Union II Face Roadtrip to Cincinnati to Keep MLS NEXT Pro Unbeaten Streak Alive

Marlon LeBlanc’s Union II side are back on the road this game weekend as they travel to Cincinnati to face FC Cincinnati 2 on Sunday afternoon. Union II are looking to continue their unbeaten run, as they haven’t lost any of their opening 6 games of the season.

Cincinnati 2 vs Union II Preview

Union II is coming off a huge 2-point haul against fellow top-of-the-league dwellers NYRB II last weekend. The game ended 1-1 after 90 minutes but Marlon LeBlanc’s side managed to win the penalty shootout for the extra point, sending them to the top of the league and leapfrogging their opponents.

Eddy Davis III is having a phenomenal start to the 2024 season at just 17 years old, he currently sits as the top goal scorer on the team and he earned his second MLS NEXT Pro Rising Star of the Matchweek award of the season.

Eddy Davis is just one of a huge group of youngsters who are having top performances in this season’s MLS NEXT Pro. LeBlanc’s currently fielding the youngest average lineup in the league, at just 18.9 years old, and has given minutes to some of the youngest players in the entire league. LeBlanc is a rising star of a coach and manager, and he deserves every single bit of praise and respect he gets, he’s the true definition of helping and nurturing the next generations of talents.

Cincy’s early season struggles

Union II’s hosts for this one haven’t enjoyed as good of a start as Philly has, with Cincy only managing to win twice this season, losing three times and drawing once in their other games. They sit 8^th in the Eastern Conference and will be looking to fly up the league and end Union II’s unbeaten streak with a win in this one.

22-year-old defender Amir Daley has been a standout for Cincy so far this season. It’s his debut season at this level and he’s managed to find the back of the net 3 times already, while also adding 2 assists to his name as well. Another standout has been 23-year-old Ben Stitz, who has 2 goals to his name, both are key players for Philly to watch out for.

Union II at full strength!

In terms of the players available to Marlon LeBlanc in this one, he should have an entire roster available to him. The GA Cup-winning U17 squad members have slowly started to bleed their way back into the matchday squad.

Neil Pierre starting against NYRB II and Cavan Sullivan returning to the bench, so it’ll be interesting to see how many more pop up in this game. Markus Anderson is another name to watch, he’s featured in both of the last 2 Union II games and wasn’t named in the senior squad to play Real Salt Lake.

The game kicks off at 4 pm ET and will be streamed free to everyone on the MLS NEXT Pro website, no need for an Apple TV account or an MLS Season Pass subscription.