The Philadelphia Union Academy kicks off its sixth season in the U.S. Development Academy on Saturday. They’ll host New York City FC, riding the momentum of an eventful year in the life of the academy that has seen players like Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie go from prospects to regular starters on the back line of the Union defense. All this, while the team is closing in on securing a playoff spot.
Trusty and McKenzie aren’t the first players to sign as homegrowns, but their path to regular minutes shows that the youth system in place is starting to succeed at its main objective, which is to develop talented young players into first team professionals.