Daily news roundups / Featured

More from Orlando, Reserve League schedule released, WPS news, more

Photo: Earl Gardner

Philadelphia Union

Look for player ratings, analysis and a photo essay from the weekend’s 1–1 draw with Orlando City later today.

More local reports on the daraw from Reeves’ Army, a photo essay from knightnews.com, and this TV report from wftv.com 9.

Nizar Khalfan has been called up for the Tanzanian National Team’s friendly against Democratic Republic of Congo on Thursday ahead of Tanzania’s 2013 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Mozambique on Feb. 29. Here’s some background info on the upcoming games.

Fans line the pitch during a reserve game in 2011. Photo: Earl Gardner

The Reserve League Schedule has been released.

Union reserve games last year were wonderful opportunities for fans to watch players up close. Players and coaches alike were very generous in interacting with and posing for pictures with fans. But RSL Soapbox notes the league has made changes to its Reserve League rules for 2012 and suggests these changes could make for a less fan friendly experience. PSP will try to find out if the Union intends to make any changes to how it puts on its reserve games.

The gags keep a-coming from Philly Union Talk with this infographic.

Local

Local lad done good Andrew Wenger describes the whirlwind that has been his life in recent months.

Major Indoor Soccer League side Rochester Lancers have offered Allen Iverson $20,000 per game to play for them with a $5,000 per goal bonus. On average, just over 12 goals are scored per game in pro indoor soccer. More on the story here. Has he ever actually played soccer?

Upper Dublin’s Erin Lafferty has committed to play for Temple’s women’s team.

MLS

The Guardian reports on the recent Independent Supporters’ Association summit in Portland, which resulted in the adoption of a new charter.

The latest episode of Portlandia will feature a segment on the Timbers Army. Stay tuned for PSP’s upcoming “Put a Snake On It” photo contest in the lead-up to the season opener.

Dwayne “Let’s Twist Again, Like We Did Last Summer” De Rosario has a new contract with DC United.

With more appearances for the USMNT than for the New York Red Bulls, ESPN wonders if Juan Agudelo’s development is in jeopardy.

A bit of a stir ensued after the Red Bulls cut Home Grown Players Sacir Hot and Matt Kassel. One writer says the issue isn’t so much a lack of faith in youth development at the club as it is that both players actually weren’t very good.

Phil Neville says Landon Donovan will be missed at Everton.

Former Colorado Rapids manager Gary Smith led third division club Stevenage to a draw with Tottenham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday. Here’s a bit of what he had to say.

Montreal have cut Nevio Pizzolitto. The defender played 17 seasons for the Impact and was the team captain over the last two seasons.

The Goalkeeper looks at how many times the team with the best regular season record won the MLS Cup. (The answer is six times. You can breathe now.)

Could Robbie Keane be looking for an exit from MLS after his loan spell to Aston Villa?

WPS/WPSL

Beau Dure reports at ESPNW that WPS has issued a request for a summary judgement that would force the ongoing legal battle with ousted magicJack owner and well-known nutjob Dan Borislow into arbitration. The league argues that because USSF would not approve a settlement in January that would have included magicJack playing exhibition games against WPS teams in 2012 and 2013, no settlement exists. Borislow disagrees and says that all the league needs to do is play exhibition games against his team in 2013. The league argues that Borislow’s continued litigation demonstrates that he is interested only in punishing the league and says that, even if the deal is enforceable, disagreements about its terms are supposed to be arbitrated in New York and not in Florida courts.

In this overview of the ongoing WPS saga, Tim Grainey notes the similarities in the timing of the announcement of the cancellation of the 2012 season with the timing of the announcement of the suspension of the old WUSA. Hopes that WUSA could be saved proved to be in vain.

Yael Averbuch relates how “closed transfer windows, full rosters and scheduling” meant that options to play in European leagues were largely closed given the timing of the announcement that the 2012 WPS season had been cancelled. She eventually received an offer from Russian club Rossiyanka, best known here as the team promoted itself by having its players pose in bikinis. Averbuch notes that former Philadelphia Independence players Kia MacNeill and Leigh Ann Robinson are also with the Russian team.

US

IMSoccer wonders if US Soccer, with its emphasis on “one, two, three touch play,” has gotten it wrong.

Elsewhere

Avram Grant, now manager of Partizan Belgrade, says Iranian side Sepahan Isfahan have pulled out of a friendly with his club because he is Israeli.

Today’s Champions League action: CSKA Moscow vs. Real Madrid (12pm, Fox Soccer and Fox Deportes); Napoli v Chelsea (2:30pm, Fox Soccer and Fox Deportes).

One Comment

  1. How is there no mention of Ever Banega running over his foot at the gas station cause he forgot to engage his parking break?!?! Smooth move, Ever.

    http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/1956/europe/2012/02/21/2919055/zac-lee-rigg-ever-banega-joins-the-lengthy-list-of-humorous-self-

    There’s some other funny injuries listed in the article as well.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*