Union

MLSsoccer.com has a preview of tonight’s match against the LA Galaxy.

The Union are feeling loose and excited ahead of tonight’s match. With Moreno away on international duty, does that free up Le Toux to go up front? And if he’s up front, what will the midfield look like? You got to play Torres after his last game, don’t you? And if Salinas is ready to go, can’t you put him…Holy crap, my head just exploded.

David Beckham was at Citizens Bank Park to witness Roy Halladay’s historic no-hitter. Ryan Howard told Beckham he’s good luck and wants him back for more games. Maybe if he comes back he’ll learn that paying $100 for a cheesesteak is the kind of thing that only self-important, overpaid, removed from reality, egotistical clothes hanger pretty boys who are past their prime and looking to impress vapid, overdressed, surgically-altered women would do. Oh.

Here’s the chant I devised when me and some friends traveled up to East Rutherford to see Beckham’s first match against the Red Bulls a few years back: “It’s wrapped, it’s bound, it bounces off the ground – BECKHAM’S ANKLE!” Went over like a lead balloon.

Beckham and Donovan talk to the Delco Times. Best quote award goes to Beckham, who had this to say about playing the Union: “We’re going to be up against it.” Damn straight!

Jacobson, who played Beckham while with DC United last year, reminds everyone that Beckham “is a great player, but just one of 11.”

Local

The Inquirer has a look at how soccer is bringing the world to Philadelphia. It’s a very favorable review of the impact of past season of US friendlies, Union friendlies and the city’s inaugural MLS season. And thank goodness those poor, uneducated, information and technology starved savages who live in that unfortunate Third World backwater of Glasgow, Scotland, have finally had the opportunity to have “heard of Philadelphia.” I think they just got electricity there.

Ahead of their big match at PPL Park on Saturday against South Florida, Villanova loses 1–0 to 24th ranked Penn State.

US

Reaction to the USWNT 1-1 draw with China at PPL Park on Wednesday night from the Inquirer. It looked like the team was headed for their first loss on US soil in six years until Alex Morgan evened things up. The last time the USWNT lost was in Philadelphia, a 3-1 loss to Denmark. That, combined with a total attendance of only 2,505 for last night’s game, makes me hope they don’t think Philly is some kind of jinx.

The Washington Post reports that thus far only 6000-plus tickets have been sold for Tuesday’s friendly at PPL Park. The report suggests several reasons for the poor sales: World Cup hangover; Timing, in view of the Phillies in the playoffs, the recent start of the Eagles’ season and the beginning of the season for the Flyers and 76ers, not to mention the soccer market being tapped out with two big sold-out matches to finish the Union’s inaugural season which included three club friendlies and the USA v Turkey friendly; Ticket prices; not much local interest in the opponent, Colombia.

Representatives of the nations bidding for the 2022 World Cup presented their case before the Leaders in Football conference in London yesterday. USSF president Sunil Gulati closed his remarks with an observation: “Has Australia pulled out of the competition completely?” With rumors of internal conflict among the bid committee leadership and bankruptcy, Australia failed to send a representative to the conference. It could be that only Qatar and South Korea-Japan remain legitimate bids along with the US. In related news, Chuck Blazer, the US representative on the FIFA executive committee that will decide who will host the World Cup, spoke favorably of England’s bid for 2018.

Elsewhere

Surprise! The proposed deal to sell Liverpool is headed to the courts. If the deal is approved by the court, the prospective owners plan to attend the upcoming Liverpool derby.

Sepp Blatter may face a challenge for the FIFA presidency from Chung Mong-joon, vice president of the South Korea federation.

The former head of the Chinese Football Federation has been arrested on bribery charges.