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Player Spotlight

Westfield looks to continue breakout season for Philadelphia as U-20 World Cup approaches

ASN's Brian Sciaretta spoke with one of the top U.S. U-20 players in MLS this season, Philadelphia Union right back 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

SEEMINGLY EVERY YEAR in MLS, a new batch of young players emerges to force their way into the national conversations in terms of helping their team to success, putting their name in the mix for call-ups, or earning interest in the transfer market. The 2025 season has been no exception and one of the key breakout players has been Philadelphia Union right back Frankie Westfield who is also expected to feature this fall for the United States at the U-20 World Cup.

Westfield, 19, began the season only on the first team as part of a temporary short-term agreement from the Philadelphia Union II, but his initial performances were impressive to the point where he didn’t just remain on the first team roster, but he continued to start.

“At the beginning of the season, especially in pre-season, it was kind of unexpected,” Westfield told 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.”

During the preseason and at the start of the season, Westfield had to adjust to new head coach Bradley Carnell who replaced Jim Curtin, a popular coach from Philadelphia who won two Supporters Shields and gave the start to many of the team’s top young players.  But Westfield has thrived under Carnell, who he said takes time to speak more with young players one-on-one compared with Curtin - who he said was “a great coach” but offered less feedback.  

Now in August, the Union are in the stretch run of what has been a very successful season. Through 26 games, the Union have amassed 51 points to sit in first place. This week they will face the Red Bulls in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. To date, Westfield has appeared in 20 games for 1418 minutes and has one goal and two assists.

“The spirit is really high and I don't think it's ever going to drop,” Westfield said 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.”

But what has helped Westfield specifically has been the balanced roster that mixes established veterans and homegrowns such as Quinn Sullivan and Nathan Harriel who have been with the organization for several seasons. For young players like Westfield who were only recently promoted from the Union II or academy, he has different mentors and resources to learn the game.

 

“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 explained. “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 enjoyed a lot of success over the years with homegrown players who have progressed through its pipeline and into the first team. Many have been key U.S. youth internationals and have eventually been sold to European teams. Union academy alums make up a noticeable percentage of the current U.S. national team player pool.

Westfield joined the academy in 2021 and eventually signed a professional 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 said. "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."

Last season in 2024, the Union II were dominant with 15 wins from 26 matches, 52 points, 59 goals scored, and a +18 goal differential. Westfield was the team’s vice captain and was named to the Best XI of MLS Next Pro after he played in every game - scoring six goals and adding six assists.

“Frankie is a talented and versatile young defender,” said 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 coming months should be a very important time for Westfield. In addition to the Union’s push for the Supporters Shield and their ongoing run in the U.S. Open Cup, there is the U-20 World Cup which will get underway on September 27 in Chile where the United States will face New Caledonia, France, and South Africa in group play.

 

Westfield has not been a regular with the U-20 team this cycle. He was an injury replacement to the October 2024 camp in October but took an increasing role within the squad following his MLS breakthrough in 2025. U.S. U-20 head coach Marko Mitovic named Westfield to the initial roster in March where the team defeated Mexico and drew Japan. Then he was named to team’s final camp before the World Cup in June where they lost to Norway 1-0 and then defeated Colombia 1-0.

Tactically, playing with the U.S. U-20 team has forced Westfield to adjust his game. In Philadelphia, the system often doesn’t use wingers. With the U-20 team, wingers are a big part of the offense under Mitrovic. But aside from the tactics, Westfield also believes that both the Union and the U.S. U-20 team have similarities that stems from the energy 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 said. “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.”

But Westfield has adjusted into both squads in 2025 and ahead of the June camp, Carnell suggested that he expected Westfield to be a big part of the U.S. U-20 team moving forward.

 

“I think the last couple of months Frankie has had, it was probably just a formality,” Carnell said after Westfield’s call-up to the U.S. U-20 team’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 is still more than a month away and Westfield is still trying to take things in stride knowing that focusing on the task at hand is what is going to open the doors for the future.  

"We beat great teams like France. We beat a great team in Mexico. We're getting really good results," Westfield said of the U-20 team. "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."

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