Philadelphia Union
19-year-old Panamanian international Adalberto Carrasquilla trialing with Bethlehem Steel FC
Adalberto Carrasquilla getting a look for 2019
A 19-year-old midfielder with two caps for the senior national team in Panama is getting a look with the Philadelphia Union organization for next season.
Adalberto Carrasquilla was in training with Bethlehem Steel FC on Wednesday after reports stated that the Tauro FC midfielder would be trialing with the Union.
“He’s done well the first two days in training,” Steel FC head coach Brendan Burke said on Thursday. “Just getting to know him right now and see where he might fit into the group.”
Burke said Carrasquilla will be with the team for another week.
“We’ll have a good period to evaluate him,” Burke said.
Both the first team and Steel FC rosters are frozen for the remainder of their respective seasons so if he impresses enough to be offered a deal he wouldn’t be added to either roster until 2019.
Carrasquilla earned his first senior national team cap back in April when he came off the bench in a 1-0 win over Trinidad & Tobago in an international friendly. He came off the bench last month in a 2-0 loss to Venezuela in a friendly.
As a holding midfielder, Carrasquilla plays a position that isn’t in great demand for the first team or for Steel FC. In addition to veteran stalwarts Haris Medunjanin and Alejandro Bedoya, Derrick Jones is waiting in the wings while Warren Creavalle and Anthony Fontana are also on the first team roster. The Steel have captain James Chambers, Drew Skundrich, Omar Holness and recent loan signing Antonio Lokwa who can all play in either of the holding midfield roles in the team’s 4-2-3-1 setup.