Six homegrown players on the roster: The Philly Five and a Jersey boy. A back line and goalie composed entirely of homegrowns and SuperDraft picks. A USL team starting teenagers on the wing and up front, and quickly becoming a breeding ground for MLS talent.
Philadelphia Union’s youth movement is underway.
The thing about building from a young base is that you get to see players develop from promising prospects into something far more influential. Brenden Aaronson remembers playing with Auston Trusty when both were barely teenagers, and Jim Curtin remembers coaching them both. Aaronson’s younger brother, Paxten, is so short he could run through Matt Miazga’s legs while the big defender was still busy making fun of his height, but he’s also tearing up academy opponents with ease.