1 month and 7 days since the ending of their season, and just about 3 weeks since the firing of long-time Head Coach Jim Curtin, the Philadelphia Union have finally announced their Roster Decisions following the 2024 season. Here’s a breakdown of which players Ernst Tanner and the Union Front Office have decided are worth keeping around for the next era of Philadelphia Union soccer (the team still hasn’t appointed a new Head Coach, by the way).
Options Exercised
-Mikael Uhre (30 years old, 10G, 6A in 2017 MLS Minutes in 2024)
-Isaiah LeFlore (21 years old, OG, OA in 0 MLS Minutes in 2024)
Back in August, Jim Curtin announced in a press conference that Mikael Uhre’s option for 2025 had been triggered by performance/appearance-based incentives. Following the announcement, Uhre went and scored in 4 straight games for the first time since coming to Philadelphia. He ended the season with 10G and 6A, and though some fans appreciate all the things Uhre does that fail to show up on the stat sheet, I get the sense that fans still wanted more end product from him and will be expecting more in 2025.
Isaiah LeFlore was injured before anyone got a proper look at him last season, a really tough break for an actual kid. I expect LeFlore would have spent most of his time down with Union II, and he likely will next season as well, but there IS an opening behind Kai Wagner at Left Back for the taking. We might see LeFlore and Frankie Westfield battle for some minutes in pre-season next year. Im excited to see what this kid has, bringing him back was the right decision.
Options Declined
-Jack Elliott – On-Going Negotiations (29 years old, 0G, 3A in 2393 Minutes in 2024)
-Brandon Craig – On-Going Negotiations (20 years old, 1G, 0A in 1405 Minutes in USL in 2024
-Jamir Berdecio (22 years old, 0G, 1A in 1986 Minutes in MLSNP in 2024)
-Matthew Real (25 years old, 1G, 1A in 2155 Minutes in USL in 2024)
-Joaquin Torres (27 years old, 0G, 1A in 408 Minutes in Primera División in 2024)
Even though Jack Elliott wasn’t at his best in 2024, I think it’d be smart to keep him around the locker room during a transition year. The Union offered Elliott a cheaper deal, but Elliott rejected the offer and asked for a deal worth more money. It might be the end of Jack Elliott’s time in Philly as Ernst Tanner looks to turn the page.
Homegrown Brandon Craig was sent on loan to USL’s El Paso Locomotive FC where he started in 17 of his 19 appearances for the club. Unfortunately for the 20-year-old, he was taken off at half-time against Detroit City on September 7th and didn’t play for the remainder of the season. He’s a homegrown, so I think Union want to try and figure something out for the young Centerback, but he’s somewhere in that purgatory between MLS NEXT Pro and being an MLS-ready player.
Jamir Berdecio is still only 22, but with Olivier Mbaizo signing a new contract and Nate Harriel also in front of him, I think the Union recognized that Berdecio might not be ready to compete for first-team minutes.
Matt Real had a great loan spell with USL’s Switchbacks FC, who were crowned champions last Saturday. But Matt just never got on here in Philadelphia, and at 25 years old I think Union see an opportunity to bring in younger talent they can develop.
After Joaquin Torres left Philadelphia on loan, he played less than 500 minutes in Chile’s top flight. At 27 years old, it’s no shock to me that Torres’ time in Philadelphia is over.
Players Out of Contract
-Alejandro Bedoya – On-Going Negotiations (37 years old, 2G, 4A in 1448 Minutes in 2024)
-Sam Adeniran (26 years old, 0G, 1A in 130 Minutes in 2024)
-Leon Flach (23 years old, 0G, 3A in 1830 Minutes in 2024)
Ale Bedoya told media members after Union’s 2-0 win at Red Bulls that he feels like he can still play and contribute, and it’s no secret what the captain means to this team inside the locker room. From what I’ve heard, Bedoya and his family aren’t currently planning to up and leave Philadelphia, which leads me to think Union will have Ale come back on a one year deal, or he’ll officially retire from playing and work for the team in some sort of coaching role like we’ve heard before. Ernst Tanner said that bringing Ale back is an important piece of the locker room and that they’re doing everything they can to come to an agreement.
Sam Adeniran was a cheap pickup to try and cover for the sale of Julián Carranza for the end of the 2024 season. I’m not sure anyone had huge expectations for him, but he didn’t work out in Philadelphia and it’s no surprise to see Union move on. I think they absolutely have to bring in a starting caliber forward before the 2025 season.
Leon Flach has officially played his last game for the Philadelphia Union. I always loved what Leon brought to this team. It didn’t always show up on the scoreboard, but Leon worked hard 100% of the time and always put defense first, something you don’t find In a lot of young players these days. At one point, Flach was named one of MLS’ top 22 players under 22 years of age, but injuries set him back in the following seasons. It’s sad to see Leon go, but hopefully, it means Ernst Tanner had plans for bringing in someone even better. Per Ernst Tanner, Leon looks to be heading back to Germany for personal reasons.
Already Received New Contract
-Olivier Mbaizo (27 years old, 0G, 3A in 1106 Minutes in 2024)
This is a signing that puzzled some, including me to be honest. I thought this off-season was a good opportunity to move on from Mbaizo and to bring in an upgrade. It’s never been about Mbaizo’s quality, but the consistency in which he brings that quality into the team – it just hasn’t been there and he seems to breakdown in the biggest moments. He made quite a bit of money last season, too. $350,000 is a pretty considerable amount on this Union team. The Union bringing him back maybe indicates interest in Nate Harriel from European clubs, and Mbaizo offers experienced cover for a new coach if it were to happen.
2025 Updates Roster as of 11/27/2024
Goalkeepers (3): Andre Blake, Andrew Rick, Oliver Semmle
Defenders (6): Jakob Glesnes, Nathan Harriel, Isaiah LeFlore, Olwethu Makhanya, Oliver Mbaizo, Kai Wagner
Midfielders (10): Jesus Bueno, Daniel Gazdag, Danley Jean-Jacques, Jack McGlynn, CJ Olney, Nick Pariano, Jeremy Rafanello, Cavan Sullivan, Quinn Sullivan, David Vazquez
Forwards (5): Markus Anderson, Tai Baribo, Chris Donovan, Nelson Pierre, Mikael Uhre
Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports
