Photo Philadelphia Union Communications

Philadelphia Union II has announced the signing of 18-year-old attacker David Vazquez Thursday, February 29^th. Brian Sciaretta first broke the news of Vazquez’s professional signature on X, formerly Twitter, late Monday night with Jonathan Tannenwald rapidly confirming it.

That the Union signed a blue-chip academy prospect (pictured at the far right in the photo accompanying this post), is encouraging. He fits the organization’s candidacy profile for future sale to a developmental league. The surprise is that the signing is not with the first team as a homegrown player.

No room

At this writing the Union list 32 players on its roster with four being loaned away. That leaves 28 active slots occupied. Since they have three goalkeepers, they can have 31 active players. Tanner said last December that he hopes to sign Union II professional Jose Riasco to the first team, and Riasco would make 29. That leaves the 30^th slot available to replace Julian Carranza should he be sold this summer. And the Union have usually left one slot open against unforeseen emergency need, which would be slot 31. Perhaps that is why Vazquez has signed with the second team, for now.

He practiced consistently with the first team since the beginning of last fall. At 5’9″ and 143 pounds he must continue to grow physically and “build his engine” to first-team levels. Vazquez participated in both halves of the first team’s 2024 Florida preseason.

 Vazquez started and played the full 90 in Union II’s preseason scrimmage at the WSFS Sportsplex on Sunday, February 25 against Loudoun United FC. We would expect him to start Friday afternoon March 1 against Hartford Athletic in Connecticut in the closed preseason scrimmage scheduled there.

Last year he was a regular starter for Philadelphia Union II in MLS NEXT Pro.  He appeared as either a single attacking mid in a 4-4-2 narrow diamond, or as a right mid in a 4-2-2-2.  He had 21 total appearances, 17 of them starts, for 1,422 minutes with five goals, two assists, 29 shots (14 on target), and five yellow cards. By mid-season he was consistently affecting play in those division 3 games. He also started the special Wrexham match.

In division 3 as a 17-year-old he became competent and capable playing as a single 10. By mid-season he combined the defensive tenacity and athleticism demanded by the organization’s counter press with the technical skill, quickness, and vision to create chances for himself and others. If he grows and develops appropriately, he may become a candidate to relieve Daniel Gazdag as the attacking mid when he joins the Union.

Last November in Indonesia in FIFA’s 2023 U17 World Cup, Vazquez played as a second striker for the US U17s.

• He started the win against South Korea in the first match as one of three attackers and played the first 69 minutes receiving a yellow card in the process.
• In the second match’s win against Burkina Faso he substituted on in the 57^th minute replacing a center back, but it is unlikely he played there.
• Against France in the unsuccessful match for group first place, he started as one of two strikers in a 4-4-2, coming off after 60 minutes.
• In the first round of the knockouts against eventual champion Germany, he came on as a sub in the 60^th minute and scored an equalizer, only for Germany to retake the lead late and eliminate the Americans.