Keegan Rosenberry has been a revelation for the Union.
"We knew when we drafted him that he would have a strong pro career," Union manager Jim Curtin said. "Is it starting a little earlier than we anticipated? Probably, but he's done a good job stepping in and is doing a very good job."
The rookie right back, drafted third overall in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, was expected to join the Union this season as a depth option and student behind the assumed starter, Ray Gaddis. But after an injury slowed Gaddis' preseason, Rosenberry stepped up, putting together two strong starts in two games.
"He's a smart kid," Curtin said. "I think it translates on the field. He has a really high soccer IQ. It's the little things like when to catch teams with his throw ins or when to clear a ball versus trying to play out the back. Those are the things that were impressive for me."
However, Rosenberry knows that despite the coaching staff's faith in him, he still has a long way before owning the position on a full-time basis. He's displayed eye-opening playmaking ability but also struggled with defensive lapses.
"I'm happy to be out there," he said. "It's a vote of confidence coming from the staff. There are always things to work on, I think defensively I've gotten exposed a couple of times and the attacking players are top level. I think that's definitely something I can improve on and continue to improve on."
The Union are expected to start Rosenberry again on Sunday against the New England Revolution. The difference between Sunday and the two previous starts though is that this one is at Talen Energy Stadium, in front of the Harrisburg-native's family and friends.
"His first home game will be exciting," Curtin said. "You have to do a good job sorting out all your tickets requests early so that your head is clear and you're focused on the game. That can be challenging for a young player, but I'd say he's wise beyond his years."
Cheering Pontius
After six seasons playing against the Union, the villain-turned-hero, Chris Pontius, is prepared to call Talen Energy Stadium home on Sunday.
"I'm excited that the crowd will actually be cheering for me this time instead of booing me," Pontius said jokingly. "The guys are ready for it. We're ready to come home."
The veteran attacker will enter the homecoming after scoring a pair of goals in a 2-1 win over the Columbus Crew last Sunday. Pontius cleaned up a throw-in with a tidy finish from the middle of the box for his first goal. For his second, the veteran delivered a clinical finish off the rush.
It was the type of professional scoring that the Union desperately lacked last season.
"He earned his goals," Curtin said. "He worked hard to put the team on his back. I know he's capable of a double-digit goal season. He's done it before."
Seba starting?
Sebastien Le Toux began the season as a bench player, entering the Union's first two matches in the second half. But that hasn't stopped him from producing.
Le Toux has played a combined 48 minutes in two games but contributed an assist and two shots on goal.
"Seba has done a great job coming in as a sub defensively and offensively," Curtin said. "He's contributed and he's created chances in a short amount of time. He does a great job. He's a guy who can get you a goal, he can set up a goal, so we're very happy with him."
Does that praise mean Le Toux is ready to start in front of Leo Fernandes, a second-year MLS player struggling to make an impact in the first-two games of the season? Curtin didn't sound like he wanted to mess with a good thing.
"We have competition at every spot," he said. "Everybody wants to start, and [Le Toux] is disappointed that he's not there. He's shown it in training that he wants to be and he's really been a good pro about it. But when he's called upon, he contributes. We'll have a tough decision to make on Sunday."
High standard for Marquez
After riding the bench in the Union's opener against FC Dallas, Richie Marquez made the starting lineup on Sunday against the Crew. And it was an impressive debut.
"Richie had a very strong game," Curtin said. "Kei Kamara is as tough an assignment as there is in our league, he's a great player and great forward. [Marquez] did a good job of limiting Kei's touches."
But that doesn't mean he was perfect. Benching Marquez in the opener could have been Curtin's way of waking Marquez up. The second-year MLS player is a major key to the Union's future and one of the club's brightest young stars, which has the manager asking for more.
"I got into him pretty good in the film room about an hour ago," Curtin said.
The coach was unhappy that Kamara, one of the league's best players and Marquez's responsibility, was left open on a play that resulted the Crew's lone goal, making it 2-1. The message from Curtin was that consistency is key, especially for center backs with tough assignments.
"As good as Richie played, the message is that it takes one moment of sleeping and they can punish you," Curtin said. "For Kei Kamara to get a free header and cause five minutes of scrambling, it was unacceptable and something we'll fix."
