Philadelphia Union U-18s Claim 1-0 Snow Bowl Victory over Lyngby, U-16s Fall to Benfica

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(Photo Courtesy of Matt Ralph)

The 2026 Snow Bowl has come and gone in a whirlwind. For one week, the Philadelphia Union Academy hosted some of the top clubs in the world at WSFS Bank Sportsplex in a showcase of the highest quality youth soccer, and after a grueling week, two Union Academy teams reached the finals, with the Under-18s winning a tough 1-0 game against Denmark’s Lyngby Boldklub.

Gunnar Graham’s first half strike was the difference in an evenly-contested game which pitted Lyngby’s exceptional possession and combination play against the Union’s rugged press and counter. Lyngby had some of the game’s best chances in the first half, skimming the crossbar in the 14th minute on a shot from Nicolai Hjulmand and another from Oscar Wind that smashed the post. Union goalkeeper Mathew White held strong throughout the match to preserve the clean sheet.

The teams drew 2-2 in their final group match on Thursday. The Union led the group stage with wins over Benfica (3-1) and Alberg Next Gen (6-0).

FC DELCO 7, Alberg NextGen 0

Late Friday evening, FC DELCO played a friendly against Alberg NextGen, a South African club led by former Union star Roland Alberg.

DELCO, playing a mix of U-18 and U-17 players, jumped on the board early with goals from Colon Priestly and Liam Briscoe. Mason Booz scored in first-half stoppage time to give DELCO a 3-0 lead. In the second half, Luis Oliveira scored a hat-trick inside the first ten minutes, and Booz added his second late.

Union 16s Fall to Benfica 2-0 in Final

In an intense, spirited match, the Union U-16s fell to Benfica 2-0 in the final. After the first ten minutes of Benfica trying to dodge the Union’s pressure, they eventually settled in and were able to break the lines. Francisco Wang, the Benfica captain, put on a masterful display of dribbling once he beat the first Union defender. The creative midfielder attacked with speed and intent, setting up Benfica’s second goal while relieving pressure throughout the second half as the Union tried to pinch the visitors inside their own half.

Raimo Djalo scored twice, once in each half, to give Benfica the cushion they’d need to hold on against an aggressive Union side led by captain Landon Mulvena that refused to quit on their home turf. The Union’s Jayden Kouadio nearly pulled a goal back after Benfica’s second, but his shot hit the post and was cleared away.

On Friday evening, the Union trounced Borussia Mönchengladbach 5-2 in a physical semifinal that at times resembled more a battle than a soccer game. Abdoulaye Diop put the Union up in the third minute, volleying home a cross with a fine display of skill. Timoni Gbalajobi added a second in the 24th minute.

Jayden Kouadio scored the Union’s third to put the hosts up 3-1, finishing the rebound from his saved penalty. Gbalajobi and Kouadio added their second goals late in the game to seal the Union’s path to the final.

The Union topped the group stage with two wins and a draw, which came in their thrilling 3-3 opener with Benfica. They responded with wins over Lyngby (4-1) and Borussia Möchengladbach (3-1).

Union U-15s fall in Semifinals

The Union U-15s lost 2-1 to Monterrey in the semifinals. Patricio Ernesto Delgado and Romualdo Aguirre put the visitors up, and Jude Larbi closed the deficit late. But it wasn’t enough as Monterrey advanced to the finals, where they beat Manchester United 4-3. In the group stage, the U-15s played Manchester United to a 0-0 draw and beat Newcastle United 3-1 before a 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund in their final group match.

 

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