Photo @PhilaUnionII

That the Philadelphia Union were going to sign 17.6-year-old midfielder C. J. Olney as a Homegrown player has been obvious for months. The only questions were when would they announce it and for how long they would sign him.

They announced it Tuesday and the academy class of 2025 senior is now signed through 2028 with an option for 2029.

Olney turned professional with Union II last November 14th as a 16 year old. He joins David Vazquez and Cavan Sullivan in an already interchanging teenage Homegrown midfield that will likely be around for the next two-to-four years, depending on how each player’s career path develops.

The trio will probably form Union II’s midfield, in front of defensive mid Sanders Ngabo, for the professional development side’s last eight games of this season. Those eight matches will determine the farm team’s role in its playoffs and the teenage trio should heavily influence the exact nature of that role. Were they to begin today, coach LeBlanc’s side would be second and have both a home game and a degree of choice over which team would visit as its opponent.

The return of Jack McGlynn and Nathan Harriel from the Olympics should release first-team homegrown deep reserve Frank Westfield from outside back bench duty. That would restore lethal offense to Union II’s left outside channel.  Olney and Westfield have produced four goals each as well as seven and six assists respectively for Union II this season. Several of their assists have found Eddy Davis III helping him accumulate his team-leading 11 scores.

Other related news

First, the oldest of the teenage midfield trio, 18.5-year-old David Vazquez, is just returned from 20204’s Concacaf U20s Championship in Mexico where he won the tournament’s golden boot with three goals and two assists.

Mexico scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time to tie the championship match, and in the 120th minute of extra time to win it 2-1. Reflecting the intense sequence of games in the tournament — the final was played the second day after the semis — and head coach Michael Nsien’s developmentally appropriate philosophy that almost all of his field players were good enough to be interchangeable, Vazquez came off at half-time.

Next, the Union has reported that 24-year-old Haitian international defensive midfielder Danley Jean Jacques will be joining the Union.

Metz has been relegated from Ligue 1 to Ligue 2 for the new season that opens August 19. Transfermarkt says Danley Jean Jacques joined the Metz first team from Metz B in July of 2022 when they were in Ligue 2. They achieved promotion to Ligue 1 for last season but finished 16th and lost their  promotion-relegation playoff match against a Ligue 2 side after extra time.

Jean Jacques had 33 regular season Ligue 1 appearances for 2,688 minutes, averaging 81 minutes per appearance last season. Of those appearances he was subbed on three times  and subbed off nine. He played the full match 21 times. He was not in the squad only once, a March 30, 2024 defeat to Monaco 5-2. He had four yellow cards and no reds last season.

Internationally, in the 2023 Gold Cup Jean Jacques scored Haiti’s goal against Mexico in its 3-1 loss and played the full match. In the subsequent 2-1 loss to Honduras he came off in the 77th minute.

In Group B of League A in 2023-2024  Concacaf Nations Leagues play,  he started the first two matches playing the entire first one and coming off in the second half of the second. He did not dress for the next two and we cannot tell whether he had been called in.

Jean Jacques’ roster implications

Assuming a transfer occurs, it will most directly affect two players on the Union’s roster, defensive midfielders Jose Martinez (30.0) and Sanders Ngabo (20.1). Jean Jacques’s age (24) lies amidst them. One obvious question arises about each. Are they leaving?

• The internet has rumor that Pumas has been scouting Martinez.
• Does Lyngby want Ngabo back now that Union II has proven him healthy?
  • Ernst Tanner recently confirmed the existence of the Danish relationship in a podcast with club digital reporter Sage Hurley, but detailed little else about it.
  • The Union’s signing announcement last November stated Ngabo has a two-year contract for 2024 and 2025 with options for 2026 and 2027. His previous contract with Lyngby was described as having run through 2024.

A third implication of the acquisition of Jean Jacques might be the movement of Jesus Bueno from defensive midfield to shuttling midfield where he would seem to replace Alejandro Bedoya. That is how Jim Curtin seems to be using him most recently.

The other connection to Bedoya is that the captain also came to the Union from Ligue 1, as did Jamiro Montiero.