Sunday afternoon saw the 2nd game of Ryan Richter’s Union II side’s 2026 MLS Next Pro campaign, another home game and one of a three-game homestand to start the season. The visitors to Subaru Park for this one were FC Cincinnati 2, a team Ryan Richter’s men beat four times last season in the four games they played against each other.
Following the 1-0 win over Toronto FC II last weekend in their season opener, Ryan Richter opted to make two changes to the side that started that game. Finn Sundstrom, who came in for the missing Giovanny Sequera after Sequera started for the senior team on Saturday in the MLS, and Sal Olivas, who replaced academy forward John Ruf for his first start of the 2026 season after spending time with the senior team during preseason and the start of the regular season.
Union II got off to another quick start as they did against Toronto last weekend; this time, the early chance wasn’t converted for the opening goal of the game. The early chance this week saw Willyam Ferreira take a free kick from around 40 yards out and deliver it into the box, where it found captain Uzcategui’s head, but his header smashed off the bar and away from goal.
George Marks, who made a fantastic start to the season last week in between the sticks for Philly, was called into early action and made a good save at the near post. After an end-to-end start to the game, both teams settled into the first half, and it wasn’t until Willyam Ferreira had a shot from distance that just sailed over the bar that they saw a solid chance for either side.
Ferreira was the driving force for Ryan Richter’s men in this game and was involved in everything that was causing big issues for Cincy’s backline and he continued this threat when, just before the 40th minute, he out in a fantastic corner delivery that met the head of Finn Sundstrom and flew right past the Cincy goalkeeper and into the back of the net for the opening goal of the game.
Ryan Richter’s side went into the halftime break leading 1-0, and the start of the 2nd half saw both teams settle back into the game, with chances and quality lacking a little. Coach Richter was then forced into a substitution 10 minutes into the 2nd half when leftback Jordan Griffin went down injured, Kaiden Moore came off the bench to replace him.
As the minutes ticked by in the 2nd half, the side from Ohio was the one looking more likely to score the next goal of the game, but goalscorer Finn Sundstrom made a key block for Union II to stop a promising Cincy attack. On the back of that attack, Ryan Richter made two more changes to his team, Matteus De Paula and Nehan Hasan both came on to replace Isaiah Mendoza and Willyam Ferreira.
Union II should have scored a 2nd goal 10 minutes from time, but both Sal Olivas and Malik Jakupovic couldn’t find the finishing touch. Olivas’ shot was initially blocked inside the box, the block then fell to Jakupovic, and it had goal written all over it, but Jakupovic rushed his shot and sent it flying over the bar. Ryan Richter made his final substitution of the game right after the double miss, this time Kellan LeBlanc being replaced by John Ruf, which meant a shape change too, with Sal Olivas moving back into midfield and Ruf partnering Jakupovic upfront.
Jakupovic has another chance to make it 2-0 just before full-time, but his effort was comfortably saved by the Cincy goalkeeper, and the game ended in another 1-0 win for Ryan Richter and his Union II side.
Next up for Union II is their 3rd and final game of the three-game homestand to start their 2026 MLS Next Pro season, and the visitors for that 3rd game are league newcomers CT United FC on Sunday, 15th March at 3 pm EST.
