Tag Archive for: MLS

Union’s Jack Elliott an MLS Rookie of the Year Finalist

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Union centerback Jack Elliott earned some well-deserved recognition on Tuesday for his strong debut season, as he was named a finalist for Major League Soccer’s Rookie of the Year award.

Elliott surprisingly became a stalwart of the team’s defense this year. He was drafted in the fourth round out of West Virginia, which is rare territory to find potential pros. Elliott was one of just two picks in this year’s fourth round who saw any playing time in MLS. None of last year’s fourth-round picks have broken through yet, and only four fourth-round picks from 2015 have done so.

The 22-year-old Englishman was quickly thrown into the fire, making his Union debut on April 1. He ended up playing in 30 of the Union’s 34 league games, making 29 starts, and played every minute in all but three of the starts. He also started and played every minute of the team’s two U.S. Open Cup games. His disciplinary record was sterling: just four yellow cards and one red card.

View more online: http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/soccer/philadelphia-union-jack-elliott-mls-rookie-award-julian-gressel-atlanta-20171031.html

Jack Elliott worthy of Rookie of Year consideration, Curtin says

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – The Philadelphia Union have never had a Rookie of the Year winner, though Jim Curtin thinks that could change very soon.

Philly’s coach declared as such after his side’s 3-0 loss at the New England Revolution last Saturday, one where first-year center back Jack Elliott was a bright spot on an otherwise dreary night.

“For me, I think he’s been the Rookie of the Year,” Curtin said of Elliott. “He’s played at that level and I thought he was excellent again tonight.”

When asked about his coach’s remarks, the 6-foot-5 Elliott responded true to character: Humble, soft spoken and driven.

“It’s nice to hear that kind of praise from the coach,” Elliott said. “It doesn’t really change anything; I’ve still got to perform every week. Nothing is decided. To be of that caliber you have to perform all the way through the season. That’s what I’m trying to do.”

Still, it’s hard not to reflect upon how the 21-year-old is of a different mold and backstory than Cyle Larin and Jordan Morris, MLS’s last two Rookie of the Year winners. The former is a star for Orlando City SC, while the latter just scored the game-winning goal in the Gold Cup final for the US national team.

Elliott, meanwhile, was drafted in the fourth round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft after playing at West Virginia University. He was, at best, a long shot for even making the roster, but now he’s started 17 consecutive games in the heart of the Union’s defense.

It’s a trajectory that few expected, and Elliott himself was quick to shy away from praise when asked about the key to his success.

“Just going through the same routine every week,” Elliott said. “Eating healthy, sleeping, all that kind of stuff that helps you perform. Then obviously going out every day and competing against our boys in training and at the weekend against other teams.”

Read the full story here: https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/07/30/jack-elliott-worthy-rookie-year-consideration-curtin-says

Philly Voice: Union’s Jack Elliott quietly playing himself into Rookie of the Year conversation

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When Montreal and Real Salt Lake passed in the third round of the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, the Union kept looking for that late-round gem.

They found it with the 77th overall pick, a 6’5″ center back and defensive midfielder from West Virginia University that no one had really heard of.

Jack Elliott was the last of the five Union draft picks to sign a professional contract, but he inked his deal with the senior team and not Bethlehem Steel, where we all thought the 21-year-old London native might start his professional career.

That wasn’t the case, and Elliott quickly found himself higher up the depth chart than anyone had imagined, jumping Ken Tribbett as fourth in line with Oguchi Onyewu already stepping in for the injured Josh Yaro.

If a starter went down, Elliott was the next man up, and that’s exactly what happened on April 1st when Richie Marquez came out at halftime in the 2-1 loss at D.C. United.

Elliott went back to the bench for one game only, then got a chance to start on April 14th and hasn’t relinquished his position since, playing 13 straight games since claiming the RCB job.

The Union now have six wins, four losses, and three draws in Elliott’s 13 starts, conceding 12 goals and scoring 20 for a +8 goal differential. He’s contributed to six clean sheets and hasn’t been carded in nine straight games, forming an unlikely but incredibly successful partnership with a 35-year-old veteran.

Read the full story here: http://www.phillyvoice.com/unions-jack-elliott-quietly-playing-himself-into-rookie-of-the-year-conversation/

JACK ELLIOTT SIGNS WITH THE PHILADELPHIA UNION

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IPZ Athlete Signs His First Professional Contract

WARREN, NJ, February 27, 2017 — Jack Elliott has signed an MLS contract with the Philadelphia Union, who selected Elliott as their fourth overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft in January.

“We are excited to welcome Jack to the Union as he officially signs an MLS contract and joins our centerback group,” said Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Earnie Stewart. “When you look at Jack, the first thing you notice is his height, an asset that we believe will serve him well as a professional. He is a good passer who reads the game well. He has performed well in preseason and we look forward to working with him this season and beyond.”

“To go from playing in England, come through college and to make it here has been a dream come true so far, best I’ve felt in a long time,” said Elliott, the London, England native who played collegiately for the West Virginia University Mountaineers.

“It is terrific to see a player’s dream come to fruition and we are pleased to see Jack sign his first professional contract with a first-rate club like the Philadelphia Union,” said Robert Zito, Managing Partner of IPZ, which represents Elliott. “We are thrilled for Jack as he officially begins his professional career.”  

Read the Union’s official release about Elliott’s signing here.

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs.  For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com

AARON JONES SIGNS WITH THE PHILADELPHIA UNION

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IPZ Athlete Inks First Professional Contract with the MLS

WARREN, NJ, February 24, 2017 — Aaron Jones has signed an MLS contract with the Philadelphia Union, who selected Jones as their second overall pick in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft in January.

“We are pleased to sign Aaron to an official MLS contract,” said Philadelphia Union Sporting Director Earnie Stewart in a team press release. “Aaron has impressed throughout his time with us in preseason camp, displaying quickness, his ability in passing and on free kicks, and his aggressive one-on-one defending. We look forward to bringing him aboard officially and tracking his development at the rightback position over the years to come.”

Following Philadelphia’s official announcement of his signing, Jones, a native of Great Yarmouth, England who played collegiately at both Georgia State and Clemson, tweeted his gratitude towards the Union. “I’m over the moon to have finally signed my first professional contract with such a great organisation. There are plenty of hours of hard graft ahead but I can’t wait to pull on the Navy & Gold of the Philadelphia Union and help the team be successful in any way possible.”

“We are delighted to see Aaron sign his first professional contract with a top-notch organization like the Philadelphia Union,” said Robert Zito, Managing Partner of IPZ, which represents Jones. “It is wonderful to see a player’s hard work pay off and we could not be more excited for Aaron as he embarks on his professional career.”

Read the Union’s official release about Aaron’s signing here.

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs.  For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com

JACK ELLIOTT CHOOSES IPZ

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Philadelphia Union Draftee is Newest Addition to InterperformancesUSA

WARREN, NJ, January 23, 2017 – Jack Elliott, the Philadelphia Union’s fourth pick in the 2017 MLS draft, has signed with InterperformancesUSA (IPZ), the company announced today.

The London, England, native towers over his competition standing at 6-foot-5. Elliott was a center back and defensive midfielder for West Virginia University and he missed just one match in his four years with the Mountaineers. During his senior year, Elliott led a WVU defense that posted eight shutouts, and he was named to the All-Great Lakes Region First Team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), as well as the All-MAC (Mid-American Conference) Second Team.

In addition to his on-the-field success,  Elliott excelled in the classroom posting a 3.96 grade-point-average which landed him three Academic All-American honors. He was the first WVU men’s soccer player to achieve this feat.

Elliott expressed his gratitude to all who have helped to make this possible, “Thank you to the Philadelphia Union for giving me this opportunity,” Elliott said after the draft. “It’s something that I have been working toward for a long time and will continue working at. A great thanks to everyone that has supported me throughout the years.”

“Jack is a physically imposing defender who has the ability to initiate a team’s attack with his great vision and quality distribution,” said Robert Zito, Managing Director of IPZ. “He embraces one-on-one defensive battles, is technically gifted with both feet, and is an extremely intelligent individual both on and off the field. Jack has been a pleasure to work with since our initial contact and we are thrilled to have him officially join the IPZ family.”

Watch Elliott’s highlights from 2015-2016 here.

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs.  For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.


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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com

AARON JONES JOINS THE IPZ FAMILY

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Philadelphia Union Draftee Chooses InterperformancesUSA for Representation

WARREN, NJ, January 19, 2017 – Aaron Jones, the Philadelphia Union’s second round pick of the 2017 MLS Draft, has signed with InterperformancesUSA (IPZ), the company announced today.

The 5-foot-9 right back hails from Great Yarmouth, U.K. and began his college career at Georgia State University.  He was named to the 2013 College Sports Madness All-Independent Second Team during his freshman year and the 2014 All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team in his sophomore season.

In January 2015, Jones transferred to Clemson University and helped the Tigers reach the Elite Eight. His game-tying goal against UC Santa Barbara in the Sweet Sixteen was featured on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. During his senior campaign, Jones tallied three goals, four assists, and 10 points, and Clemson made a return to the Elite Eight.  The program was ranked #1 in the final RPI poll for the 2016 season.

Jones has tweeted to Philadelphia Union fans that he can’t wait to begin his MLS career in the City of Brotherly Love, especially after watching the documentary that brought the Union to Philadelphia, Sons of Ben: The Movie.  “Even more excited to get started with @PhilaUnion after hearing their story #SonsOfBen,” he wrote.

“I’m delighted to join the Union and excited at the direction that franchise is moving,” Jones said. “I had hoped to have the opportunity to play on the East Coast, and there couldn’t be a better franchise than Philadelphia.”

“Aaron is a dynamic defender who reads the game very well,” said Robert Zito, Managing Director of IPZ. “He embraces the defensive aspects of the game, is strong in possession, and has the technical and athletic ability to join in the attack and provide quality service.  These qualities in combination with Aaron’s professional approach on and off the field make us very excited about having him join the IPZ family.”

Watch Jones’ collegiate highlights here.

About IPZ: InterperformancesUSA (IPZ) is a family-focused management, representation, and consulting firm, built on the integrity of its professionals, and developing whole life solutions for its clients. The firm is an alliance with Zito Partners. For more information, visit www.ipzusa.com.

About Zito Partners: Zito Partners builds, energizes and defends brands. A boutique firm representing a select group of clients from a range of industries, Zito Partners believes in a “ready, aim, fire” approach – understand the client…develop the appropriate strategy against the key target constituencies…and execute against the plan. And through its strategic alliance with Ketchum, Ketchum Zito Financial, Zito Partners is assisting additional clients with their financial communications needs.  For more information, visit www.zitopartners.com.

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Media Contact:

Kyrsten Van Natta
(862) 205-9841
kyrsten@ipzusa.com