Philadelphia Union Homegrowns Nate Harriel and Jack McGlynn have officially played their final game for the Philadelphia Union before heading to Paris, where they’ll join Team USA for the Olympic games.
Fans had a chance to give the pair a proper send-off, erupting in applause as they were honored on the pitch before the start of Saturday’s match against New York Red Bulls at Subaru Park.
It’s no secret the two starters will be missed in Philadelphia – they’ve both appeared in 21 matches for more than 1700 minutes each this season. Their absences from MLS play aside, fans and staff alike, including Head Coach Jim Curtin, are rooting for their success as they join the United States’ first Olympic Men’s Soccer Team since 2008.
“They've become guys that I think we forget how young they still are, because they get penciled in and play every minute for us. They can dominate games here at the pro level, so hopefully they go there with confidence. That competition is a great stepping stone,” Curtin said.
It's not ideal to miss two standout players while fighting for points in the second half of the season, but magnitude of an opportunity like the one ahead of them isn’t lost on the club, who made the final call to release them.
“It hurts, but it's what we are as a club and what we believe in. They've worked really hard through the cycle. Oftentimes, guys help a team to qualify for the Olympics and aren't selected. That happened to a lot of players, but fortunately for our guys, they were there the whole way through. They earned this opportunity. So for us be selfish and hold them back now? I wouldn't sleep well at night, but we'll miss them for sure,” Curtin said.
The final Olympic roster is a small one; Head Coach Marko Mitrović selected 18 players and four alternates to compete for the stars and stripes. Nine of those named to the group play in Major League Soccer, and McGlynn and Harriel are the only duo to come from the same club, but they aren't the only players with Union ties.
20-year-old Union midfielder Paxten Aaronson, an academy product from Medford, New Jersey who once climbed the ranks to the first team before he was transferred to Eintracht Frankfurt, was also named to the squad.
Philadelphia Union will be patiently awaiting Harriel and McGlynn's return, but rest assured, they hope it's a triumphant one. Though it'd keep them away for longer, the team leader said he'd like to see the pair come home with a medal in tow.
“They earned it. First of all, they deserve all the credit for that. It's a hard thing to make because the roster size is so small – there's such a small group that gets the opportunity to do that and to get to do it in France is also pretty special in Paris," Curtin said. "It’ll be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I hope they go there and maybe defy the odds to win a medal.
