It’s in the title, folks. Every week during the MLS season, Backheeled is here to dive into the biggest Winners and Losers from around the league. Let’s get right to it!
Winner: Neil Pierre’s stock
So, uh, what exactly was Bradley Carnell thinking when it came to Neil Pierre?
The former Union coach apparently thought so little of the homegrown center back that he allowed Pierre to go out on loan rather than keep him around the first team squad during the first half of the season. Considering the calamitous defending we saw from Philadelphia under Carnell, and the performances the teenager has given since MLS’s return to play post-World Cup, it sure does look like a massive misstep.
We’re not here to talk about Carnell, though. We’re here to talk about the Harrisburg, PA native. Standing at an imposing 6’7”, the 18-year-old defender has barely put a foot wrong since entering the game as a sub in Philadelphia’s 3-1 win against Red Bull New York straight out of the summer break. Pierre continued his great run of form in a start in a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders and another in a 3-2 win over Atlanta United on Saturday. Along the way? He notched an equalizer deep in extra time to mark his second goal in three games. Suddenly, Olwethu Makhanya's move to Rangers doesn't seem like such a loss.
Spotlighting Pierre isn’t a case of overreacting to a defender's goals, though. No, it’s his defending that makes him stand out.
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Pierre is an absolute monster when it comes to duels, winning 88.9% across his three MLS appearances according to FotMob, which ranks him among the very best in the league. The same goes for his 83.3% aerial duel win rate. The sample size is small, and the game state against Atlanta was certainly favorable with the Five Stripes down a man from the 26th minute on, but for a player his age to be doing this in MLS is remarkable. He seems to be a great fit for Philadelphia’s highly aggressive style. I mean, look at this defensive action map via Futi:
The young man is certainly not afraid to be aggressive.
