ASN’s Brian Sciaretta spoke with one of many prime U.S. U-20 gamers in MLS this season, Philadelphia Union proper again Frankie Westfield, about his breakout season, the Union’s playoff and Open Cup push, and the upcoming U-20 World Cup.
BY
Brian Sciaretta
Posted
August 13, 2025
10:10 AM
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SEEMINGLY EVERY YEAR in MLS, a brand new batch of younger gamers emerges to drive their means into the nationwide conversations when it comes to serving to their crew to success, placing their title within the combine for call-ups, or incomes curiosity within the switch market. The 2025 season has been no exception and one of many key breakout gamers has been Philadelphia Union proper again Frankie Westfield who can be anticipated to characteristic this fall for america on the U-20 World Cup.
Westfield, 19, started the season solely on the primary crew as a part of a brief short-term settlement from the Philadelphia Union II, however his preliminary performances had been spectacular to the purpose the place he didn’t simply stay on the primary crew roster, however he continued to start out.
“At the beginning of the season, especially in pre-season, it was kind of unexpected,” Westfield informed American Soccer Now. “I know there was a new coach, a new system. I just wanted to come in the right way and prove my point that I’m ready. I think coach saw that from me at the start and I think as of right now, I just want to keep progressing in the the right direction, keep getting confidence every single day. But at the start it was very unexpected, but I’m very happy with where I am and my family’s very happy with how it’s going.”
In the course of the preseason and initially of the season, Westfield needed to regulate to new head coach Bradley Carnell who changed Jim Curtin, a well-liked coach from Philadelphia who gained two Supporters Shields and gave the begin to most of the crew’s prime younger gamers. However Westfield has thrived below Carnell, who he mentioned takes time to talk extra with younger gamers one-on-one in contrast with Curtin – who he mentioned was “a great coach” however supplied much less suggestions.
Now in August, the Union are within the stretch run of what has been a really profitable season. By 26 video games, the Union have amassed 51 factors to sit down in first place. This week they’ll face the Crimson Bulls within the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. So far, Westfield has appeared in 20 video games for 1418 minutes and has one aim and two assists.
“The spirit is really high and I don’t think it’s ever going to drop,” Westfield mentioned of the Union this season. “We always have a certain confidence whether it’s in training or the game that we’re always going to win. That’s a good part of us I think we should keep that. The group morale is awesome right now.”
However what has helped Westfield particularly has been the balanced roster that mixes established veterans and homegrowns reminiscent of Quinn Sullivan and Nathan Harriel who’ve been with the group for a number of seasons. For younger gamers like Westfield who had been solely not too long ago promoted from the Union II or academy, he has completely different mentors and sources to be taught the sport.
Throughout at this time’s press availability, Bradley Carnell spoke in regards to the job Frankie Westfield has completed thus far, significantly in opposition to the Europa Convention League crew Slavia Prague:
“Sometimes it’s easier to coach young guys who are almost naive and oblivious to the fact of, you know,… pic.twitter.com/bCJi6vVGXS
— José Roberto Nuñez (@JoserNunez91) January 22, 2025
“It’s two types of veterans – guys like Nate and Quinn, who have been homegrowns for like five years and veterans like Jacob Glesnes, Andre Blake, Alejandro Bedoya, and Kai Wagner that are some of the best in their positions in the league,” Westfield defined. “For me, looking at a guy like Kai. And trying to do what he does and kind of model my game off him a little bit and him teaching me different ways to do things in the position that we both play helps me a lot. Then just like a guy like Quinn always there to guide us through like he did when he was younger.”
The Philadelphia Union have loved quite a lot of success over time with homegrown gamers who’ve progressed by its pipeline and into the primary crew. Many have been key U.S. youth internationals and have finally been offered to European groups. Union academy alums make up a noticeable proportion of the present U.S. nationwide crew participant pool.
Westfield joined the academy in 2021 and finally signed an expert contract with the Philadelphia Union II.
“The Academy and especially my three and a half years with Union II definitely prepared me in the right way for the season that I’m having now,” Westfield mentioned. “I think Marlon LeBlanc and my U-17 coach Tobias Nubbemeyer are a big part of that. My U-17 year I developed a lot and then I just kept growing from that. When I was with Marlon for those three years, he took me under his wing and just kept dealing with me. He kept throwing me in the fire, and then I would make mistakes, and then he would keep throwing me in there. I’d still make mistakes but I always learned, and I was always growing. He’s a big part of why I’m here today.”
Final season in 2024, the Union II had been dominant with 15 wins from 26 matches, 52 factors, 59 targets scored, and a +18 aim differential. Westfield was the crew’s vice captain and was named to the Finest XI of MLS Subsequent Professional after he performed in each sport – scoring six targets and including six assists.
“Frankie is a talented and versatile young defender,” mentioned Philadelphia Union Sporting Director, Ernst Tanner. “His ability to use both feet effectively allows him to impact the game on both sides of the field, and his role as Union II’s vice-captain last season makes us confident in his maturity and leadership potential on and off the field.”
The approaching months needs to be a vital time for Westfield. Along with the Union’s push for the Supporters Defend and their ongoing run within the U.S. Open Cup, there’s the U-20 World Cup which is able to get underway on September 27 in Chile the place america will face New Caledonia, France, and South Africa in group play.
Frankie blasts it into the again of the online for his first Union aim! ????
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— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) Could 11, 2025
Westfield has not been an everyday with the U-20 crew this cycle. He was an damage alternative to the October 2024 camp in October however took an growing function throughout the squad following his MLS breakthrough in 2025. U.S. U-20 head coach Marko Mitovic named Westfield to the preliminary roster in March the place the crew defeated Mexico and drew Japan. Then he was named to crew’s remaining camp earlier than the World Cup in June the place they misplaced to Norway 1-0 after which defeated Colombia 1-0.
Tactically, taking part in with the U.S. U-20 crew has pressured Westfield to regulate his sport. In Philadelphia, the system usually doesn’t use wingers. With the U-20 crew, wingers are an enormous a part of the offense below Mitrovic. However except for the techniques, Westfield additionally believes that each the Union and the U.S. U-20 crew have similarities that stems from the power of their coaches.
“For me it’s playing a new style and with Marko it’s playing with wingers and with Philly, we don’t do that a lot,” Westfield mentioned. “For me attacking-wise, it is utilizing and supporting the wingers with 2 v 1’s is something that I’m focused on more… But Marko and Bradley both have a lot of similarities of bringing that energy and I think that’s really good. I live off of both their energy.”
However Westfield has adjusted into each squads in 2025 and forward of the June camp, Carnell advised that he anticipated Westfield to be an enormous a part of the U.S. U-20 crew shifting ahead.
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) Could 30, 2025
“I think the last couple of months Frankie has had, it was probably just a formality,” Carnell mentioned after Westfield’s call-up to the U.S. U-20 crew’s June camp. “He’s been doing really well and I would have been shocked with anything other than him getting a call up. That’s just a testament to his commitment to the group and to what he’s been doing over the last couple of months. He’s a really good teammate and he’ll make that squad stronger.”
The U-20 World Cup continues to be greater than a month away and Westfield continues to be attempting to take issues in stride realizing that specializing in the duty at hand is what’s going to open the doorways for the longer term.
“We beat great teams like France. We beat a great team in Mexico. We’re getting really good results,” Westfield mentioned of the U-20 crew. “I try not to think about it too much. I know it’s there, and I know I have a good chance of making it. But when I’m with the Union, it’s just about performing and focusing on my individual performance and my team performance and just going out there and then playing well – doing the best I can for my team, knowing that doing those things can give me a good chance to make it to the World Cup.”
