Philadelphia Union: Section 215 season preview

Award Contenders

Coach of the Year: Jim Curtin- Already with the most wins as a coach in the Union’s young franchise history, this can really be the year where Curtin joins the MLS coaching elite. After coming in for the misfiring John Hackworth, Curtin has turned the Union into one of the top clubs in the Eastern Conference. Coming off of an offseason filled with roster turnover that appears to be for the positive, Curtin has a chance to take the Union even further than last year’s first round exit in the playoffs. If the club can achieve a top 3 finish or so in the East coupled with a run in the playoffs, Curtin will certainly be among the candidates for MLS Coach of the Year.

Comeback Player of the Year: Maurice Edu- After working ever so hard to come back from his initial stress fracture in 2016, Edu was further setback by a freak accident in training that left him with a shattered fibula and damaged ankle in the same leg at the end of last season. Looking like he’s nearing his return to fitness, the Union will welcome one of their two DP’s back with open arms. If Edu can stay off the treatment table and be his usual leader on and off the field while adding steel and innovation to the heart of the midfield along Haris Medunjanin, he will be one of the frontrunners for MLS Comeback Player of the Year.

Defender of the Year: Keegan Rosenberry- After being the 3rd overall pick in the 2016 SuperDraft, Rosenberry justified every bit of his high selection. The right back played every single minute of the Union’s campaign last season, while garnering an All-Star Game start in the process. In his second season with the club, Keegs will look to cement his status as the best right-back in MLS. While not an award traditionally given to outside backs, Rosenberry has every opportunity to break that trend with his positional soundness and tactical astuteness. Certainly a dark-horse, but one to keep an eye on.

Newcomer of the Year: Haris Medunjanin- Ever since the departure of Vincent Nogueira last season, the Union have desperately needed someone to fill the void of a deep-lying playmaker. With Medunjanin, those boots look to have been filled. The number #6, coming off stints in the Netherlands, Turkey, Spain, and Israel, has a chance to be special for Philadelphia this year. Medunjanin will be asked to provide the seemingly ever-changing CB’s protection, while also being able to link the midfield into attack. The Union struggled with just heaving long balls up top towards the end of last year, and Haris should provide a much more stable middle of the field for the Union. If he can stay fit and dominate the middle, he will certainly be a contender for best newcomer.

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Goalkeeper of the Year: Andre Blake- Probably the favorite to win any of these mentioned awards, Blake will be looking to retain the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year status he garnered last year. With 99 saves and 6 clean sheets last season, providing consistency from last year will mean immediate contention for the same honors as last season. The club will be wary of another dazzling season from Blake, as they had to fend off European interest at the end of last season. Blake will enter the season as focused as ever, hoping to lead the Union towards a deep playoff run in the East.