While Philadelphia Union were dominating on the pitch and claiming the 2020 Supporters’ Shield, Sporting Director Ernst Tanner spent the season also signing the Union’s next generation of talent from the Union Academy with five new homegrowns joining the roster on January 1.
The first homegrown announced came on July 17th as the Union acquired the homegrown rights for outside back Nathan Harriel. The 19-year-old’s path to the first team started in 2018 when he joined the Academy after three years with Chargers Soccer Club in Clearwater, Florida. While he made 12 starts in the Academy, Harriel made an immediate impact on Philadelphia Union II’s lineup in 2019 with 23 appearances and 12 starts. With nearly 1,900 minutes as a 17-year-old, Harriel kept on developing and made 13 starts in 2020 and recorded his first career assist for Union II on September 30th against Hartford Athletic with a pin-point pass over the defense.
A natural defender, Harriel isn’t afraid to fly up the flanks that you see from a Kai Wagner or Ray Gaddis and will only get better in 2021 as he trains alongside the duo.
Tanner then turned his attention to the midfield with the acquisition of Jack McGlynn. Playing in his first USL Championship action, the 17-year-old led the team with five goals and three assists in over 1,100 minutes of play. A box-to-box midfielder, McGlynn wasn’t afraid to do the dirty running like you see from captain Alejandro Bedoya but on the ball he looks to create whether for himself or others. Against rival New York Red Bulls II McGlynn earned USL Team of the Week honors with his first career goal and assist in the club’s first win of the season. McGlynn’s best goal too came against the club’s biggest rival with this rocket.
Two days after the addition of McGlynn the Union signed No. 10 Paxten Aaronson. While he shares the same last name as Brenden, Paxten’s path to the first team saw a blazing first debut season in the USL Championship. Making 14 appearances and 10 starts, Aaronson scored his first USL goal on September 3rd against Atlanta United 2.
Two weeks later, Aaronson’s playmaking abilities set up an assist in the club’s 4-0 rout of Loudoun United. While the 17-year-old is only 5’6”, he isn’t afraid to challenge players older or far larger than him and it’s clear to see those sessions in the basement with his brother has given him the confidence to take his game to the MLS level.
As the Union celebrated the Supporters’ Shield, the club added more depth with Brandan Craig and Quinn Sullivan on November 12th. Playing with Union II primarily as a center back, Craig will be a No. 6 according to Tanner and he did well in the few starts he found success in that role late in the USL Championship season. While Craig was the youngest player on Union II, he made history as the club’s youngest-captain and continued to wear it for the reminder of the season. Craig also became the youngest goalscorer in club history with this volley against Loudoun United on September 17th.
Fellow midfielder Quinn Sullivan worked his way up the Union’s ‘Path to The Pros’ after playing four seasons at the Union Academy stretching time at the U-12s through the U-19s. Appearing in 90 games with 66 starts, Sullivan scored 32 goals in that time including a 19-goal season with the U-15s in 2018-19. With Union II, Sullivan made nine appearances as an amateur with 226 minutes.
