Photo Ryan McElroy

Tuesday afternoon, December 9^th, 2025 the Philadelphia Union announced the resolution of 19.8-year-old Homegrown midfielder David Vazquez’s status. Since at least July 28^th,he had been loaned to 2025 MLS expansion side San Diego FC with an announced option to purchase.

San Diego has purchased him, for straight cash not General Allocation Money (GAM).

Terms

At the time of late July loan, the Union acquired $50,000 in 2025 GAM and $50,000 in 2026 GAM.

With the permanent transfer announced today, Philadelphia are guaranteed to receive $250,000 cash. They will also receive future trade and sell-on percentages that are unspecified. And if Vazquez meets unspecified future performance metrics, Philly would get an additional $250,000 in cash.

The numbers seem neither outrageously low nor outrageously high.

Commentary

Vazquez did not take San Diego by storm. He started two games in the Leagues Cup shortly after his arrival. The first was against Mazatlan during which his statistics suggested he played the full match and made some impact on it. He started their next Leagues Cup match against Tigres, during which he came off after an hour with no statistical evidence of having made much of an impact. He had earlier scored a goal against Tijuana in an exhibition. That he had an impact against lesser Mexican sides but not a greater one fits into the competitive balance of Liga MX and MLS.

Vazquez almost always dressed for San Diego’s subsequent MLS matches, but rarely saw minutes. On San Diego’s roster as it was before they announced their end-of-season changes, he was one of only two teenage midfielders alongside 19 y/o defensive mid Pedro Soma. Both Vazquez and Soma have been part of their US U-20 squad, where Vazquez almost always played as a winger or a second striker not a mid.

For Union II he played as both an attacking mid and a defensive mid. He is a fearless ball winner in addition to his offensive creativity. Marlon LeBlanc used him as the first-choice replacement for Cavan Sullivan in 2024 in addition to starting as a wide flank mid when Sullivan was available. Ryan Richter used him next to Nick Pariano as a member of the double six double pivot where his ball-winning and offensive creativity matched Pariano’s.

Vazquez’s main drawback as a soccer player is his slight physical stature. He fought minor injuries throughout 2024 in MLS NEXT Pro, although he was healthier in his time with Union II in 2025. Bradley Carnell gave him only one appearance with the Union itself in late June. We have wondered whether his slight stature might be why Carnell and the rest of the technical staff did not value him more highly. He more than checks all their other boxes we suspect.

 Implications for the Union in 2026

Vazquez remaining on the west coast leaves the Union a man thinner in the midfield.

Hence negotiations with Alejandro Bedoya and Ben Bender add a smidgen of urgency to their successful resolution. Carnell’s future bet that Cavan Sullivan will be ready to play a bigger role among the first team’s midfielders in 2026 (see his comments during the end-of-season press conference) takes on a similar increased urgency. So does Quinn Sullivan’s recovery and rehabilitation.

Were a credible MLS midfield veteran familiar with the Union’s counter-pressing style to become available in the re-entry draft or on waivers, or from sources outside the league, the club might well make a move. Next year will see participation in both the Concacaf Champions’ Cup and the Leagues Cup (whenever and however that turns up in the year’s schedule).

Champion’s Cup means the Union opens its season playing two games a week. The further they advance, the longer they play two games a week. Negotiating with Bender and Bedoya makes a lot of sense, as might picking up someone else. We expect off roster Homegrown status and short-term agreements to be well used next year since they will help accommodate a larger squad in reality even as MLS maintains its 30-man rosters officially.