Philadelphia Union II looks for another trip to the Eastern Conference Final this weekend as they host Huntsville City FC on Saturday evening at Subaru Park.
The Boys in Blue are the No. 2 seed in the East and were paired up with the Alabama squad via the league's Pick-Your-Opponent process which saw No. 1 seed New York Red Bulls II choose Chicago Fire II for their Eastern Conference Semifinal contest. Union II are one of only two clubs to qualify for the postseason in all four years of MLS NEXT Pro history, following a record-setting regular season. The team tied its club record for wins (15), ranking second-most in the league, while setting new marks for goals scored (64), goals allowed (34), and goal differential (+30)—the highest in MLS NEXT Pro this season. Eighteen different players scored for Union II in 2025, led by forwards Malik Jakupovic and Stas Korzeniowski with eight goals each.
Korzeniowski was the standout in the postseason opener for Union II as he scored in both halves against FC Cincinnati 2. The goals pushed the forward's scoring streak to five-straight games with a goal with a grand total of seven in that stretch. While the Boys in Blue are into the next round, they will be missing players from their previous match with Kellan LeBlanc, Jordan Griffin and Jamir Johnson on international duty with the United States at the 2025 FIFA Under-17 World Cup that will take place in Qatar from November 3-27.
Saturday's matchup boasts an interesting matchup with Union II's third-highest scoring offense in MLS NEXT Pro (64 goals), taking on a Huntsville City FC side that recorded the fewest goals conceded across the League (32 goals). Union II also boasts the second-best defensive record in the 2025 season, trailing Huntsville by just two goals (34 goals conceded).
Philadelphia Union II only met Huntsville City FC once in 2025 with the two teams playing to a 2-2 draw in regulation on March 28th. The match was a back and forth affair with the Alabama side opening the scoring in the seventh minute only to see the game enter halftime tied after a stoppage time goal from Sal Olivas. The second half saw the Boys in Blue grab the lead via a Cavan Sullivan finish but Huntsville leveled it in the 67th minute to send the game to a penalty kick shootout which Huntsville City SC won by a 4-3 margin.
Huntsville earned the No. 5 seed after racking up 52 points in the regular season with a 14-8-6 record. The squad comes to Subaru Park fresh off their first-ever postseason match and win, defeating Chattanooga FC by a 2-0 margin. Philip Mayaka broke the stalemate just before the halftime whistle and then Christian Koffi added a second-half insurance goal to proper the Alabama squad to its fourth-straight victory.
