Two former Union youth players selected in first round

Two former Philadelphia Union Academy defenders were taken in the first round of Friday’s MLS SuperDraft.

North Carolina senior Colton Storm (Mechanicsburg, Pa.) was selected 14th overall by Sporting Kansas City and Stanford senior Brian Nana-Sinkam (Lititz, Pa.) went 22nd overall to reigning MLS Cup champs Seattle Sounders.

Both were part of the Union Academy setup in its part-time “club and country” days where the Union would call in players from area youth clubs for training and competitions like the annual U17 Generation Adidas Cup.

Storm, who played for his local club HMMS Eagle FC, suited up for the Union four times in the MLS Reserve League and spent time in the U.S. U17 Residency Program in Florida prior to his time in Chapel Hill, where he developed into one of the steadiest right backs in the powerhouse ACC. Storm also played in the PDL, locally for Reading United and last summer for Portland Timbers U-23.

Nana-Sinkam, who helped anchor a Cardinal defense that won back-to-back national championships, made one appearance for the Union Reserves and played in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy for PA Classics.

Neither player were on the board by the time the Union made their first selection on Friday, which ended up being South Florida winger Marcus Epps in the second round at 25th overall after dealing their 42nd pick and $50,000 in 2018 allocation money to expansion club Minnesota United FC for the pick. The Union selected Clemson right back Aaron Jones with the 33rd overall pick.

Another former Union Academy player in the draft, Penn State senior forward Connor Maloney, is still left on the board heading into the third and fourth rounds on Tuesday. So too is Georgetown senior forward Brett Campbell and Indiana senior defender Billy McConnell.