Among the new faces on the Union this season is striker Aaron Wheeler, and in addition to a wealth of experience in the lower divisions of American soccer, the 24-year-old brings a unique set of soccer travels to Philly.

Wheeler spent last season with FC KooTeePee in the Finnish second division. He scored two goals in 17 league appearances for a team that finished seventh in the Ykkonen but left Scandinavia with a bagful of unique experiences.

“It was awesome. I’ve never lived that far away,” Wheeler said of living in the town of Kotka, where the club is based. “… There’s some things you take for granted in the U.S. Like over there, they only had bikes to get around places. It’s cold, still snowing in May.”

Perhaps the biggest thing to overcome was a language barrier, one that comes with a cultural aspect to it. Read more »