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Roasting Raymon, Adu & Okugo named to TOW, more news

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Philadelphia Union

Sheanon Williams said of Raymon Gaddis’ performance on Sunday, “Ray was roasting people, huh?” Gaddis explained, “Hackworth just said to be ready and I just said, ‘Yes sir.’ That was the end of the conversation.”

Josue Martinez said after scoring his first Union goal on Sunday, “I am always just trying to do the best that I can and show the coaches that I want to play on the field. This is my life and my job and I try to show that I am trying to do my best when I get the chance to play…It’s a big change coming from a different country. There is a lot of things to get used to, but I like it here and I am happy with all the things I have learned.”

JP Dellacamera notes that the Union are 11 for 11 on penalty kicks over their three year history.

Freddy Adu and Amobi Okugo were named to MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week. Gaddis (and Danny Mwanga) received an honorable mention.

In the latest Castrol Index Weekly Top 20, Martinez comes in at No. 3, Jack McInerney at No. 9. In the Full Index, the top five Union players are McInerney (No. 25), Zac MacMath (No. 72), Okugo (No. 88), Carlos Valdes, (No. 93), and Gabriel Gomez (No. 105).

At MLSsoccer.com, the Union remain at No. 14 in the latest power rankings. At Soccer America, they move up one spot to No. 15, which is also where ProSoccerTalk has them.

The Inside Doop wonders, if Adu—listed on the latest injury report as questionable with a left quad strain—isn’t able to play on Saturday against Columbus, whether we might see a Martinez—McInerney pairing. Also, might Gabriel Farfan be shifted into the midfield so that Raymon Gaddis can continue to see some minutes?

Also on the injury report, Danny Cruz is listed as doubtful (left big toe sesamoid stress fracture/right calf strain). Under questionable is Keon Daniel (right knee contusion) and Gabriel Farfan (right ankle contusion).

The Union confirmed on Tuesday that the final two home reserve league games will be on Tuesday, Oct. 9 (2:30pm) against DC United and Wednesday, Oct. 17 (10am). Both games will be at Chester Park.

An article at the New York Times about the increasing use of soccer analytics software by college coaches is largely focused on its use by Raymon Gaddis’ coach at West Virginia and includes comments from the Union rookie defender.

Photo: Eric Hartline, courtesy of the Delco Times

Last Thursday’s press release announcing that PPL Park will be the new home of the Lingerie Football League Philadelphia Passion includes this quote from Mike Scanlon, the general manager of PPL Park, “LFL Football has become one of the fastest growing sports in the country and its momentum is only getting stronger. We welcome one of the LFL’s most successful franchises in the Philadelphia Passion to their new home stadium.” Scanlon adds at the Delco Times, “We’re incredibly excited to host the back-to-back Eastern Conference champion Philadelphia Passion at PPL Park.” A post on the LFL Facebook page claims that some of the officiating crews currently causing such a stir in as replacements in the NFL were fired by the LFL for incompetence.

Question: Would the Union be so excited to host a Lingerie Soccer League? Or would they react to such a ridiculous proposition masquerading as sport in the same way that the soccer world did when Sepp Baltter suggested the popularity of women’s soccer might be bolstered if players wore tighter shorts?

Local

Some 40 area soccer teams are participating in the Starfinder Foundation Peace Day games, aimed at “matching the global game of soccer with our local and personal responsibility in furthering peace, tolerance, and diversity.”

Villanova topped Temple 1–0.

Morristown, NJ native Vincenzo Bernardo was in Napoli’s youth system before playing for Harrisburg City Islanders in 2011. Lately he’s been with Guatemalan second division side Deportivo Guastatoya. This video from Jersey Goal Project looks at his time there.

MLS

For only the second time since the league was founded, total paid attendance for MLS has surpassed the 5 million mark. The Union’s average paid attendance for 2012 is now at 18,056, below the 2011 average of 18,259.

ProSoccerTalk says show me a club with poor attendance and I’ll show you a club that is badly managed.

Beginning Oct. 7 through Dec. 7, the Seattle Sounders will have the first fan vote for general manager in the history of professional sports in the US.

Toronto FC keep their CONCACAF Champions League hopes alive with a 3–0 win over CD Águila of El Salvador.

Brad Knighton is up for Save of the Week at MLSsoccer.com. SBI names it their Save of the Week.

ProSoccerTalk picks apart the New Yorker article we linked to yesterday about why attendance is poor for the Red Bulls.

One British website has five things the Premiership could learn from MLS.

New York Cosmos will play at Hofstra University in 2013, which is where the original Cosmos played for two years before Pele joined the team.

US

The US crushed Gambia 6–0 on Tuesday at the U-17 Women’s World Cup (postgame quote sheet here). Summer Green scored a hat trick, the sixth for the US in Women’s World Cup history. The US next face North Korea to determine first place in Group B on Sept. 29 (8am, ESPN3)

SI looks at the success of Fabian Johnson and Danny Williams at Hoffenheim.

University of Richmond, former home of the recently hired US men’s U-17 team assistant coach Clint Peay, announced on Friday that it is dropping men’s soccer and track and field in favor of men’s lacrosse.

FIFA 13 was released on Tuesday. The Guardian says it may be the best FIFA ever.

More on how EA’s FIFA game franchise is helping to power soccer’s growing popularity in the US.

Elsewhere

Michel Platini makes it clear that he wants the 2022 World Cup to take place during the winter. “I hope it will be held in winter. We have to go to Qatar when it is good for everybody to participate. What is better for the fans?…In 10 years we can manage to decide how we can postpone the season for one month. January is difficult for the World Cup because you have the Winter Olympic Games. If we stop [the European season] from November 2 to December 20, it means, instead of finishing in May, we stop in June. It is not a big problem. It is for the good of the World Cup, the most important competition in the world.”

He also said, “You will never convince me on technology and I will not change at the age of 57. Technology assisting referee: I say, no.”

 

180 members of Brazil’s special police force will be on hand today to protect Ronaldinho when he plays with Atletico Mineiro against his former club Flamengo.

5 Comments

  1. I guess the question now is, can Williams be as great at LB as he looks at RB?

  2. Due to Yom Kippur some of the schools are off today and the kids love it since they can now have FIFA 13 tournaments 🙂

  3. I wish we would have kept Knighton. Loads of potential…would have fit right in.

  4. I like the idea of Martinez-McInerney up front. Sunday it looked like Martinez was making exactly the kinds of runs that Jack has been asking for.

  5. UnitedPenn13 says:

    I don’t know if the LFL (What a joke)season overlaps with the Union’s season but I’m not going to be happy if PPL Park ends up with American Football lines all over it.

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