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The Boys in Blue are back and while there are still some spots to fill, a few questions were answered last week with announcements that captain Alejandro Bedoya is back on the field for another season along with Ben Bender and Mikael Uhre is back in Denmark. The Union have a preseason date set with SK Sigma Olomouc in Spain a week from tomorrow.

In the email today:

1. 👕 The Boys in Blue Are Back

In an offseason marked by notable departures - Jakob Glesnes, Tai Baribo and Kai Wagner - the Philadelphia Union announced the return of veteran captain Alejandro Bedoya and reserve midfielder Ben Bender last week ahead of the start of training camp. Bedoya and Bender were among the four players out of contract negotiating a return. George Marks was the first to sign a new deal and Mikael Uhre opted to return to Denmark, signing with FC Midtjylland.

The move puts the Union at 24 players on the first team roster heading into preseason with reports of additional additions forthcoming. Danish center back Japhet Sery Larsen seems to be close to an announcement and reports indicate interest in 18-year-old central midfielder Gibril Sosseh. There hasn’t been any chatter of late on 23-year-old Colombian center back Geiner Martinez.

The Union were able to move up in the waiver order by trading the rights to Isaiah LeFlore to Nashville SC (which signed the left back last week) so there are clearly things in the works.

As with any offseason, the group that reports to Chester ahead of preseason trips to Spain and Florida will look different than the squad once the season kicks off in Trinidad and Tobago on February 18. Left back remains the biggest question mark with Kai Wagner off to England but there are also spots on the roster to fill going into a season that includes Concacaf Champions Cup, a long World Cup break and Leagues Cup.

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2. ⚽️ United Soccer Coaches Convention Week

The United Soccer Coaches Convention is back in Philadelphia this week. The convention will be held in the city from Wednesday to Saturday and will feature a number of presenters with ties to the Philadelphia Union and the region.

Presenters include Union head coach Bradley Carnell, assistant coach Phil Wheddon, Union II head coach Ryan Richter, Union Academy director Jon Scheer, former Philadelphia and Eagles quarterback AJ Feeley and former USWNT standout Heather (Mitts) Feeley, Pennridge HS and Hex FC coach Audrey Anderson, YSC Academy head of school Dr. Nooha Ahmed-Lee and many others.

3.💧Water Cooler: Wagner Reaction

Thoughts On Wagner Transfer

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ It's An Offer They Can't Refuse (2) 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 It Was Going to Happen Sooner or Later (12) 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ This Is Going Too Far (8) 🟨🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️ I Get It But I'm Still Not Happy About It (9) 🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Other (2) 33 Votes

via @beehiiv polls

4. 🍕 Social Post of the Day: First Meme in Months

4. 🔗 Link Roundup

• Philadelphia native Sammy Castellanos was named the new head coach of FC Cincinnati 2. Castellanos has spent the last decade coaching in MLS academies and will be reunited in Cincinnati with former FC Delco teammate Jeff Larentowicz.

• Four players with local ties and a fifth who spent time in the Union Academy were part of recent call-ups for a combined U.S. Youth National Team camp for the U-18, U-19 and U-20 age groups.

• Quakertown native Dylan Marco is making the jump from York College to Division 1 UMass.

• Keep track of local college soccer signings and transfers with the Philadelphia Soccer Now College Signing Tracker.

• Keep track of local offseason local player movement with the Philadelphia Soccer Now Offseason Transfer Tracker.

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