Union

Goal.com’s head-to-head preview of Saturday’s match against Chivas USA has the Philly guy predicting a 2–0 Union win and the Chivas guy a 3–1 Union win. Our preview predicts a 2–1 win if Jonathan Bornstein plays, a 3–1 win if he doesn’t.

The Daily News takes a closer look at what the Union will be doing with the $50K it won for high school soccer in Chester.

Christian Arrieta has been called up by Puerto Rico to play in the Digicel Caribbean Championship.

Independence

Reaction to the 2–1 extra time Independence victory over Boston Breakers from:

The Inquirer
The Boston Globe
The Boston Herald
Goal.com
ESPN.com

You can watch Sunday’s final against the heavily favored FC Gold Pride from 2:30pm on TCN (Channel 8 on Comcast) and FSN. FSC has a replay at 6pm.

Local

Ivy League play for the Penn women’s team begins this weekend with a match against Harvard Friday night at 7pm. The team hosts the Naval Academy on Sunday at noon.

Philadelphia Biblical University lost 5–1 to Delaware Valley College on Wednesday. They host Marywood College on Saturday at 3pm.

MLS

The New York Times looks at the changes that have occurred in MLS thanks to the designated player rule.

Friday night’s match between LA Galaxy and New York Energy Drinks is the talk of MLS. The collective salaries of five players on those teams—Beckham, Donovan, Henry, Marquez and Angel—represents nearly 30% of the wage bill for the entire league.

THgose who sit in the supporters section at Toronto’s BMO Field will pay 34% more for next year’s season tickets, the largest price increase for all of the club’s season ticket packages. Needless to say, even tough the increase represents tickets for four additional games, the supporters are not happy.

David Beckham is suing In Touch magazine over allegations that he slept with a prostitute in 2007. Yawn.

US

Charlie Davies is far from being able to play first team soccer.

Elsewhere

FIFA are finally getting around to offering financial assistance to Kodjovi Obilale, the Togo goalkeeper left crippled after the terrorist attack at the Africa Cup of Nations in January. “Not once, Obilale says, has he been contacted by the Confederation of African Football, organizers of the biannual Africa Cup, or Angola” host of the 2010 tournament. The Togo sports minister has given him approximately $17,000.

Suffering from poor attendance, the Italian Serie B club Triestina has resorted to filling the stands with fake fans, “PVC covering, which features images of real Triestina fans.”

Arsenal have announced record profits. Pre-tax profits rose by£10.5m compared to the previous year.

Sir Alex Ferguson fears the constant media attention on Wayne Rooney is exhausting him. SAF said, “the siege of the tabloids can wear out anyone.”

Footy on the Telly™

FRIDAY
Cologne v Hoffenheim, 2:30pm on GolTV
Akron v Tulsa,  8pm on FSC
LA Galaxy v -New York Red Bulls, 11pm on ESPN2

SATURDAY
Chelsea v Manchester City,  7:30am on ESPN2
Bayern Munich v Mainz 9:30am on GolTV
Arsenal v West Brom,  10am on FSC
Liverpool v Sunderland,  10am on FSP
West Ham v Tottenham, 12pm on FSC
AC Milan v Genoa,  12pm on FSP
Levante v Real Madrid,  2pm on GolTV
Roma v Inter Milan 2:30pm on FSC
Philadelphia Union v Chivas USA,  4pm on Live Well Network
Fulham v Everton, 4pm on FSP
Birmingham v Wigan, 5pm on FSC
Flamengo v Palmeiras,  5:30pm on GolTV
Millonarios v America, 7:30pm on GolTV
Cucuta v Medellin, 9:30pm on GolTV
Real Salt Lake v Colorado, 10pm on FSC

SUNDAY
Bolton v Manchester United, 7am on FSP
Fiorentina v Parma,  9am on FSC
Wolverhampton v Aston Villa,  9am on FSP
Newcastle v Stoke, 11am on. FSC
Hercules v Sevilla,  1pm on GolTV
Cesena v Napoli, 1pm on FSP
WPS title game: FC Gold Pride v Philadelphia Independence, 2:30pm on TCN and FSN (Replay at 6pm on FSC)
Juventus v Cagliari,  2:30pm on FSC
Atletico Madrid v Zarazoga 3pm on GolTV
Lens v Paris Saint Germain, 3pm on FSP