Earnie Stewart’s complicated legacy

Brotherly GameEarnie Stewart’s legacy with the Philadelphia Union is complicated. Brought in to replace the reviled Nick Sakiewicz and take the Union from punchline to powerhouse, Stewart was able to help the Union move on from some of the missteps of the previous regime. He also however wasn’t above making missteps of his own.

Stewart oversaw the team as its institutional vision took shape: the club would rely heavily on the youth academy while augmenting that with shrewd acquisitions of external talent. Whether or not you agree with that vision, that’s what happened - to a degree.

Thanks in part to a virtually non-existent scouting department, Stewart’s acquisitions were inconsistent.…