Philadelphia Union Sign Forward Michee Ngalina
Young speedster latest to sign first-team contract with Philadelphia Union from Bethlehem Steel FC
CHESTER, Pa. (May 8, 2019) – Philadelphia Union today announced that the club has signed forward Michee Ngalina (pronounced: MEE-she Guh-LEEN-uh) to a first-team contract. Ngalina joins the Union from USL affiliate Bethlehem Steel FC, where he has totaled three goals and one assist in seven matches played this season. He will occupy an international spot on the Union’s roster and will be officially added upon receipt of his P1 visa.
He becomes the sixth all-time player to sign a first-team contract with the Union after previously signing a professional contract with Steel FC, joining Cory Burke, Derrick Jones, Olivier Mbaizo, Matt Real and Ken Tribbett.
PLAYER BIO: Michee Ngalina
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“We are proud to reward Michee’s hard work with Bethlehem with this first-team contract,” said Ernst Tanner, Union Sporting Director. “He has shown well in training alongside the first team, and he has earned the right to formally take this next step. He is a fast, exciting player with a knack for getting in behind the defense, and we look forward to the next phase of his career as he officially joins the Union roster.”
Continued Tanner: “Michee is a great example of the importance of Bethlehem Steel FC for all players in our organization. Steel FC is a crucial team for us, where young players can earn quality minutes against good competition.”
For his USL career, Ngalina has notched 10 goals and three assists in 31 appearances. He originally joined Bethlehem prior to the 2018 season, recording seven goals last campaign across the regular season and postseason. He scored Bethlehem’s first-ever postseason goal, leveling the contest at Pittsburgh (October 20) which Steel FC eventually won on penalties. He also appeared for the Union once, coming on as a substitute in the team’s 5-0 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup victory over the Richmond Kickers (June 5).
MORE: Michee Ngalina: Developed at Bethlehem Steel FC
This season, Ngalina recently set Bethlehem’s all-time record for the quickest brace, scoring twice in two minutes at Loudoun United FC (May 3).
Internationally, Ngalina has earned a call up from the DR Congo youth national teams, competing in the 2016 Central African Football Federations' Union (UNIFAC) where he was the leading scorer for the Leopards’ U17 squad.
TRANSACTION: Philadelphia Union sign forward Michee Ngalina on May 8, 2019
Name: Michee Ngalina (pronounced: MEE-she Guh-LEEN-uh)
Position: Forward
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 150
Born: April 6, 2000 in Kinshasa, DR Congo
Hometown: Kinshasa, DR Congo
Citizenship: DR Congo
Acquired: Philadelphia Union sign forward Michee Ngalina on May 8, 2019
Previous Experience: Bethlehem Steel FC (2018-2019)
