It’s clear that developing the next generation of talent is a key focus for Bethlehem Steel FC in 2019 and fans of the team have had plenty of chances to see that effort in action. Young players from the Philadelphia Union Academy like Nathan Harriel, Axel Picazo and Cole Turner have all gotten valuable playing time this year, with the latter earning a Steel contract for 2019 and a pre-contract with Philadelphia Union for the 2020 season.
Of all those developing talents, none is younger than forward Patrick Bohui. At 15 years and 29 days of age, Bohui is the youngest player of all-time to start a match for Bethlehem Steel FC.
“I feel honored and say thanks to Brendan [Burke] for trusting me in giving me a start,” Bohui said recently. “I’m grateful to be in this environment because I have a chance to keep learning every day with James Chambers and the rest of the guys. I’m really happy with what I’m doing and where I’m at right now.”
Bohui has now started in consecutive matches and has accumulated six appearances through the Steel’s 26 matches this season. Working around his academy season, Bohui’s time on the pitch with Steel has come in spurts. As Steel face two more stretches of three games in seven days, the young striker could still see more chances to improve and push on toward his first USL Championship goal.
“I would say that my running behind the line has improved this year because I was a winger in the old system and now I’m a striker,” noted the still-15 year old. “I didn’t really know what I was doing at first, but now with the Steel and some of my coaches from the Academy like Kevin Coleman sitting down and spending the time to teach me these things I’m improving my game in a lot of areas. So far I feel that I’m doing well. I just have to keep practicing and keep being myself. If I do that then I’ll be alright.”
Union fans may not have had a chance to see Bohui in action with the Steel yet this year, with one start coming over Labor Day weekend and the other occurring at roughly the same time as Philadelphia Union’s international friendly against Pumas UNAM last Saturday. When asked what fans should be looking for and how he’s seen the forward develop throughout the year, Steel FC Head Coach Brendan Burke mentioned that Bohui has a number of skills at his disposal that make him dangerous in any match.
“I think he has some natural gifts, he’s very quick, his instincts off the ball are excellent, his timing off the ball for when to break the line and when to come off the line are impressive, not something really that’s taught, it’s something he’s learned from watching the game at a high level and that he applies well to match environments,” stated Burke. “I think he’s also in a position now where he has been exposed with two starts, he’s shown progression from the first game to the second game and he was even better in the second game than he was in the first game.”
“He’s now been in, over the course of two games, four or five dangerous goal-scoring positions, where he almost scored or should have scored, so he’s getting very close to a breakthrough at an impressively young age,” Burke continued. “That’s great, but ultimately we would never put a guy out there that we didn’t feel could compete at that level. Patrick has backed up our confidence in him with his two performances and I’m sure he’ll see plenty of minutes through the final eight games of the season.”
Burke and the rest of Steel will hope Bohui’s breakthrough comes this weekend as they are set for a showdown on the road with second-placed Indy Eleven on Saturday, September 14. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. ET, with the match set to be broadcast on ESPN+.
