The 2016 Philadelphia Union season was the seventh season of the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The team was managed by Jim Curtin, his third season with the club. The 2016 season marked the Union's second appearance in the MLS Cup Playoffs, the first time since the 2011 season.

Background

2016 MLS SuperDraft

Round Pick Name Position Nationality School1 2 Josh Yaro Defender Ghana Georgetown 3 Keegan Rosenberry Defender United States Georgetown 6 Fabian Herbers Midfielder Germany Creighton 2 23 Taylor Washington Defender United States George Mason 3 44 Mitchell Lurie Defender United States Rutgers 4 64 Cole Missimo Midfielder United States Northwestern

2015 MLS regular season The 2015 Philadelphia Union MLS regular season saw the team go 10–17–7, finishing 9th in the Eastern Conference and 18th overall. From the beginning of the season to the summer break, the Union went 4-9-3, including a four-game losing streak from April 19 to May 9. After the summer break, the Union fared only slightly better, going 6-8-4. The Union missed the MLS Cup Playoffs for the 4th consecutive season.

2015 U.S. Open Cup The 2015 U.S. Open Cup was the second year in a row in which the Union were runners-up in the U.S. Open Cup. The Union entered the competition in the fourth round along with the other 16 US-based MLS clubs. In that round, the Union defeated the Rochester Rhinos, a team in the USL, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid, 3-1 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw through extra time. In the next round, the Union defeated D.C. United 2-1. The Union then went on to defeat the New York Red Bulls 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw aet. In the semifinals, the Union beat the Chicago Fire 1-0. In the final, the Union lost to Sporting Kansas City 6-7 on penalties, after going 1-1.

2016 roster As of January 24, 2016.

Squad breakdown

Current squad

No. Name Nationality Position Date of birth (age) Signed from Goalkeepers 1 Andre Blake (GA) GK UConn 24 Matt Jones GK Belenenses27 John McCarthy GK Rochester Rhinos Defenders 3 Taylor Washington LB George Mason University 4 Ken Tribbett CB Bethlehem Steel FC 12 Keegan Rosenberry RB Georgetown University 15 Joshua Yaro (INT, GA) CB Georgetown University 16 Richie Marquez CB University of Redlands 23 Anderson Conceição CB Tombense Futebol Clube 26 Auston Trusty (HGP) CB Bethlehem Steel FC 28 Ray Gaddis RB West Virginia University 33 Fabinho LB Sydney FC Midfielders 2 Warren Creavalle DM Toronto FC 6 Roland Alberg (INT) CM ADO Den Haag 7 Brian Carroll DM Columbus Crew SC 8 Maurice Edu (DP) DM Stoke City 10 Tranquillo Barnetta (INT) CM Schalke 04 11 Alejandro Bedoya (DP) CM/RM FC Nantes 13 Chris Pontius LM D.C. United 14 Eric Ayuk Mbu (INT) LM/RM Rainbow FC Bamenda 19 Cole Missimo MF Northwestern Wildcats 21 Derrick Jones (HGP) MF Bethlehem Steel FC 22 Leo Fernandes RM Reading United A.C. 25 Ilsinho (INT) CM/RM Shakhtar Donetsk Forwards 9 Charlie Davies CF New England Revolution 14 Fabian Herbers (INT, GA) CF Creighton University 17 C.J. Sapong CF Sporting Kansas City

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

Competitions

Preseason

MLS season

MLS Cup playoffs

Statistics

Statistics are from all MLS league matches as documented by MLSsoccer.com.

Nat.No.PlayerPos.AppsStartsGAAcquired 2 CreavalleWarren CreavalleCM 27 21 0 1 5 1 Trade 3 WashingtonTaylor WashingtonCB 0 0 0 0 0 0 SuperDraft 4 TribbettKen TribbettCB 22 19 2 1 4 0 Signed 5 NogueiraVincent NogueiraDM 8 8 2 0 1 0 Signed 6AlbergRoland AlbergCM 28 13 9 3 2 1 Signed 7 CarrollBrian CarrollDM 26 23 1 0 6 0 Trade 8 EduMaurice EduDM 0 0 0 0 0 0 Signed 9 Le TouxSebastien Le TouxLM/RM 18 12 2 5 2 0 Trade 9 DaviesCharlie DaviesCF/CF 8 0 0 1 0 0 Trade 10 BarnettaTranquillo BarnettaCM 29 25 5 4 8 0 Signed 11 BedoyaAlejandro BedoyaMF 10 10 1 0 3 0 Signed 12 RosenberryKeegan RosenberryRB 34 34 2 2 0 0 SuperDraft 13 PontiusChris PontiusLM 33 32 12 6 2 0 Trade 14HerbersFabian HerbersCF 21 13 3 7 4 3 SuperDraft 15 YaroJoshua YaroLB/CB 17 15 0 0 3 2 SuperDraft 16 MarquezRichie MarquezCB 33 33 2 0 4 0 SuperDraft 17 SapongCJ SapongCF 31 29 7 2 1 0 Trade 18 Ayuk MbuEric Ayuk MbuLM/RM 1 1 0 0 0 0 Signed 19 MissimoCole MissimoMF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Signed 20 RestrepoWalter RestrepoLM 4 0 0 1 0 0 Signed 21 JonesDerrick JonesMF 0 0 0 0 0 0 Homegrown 22 FernandesLeo FernandesRM 12 2 0 1 1 0 SuperDraft 23 AndersonAndersonCB 1 1 0 0 0 0 Loan 25 IlsinhoIlsinhoCM/RM 25 14 2 2 2 1 Signed 26 TrustyAuston TrustyCB 0 0 0 0 0 0 Homegrown 28 GaddisRay GaddisRB 7 5 0 1 4 0 SuperDraft 33 FabinhoFabinhoLB 29 29 0 6 6 0 Signed Total 50 42 578 Players with names marked left the club during the playing season. Players with names in italics were loaned players.

Goalkeepers

Nat.No.PlayerAppsStartsRecordGAGAASOAcquired 1 BlakeAndre Blake32 32 10–13–9 50 1.56 6 0 0 SuperDraft 24 JonesMatt Jones1 1 1–0–0 2 2.00 0 0 0 Loan 27McCarthyJohn McCarthy1 1 0–1–0 3 3.00 0 0 0 Signed Total 34 34 11–14–955 1.61 6 0 0 Record = W-L-D

Standings

Eastern Conference standings

Overall standings

U.S. Open Cup

Friendlies

Transfers

In DatePlayerNumberPositionPrevious clubFee/notesDecember 7, 2015 Chris Pontius 13 LM D.C. United Traded for general and targeted allocation moneyJanuary 12, 2016 Wálter Restrepo 20 LM New York Cosmos Undisclosed transfer feeJanuary 14, 2016 Joshua Yaro 15 LB/CB Georgetown University 2016 MLS SuperDraftJanuary 14, 2016 Keegan Rosenberry 12 RB Georgetown University 2016 MLS SuperDraftJanuary 14, 2016 Fabian Herbers 11 CF Creighton University 2016 MLS SuperDraftFebruary 4, 2016 Roland Alberg 6 CM ADO Den Haag Undisclosed transfer feeFebruary 23, 2016 Ken Tribbett 4 CB Bethlehem Steel FreeFebruary 24, 2016 Ilsinho 25 CM/RM Shakhtar Donetsk Free July 27, 2016 Derrick Jones 21 MF Bethlehem Steel Signed as a Homegrown PlayerAugust 3, 2016 Alejandro Bedoya 9 MF FC Nantes Signed as a Designated PlayerAugust 4, 2016 Charlie Davies 11 FW New England Revolution Acquired in exchange for General and Targeted Allocation Money, and a first round pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft

Out DatePlayerNumberPositionNew clubFee/notesDecember 7, 2015 Cristian Maidana 10 AM/MF Houston Dynamo Traded for allocation money and a 2016 SuperDraft pickDecember 7, 2015 Andrew Wenger 11 LW/ST Houston Dynamo Traded for allocation money and a 2016 SuperDraft pickDecember 10, 2015 Dzenan Catic 19 FW Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Option declinedDecember 10, 2015 Danny Cruz 44 FW Minnesota United FC Option declinedDecember 10, 2015 Fred Carreiro 77 MF Bethlehem Steel FC Option declinedDecember 10, 2015 Conor Casey 6 FW Columbus Crew SC Option declinedDecember 10, 2015 Antoine Hoppenot 29 FW FC Cincinnati Option declinedDecember 10, 2015 Ethan White 15 DM New York City FC Traded for 2016 MLS SuperDraft pickDecember 10, 2015 Steven Vitória 23 CB S.L. Benfica Option declinedDecember 10, 2015 Eric Bird 21 MF Rio Grande Valley FC Toros Option declinedDecember 10, 2015 Jimmy McLaughlin 20 LW/RW FC Cincinnati Option declinedDecember 11, 2015 Zac MacMath 18 GK Colorado Rapids Traded for 2016 MLS SuperDraft pickJanuary 15, 2016 Zach Pfeffer 18 MF Colorado Rapids Traded for 2016 MLS SuperDraft pickMay 24, 2016 Michael Lahoud 13 MF Miami FC Undisclosed Transfer Fee June 16, 2016 Vincent Nogueira 5 DM RC Strasbourg Mutually Terminated ContractAugust 3, 2016 Sébastien Le Toux 9 MF Colorado Rapids Traded for General Allocation Money

Loan in DatePlayerNumberPositionLoaned fromJanuary 13, 2016 Anderson Conceição 23 CB Tombense Futebol ClubeFebruary 9, 2016 Matt Jones GK Belenenses

Loan out DatePlayerNumberPositionLoaned toJanuary 12, 2015 Michael Lahoud 13 MF New York Cosmos

Honors and awards

MLS Player of the Week WeekPlayerStats14 Chris Pontius1G 1A16 Roland Alberg4G18 Ilsinho2G

MLS Goal of the Week WeekPlayerLink14 Chris Pontius

MLS Save of the Week WeekPlayerLink16 Andre Blake

MLS All-Stars 2016

PositionPlayerNotesGK Andre BlakeStarting XIDF Keegan RosenberryStarting XI

End of Season Awards PlayerCountryAwardNotesRefAndre BlakeMLS Goalkeeper of the YearFirst to win award in club history Keegan RosenberryMLS Fair Play AwardChris PontiusMLS Comeback Player of the Year Award

References