Union

John Hackworth says after the Union’s 1–0 loss to San Jose on Wednesday night, with more analysis, rants and rantings.

Shea Salinas will be the guest reader at the Helen Kate Furness Free Library in Wallingford, PA, on Sunday, September 26 at 2pm.

Soccer America talks to Danny Mwanga, who says he still hasn’t decided whether he will play for Congo or the US.

Local

“Pelada,” the soccer documentary getting rave reviews, is playing at International House on Sunday at 7pm. For a look at the seamier side of the world’s game, check out “Soccer Slaves,” available this weekend on Current TV, channel 107 on Comcast. “The documentary ‘Soccer Slaves’ covers the travails of these young, desperate soccer hopefuls.  From the fields of hope in Africa to the black market games in Europe, the exploitation of the Lost Boys of Soccer is vast and shameful.” It’s being shown Saturday, September 18 at 11:00pm and Sunday, September 19 at 2:00am, 7:00am, 10:00am, 3:00pm, 6:00pm and 11:00pm.

Penn has made its first appearance in the national polls for 2010. Coming off of  4–0–0 start to the season, its best start since 2005, Penn is now ranked 22nd in the NSCAA/HendrickCars.com Division I rankings, 24th in the SoccerAmerica Top 25, and 28th in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Tournament 48 ranking. Penn is currently ranked third in the Northeast Region behind Connecticut and Harvard. On Friday the team hosts Villanova at 5pm at Rhodes field in the Ivy League/Big East Classic and on Sunday travels to Washington D.C. to face Georgetown at 1pm.

After finishing third in the Ivy League and making it to the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Princeton men’s team has high hopes for this season.

Two Philadelphia-area products have earned Player of the Week honors in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Lumberton, NJ, native Ryan Finley, a sophomore at Duke, leads the ACC in shots (24), points (8), goals (4), shots per game (8.0), points per game (2.67), and goals per game (1.33). Sinead Farrelly, a native of Haverton, PA, who plays for Virginia, was also named MVP of the Virginia Nike Soccer Classic after scoring three goals in two games, including both game-winners as the Cavaliers defeated Brown University and the previously unbeaten Texas University.

Philadelphia Biblical University’s men’s team is currently ranked 6th in the NCCAA Division II poll for Christian colleges.

Philadelphia University won 1–0 in double overtime over West Chester on Tuesday thanks to a goal from Ryan Purnell.

Philadelphia University’s women’s team drew 2–2 with the CW Post team of Long Island University. Trisha Sileo and a CW Post own goal were responsible for Philadelphia’s tally.

The Inquirer’s South Jersey boy’s soccer spotlight is on Eastern senior Nick Tierce.

The League of Cumberland Soccer Club of Bridgeton, New Jersey, will celebrate Mexico’s Bicentennial on Saturday. Festivities will include a friendly between league veterans and Young Team Chivas.

MLS

A report suggests that MLS will move to 30-player rosters in the 2011 season.

CONCACAF Champions League

Real Salt Lake defeated Toronto FC 4–1.

USL/NASL

Wednesday was supposed to be the deadline for submitting bids to USSF for sanctioning of Division 2 soccer. Some deadlines are apparently more like “guidelines.”

More on the status of the USL and NASL and the possibility of promotion/relegation with MLS in podcast/video form.

US

Representatives of the Argentine Football Federation will meet with officials from USSF and the Mexico Football Federation next week about arranging two friendlies in the US in March. The matches could take place on March 24 and 28 during a FIFA international break and are likely to happen on the West Coast.

Could Chivas de Guadalajara’s Miguel Ángel Ponce, born in Sacramento but raised in Tijuana, be the the fit for left back on the national team?

US U-20 forward Gustavo Ruelas has been loaned by Mexican team Santos Laguna to Celtic.

Continuing with the apparent video theme of today’s roundup, check this video about the bad luck the US has at at the World Cup with going down a goal early, bad refereeing, and still battling on, ultimately “Dying Bravely.”

Elsewhere

The Portuguese FA is hoping to convince Real Madrid to let Jose Mourinho take over for the national team’s next two Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Inspired by a scene in Monty Python’s The Life of Brian, a banner made by Bayern Munich supporters intended to be displayed during the club’s Champions League match against Roma on Wednesday night was barred. The banner, which read “Romani ite domum”—Latin for “Romans go home”—was deemed to be provocative.

The Sydney Morning Herald wonders if Australian domestic soccer is doomed.