Two Union Academy teams kick off their seasons this weekend

The Philadelphia Union’s fifth season in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy officially begins tomorrow with the U15 and U12 teams opening their seasons.

The U12s will host Lehigh Valley United at YSC Sports at noon and 1:30 p.m. while the U15s travel to North Jersey to face New Jersey Cedar Stars Academy.

The game will be the first ever for the U15 team in the Development Academy. Last year’s U15 team competed in the Northeast Pre-Academy League. This will be the second season for the U12 and U13 age divisions.

Only one new face has joined a group of players on the U15 team that all played together in the U14 age division last year. That’s midfielder Nick Pariano, who relocated to the area with his family from Michigan, where he played for Crew SC Academy Wolves.

Key players on the team will be forward Selmir Miscic, who had 17 goals between the U13 and U14 teams last season, and Dante Huckaby, who also split his time between the U13 and U14 teams last season.

Miscic and Huckaby were both called up to the United States U15 team for a camp in Portland last month.

The U17 team will kick off their season hosting Virginia Development Academy at YSC Sports on September 9 while the U19s, U13s and U14s begin on the road at Richmond United on September 16.

Matthew Ralph

Matthew Ralph is the managing editor of Philadelphia Soccer Now. He's covered soccer at all levels for a decade in the Philadelphia region and has also written for TheCup.us, NPSL, PrepSoccer and other publications. He lives with his wife and two young children in Broomall, Pa., but grew up in South Jersey and is originally from Kansas.

See Full Bio