Paxten Aaronson, Olivier Mbaizo and Kai Wagner may have played their last games for the Union

LOS ANGELES — When Paxten Aaronson emerged into the Union’s stone-silent locker room after the MLS Cup final loss to LAFC, he wanted to keep his mind on the present.

But the 19-year-old middle child of Medford’s most famous soccer family knew that everyone knew the truth: this was likely his last game for the team he grew up with.

A deal is in the works for Aaronson to join Eintracht Frankfurt, one of Germany’s best and best-run clubs. Major League Soccer’s website reported that the Union will receive $4 million up front, plus incentives later, plus a sell-on fee from any future deal — a package that’s undoubtedly too big to turn down. And Union sporting director Ernst Tanner knows Eintracht’s manager and sporting director well.

“I’ve been a part of this club since I was 10 years old, and my family being so well-connected, my brother coming through the ranks, getting to represent them in [a] MLS Cup final, it hurts a lot, you know,” he told The Inquirer. “I’m disappointed, I’m sad, and I know me and everybody else feels like they could have done a little more to kind of secure the win. … I always want to do more for this club, and I thought I could have done a little more.”

» READ MORE: After building the Union into a title contender, Ernst Tanner takes in his team’s success

Aaronson said he “was just totally focused on the game, and all the outside stuff, all the rumors, I just kind of tried to block out.”

But something in how he said “I thought I could have done a little more” seemed to hint at referring to more than just this game. He was supposed to have played a lot more than he did this year, but Dániel Gazdag was so good that Aaronson couldn’t get more opportunities.

While Aaronson was unable to match his older brother Brenden’s feat of winning the Union a trophy, he was able to play in a MLS championship game, which Brenden never did. Paxten subbed in for Jack McGlynn in the 84th minute Saturday, and Union fans weren’t the only ones hoping he’d write a storybook ending.

“Getting to play in a MLS Cup is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, so I was ready to come in and do whatever it took to help the team,” Aaronson said. “Of course, it’s the MLS Cup final, so the nerves and the anxiety [are] high. But I just tried to do everything to help the team win.”

» READ MORE: Union lose MLS Cup final heartbreaker to LAFC in penalty kick shootout after 3-3 tie

Now the dream will be of seeing Paxten and Brenden both make it to the 2026 World Cup team, with the potential for an extra-special homecoming if the U.S. plays in Philadelphia.

But the Union won’t have to wait that long to see the fruits of their development on soccer’s biggest stage. They only have to wait two more weeks. Brenden Aaronson is a lock to make the U.S. World Cup team that will be announced on Wednesday in New York, with just two more games to get through with Leeds United before heading to Qatar.

We’ll also know soon if Olivier Mbaizo becomes the first active Union player to make a men’s World Cup roster. The 25-year-old-Cameroonian raised his game to its best-ever level in recent weeks, not only regaining the starting right back spot, but locking it down.

Mbaizo promised for weeks that he would keep his focus on his club, and he fulfilled that promise. Now he will turn his attention to his country, and if he plays at the World Cup, the Union will surely get an offer that they cash in on.

» READ MORE: For Jim Curtin it’s ‘a heartbreaking loss,’ but he appreciates the Union’s all-time effort

“This season is done now, and I’m waiting for the World Cup roster that will be announced next week,” he said. “If I’m one of the one of the 26 players, I’ll focus on going to the World Cup with my country.”

Whether or not Mbaizo returns here next year, he believes the Union will keep the strong mentality they showed this year. And he knows the squad’s young players will keep developing, including his deputy at right back Nathan Harriel.

“We have a group of young players who work really hard, and hopefully they can work next year with the same spirit,” Mbaizo said. “It was a great experience to make the MLS Cup final for the first time, and we saw what it takes. … Hopefully next year we’ll have another really good season.”

He praised the fighting spirit that saw the Union come back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to lead 3-2, before Gareth Bale’s stunning (and quite profitable for MLS) equalizer with 90 seconds to go.

“We gave everything we had in this game, and unfortunately, as happens in life, we came up just short,” he said. “I don’t have the words to describe what happened today — it feels bad because we really wanted to win and we didn’t. But we shouldn’t put our heads down, we showed a great spirit.”

» READ MORE: Another Philly team, this time the Union, loses to another Philly expatriate

Kai Wagner echoed those sentiments, and he knew had likely just taken off a Union jersey for the final time.

“I think you can see it, that probably nobody believes in us,” he said. “I thought that for the most of the game we were clearly the better team, and I think in some phases, we just outplayed them. We got, two times, a goal back and we were so close to getting the job done.”

Wagner has made no secret for a few years now of wanting to go back to Europe, and the Union seem ready to grant his wish. They have not just one but two left backs waiting in the wings in Matt Real and Anton Sorenson.

» READ MORE: Philly native John McCarthy denies Union the MLS Cup

But Wagner wasn’t ready to let go of the present yet.

“We’re really proud of how many fans traveled [from] all over the country to Los Angeles to help us to keep going, keep pushing every second,” he said. “For myself, I just have to get over this game now. I’m happy that we played such a great season, happy about all my guys that all the stuff that we got this year.”

That was a reference to Wagner being one of four Union players on MLS’s team of the season, along with defender of the year Jakob Glesnes (who won it at Wagner’s expense), goalkeeper of the year Andre Blake, coach of the year Jim Curtin, and humanitarian of the year Alejandro Bedoya.

“Now it’s just to recharge, take time off with the family, and then keep going again,” Wagner said. “I’m not looking in the future now, what’s happening next year. It’s just about a moment now when I’m frustrated. And what happens next year, we’ll see.”