Photo: Earl Gardner

In the craziness that defined 2014 for the Philadelphia Union, one truly remarkable development flew largely under the radar.

A five-foot-six, 140-pound midfielder who had never played football outside of Sochaux, France stepped right off an airplane and became the team’s most valuable player — and, I would argue, the most talented player to ever slip on a blue-and-gold kit.

No acquisition in franchise history has ever been so well-calculated — FC Sochaux was in deep financial trouble and in preparation for relegation when the Union swooped in — or well-conceived. Vincent Nogueira became, almost immediately, the most reliable player in a topsy-turvy Union side, willing to play out of position as a CAM and fighting through fatigue and injury right up to the season’s disappointing end.

Nogueira supplied some moments of sheer brilliance this season, including a howitzer of a goal against New England and a sumptuous assist against Real Salt Lake. But aside from the highlight reel moments were hundreds of short passes made and received, delicate touches that confounded larger and more physical players, and smart movements that gave the other members of the XI options to keep the play going. Great players make their teammates better; despite barely knowing the language, Nogueira did that this year.

The Issue: If Vincent Nogueira leaves, Union fans will be very sad. Also, there will be a huge hole in the team that will be difficult to replace.

Possible Solutions:

It is interesting to me that Nogueira’s status is an issue going into the offseason. There are, in fact, no concrete suggestions that Nogueira is looking for a way out of town, or of other teams looking for his services.

But a combination of factors have led to the worry that he may be heading out of town.

1. The Union’s front office has been a bit of a shambles this year. And that’s putting it mildly — but that topic has been (and will continue to be) beaten to death. Why would Vincent Nogueira put his trust in this shorthanded front office and coaching staff? (Even though it’s hard to say what he thinks of the whole situation — see point number four below.)
2. Union players have a bad habit of leaving the franchise. We’ve seen Le Toux, Califf, Mondragon, and McInerney go before him, and Zac MacMath and Amobi Okugo seem set to follow. The roster is annually torn entirely to shreds, with no player seemingly safe. The fear that another great player might suddenly slip out of town is not unreasonable, given franchise history.
3. Someone might be able to pay more for him. Nogueira’s salary for 2014 is $330,000, or about $50K below the threshold to become a Designated Player. It is entirely possible that Nogueira deserves a raise and the accompanying Designated Player spot, but he is already the second-highest-paid player on the roster. If the Union are unwilling to match an offer from another club, it might be tough to keep Nogueira in the team.
4. No one really knows anything about Nogueira. I’ve been genuinely fascinated by this guy since he’s joined the team, and yet I don’t think I really know anything about him. The language barrier is one thing, but Cristian Maidana overcame that with the fans by posting a ton of pictures of all-around cool dude. Nogueira, in contrast, doesn’t like press attention, and it’s hard to get a read on his personality. After the devastating Open Cup loss, he was hailed as a great competitor for looking disgustedly at his second-place medal, and that’s about all we have on the guy. There isn’t a strong bond between player and fans or player and press, so his intentions remain shrouded in mystery.
5. He’s been cagey about his future. In the very few interviews he’s done, Nogueira has said that he’s enjoying his time with the Union and hopes to play many games here. He’s also said, “The USA is the life I wanted to try. It won’t last a thousand years. Perhaps in two or three months I’ll say that I’m coming back [to France]. I don’t want to look too far ahead.” (I, for one, would not mind if he played for the Union for the next thousand years.) In a recent interview on the Union website, Nogueira said, “I don’t have a crystal ball, so I don’t really think about my future. My future as a professional, my future in Philadelphia, yeah, I don’t really think about it.” It’s all honest, basically innocuous, stuff. But to a fanbase shellshocked by a disappointing season from a club that still hasn’t named a permanent head coach, and has a history of letting key players go even without mechanisms like the upcoming Expansion Draft to contend with, such comments raise more than a few eyebrows.

The solution is simple: the Union must keep Nogueira in Philadelphia, even if it means confiscating the guy’s passport. By a stroke of luck and genius, the Union have under contract a talented player in his prime who can instantly improve an entire lineup. With roster turnover likely again this winter, Nogueira will be an essential part of pulling together a stronger side next year.

If they can’t hang on to the diminutive Frenchman, the Union must fetch a hefty transfer fee — and be prepared to justify to their fans why, once again, talent has slipped away — especially with questions about where Amobi Okugo and Maurice Edu will be playing in 2015.