Philadelphia Union II / Roster News

Steel sign trialist defenders

Photo courtesy of Bethlehem Steel FC

Bethlehem Steel FC have signed a pair of fullbacks.

On Thursday, the team announced that left back Charlie Reymann of the University of Kentucky would join the club, and today, right back and Temple product Matt Mahoney joined him.

Reymann has started the first two Steel preseason games, combining well with fellow two-time starter left midfielder Santi Moar to provide considerable offensive thrust in the left channel. After Reymann went unselected in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, head coach Brendan Burke said the organization immediately called and invited him to Steel preseason as a trialist. Reymann will wear number 44, worn last year by inaugural Steel captain Ryan Richter.

Mahoney started the Steel’s first preseason scrimmage against Junior Lone Star FC at right back and combined with Yosef Samuel on the right during  first sixty minutes’ domination of the NPSLers. He was held out of the more recent Villanova scrimmage as a minor precaution.

As a senior and second-year captain at Kentucky, Reymann led his team in assists with 10, an attention-getting number for a defender. Mahoney displays an engine would make any automotive design engineer proud.

That Reymann and Mahoney have won places gives Burke one of those good problems a coach likes to have, quality depth that makes game roster choice hard and ensures no repeat of last season’s defense-centered swoon that torpedoed their playoff hopes.

The signings bring the team’s USL roster to 12.

Bethlehem could go two deep at every back line position. Union defenders Auston Trusty, Jack Elliott and Aaron Jones are all expected to join Bethlehem on loan, while Hugh Roberts, Matt Real and Matt McKenzie will round out the back line.

Steel fans happening to pass through Chester’s waterfront this coming Saturday should be able to see their newest players in action against Temple in a scrimmage at noon.

2 Comments

  1. HopkinsMD says:

    Thanks for the update. I’m genuinely curious to see this team in action.

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