For a team that just finished their fifth season of existence and is already on their third coach with just one playoff appearance, change is inevitable. The Philadelphia Union began making changes by removing the interim tag from his job title and making Jim Curtin the third coach in club history. The club followed that up by announcing the hiring of former Manchester United assistant and Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen as a consultant.
While his job description is a bit vague, he will help oversee these changes and assist in the hiring of a permanent sporting director-type person. He will be with the team until at least the start of the regular season in March, if not longer. Meulensteen has been around the team since the summer and was supposedly a finalist for the coaching job until Curtin did so well in turning around the season.
The Union announced more changes today, the first official day of the MLS offseason. Even though the day began with the club announcing they declined options on five players, news broke Sunday night that the last remaining “original” from their 2010 expansion season, midfielder/defender Amobi Okugo, was going to be traded to Orlando City SC after he turned down the Union’s qualifying offer.
This was a shock to fans because it was assumed that if he left the Union he would be going to Europe. He may still head there but Orlando announced he would be signing a new contract with the team. Orlando is joining MLS form the third division USL Pro.
Many fans are upset about the move but to me it makes sense. The club received allocation money and a 2016 second round draft pick for him. This is a good deal because Okugo was out of contract and could have left for Europe for nothing in return.
Sadly, Okugo was never used properly by the Union even though he showed his talent every game. After rarely playing under Peter Nowak, Okugo was moved by John Hackworth from his preferred and natural defensive midfield role to center back. Okugo, one of the most popular players in club history, handled the move with ease.
Jim Curtin moved him back to midfield this summer after replacing Hackworth. Okugo also saw his playing time diminish even though he captained the team on several occasions. Okugo likely wanted a fresh start and that is exactly what he will get in Orlando.
The Union also traded their first round pick in the 2015 draft (10th overall) to Sporting Kansas City for big forward C.J. Sapong. He replaces Conor Casey as the club declined his option, along with Fred, Corben Bone, Brian Brown and Cristian Hernandez.
Brown was on loan from Jamaican club Harbour View and Hernandez was the club’s third homegrown player but failed to see any meaningful minutes. The club also announced that captain Brian Carroll’s contract has expired. While he is a Jim Curtin favorite, it is unknown if the club will seek to re-sign him at a lower salary.
It is believed the Union will buy Maurice Edu from Stoke City after having spent 2014 on loan with the club. There are also rumors that the Union have interest in Danish midfielder William Kvist, currently with Wigan Athletic in England. Kvist was signed by Meulensteen at Fulham and could be seen as a replacement for Okugo.