Photo: Michael Long

Look for our preview of Saturday’s game against New York later today. In the meanwhile, check out our Union vs. New York quick reference and our preview of the game in The Guardian.

Philadelphia Union

Brian Carroll says the Union midfield must improve. “The fact of the matter is, we need to get it rolling a little better and understand when it needs to go up and through and understand when it needs to be slowed down and possessed more. That’s something we need to do well against New York to get a good result.”

Carroll offers this assessment of his season so far, “It’s very early in the year but I think I’ve slowly gotten a little better from the first game through the third game. I don’t want to put a letter on it or a number on it or anything like that but it’s been fine. It’s been solid. Nothing crazy, nothing outstanding, nothing terrible. It’s been fine.”

More on the midfield—and what Kleberson might bring to it—from Delco Times. John Hackworth talks about Kleberson, as well as Freddy Adu and Bakary Soumare on the ExtraTime Radio podcast.

Kevin Kinkead has a scouting report on New York. Match previews from MLSsoccer.com, Philly.com, and Union Dues. Goal.com predicts a New York win.

USsoccerplayers.com calls Saturday’s game, “Potentially this weekend’s best game, or at least most promising.” Of the Union: “[A]fter a year of drifting, has the franchise really started to reach its potential for this season?” Of New York: “[N]o team has played better, or gotten less from its efforts, than the Red Bulls.”

New York are making an assessment of whether Thierry Henry will be available for Saturday’s game on a day-to-day basis. Henry says, “The way we are at the moment, you want to go out there and help. It’s a matter of how I’m going to deal with the pain. As long as I can handle it I’ll try to go out there.”

New York picked up forward Andre Akpan from Colorado on Thursday.

Local

On the Union website, Kevin Kinkead writes about the benefit last Sunday for Mike McKinney, a Casa League player who is battling stage one brain cancer. A good story about good people coming together for a good cause to help a good friend.

Tyler Ruthven, who played for Harrisburg City Islanders in 2010 and is the son of former Phillies pitcher Dick Ruthven, has signed with IK Brage in Sweden’s second division.

Former Junior Lone Star forward Anthony Allison, who graduated from Overbrook High School before attending Wilmington University, has signed with Swedish Division I club Umea FC.

MLS

Here’s an update on Marcus Tracy, who suited up for San Jose last weekend.

With players born in 61 different countries, MLS is by a far margin the most internationally diverse major sports league in the US.

Chelsea and Manchester City will play an exhibition game in St. Louis on May 23, four days after the close of the Premier League season. The portion of the article that discusses how a soccer field will be fit inside of Busch Stadium is, shall I say, interesting.

US

Back from his sabbatical, Landon Donovan says, “I realize I have a long way to go both on the field and off the field to work my way back into the national team, and that’s my goal. If that’s something that presents itself, then that’s something I want to do. I miss being a part of that and I want to represent my country again.”

Donovan also said, “Any way we slice it, the way that I perform with LA will determine whether or not I get called back in…It’s my job to earn my way back in. If I fall short, I fall short. If [Klinsmann] doesn’t want me back then that’s the way it goes. It has to be my goal to do whatever I can so that it’s impossible for them not to have me there. That is what I’m motivated to do.”

At ASN, John Godfrey looks at the rapid rise of Omar Gonzalez.

Peter Vermes talks about the impact of MLS on the national team: “It’s changed the way everything is.”

Stuart Holden has been sent by Bolton on a month-long loan to Sheffield Wednesday.

Robbie Rogers talks to The New York Times and The Guardian about coming out and his future plans. If you can’t see a free version of the NYT article, ProSoccerTalk has a summary.

Elsewhere

Fox Soccer will soon be no more. USA Today reports, “FXX, which will replace and expand upon the current Fox Soccer Channel, will launch Sept. 2, targeting the ‘millennial’ audience of adults ages 18 to 34.” The Guardian reports, “Fox Soccer’s matches, including UEFA Champions League fixtures, will be transferred to Fox Sports 1, a new general sports network that is expected to launch in August.”

A financing dispute for the ongoing construction of the new Itaquerão Stadium in Sao Paulo, which is supposed to be the site of the opening game of the 2014 World Cup, means the stadium may not finished in time.

Michel Platini says it would be too expensive for goal-line technology to be used for Champions League and Europa League matches. “Honestly, I prefer to put more money into youth football and infrastructure than spend it on technology when there’s a goal in a blue moon that hasn’t been seen by a referee.”

Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) have sent a complaint to FIFA about racist chants during the World Cup qualifier between San Marino and England last Friday. The chants were reportedly made by England supporters and were directed toward Rio Ferdinand, who was in Qatar appearing as a pundit on a TV show after refusing an England callup, and his brother Anton, who hasn’t been called up for England since 2007, and that for the U-21s. Unbelievable.

For listings of the the upcoming week’s live soccer on TV and online, check out the latest Footy on the Telly.