Jim Curtin Hints At Possible Return To Philadelphia For Colombian World Cup Defender Carlos Valdes

The World Cup may be over for the United States, but MLS play has resumed which means it is time to talk about Philadelphia Union roster management, and hey, here is a pretty big World Cup tie-in!

Jim Curtin said the team has been actively talking to Carlos Valdes & that "for the long term, we want him in a Philadelphia Union jersey."

— Dave Zeitlin (@DaveZeitlin) July 1, 2014

With Sheanon Williams, a converted right back, and Maurice Edu, a converted midfielder, both manning the central defense for the Union in their victory last Saturday at New England, the return of Carlos Valdes to PPL Park would certainly be a welcome addition to the Union defense and would free up Williams and/or Edu to be used in more natural positions.

Valdes has spending the last six months on loan with San Lorenzo de Almagro, a club in Argentina's Primera Division. But with the latest Primera Division season ending a couple weeks prior to the start of the World Cup, Valdes's situation is up in the air and will be worth keeping an eye on in the coming weeks and months. If all goes well, the Union could have a World Cup defender on their back line sometime soon, though it is worth noting that San Lorenzo are still competing for the prestigious 2014 Copa Libertadores, the South American equivalent of the UEFA Champions League, and they will be playing in its semi-finals July 23 and July 30 against Club Bolivar.

But for now, Valdes has some other business at hand to be concerned with, as his Colombia will be facing Brazil in the World Cup quarter-finals Friday afternoon. Valdes has played in one World Cup match thus far, starting and going the full 90 minutes in Colombia's 4-1 win over Japan during the group stage.