 | |||
| Full name | Philadelphia Union II | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2015; 10 years ago (2015) (asBethlehem Steel FC) | ||
| Stadium | Subaru Park Chester, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
| Capacity | 18,500 | ||
| Owner | Keystone Sports & Entertainment | ||
| Head coach | Ryan Richter | ||
| League | MLS Next Pro | ||
| 2024 | 2nd, Eastern Conference Playoffs: Final | ||
| Website | www | ||
 Current season | |||
Philadelphia Union II is an American professionalsoccer team based inChester, Pennsylvania competing inMLS Next Pro. Founded in 2015 asBethlehem Steel FC, the team is the official affiliate of thePhiladelphia Union ofMajor League Soccer. The team competed for five seasons in theUSL Championship (the first three as Bethlehem Steel FC) before going on hiatus from competition during the 2021 season. The club's current colors are navy blue and gold.
Since theformalized partnership betweenUnited Soccer League andMajor League Soccer in 2013, MLS teams had begun to form and field their own teams on the thenthird tier. This endeavor was largely driven to fill in the missing piece of player development between high school/college players and professional soccer players. In June 2015, thePhiladelphia Union sent out a survey to fans gauging interest in fielding their own USL team.[1] The survey input and directives from the Union front office eventually led to the creation of a team that would play in theLehigh Valley, officially announced on August 19, 2015.[2] This announcement made the Union the ninth MLS team to independently own and operate a USL club. The announcement also coincided with dissolving the previous affiliation with USL sidePenn FC (formerly Harrisburg City Islanders), originally established in 2010.[3]After surveying fans for a name of the team, the results ended overwhelmingly in favor of “Bethlehem Steel FC” honoring theprevious incarnation of the team in the early twentieth century.[4] Bethlehem Steel FC would become the “missing link” of player development betweenYSC Academy and first team for the Philadelphia Union.The club began to take shape hiring former Union assistant coach,Brendan Burke as the first head coach of the team's history on October 29, 2015.[5] On December 3, 2015, Burke made his first signing to the team inDerrick Jones, who was a player developing in theUnion Academy.[6]
In preparation of theirinaugural season, Steel FC built a roster with a combination of USL veterans (Mickey Daly,Ryan Richter,Bolu Akinyode), Philadelphia Union draft picks (Josh Yaro,Fabian Herbers), and key international players (James Chambers,Cory Burke). This team would be largely supported by Union players on short-term loans in addition to academy players fromYSC Academy.[7] The team's first season saw glimpses of positives but ultimately struggled down the stretch of the season, going winless in their last 12 matches.
On January 5, 2017, theUnited States Soccer Federation granted USL provisional Division II status; making the2017 season the first time the Steel FC would compete as a Division II team.[8] Steel built on their inaugural season continuing to integrate more amateur players fromYSC Academy and other young players. The emergence ofSeku Conneh andCory Burke as reliable scoring threats helped Steel FC double their previous season's win total, finished 8th in the Eastern Conference and earned their first playoff appearance.[9]
In2018, Steel FC took another step forward with their best season to date, setting a record earning 50 points and 14 wins. Steel FC finished 6th in the Eastern Conference and won their first playoff match against in-state rivalsPittsburgh Riverhounds. Advancing to the Conference Semi-finals, Steel FC ultimately lost to eventual 2018 USL Champions,Louisville City FC.[10]
At the conclusion of the 2018 season, Bethlehem Steel announced that it would play the 2019 season atTalen Energy Stadium inChester, Pennsylvania; home of Steel's MLS parent club, Philadelphia Union. The relocation was prompted due toGoodman Stadium not having stadium lighting, limiting the scheduling possibilities and being in non-compliance with USL requirements. The team front office pledged to continue seeking out potential venue solutions that meet theUSL Championship requirements for the 2020 season.[11][12]
On December 12, 2019, the Philadelphia Union announced that the Bethlehem Steel would change their name to Philadelphia Union II for the2020 USL Championship season.[13]
On October 16, 2020, the Philadelphia Union announced that Union II would be withdrawn from the USL Championship and did not play competitively in 2021.
The club announced on December 6, 2021, that it was joining the 21-teamMLS Next Pro for the inaugural 2022 season.[14]
On October 27, 2015, Bethlehem Steel FC's name, crest, and colors were officially announced during a ceremony held at the ArtsQuest at SteelStacks. "Steel FC" alludes to the historicalBethlehem Steel F.C., which played from 1907 to 1930.[4] The origin of the clubs' name is theBethlehem Steel Corporation, which was once the second-largest steel producer and largest shipbuilder the United States and was important to the economy of the area. The name was chosen following a fan poll held between September 8, 2015 and September 28, 2015; the other three options were Lehigh Valley Steel SC, Lehigh Valley Blast, and Steel FC.[15]
The colors of Bethlehem Steel FC arenavy blue andgold, andred, combining the primary colors of both the original Bethlehem Steel F.C. and the Philadelphia Union. The team's crest is elongated, representing the foundation of a new player development program and extension of the Union brand. Its gold rivets symbolize the relationship between the Bethlehem and Philadelphia clubs. The Union's rattlesnake alludes to the "Join, or Die" political cartoon byBenjamin Franklin that was featured in the 1754Pennsylvania Gazette, and is also reminiscent of theGadsden flag, another Revolutionary icon. The red beam in the middle of the crest is a tribute to the original logo of Bethlehem Steel F.C.
Before sponsoring a team in the USL, the Philadelphia Union commemorated the original Bethlehem Steel F.C. once before. In February 2013, the club unveiled a third kit with Steel F.C.'s colors, featuring a black jersey with white trim, a sublimated Union logo, and a Steel F.C. jock tag.[16][17][18][19][20]
In 2016, the crest earned a third place recognition for "2016 Primary Logo of the Year."[21]
| Period | Kit Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2018 | Adidas | Lehigh Valley Health Network | [22] |
| 2019 | — | ||
| 2020–present | Sun East Federal Credit Union | [23] | |
Philadelphia Union II plays home matches atSubaru Park in Chester, also home to thePhiladelphia Union. Previously, they played matches atGoodman Stadium in Bethlehem for three seasons.
| Period | Stadium | Location | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016–2018 | Goodman Stadium | Bethlehem, PA | 16,000[24] |
| 2019–present | Subaru Park | Chester, PA | 18,500[25] |
Philadelphia Union II practices at the training fields next toSubaru Park inChester, Pennsylvania.
After announcing the creation of Bethlehem Steel FC, a supporters collaboration was soon formed. Largely organized throughFacebook, the official supporters group emerged as the East End Army.[26] The East End Army support the team from the lower bowl section ofGoodman Stadium, dubbed "the Forge." The official pub partner for Philadelphia Union II wasGolazo House located inBethlehem, Pennsylvania.[27]
Philadelphia Union II was one of threeUSL teams inPennsylvania, the others beingPenn FC and thePittsburgh Riverhounds. Since the2015 season, Penn FC (formerly Harrisburg City Islanders) and Riverhounds compete for the Keystone Derby Cup, which currently excludes Bethlehem Steel FC.[28]
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK |  GER | Oliver Semmle([A]) |
| 6 | FW |  USA | Cavan Sullivan([A]) |
| 12 | DF | USA | Isaiah LeFlore([A]) |
| 17 | MF | USA | CJ Olney([A]) |
| 22 | DF | USA | David Vazquez([A]) |
| 24 | MF | USA | Nick Pariano([A]) |
| 26 | DF | USA | Nathan Harriel([A]) |
| 30 | GK | USA | Pierce Holbrook |
| 31 | GK | USA | George Marks([A]) |
| 35 | FW | USA | Markus Anderson([A]) |
| 36 | MF |  COL | Óscar Benítez |
| 37 | FW | USA | Stas Korzeniowski |
| 38 | MF |  VEN | Giovanny Sequera(on loan fromMetropolitanos FC) |
| 40 | DF | VEN | Rafael Uzcátegui |
| 41 | GK | USA | Lou Liedtka |
| 44 | DF | USA | Neil Pierre([A]) |
| 45 | FW | USA | Leandro Soria |
| 46 | DF | USA | Kaiden Moore(on loan fromAtlanta United 2) |
| 47 | MF | USA | Kellan LeBlanc |
| 49 | MF | USA | Willyam Ferreira |
| 51 | FW | USA | Malik Jakupovic |
| 55 | FW |  MEX | Sal Olivas([A]) |
| 57 | GK | USA | Mike Sheridan |
| 58 | DF | USA | Gavin Wetzel([B]) |
| 61 | MF | USA | Zach Mastrodimos([B]) |
| 62 | MF | USA | Jamir Johnson([B]) |
| 63 | MF | USA | Henry Bernstein([B]) |
| 68 | DF | USA | Jordan Griffin([B]) |
| 70 | MF |  SUI | Noah Probst(on loan fromFC St. Gallen 1879) |
| 76 | GK | USA | Andrew Rick([A]) |
| 77 | FW | USA | Eddy Davis III([A]) |
| 94 | GK | USA | Alex Smith([B]) |
| 95 | GK | USA | Daniel Elliott([B]) |
| Position | Staff | Nation |
|---|---|---|
| Head Coach | Ryan Richter | United States |
| Assistant Coach | Fred |  Brazil |
| Assistant Coach | Henry Apaloo |  United Kingdom |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Ross Cain | United States |
| Video Analyst | Diego Para | United States |
| Athletic Trainer | Veronica Dilzer | United States |
| Equipment Manager | Andrew Vaccaro | United States |
Coaching and Technical Staff as of April 21, 2022[29]
This list includes all those who have managed the club since 2016, when the club joinedUnited Soccer League for the first time, whether coaching on a full-time or interim basis. Games played include allLeague, Playoff, and the win percentage is calculated from the total of games.
M = Matches played;W = Matches won;D = Matches drawn;L = Matches lost;
| Name | Nat | Tenure | M | W | D | L | Win % | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brendan Burke | USA | October 29, 2015 – February 12, 2020 | 133 | 40 | 33 | 57 | 30.1% | |
| Sven Gartung | GER | February 12, 2020 – August 5, 2020 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.0% | |
| Marlon LeBlanc | USA | August 5, 2020 – January 14, 2025 | 100 | 51 | 3 | 43 | 54.1% | Interim coach through March 2, 2021[30][31] |
| Ryan Richter | USA | January 15, 2025 –present | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
| Season | League | Position | Playoffs | Continental / Other | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | Name(s) | Goals | |||||
| 2016 | 2 | USL | 30 | 6 | 14 | 10 | 32 | 43 | -11 | 28 | 0.93 | 11th | 25th | DNQ | DNQ | 2,573 |  Derrick JonesRyan Richter | 5 | |
| 2017 | USL | 32 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 46 | 45 | +1 | 44 | 1.38 | 8th | 17th | Conference QF | 3,052 |  Seku Conneh | 10 | |||
| 2018 | USL | 34 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 50 | 1.47 | 6th | 14th | Conference SF | 2,347 |  Santi Moar Michee Ngalina | 6 | |||
| 2019 | USLC | 34 | 8 | 19 | 7 | 49 | 78 | -29 | 31 | 0.91 | 16th | 32nd | DNQ | 478 |  Faris Moumbagna | 11 | |||
| 2020 | USLC | 16 | 2 | 11 | 3 | 20 | 45 | -25 | 9 | 0.56 | 16th | 32nd | DNQ | N/A | Jack McGlynn | 5 | |||
| 2021 | On Hiatus | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2022 | 3 | MLSNP | 24 | 11 | 9 | 4 | 42 | 39 | +3 | 40 | 1.67 | 3rd, Eastern | 8th | Conference SF | DNQ | N/A | Chris Donovan | 8 | |
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