Jack McGlynn's celebration against Philadelphia Union cuts like a knife

If there was any ambiguity about the way Jack McGlynn felt toward his former club, there is no longer.

The 22-year-old U.S. men's national team contributor converted a penalty deep in first-half stoppage time for his current club, the Houston Dynamo, against his former club, the Philadelphia Union, on Saturday night.

Instead of opting not to celebrate, as some players do against their former teams, McGlynn went full-on emotion, kissing the Dynamo badge on his shirt repeatedly as his teammates celebrated a well-timed equalizer in what finished a 1-1 draw.

In other words, he probably didn't care much for how his move this winter went down.

The cash trade

McGlynn began the preseason still on the Union roster. But, after he was rumored for much of the winter as a potential European prospect, he instead found himself suddenly packing for Houston after the clubs completed a cash trade worth a reported $2.1 million plus incentives.

He later told MLSsoccer.com that he was blindsided by the ordeal, with no sense that a move was developing until it had been completed.

Unlike foreign transfers, where a player has to agree to new terms with the purchasing club, McGlynn's approval or new personal terms weren't required to make the cash trade.

The Dynamo did reach an agreement on an extension with McGlynn earlier this month.

Finding his footing

Since his move to Houston, McGlynn has scored three goals and added five assists through Saturday's match against the Union.

And after making a strong impression for the USMNT at Mauricio Pochettino's January camp, he played in all six games at the 2025 Concacaf Gold Cup, making two starts and contributing one assist.

That comes after 99 MLS regular-season appearances across four seasons for the Union, with whom he first played with the youth academy before signing a Homegrown Player contract and making his first-division debut in 2021.

He also played for the reserve Union II during the 2020 USL Championship campaign.

The Union are having the better season, though, with 17 more points earned than the Dynamo and their playoff hopes all but secure in the Eastern Conference, while Houston scraps to stay in the West picture.