A former Philadelphia Union Academy midfielder was selected as the first pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft by expansion team Charlotte FC on Tuesday.
Ben Bender, a Baltimore native who starred at the University of Maryland and left school early to sign a Generation adidas contract, spent a season playing for the Union Academy U14 team in 2015-16.
Bender’s two older brothers also have ties to Pennsylvania as former standouts for Messiah University. Jacob Bender was the Division III national player of the year in 2016 and was part of the national championship team in 2013.