Union defender Ian Glavinovich ruled out for season with torn meniscus
The centerback hasn’t played a game since April. As he’s signed on a one-year loan, he likely won’t play for the Union again.
More than four months since Ian Glavinovich suffered a torn meniscus, the Union finally gave the centerback a season-ending injury status on Thursday.
When the 23-year-old Argentine suffered the injury on April 5 (and played almost an entire game before knowing it happened), the initial diagnosis was that he’d be out four to six weeks. But meniscus tears are unpredictable, and Glavinovich suffered a series of setbacks in his recovery.
He and the Union have suspected for a while that he probably wouldn’t play again this year. Though they hoped things would change, it’s been clear for long enough now that they wouldn’t.
“This is a tough moment for Ian and for the team,” sporting director Ernst Tanner said in a statement. “We know the impact he can make, and he’s approached this season and injury with the utmost determination and professionalism. We’ll continue to support Ian as he continues his recovery.”
Glavinovich was signed on a one-year loan from famed Argentine club Newell’s Old Boys, with a reported purchase option of $3 million. He showed a lot of promise in his four games before suffering the injury, and is well-liked by teammates and staff, but the Union almost certainly will not take the purchase option. So he will leave with just four appearances for the club on his record.
The SEI designation opens a roster spot. It’s the second the Union have freed up this week, after loaning third-string goalkeeper Oliver Semmle to North Carolina FC of the second-tier USL Championship on Monday.
» READ MORE: Medford’s Paxten Aaronson returns to MLS, joining the Colorado Rapids
With MLS’s summer transfer window set to close Thursday night, there was little hope that the Union would make another move to bolster the squad heading into the playoff race.
They could really do with another centerback, since they only have three of them: starters Jakob Glesnes and Olwethu Makhanya and 17-year-old prospect Neil Pierre. Since Glavinovich’s injury, outside back Nathan Harriel has moved into one of the center spots when the team has needed rotation.
Manager Bradley Carnell indicated in his weekly news conference Thursday that he wasn’t complaining about the state of the depth chart.
“I think Nate’s done excellently at center back as well, and created a little bit of depth there, and Neil’s doing good things at Union II [the reserve squad] and putting himself always in the window,” he said. “So we don’t want a panic buy. … If something happens over the next couple hours, you guys will be the first to know, but as of now, we’re very — I don’t want to say comfortable, but we’re very happy where we are.”
» READ MORE: Jakob Glesnes’ remarkable turnaround this year earned him a new contract from the Union
Earlier this month, the Union pursued Honduran centerback Julián Martínez, a 21-year-old from Olimpia in his native country. New York City FC also was interested and had his “discovery rights,” one of MLS’s old-fashioned bureaucratic roster rules. Martínez ended up signing with a club in Portugal instead.
Coincidentally, the Union’s next game is against one of their former centerback stalwarts. Jack Elliott brings the Chicago Fire to Subaru Park on Saturday (7:30 p.m., Apple TV) in his first visit since the club cast him off after last season. Elliott is the Fire’s captain, and though his team is ninth in the Eastern Conference, it’s on a five-game unbeaten run.
Paxten Aaronson’s move to Colorado is official
Medford native Paxten Aaronson’s $8 million-plus move to the Colorado Rapids became official on Thursday. His contract, which makes him a Designated Player, runs through 2030.
“Bringing Paxten to Colorado highlights our ambition and belief in his ability to impact our team immediately,” Rapids president Pádraig Smith said in a statement. “He has proven himself in Europe, gained valuable experience on the international stage with the U.S. men’s national team, and brings a dynamic, creative presence to our midfield. He is the exact type of young, hungry player we want to build around at this club, and we are delighted to welcome him to Colorado as we strengthen a team capable of competing at the highest level.”
Aaronson left German club Eintracht Frankfurt, which bought him from the Union at the end of 2022, to return to MLS. The 21-year-old played 23 games for Eintracht, and spent a year and a half on loans to Dutch clubs Vitesse Arnhem and FC Utrecht. He chose the Rapids over European suitors including England’s Southampton and Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg.