Philadelphia Union II will face FC Cincinnati 2 in the opening round of the 2025 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs on Sunday, October 19 at Subaru Park. The match is set to begin at 4:00 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. Tickets for the postseason game are available for purchase.
Union II secured the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and selected FC Cincinnati 2 as their opponent using MLS NEXT Pro’s Pick-Your-Opponent playoff format. This system allows top-seeded teams to choose their opponents ahead of each round up to the conference finals.
Union II have qualified for the playoffs every year since the league began, making this their fourth consecutive appearance. The team matched its club record for wins this season with 15, which was the second-highest total in the league. They also set new club records for goals scored (64), goals allowed (34), and goal differential (+30), which was the highest in MLS NEXT Pro this season.
During the regular season, Philadelphia Union II won all three matches against FC Cincinnati 2. In their first meeting on June 3, Union II secured a 4-1 victory, with Eddy Davis III scoring early and Markus Anderson adding another goal before halftime. Late goals from Giovanny Sequera and Malik Jakupovic sealed the win.
In their second encounter at Subaru Park, Kellan LeBlanc scored from a free kick to give Union II a narrow win while limiting Cincinnati to four shots on goal. The final matchup saw Cavan Sullivan assist on two goals by Eddy Davis III and Neil Pierre, helping Union II clinch a playoff spot.
FC Cincinnati 2 enters the postseason as the No. 7 seed after finishing with 41 points. They secured their place with a 4-1 win over Orlando City B on the last day of the regular season, part of a four-game winning streak. Under coach Tyrone Marshall, Cincinnati found offensive form late in the season, scoring multiple goals in each of their recent victories and finding the net in each of their past seven games.
The playoffs will continue with Conference Semifinals during the weekend of October 24, again using the Pick-Your-Opponent format. The Conference Finals and MLS NEXT Pro Cup are scheduled for subsequent weekends and will follow a traditional bracket structure.
