Philadelphia Union: Keegan Rosenberry's Impact on the Team

Keegan Rosenberry joined the Philadelphia Union out of Georgetown University via the MLS SuperDraft. Rosenberry’s playstyle has drastically altered the team as a whole. We at Section 215 had a one on one interview with the rookie Rosenberry after the Union’s match vs Orlando City SC.

The “local boy” Keegan Rosenberry, out of Georgetown University was the third pick in the MLS SuperDraft for the Philadelphia Union. While many think that Brandon Vincent should have been that pick, Rosenberry is proving doubters wrong.

While Rosenberry should have been a Homegrown Player for the Philadelphia Union, he is relieved that he is with the team.

When asked about not being a Homegrown Player Keegan Rosenberry said,

"“To be honest, I’m grateful for [being familiar with the squad]. Coming in, I knew a lot of the players and the coaches and for me that gave me confidence, knowing how the team worked, the plays and how they ran everything.” Rosenberry continued saying, “It was disappointing to not be considered homegrown. I think that’s what a lot of people would have hoped for but at the same time I’m happy with where I ended up and I couldn’t be happier.”"

In the Philadelphia Union’s game against Orlando City, Rosenberry had a near-assist on CJ Sapong’s goal in the 2nd minute (If Ramos didn’t attempt to clear the ball Rosenberry would have been credited with the assist).

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Rosenberry was expected to come to the team and challenge incumbent Ray Gaddis for the starting role but Rosenberry has started each of the first five games for the Philadelphia Union at right back. In that span, the Philadelphia Union have gone (3-2) and have looked like a totally different team than this time last year. They’ve been pushing play and attacking by countering more often and a lot of that is due to Keegan Rosenberry’s comfort on the ball.

Rosenberry has qualities that have shifted the playstyle for the Union and they’ll be touched on below:

Passing Ability

“The first thing on my mind is to keep the ball for my team. Whether that is a longball, a cross into the box, or a pass back, the mentality is that we’re a possession-oriented team” – Keegan Rosenberry

During the season, Rosenberry’s skill that has been most noticeable is his comfort passing the ball forward and holding possession. When the Philadelphia Union are in attack, he and Fabinho operate almost as wingbacks looking to create width. Rosenberry’s crosses into the box have created issues for the opposing team when the Philadelphia Union go on the offensive. While Rosenberry hasn’t registered an official assist in the league yet, he does have two “hockey assists” (a pass given to the player that directly creates the goal) which are just as important to the buildup of play.

Defensive Awareness

This is an area where Rosenberry’s game is still a work in progress. Rosenberry’s work rate earned him a spot on the MLS team of the week during week three’s win over the New England Revolution. During that game Rosenberry had 4 interceptions, 3 clearances, and 2 tackles, showing that he’s capable of doing it all.

While Rosenberry has had his moments for the Philadelphia Union, he’s sometimes looked raw and last night’s goal by Adrian Winter to equalise for Orlando was one of them. There was a clear miscommunication between Rosenberry and Tribbett leading to Winter’s goal off the pass from Kevin Molino. Those breakdowns will happen less once Rosenberry grows comfortable with MLS play which the veterans on the team have been working on currently.

"“We’re pretty coachable and we try to take everything with a grain of salt,” said Rosenberry when asked about how he and Tribbett are learning from the veterans. He continued to say, “a lot of guys on the team are still trying to coach us and give us pointers and it has been great. A lot of the guys playing beside us, you know Richie [Marquez], Brian Carroll, and [Sebastian] Le Toux in front of me have helped a lot.”"

Overall, Keegan Rosenberry is looking like an excellent pickup for the Philadelphia Union. He’s added an option to balance out the Union’s play on each side. While he has room to grow, the sky’s the limit for Rosenberry.

Next: Why Andre Blake is the Key

Are National Team appearances in the future for Rosenberry? Only time will tell. One thing is certain however, Ray Gaddis will find it hard to see the field as long as Rosenberry stays healthy. Rosenberry has been much more consistent than Gaddis without sacrificing Gaddis’ biggest strength, his pace. The right back position is in good hands, hopefully for years to come.

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Philadelphia Union: Keegan Rosenberry’s Impact on the Team

By Chuck Booth | Apr 9, 2016

Keegan Rosenberry joined the Philadelphia Union out of Georgetown University via the MLS SuperDraft. Rosenberry’s playstyle has drastically altered the team as a whole. We at Section 215 had a one on one interview with the rookie Rosenberry after the Union’s match vs Orlando City SC.