West Chester United standout Kyle Tucker signs with Philadelphia Union II

A month after helping lead West Chester United to a Hank Steinbrecher Cup title, Kyle Tucker is embarking on a professional career with Philadelphia Union II.

The recent Drexel University graduate, who played youth soccer with Penn Fusion and FC Delco, was signed to an MLS Next Pro contract after impressing as a trialist. He was signed to a contract through the end of the season with a club option for 2024.

“Kyle is a promising young midfielder who has the potential to make an immediate impact on the field,” Philadelphia Union II Head Coach Marlon LeBlanc stated in a news release. “He’s a box-to-box midfielder who is good with both feet and his dedication and team-first mentality fits well into our philosophy. We’re excited to welcome him to the team and look forward to integrating him as quickly as possible.”

The 23-year-old was a teammate of first-team reserve forward Chris Donovan at Drexel, where he was named to the All-CAA Third Team his junior and senior seasons.

Tucker helped lead West Chester United to two national championships over the past year, most recently a Hank Steinbrecher Cup win in Arizona in early June. The US Adult Soccer Association title is an annual champion of champions event featuring other amateur champions from across the country. Tucker and West Chester United won the club’s second Werner Fricker Cup in Tennessee last August. His dad, Roger Tucker, is an assistant coach with West Chester United, which he’s also played for in USL League Two and in the 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Tucker graduated from Phoenixville Area High School, where he played for one season in his senior year. Prior to that he played for FC Delco in what was then the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. He played at Penn Fusion prior to high school and again his senior year, where he was part of a 1998 team with a number of future professionals, including Matt Freese (NYCFC), AJ Marcucci (New York Red Bulls), Aiden McFadden (Atlanta United) and Richie Schlentz (formerly of Hartford Athletic).