Welcome! This roughly once-a-month column takes a look at some prominent and not-so-prominent former Union players and other Philly area natives now playing their soccer outside of the US. To take a look at the first edition of this newsletter, from March 2026, click here! 

Brenden Aaronson 

Leeds United – 25 years old – Attacking Mid – Union 2019-2021 – Medford, NJ

Despite not scoring a goal since early January, Aaronson’s transfer value is nearing $20 million, and he’s become increasingly important to Leeds. His club are fighting a relegation fight as they are only four points clear with seven games to go, but sit safely above West Ham, Tottenham, and Nottingham Forest at the moment. “Medford Messi” has started 24 of his 30 Premier League appearances this season, while also making three FA Cup cameos and playing once in the Carabao Cup. 

This past weekend, Aaronson played 82 minutes and converted a shootout penalty against West Ham to help send Leeds through to the FA Cup semi-finals. They’ve since been drawn against Chelsea, which could signal the end of their cup run, but hey, crazier things have happened. Leeds shouldn’t have let the game go to penalties in truth, but you could say they’re lucky they’ve got Aaronson. 

Wrapping up his third full season at the club, Aaronson has played over 120 times and made nearly 25 goal contributions while playing a wide variety of positions. He started this calendar year very strong, but has yet to play a full 90 and hasn’t eclipsed a 7.0 match rating since February 6th. 

Aaronson will still likely play a part in this summer’s World Cup, but he only played 11 minutes this past window and was unable to be effective. The best scenario for him now, though? Continue to play while getting back to form, and force US Manager Mauricio Pochettino to make a tough decision with his starting lineup. 

Auston Trusty

Celtic FC – 27 years old – Center Back – Union 2016-2019 – Media, PA

Auston Trusty has continued to impress for both Celtic and his country, having tallied 33 club appearances this season to date along with two solid international performances. Despite a 2-0 loss to Portugal last week, Trusty seemed solid in the back line as he tries to solidify his spot on the World Cup roster.

Celtic are out of the Europa League and trail both Hearts and Rangers in the league table, although by a small margin. Recalling last month’s newsletter, Trusty scored a penalty in the shootout against Old Firm rivals Rangers to advance to the Scottish FA Cup semi-finals, a big moment for the American.

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Trusty was impressive against Portugal, winning duels and tackles, making recoveries, and playing thoughtful and incisive passes to look to start an attack. He’s currently only made six senior national team appearances, including a strong 90 minutes in a win against Uruguay last fall, but due to his years of club experience is a strong contender to start this summer. 

Since returning from international duty, the Main Line man started and played all 90 minutes in a 2-1 win over Dundee FC. Trusty played very well in the match, sending seven passes into the opposition’s third, making seven clearances and four recoveries, and did not get dribbled past. This has been a theme of his on the year; Trusty has racked up nearly 1700 league minutes while winning 70% of his aerial duels, scarcely getting beaten on the dribble, and doing a lot with his touches on the ball. One of Celtic’s finest has certainly been showing why he should be valued high by both club and country fans. 

Mark McKenzie

Toulouse FC – 27 years old – Center Back – Union 2018-2021 – The Bronx, NY

McKenzie might be, apart from Chris Richards, the only center-back that seems like a lock to be playing in the World Cup. He’s made 23 starts in France’s Ligue 1 this year as a mainstay in the backline for Toulouse, who currently sit mid-table. He’s also been clutch in his club’s run to the Coupe de France semi-finals, putting up a 7.0 rating in their win over Marseilla in the quarters.

Toulouse play a back three, which, despite Pochettino being adamant that it’s a fluent formation, is the same as the national team. That’s a benefit to McKenzie, Pochettino, and the rest of the national team. Having a guy who’s comfortable on the outside of a back three can send a wave of ease through those around him, as he knows where to be and when and in what moments. 

Despite a familiarity, however, McKenzie struggled against Belgium this past window, playing to a 5.5 rating in a 5-2 loss while looking overmatched. He’s been in and around the senior team since the turn of the decade, which has seen him make nearly 30 appearances, but Pochettino has signalled many times that it’s about form for him, and not who you are. 

Still, he’s got experience. McKenzie’s played nearly 200 European club games and made 27 national team appearances, including 50+ Ligue 1 games and plenty of CONCACAF battle minutes. If the US turns things around after this window, McKenzie will likely have played a part, and should continue to do so. He’s good on the ball and off, something that Pochettino seems to like (as would any reasonable manager) and can handle himself. 

Ronan and Declan Sullivan

Union Academy / Bangladesh U20 – 18 years  old – CF and RB – Philadelphia, PA

Quinn’s younger and Cavan’s older brothers, the middle Sullivan twins, have made headlines on the other side of the globe during this past international window. First, though, some backstory is needed. The Sullivans have Bangladeshi heritage, and Bangladeshi supporters have been trying to woo the quad to represent their Asian nation since it was found out that they could. Quinn has declined to do so thus far, as has Cavan (both have represented the US at different levels), but the twins, both of whom are committed to St. Joe’s University in Philadelphia, accepted a call-up to the Bangladesh U20 national team. 

This window saw the team compete in the SAFF U20 Championship, South Asia’s premier U20 international competition. Ronan, the attacker of the pair, made four appearances in this tournament, scoring twice in regulation (he netted both goals in their 2-0 opening win over Pakistan) and went on to score the winning penalty in the championship against India, a cheeky paneka down the middle. 

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Declan is listed as a right back on TransferMarkt and largely failed to make an impact in this camp. Sullivan did, however, contribute 24 minutes in the final, sharing the pitch with his twin, as they do so often, for the last portion of the match. Both brothers left FC Delco, a prominent MLS Next Academy in Delaware County, in early 2025 to join the Union Academy alongside their brothers. In November of last year, they announced their commitments to St.Joe’s University, who play Division I NCAA soccer in the A-10 conference alongside schools like Fordham, Davidson, Duquesne and Dayton. 

While Cavan and Quinn seem unlikely to switch allegiances away from the Stars and Stripes, their sandwiched twin brothers are already heroes in the eyes of those trying to rebuild (or just build, for that matter) Bangladeshi soccer. 

Matheus Davó

Maccabi Netanya – 26 years old – Attacking Mid – Union 2021 – Sao Paulo, Brazil

Don’t feel bad if you can’t picture Matheus Davó in a Union kit; you’re not alone! Davó, a journeyman who’s bounced around Brazil, played just one (ONE) game for Philly, racking up a whopping 18 minutes of MLS gametime in 2021. Davó originally came in on loan from Corinthians out of Brazil in August of 2021, and made his appearance on September 3rd of the season. The Brazilian came on for Jack McGlynn in the 72nd minute of a 1-0 loss, while the Union went on to finish 2nd in the Eastern Conference that season. 

Since his match for Philly and the end of his loan in December 2021, Davó has returned to Brazil, playing for clubs like Bahia and Cruzeiro, but has never really made a big impact. Cruzeiro loaned him to Pafos FC in Cyprus in 2023-24, where he made 10 appearances, but was not all that reliable in his 10 appearances.

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A striker by trade, Davó seems to have found his level. Playing for Maccabi Netanya in Israel’s top division, he’s scored eight times and assisted on six goals during his 20 league appearances this season. His club sits seventh out of 14, and are five points behind a top 6 spot, which would qualify them for the Championship Playoff. Davó’s deal runs until the end of next season, and since he’s young enough to encourage a team to gamble on him, consistent performances like this one could be huge for him.