The 2017 Philadelphia Union season was the club's eighth season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The team was managed by Jim Curtin, his fourth season with the club. The Union finished the 2017 season with the same points total as the 2016 season, but did not clinch entry to the MLS Cup Playoffs. The 2017 season also marks a new goalscoring record by C. J. Sapong who scored 16 goals in a single season, eclipsing Sebastian Le Toux's record of 14 goals during the inaugural season.
Background
MLS SuperDraft
Round Pick Name Position Nationality School2 25 Marcus Epps Forward United States South Florida 33 Aaron Jones Defender England Clemson 3 55 Chris Nanco Forward Canada Syracuse4 77 Jack Elliott Defender England West Virginia 82 Santi Moar Forward Spain Pfeiffer
2016 MLS regular season During the 2016 MLS season the Union finished with an 11–14–9 record, which was enough for a playoff berth, the franchise's first since 2011, as the sixth seed. The Union also had a franchise record eight wins at home, finishing 8–5–4 at home and 3–9–5 on the road.
2016 MLS Cup Playoffs The Union faced Toronto FC in the Eastern Conference knockout round, where they lost 3–1 at BMO Field. The Union's only playoff goal of 2016 was scored by Alejandro Bedoya in the 73rd minute of that game.
2016 Lamar Hunt U.S. open The Union entered the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup playing host to the Harrisburg City Islanders and won by a score of 3–2, advancing to play the New York Red Bulls in the round of 16, where a two-goal effort by Chris Pontius lifted the Union to a 2–1 victory. The Union went on to lose 4–2 in penalties to the New England Revolution after playing to a 1-1 draw through extra time in the quarterfinals.
2017 roster
Current squad
No. Name Nationality Position Date of birth (age) Signed from Goalkeepers 18 Andre Blake (INT) GK UConn23 John McCarthy GK Rochester Rhinos29 Jake McGuire GK University of Tulsa Defenders 3 Jack Elliott CB West Virginia University 4 Ken Tribbett CB Bethlehem Steel FC 5 Oguchi Onyewu CB Unattached 12 Keegan Rosenberry RB Georgetown University 15 Joshua Yaro (INT, GA) LB/CB Georgetown University 16 Richie Marquez CB University of Redlands 19 Aaron Jones CB Clemson Tigers 26 Auston Trusty (HGP) CB Bethlehem Steel FC 28 Ray Gaddis RB West Virginia University 32 Giliano Wijnaldum (INT) LB VfL Bochum 33 Fabinho LB Sydney FC Midfielders 2 Warren Creavalle DM Toronto FC 6 Haris Medunjanin (INT) CM Maccabi Tel Aviv 7 Brian Carroll DM Columbus Crew SC 8 Maurice Edu (DP) DM Stoke City 10 Roland Alberg (INT) CM ADO Den Haag 11 Alejandro Bedoya (DP) CM/RM FC Nantes 13 Chris Pontius LM D.C. United 20 Marcus Epps CF South Florida 21 Derrick Jones (HGP) MF Bethlehem Steel FC 22 Fafà Picault MF FC St. Pauli 24 Adam Najem (HGP) MF Akron 25 Ilson Jr. (INT) CM/RM Shakhtar Donetsk 30 Eric Ayuk Mbu (INT) LM/RM Rainbow FC Bamenda Forwards 9 Charlie Davies CF New England Revolution 14 Fabian Herbers (INT, GA) CF Creighton University 17 C.J. Sapong CF Sporting Kansas City 27 Jay Simpson (INT) CF Leyton Orient
DP indicates Designated Player GA indicates Generation Adidas Player HGP indicates Home Grown Player INT indicates MLS International Player and qualifies for an international roster spot
Current staff
Position StaffNation Head coach Jim Curtin Technical director/Assistant coach Chris Albright Assistant coach Mike Sorber Assistant coach B.J. Callaghan Goalkeeping coach Oka Nikolov Head athletic trainer Paul Rushing Strength and conditioning coach Kevin Miller Sporting director Earnie Stewart Academy director Tommy Wilson
Competitions
Preseason
MLS season
U.S. Open Cup
Friendlies
Standings
Eastern Conference standings
League standings
Statistics
Appearances and goals
! colspan="12" style="background:#0E1B2A; color:#B1872D; text-align:center"| Defenders
! colspan="12" style="background:#0E1B2A; color:#B1872D; text-align:center"| Midfielders
! colspan="12" style="background:#0E1B2A; color:#B1872D; text-align:center"| Forwards
Statistics are from all matches as documented by Soccerway.com.
Top scorers
PlacePositionNameTotal1FW C. J. Sapong160117 2MF Roland Alberg7018 3MF Fafà Picault70074MF Ilsinho60065MF Marcus Epps2013 8MF Haris Medunjanin2002 MF Alejandro Bedoya2002 MF Chris Pontius2002 14DF Jack Elliott1001 DF Oguchi Onyewu1001 MF Fabian Herbers1001DF Richie Marquez1001 MF Derrick Jones0011FW Jay Simpson1001 Total490453
Goalkeepers
Nat.No.PlayerAppsStartsRecordGAGAASO 1 BlakeAndre Blake26 26 9–10–7 34 1.31 9 2 0 27McCarthyJohn McCarthy8 8 2–4–2 13 1.63 1 0 0 29McCarthyJake McGuire0 0 0–0–0 0 0.00 0 0 0 Total 11–14–9 47 1.38 10 2 0 Record = W-L-D
Transfers
In DateNo.Pos.PlayerTransferred fromFee/notesSource January 5, 2017 32 LB Giliano Wijnaldum VfL Bochum Discovery Signing January 9, 2017 27 FW Jay Simpson Leyton Orient Discovery Signing using TAM January 30, 2017 5 CB Oguchi Onyewu Unattached Discovery Signing January 31, 2017 6 CM Haris Medunjanin Maccabi Tel Aviv Signing using TAM February 2, 2017 22 MF Fafà Picault FC St. Pauli Discover Signing February 6, 2017 20 FW Marcus Epps South Florida 2017 Philadelphia Union Draft Signing February 8, 2017 24 MF Adam Najem University of Akron Traded first right to refusal with New York Red Bulls February 23, 2017 19 DF Aaron Jones Clemson Tigers 2017 Philadelphia Union Draft Signing February 24, 2017 3 DF Jack Elliott West Virginia University 2017 Philadelphia Union Draft Signing March 10, 2017 29 GK Jake McGuire University of Tulsa Waiver Selection
Out DateNo.Pos.PlayerTransferred toFee/notesSource October 28, 2016 10 MF Tranquillo Barnetta FC St. Gallen End of Contract November 2, 2016 3 DF Taylor Washington Pittsburgh Riverhounds Contract Option Declined November 2, 2016 19 MF Cole Missimo Contract Option Declined November 2, 2016 20 MF Wálter Restrepo New York Cosmos Contract Option Declined November 2, 2016 23 DF Anderson Conceição Tombense End of Loan November 2, 2016 27 GK Matt Jones Belenenses End of Loan November 2, 2016 32 MF Kevin Kratz Atlanta United FC Trade for 2020 4th Round MLS SuperDraft Pick January 18, 2017 22 MF Leo Fernandes Tampa Bay Rowdies End of Contract
Loan in DateNo.Pos.PlayerLoaned fromNotes
Loan out DateNo.Pos.PlayerLoaned toNotes April 4, 2017 30 MF Eric Ayuk Jönköpings Södra IF Remainder of 2017 season
Honors and awards
MLS Player of the Week WeekPlayerStats9 Chris Pontius3G
MLS Save of the Week WeekPlayerLink21 John McCarthy
References
External links Official Website Philadelphia Union at ESPN FC