A Look at the Philadelphia Union Depth Chart

The Philadelphia Union roster is near complete as the team embarks on its preseason trip to Florida.

The Philadelphia Union are off to Florida this week for one of their most intensive preseasons in club history.

The Union have seven preseason friendlies lined up in Florida, all of them against MLS opposition. We’ve come a long way from the Suncoast Invitational, which is no longer the only trophy in the trophy case.

Ernst Tanner and Jim Curtin built out the roster over the last few years so that the club can sustain success at the top of Major League Soccer.

That is apparent by the state of the roster at this point of preseason compared to previous seasons. All of the major pieces are in place and the full squad will hit the ground running in Clearwater.

With that in mind, it’s time to break down where the depth chart stands.

Goalkeepers

Andre Blake, Joe Bendik, Matt Freese

Let’s spend as little time as possible on this.

Andre Blake is the No. 1 and always will be.

Joe Bendik and Matt Freese are reliable backups. They will spend most of the season fighting for the goalkeeper spot on the bench.

I would not be surprised to see either player receive a spot start in league play if the Union make a deep run in Concacaf Champions League.

Defenders

Kai Wagner, Jakob Glesnes, Jack Elliott, Olivier Mbaizo, Nathan Harriel, Matt Real, Brandan Craig, Anton Sorensen, Abasa Aremeyaw

Kai Wagner is still with the Union despite the endless transfer speculation.

Wagner is one of the best left backs in MLS. If a January transfer does not happen, it would be wise of both parties to discuss a contract extension. Wagner’s current deal is up at the end of 2023.

Matt Real drew praise from Curtin last season for his increased work ethic in training. Real should get some spot starts at left back with over 50 games on the docket.

Jakob Glesnes and Jack Elliott are the clear-cut starters at center back.

Brandan Craig is the No. 3 center back. He will get more opportunities to start this season. His development will be a factor in determining if the Union can confidently play three at the back. You could use Real or Wagner as a center back in a three-man back line, but Craig would be the preferred player in that spot.

Olivier Mbaizo and Nathan Harriel should have the best competition in preseason at right back.

Harriel earned six more starts in league play over Mbaizo, but the Cameroonian was the preferred player at right back in the postseason.

I would expect to see another fair split between the two again in 2023. The one thing to ponder with Harriel is if he could get time as a center back in a three-man back line for some variety in the lineup.

Anton Sorensen is expected to develop more at full back in 2023. He could be even more important if a Wagner transfer happens and the Union need to fill depth behind Real before a new signing comes in.

Abasa Aremeyaw is an unknown. He missed parts of the first week of preseason training with a knee issue.

Midfielders

Jose Martinez, Leon Flach, Alejandro Bedoya, Daniel Gazdag, Andres Perea, Jack McGlynn, Quinn Sullivan, Jesus Bueno, Richard Odada, Jeremy Rafanello

Jose Martinez, Leon Flach, Alejandro Bedoya and Daniel Gazdag formed the first-choice midfield in 2022.

I would not be surprised if that’s the starting midfield against Alianza in the CCL.

You will see a lot more variety in midfield in 2023.

Jack McGlynn is Flach’s backup on the left side of the 4-4-2 diamond.

Andrea Perea and Richard Odada are versatile and can play the No. 6 role, or on either side of the diamond.

The positioning of Perea and Odada in preseason is the most fascinating thing to watch in my eyes.

We’ve seen Perea in MLS with Orlando City, but we don’t know much about Odada’s skill set yet.

I would expect some sort of experimentation with the midfield personnel in the first few preseason games.

I’m pinpointing the February 5 friendly against New England as the game in which we’ll see more structure from the Union when it comes to depth chart order and the concrete positions of the backups.

Jesus Bueno could get lost in the midfield shuffle if he does not perform well in preseason. Perea and Odada could overtake him on the depth chart and Bueno could get relegated to an Open Cup reserve role.

If Curtin uses tactical flexibility this season more than last, a double pivot could suit Bueno, Odada and Perea. Or using two No. 10s could open up time for Quinn Sullivan.

Sullivan is the ultimate off-the-bench pest you want to have.

I see his bench impact level being smack dab in the middle of Danny Cruz and Ilsinho. But probably leaning more toward Ilsinho on that scale. Cruz would just relentlessly run at defenders. Ilsinho had all the skill in the world to create moments of brilliance out of nothing.

Sullivan hustles like hell when he’s on the field and he is far more technical than Cruz ever was during Union 1.0.

Sullivan is officially listed as a midfielder, but he could be the perfect fill-in up top to replace the Cory Burke production.

Jeremy Rafanello has goal-scoring instincts as well, so you could see him feature in some sort of reserve attacking role as well.

Going to back our term of the day. Tactical flexibility!!

A move into a 4-2-3-1 or to two No. 10s would benefit Sullivan and Rafanello. We’ll see just how much flexibility there is early on with the CCL. I think you’ll see more of that as the regular season goes on and starters need rest.

Forwards

Mikael Uhre, Julian Carranza, Chris Donovan

The Union head to Florida with three true forwards on their roster.

That clearly is not enough to compete on four fronts this season. Curtin and Tanner have said repeatedly through the offseason that a striker is a transfer target.

It is hard to recruit someone as a backup forward halfway through a busy January window. I would expect if we get news on that it comes later in preseason when players end up out of favor elsewhere.

The rumored trade for Joaquin Torres from CF Montreal would help with the attacking depth. In theory, Torres could be the second No. 10 and allow Sullivan to fully focus on being a forward. But we’ll cross that bridge if that move goes through.

Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza far exceeded expectations in 2022.

I think the reasonable expectation for the duo is 30 combined goals across all competitions.

Chris Donovan is a solid No. 4 forward to have. I think you’ll see him tested more in preseason to see if he can handle an increased role as the pursuit for another goal scorer continues.

I do think the Union will miss Cory Burke more than anyone expects. Burke transformed himself into the perfect third forward in MLS. He embraced the role last season and was a massive part of the run to MLS Cup.

My hunch is the third forward comes from an in-league trade. I can’t imagine a player willing to come from overseas just for a third striker role unless its a young player, or a veteran willing to accept that role and not be the guy. Strikers are selfish so it’s hard to see that happening, but I could be wrong.