Featured image: Nicolae Stoian

The next edition of the Philly Soccer Show podcast, scheduled to be recorded tonight, will feature USMNT U-23 coach Caleb Porter and the Philadelphia Union’s top pick in Thursday’s SuperDraft, Chandler Hoffman.

Philadelphia Union

Sunderland blog the Roker Report tells fellow SB Nation affiliate the Brotherly Game that team manager Martin O’Neill responded to a reporter’s question about rumors of a possible Michael Farfan loan by saying people should not read too much “into these things.”

Describing Friday’s scrimmage between the senior USMNT squad and the U-23 team, MLSsoccer.com writes, “Fueled by the stellar midfield distribution of Philadelphia Union tandem Freddy Adu and Amobi Okugo, the U-23s controlled the first 25 minutes, but were failed by their final touch.” Adu and Okugo were joined by Zac MacMath and Jack McInerney as first half starters. Sheanon Williams started the second half. The USMNT won 4-0, scoring all of their goals in a 15 minute stretch late in the first half. The second goal resulted from “a poor pass” from MacMath. More on the scrimmage here.

The Union’s third pick in Thursday’s SuperDraft, Raymon Gaddis, is full of praise for his former PDL club. “I played for Reading United for two years, so I felt pretty good that the Philadelphia Union organization would take me…Reading is almost like a feeder system for Philadelphia Union, or producing great players—Corey Hertzog, my friend Andrew Wenger being drafted today, CJ Sapong, last year. Matt Hedges. Me and him grew up together, childhood friends, same club team and at Reading. Levi (Houapeu), who I got a chance to know at Reading, already plays for Philadelphia Union, so I already know that they prepared us very well.”

JP Dellacamera reviews the Union’s draft.

Rantsports.com gives the Union an A+ for their draft.

Sebastien Le Toux, Brian Carroll and Jimmy McLaughlin will attend Saturday’s Help Kick Hunger charity event at at McFadden’s at Citizens Bank Park. You can purchase tickets for the event here.

Philadelphia Independence

The Goalkeeper talks to Independence owner David Halstead about the uncertainty surrounding the league in view of the Borislow lawsuit. Halstead says, “I’m thinking about sponsorships, the draft, ticket sales, player signings. That’s where my head’s at. I don’t want anything to disrupt the momentum and the exciting things that we have going on. Honestly, I’m not thinking about it.”

Halstead also says he expects the Independence will be “playing multiple games at PPL Park this year.”

Paul Riley also gives his take on why big stars such as Abby Wambach and Hope Solo have not yet signed with WPS clubs: “I think it just shows the market. Nobody’s going to pay silly money for players who are only going to be here part-time, and maybe aren’t committed to the final product for us. That’s winning three points at the weekend. I want players who are totally committed. I don’t want players who are coming in and out. I’m not saying that Hope or Abby are like that – they’re both tremendous professionals. But you want your goalie there, don’t you?

The team’s first pick, Sarah Hagen, signed a contract with Bayern Munich last month and is now with that team. The Independence have her US rights for one season and, with the German season ending in May, she could join the team then. (The Goalkeeper talks to Hagen’s agent to provide some valuable details.) Riley says of Hagen, “We just felt Hagen is equipped to play in this league immediately. As long as we can steal her away from Bayern Munich for a few months, it will be great.”

Riley also runs the Women’s Premier Soccer League club Long Island Fury. With 11 former WPSL players being selected in the draft, including Hagen, Riley says, “The WPSL has certainly influenced the WPS Draft today and it’s great for the overall growth of women’s soccer in this country. We are delighted with our draft choices. It shows that the WPSL continues to develop and progress many top players.” Riley, a two-time WPSL Coach of the Year, won two championships with the Fury.

Speaking of the WPSL, this interview with the owner of the league’s newest franchise, the Maryland Capitols, provides some insight into alternatives to the WPS model for the development of women’s professional soccer.

In addition to our own report, Saturday’s roundup has links to some good wraps on Friday’s WPS Draft. The Delco Daily Times and the Brotherly game also look at how the Independence did in the draft.

Here’s a complete list of the selections from Friday’s draft.

The Vancouver Sun looks at women’s professional soccer’s struggles in North America.

Local

Downingtown native and former Drexel Dragon Jeff Parke has gotten his first USMNT call-up.

Reading United will be one of four Eastern Conference PDL teams in this year’s US Open Cup.

The Reading Eagle looks at the three former Reading United players who were selected in Thursday’s SuperDraft.

MLS

FC Dallas coach Schellas Hyndman believes the Western Conference will dominate the league again this year.

Evertonians have nothing but praise for how Landon Donovan is doing, and rightly so. His through ball on Saturday for Victor Anichebe’s tieing goal against Aston Villa was sublime.

Everton manager David Moyes says, “He was the best player on the pitch at Villa.”

Thierry Henry apparently got into a shouting match with an Arsenal supporter following Arsenal’s loss to Swansea on Sunday.

The US-England loan market may increasingly become a two-way affair. People.co.uk says David Bentley is looking for a loan to MLS.

Players in Jamaica are viewing MLS as a good first step to Europe.

Steve Davis argues that the pace of soccer broadcasts is better served by a single commentator rather than the two-person commentating team traditionally found in other sports such as American football and baseball, which have lots of downtime between the action. I agree.

US

In this informative Q & A, Jurgen Klinsmann says, “You can’t stop soccer in the US, and it is now challenging other big sports in the US.”

The LA Times looks at US soccer’s increasingly prominent role in world soccer.

US Soccer president Sunil Gulati was given an Honorary All-America award by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Elsewhere

Robert “Philadelphia is Beneath Me” Pires is joining a new league in India modeled on MLS and cricket’s India Premier League. “Since I had nothing in Europe, why not try something completely unknown? I’ve never been over there. ” Pires stands to make at least $500,500 for seven weeks of play. “If my (club) president likes me, it could be 790,000 euros ($1 million),” says Pires. “It is a lot of money. I’m not going to complain about that am I? But I’m not going there as a tourist. It’s a new adventure.” Other players said to be joining the league include Robbie Fowler and Fabio Cannavaro.

A banned Bulgarian referee used a false identity to officiate a friendly last week between Werder Bremen and AZ Alkmaar.