Photo Credits to Philadelphia Union

Welcome back to the Philadelphians and former/current Union Abroad report! For the 5th edition, July 2026, we’ll be taking another look at the former Union players who made appearances at the World Cup, as well as a current Union player who just wrapped up a loan abroad! Let’s dive in!

USA

Matt Freese

New York City FC – 27 years old – Goalkeeper – Union 2019-2022 – Wayne, PA

What was a decent World Cup performance got washed away entirely in a singular moment for Freese. When coming out to sweep a ball away in the knockout round against Belgium, Freese got his leg caught on the ground before the ball, giving the ball away and letting the Belgians score a free goal. The US lost 4-1, so the blame isn’t entirely on the Wayne, PA native, but that moment will haunt his entire USMNT career from here on out.

Freese had a solid World Cup otherwise, keeping a pair of clean sheets and making 8 saves in 4 games. He conceded 5 goals, and didn’t face a penalty. There are some doubts over his future as the starting goalkeeper for the national team, but he’s currently heading back to NYCFC to restart their MLS campaign. 

Auston Trusty

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

Trusty had a solid World Cup despite limited chances, scoring in the loss against Turkey, where he played all 90 minutes, and getting a 10-minute cameo against Australia. He did get 72 minutes in the two friendlies before the tournament, but was definitely not a mainstay as Tim Ream and Chris Richards ate up a majority of the defensive minutes. When Trusty did play, he slotted in at left back, a position occupied by Antonee Robinson for a lion’s share of time.

With Ream getting older and a potential new manager incoming for the USMNT, Trusty could begin to see more of the field as a center back. For now, though, he’ll be heading back to Celtic to try and defend their league title. 

Brenden Aaronson 

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

Aaronson actually featured a lot less than one might’ve expected him to at this World Cup, with head coach Mauricio Pochettino seemingly preferring Gio Reyna off the bench. He did get a start against Turkey, where he played 77 ineffectual minutes in a 3-2 loss. The USMNT’s formation did not necessarily favor Aaronson, who is versatile but doesn’t play in space as well as Reyna, Christian Pulisic, or Malik Tillman. He’s still a strong part of the team, but was hard-pressed for minutes this summer.

Leeds United’s preseason starts soon, and Aaronson will play a part in yet another Premier League season. He was spotty in the last campaign, but finished with a respectable 4 goals and 5 assists in 37 appearances, with 30 starts. Still only 25 and under contract at Leeds for one more year, Aaronson is in a “prove it” type of year, and could well earn a big move. 

Mark McKenzie

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

Another defender behind Ream and Richards on the depth chart, McKenzie’s only appearance at this World Cup came against Turkey. McKenzie started that match and played all 90 minutes, making 50 passes, winning over half of his duels, and clearing the ball 5 times in the loss. The former Union defender is a strong candidate to replace Ream in the backline in the coming years, but will need to continue his solid form with Toulouse in France if he wants to earn more playing time. 

Andrew Rick

Philly Union – 20 years old – Goalkeeper – Union since 2022 – Bethesda, MD

Rick’s role at this World Cup was different than most. The 20-year-old keeper was named as a training goalkeeper for the USMNT squad, helping the team in practice as a shot-stopper. This experience is huge for a player who is just starting to get first-team minutes, but has a real possibility of becoming a national team mainstay in the near future.

“I wouldn’t think that at this stage of my career, I would be in the place that I am in now, and to have the ability to train with all these [players],” Rick told Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Rick is still bouncing between the Union’s first and second teams, and has made 22 MLS appearances and 29 total appearances for the first team. In 3 MLS Next Pro games in 2026, Rick has conceded 4 goals while making 7 saves. 

Cape Verde

Jamiro Monteiro

PEC Zwolle – 32 years old – Striker – Union 2019-2022 – Rotterdam, Netherlands

Monteiro’s World Cup ended with a very hard-fought loss to Argentina in the Round of 32. His team, Cape Verde, battled extremely well in their first World Cup, drawing all three of their group stage games and not losing once in 90 minutes, even pushing Messi to the brink of elimination. Monteiro featured a lot for his national team, racking up over 275 minutes across the four games. He did fail to score or assist, but he was strong on both sides of the ball whenever he played in his first and last World Cup.

Still contracted to PEC Zwolle in the Eredivisie, the Netherlands’ top division, Monteiro is coming off a solid season as an experienced attacker, scoring twice and assisting on three occasions in 21 matches. He’s spent plenty of time in MLS and abroad, so I wouldn’t rule out a return to the States for the final year of his career coming up soon. 

Current and Former Union Abroad

Neil Pierre

Philly Union – 18 years old – Center Back – Union Since 2023 – Lebanon, PA 

Pierre, a former MLS Next Pro Defender of the Year, spent the first six months of the year on loan in Denmark with Lyngby BK. As a center back, Pierre scored a remarkable 4 goals in 10 games to help his side get promoted back up to the first division. Last season, Pierre made just 1 appearance in MLS for the senior side, but is looking very likely to earn big minutes in the second half of the season.

Pierre is next in line to take over on the Union back line, with him and the likes of Cavan Sullivan likely being given plenty of freedom to earn real minutes and gain top-level experience. Standing at 6-foot-5 at just 18, Pierre is very highly touted in national team circles, and is absolutely in talks to join the senior team in years to come as guys like Tim Ream wrap up their careers. Pierre wins a vast majority of his duels, provides a strong threat going forward, and is a very proven leader at such a young age. You will absolutely see him in MLS games in August and beyond. 

Samuel Adeniran

LASK – 27 years old – Striker – Union Jul-Dec 2024 – Houston, TX

Since his 6-month spell in Philly in 2024, Adeniran has spent the past two years at LASK in Austria. The 27-year-old has seemingly found a solid home there, scoring 17 goals in 54 games, including 15 in 35 this past season. Adeniran, who stands at 6-foot-5, also added six assists to his tally. Before coming to the Union, he bounced around a variety of American clubs, including Seattle Sounders and St.Louis City.

Adeniran’s spell with the Union saw him play in 7 MLS games and 7 Leagues Cup games, respectively. The striker failed to score and did not have his contract renewed, which allowed him to make the move overseas for the first time in his career.