Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union Communications

Since the Philadelphia Union’s season has ended and the club is undergoing a self-declared roster transition, we expand our usual end-of-year analysis of the younger professional prospects to include the first team as well.

At the professional level there are two major subdivisions of the Philadelphia Union organization’s roster. Each of those subdivides into three parts. We will present several articles, combining or further subdividing the roster parts as seems wise.

We will finish the series with a depth chart of the professional portion of the organization’s players.

Fuller explanations of the chart below were made in part one of the series. Click here.

Guaranteed defenders for 2025

Andre Blake, 2025 guaranteed. Goalkeeper and captain. Jamaica’s 33.9-year-old national team captain spent much of the season injured and unavailable. His absence proved his value, as the first team’s fall recovery corresponded to his return. When available, he will always start since Jim Curtin always tries to win.

Andrew Rick, 2025 guaranteed. Reserve goalkeeper. Rick graduated from YSC Academy this past June and has established himself as the second goalkeeper for the first team. To continue his development, he needs as many game minutes as possible. Alongside his six first-team starts, he has played a total of 18 matches with Union II and will be starting for them throughout the remainder of their postseason playoff run. He has displayed flashes of brilliance with both teams. To improve, he needs to learn how to maintain consistent high-level performance, and this knowledge will come with the repetition of more minutes on the field.

Oliver Semmle, 2025 guaranteed. Third goalkeeper. Semmle started the season as Blake’s backup, making 15 starts in his absence and stepping in for the Jamaican twice due to injuries. However, he has seemingly lost Jim Curtin’s confidence. During the season, there was a comment indicating a specific flaw in the 26.6-year-old German’s game.

Midseason, an internet rumor surfaced that securing a reliable MLS-capable backup goalkeeper was a top priority for Curtin. The source of this rumor typically provides accurate information, but it’s unclear whether that need has been addressed.

It remains uncertain whether Director of Goalkeeping Phil Wheddon believes he can rectify the flaw in Semmle’s performance. If he doesn’t, the acquisition of a new goalkeeper is likely, which could lead to a trade or loan for Semmle.

Jakob Glesnes, 2025 guaranteed. Starting right center back. Although the unfortunate goals scored by both alpha and omega marked the beginning and end of the season for the center back, the 30.6-year-old Norwegian remains the Union’s best option for the position. By the end of the year, he had recovered from offseason surgery and was performing at a high level. He must not be required to be an ironman next year. Seventeen-year-old Neil Pierre from Union II is the long-term heir apparent for the position and is expected to be signed to a first-team homegrown contract soon. However, it’s unlikely that he is ready to start in MLS right now.

Kai Wagner, 2025 guaranteed. Starting left back. In the 2024 MLS regular season, the 27.7-year-old German player led the Philadelphia Union in several key statistics: he played a total of 2,907 minutes, recorded 13 assists, made 101 key passes, and had 2,230 touches. His performance during the Leagues Cup and the Concacaf Champions Cup was similarly impressive. He participated in all 45 of the Union’s games that season, coming on as a substitute only twice: once on March 2 against Kansas City and again during the waterlogged, postponed, and rescheduled match against Seattle on either March 9 or April 30.

Having fully committed to the club by re-signing as a free agent last winter, he demonstrated his dedication with strong performances on the pitch.

Nathan Harriel, 2025 guaranteed. Right back. The 23.5-year-old homegrown player from Florida took charge of the right-back position in 2024. He started 27 of his 29 MLS regular season games, three out of four in the Concacaf Champions Cup, and four out of six in the Leagues Cup. He was the first-choice right back for the U.S. U23 team during both the qualifying rounds and the tournament at the Paris Olympics. Additionally, he has the versatility to play as both a center back and a left back in case of emergencies.

Danley Jean Jacques, 2025 guaranteed. Defensive midfielder. A day or so after the 24.4-year-old Haitian’s first few practices, to quote a Union official social media site, when asked an unidentified teammate said he was “as athletic as f**k.”

The highest level of athleticism and soccer IQ is demanded by the position of single six which seems to be where Jean Jacques is intended to play. This role also requires strong communication skills, so it is hoped that the off-season will involve intensive English lessons. His ability to adapt to Philadelphia’s complex system of play will significantly impact the team’s future success.

Previously, he played in France’s top division, one of the “big six” leagues in Europe. He became available when FC Metz was relegated. He is also a capped Haitian international.

According to the recently published Fall Salary Guide from the players’ union, his annualized base salary is $550,000, which is only $50,000 less than what José Martínez was earning when he left for Corinthians. The Inquirer Sports reported on August 8 that Philadelphia paid FC Metz approximately $1.6 million as a transfer fee, along with an additional $100,000 to the Portland Timbers for his discovery rights. Transfermarkt currently lists his market value at $1,940,616, depending on the day’s Euro-USD exchange rate.

Jesus Bueno, 2025 guaranteed. Reserve defensive and shuttling midfielder. The versatile 25.5-year-old Venezuelan midfielder began the season as a candidate to succeed Bedoya at right mid. He is also positioned alongside Leon Flach as a reserve defensive center mid. Although he has been called up to the Venezuelan national team multiple times, he has never actually been capped.

Off-season developments involving Flach, Bedoya, Quinn Sullivan, and possibly McGlynn will influence his role for next year. In the longer term, he will face competition from the teenage midfield trio of homegrown players: C. J. Olney, David Vazquez, and Cavan Sullivan.

Next Time: First-team deep reserves who played for Union II.