Philadelphia Union: The Change at Left Back is a youthful one

The Philadelphia Union have made a change at left back.

Finding a true left back in football is often one of the hardest things a manager or staff can do. It is very hard to find a naturally left footed player, who is also defensively minded. Often a left back is the key missing piece between a team being a pretender, and being a contender. The defense is also only one part of being a fullback, often they have offensive responsibilities as well, and a true blend of a defensive and offensive fullback is hard to come by. The Philadelphia Union made a big change.

For the past four years, the Philadelphia Union have had one left back in Fabinho. For much of the time Fabinho was a capable left back, he did not turn many heads, but he also was not a bad MLS level starter. In the past year or so he attained a new level, but has also continue to get older and many have wondered when the Union would move on from one of their longest serving members, and from one of their veteran presences to a younger left back.

Enter Giliano Wijnaldum in the 2017 preseason. The young left back from the Netherlands was considered likely to be a big of the Union’s defense moving forward. But in the early part of the season Fabinho was the starter, and as the Union started out cold defensive changes were made, but one change not made was subbing in Wijnaldum.

Besides one start in the early parts of the season Wijnaldum has mostly seen the field for Bethlehem Steel in the USL, and was an occasional bench player. That has since changed as the quick Dutch defender has now started in 3 games straight and seems likely to have won the starting job from Fabinho as we head into the Gold Cup break.