Photo: Marjorie Elzey
Last year Ernst Tanner sent Bethlehem Steel and select academy players south to Clearwater for the first Florida preseason camp, successfully.
He is expected do it again, so what Philadelphia Union Academy players might go?
The U.S. Soccer Development Academy’s first-ever Allstate DA Winter Cup provided clues last month. The U19s finished first in Group D at the Winter Cup via goal differential over the San Jose Earthquakes U-19s, and will progress to the DA Spring Cup in 2020.
The three winter cup game reports identify who played, and — probably — where.
- The first two matches were both 3-0 clean sheets. Those victory margins produced the above-mentioned “survive and advance” goal differential, even though they lost to San Jose 2-1.
- The Union received a total of three red cards in the San Jose match, ending up down two men by the end with the mini-Quakes needing to make up goals. They had gone down one man after future Penn State defender Tyger Evans was sent off for serious foul play in the 31st minute, and they went down a second after the 82nd. Union signee Cole Turner and a San Jose player were both sent off for violent conduct, but Danny Flores was also sent off then for his second yellow, reason unknown.
- San Jose scored in the first and fourth minutes, but the Union pulled one back through Axel Picazo right after the first red in the 36th.
Philadelphia Union Academy U18/19s at the 2019 Allstate DA Winter Cup
Each player's birth year follows his name| Forwards (4) | Midfielders (5) | Defenders (6) | Goalkeepers (2) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shanyder Borgelin 01 | Cole Turner 01 | Nate Harriel 01 | Ben Martino 02 |
| Kyle Gee 02 | Axel Picazo 01 | Tyger Evans 01 | Lukas Burns 02 |
| Patrick Bohui 03 | Jack De Vreis 02 | Cole Sotack 02 | |
| Caden Stafford 03 | Danny Flores 02 | Ian Graham 02 | |
| Selmir Miscic 03 | Adam Lenges 02 | ||
| Dante Huckaby 03 |
Cole Turner and Jack de Vries are professionals who, officially as of January 1, have signed with the Union. Turner had previously signed with Bethlehem last July.
Selmir Miscic and Shanyder Borgelin are also professionals with Bethlehem, now Philadelphia Union II. Miscic signed late in the summer of the previous year although he debuted only last season, while Borgelin signed early in 2019.
These academy players all got game minutes last season with Bethlehem: Turner with 1,921, Nate Harriel (1,896), Picazo (839), Borgelin (736), Patrick Bohui (277), Miscic (178), de Vries (120), Danny Flores (118), and Dante Huckaby (97) .
Harriel has just been invited to U20 USYNT camp by new coach Anthony Hudson.
The twelve U19s charted below would be the side most likely to compete successfully as a team in the 2020 USL Championship, and therefore should include most of the candidates to go to Florida. The four pros should be locks, as should Bohui who went last year. Harriel and Picazo also seem certain. The other five seem likely.
Academy Candidates for Florida
They are laid out in the 4-4-2 diamond shape.| Patrick Bohui | Shanyder Borgelin | |||
| Selmir Miscic | ||||
| Jack De Vreis/Danny Flores | Axel Picazo | |||
| Cole Turner | ||||
| Cole Sotack | Dante Huckaby | Tyger Evans | Nate Harriel | |
| Ben Martino |
Keep it up TIm.
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Appreciate yolking yourself to The II & Academy and producing excellent reads therein.
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… my name for what was once BSFC… is The II…. a coy play on words for one of Union’s best ever players.
Clever hat tip to the beloved one and only L2.
“The II” is brilliant… just like Tim’s reporting. Much appreciated
Thanks Tim, always appreciate reading your stuff.
Thanks Tim. This is a great read. This is the stuff that keeps the fire stoked in young players!
Hats off to you El P! The 11 is instantly classic!