From Conestoga to Union, Donovan gets past being ‘a little nervy’
“This is my home and the team I’ve supported for a long time. It’s exactly what I wanted.”
— Conesotga High grad Chris Donovan on signing with the Union
CHESTER » Chris Donovan’s week started in an unconventional, though appreciated, way.
The rookie forward was eating breakfast at the Union’s training complex Tuesday when sporting director Ernst Tanner pulled him in for a chat. The Union were interested in signing the forward, who has been playing this season with Union II in the first season of MLS’ latest reserve league, MLS NEXT Pro.
A star at Conestoga and Drexel, the chance was a dream come true for Donovan.
“It was a little nervy, the days in between Tuesday and Friday when I finally got signed and everything was announced,” Donovan said Saturday night, after making his MLS debut in a 1-1 draw with FC Cincinnati. “It was great once it was announced, and being rosters today, everything moved really fast and I couldn’t be happier with how it went.”
The process from Tuesday’s chat to Saturday’s bow was uneven, as is the way of MLS. But given Donovan’s path through his first six months as a pro, the final few steps somehow fit pretty well.
Donovan led Conestoga to a pair of PIAA championships and three Central League titles, named the Gatorade Player of the Year for Pennsylvania as a senior. An outstanding recruiting get for Drexel, he proved his value over 60 games as a Dragon, with 30 goals and 13 assists. The 6-foot, 164-pound forward was named the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year as a senior and the Philly Soccer Six Chris Jones Player of the Year. Donovan is the third Drexel player in make an MLS roster, the other two — defenders Jeff Parke and Ken Tribbett — also having passed through Chester.
Donovan was selected with the 68th overall pick in the third round of the 2022 SuperDraft in January by the Columbus Crew. His experience with them lasted all of two weeks during preseason, after which the Crew made it clear he wasn’t in their plans.
“It was tough because being a third-round draft pick, you know that you’re always going to be up against it,” Donovan said. “When that opportunity disappeared, thankfully I knew the Union were interested in signing me anyway, so having that back up eased it a little bit, and as soon as I got back home from the failure with Columbus, I knew I would have an option here.”
The Union had been tracking the player from their backyard. Though the club’s developmental plan hasn’t involved making a draft pick since 2018, the entire Tanner era, they
have their eyes on college prospects, especially those with local ties, or potential Homegrown talents that they pass up on after their high school days end but retain rights to.
With rules limiting how many amateur Academy players Union II can field each game, the club needed to fill out the roster. Drafting was off the table, with the Union shipping out picks — to Nashville in 2021 for allocation money, and a second-rounder as part of the Julian Carranza loan agreement with Inter Miami — which meant a waitand-see approach on who other teams cut from camp.
When Donovan and the Crew parted company, he was on the plane to join Union II’s camp in Florida within the week. And whether or not his brief Ohio interlude was a “failure,” it landed Donovan where he wanted to be.
“This is my home and the team I’ve supported for a long time,” he said. “It’s exactly what I wanted.”
There was the small matter of acquiring Donovan, which was out of his hands: By drafting him, even while declining to sign him, the Crew retain exclusive control over his MLS rights through the end of the year after he is drafted (i.e. December 2023). The Union needed to compel the Crew to place him on waivers, then paid $50,000 to the
team with the worst record in MLS, Chicago, to obtain the top spot in the waiver order to ensure no one else snapped Donovan up.
On procedural minutiae alone, it’s clear the Union wanted him.
“He made an impact with Union II right away, trained with the first team and impressed our group,” Curtin said. “It just shows that there’s different ways that you can get to the first team. There’s different pathways for all players. Some players can go to college, learn there, work hard and get rewarded. I’m happy for Chris to get his debut. I thought he came into the game and wasn’t scared, made some plays for us, held some balls up.”
It has all moved pretty fast for Donovan. He played well with Union II, scoring three goals in 10 appearances. While the first team has kept tabs on Union II, it wasn’t until the three-week international break that reserve players trained with the first team to flesh out the numbers. Donovan impressed in that chance and stuck around. By Saturday night, he was waiting on the touchline to check in during the 85th minute of the Union’s draw with Cincinnati. He had little time on the field, but he completed all three of his passes, one leading to a shot attempt. He lost both of his aerial duels but won a challenge in the defensive half.
It was good timing, with forward Sergio Santos still in Chile finalizing the acquisition of his green card. Donovan provided cover Saturday as the fourth forward, but the Union’s two-forward formation has room for more forwards on the depth chart. It’s a spot they tried and failed to fill last year with young Brazilian Matheus Davo.
Donovan, on the other hand, fits what the Union want out of their forwards — a little grit, a little speed and enough ability to finish chances. He’s got the desire to do the hard work of pressing opponents, particularly late in games when backlines are tired, and he’s integrating into a system where no one is counting on him for all that many goals.
Whatever the expectations are, Donovan got to enjoy his first moments as a pro Saturday night, with members of his family and some teammates from Drexel in attendance to make it special.
“Warming up was fun because I’ve never warmed up in front of this many people before,” Donovan said. “Once the game starts, even when you’re on the sideline, you’re kind of locked into the game. For me, it felt like any other game. But before the opening whistle and after the final whistle, that’s when you take it in and enjoy it.”