Austin FC announced today the Club has acquired defender Brandan Craig via an intraleague loan from Philadelphia Union. Craig joins the Verde & Black through the end of the 2023 Major League Soccer (MLS) season. In exchange, Philadelphia receives Austin’s natural third round pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft and may also receive up to $125,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money (GAM) depending on performance-based incentives.
Craig, 19, recently represented the U.S. U-20 Men’s Youth National Team (MYNT) at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina, where he played every minute of the team’s five (5) matches and was teammates with Austin FC midfielder Owen Wolff.
“I’m happy to join Austin FC and look forward to doing whatever I can to help the team for the remainder of this season,” said Craig.
A Philadelphia native, Craig progressed through the Philadelphia Union Academy and made his professional debut with Philadelphia Union II in 2020. He has since gone on to make 38 appearances for Union II across MLS NEXT Pro and the USL Championship, recording three (3) goals and three (3) assists.
He signed an MLS contract with Philadelphia on January 1, 2021, and played his first MLS match for the Union as a substitute on July 9, 2022.
At the youth international level, Craig has played 15 matches for the U.S. U-20 MYNT, scoring a goal in a friendly against Peru on September 21, 2022. In addition to representing the U.S. at the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he was a member of the team which won the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship, starting five (5) matches including the quarterfinal, semifinal, and final.
“Brandan is a young center back who possesses good instincts and quality on the ball,” said Austin FC Sporting Director Rodolfo Borrell. “We’re excited to welcome him to Austin.”
Transaction: Austin FC acquires defender Brandan Craig via an intraleague loan from Philadelphia Union. Craig joins Austin FC through the end of the 2023 season. Philadelphia receives Austin’s natural third round pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft and may also receive up to $125,000 in 2024 General Allocation Money (GAM) depending on performance-based incentives.
Player Details: Brandan Craig
Pronunciation: bran-dan CRAY-g
Position: Defender
Height: 6’1”
Kit Number: 27
Date of Birth: April 7, 2004
Age: 19
Born: Philadelphia, PA
Citizenship: United States
Last club: Philadelphia Union
How acquired: Signed through the end of the 2023 MLS season via intraleague loan from Philadelphia Union.
Roster Designation: Supplemental
