Philadelphia Union - 2017 Roster

PHILADELPHIA UNION – 2017 SEASON ROSTER
SALARY BUDGET PLAYER ROSTER (ROSTER SPOTS 1 - 20) ^
1. Andre Blake #18 (G) (11/21/90) ($148.5K - $186.5K) [Jamaica - Green Card]
2. John McCarthy #23 (G) (7/4/92) ($86.5K - $95.8K)
3. Fabio Alves “Fabinho” #33 (D) (3/16/85) ($159.8K - $167.8K) [Brazil - Green Card]
4. Raymon Gaddis #28 (D) (1/13/90) ($165.0K - $167.5K)
5. Richard Marquez #16 (D) (5/26/92) ($133.0K- $139.4K)
6. Oguchi Onyewu #5 (D) (5/13/82) ($65.0K - $65.0K)
7. Keegan Rosenberry #12 (D) (12/11/93) ($104.5K - $110.3K)
8. Warren Creavalle #2 (M) (8/14/90) ($125.0K - $138.0K)
9. Brian Carroll #7 (M) (7/20/81) ($132.0K - $140.0K)
10. Maurice Edu #8 (M) (4/18/86) ($750.0K - $818.8K)
11. Haris Medunjanin #6 (M) (3/8/85) ($460.0K - $505.0K) [Bosnia & Herzegovina - INTL]
12. Alejandro Bedoya #11 (M) (4/29/87) ($1131.0K - $1197.3K)
13. Roland Alberg #10 (M) (8/6/90) ($345.0K - $394.3K) [Netherlands - INTL]
14. Ilsin Jr. #25 (M) (10/12/85) ($470.0K - $518.3K) [Brazil - INTL]
15. Chris Pontius #13 (M) (5/12/87) ($400.0K - $431.0K)
16. Fabrice “Fafa” Picault #22 (M) (2/23/91) ($115.0K - $128.7K)
17. Charlie Davies #9 (F) (6/25/88) ($109.0K - $114.7K)
18. C.J. Sapong #17 (F) (12/27/88) ($300.0K - $300.0K)
19. Jay Simpson #27 (F) (12/1/88) ($465.0K - $508.3K) [England – INTL]
20. Open

Notes:
^ - Domestic players include US citizens and holders of green cards or refugee/asylum status – all other players considered international players. Minimum of 18 players required or have salary budget charge imputed for each roster spot less than 18.

OFF-BUDGET PLAYER ROSTER (ROSTER SPOTS 21 - 31)
The salaries for all of these players do not count against the salary cap budget. This roster includes all Generation Adidas (until they graduate from the program) and Home Grown players (they can stay off-budget even if they have signed new contracts since their original MLS contract). Non GA/HG players can also be on this roster assuming that they make the minimum salary amount given their years of experience in MLS, so there is no age limit for these players (when MLS called these developmental rosters in the past, players had to be 25 years old or younger to be on this roster - this age requirement is no longer in place). These off-budget roster spots are differentiated by the minimum salary amount.

ROSTER SPOTS 21 - 24
These players’ salaries will be at least $63,000.
1. Giliano Wijnaldum #32 (D) (8/31/92) ($65.0K - $78.3K) [Netherlands – INTL]
2. Joshua Yaro #15 (D) (1/17/94) ($130.0K - $194.0K) [Ghana – Green Card]
3. Ken Tribbett #4 (D) (8/25/92) ($65.0K - $65.0K)
4. Fabian Herbers #14 (F) (8/17/93) ($110.0K - $135.5K) [Germany – Green Card]

ROSTER SPOTS 25 - 28*
These players’ salaries will be at least $51,500 with slightly higher minimums based on years of MLS experience - non-HG or non-GA players must make minimum salaries to be on off-budget roster.

1. Jake McGuire #29 (G) (9/2/94) ($53.0K - $53.0K)
2. Jack Elliott #3 (D) (8/24/95) [England – INTL] ($53.0K - $53.0K)
3. Adam Najem #24 (M) (1/19/95) ($65.0K - $65.0K)*
4. Marcus Epps #20 (M) (1/6/95) ($53.0K - $53.0K)

ROSTER SPOTS 29 - 30
These players must be home grown players.
1. Auston Trusty #26 (D) (8/12/98) ($75.0K - $104.1K)*
2. Derrick Jones #21 (M) (3/3/97) ($65.0K - $70.9K) [USA/Ghana]*

Anthony Fontana #31 (M) (10/14/99) - effective 1/1/18

ROSTER SPOT 31
This player must be on season-long loan with Bethlehem Steel. If player hrequires international roster spot, it does not count the MLS international roster limit.
1. Aaron Jones #19 (D) (3/11/94) [England – INTL] ($53.0K - $53.0K)

Total Off-Budget Salaries: ($787.0K - $924.8K)

^ - Generation Adidas player
* - Home Grown Player

INJURED RESERVE
* None

LOAN PLAYERS (%)
IN
* None

OUT
* Eric Ayuk Mbu #30 (M) (2/17/97) ($65.6K- $65.6K) [Cameroon - INTL] (Jonkopings Sodra IF - Sweden)

SALARY CAP BUDGET – GUARANTEED COMP $ RANKING BY PLAYER
1. Bedoya ($1131.0K - $1197.3K: $480.6K for Salary Budget DP purposes)
2. Edu ($750.0K - $818.8K: $480.6K for Salary Budget DP purposes)
3. Ilsin Jr. ($470.0K - $518.3K: $480.6K for Salary Budget TAM Purposes~)
4. Medunjanin($460.0K - $505.0K: $480.6K for Salary Budget TAM purposes~)
5. Simpson ($500.0K - $500.0K: $480.6K for Salary Budget TAM purposes~)
6. Pontius ($400.0K - $431.0K)
7. Alberg ($345.0K - $394.3K)
8. Sapong ($300.0K - $300.0K)
9. Blake ($148.5K - $186.5K)
10. Fabinho ($159.8K - $167.8K)
11. Gaddis ($165.0K - $167.5K)
12. Carroll ($132.0K - $140.0K)
13. Marquez ($133.0K - $139.4K)
14. Creavalle ($125.0K - $138.0K)
15. Picault ($115.0K - $128.7K)
16. Davies ($109.0K - $114.7K)
17. Rosenberry ($104.5K - $110.3K)
18. McCarthy ($79.0K - $85.3K)
19. Onyewu ($65.0K - $65.0K)
20. Open

Totals
* Salary Cap Budget: $3.845M
* Salary & Guaranteed Comp $ Likely Do Not Reflect All Uses of Allocation $ to Pay Them Down
* Salary Total: $5.664M [$1.819M over salary cap]
* Salary Total (with Edu & Bedoya as DPs & TAM Buydowns $): $4.781M [$936K over salary cap]
* Guaranteed Comp Total: $6.127M [$2.282M over salary cap]
* Guaranteed Comp Total (with Edu & Bedoya as DPs $ & TAM Buydowns $): $4.982M [$1.137M over salary cap]
* May 2016 Training Facility White Board showed a blank for Salary Budget available $.

~: Assume TAM $ used for Ilsin Jr., Simpson and Mejundanin to get comp just to non-DP level. TAM $ also used for Simpson and Mejundanin transfer fees.

ACQUISITION METHODS BY SEASON
2011 Trade (1) – Carroll
2012 Super Draft (1) – Gaddis
2013 Discovery (1) – Fabinho
2014 Designated Player Signing (1) - Edu
2014 SuperDraft (2) - Blake, Marquez
2015 Trade (2): Sapong, Creavalle
2015 Off Budget (2): McCarthy, Ayuk
2016 Trade (2): Pontius, Davies
2016 SuperDraft (3): Yaro, Rosenberry, Herbers
2016 Discovery using TAM $ (2): Alberg, Ilsin Jr.
2016 Off-Budget (1): Tribbett
2016 Home Grown (2): D. Jones, Trusty
2016 Allocation Rank (1): Bedoya
2017 Discovery (3): Wijnaldum, Onyewu, Picault
2017 Discovery using TAM $ (2): Simpson, Mejundanin
2017 SuperDraft (3): Epps, A. Jones, Elliott
2017 Trade (1): Najem
2017 Off-Budget Waivers (1): McGuire

OTHER ROSTER SPOT DESIGNATIONS*
International Spots (8 Spots Available – 1 Traded to Houston Through 2017 although Union still supposedly have 8 spots. Bethlehem Season Loan player does not count in Union spot total)
1. Roland Alberg - Netherlands
2. Jack Elliott - England
3. Ilsin Jr. – Brazil^
4. Giliano Wijnaldum - Netherlands
5. Haris Mejundanin – Bosnia & Herzegovina
6. Jay Simpson – England
7. Aaron Jones - England+
8. Open
* Eric Ayuk Mbu - Cameroon - does not require international spot while on loan.

^: green card in process?
+: Bethlehem season loan player does not count in Union total


Designated Player (3 Total Spots for Regular or Young DPs - No Fee for Young DP as 3rd DP)
1. Maurice Edu
2. Alejandro Bedoya
3. Open

DEPTH CHART -4-2-3-1
G – Blake, McCarthy, McGuire
RB – Gaddis, Rosenberry (A. Jones - Bethlehem Loan)
RCB – Elliott, Yaro, Tribbett
LCB – Onyewu, Marquez, Trusty
LB – Fabinho, Wijnaldum
DM – Mejundanin, Creavalle, Carroll
CM – Bedoya, D. Jones, Edu
AM – Ilsinho, Alberg, Najem
RW - Pontius, Epps, (Ayuk - Jonkopings Loan)
LW – Picault, Herbers
S – Sapong, Simpson, Davies

TRIALISTS
Current Trialists
* None

Former Trialists
In-Season
* Jake McGuire (G) (9/02/94) (Tulsa University)@
* Raul Gonzalez (M) (Memphis University)
* Elias Aguilar (M) (11/7/91)(Herediano - Costa Rica) [Costa Rica - INTL]
* Eduardo Juarez (M) (Alajuelense - Costa Rica) [Costa Rica - INTL]
* Ronaldo Damus (F) (Real du Cap - Haiti) [Haiti - INTL]
Pre-Season
* Keith Cardona (G) (11/7/92) (Indy – NASL)
* Oguchi Onyewu (D) (Charlton Athletic – England) @
* Aaron Jones (D) (3/11/94) (Clemson) [England – INTL] @
* Jack Elliott (D) (8/24/95) (West Virginia) [England – INTL]@
* Alex Happi (M) (Clemson) (Cameroon/France – INTL)
* Fabrice “Fafa” Picault (M) (St. Pauli – Germany)@
* Marcus Epps (M) (1/6/95) (South Florida)@
* Adam Najem (M) (1/19/95) (Akron)@
* Chris Nanco (M) (2/14/95) (Syracuse) [Canada – Domestic]

@ - signed with team after trial
# - SuperDraft pick

TRAINING PARTICIPANTS
Current
* None

Former
In-Season
* Benjamin Bellot (G) (7/30/90)(Red Bull Leipzig - Germany)
* Danny Barbir (D) (West Bromwich Albion - England)
* Jon Gallagher (F) (Notre Dame)
* Gordon Wild (F) (Maryland)
* Amar Sejdic (M) (Maryland)

Pre-Season
* Matthew Freese (G) (Union Academy)
* Kristopher Shakes (G) (Union Academy)
* Tomas Romero (G) #1 (Union Academy)
* Anthony Fontana (M) #29 (Union Academy)
* Manetthew Real (D) (Bethlehem – USL)
* Hugh Roberts (D) (Bethlehem – USL)
* Bolu Akinyode (M) (Bethlehem – USL)
* James Chambers (M) (Bethlehem – USL)
* Seku Conneh (F) (Bethlehem – USL)
* Corey Burke (F) (Bethlehem – USL)
* Amoy Brown (F) (Bethlehem – USL)
* Santi Moar (F) (Bethlehem – USL)

GUEST PLAYERS
Current
* None

Former
* None

TECHNICAL STAFF
* Jim Curtin (Head Coach)
* Mike Sorber (Assistant Coach)
* Oka Nikolov (Assistant Coach/Goalkeeper Coach)
* B.J. Callahan (Assistant Coach)
* Earnie Stewart (Director of Soccer)
* Chris Albright (Technical Director)
* Tommy Wilson (Academy Director)
* Josh Gros (Team Coordinator)
* Paul Rushing (Head Athletic Trainer)
* Kevin Miller (Fitness Coach)
* Peter Fuller (YSC Academy Coach)
* Chris Brewer (YSC Academy Coach)

Bethlehem Steel FC
* Brendan Burke (Head Coach)
* Jeff Cook (Assistant Coach)
* Stephen Hogan (Assistant Coach, also Reading United - Head Coach)
* Jay Cooney (Goalkeeper Coach)

ALLOCATIONS (GENERAL & TARGETED), SUPERDRAFT PICKS & DISCOVERY CLAIMS
Allocation $: Sources
MLS (2010 – Expansion Funding): $1.4M
MLS (2010 - Missing Playoff): $200K?
MLS (2011 - 1st Round Playoff): $100K?
DCU (2010 – Troy Perkins): $100K
KC (2010 – Shavar Thomas): $100K?
VAN (2011 – Jordan Harvey): $100K
MLS (2011 - Transfer Fee – Carlos Ruiz – Veracruz): $333K
MLS (2011 - Off-Budget Salary 29 & 30 Spots Open): $70K
VAN (2012 – Sebastien Le Toux): $200K?
CHIV (2012 – Danny Califf): $100K
MLS (2012 - Missing Playoff): $150K?
CHIV (2013 – Gabriel Farfan): $100K?
CHI (2013 - Bakary Soumare): $75K
MLS (2013 - Transfer Fee & Loan Fee - 40% of Carlos Valdes' rights - Santa Fe): $350K
MLS (2013 - Missing Playoff): $150K?
MLS (2014 - Retention Funds): $250K
MLS (2014 - Transfer Fee - Michael Farfan - Cruz Azul): $200K?
FCD (2014) - SuperDraft pick swap): $50K
TOR (2014 - SuperDraft pick swap): $50K
MLS (2014 - Loan Fee - Carlos Valdes - San Lorenzo): $?K?
MLS (2014 - Missing Playoff): $150K?
ORL (2015 - Amobi Okugo): $150K
MLS (2015 - Pedro Ribeiro - Expansion Draft) - $50K?
MLS (2015 - Loan Fee - Carlos Valdes - Nacional): $?K?
MLS (2015 - Targeted Allocation $): $500K available over next 5 years
HOU (2015 - Sheanon Williams): $100K?
NASL (2015 – Loan Fee – Leo Fernandes): $?K?
MLS (2015 - Missing Playoff): $150K?
HOU (2016 – Cristian Maidana & Andrew Wenger): $200K? ($100K? General + $100K? TAM)
MLS (2016 - Targeted Allocation $): $800K
MLS (2016 – Homegrown Player Funds $): $125K
CHI (2016 - Michael de Leeuw Discovery Rights): $50K
MLS (2016 - Michael Lahoud transfer to Miami FC - $300K total - $100K kept by MLS): $200K
COL (2016 - Le Toux trade): $100K?
MLS (2017 – General Allocation $): $200K
MLS (2017 - Targeted Allocation $): $1300K
MLS (2017 – Homegrown Player Funds $): $125K

Allocation $: Uses
RSL (2010 - Chris Seitz): $175K
HOU (2010 - Danny Califf): $100K?
NY (2010 - allocation spot swap – Michael Orozco Fiscal): $175K
FCD (2010 - #6 overall SuperDraft pick – Amobi Okugo): $150K
CHI: (2010 – Justin Mapp): $100K?
MLS: (2010 – Transfer Fee - Juan Diego Gonzalez – La Equidad): $75K?
CLM (2011 – Brian Carroll): $75K?
MLS (2011 – Freddy Adu Salary Budget Buydown): $100K?
MLS (2011 – Transfer Fee – Carlos Valdes – Santa Fe): $200K?
MLS (2011 – Transfer Fee – Josue Martinez – Saprissa): $300K?
MLS (2011 – Transfer Fee – Porfirio Lopez – Dailan Haichang): $75K?
MLS (2012 – Transfer Fee – Roger Torres – America Cali): $150K?
MLS (2012 – Transfer Fee – Lionardo Pajoy – Millionaros): $150K?
VAN (2012 - Allocation spot swap – Bakary Soumare): $125K?
NY (2013 – Sebastien Le Toux): $150K
SEA (2013 – Jeff Parke) - $100K?
MLS (2013 - Transfer Fee - Aaron Wheeler - Koo Tee Pee): $25K
MLS (2014 - Transfer Fee - Cristian Maidana - Rangers [Chile]): $400K
DC (2014 - SuperDraft pick swap): $75K
MLS (2014 - Loan Fee - Maurice Edu - Stoke City): $?K
MLS (2014 - Transfer Fee - Vincent Nogueira): $300K (includes $100K for Sochaux relegation)
CHI (2014 - Austin Berry): $100K
MLS (2014 - Loan Fee - Brian Brown - Harbour View): $25K?
MLS (2014 - Transfer Fee - Rais M'Bolhi): $400K?
MLS (2015 - Transfer Fee - Maurice Edu): $K?
VAN (2015 - Steven Vitoria - Loan Fee & Discovery Rights): $?K
MLS (2015 - Loan Fee - Fernando Aristeguieta - Nantes FC): $?K
MLS (2015 - Transfer Fee - John McCarthy): $?25K?
NASL (2015 – Loan Fee – Brian Sylvestre): $?K?
MLS (2015 – Targeted Allocation Money – Tranquillo Barnetta salary buydown): $200K
MLS (2015 - League Fine Related to Peter Nowak Use of Trialists in 2010 Friendlies): $75K
DCU (2016 – Chris Pontius): $100K? ($50K? General Allocation $+ $50K? TAM $)
MLS (2016 – Targeted Allocation Money – Tranquillo Barnetta salary buydown): $175K
MLS (2016 – Loan Fee – Anderson Conceicao - Tombense): $?K?
MLS (2016 – Transfer Fee – Walter Restrepo): $50K?
COL (2016 – SuperDraft pick): $100K?
MLS (2016 – Targeted Allocation Money – Transfer Fee - Roland Alberg): $250K?)
MLS (2016 – Loan Fee - Matt Jones): $?K?
MLS (2016 – Targeted Allocation Money – Ilsinho Salary Buydown - $150K?)
CHI (2016 - Bedoya): $75K?
NE (2016 - Davies): $50K?
MIN (2017 – draft pick swap - Epps): $50K – 2018 GAM $
MLS (2017 – Targeted Allocation Money – Ilsin Jr. Salary Buydown - $?K?)
MLS (2017 – Targeted Allocation Money – Simpson Transfer Fee & Salary Buydown - $?K?)
MLS (2017 – Targeted Allocation Money – Medunjanin Transfer Fee & Salary Buydown - $?K?)

Last Known Estimated Allocation $ Balances: $50K balance in May 2016 (Training Facility White Board balance was $0 - then got $50K for de Leeuw discovery rights). Prior estimate was $500K from Summer 2012 per Ives but difficult to fully know how other allocation uses (i.e. applications related to salary budget paydowns and transfer fees)

Transfer Fees Paid by Union Ownership
* $1M (FC Nantes - Bedoya transfer fee)

Retention Funds (used to keep existing roster players)
* $250K available

Targeted Allocation Money (used to players making more than DP charge. 5 Year limit)
* Sources:
2015: $500K (MLS Funding)
2016: $800K (MLS Funding)
2016: $100K? (Houston: Maidana & Wenger trade)
2017: $1.200M (MLS Funding)
Total: $2.600?M

* Uses
2015: $200K? (Barnetta 2015 salary buydown)
2016: $230K? (Barnetta 2016 salary buydown)
2016: $50K? (DC United: Pontius trade)
2016: $400K? (Alberg transfer fee)
2016: $21K? (Ilsinho 2016 salary buydown)
2016: $50K? (Chicago: Bedoya trade)
2016: $50K? (New England: Davies trade)
2017: $219K? (MLS: Simpson transfer fee & salary buydown)
2017: $119K? (MLS: Medunjanin salary buydown)
2017: $21K? (Ilsinho 2017 salary buydown)

Total: $1.360M?

* Net Balance: $1.240M? (May 2016 Training Facility White Board Photo balance: $1K)

Allocation Rank
* 8th spot

SuperDraft Picks
* 2018 - 3rd, 3rd (from New England), 4th. 1st traded to New England.2nd traded to New York.
* 2019 – 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th
* 2020 – 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 4th (from Atlanta)

Lotteries
* Eligible to participate along with 19 other teams - no lotteries yet

Waiver Draft Priority List
* 22th spot (used for Jake McGuire)

DISCOVERY CLAIMS
Teams are allowed to claim 7 players at any given time, revise the list during the season and make unlimited signings from players on the list. Claims expire at end of season.

Claims Used (unlimited per season)
1. Giliano Wijnaldum (VFL Bochum - Germany)
2. Oguchi Onyewu (Charlton Athletic - England)
3. Haris Mejundanin (Maccabi Tel Aviv - Israel)
4. Fabrice “Fafa” Picault (St. Pauli - Germany)
5. Jay Simpson(Leyton Orient - England)

Players on Discovery Claim List (7 available at all times)
1. Nicolas Martinez (M) (9/25/87) (Olympiakos - GRE) [Argentina - INTL]
2. – 7. To Be Determined

No Longer on Discovery List
1. None

USL AFFILIATE PRIORITY LIST
A MLS team with its own USL team is allowed to have priority rights on 3 players on that team (typically Home Grown players).

1. Matthew Real
2. Yosef Samuel
3. Santi Moar, Chris Nanco or Corey Burke

COLLEGE PROTECTED LIST
Union retains MLS rights until December 2017 or December 2018 for players drafted this year if player has not trialed with team. If player has trialed with team and was not offered a contract, he is a free agent for MLS purposes.
* None

ALUMNI IN/OFF-SEASON - TRADES, TRANSFERS, WAIVERS
*Matt Jones #24 (G) (5/11/86) ($75.0K - $80.6K) [England - Green Card] (loan expired – Belenenses [Portugal])
* Taylor Washington #3 (D) (8/16/93) ($51.5K - $51.5K) (waived, signed with Pittsburgh [USL])
* Anderson Conceicao #23 (D) (10/24/89) ($150.0K - $165.8K) [Brazil – INT] (loan expired - Tombense FC [Brazil])
* Cole Missimo #19 (M) (2/15/93) ($51.5K - $51.5K) (waived)
* Kevin Kratz #32 (M) (1/21/87) ($62.5K - $76.8K) (trade – Atlanta)
* Tranquillo Barnetta #10 (M) (5/22/85) ($650.0K - $687.5K) [Switzerland - INT] (free transfer – St. Gallen [Switzerland])
* Leonardo Fernandes #22 (M) (12/23/91)($63.0K- $63.0K)[USA/Brazil] (out of contract) (Tampa – USL)
* Walter Restrepo #20 (M) ($125.0K - $139.5K) [USA/Colombia] (waived) (New York – NASL)

 

Ayuk's status changed in the original post; however, the team still is lacking transparency with some of its transactions despite MLS getting better in that regard, at least in terms of disclosing GAM $ and TAM $ in trades. The whole Kevin Kratz ordeal with Atlanta seemed like a MLS 1.0 transactionwhen ES described it after the season.In terms of Ayuk, the Union would typically issue press releases when a loan player was later purchased via a transfer fee (i.e. Edu, Valdes) - never did it with Ayuk. The $200K transfer fee option on Ayuk's initial contract seemed like a large transfer fee for the Union to pay given how strapped they have been in recent years in terms of GAM $ - perhaps they were ale to renegotiate a lower fee. On the team's website roster in 2016, Ayuk was listed as a loan player (as were Anderson and Matt Jones) - while Ayuk was onfull-season loan to Bethlehem until the Union swapped Anderson into that spot late in the season allowing Ayuk to play in the last game against Orlando City. Football Manager also had Ayuk on loanin 2016 and they typically get contract info from sources in MLS so it is fairly reliable info.

 

Both Curtin and Stewart have discussed the international roster spots available to them for both the Union and Steel - here is how it looks to me:

Union International Spots (8 Spots Available – 1 Traded to Houston Through 2017)
1. Roland Alberg - Netherlands
2. Eric Ayuk Mbu - Cameroon
3. Joshua Yaro – Ghana^
4. Fabian Herbers – Germany^
5. Ilsin Jr. – Brazil^
6. Giliano Wijnaldum - Netherlands
7. Haris Mejundanin – Bosnia & Herzegovina
8. Jay Simpson – England


Steel International Roster Spots (7 Available)
Returning Steel Players
1. James Chambers - Ireland
2. Seku Conneh - Netherlands
3. Cory Burke - Jamaica
4. Amoy Brown - Jamaica

Union 2017 Draft Picks Signed by Steel
5. Santi Moar - Spain

Remaining Spots
6. Open
7. Open


Next Steps
2017 Draft Picks (Aaron Jones - England and Jack Elliott - England) would be the likely ones to fill the two remaining Steel spots; however,the Union are currently over their spots, as of now, assuming no green cards are obtained. As such, Ayuk could again be loaned to Steel for the season to take one of those spots.

 

The Union have not exactly been transparent with these internaional spots. The Williams trade did say that international spot was returning at the end of 2016, yet Stewart was quoted on PSP last month that the team had only 7 internationl spots unless they never annouced they had traded an international spot as part of a new trade.

Stewart confirmed in the conference call that Wijnaldum will occupy the sixth of the Union’s seven international spots. I confess I’m not sure why the Union have only seven rather than eight international spots at the moment (the spot that was part of the Sheanon Williams to Houston trade reverted back to the Union at the end of 2016).
http://www.phillysoccerpage.net/201...-ups-league-news-sanctioning-vote-today-more/

If I had to guess why the Union still only have 7 international spots (they sometimes also include Bethelem's 7 international spots in terms of wht they have at their disposal) , they may have extended it another year for Houston perhaps as part of the Wenger/Maidana trade since Maidana required an international roster spot. The Union received "future considerations" in the Williams trade - perhaps the future consideration was that Houston had to take both Wenger and Maidana and the Union were willing to extend the international roster spot an extra year.

 

Yes, it is new. Part of MLS new transparency along with reporting actual alloation $ in trades.

Homegrowns retain their status even if traded assuming they are on their initial MLS contract.

Elliott or Jones will be on season-long loan with Bethlehem - Jones may be the one to start out on loan given Yaro's injury and other potential CB depth issues (i.e. Trusty - US 20, Onyewu - coming off years of rust).

Both Elliott and Jones are signed by the Union - Moar and Nanco were the Union draft picks signed directly by Steel. International GAs have counted as internationals as far as I can recall.