ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – After a positive first professional season with Bethlehem Steel FC, young Philadelphia Union midfielder Derrick Jones entered his second preseason ready for the opportunity to earn regular minutes in MLS.

On Saturday night, Union Head Coach Jim Curtin gave him the first opportunity to show his progression as the 19-year-old started the club’s first official preseason contest against the USL’s Tampa Bay Rowdies at the Suncoast Invitational.

It proved an up-and-down performance for Jones, who scored the only goal of the game and put himself in good positions at times, but also made some errant passes that could have proved costly on another occasion. For Curtin, the game was one that would help Jones as he pushes forward to the new season.

“It’s the first time we’ve put him out with Alejandro Bedoya, with Haris Medunjanin, so it’s a little more pressure. We wanted to give him an opportunity,” Curtin said following the game. “I’m a big believer in if you don’t put the young guys on the field, you’ll never know, so it was a good opportunity for him. He was a little nervous at the start. I think he didn’t complete a few passes that he normally does, so that was tough, but I think he’s going to learn from it, and to get the goal is always rewarding and I think good for his confidence.”