Photo courtesy Philadelphia Union
Here is a depth chart using the 24 — or 23 — players the Union have announced as retuning for 2026.
| Striker | Striker | ||||||
| Tai Baribo | Bruno Damiani | ||||||
| Milan Iloski | * | ||||||
| Eddy Davis | Sal Olivas | ||||||
| Attacking Mid | Attacking Mid | ||||||
| Cavan Sullivan | Indiana Vassilev | ||||||
| Markus Anderson | Jeremy Rafanello | ||||||
| ** | [Quinn Sullivan] | ||||||
| Defensive Mid | Defensive Mid | ||||||
| Danley Jean Jacques | Jovan Lukic | ||||||
| CJ Olney | Jesus Bueno | ||||||
| Left Back | Left Center Back | Right Center Back | Right Back | ||||
| Kai Wagner | Olwethu Makhanya | Jakob Glesnes | Nathan Harriel | ||||
| Frankie Westfield | Neil Pierre | Olivier Mbaizo | |||||
| Goalkeeper | |||||||
| Andre Blake | |||||||
| Andrew Rick | |||||||
*[Ezekiel Allodah] – reported in the Swedish press and on American social media. Not officially announced by either club yet.
**[David Vazquez] – the Union’s official end-of-season Roster Decisions announcement states that San Diego FC has through Sunday, November 30th, 2025 to exercise its option permanently to acquire Vazquez. We write before that decision has been made known.
Two arbitrary judgments
We have pushed Milan Iloski forward into the strikers’ line. We do so because that is where San Diego had played him when he effervesced so spectacularly early last summer.
And we have followed our instinct that CJ Olney’s personality may better suit him to be a defensive midfielder in Carnell’s system rather than an attacking one. When he returned to the club from his loan to Lexington SC, that is where he played for Union II and he did so effectively.
Observations
Center back depth immediately jumps off the page, gesticulating wildly to indicate a need since there are only two of them who are MLS-ready.
Nathan Harriel can and has shifted inside because Frankie Westfield and Mbaizo provide capable depth at outside back. But in a press conference at the beginning of last fall, Carnell said in effect the Neil Pierre’s current readiness for MLS had only reached its earliest stages. A third CB glares as an urgent need.
We have no idea whether the first team rates 2025 Union II mainstay left center back Rafael Uzcategui of Venezuela as a serious first team candidate. If they do not, acquiring one seems essential.
Secondly, attacking midfield depth also needs a quality MLS-ready reinforcement. The Union’s 2026 game schedule will have a higher frequency of games than it did in 2025. The World Cup break has increased the frequency of MLS mid-week matches, and the as-yet-unpublished CONCACAF Champions Cup schedule will undoubtedly do the same.
Were Iloski to move into the striker line, Indiana Vassilev would be the only proven starter at attacking mid.
Injured Quinn Sullivan is famously disciplined and determined, but is still rehabilitating himself from his late September knee injury and early October surgery. He cannot be available for the early parts of the season. July 2026 would be ten months from Sullivan’s event, so he might return after the World Cup break, but he would probably not yet have peaked his performance and endurance.
Cavan Sullivan turned 16-years-old late last September and is still engine-building towards playing consecutive midweek and weekend games. And he has yet to prove he can create to change games against the highest-caliber MLS teams. He should be classified as a primary reserve but not yet as a starter.
Jeremy Rafanello is a trusted end-of-game substitute in the midfield. He is intelligent and disciplined. He has not shown that he can create offense during the run of play in first team games. 2026 will be a contract year for him.
Markus Anderson remains unproven at the first team level. As an attacking midfielder at Union II’s level, he caused opponents to game plan to neutralize him. But it is a big jump to the first team. He must be ready to prove himself to Coach Carnell in preseason. 2026 will be a contract year for him also.
As we write we do not know whether David Vazquez will be permanently acquired by San Diego. They hold an option to do so. If he were to return to Philadelphia, he has a guaranteed contract for 2026 and 2027 and has played both attacking and defensive midfield for Union II. At that level he is a ball winner and a chance creator in spite of his physical slightness (5’9″ 140 lbs). He has usually played in the attack as a winger for the coach Michael Nsien’s US U19s and U20s highlighting his positional versatility.
Coach Carnell had given him only one 19 minute substitute appearance before he left for San Diego in July. San Diego started him against Mazatlán and Tigres in the Leagues Cup last summer, but he has only dressed not played in San Diego’s four-game MLS Playoff run. We cannot predict what San Diego will do.
In the last two groups charted above defensive midfield seems set for next year with Danley Jean Jacques, Jovan Lukic and Jesus Bueno as established veterans and CJ Olney the development project. And goalkeeper also seems set even though there are only Andre Blake and Andrew Rick listed. We expect a new contract will be agreed with George Marks as keeper number three since the Union chose to remain in talks with him even though he is out of contract.
And further along in time, we assume Pierce Holbrook will return to the goalkeeping cadre as he recovers from his late August pre-game injury. He is contracted to Union II, but as Jillian Almoney detailed in The One Team We Agree On earlier this year (click here), Holbrook has been on the organization’s goalkeeper radar for a while.
Conclusion
PSP’s crystal ball says at least two MLS-ready roster additions are needed to have a complete group.
- A third center back, probably from outside the organization unless they like Uzcategui.
- A starting attacking midfielder, origin uncertain but probably from outside.
Almost certainly there will be additions to the off-roster Homegrown segment of of the first team’s group. These are the conditions for that status.
- They must be on their initial MLS contract.
- They must be 21-years-old or younger when signed.
- They must qualify for Homegrown status.
There are four obvious candidates from Union II’s 2025 squad: attacking mids Kellen LeBlanc and Willyam Ferreira, left back Jordan Griffin, and striker Malik Jakupovic.
But striker Stas Korzeniowski is too old at 22.8. And as far as we know, center back Uzcategui did not pass through the Union’s Academy, nor did right back Gio Sequera even though both have played a full season for Union II.
I just want to thank Chris Donovan. I’ve been hard on him because he isn’t an MLS player, but he’s been a trooper for the team. Let’s all wish him well in his USL future.
+1
C’mon…you know that by this time next year he’ll be picked up by a Western Conference team and come on as a late game sub to score the winning goal in MLS Cup against the Union.
Then he goes on the Sun Rocket.
Indeed. I wish him the best. Chris is a local resident product. His family at the matches were nice folks when I spoke with them.
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At 25 y/o with his known ceiling, I don’t see other MLS clubs being interested, but he’ll be fine at USL Championship level if he wishes to pursue that option. Moving now to the coaching/administrative side of soccer is another option. He also has a degree from Drexel so he has non-soccer options too.
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Heck, he might try his hand at place kicking like Brandon Aubrey did after we released him from Bethlehem Steel (now the U2). Aubrey was about the same age. He’s turned out to be a great personal comeback story. He’s the Union’s only ‘famous top dollar star player’ to date–as the Dallas Cowpies kicker. Still, no matter how good he is (and he is superb), it’s still not their year.
I feel the same way towards Michael Uhre. For being a striker, he had significant challenges striking and his headers were terrible when he came on board, but has improved significantly since then. I am curious what his percentage of breakaways to goals are. LOL. As a DP, he certainly wasn’t worth it but as a regular striker, maybe. The problem is the age old issue. Whether we like it or not, you need special players to get you to the next level. Thus, Moeller versus Messi. We will never be that and will always fall short. I actually believe that Iloski is that type of player. Curious to see if off-season brings any changes.
Yep. Müller v Messi, and the other talents that this year’s MLS Cup final teams have.
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There’s no getting around our need for such players (Müller reportedly wanted to play for us but quelle surprise the tightwad ownership declined to pay for him).
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We haven’t won any championships in league or tournament in the 16 years of existence due to that one glaring reason. The 2026 roster to date will make it 17. This will continue as other teams spend on key players to succeed, including shortly teams in marquee locations like the Chicago Fire and NYCFC once they get their new modern soccer specific stadiums under construction open. Their locations alone in turn give them bargaining power once they’re finally set up in a proper facility.
Whither Glavinovich?
* haven’t seen anything with way.
October 29th there was an nnouncement I saw after the fact that Glavinovich and the Union had mutually terminated his contract.
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I apologize for not remebering where I saw it.
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Glavinovich was not listed anywhere in the league on the MLS Salary guide that the players asslciation published on October 30th, which reflects the contract termination.
https://www.philadelphiaunion.com/news/philadelphia-union-ian-glavinovich-mutually-agree-to-contract-termination
Much obliged Section 114!
I’m curious…. who’s making the decisions at the Union regarding player signing now that Tanner is 86’d?
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Carlos Coronel was released by NYRB.
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I think we NEED TO SIGN HIM…
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RICK is NOT ready, needs several more years at Union 2.
Unsure about that, and I don’t think he’s worth the spend that should be invested in a goal producer. Blake’s increasing injury rate is concerning, but he’s solid when he’s available, and Rick has been impressive when playing for the first team where he’s also been accumulating necessary minutes.
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Coronel wasn’t released but is out of contract due to a price tag dispute. If we pay for him, then Rick will want to depart where he’ll be a franchise keeper with a long future for an opponent.
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We’ve been great at turning good youth keepers into franchise keepers for competitors who often help beat us even in trophy hunt matches, e.g., McCarthy who just replaced Coronel, MacMath, Freese, etc. Rick is a chance to get a good return on youth investment for us.
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In our early days, we also stockpiled goalkeepers when we needed goal producers, and it turned out poorly, especially with the Raïs M’Bolhi disaster.
17 year season ticket investor, attended every game except 2. 100% attendence certificate this yea…
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I know the history intimately… and why Rick is NOT ready to win a MLS Cup.
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Isn’t that the goal?
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It was Tanner’s and I guarantee he would sign SOMEONE like Coronel to backstop after Blake gets injured again.
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Great season…. looking forward to 2026.
Union2010
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It’s an issue of prioritizing. Of course I want to see the team finally win a championship in something. We also have a tightwad owner.
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If there is any chance he’ll get the barbed wire out of his pocket, then it should be spent on a goal producers, not a goal keeper. We have Blake and a fine young backup in Rick for that.
Perhaps you dod not remember that Carlos Coronel played for Philadelphia UNion II/Bethlehem Steel FC back when Matt Freese had just turned professional.
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Coronel’s hands were not as reliable as Feeese’s at that time.
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In my opinion the Union will stay with what they have. No one in the league can match Andre Blake as a shot stopper. That’s where their goalkeeper money will be spent.
They do need a third keeper at MLS quality in any event. But it should be with the idea of understudying Rick.
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Andre will be hurt new year. Plus will miss a couple of games for the intercontinental playoffs. And if Jamaica makes it (hopefully they do) he would be off for a little tournament.
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Think of this as the Reverse M’bolhi.
Dre shouldn’t miss any games during the interconfederation playoffs. The Union have off for the international break.
Yes he did play for us for a year on loan (even had 4 appearances for the first team), and I agree.
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If Coronel signs as a backup then Rick would probably want to seek a future elsewhere like our quality youth keepers have also done.
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Sugarman would then have incentive to sell him to compensate for Coronel and hope for future contractual profits based on performance and/or sell-ons.
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Meanwhile, we won’t have the kind of difference makers we need.
Keep Rick.
Uhre is gone ?
Unless he agrees to a massive salary cut. Which I wouldn’t do in his shoes. I can see him returning to Brondby or somewhere else in Denmark or maybe the Netherlands.
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This isn’t Baribo who seems to want to make Philly a long-term home. Plus performs at a DP level for lower end DP dollars. That’s what it takes to stay here.
Thank you.
Jonathan Tannenwald thought so earlier this year.
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Tannenwald has excellent access to the front office.
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Uhre’d have to take a significant pay cut to stay.
I’ve always been amazed at all the keepers that ran through our little club who ended up being the real deal. Freese, Coronel, McMath, Mondragon, McCarthy, Blake, even Steffen as a youth. All in 15 years while Blake has been the best in the league over the last decade and will probably approach 300 appearances for us.
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Who was doing this scouting of keepers? And, obviously, developing too.
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And yet leadership thought that was a weakness in 2014. Another post for another day.
Tomas Romero and CJ Dos Santos play in MLS as well
Keeper development is truly one thing the club does well, our strongest aspect.
Thank you.
Agreed. Uhre hasn’t lived up to expectations. Investing it in someone who might is preferable.
Add Ezekial Alladoh to the missing striker slot. Union paid their largest ever transfer fee to a Swedish club to obtain the 20 year old Ghanian striker for 3 seasons plus a club option for 2 more.
This is probably worth its own discussion. Young (20 y/o) promising player as reported. He’s Ghanaian so I’m presuming there’s no language barrier.
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Thoughts?
This was a Tanner signing even if executed now, and I’m prepared to give it the benefit of the doubt. Still not what we need to win MLS Cup, but likely will fit what we need to stay in the top four in the East.