Daily news roundups

SoBs to host national supporters summit, HKH info, Defoe to TFC rumors renewed, more

Photo: SoBs at the 2011 SuperDraft in Baltimore, by Nicolae Stoian.

All of us at PSP wish you and yours a happy and safe Thanksgiving.

Philadelphia Union

Checkout PSP’s story on the news, which includes quotes from Kelly Christine Delaney, the SoB travel coordinator and the prime force behind organizing the summit, which she hopes will become an annual part of the NSCAA convention.

Tickets for the 2014 Help Kick Hunger charity event in support of Chester’s Bernardine Center will go on sale on Dec. 1. The event will take place at the Field House in the Reading Terminal on Saturday, Jan. 18 and will include members of the Union and the Union front office.

The Brotherly Game reviews Sebastien Le Toux’s 2013 season.

Local

There are lots of players with local connections in TopDrawerSoccer’s 2014 MLS Draft Big Board, beginning with Steve Neumann at No. 2.

The Penn women’s team has earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award, an award they have won every year since 2001.

MLS

The Mirror and the Times of London are reporting that Jermaine Defoe has agreed to a four year, £90,000-a-week deal with Toronto FC. That’s $146,520 a week in American money. The Mirror says the deal is worth £6 million to Tottenham, the Times says £4.7 million. The Mirror reports, “Although the deal has been agreed, Defoe is hoping he can stay at White Hart Lane to help the club through their striker crisis until just before the 2014 MLS season starts in March.” According to The Sun, the deal will only happen if Ray Hodgson assures Defoe that the move will not affect his place on the England team. The Times and Sun articles are behind a paywall but this ESPN report has the gist of what the articles say.

At ProSoccerTalk, Steve Davis explains why the Defoe story might best be greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism.

According to SI, Toronto are using the recording artist Drake in an effort to lure players to the club.

Here’s another rumor for you, Miroslav Klose to the LA Galaxy. Club sources tell ESPN that the Galaxy has not been in contact with Klose and that a deal will not happen.

The Houston Dynamo has partnered with USL PRO club the Pittsburgh Riverhounds for the 2014 season. Pittsburgh becomes the fifth USL PRO team to partner with an MLS club. Riverhounds CEO Jason Kutney said, “In partnering with a top MLS side like Houston Dynamo, the Riverhounds are now on a path to the top, both on and off the field.” More from Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Houston Dynamo, Dynamo Theory, MLSsoccer.com, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Penn Live.

The Columbus Crew signed three defenders on Tuesday, re-signing Josh Williams, and adding Costa Rican leftback Waylon Francis as well as Columbus native Matt Wiet, making Weit the club’s sixth Homegrown Player.

At ASN, Blake Thomsen handicaps four potential loan destinations for Clint Dempsey.

Also at ASN, Brian Sciaretta looks at Benny Feilhaber’s success with Sporting Kansas City.

While USMNT coach Jurgen Klinsmann has stated that he wants MLS players in the national team pool to secure offseason loans to maintain their sharpness ahead of the World Cup, Omar Gonzalez says his priority at the start of his offseason is to take time off so that the groin injury he has been dealing with throughout the 2013 season can heal before the start of January’s USMNT training camp.

Robbie Keane will have surgery today to repair longstanding problems with his Achilles tendons.

José Gonçalves has been named Defender of the Year.

Matt Reis has been named the league’s Humanitarian of the Year.

Hilario Grajeda, who will be holding the whistle during the MLS Cup final, has been named Referee of the Year. The wonderfully named Kermit Quisenberry received Assistant Referee of the Year honors.

US

You can cast your votes for the 2013 CONCACAF awards here. Among the nominees are 15 Americans and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Elsewhere

Check out the latest Footy on the Telly for listings of today’s Champions League games. And remember, if you get fed up with all of the American football on the TV on Thanksgiving Day, there are Europa League games to watch.

Soccer America, SI, and SBI roundup Tuesday’s Champions League results, including the 2-1 win by ten-men Ajax over Barcelona.

The BBC reports that several World Cup stadiums in Brazil will not be completed before FIFA’s end-of-the-year deadline. The reports says, “several stadiums are well behind schedule and one host city, Cuiaba, has told the BBC that not only will be it unable to finish its stadium on time, but there are not even enough hotel rooms for visiting fans.”

Zahir Belounis, the French-Algerian player trapped in Qatar after being denied an exit visa because of a contract dispute with his Qatari club, has finally been granted permission to leave and is expected to fly to Paris on Thursday.

Goal.com talks to match-fixing investigator Chris Eaton. The article begins, “Forget the issues around Qatar, FIFA or Financial Fair Play – according to those in power at the top of world soccer, match fixing is the biggest threat to the sport today.”

Reuters reports, “FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, has condemned the Real Betis fans who apparently directed racist chants at Paulao, one of their own players, after he was sent off in Sunday’s 4-0 derby defeat at Sevilla.”

Oh, St. Pauli, how I want to visit with you.

2 Comments

  1. Well done, K-Quiz! Kermit has been the guest speaker at the DELCO referees meeting a couple times.

  2. Probably due them ‘rushing’ the construction of stadiums in Brazil this happened just now: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304747004579224043246728718?mod=WSJ_hps_sections_world

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*