Union training camp opened today at the bubble over on the Penn campus.

They train inside for a week then peace out to Florida, where they can actually get out on the grass and run around on a natural surface. They’ll do exhibition games and whatnot. It’s very similar to Phillies Spring Training.

Here’s the preseason roster, courtesy of the folks down there this afternoon:

Thoughts:

• Yomi Scintu is the only “mystery trialist” on the list. He’s a young forward from the German FOURTH division. I hope he’s a Bethlehem Steel target, because otherwise there’s no justification for bringing in a fourth division player to compete for an MLS roster spot. I’ll update if Jim Curtin talks about him.
• Aurelien Collin is an experienced, veteran center back. You’re going to need depth for when Mark McKenzie leaves for the U20 World Cup in the summer, so he doubles as a mentor and 4th CB behind your young core.
• Carlos Miguel Coronel was in the Red Bull Salzburg system, where Union Sporting Director Ernst Tanner came from. I’m personally not a fan of bringing foreign goalkeepers into MLS, since we usually do a very good job of producing our own domestic talent at this position.
• Brenden Aaronson has some chops. I’m interested to see how he performs in the midfield this preseason and how his skill set overlaps or doesn’t with fellow homegrown Anthony Fontana.
• Sergio Santos is really the only name on the list that excites me. The Union paid $500,000 to get him from Audax Italiano in the Chilean first division. He’s 24 years old, a left footed forward who can play up top or as a winger.
• David Accam needs to have a strong rebound year. Apparently he was off to the side today, still working to recover from the sports hernia that hampered him last year.
• I would not have brought back Ray Gaddis and Fabinho, but the Union need fullback depth and will also be losing Matt Real to international duty.
• Olivier Mbaizo should be the opening day starter at right fullback. I did not agree with the Keegan Rosenberry trade.

That’s about it. Tanner alluded to more signings soon, and they usually will come in late January and early February.

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24-year-old Brazilian Sergio Santos comes to us from Audax Italiano in the Chilean League. He’s swapping Chile for Chester.

The rumor popped up a few weeks ago on Twitter, with Santos apparently breaking the news on a radio station down there. He also had interest from Mexican side Necaxa but preferred to play in MLS.

I don’t know much about the guy. He scored ten goals for Audax across all competitions last season and Transfermarkt has him listed as a left-footed center forward who can also play as a left winger and second striker.

Here’s a blurb from the Union website:

Santos boasts speed and strength, and it’s the directness of his game that should prove to be a good fit in the Union’s transition-oriented system next year. The 181 pound Brazilian is a mismatch for fullbacks with his size, and he presents huge problems for center backs with his speed. In short, he has shown the kind of raw ability that can make him a versatile option up front for the Union as they seek to flexibly adapt their tactics throughout the 2019 season.

6’0″, 181 is pretty solid. That’s the type of build for a tweener forward who can play up top but also do some damage on the wing or play in a pressing system. Houston’s Alberth Elis I think is a good comparison in the size and weight department.

Sporting Director Ernst Tanner spoke to the media today and said this, after the jump:

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I wrote a somewhat rambling and cathartic diatribe after the Union bowed out of the playoffs with a feckless 3-1 loss in Yankee Stadium a few weeks back.

The crux of the story was how a major market team continues to perform like a small market team, and that just so happens to be the theme in a Forbes story published today that values Jay Sugarman’s franchise at 175 million dollars.

That sounds like a lot of money, especially considering the fact that Sugarman paid somewhere around 20 to 25 million dollars as an expansion fee when the team began playing back in 2010. That fee is now up to $150 million, so the value of the Union has grown by something like 500% just based on league-wide MLS expansion alone. Sugarman, the New York City businessman, could cash out now and make a very nice chunk of change on his investment.

The $175 million number places the Union in the bottom six in total MLS team value, ranked 18th of 23 franchises.

Here’s the top 12:

Philly is way down near the bottom, trailing traditional powerhouse sports markets like Portland, Orlando, and San Jose:

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