Philadelphia Union Notes: Holden Trent Signs MLS Deal, Good Selection Problems, More

Philadelphia Union manager Jim Curtin discussed the signing of MLS SuperDraft pick Holden Trent and the good problems of having a deep midfield on Thursday.

The Philadelphia Union completed their opening day squad with the signing of Holden Trent on Thursday.

The rookie goalkeeper out of High Point University inked a one-year contract with club options for 2024, 2025 and 2026.

“A great, hard-working, humble kid that has come into his first pro environment and thrived,” Union manager Jim Curtin said of Trent. “Obviously it helps to have Phil Wheddon, who's the best goalkeeper coach in our league and one of the top assistant coaches in our league.”

Trent impressed the Union coaching staff during preseason. He will be the No. 3 goalkeeper on the first-team depth chart and likely play with Philadelphia Union II.

“Overall, I’m really happy with him. You see how quick he is on his shot stopping. He has good feet as well for a young goalkeeper, especially now in the modern game when they are asked to play with their feet more,” Curtin said. “He’s got a really high ceiling. With Matt Freese moving on to NYCFC, we needed to add a piece there and he’s earned the right to be on the team, which I have to stress is not easy these days with the amount of talent that is coming into this league.”

“He’ll obviously get games with Union II,” Curtin said. “Any young goalkeeper needs those tests in the real games that matter. Training is one thing, but you never want to become a goalkeeper that is great in a five-a-side, but then maybe in the big picture, doesn’t get the reps. We’ll find ways to get him games with Union II.”

“Phil Wheddon is the best in the business not just for the work he does with the goalkeepers, but for what he means as an assistant coach helping me out with the tactical side as well. Holden’s going to get better and we really like our goalkeeping core this year.

The first-team roster is now set for the February 25 MLS season opener against the Columbus Crew at Subaru Park.

Curtin admitted the club is always looking for upgrades in the case of departures or injuries, but he is happy with what he has at his disposal.

“I love the group,” Curtin said. “I love the roster, but the work never stops and we’re always trying to find little upgrades. We’ve set ourselves up where we have some flexibility.”

“It’s never fully complete,” he continued. “Ernst’s job, and I say this to our players, is to try and upgrade the roster every minute of every day. That’s the cruel thing about pro sports. As you get comfortable, it’s the job of the staff to find your replacement at all times, which keeps pressure and accountability on the players.”

Curtin seems happiest with the depth in midfield, where it will be hard to even make the bench spots on the match day roster.

“I’m not exaggerating. We have nine starting caliber MLS midfielders in our group,” Curtin said.

“That’s something that’s going to be a new challenge for us in terms of keeping them all going, getting them minutes and finding the best combination of guys,” Curtin said. “Who are the guys that are going to go on the road and maybe grind and fight on a bad field in El Salvador versus maybe at home when we have more of the ball and can unlock a defense that is sitting back. We have good options to choose from, but it is a hard XI to get into right now.”

The addition of Joaquin Torres will help with the midfield flexibility, and Curtin continued his preseason praise of the former CF Montreal player.

“Joaquin is a special talent,” Curtin said. “He’s a great kid. He comes to training with a big smile on his face, which is infectious. I really enjoy working with him.”

“He’s a great individual talent,” Curtin continued. “I’ve talked about it before. We have a strong tough team to play against, but with Joaquin, it gives us someone that can play as a second 10. We’ve played him now as a striker and he does a great job coming off the back line. He makes it hard for the defense to adapt and adjust because his game is unpredictable.

“He’s really talented. If you give him time and space, he can pick you apart with a pass. If you get too tight to him, he can draw fouls. A real weapon for us. I say it not to compare players, but he’s the best probably since Ilsinho where we have a guy who we can give the ball and watch him. That’s a bad way to put it, but you can give him the ball and trust he’s going to get past the first person, which is really important in today’s game.”

Former Union players have been in the news in recent weeks. Anthony Fontana mutually agreed to part ways with Serie B side Ascoli. Jack De Vries was sent on loan from Venezia in Serie B to FC KTP in the Finnish first division.

“The door is never closed,” Curtin said. “Players always, and they should, want to play at the highest possible level they can. It’s not easy though. The dream of Europe sometimes is different than what it looks like on TV when you watch Champions League and Man City play against Chelsea. It’s not all like that.”

“You have to go over and grind. There are highs and lows. The coach could change and your the American that’s the odd man out. There’s different things that people go through.”

“Anthony is certainly a player we respect a great deal. He chose to take that path and I really respect him for doing that. The door would always be open. He’s a quality player. As recently as a few weeks back, when the guys were working out in Delaware, Anthony was around and playing with our guys to stay sharp and stay fit.

“I haven’t spoken with him recently, but he is still a guy that I think is a good young talent and has more to give. Same thing with De Vries. He’s a skillful player that gave it a shot over there and we’ll see where their next steps take them.” Curtin said.