MLS
Around MLS, USL & Next Pro: Batman McFadden, Pax10 & more
Despite the uncertainty around labor negotiations, the USL Championship season kicked off in grand style with the Bluegrassico rivalry between Lexington SC and Louisville City on Friday night and several players with local ties factored into the thrilling match.
Fresh off a surgery, a masked Aiden McFadden scored the late winner to give Louisville the win after Reading United alum Aaron Molloy’s golazo opened the game and put Lexington up 1-0. Chris Donovan made his USL Championship debut in the match for Louisville and Josh Jones also featured off the bench for Louisville.
In MLS, Paxten Aaronson was instrumental in a Colorado Rapids attack that beat Jakob Glesnes and LA Galaxy 4-1 and Matt Freese had another clean sheet for NYCFC, his 21st in MLS play and 37th in all competitions.
West Chester United alums had a big weekend with Dylan Lacy and Dominick Bachstein both scoring their first professional goals.
MLS
Matt Freese (Wayne, Pa. / Philadelphia Union) made one save and recorded a clean sheet for NYCFC in their 5-0 win over Orlando City. Tomas Romero (Cherry Hill, N.J. / Philadelphia Union Academy) was an unused sub for NYC.
Tai Baribo (Philadelphia Union) played 90 minutes and scored a goal for DC United in their 2-1 loss to Inter Miami. Alex Bono (Reading United) was an unused substitute for DC.
Tai Baribo cleans up to pull @dcunited within one!
Game on in Baltimore. 👀
📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/w9JNqiAcHo pic.twitter.com/qh5RMzD6MP
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 7, 2026
Jack Skahan (Philadelphia Union Academy) played 8 minutes off the bench for San Jose in their 1-0 win over the Philadelphia Union. Paul Marie (Reading United) was an unused sub in the match.
Jack Elliott (Philadelphia Union) started and played 90 minutes for Chicago Fire in their scoreless draw with Columbus Crew. Daniel Gazdag (Philadelphia Union) was an unused substitute.
Tyler Miller (Woodbury, N.J. / Reading United) was an unused substitute in Charlotte FC’s 3-1 win over Austin FC.
Simon Becher (Reading United, Ocean City Nor’easters) started and played 78 minutes for St. Louis City SC in their 1-0 loss to Seattle Sounders.
Daniel Lovitz (Wyndmoor, Pa.) started and played 62 minutes for Nashville SC in their 3-1 win over Minnnesota United.
David Vazquez (Philadelphia Union) played 26 minutes for San Diego SC in their 1-0 win over Sporting Kansas City.
Paxten Aaronson (Medford, N.J. / Philadelphia Union) started, played 90 minutes and recorded an ASSIST in Colorado Rapids’ 4-1 win over LA Galaxy. Keegan Rosenberry (Ronks, Pa. / Philadelphia Union) came off the bench to play 25 minutes for the Rapids. Jakob Glesnes (Philadelphia Union) played 90 minutes in the loss for the Galaxy. Zack Steffen (Downingtown, Pa. / FC Delco) was out injured.
Kamal Miller (Reading United) started and played 90 minutes for Portland Timbers in their 4-1 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps.
Brandan Craig (Philadelphia, Pa. / Philadelphia Union) did not dress in CF Montreal’s 3-0 win over the New York Red Bulls. John McCarthy (Philadelphia, Pa. / Philadelphia Union) was an unused sub for the Red Bulls.
Alvas Powell (Philadelphia Union) was an unused sub in FC Cincinnati’s 1-0 loss to Toronto FC.
USL Championship
Josh Jones (Hatfield, Pa. / Ocean City Nor’easters), Aiden McFadden (West Chester, Pa. / West Chester United) and Chris Donovan (Paoli, Pa. / Philadelphia Union) all came off the bench in Louisville City’s 2-1 win over Lexington SC. McFadden scored the game-winning goal off a rebound of a Donovan shot.
Aiden McFadden answers the b̶a̶t̶ goal signal 🦇 pic.twitter.com/sjZxMyZ370
— Louisville City FC (@loucityfc) March 7, 2026
Oliver Semmle (Philadelphia Union), Aaron Molloy (Reading United) and Marcus Epps (Philadelphia Union) all started for Lexington in the match. Molloy scored the opening goal.
Called dibs on the 𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧 😎
Aaron Molloy’s FIRST goal for @LexSporting gives his side the lead in the Commonwealth Cup! pic.twitter.com/Qgt5ERpNDp
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) March 7, 2026
Jahmali Waite (Philadelphia Union Academy, Reading United) made a pair of saves and recorded a clean sheet for Tampa Bay Rowdies in a 1-0 win over Birmingham Legion.
Dawson McCartney (Voorhees, N.J./ Philadelphia Union Academy) started and played 58 minutes for Birmingham in the loss.
Jorge Garcia (Villanova) and Mike Sheridan (Folsom, Pa. / Union II) were unused substitutes in the Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ 2-1 loss to Charleston Battery.
Matt Real (Drexel Hill, Pa. / Philadelphia Union) started, played 90 minutes and recorded an assist for Hartford Athletic in their 3-0 win over Sporting Jax. Michee Ngalina (Philadelphia Union) started, played 85 minutes and recorded an assist.
Danny Barbir (Macungie, Pa.) started and played 90 minutes for San Antonio FC in their 2-1 win over Phoenix Rising. Emil Cuello (Ocean City Nor’easters) was an unused sub.
Jamir Johnson (Voorhees, N.J. /Philadelphia Union Academy) started and played 57 minutes for Orange County SC in their 1-1 draw with Las Vegas Lights. Lyam Mackinnon (Villanova, West Chester United, Reading United) scored a goal for Orange County. Nyk Sessock (Philadelphia, Pa. / Philadelphia Union Academy) came off the bench for Las Vegas in the 87th minute. Ben Ofeimu (Philadelphia Union II) was an unused substitute for the Lights.
Kalil ElMedkhar (Middletown, Del. / Reading United) started and played 75 minutes and Nelson Pierre (Lebanon, Pa.) came off the bench and played 6 minutes for FC Tulsa in their 2-0 loss to Sacramento Republic.
Khori Bennett (Reading United) started, played 90 minutes and scored a GOAL, Matt Mahoney (Temple, Philadelphia Union II) started, wore the armband and played 90 minutes in Colorado Springs’ 2-2 draw with El Paso. Duke Lacroix (Penn, Ocean City Nor’easters) played four minutes off the bench.
Khori Bennett puts @SwitchbacksFC up 1-0 inside the first five minutes 💥 pic.twitter.com/9kvXefHjAY
— USL Championship (@USLChampionship) March 8, 2026
CJ Olney (on loan from Philadelphia Union) and Stefan Stojanovic (Philadelphia Union II) both started for Brooklyn FC in their inaugural match on Sunday, a 1-0 win over Indy Eleven. Markus Anderson (on loan from Philadelphia Union) did not dress.
USL League One
Dominick Bachstein (Malvern, Pa.) came off the bench and scored his first professional goal for FC Naples in their 2-0 win over Fort Wayne FC. Ryan Becher (Hummelstown, Pa.) started and played 68 minutes in Fort Wayne’s inaugural match in League One.
Tim Timchenko (Reading United) started and played 73 minutes for Westchester SC in their 2-0 loss to Knoxville.
MLS Next Pro
Nick Pariano (Philadelphia, Pa. / Philadelphia Union) started and played 84 minutes for Huntsville City SC in their 7-2 loss to Crown Legacy FC.
Anton Sorenson (Philadelphia Union) started and played 90 minutes for Chattanooga FC in their 4-2 win over CT United. Dylan Lacy (Wayne, Pa.) started, played 77 minutes and scored a goal for CT United in his debut.
OH MY DYLAN LACY 💫
Introducing himself to the @ctunited faithful in style! pic.twitter.com/l9o0TTUFPv
— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) March 8, 2026
Colin Griffith (Stroudsburg, Pa.) came off the bench and played 1 minute for Portland Timbers 2 in their scoreless draw with Whitecaps 2. Griffith converted a penalty in the shootout victory for Portland.
Jackson Gilman (Schwenksville, Pa. / Philadelphia Union Academy) started and played 90 minutes for Toronto FC II in their scoreless draw with New England Revolution II. Gilman converted a PK in the shootout, which was won by New England.
Marcos Zambrano (Philadelphia Union Academy) started, played 62 minutes and had a brace for Real Monarchs in their 5-0 win over SKC II.
Evan Watt (York, Pa.) started and played 90 minutes for Austin FC II in their 2-2 draw with Ventura County. Patrick Cayelli (Penn / West Chester United) started and played 90 minutes for Austin FC II.
Jack Jasinski (Philadelphia Union Academy / West Chester United) started and played 90 minutes for San Jose Earthquakes II in their 4-1 win over LAFC II. Giuliano Whitchurch (West Chester United) started and played 90 minutes for LAFC.
