There are a lot of Americans playing soccer in Europe these days. But even those who follow them closely may not have heard of the coalition’s latest signature.
Marcus Anderson is a 20-year-old from Brooklyn, New York who has spent the past year and a half living in Spain. He was brought here by Rayo Majadaonda, a Madrid-based club that has spent most of the past decade in the country’s third tier.
Anderson is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs 170 pounds. He plays as a left winger for Majada Honda, making him an unusual fit for a Union organization that does not use wingers. Monday morning’s team announcement referred to him as an “attacker,” but sporting director Ernst Tanner’s statement referred to him as a striker.
That suggests Anderson’s role in the Union’s 4-4-2 system is as a forward who plays a target man like Michael Uhle or Chris Donovan.
“After initially playing in the Spanish 5th division, he was able to quickly move up to the 3rd division and has shown good performances at a very young age,” Tanner said in a release. “He is another great example of how skilled our scouting department is at identifying talent, and we look forward to integrating him into our team as soon as possible.”
» Read more: Jim Curtin believes Alejandro Bedoya will return to the coalition soon
The Union certainly recognizes Anderson’s potential, giving him a three-year contract through 2026 with team options for 2027 and 2028.
They may not be the only ones to do so. Spanish media outlet Relevo, which ousted disgraced Spanish soccer coach Luis Rubiales last year, reported this in October. Real Madrid was scouting Anderson There is a possibility that he will sign with a reserve team.
In the long term, Anderson could become Julián Carranza’s successor. But for that to happen, the Coalition must first sell Carranza. A person familiar with the matter told the Inquirer that the association had several deals in place this winter with prominent European clubs, but Carranza and his agent rejected all of them. .Germany’s werder bremen is known to be one of those clubs.
Most transfer windows in Europe’s major leagues close at the end of Thursday, but some remain open until Friday. Carranza, 23, is in the final year of his contract with Union, and the longer he stays away, the less likely he is to leave.
Union is currently in the middle of a few days off. They are scheduled to return to work in Chester on Thursday, then return to Florida for a few weeks before heading to Costa Rica for the Concaf Champions Cup opener on Feb. 20.
» READ MORE: Julián Carranza is still a Union player, but for how long?
Brandan Craig’s Loan, Take 2
Marquee Union centre-back prospect Brandan Craig is set to go on loan again and we hope this goes well.
The Morrell Park product is headed to El Paso Locomotive of the USL Championship Second Division, officials confirmed after The Athletic first reported on Monday.
The Union want 20-year-old Craig to play regularly, but it’s hard to see him getting minutes in MLS as they are behind Jack Elliott, Jacob Glenness and Damion Lowe in depth. It would be difficult. The USL Championship is a higher level than MLS Next Pro, where Union reserve teams compete against reserve teams from other MLS clubs.
Craig was loaned to Austin FC last July, but the club also signed another centre-back at the same time. Therefore, he ended up not playing as a second in the Texas capital, and even in the club’s reserve team.
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He had a trial with Everton in the English Premier League earlier this month, but no offer was made. As much as it seems like an honor to move there, it may not be a bad thing.
Everton were given a 10-point deduction earlier this season due to their dire finances and are at risk of a second 10-point deduction before the end of the season. There has been discussion about a possible sale to a new US-based owner.
Once Craig gets to El Paso, he’ll find another Philadelphia native. Manager Brian Krahout grew up in Medford, Burlington County and attended Bishop Eustace High School and Shawnee High School. He served as an assistant coach for Temple’s men’s team from 2012 to 2015, then coached the team in Sweden for six years. Mr. Clahout returned to the United States early last year to take a job in El Paso.