Daily news roundups / Featured

Harvey reaction, Nowak SI’s mid Coach of Year, more news

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Jordan Harvey, 2010-2011

From @Jordan Harvey: “After a LONG day it was nice to sit down and read all of your messages. Thank you @PhilaUnion fans for all the amazing memories. @SonsofBen

From @JordanCHarvey: “Bummed to be leaving such great fans, but everything happens for a reason, right? See you all in CO Whitecap fans. Let’s get some points!”

From@FarydMondragon: “To @JordanCHarvey all my respect and gratitude as a professional, a player, a team-mate and as a human being, was an honour playing with you”.

From @Section133: “@JordanCHarvey When We BOO You Next Year It Will Be Because We Love You. bit.ly/o66f32″.

From @TheUnionDues: “@JordanCHarvey you will be dearly missed, good luck pal, except when you play the Union, then I hope your legs fall off.”

From @FakePeterNowak: “You’re next, Migs”.

According to this report from Kerith Gabriel, Harvey knew on Wednesday that a trade was possible but did not learn until Thursday morning that the trade had gone through. On Wednesday, KYW Newsradio posted this article, which includes an interview with the left back, entitled “Jordan Harvey, Philadelphia Union Ready for West Coast Battle” previewing Saturday’s match in San Jose.

Gabriel talked to Shea Salinas in Vancouver who said, “[Harvey] played every minute of almost every game; it’s shocking that Philly would let him go. I can only guess that Peter is confident in the guys that are backing up Jordan…Look, I can’t really speak for him, but he was definitely shocked and I don’t know if he saw it coming. Again, I can’t speak for Jordan, but there were definitely a mix of emotions.”

Harvey told a Vancouver radio station, “From what I gathered at the end of the day Philly got an offer they couldn’t refuse. But it’s nice Vancouver wanted me this bad.” He also said, “[Y]ou wonder why and what is this all about, but I have to move on and look on the bright side of things.”

The Harvey trade was widely met with shaking heads across the Union fandom. With Nowak not answering any questions about the trade until the postgame press conference in Vancouver (like there’s going to be much if any Philly press there) and next week’s Wednesday press conference (by which time the Harvey trade will have begun to recede as a burning story) we are all left to speculate. Kerith Gabriel sets the ball rolling in the piece linked to above by wondering if Jonathan Spector, released from West Ham, might be coming to Philly.

The Union received an undisclosed amount of allocation money for Harvey. So, that, presumably along with whatever savings come from not having to pay the second half of Harvey’s $62k a year salary, will be used to bring some one in when the summer transfer window opens on July 15. Chris Vito writes in the Delco Times, “MLS clubs receive allocation money in exchange for players lost, traded or sold to foreign clubs, or upon entry into the league as an expansion team. How clubs use that money is entirely up to them … including, let’s say, to sign a player during the international transfer window. It’s a safe bet [the Union] will, but only time will tell.”

The Brotherly Game talks to Vancouver manager Tom Soehn about the Harvey trade.

Union

Looking at the league at the midpoint of the season, SI names Peter Nowak the Coach of the Year.

Goal.com predicts San Jose will win on Saturday: “It’s an odd time to disrupt the defensive chemistry in Philadelphia.” Yep.

This piece from MLSsoccer.com notes that the farther the Union have to travel, the less likely they are to earn a positive result. “There are always a lot of factors included in the West Coast trips,” Peter Nowak says in the article. “In some capacity, you aren’t sure what’s going to work. We’ve tried different things. We kept one routine for a couple games, then tried something different. We’ve trained before the games, just to loosen the players up, and make sure we have good concentration during the game…The most important thing is just getting a good start, not giving up anything cheap…We need to realize we’re playing on the road. If we have good possession, we can keep the ball on the ground, pick our spots, and defend as a team.”

Marc Narducci, apparently recovered from last week’s instance of “Booing vs. naughty words: is there a difference?” philosophical debate insanity, says the Union earn high marks at the midseason point.

Wait a second, Narducci seems to still be suffering some residual effects, slipping into the royal “we” with “Some final words on Sons of Ben.” We are bemused.

The midseason review on the Union website concludes, “Whether Philadelphia can find a way to get their offense clicking consistently, while simultaneously maintaining a stingy defense, will determine the club’s position in the table come season’s end.”

The top four Union players on the latest Castrol Index are Danny Califf (13), Carlos Valdes (22), Sheanon Williams (35), and some guy named Jordan Harvey (62).

Christian Hernandez, a Union academy midfielder on the Players Development Academy team, has been named US Soccer’s U-17/18 Development Academy Player of the Year. Hernandez was also named to the U-17/18 Development Academy Starting XI and East Conference Starting XI. FC Delco midfielder Jimmy McLaughlin and PDA defender Matt Jeffrey were named to the Development Academy East Conference Starting XI.

Want to know what the Sons of Ben will be wearing when they play the Union front office in the River Cup? Click here—it is a very nice looking kit.

Unholy Union has a piece about traveling with the SoB’s to DC.

MLS

This piece looks at the odds of MLS clubs making the playoffs and winning the Supporters Shield. The Union are projected to have a 90 percent chance of making the playoffs (behind New York and Columbus in the East) and a 2 percent chance of winning the Supporters Shield.

Club America topped Portland 1–0 in a friendly on Thursday. The Timbers rested most of their starters because of Sunday’s Cascadian Derby with Seattle.

US

Abby Wambach says of Saturday’s USWNT quarterfinal match in the Women’s World Cup, “I think it’s a really cool challenge for us to face Brazil.”

Looking at the Women’s World Cup and women’s soccer in general, The Atlantic wonders what happened to the spirit of 1999?

On the one hand, I think it is wonderful this guy prefers the USWNT to the USMNT—I’m happy anytime I read about a “casual” fan of the sport being enthusiastic and making a connection to our national teams. On the other hand, what with his watching the USA v Sweden game with “the girlfriend,” and his it is “easier to watch a winner,” and “I can’t wait until our girls play Brazil,” he is a complete idiot.

The Washington Post looks at Stuart Holden’s second journey on the road to recovery from a major season-ending injury.

Elsewhere

Qatar’s World Cup committee denies there is any plan to divide games into three 30 minute periods if temperatures get out of control at the 2022 World Cup.

Zinedine Zidane has been named Real Madrid’s Director of Football. I wonder if we’ll see him later this month?

One person was killed and 16 were injured after a portion of the FC Twente stadium roof collapsed on workers involved in stadium renovations.

Footy on the Telly™

Friday, July 8
Uruguay v Chile (Copa America) 6pm Telefutura
Mexico v Peru (Copa America) 8pm Univision
Richmond Kickers v Charlotte Battery 8pm FSC

Saturday, July 9
England v France (Women’s World Cup quarterfinal) 12pm ESPN, ESPN3.com
Brazil v Paraguay (Copa America) 2:30pm Univision
Germany v Japan (Women’s World Cup quarterfinal) 2:45pm ESPN, Galavision, ESPN3.com
Venezuela v Ecuador (Copa America) 4:30pm Telefutura
Sao Paulo v Cruzeiro 5:30pm GolTV
Kansas City v Chivas USA 7:30pm Galavision
Los Angeles v Chicago 10:30pm FSC
San Jose v Philadelphia 10:30pm CSN

Sunday, July 10
Sweden v Australia (Women’s World Cup quarterfinal) 7am ESPN, ESPN3.com
USA v Brazil (Women’s World Cup quarterfinal) 11:30am ESPN, Galavision, ESPN3.com
Colombia v Bolivia (Copa America) 2:30pm Telefutura
Fluminense v Flamengo 3pm GolTV
Brazil v Germany (Under-17 World Cup third-place match) 3:45pm ESPNU, ESPN3.com
Portland Timbers v Seattle Sounders 4pm ESPN, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com
Boston Breakers v Atlanta Beat 6pm FSC
Mexico v Uruguay (Under-17 World Cup final) 6:30pm ESPNU, Galavision, ESPN3.com

Monday, July 11
Argentina v Costa Rica (Copa America) 8:30pm Telefutura

5 Comments

  1. Ryan Pine says:

    Even though the last time Jonathan Spector played in Philly he got skinned alive by a Turkish counterattack in the WC send off game, I’d still take him over Harvey as he’s a huge upgrade and would give us the best back four in MLS.

  2. I found it interesting that the team does worse the further that they travel. I want you guys to do a piece on what a road trip looks like for the team. They don’t get paid super much, so I wonder if they travel business class, or does the team have its own jet. I know that I wouldn’t want to travel business class the day before a big game.

  3. J Harper says:

    There was a French documentary about Le Toux last year which had entertaining road coverage. The boys in blue sitting in the departure lounge, Danny Mwanga (among others) moving equipment trunks, Danny Califf playing Sodoku on the plane…

  4. Carlos Valdes just posted on his twitter account that he won’t be playing next game. That means we have three defenders for 4 spots. Do we see both Farfans playing fullback with Williams and Califf in the middle?

  5. While I think he’d be a great fit for the U, I really don’t see Jonathan Spector coming to MLS. He’s only 25 and absolutely has something to offer to a Championship club, if not a lower or mid table Premiership or Bundesliga club.

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