The Union continued their money-saving off-season changes on Wednesday by cutting ties with midfielder Stefani Miglioranzi and back-up goalkeeper Chase Harrison.
After their contract options were declined by the Union, the pair will both enter the MLS Re-Entry Draft and be eligible for selection by all other MLS teams through Dec. 12. To qualify for Re-Entry, the team must either re-negotiate a new contract with the player or allow him to test the Re-Entry market, which works like waivers. In this case, the latter was preferred.
Miglioranzi, 34, was a soft-spoken Union original but played a limited role for the club this past season, starting just 11 games, often in a defensive capacity. His release opens 148,125 for the Union.
Harrison, 27, was acquired midway through the year from the Harrisburg City Islanders when Faryd Mondragon and Thorne Holder fell to injuries. He did not make a start.
Money has been the motivating factor for the Union this off-season, as they seem to be hoarding spending cash for a potential big move. With a solid young core and strong players at every position, coach Peter Nowak has had his eye on making a splash and could do so with over 500,000 saved through player departures.
On Nov. 23, the Union lost midfielder Justin Mapp to the Montreal Impact in the 2011 Expansion Draft. The move freed up 183,333. The Union then released Holder and Juan Diego Gonzalez, who did not play in 2011 but still brought in a whopping 193,462 in salary.
With the money in place and after purging their roster of unneeded and expensive extras, the Union seem primed to end roster subtracting and begin building it back up.
European Union
The Unions young guns are not taking the MLS offseason lightly.
Midfielder Amobi Okugo, goaltender Zac MacMath and midfielder Zach Pfeffer are all heading overseas to train with some of Europes best clubs to learn from the experience and possibly audition their services.
MacMath, 20, like he did before he was drafted by the Union in the first round of the 2011 MLS Draft, will shadow US Mens National Team goalkeeper Tim Howard with Barclays Premier Leagues Everton. MacMath went 3-0-4 with the Union this season.
Okugo, 20, will work with SC Freiburg and Pfeffer, 16, will play beside 1899 Hoffenheim of Germanys Bundesliga. Amobi, considered a defensive midfielder, started 10 games and was held scoreless, while Pfeffer started in two games without a goal.
Although the MLS is a growing league, fame and fortune on the soccer field is found in Europe. While playing time is a factor in any players decision to go from North America to Europe in order to further their career, finding a roster spot in the EPL or Bundesliga would be considered a dream come true for young American players. That means making a trip overseas to train with a club might not just be for practice but also to be seen.
E-mail Ryan Bright at ryanbright13@gmail.com