Philly academy Houston Dynamo defender Obafemi Awodesu is the player with the most clearances (98) in MLS this season. #MLS | #MLSisBack | #HoldItDown pic.twitter.com/H9rwDWV7ln— Pedro Rondon (@usasupersoccer) May 26, 2025
Taking the next step in The Pathway 📈We are excited to announce that we have signed forward Malik Jakupovic!📝 https://t.co/zq0AcPOkvi#DOOP | @MLSNEXTPro pic.twitter.com/QVIoNnjd8d— Philadelphia Union II (@PhilaUnionII) May 29, 2025 Philadelphia Union homegrown Nelson Pierre, currently on loan with Vancouver Whitecaps FC II, now leads MLS NEXT Pro with 10 goals this season.He added to his totals last night, bagging both his ninth and tenth goals of the campaign.#doop #VWFCII #MLSNEXTPRO📹: MLS NEXT Pro… pic.twitter.com/wmweTyrCl0— José Roberto Nuñez (@JoserNunez91) May 29, 2025
If you value big bodies that run around, press and are unable to create anything the final third, then yes, he has. Carnell is in trouble when teams figure out how to avoid his press. I can't believe it's taking so long. Aside from Quinn and Wagner, they cannot create. 60 mins against a 10 man Dallas team and they had one shot on goal. I love the academy but can't stand their playing style.
FCD was extremely lucky. Philly had a bunch of very close shots that missed. One of those days that the shooting boots weren't calibrated correctly.
🇺🇸👀 | Mallk Jakupović ('09) officially makes his MLS Next Pro debut!#usmnt https://t.co/ChGaqXsjFN— USMNT Report 🇺🇸🇹🇷 (@USMNTReport) June 4, 2025 update: MALIK SCORES IN HIS DEBUT!!!— Philadelphia Union II (@PhilaUnionII) June 4, 2025
FreeseHarrielMcKenzieSullivanMcGlynnB. Aaronson P. Aaronson That’s seven current or former Philadelphia Union players on a 26-man Gold Cup roster https://t.co/x08athfu9Z— Joe Tansey (@JTansey90) June 5, 2025
Five current or former Union players in the #USMNT XI tonight. Regardless of what type of game it is, that’s a pretty cool thing for the club to see and brag about. https://t.co/oTAvkrKuTp— Joe Tansey (@JTansey90) June 10, 2025
Philadelphia Union All Over the Results for U.S. Youth National TeamsJamir Johnson, currently an academy player with the Union, bagged a brace while Cavan Sullivan added a goal of his own for the U-17s.Marlon LeBlanc, former Union II head coach, led the U-18s to victory in… pic.twitter.com/xBMsAsE1hW— José Roberto Nuñez (@JoserNunez91) June 10, 2025
The good MARKUS ANDERSON FOR THE WIN!#DOOP | 🐍 2-1 🔵 pic.twitter.com/VvLfxzJzuF— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 15, 2025 The bad Cavan Sullivan gets to play 180 seconds of football!— American Ultras Talk (@usmntaut) June 15, 2025
That may have something to do with it but there's a part of Cavan's game that Carnell does not rate/trust. I would assume it's the pressing/defensive responsibilities. He has 15 mins of league play halfway through the season. The following players have more MLS minutes than Cavan: Bedoya, Bender, Donovan, Anderson, Rafanello.
I'd guess it has more to do with him just being so young than it being about any particular part of his game.
Yes, he’s paid way more than those who play ahead of him, they aren’t capable MLS’ers, and he’s better than them.
His pay has more to do with his demand on the global market in the longer term than it does to do with his current role on the Union (which is currently top of the table).
If you’re the owner, I don’t think you appreciate a player you’ve forked over a huge sum to keep playing like 15 minutes the whole season in MLS so far.
If the owner can't see a bigger vision than that kind of short term thinking, I don't think they would have gotten into that position in the first place.
Right, I agree, but I also don't see what is the bigger picture where Ben Bender, Indiana Vassilev, Chris Donovan, Jeremy Rafanello, and any other nobody journeymen pros are helping Philadelphia Union win games right now more than Sullivan would. If they had a better group of players at his position keeping him out of minutes, nobody would be demanding he play more minutes.
Did moving on from McGlynn to retain a sell-on clause make the most economic sense for Philly? Wouldn't they have been better off keeping him and then selling him later if foreign interest builds?
His value would decrease if he was sitting behind Indiana Vassilev. He's able to showcase his talents more in Houston and should interest more suitors.
No. The two New York Teams each get 20% of any sale of Jack McGlynn, because he is originally from the New York area. Selling McGlynn within the league actually gets Philly the most value for him. They got over $2M for him from Houston, and possibly an additional $1M+ if certain performance metrics are met. If Houston then sells him on to a foreign club, 50% of that fee would then go to Philly, and the New York teams (60% to Philly, 20% each to Red Bulls and City). It's already been mentioned that McGlynn doesn't fit with how Philly wants to play. Moving him to Houston allows McGlynn to flourish. https://thefreekick.substack.com/p/transfer-philadelphia-union-sell