Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union completed the transfer of little-used center back Stuart Findlay to Oxford United in the third tier of English football, League One, on Wednesday morning.
The Union received an undisclosed transfer fee in return.
“Stuart has been a great addition to the club and was able to step in and fill major roles every time we needed him,” Union sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a press release. “Given our defense has been a strength of ours this year, this is the right step for both Stuart and for the club, and we wish him success with Oxford United FC.”
We’ve got our man ✍
👋 Welcome to Oxford, Stuart Findlay!
— Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) July 19, 2022
The Union signed Findlay, 26, from Kilmarnock FC in Scotland before the 2021 season. Expected to compete for playing time after the departure of Mark McKenzie, Findlay found himself boxed out by the All-Star caliber play of center backs Jakob Glesnes and Jack Elliott. He started four regular season games in 2021 and four more this season, making 11 appearances.
Findlay was expected to leave the club earlier this month, but agreed to delay the transfer to fill in for the injured Elliott for the games against Inter Miami and New England Revolution.
Findlay’s brightest moment in a Union shirt may have been in the 2021 Eastern Conference Final, when he stepped in to the lineup after Covid forced both Glesnes and Elliott to the sideline. Alongside Aurelien Collin, Findlay put in a massive shift in what was ultimately a heartbreaking defeat for the Union.
Findlay also scored his only goal for the Union in the club’s U.S. Open Cup defeat to Orlando City earlier this season.
The move makes sense for all parties. By all accounts, Findlay loved his time in Philadelphia, but he was always overqualified to be the third-choice center back. The Union won’t mind moving his salary of $450,000 off the books, and can turn the third center back role over to Brandan Craig, a Homegrown who just impressed at the Concacaf U-20 Championship.
But an injury to Glesnes or Elliott — like the knee injury that’s caused Elliott to miss the last two games — would be asking an awful lot of Craig, who’s just 18 and has played only a handful of MLS minutes.
Still not convinced that Craig is ready to be our 3d center back. Hope he proves me wrong.
I would imagine they will look around for a crafty MLS veteran type to add, to beef up the bench options behind the current 3
Even if he is ready, they need someone else in addition to Craig just so they have someone on the bench if Craig plays when Elliott or Glesnes is hurt or suspended. Cole Turner who has been the other central defender for Union 2 is a converted midfielder and is definitely NOT ready to play defense in MLS.
Will he get minutes late in a game or 2? Maybe even a spot start? Seems to me he’s earned it in the eyes of the coaches. Don’t know how he’ll be against MLS competition. But I think Tanner and Curtin have confidence in him.
What’s Elliot’s status?