The Union may have missed the playoffs they are a team heading in the right direction. The numbers do not lie last season the Union recorded 36 points whereas this season the Union notched 46 points. That is substantial growth for one year specially for a team going into the season with low expectations. The season offered up a number of high points to build off of that make the future promising.Through out the off season the Union will look to add pieces to compliment the team so next season they can make a playoff run.
The Union are still considered a young team with a large amount of talent and this season that talent was on display. Jack McInerney netted 12 goals a career high and proved to be one of the leagues promising young talents. Jack was able to show he has grown as a player and turned into a more complete player. He has shown he can finish with his head and his passing has increased. Jack’s break out season got him on the national team radar and a call up to the Gold Cup. He still has room to grow, he need to change his mentality along with his soccer IQ. Sheanneon Williams had another spectacular season and showed that he is one of the top defenders in MLS. He just missed the MLS Allstar game and has to be on the shortlist of players to be called into USMNT camp. Williams has improved his defending, decision making and crossing. He is becoming a more complete player. One of the best players to come up this season was Amobie Okugo The 22 year old defender came in and started every game but one. He showed to be one of the Union’s most valuable players.
Looking back on the Union season one could tell that the Union really showed grit and heart. They showed a commitment to playing hard and making sure they fought till the very end. They were only blown out of 1 game and that was against New England in a 5-1 loss. Apart from not being blown out the Union were able to score goals. Yes the team struggled towards the end of the season to produce goals but overall the team netted 42 goals a 7 goal increase from last year.
Last season was John Hackworth’s first season as manager of the Union. Under his off season, Hack brought in a number of key players that contributed to the team. He brought in Jeff Parke, Conor Casey, Fabinho, and Kleberson. Those signings weren’t big name play makers or huge attention grabbing signings but all those players played significant roles for the Union and made the team better. Casey netted 11 goals and proved to be a pivotal focal point for the Union offense. Jeff Parke became a stall worth on defense and one of the leaders of the Union. Fabinho was a late accusation and contributed to the team greatly. Fabinho may not be a solid defender but he does provide a great spark off the bench and a lot of heart and hustle.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
