Photo Philadelphia Union
Over the World Cup break during the 59 days the first team itself did not play, Keystone Entertainment made several changes to the sporting side of the organization. Because the changes occurred in mid-season when most outside candidates are under contract elsewhere, and because of the organization’s philosophical principles, all promotions announced so far have come from within.
In sequence of chronological occurrence:
- Jon Scheer replaced Ernst Tanner as Sporting Director, his interim label having disappeared in late May.
- Ryan Richter replaced Bradley Carnell as the new, interim first team head coach.
- Fred da Silva, Henry Apaloo, and Ben Moane became interim first team assistant coaches replacing Mitch Hildebrandt and analyst Sean Rooney with Apaloo assuming Rooney’s analytical role.
- Chris Harmon replaced Richter as new, interim second team head coach.
- Alex Ainscough and Tiger Graham replaced Da Silva and Apaloo with the second team as interim assistants, with Graham having Apaloo’s former analytical responsibilities.
- Paul Killian has replaced Scheer as the new Academy Director.
- New Academy head coaching promotions and/or outside hires have not yet been announced.
Depth chart
Outsiders’ estimations of the organization’s athletic depth charts always adjust for decision-making by specific coaches or supervisory collective groups. New people deploy the same players slightly differently. Since so many individuals have changed roles, a new guess at a combined depth chart seems in order. And the chart helps explain the totality of the Union’s Leagues Cup roster.
Our best guess as of Wednesday, August 5th follows immediately below. Asterisked players were academy amateurs on that date.
| ——– | Striker | Striker | ——– | |||
| First Team | First Team | |||||
| Iloski | Damiani | |||||
| Anello | Alladoh | |||||
| Jakupovic | Korzeniowski | |||||
| Davis | ||||||
| Second team | Second Team | |||||
| Reed* | Ruf* | |||||
| Olivas | ||||||
| Attacking Midfielder | Attacking Midfielder | |||||
| First Team | First Team | |||||
| Vassilev | C Sullivan | |||||
| Bender | Q Sullivan | |||||
| Bedoya | ||||||
| Second team | Second team | |||||
| Ferreira | LeBlanc | |||||
| Gladstone* | Sequera | |||||
| Gallego* | ||||||
| Defensive Midfielder | Defensive Midfielder | |||||
| First Team | First Team | |||||
| Jean Jacques | Lukic | |||||
| Bueno | Rafanello | |||||
| Second team | Second team | |||||
| Mendoza* | Benitez | |||||
| Diop* | Berthe | |||||
| Left Back | Left Center Back | Right Center Back | Right Back | |||
| First Team | First Team | First Team | First Team | |||
| Wagner | Harriel | Pierre | Westfield | |||
| Ndinga | Martinez | Sery | ||||
| Sundstrom | ||||||
| Second team | Second team | Second team | Second team | |||
| Griffin | Uzcategui | De Paula* | ||||
| Moore | Pratt | |||||
| Goalkeeper | ||||||
| First Team | ||||||
| Blake | ||||||
| Rick | ||||||
| Marks | ||||||
| (?Elliott?) | ||||||
| Second team | ||||||
| Holbrook | ||||||
| White* | ||||||
The parenthesis
Subsequent to his graduation from YSC Academy (the academic side of the Union’s academy program) University of Delaware goalkeeper Jojo Elliott has been called into service with the organization twice as a practice keeper. He has made no game-like event on-pitch appearances, only dressed if that. He went to Spain last preseason and more recently was noticed with the first team during spring break. The organization clearly continues to follow him. So, recalling the examples of Mark McKenzie and Jeremy Rafanello, we speculatively mention him above even though he is not under contract. Of course he does provide the convenience of continued geographic proximity, so the continued attention may mean nothing more than that.
The loanaways
Markus Anderson and C. J. Olney are on loan to Brooklyn FC of the USL Championship until the end of the USL season, so we do not include them above.
RECENT COMMENTS