A Closer Look at the Depth of the Union Defense
This past offseason, the Union bolstered the center back position by signing Jakob Glesnes, in addition to extending Mark McKenzie, and resigning Aurelien Collin.
With these moves, manager Jim Curtin will have plenty of options at his disposal once the season begins.
Philadelphia’s center backs bring both experience and potential to the table in hopes of having a strong defensive season.
In 2019, the Union allowed 50 goals, which ranked 6th in the Eastern Conference and 12th overall.
The defense will look to build upon their goal differential from last season as they ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference with a positive eight.
The biggest task for the Boys in Blue this upcoming season will be limiting opponents to minimal goals and protecting leads.
The Union’s offense has enough firepower and skill to be able to go up early against opponents, but it will be crucial for the backline to close out games.
Left-back Kai Wagner is currently injured with a calf injury but if he were still hurt heading into the season, Matt Real would step in for him in week one. Curtin noted that he is “perfectly happy with putting Matt Real out there as a starter day one.” Curtin certainly has confidence in his defense and will put his trust in backups Real and Olivier Mbaizo, if need be. Striker Andrew Wooten and midfielder Warren Creavalle were back in training this week as well.
It was also announced that midfielder Jamiro Monteiro will wear number 10 this season and most likely fill the role of center attacking midfielder. Monteiro arrived in Florida on February 8th and will be available to play in the remaining preseason games. This now changes the dynamic of Philly’s starting lineup heading into the 2020 season. With Monteiro in the middle, Alejandro Bedoya may play to the right of him at center mid, and Brenden Aaronson could lineup to the left of Monteiro as center mid.
All in all, the Union have a good situation on their hands will the updated depth of the backline. This will prove to be instrumental all season long, and give Curtin plenty of different options. Depth is a key component to possess in any professional sport, but specifically soccer and the MLS.
Heading into the 2020 season, Jim Curtin can sit back and feel assured that his squad is equipped with successful starters and solid bench players needed to make a run for the MLS Cup.
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Categorized:Union