2021 Philadelphia Union season
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| 2021 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Keystone Sports & Entertainment | ||
| Head coach | Jim Curtin | ||
| Stadium | Subaru Park (Capacity: 18,500) | ||
| MLS | Conference: 2nd Overall: 6th | ||
| MLS Cup Playoffs | Conference Finals | ||
| U.S. Open Cup | Cancelled | ||
| CONCACAF Champions League | Semi-finals | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Kacper Przybyłko (12) All: Kacper Przybyłko (17) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 16,827 (July 17 vs. DC United) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 4,625 (April 14 vs. Saprissa) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 12,239 | ||
| Biggest win | 4–0 (April 14 vs. Saprissa) | ||
| Biggest defeat | 0–2 (May 1 vs. New York City FC) 1–3 (August 28 vs. DC United) | ||
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The 2021 Philadelphia Union season was the club's twelfth season in Major League Soccer, the top flight of American soccer. The team is managed by Jim Curtin, his eighth season with the club. The club's regular season began on April 7, 2021, with the CONCACAF Champions League, and then on April 17, 2021, with MLS play, and ended on November 7, 2021, a month-delayed start due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Outside of MLS, the Union, by winning the 2020 Supporters' Shield, is competing in their first ever CONCACAF Champions League.[1]
The 2021 preseason saw turnover in the coaching positions as assistant coach Oka Nikolov departed and replaced by Frank Leicht.[2]
The transfer window was the Union's most lucrative to date selling two MLS Best XI players. Brenden Aaronson was officially transferred to Red Bull Salzburg in the Austrian Bundesliga for a reported fee of $6 million, with a potential $3 million more in performance bonuses; the highest ever transfer fee for a U.S.-based homegrown player.[3][4] In January, Mark McKenzie was transferred to K.R.C. Genk for a reported fee of $6 million, plus additional performance-based bonuses.[5]
Prior to the start of the season, long-time defender, Raymon Gaddis, announced his retirement from professional soccer. The full-back spent his entire professional career with the Union, holding record in games played (221) and minutes played (18,702).[6]
The Union traded away or passed on all picks for the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, being the third consecutive season doing so.[7] Supplementing young players via the Union's academy, five academy players were signed to the senior team: defender Nathan Harriel, midfielder Jack McGlynn, midfielder Paxten Aaronson, defender Brandan Craig, and midfielder/forward Quinn Sullivan.[8][9][10][11]
Rounding out the first team acquisitions included centerback, Stuart Findlay, from Kilmarnock FC and midfielder, Leon Flach, from FC St. Pauli.[12]
2021 roster
- As of September 25, 2021[13]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Transfers
In
| Date | No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred from | Fee/notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 1, 2021 | 26 | DF | Homegrown signing | [8] | ||
| 16 | MF | Homegrown signing | [9] | |||
| 30 | MF | Homegrown signing | [10] | |||
| 34 | MF | Homegrown signing | [11] | |||
| 33 | MF | Homegrown signing | [11] | |||
| February 25, 2021 | 4 | DF | Undisclosed fee | [14] | ||
| March 31, 2021 | 31 | MF | Undisclosed fee | [15] | ||
| April 2, 2021 | 22 | GK | Free Transfer | [16] | ||
| May 11, 2021 | 6 | MF | Undisclosed fee | [17] | ||
| June 10, 2021 | 29 | DF | Free agent | [18] | ||
| July 29, 2021 | 20 | MF | Undisclosed fee | [19] |
Out
| Date | No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| December 2, 2020 | 2 | MF | Declined Contract Option | [20] | ||
| 7 | FW | Declined Contract Option | [20] | |||
| 20 | FW | Declined Contract Option | [20] | |||
| January 1, 2021 | 22 | MF | $6,000,000 - $9,000,000 | [21] | ||
| January 7, 2021 | 4 | DF | $6,000,000 | [22] | ||
| March 4, 2021 | 28 | DF | Player Retirement | [23] | ||
| August 2021 | 22 | GK | Released | [24] |
Loan In
| Date | No. | Pos. | Player | Loaned from | Fee/notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 11, 2021 | 7 | FW | Loan with option to purchase | [25] |
Loan Out
| Date | No. | Pos. | Player | Transferred to | Fee/notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 21, 2021 | 24 | MF | Loaned Out | [26] | ||
| July 13, 2021 | Loaned Out | [27] | ||||
| August 31, 2021 | 14 | MF | Loaned Out | [28] |