Sergio Santos had just completed another day of training at the bubble on Penn's campus, but he was still bubbling with energy. "It's been good," he said through a translator, "It's been intense and I'm used to that."
The Brazilian is expected to play a significant role in the Union's 2019 season, and he has already impressed teammates with his speed and strength. "If you're a 10, it's going to be a joy to play with him, because he's so fast," Brenden Aaronson said on Tuesday. "He can get in behind, and he's strong and can score goals." Even though the Union featured two double-digit goalscorers in 2018, the club wanted to add depth and versatility to their front line. Santos should be able to provide just that, pushing Cory Burke and Fafa Picault to continue building on their big seasons. "The conditioning here is a lot more than I'm used to and it's better, so every day we just try to come out here and get better," Santos enthused. "I don't like to say what I'm going to do, I like to show it. Right now in this day and age there are a lot of players that say a bunch of stuff and never actually achieve it.
"I'd rather show what I'm going to do on the field."
The Union will finish up their training in Philly at the end of this week before heading down to Florida. Then, on January 30, the club will get to see Santos compete in a live match for the first time in a scrimmage against New York Red Bulls.
Click here to see the Union's preseason schedule, or check out the team's full 2019 schedule to find single game tickets.
