Daily news roundups

Re-entry draft part 2 today, Valdes speaks about loan offer, more news

Photo: Nicolae Stoian

Philadelphia Union

The second stage of the Re-Entry Draft takes place today at 3pm. You will recall that John Hackworth said in an open letter to Union fans on Sunday, “Look for us to make some additional moves this week in the second round of the re-entry draft.  There are some excellent players available at all position, so it will be an intense process between all the teams in the league jockeying for position…I have a good feeling that we will be able to make another positive step forward, but you will just have to trust me on that one.”

The Union have the fifth pick in the order.

On the Union website, Kevin Kinkead has an extensive look at every player available in the draft. Union Dues offers some thoughts on which available players would make good fits for the Union.

On Thursday afternoon we tweeted a link to a report from terra.com (crappy translation here) that said Independiente Santa Fe wanted Carlos Valdes on a three month loan deal. The Brotherly Game has translated quotes from Valdes on Colombian radio show La Banda Deportiva in which he confirms the offer from Santa Fe but notes “MLS wants a really attractive offer.” Valdes also says he has two years left on his contract with the Union.

You will recall a Union spokesperson told PSP in early November when rumors of a Valdes loan first started coming out of Colombia, “That is not true.”

For what it’s worth, Valdes tweeted early Friday morning, “Going to dominican republic !!”

Wondering when the Union preseason training camp will open? Joshua Meyers of the Seattle Times tweeted on Thursday, “Looks like Sounders FC’s preseason training camp opens Jan. 21. Yikes.” The 2012 preseason began for the Union on Jan 25.

Freddy Adu comes in at No. 7 on American Soccer Now’s 10 Worst Values in MLS list. He’s currently No. 59 in their list of the top 100 US players. Jack McInerney is No. 56 on the list and Sheanon Williams is at No. 83.

Philly-born Philadelphia Union Academy forward Darius Madison has been called up to the US U-20 MNT training camp. Well done!

Local

Sunday’s Eastern PA US Open Cup semifinal qualifier between Predators and United German Hungarians has been moved to YSC Sports in Wayne. Kickoff is at 2pm. West Chester United will host the winner on Sunday, Dec. 22.

The Cup.us has a look at Peabody FC’s win over Wissinoming in the third round of the first US Open Cup, then known as the National Challenge Cup, in 1913.

Reading United lead PDL clubs for the number of former players invited to the 2013 MLS Combine. This article from the USL PDL website doesn’t include Scott Goodwin as a Reading alumni because he also played for Carolina Dynamo last season.

MLS

The Guardian’s Graham Parker asks if Rafa Marquez was MLS’ biggest flop. Kyle McCarthy says the Marquez move to MLS yielded few benefits for all involved. Nick Firchau says his departure is a welcome end.

SBI reports that Portland are making a move for Mixx Diskerud. PSP reports that we are jealous.

Kansas City has signed Cameroonian defender Yann Songo’o.

Seattle have re-signed defenders Jhon Kennedy Hurtado and Patrick Ianni.

Young-Pyo Lee will be back for one more season in Vancouver.

Seattle Sounders season ticket holders have overwhelmingly voted to retain Adrian Hanauer as general manager.

Soccer America looks at Andy Farrell, the projected No. 1 MLS SuperDraft pick that most of us probably have never heard of.

The mayor of Brooklyn says his borough would be a better location for a new soccer stadium than Queens.

The Sports Network has a list of the top 10 MLS stories of 2012.

Women’s Soccer

The Portland Timbers-backed team in the new women’s professional league have unveiled their new name and crest, the Portland Thorns, which evokes the city’s nickname, Rose City.

US

The USWNT’s post Olympic gold medal Fan Appreciation Tour comes to an end on Saturday in Boca Raton against China (7pm, NBCSN, Univision Deportes). The US  is 7-0-2 so far on the tour, outscoring opponents 32 to 6 with 5 shutouts. Saturday’s game is the last on the schedule for the team until they play Germany in a friendly on April 5, although there is talk of two friendlies against Scotland in February. Play in the new pro league will begin after April friendly.

ScholarsandRogues.com has a 5-part series on why soccer will eventually surpass American football in the US. I’m not sure that I agree that will happen, or that it even needs to happen, but it is an interesting read.

Elsewhere

Tim Vickery has more on the craziness at Wednesday’s Copa Sudamericana final in Brazil.

Authorities in Brazil have begun an investigation into allegations that security personnel attacked Tigre players during halftime of the final.

FIFA says Brazil’s security plan for the 2014 World Cup is sound.

Sid Lowe takes a look at the back story of claims that Zambia’s Godfrey Chitalu actually set the calendar year goal scoring record at 107 goals in 1972.

Condemnation from officials and players in England for what is widely viewed as UEFA’s insufficient punishment of Serbia for the racially inspired incidents that came at the end of the recent U-21 match between the two clubs. UEFA president Michel Platini could move for harsher sanctions.

A 73-year-old official at Ligue 1 club Bastia has started a hunger strike after the club were barred from playing at home following a series of violent incidents inside and outside of the the stadium.

 

 

6 Comments

  1. IMO, it would be self-defeating for the MLS if they torpedoed Valdes’s loan deal, esp. if it’s just 3 months. Colombia’s national federation has long ignored MLS players for its national team. The fact that Valdes has broken through would make MLS that much more attractive for top-level Colombian talent to come up. If Valdes can go down there for 3 months and keep in the national picture while telling everyone how great it is to play good soccer with no threat of kidnapping, I think it would pay dividend for the Union, if not all of MLS.

  2. I agree that it would be best to let Valdes go for 3 months. However the MLS seems hellbent in most cases to squeezing every penny out of teams/leagues making offers for our players.

  3. That tweet from Carlos probably refers to his weekend travel plans, right?

  4. Take a look at the Union roster. LeToux has been given number 11 and Adu is numberless. If this means what I think it means:
    Hallelujah!

  5. The article/series about the coming explosion of soccer repeats with detail the argument that was raised in Soccernomics a few years back, I have been around the game in one degree or another for more than forty years, and remember the old line about its growth: Soccer is the game of the future, and always will be. I do see more potential for long term, slow and steady growth now than at any time before. The argument about American football being restricted by the threat of litigation also misses the extensive potential for long term damage threatened by the concussion for boys and girls and the ACL injury epidemic for girls. I love this game, and hope that the benefits of a game that can be enjoyed by both sexes will carry the sport through to deeper and long term popularity.

  6. Embarazadas zoofilicas, sexo y videos!

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