CHESTER, Pa. - Ken Tribbett was one of the last players off the practice field Wednesday, picking up all of the soccer balls and putting them into a bag before he left.
Sometimes you need reminders like these to remember that he's a rookie. The same can be said for Keegan Rosenberry.
Through the first three games of the Union's season, Tribbett and Rosenberry - both players with local ties - have looked mature beyond their years, helping to stabilize a revamped defense and lead Philly to a 2-1 start.
And if it's been hard at all for them to get thrown right into the fire as half of the Union's starting backline - something few would have expected early in the preseason - you wouldn't know it.
"Maybe it's a little tough," Tribbett said. "But the word I would probably use is ‘exciting.' This is what I wanted to do my whole life. Keegan, I'm sure, it's the same way. To play in this league is a dream come true."
Both had unique journeys to fulfill those dreams.
Tribbett was lightly recruited coming out of high school in Colorado and ended up going across the country to Drexel University, where he first met some of the Union's coaches and players. But he again didn't have many options coming out of college and spent much of the year after his Drexel graduation reffing soccer back in Colorado. It was only after he hooked on with the Harrisburg City Islanders last year that he caught the eye of the Union, who first signed him to a deal with their USL affiliate Bethlehem Steel (whose inaugural season begins Friday at FC Montreal) and then locked him up to a first-team deal later in the preseason.
Rosenberry, meanwhile, grew up nearby in Ronks, Pennsyvania, before going to Georgetown University. Both he and the Union hoped he could be signed to a homegrown deal because of some time he spent playing for the club's youth academy. But when that didn't work out, the Union snagged him No. 3 overall in this year's draft.
Rosenberry, like Tribbett, then did enough in the preseason to impress head coach Jim Curtin and win a starting job. And after three games, they've certainly looked like they belong.
"They've played excellent," Curtin said. "Ken is a guy who not only wins a lot of things in the air but he connects that first pass, which is so critical. … He's put in a lot of work to get where he is. He developed a little later than maybe other pros but it doesn't matter because he's here now. Everybody's pathway is a little different and I've told him already that when you do grab a hold of it and you do taste what it's like to be a starter in this league, you never want to let it go.
"The same thing with Keegan. Keegan has done a very good job defensively and with the ball in the attack. Again, they're smart players; high soccer IQ. I'd say both of them check that box, for sure. They know how to manage games and they don't get too rattled, too high or too low."
Tribbett and Rosenberry certainly showed that Sunday. Despite playing in front of family, friends and old coaches, the duo pushed aside any nerves that come with home openers and led the way in Philly's 3-0 shutout win over the New England Revolution.
Rosenberry, a right back, was so good that he was named to the MLS Team of the Week. And Tribbett, a center back, showcased his aerial ability to help limit the Revs to just two shots on target.
"You're always happy with a shutout," Tribbett said. "There's still stuff to work on. But we're still a new backline and we're still learning each other's tendencies and getting better every day."
While Tribbett is honing a strong center-back partnership with Richie Marquez, he's also developing a promising relationship with Rosenberry. And the two Philly-area guys have been able to help push their hometown team above .500 for the first time since the 2013 season.
"He's fantastic," Tribbett said of Rosenberry. "He's very confident on the ball. I'm confident giving him a pass and that if I drop, he'll give it back. I'm never worried he's gonna lose it or make a mistake. He's a good safety blanket off my right shoulder."
Tribbett has similar confidence in the rest of his teammates after the Union battled back from a rough season-opening loss in Dallas to beat a couple of good teams in the Columbus Crew and the Revolution.
They're now idle until April 2, when they go back on the road to face the Chicago Fire.
"We're a confident bunch," Tribbett said. "We showed it all preseason that we're a good team. So now, after a disappointing Week 1, we bounced back and showed our true colors."
