Brenden Aaronson and Mark McKenzie broke into the US Men's National Team at the start of 2020, and according to ChasingACup.com, they are only the latest sign of how strong Philadelphia Union's academy has become in recent years.
Finishing ahead of vaunted academies such as Real Salt Lake and Seattle Sounders, the Union academy was declared, "the most underrated Major League Soccer academy."
Notably, the Union academy features YSC Academy, a school that is built to marry young players' love of soccer with academic success. Union academy members train twice a day and work with their teachers to learn the self-discipline and time management necessary to balance their academic and athletic lives.
Jack de Vries and Cole Turner both joined the Union first team in the past year, and Union II is stacked with top-tier prospects looking to break through to the first team. Additionally, the Union have invested heavily in developing players early, and the U12s, led by World Cup winner Kleberson, recently toured Brazil and impressed the entire time.
Compared to many clubs, the Union academy remains young, so there is plenty of room for growth in the future.
