2016 MLS Season Preview: Philadelphia Union
With the MLS season set to begin on Sunday, theScore runs down everything you need to know about each team heading into the 2016 campaign. Here, we take a look at the Philadelphia Union.
Life at PPL Park Talen Energy Stadium hasn't been so great for the Philadelphia Union faithful as of late, as this bottom-dwelling outfit attempts to maneuver the world of MLS in this era of rapid growth in spending budgets.
The Union have been exceptionally busy in the off-season, spending, trading, swapping and drafting for what ended up being a complete overhaul to parts of the starting XI and nearly the entire bench.
Union head coach Jim Curtin has been given a few new players to use this season and his job will be to tinker and toy with his lineup and find a winning formula using what is, unfortunately, a rather meager roster lacking sufficient talent across the board.
Neutral onlookers will be watching curiously to see how college standouts like Joshua Yaro, Keegan Rosenberry, Taylor Washington and Fabian Herbers pan out, making 2016 very much a "wait and see" year for Philadelphia.
2015 season
Regular season: 9th in Eastern Conference
| Record (W-D-L) | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|
| 10-7-17 (37 points) | 42 | 55 |
Playoffs: Did not qualify.
Nuts and Bolts
- Head coach: Jim Curtin
- Stadium: Talen Energy Stadium
- Season opener: Sunday, March 6: FC Dallas vs. Philadelphia Union (Toyota Stadium) - 3 PM ET.
Key Arrivals
- Ilsinho (free transfer)
- Chris Pontius (traded from D.C. United)
- Anderson Conceicao (on loan from Tombense)
- Roland Alberg (acquired from ADO Den Haag)
- Matt Jones (on loan from Belenenses)
Key Departures
- Cristian Maidana (traded to Houston Dynamo)
- Andrew Wenger (traded to Houston Dynamo)
- Zac MacMath (traded to Colorado Rapids)
- Steven Vitoria (option declined)
- Fernando Aristeguieta (loan expired)
Player to Watch
Tranquillo Barnetta hasn't really had much of a chance to express himself in MLS so far. He joined the Union at the tail end of the 2015 campaign and in his short time with the team, he has shown flashes of creative brilliance. So much so, evidently, that the Union have opted to rely on Barnetta to guide the team's offense in 2016.
The Swiss attacker can play in a number of positions and with a revamped attacking midfield core, Curtin will hope that his star player brings others into the game consistently enough to threaten for a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. 2016 will be Barnetta's first full test of life and soccer in MLS.
Keep an eye on: Ilsinho and Roland Alberg
Projected Starting XI
Season in a Sentence
The Union need a few things to go their way for success to follow in 2016, but chief among them is the scoring form of C.J. Sapong. The exciting attacker has shown throughout his career the potential necessary to turn heads, but hasn't developed the necessary consistency as of yet. This will be Sapong's year to prove he is capable of leading a team of his own.