Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Philadelphia Union

Look for Adam Cann’s PSP preview of Saturday’s game in New England (7:30pm, TCN, Direct Kick, MLS Live) later this morning. In the meanwhile, check out PSP editor Dan Walsh’s quick reference for stats, video, and other highlights from past games against the Revolution.

More previews from MLSsoccer.com, CBS Philly, ESPN Boston, and Goal.com.

Goal.com’s Kyle McCarthy predicts a Union win.

What does Michael Farfan expect from New England? “I think it’s going to be a good game. I think they are going to come out flying, I know they need points and we also want to get points. So I think it will be a very tough game. I know we got three points on them early on in the season and I think they’re going to come out and try and get revenge.”

At the Inquirer, Marc Narducci looks at the emotions that will be involved in Saturday’s game, the first home game for the Revolution since the Boston Marathon bombings.

On the Union website, Andy Jasner talks to Union strength and conditioning coach Kevin Miller, whose wife completed the marathon some 30 minutes before the blasts, about what it was like to be in Boston during the terrible event.

At Delco Times, Matthew De George notes that the Union one of only three teams to have scored in every game so far this season and have reached the ten-goal mark two months before they did so in 2012. So they’re a goal scoring machine, right? “Yes and no,” says Jack McInerney. “I think we have a lot of attacking talent and a lot of guys can score goals and create chances. I think it just comes down to that day if guys are on. We’ve had games where we’ve had trouble putting the ball in the back of the net and one of those games against DC where we finished everything. If guys are connecting that day, we can put two or three goals on anyone.”

Conor Casey says, “I think that for myself and for the other guys on the team too, we have high expectations…We scored three goals this weekend, but other than that we haven’t necessarily lit it up. We’ve scored each game, but we haven’t given our team a big cushion. So it’s good but there’s also a lot of room for improvement.”

It looks like McInerney’s magical week has concluded with his first goal against DC being voted MLSsoccer.com’s Goal of the Week. [UPDATE: Real Salt Lake’s Javier Morales came from behind to win the vote.]

McInerney says of all of the attention,

I’ve gotten more text messages and tweets than I’ve ever gotten. It’s been a little bit different, but I won’t say I don’t like it. As long as I’m playing well, I’m happy…

I don’t think there’s a ceiling for confidence. Lately, it’s all been good for me. But I still need to keep my head down and keep playing every week. Next week could be the exact opposite. It gets higher and higher every single day and as long as we’re playing well and winning games, it’s good for the team.

Jurgen Klinsmann on McInerney being dubbed the American Chicharito: “It’s makes me happy to hear that.” Still, the USMNT coach suggests caution with emerging talent. “You want to be careful with the next generation coming through and don’t make them, at the age of 19 or 20, something they can’t be yet. Give them time, give them the up and downs. Keep them on the ground.”

McInerney’s teammates are doing their part to keep him grounded. Of the Chicharito tag, McInerney says with a laugh, “Now they’re talking about putting it on the back of my jersey.”

MLSsoccer.com’s Three for Thursday column looks at why the McInerney-Chicharito comparison holds up.

SBI includes McInerney and Amobi Okugo in their projected Gold Cup roster.

Union Dues collects some Mac stats and says the young forward is “standing on the edge of something big.”

More from ProSoccerTalk on where Sebastien Le Toux now fits in.

Raymon Gaddis says of the transition to left back, so far, so good. “The transition with the coaching staff and veteran players like Chris Albright helping me along, it’s been an easy one I would say so far. I still have a lot to learn. I still can get better in every aspect. But it’s been good so far.”

This article from Scotland’s Evening Times notes that Tommy Wilson, the Union’s new director of youth development, “has yet to get his feet under the desk Stateside.” While Wilson waits for his work visa, he’s been visiting with Dortmund, Schalke and Espanyol to see how their youth academies do their work. Wilson tells readers in Scotland,

America has got an excellent league, teams that consistently sell-out their stadia and they are attracting top players. The next big thing is to develop top players, and that is the challenge for me in my role, to make sure that America produces players. I know we are competing with basketball, baseball and American Football, but if we can get our fair share attracted to football and support them then I don’t see why America can’t be the next Germany or Spain and produce world-class players.

In a look back at the 2010 SuperDraft—apparently it was NFL Draft Day on Thursday—Steve Davis says, “It looks today like ‘Jack Mac’ will be the best of the 2010 MLS Draft lot.”

We linked to a report in Thursday’s roundup that said Union officials would be meeting today to discuss stadium expansion. This report from CBS Philly emphasizes that at this point, expansion is aimed at adding a restaurant and club seats.”Don’t expect to see a lot of work right now. They don’t want to get in the way of the close-to-sellout crowds for home games scheduled through October. But come next year, the place may look different.”

However different the stadium may look, Nick Sakiewicz says expansion plans will preserve the view. “If you’ve ever been to PPL Park on a nice day and have seen that river and that beautiful bridge in the backdrop, there’s nothing like it in sports.”

The new Bethlehem Steel inspired Union third kit is proving to be a big hit. More than 500 have been sold and the Bethlehem Steel related merchandise accounts for 20 percent of the team’s merch sales.

The BBC checks in on former Union goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon’s World Cup prospects.

The Sons of Ben will be holding a Mother’s Day Fundraiser.

Tickets are still available for the Sons of Ben Cinco De Mayo themed tailgate when the Union host Seattle on May 4.

Here’s info on the Union’s Summer Select Tournament series in Harrisburg, the Lehigh Valley, and Downingtown.

The Union announced on Thursday that their partnership with Turkey Hill has been extended through 2015. This may not seem like the most electric news in the world but sponsors extending their support for the team after the end of their initial sponsorship is good news.

Local

You can watch a live stream of Harrisburg City Islanders’ home opener against Rochester Rhinos at 7pm at USLLive.

The home opener is the team’s 10th anniversary opener. Derek Meluzio looks back on some of the City Islanders greatest moments.

Former Union man Morgan Langley may only be 23 but he counts as a veteran on the City Islanders.

Cristhian Hernandez says of his time so far with Harrisburg, “I’m here for that reason, to help win games, and I’m here to help everyone perform and I’m here most importantly to get game time. I feel good. I’m getting back into rhythm and just coming here and playing every day is good for us—and good for me. I’m trying to perform day in and day out and get to the weekend.”

In case you’re wondering, Reading United’s home opener is only 15 days away.

MLS

Don Garber announced on Thursday that cost concerns mean the league will not be adopting goal-line technology in time for the 2014 season. It costs $260,000 per stadium to install the FIFA-approved GoalControl system, and $3,900 per game to operate it.

Toronto FC have announced the signing of 21-year-old Argentine midfielder Matías Laba as a Young Designated Player.

FC Dallas will host Premiership club Stoke in a friendly on July 27. Maybe Brek Shea will actually get some playing time with Stoke against his former team in that game. Stoke will be playing Dallas as part of a ten-day US tour.

Capital New York has more on the latest expansion news from Don Garber, including word that the New York Cosmos are officially out of the running. Questioning whether the Cosmos will be able to sustain their drive to build a stadium of their own in Long Island without a route into MLS, the report concludes, “Hopefully both sides aren’t botching a golden opportunity just because of the Cosmos’ game of chicken. Destructive infighting and pointless commercial rivalries, sadly, are as old as soccer in America itself.”

Most observers would agree that the momentum in Orlando seems more positive when it comes to which city will be the home of the league’s 20th franchise. The Orlando Sentinel calls for Florida lawmakers to adopt a fair and responsible plan for subsidizing sports subsidies.

Nice crest, terrible name.

In more expansion news, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank says the city needs a MLS team and the Falcons new $1 billion stadium could be its home when it opens in 2017. Blank knows the league doesn’t want teams in cavernous multipurpose stadiums, doesn’t he?

The new NASL team in Indianapolis announced on Thursday their name and released their team colors and crest. The name of the team, Indy Eleven, may be an attempt to honor a Civil War regiment, but it’s a terrible name for a soccer team. More on the announcement here.

NWSL

Abby Wambach will miss Sunday’s Western New York Flash home opener as a precaution related to concussion symptoms.

US

Jurgen Klinsmann on the US’ chances for qualifying for the 2014 World Cup: “I think we know that going through that stretch of 10 [CONCACAF Hexagonal] games, there will be some up and downs. We still have a way to go. But I’m confident that we’re going to get the job done and go to Brazil for next summer.”

Klinsmann said earlier this week that Landon Donovan has some ways to go before he’ll be back on the USMNT. Donovan agrees.

Futsal will be added to the US Development Academy curriculum beginning next season.

Elsewhere

Check out the latest Footy on the Telly listings for the week’s upcoming live games on TV and online.

Andres Iniesta says the talk of the end of the era of Spanish dominance is premature.

Disgraced former CONCACAF president and well-known crook Jack Warner says all of his troubles stem from a falling out with Sepp Blatter. “Every vicious allegation leveled against me is without basis.” Good one, Jack.

In news to no one who is a student of the world’s game, the AP reports that scholars believe Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and Argentina’s military junta fixed World Cup games their countries hosted in 1934 and 1978.

Norwegian club Ny Krohnburg IL returned from their offseason break to find a road had been built over their field.