Whether C.J. Sapong ends up being the Union's top striker this season, it's clear that the team expects him to be an integral part of the squad.
The Union gave Sapong a new three-year contract on Wednesday, a big vote of confidence in the 27-year-old Virginia native.
Sapong's previous deal with the team was to have expired at the end of the 2016 season.
He was acquired from Sporting Kansas City last winter in a trade that cost the Union its 2015 first-round draft pick. The deal proved worthwhile. Sapong scored a team-high nine goals and added four assists in 27 games.