Philadelphia Union II looks to continue its unbeaten start to 2025 as they head to Eastern Conference leading Chattanooga FC on Saturday night. Don't miss the action over on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
After starting off the season with three-straight draws that went to penalty kick shootouts, Union II has found its form with back-to-back routs over Atlanta United 2 and rivals New York City FC II. Playing on the road in their first league game in two weeks, Union II showed little rust as they dominated the action on the campus of St. John's. Sal Olivas notched his second goal of the season in the first half, using his pace to chase down a pass from Cavan Sullivan for the opening strike. After the homeside saw a defender sent off late in first half stoppage, Union II racked up three goals in the final 45 minutes with Stas Korzeniowski scoring for the second-straight contest along with captain Nick Pariano. Moments after New York City FC II found the back of the net, substitute Giovanny Sequera responded quickly for his first professional goal.
Saturday's match will be the second all-time meeting between the two sides with Union II claiming all three points behind goals from Eddy Davis III, Cavan Sullivan, and Leandro Soria.
While Union II has one of the youngest squads in MLS NEXT Pro, Chattanooga FC is built on the opposite of the spectrum. That veteran leadership has propelled them to 17 points in their first seven games with a 5-1-1 record. The Tennessee side saw its undefeated streak snapped last weekend with a 3-0 road loss to Columbus Crew 2 which saw the Ohio side pick up their first win of the season. Saturday's matchup will feature two of the best defenses in the East with Union II having allowed just five goals so far while Chattanooga has allowed 8. Scoring has proven diffcult for road teams playing at Finley Stadium with Chattanooga FC sporting a perfect 3-0-0 record with a pair of shutouts. 22-year-old Keegan Ancelin leads the offense for the Tennessee side, with the 6'4" forward having scored three goals.
