Union draft picks in round 3 and 4 are in and they selected... Pass, and his twin brother Pass. Apparently a very popular pick as this selection was made almost 30 times in the last 2 rounds. A little MLS funny money and higher allocation spot seems to have been a pretty slick pick up by Ernst.
Dan Loney linked to the 2014 draft on Twitter and theres only like three guys left. Blake, Birnbaum, and another guy who I can't recall right now. I think it's been true for a while that the Academies grab all the talent before the NCAA has a shot.
A lot of the most talented players in the NCAA are already members of MLS academies, and those teams have Home Grown rights to them. People forget that Mark McKenzie spent a Fall semester at Wake Forest before signing a HGP contract.
Right, although it seems like almost all the Academy players who actually graduate end up out of soccer themselves (or else their own team would have been a lot more active signing them). Can't remember the striker of ours who we let go without a contract, but he didn't last long despite having high expectations.
Ha I meant Madison but yeah, all of them. Samuel and Hernandez had contracts, though. Najem is another example.
🕺New Contract Vibes 🕺📝👉 https://t.co/FpLXRQyqoe#DOOP | @MarkMcKenzie4_ pic.twitter.com/ihGKaSRBlD— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) January 16, 2020
Ilsinho re-signed for a year. Bet they were waiting for the other moves to complete to see how much $ would be left. Only remaining hole is the 4th CB (maybe striker with Burke likely to be loaned, although there's still 4 strikers and I think Jack de Vries played there in the Academy). Folks excited about this team?
Yes. I feel like we have had several seasons now of more or less competent personnel decisions and expect to be at least as competitive as we were last year.
Yes. That said, they may "take a step back" record wise, yet still be an improved team. The league is going to be just as, or more competitive than ever. If they can improve on defense, while playing at a similar level on offense, they'll be a very enjoyable team to watch.
MLS teams can be in a tough spot because need PR and to win, while European teams in similar positions already have the publicity and need to not lose.
I do feel the team is making decisions more about making the team better than "played in a little tournament you may have heard of" stuff. In the past a guy like Marco would have come in overpaid with a 4 year contract or something. He was worth a shot but they evaluated the risks and his value accordingly.
Marco was (surprisingly) a good bit of business at the end of the day. Huge publicity in the Latino community and GWG in the first playoff win ever. If he didnt score that goal I might feel a lot differently.
James Chester looking to leave Aston Villa and possibly go to MLS. With a name like that... He is a 30 yo, “smaller” CB who was captain of Villa during their ascent to the PL. He is on the books for a big signing fee at Villa so it is doubtful he ends up in MLS but apparently he’d like to so maybe somebody needs a veteran presence on their roster.
Yeah. I feel like the East should get a bit tighter this year. NYCFC is largely unchanged but they have a new head coach so they could go the way of Atlanta from last year early in the year. Atlanta themselves are questionable;e as they are having some weird roster turnover. On the flip side, NE should be better than they were last year. The Crew should be better as well considering the talent they brought in. FCC can't be as bad as they were last year and Orlando has a proven MLS coach at the helm. Once our d-mid's get settled within life in America and in the system we should be a better team. If we are as good as last year largely depends on if Aaronson makes a leap, Wooten or Santos can step up and score, and if Kacper can at least be a 10+ goalscorer again (don't need 15 if other strikers score).
CB Jakob Glesnes to the Union. 6'2", turns 26 in March, captain of Stromsgodset. Interesting choice. Seems to be unproven. He plays in Norway for a team in a stadium that seats less than 9,000. His team conceded 54 goals in 30 games last season going 8-14-8. Ernst is on record for saying that the 55 goals that the Union allowed in 34 games last season were too many. Looks like he was under contract through the end of 2020. That means that the Union likely paid a transfer fee. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jakob_Glesnes https://www.sofascore.com/player/jakob-glesnes/150582
Tried to find highlights and all I could find was him kicking a field goal https://www.tv2.no/v/832838/
https://www.philadelphiaunion.com/e...e-are-final-12-players-returning-alumni-night "Toni Stahl (2010) - One of the club's first draft picks in 2010, Stahl started the opening match in Union history. A red card kept him from building any momentum in his career." I hope whomever wrote that copy had a good chuckle.