When the Union took the field Monday for their first preseason practice, it had been exactly 50 days since their 2025 season ended.
If you think that isn’t much time, you aren’t alone. But it was enough for a lot to happen.
Tai Baribo, Jakob Glesnes, and Kai Wagner were sold, while Mikael Uhre, Chris Donovan, and others found new homes as free agents. Striker Ezekiel Alladoh and centerbacks Japhet Sery Larsen and Finn Sundstrom arrived, with Larsen’s signing announced Tuesday for a transfer fee of around $938,000. (There’s likely to be another new centerback too, in Geiner Martínez.)
Some returning players have new numbers, including new homes for soccer’s most famous numbers of all. Milan Iloski got the No. 10, becoming the first player to wear it since Dániel Gazdag and the 10th in team history; and Bruno Damiani got the No. 9, the 11th player to wear that shirt.
Alladoh, meanwhile, is the Union’s first No. 23 since Kacper Przybylko in 2021, and the ninth in team history. Larsen got No. 5, which had been Glesnes’ — one of a few signs the 25-year-old Denmark native is ticketed to start.
Tuesday was the first day that practice in Chester was open to the media, and it brought another interesting sight: 16-year-old forward Malik Jakupovic, a much-touted striker prospect, training with the first team. He’s on a reserve team contract right now, but a promotion this year would be welcomed by many observers.
A few other reserve players were also out there, including striker Stas Korzeniowski and centerback Rafael Uzcategui. Korzeniowski, a central New Jersey native and former Penn player, earned praise last year for scoring 12 goals in his first pro season with Union II.
One thing that hasn’t changed is sporting director Ernst Tanner’s status. Major League Soccer’s investigation into his alleged misconduct remains open, and he still is on administrative leave. The latter isn’t expected to change until the former does, and no one involved has put forth a timetable for a resolution.
The Union’s sporting decisions continue to be made by a committee of manager Bradley Carnell, director of academy and professional development Jon Scheer, assistant sporting director Matt Ratajczak, and scouting director Chris Zitterbart. Carnell and Scheer will meet the press on Friday, a day before the team heads to Spain for two weeks.
Then there’s something else that has happened since November, not directly about the Union, but certainly connected to them: the World Cup draw.
Jean Jacques hopes for Philly’s support
Danley Jean Jacques knew then that he would have a chance to play on soccer’s biggest stage, but he didn’t know exactly where or against whom.
Now we all know: Haiti will play Scotland, Brazil, and Morocco, and the game against Brazil will be in Jean Jacques’ adopted hometown.
“I’m very happy to be playing here in Philly because I know the atmosphere,” he told The Inquirer. “I think all the fans in Philly will come to support me, and it will be a pleasure to play here.”
Brazil and Haiti have some shared cultural ties, including in soccer. Indeed, for many Haitian soccer fans, Brazil is their second national team. Memories live on in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, of the Seleçao’s 2004 visit for a friendly to help push for peace in the country.
Jean Jacques was only 4 years old then. But he knows the history, and how much his home country wanted to draw Brazil in Les Grenadiers’ first men’s World Cup appearance since 1974.
“I know that the Haitian people like Brazil, but they’re going to root for us,” he said. “It will be fun to play against Brazil because the Haitian people like Brazil — but I think they like us more than Brazil.”
That will be borne out in the stands here, for what should be the most fun atmosphere of Philadelphia’s five World Cup group games.
“I know they will all be behind us, supporting us to play well, and we will give everything to give joy to the people,” Jean Jacques said.
And how about dueling with players like Vinícius Júnior, the star of Brazil and Real Madrid?
“Yes, that would feel good,” Jean Jacques said. “To play against players like that is a pleasure. I’ll be preparing well to play against them and give it my all.”
A place in soccer history
It’s pretty rare for players to be able to play a World Cup game for their country in their club team’s home city. It’s even rarer for players from Concacaf, the region that spans North and Central America.
The last time anyone from around here came close was in 2006 in Germany. Kasey Keller played for the United States in Gelsenkirchen, about an hour’s drive from his club home in Mönchengladbach.
It didn’t happen in 1994, when the U.S. last hosted, because the U.S. didn’t have a major professional league. That year’s national team did most of its tournament prep in a long residency camp.
To land all the way on the nose, you have to go back to 1986 in Mexico. The hosts had many players on clubs in Mexico City and Monterrey, where El Tri held its games that summer.
The closest modern equivalent arguably comes from women’s soccer: U.S. captain Lindsey Heaps played a 2024 Olympics semifinal in Lyon as a player from OL Lyonnes.
“It’s a very comforting feeling,” Heaps said. “As a player, you get an extra boost of confidence.”
Jean Jacques could end up being one of many players who get the honor in this tournament, and not the first chronologically. Mexico and Canada play their first two group games before Brazil-Haiti kicks off, El Tri in Mexico City and Guadalajara and the Canucks in Toronto and Vancouver.
The United States’ Cristian Roldan could also beat Jean Jacques by a few hours if he makes the team and plays in Seattle against Australia, on the same day as Brazil-Haiti.
It’s still a rare honor over soccer’s full history, so there should be no playing it down. But Jean Jacques has plenty to do before the summer, as the Union start their season in just over a month with a return to the Concacaf Champions Cup.
For now, that is at the front of Jean Jacques’ mind. After spending some time off in Miami and with friends in France, he says he’s ready to get back to work.
“We focus on the new season that’s going to start soon,” he said. “We have the Champions Cup in the near future, and we’re going to prepare well for that to start the year well.”
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