Daily news roundups

Zac & Union, Team of the Week, discipline probs

Philadelphia Union

Starting with the positives:

The Union are SBI’s Team of the Week.

Zac MacMath is named to SI’s Team of the Week.

Moving on…

We all knew that Peter Nowak would serve a one game suspension after he was ejected from Saturday’s game for entering the pitch during the pushey-shovey that followed the tackle that led to Garfan’s red card. It seems that in confirming that news, Kerith Gabriel discovered a discrepancy on the league rules. While the published rules say that a suspended coach is “able to speak to the team before and after the game and at halftime, but cannot talk to players or coaches during the game,” a league spokesperson later said this was incorrect.

According to the spokesperson, the “new” rules—which went into effect before the start of the 2011 season but were not updated on the league website—forbid any contact with players or coaches in the locker room or tunnel until after the game and that the suspended coach cannot communicate with the players or coaches during the game. (I instituted a new league rule back before the start of the 2010 season in which every Union goal counts as three goals and every opponent’s goal counts as minus three. What, it’s not on the league website? Damn webmaster.)

The penalty for a coach being ejected from a game is an automatic one-game suspension. According to the league’s rules, “The [Disciplinary] Committee may add suspensions and/or fines if the coach’s actions are deemed to be egregious.” The disciplinary committee will decided today if further sanction will be added.

Speaking of further sanction, the Garfan tackle continues to be described as worthy of added suspension, with ProSoccerTalk being but one voice in the chorus. The easy sanctimony aside, I’d be curious to see the tackle from a different angle or two than the single sideline shot that everyone keeps linking to. Did it deserve a red? I guess (homer’s reluctance). But further sanction—was it of an “egregious or reckless nature”—I can’t tell from the video I’ve seen.

The Inside Doop wonders if “the surging Union” have a discipline problem. Maybe we should discuss whether or not they are in fact “surging” before we get to the question of discipline.

Power Rankings! At ESPN and Sporting News, the Union are up to No. 13. They are at No. 14 at SI. At Soccer America and Bleacher Report, the Union are at No. 15. Continuing on today’s discipline theme, the ESPN rankings note, “The disciplinary committee will have a field day with the Union.”

Sounder at Heart’s take on Saturday night’s game: “The Philadelphia Union went to LA and won 1-0 over Chivas. This is not the story. The Union will win a handful of games. The story is that Peter Nowak rushed the pitch and two Union players decided that they didn’t want to play a full 90 and got themselves carded.”

Local

The La Salle men’s team have announced their 2012 schedule.

MLS

Attendance for Week 7’s games was the lowest so far this season with a league average of 15,046.

So, maybe Michael Ballack wants to come to MLS after all.

The Huffington Post looks at the growing success of MLS and concludes, “it’s time to jump on the bandwagon.”

Women’s Soccer

Former Philadelphia Independence goalkeeper Val Henderson has signed with Bay Area Breeze of the WPSL.

US

The draw for the women’s Olympic  tournament was made today in London. The USWNT is in Group G with France, Colombia and North Korea. Here’s a breakdown on the draw.

Reports suggest that the USMNT will host Russia in a friendly in November.

Clint Dempsey finished fourth in the voting for the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year Awards, which was won by that poor sport from Holland.

Jermaine Jones and Schalke teammate Klaas-Jan Huntelaar apparently traded blows during training last Saturday ahead of Sunday’s 1–1 draw with Augsburg but he club GM says “everything is fine again.” The brawlers were ordered to run extra laps to cool off.

Former USMNT defender and current manager of Swedish club Hammarby Gregg Berhalter talks about being the first American-born head coach in Europe.

Philly Union Talk looks at John O’Brien, a possible great whose career was eclipsed by injuries.

American-born Italian national team player Guiseppe Rossi is out for ten months.

Elsewhere

Some team from London called Chelsea travels to Spain to play some team called Barcelona in the deciding semifinal match of something called the Champions League (2:30pm, FSC). Apparently, it’s a big deal.

A report from the Council of Europe has strongly criticized FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s handling of the ISL bribery case.

Glasgow Rangers’ troubles continue with the club being issued a 12-month ban on player transfers and the club owner banned for life from Scottish football.

The Danish FA has banned its players from using Twitter during the Euro 2012.

15 Comments

  1. We don’t have a problem, the boss wants the boys to go out there and kick the shit out of people…and if it gets 3 points I am on board.

    Barry Bridge Bullies!

    Whatever it takes, we are not going to be the fluid possession team everyone wants us to be anytime soon so if heads need to roll then so be it.

    And this is not in jest, there are many clubs out there in the world that use the intimidation tactic very well. We are currently that team.

    Hey, support the club no matter what right?

    • DarthLos117 says:

      Yes lets support violence in our beautiful game. I hate to think that “we are currently that team.” Sad really that you support this…and I hope it isnt the consensus…

    • Did you know it’s ok to have standards for your team? They may then meet or not meet your standards, and you can change your fan support accordingly. The “no matter what” thing bascially just makes you a blind follower.

  2. Great showing by Dempsey. Being 4th is no small feat!!
    Can’t wait for this afternoon!!!

  3. Saw Califf yesterday and he said he is ready for Saturday. So if Nowak doesn’t play him then you know why.

  4. The Rangers situation is interesting, might the Union invest in a Scottish import at a discount transfer market price?

  5. Andy Muenz says:

    So let me get this straight. Rafa Marquez, who had already had another suspension last fall, only got 3 games for mugging Shea Salinias and breaking his collarbone but people think that Garfan and/or Daniel should get multiple games for studs a little high when there were no injuries? And IIRC, Marquez was allowed to stay in the game where he committed the infraction.

    • That has more to do with what a joke the Rafa suspension was. That complete travesty should not be the basis of camparison, no matter what you think of the Garfan foul.

  6. Both Garfan and Riley were sliding at the ball simultaneously. It wasn’t exactly Garfan “tackling” a standing Riley. Yes, the studs were up, but the ball wasn’t entirely in Riley’s possession per se. They both slid in and Garfan took a knee to the gut while Riley took a stud. It’s ludicrous that Garfan gets the red while Gavin gets a pass after blatantly knocking him over.

    • It was a Two footed studs up slide, he should be red carded for stupid let alone the contact. What was he gonna do if he won the challenge? How was he gonna capitalize? He was flat on his ass with his studs out. He either fouls his opponent or looks like a complete idiot. Let him sit a game or 2 and let him think about some discipline.

      • The Black Hand says:

        Stupid tackle? yes. Sit him? nooooooooooooo!!! That would mean Lopez and thats not good for anyone.

      • That was in reference to the suspension. Sit him voluntarily? Oh god no.

      • I’m not saying it wasn’t a foul. But for Garfan to see red while everyone else (except Nowak) gets to carry on is nonsense.

    • Gordon Thompson says:

      If Garfan had rolled around in “pain” for a few minutes, maybe it would have only been a yellow. We need more acting lessons in evenings so we can be as good as a Chivas has become.

  7. Wow the disdain for the champs league game couldn’t have been more stupid. How many times have you seen Messi cry because Barca can’t beat a 10 man team at home? Answer: never. And there are at least 90 thousand people who cared.

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