Philadelphia Union “trying to find a solution” on Carlos Miguel Coronel’s loan https://t.co/kPc1XzynkZ pic.twitter.com/ZFqc9OhbSm— ProSoccerUSA.com (@ProSoccerUSAcom) July 10, 2019
🚨ROSTER NEWS: Union sign Academy product Cole Turner to a pre-contract.From Academy, to Steel, to Union - one step closer in the Path to the Pros!Get the Deets 👉 https://t.co/cUy2cHeyts #DOOP pic.twitter.com/r3gsbhyM7U— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 17, 2019 "He's a real warrior on the field." 😤What did Ernst Tanner see in Cole Turner that pushed him to sign the Academy product to a Union Pre-Contract?#DOOP pic.twitter.com/Hb1lKtNUQS— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 17, 2019 "Surreal." Cole Turner's childhood dream is finally falling into place 🐍Hear from the Academy product on his growth and impact he's looking to bring.#DOOP pic.twitter.com/VJEPxDapET— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) July 17, 2019
Philadelphia Union returns on-loan backup keeper Carlos Miguel Coronel to Red Bull Salzburg, acquires Joe Bendik from Columbus for 2020 second-round draft pick.— Steven Goff (@SoccerInsider) July 19, 2019
Ha. Bendik? Why not, he's played for every other team in the league The best thing about this is that the SOBs have a picture of his face on the side of their beer wagon due to his multiple failures to move on free kicks over the years inside PPL Park. They are bringing in the best sad, old foes this year as Union first team depth pieces. First Olympic Diver Collin, now Stationary Joe Bendik. Who could possibly be next?
I love having Collin on the team. Hated him passionately prior. I do not feel that way about Bendik, however.
So, now that we have an open international slot, an open DP slot, we're in first place and have some TAM in the bank, the team has the ability to make a significant foreign signing prior to the transfer window closing on August 7. What is the team's biggest need at this point? A RB to complement Wagner's ability to whip balls in from the wing? A CB that has more experience than Trusty and won't be exploited by the best strikers in the league during the playoffs? An upgrade from Aaronson in the event that Monteiro is out for some period of time? An AM that could push Fabian to a drop-back striker position since that's what he seems to be playing anyway? If you could bring in one foreign $500k-$1M player at this point, what position would it be?
RB would be the first priority IMO. The problem is, it's a position that has such a thin pool to begin with, I'm not even sure how you find someone of quality that is worth the expenditure. No offense to Gaddis, but I think you could find someone in the 250K-300K range that would be enough of an improvement to solidify things for the Post-Season. Again, though, even poring over Transfermarket, it's hard to find someone to fit. It's not like you are going to pluck a guy who's played his whole life in one country to suddenly move overseas.
Barring an opportunity to get someone special at any position, I would be looking for an RB as well. I don't know if I would blow a lot of money on that position tho. Worse case I would look for someone who at least is better offensively even if weaker on the defensive end so you at least have that option tactically. I think Gaddis is fine from a defensive perspective but his offense just isn't there. I think he has at least realized it at this point and usually doesn't try to do too much anymore.
Upgrade the RB position. Gaddis is adequate defensively but offers next to nothing in the attacking third. For a first place team, he should only be a back up. Surely Tanner can find a better player than Gaddis. There's bound to be a guy in the Polish second division or the Estonian top flight that would love a chance to play in America.
That's Monteiro, Pryzbylko, and Wagner, though. Their whole careers were basically spent in areas of land the size of Texas. Santos had only played in Brazil and Chile. I think there are a lot of guys out there who are willing to pick up and come play for a first place MLS team if the money is OK.
How much money do we really left have to spend? Between extending Jamiro's loan and adding Wooten, there can't be too much left. Coronel couldn't have been taking up that much cap space, much of which went to Bendik, who as a long time MLS vet probably isn't exactly on a minimum salary. Besides, TAM can only be used in certain situations, like buying down the contract of one DP to make room for an more expensive one...so probably the Wooten acquisition.
I don't doubt those guys exist, but for us average Joes, we can't tell who they are just by picking names off of Transfermarket.
Coronel and Bendik were a wash in terms of the cap but the transactions freed up an international slot. My understanding from what I have read and from Tanner's comments is that the team would have the ability to bring in a high-priced player and pay down the cap hit with allocation money.
Got it. If this is true, not sure if I'd rather have them save those resources to finalize Jamiro's transfer at the end of the season, or bring in another player over the summer. You could argue this is our window so we should stock up to make a run in the playoffs, but this may not be the year to go for broke with the way LAFC is playing.
They may already know whether or (more likely) not they can bring Monteiro back. After ten years of ineptitude I think it's time to finally make a run at it. Maybe we'll win a playoff match!
That's the way I look at it, too. We know this team's track record. Next year we could be struggling in the 6th-8th spot. We're in 1st now, let's make the run, regardless of the LA teams.
So what happened with Cory Burke? I still haven't seen a report or even a credible rumor. Did he run afoul with the law in the US or in Jamaica? Is it a domestic situation or something else? An old issue or conviction that he didn't disclose? It's odd that his visa was revoked but there hasn't been any other public action taken against him that I can see. And if the team thinks that it can loan him to Europe or elsewhere, it's strange that the US won't allow him in but other countries might allow him to work. Has anything been reported?
I believe Kinkead (or maybe it was Tansey?) said on one of the podcasts that Jim does not expect to have him back this year. Also pretty sure the rumor from the reliable sources was marijuana related in some capacity... idk if it was oriented towards failing a test or possession of some kind... but yeah... I think that's the safe bet.
Philadelphia Union one of 13 clubs named in this report to be interested in former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge https://t.co/mbU1cQFfhz— Philadelphia Soccer Now (@phlsoccernow) August 12, 2019
Only would happen if he was willing to do a Fabian type deal, which he won't do if there are that many other interested teams. He has had injury issues and has managed 5558 minutes in all comps the last 5 years (about 1100 minutes a year). No way the Union shell out huge money on him if he is only going to be fit for about a third of the season.