The Philadelphia Union have been extremely successful in their recent history, but the MLS Cup trophy just seems to elude them. Every season since 2018, the Union have finished with a winning record. In 2022, they finished with a record of 19-5-10, good enough to win the Eastern Conference by very slim margins. Daniel Gazdag, now a DP, was in the running for MVP with his incredible 22 goal, 10 assist season. Goalkeeper Andre Blake won the MVP, while Jakob Glesnes won Defender of the Year. Julian Carranza scored 14 goals and DP striker Mikael Uhre scored 13. Everything was going perfectly for the Union, as they conceded just 26 goals in 34 matches. They went 5-0-1 to kick the season off before going on a strange run of seven draws in eight matches. But, they closed the season out by winning 12 games out of their final 16. Philadelphia eliminated FC Cincinnati and New York City FC out of the playoffs, sending them to the MLS Cup Final. The only team that finished above them in the regular season was LAFC (only on a wins tiebreaker), and that aged well when Los Angeles ultimately won it all in penalties following a wild 3-3 draw. Despite putting together a historical season, the Union fell just short.
The good news is that practically the entire team is returning for a revenge tour in 2023. The only truly notable outgoing is Paxten Aaronson, and possibly Cory Burke. Though, Aaronson was not exactly instrumental to the success of the Union, starting just two games during the entire MLS season. He transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt and joined his brother in Europe. Cory Burke joined the New York Red Bulls in free agency. Backup goalkeeper Matt Freese was traded to NYCFC for up to $750K in GAM, where he has a chance to be the starter. The only other departure was the mutual contract termination of Abasa Aremeyaw, a 19-year-old Ghanaian defender that never played. They made three additions, all impact depth players within MLS. The Union are not known for their intra-league moves, but recently they have really tapped into it, including grabbing Julian Carranza from Inter Miami last season. The first addition was center midfielder Andres Perea from Orlando City, where they spent up to $850K in GAM. Next up is Damion Lowe, a former Inter Miami defender, that was acquired for a bargain of $225K in GAM. Lastly, winger Joaquin Torres came from CF Montreal for up to $800K in GAM. Philly covered depth in defense, midfield, and attack, all through spending allocation money in MLS trades.
The Union are truly unique in that there really is not much debate to be had about the lineup. Their XI is pretty much set, and not much could change outside of injuries. Andre Blake will cover the goal, with almost MLS Cup MVP Jack Elliott and Jakob Glesnes right in front of him. Olivier Mbaizo has the right-back spot, Kai Wagner has the left. Wagner is surprisingly still in MLS, it seems like a move has been destined for him within the past few seasons. Jose Martinez was also involved in transfer talks with Besiktas, but the offers were rejected. He will play the #6. Also in the midfield will be Leon Flach and captain Alejandro Bedoya. Rising young midfielder Jack McGlynn will definitely get some looks, in addition to Perea. Daniel Gazdag will be the attacking midfielder, with the quick Joaquin Torres second in line. Up top, Julian Carranza and Mikael Uhre will continue as the strike duo, a couple months removed from combining for 27 goals. Quinn Sullivan, and perhaps Chris Donovan, will be the main source of depth in the attacking spots.
Through returning their entire starting lineup, and adding proven MLS talent to the roster, the Philadelphia Union are poised to make another deep run. With the unanimous best defense in MLS, the attack just needs to keep firing on all cylinders to keep getting results. It was far from a chaotic off-season in Chester, PA, but it more than gets the job done. Jim Curtin's team looks good on paper and wins plenty of individual accolades, but it's time for them to finally claim their first MLS Cup. In 2023, they will attempt to do just that.
Projected XI:
GK: Blake
DEF: Wagner, Elliott, Glesnes, Mbaizo
MID: Martinez, Bedoya, Flach, Gazdag
FWD: Uhre, Carranza
Off-Season Grade: B+
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