Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

Sheanon Williams has been named to the SBI MLS Best XI second team. Conor Casey and Amobi Okugo were named to the fourth team.

The Brotherly Game speculates on the financial state of the Union using a variety of assumptions based on information gleaned from the Internet.

Also at the Brotherly Game, a list of important dates in the lead-up to the start of the 2014 MLS season.

At the Futbol Artist Network, Daniel Nyari has minimalist re-designs of MLS team crests including this version of the Union crest.

Zach’s back!

https://twitter.com/ZachPfeffer_27/status/407653658856521729

Local

Courtney Norton (D, Lenape High, NJ) will represent the East, and Tayler Jamison (MF, Twin Valley High, PA) and Megan Schaffer (F, Neshaminy High, PA) will represent the West, in the Continental Tire Girls High School All-America game in Raliegh, NC on Saturday. NSCAATV.com will have a live stream of the game at 2 pm.

Ben Lundgaard (GK, Salesianum School, DE), Joey Hansen (MF, Father Judge, PA), Dylan Huber (MF, Salesianum School, DE), Colten Habecker (The Hill School, PA), and Chimaobi Ikwuagwu (F, Caesar Rodney, DE) will represent the East in the Choice Hotels International Boys High School All-America game at Immaculata College on Dec 14. Salesianum’s Scott Mosier is one of the team’s coaches. NSCAATV.com will have a live stream of the game.

The Delco Times names Haverford School midfielder Conor Bradley its Boys’ Soccer Player of the Year. Also, the Delco Times names its All-Delco first and second teams.

Former Union Academy goalkeeper Zack Steffens was named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Men’s Team of the Week.

The Penn women’s team has a 2013 season review.

MLS

Portland’s Caleb Porter has been named MLS Coach of the Year. New England’s Kevin Alston has been named Comeback Player of the Year after battling leukemia. The Union’s Conor Casey came in second in the voting.

Don’t forget that Don Garber’s State of the League address will be streamed live today from 2 pm at MLSsoccer.com and on the league’s YouTube and Google+ pages.

Soccer America says Saturday’s MLS Cup final should be the “hottest ticket, and coldest final ever.”

At ESPN, Kristan Heneage on how RSL and Kansas City have benefited by finding ways to balance talent and spending.

ProSoccerTalk recounts its picks for the three best MLS Cup finals.

Following up on his report from September, Brian Straus tweeted on Monday that RSL coach Jason Kreis is “‘almost 100%’ to NYCFC.” In the same tweet he said “Bob Bradley ‘seriously considering’ Vancouver Whitecaps.” If only those quotes came with attributions.

Kreis tweeted in response that his focus was on Saturday’s MLS Cup Final and that he would make a decision about his future after that. The Salt Lake Tribune has more comments from Kreis, whose contract is up with RSL at the end of the year, about his plans for the future.

A league source tells Big Apple Soccer that the Red Bulls “will be looking for more substance over splash with their next designated player signing and not necessarily just a big name.”

The AP reports, “Inter Milan is forming a ‘strategic partnership’ with Major League Soccer side DC United, with the clubs now having the same owner.”

ProSoccerTalk has the second part of their interview with Orlando City co-owner and president Phil Rawlins and head coach Adrian Heath. Part One is here.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that a USL PRO team will begin playing in that city in 2015. No word on the as yet unnamed team’s relationship with the Colorado Rapids.

US

The USMNT will play South Korea in a friendly on Feb. 1 at the StubHub Center in California. Broadcast details are to follow.

ProSoccerTalk reports that the January USMNT camp will open on Jan. 6 in California before moving to Brazil on Jan. 12 for two more weeks of training before returning to the US on Jan. 26.

US Soccer representatives begin traveling to Brazil today ahead of Friday’s World Cup draw.

MLSsoccer.com has a guide to the US World Cup team.

Alex Morgan comes in at No. 10 on ESPNW’s list of female athletes who made the biggest impact in 2013.

Elsewhere

The FIFA press conference today at 10:30 am announcing the pots for Friday’s World Cup draw will be streamed live at FIFA.com and on FIFA’s YouTube channel.

Friday’s draw, which will take place around 11:45 am, will be carried live on ESPN2 from 11:30 am and on WatchESPN, Univision and Univision Deportes from 11 am.

At US Soccer.com, a look at how the US led the movement toward the World Cup draw being a major media and marketing event by staging the draw for the 1994 World Cup at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.

FIFA has a new app for iPhone and Android.

Adidas will give a 2014 World Cup ball to any child born in Brazil today, which is the day the “brazuca” will be officially unveiled.

At SI, Grant Wahl wonders what the World Cup draw would look like if it used “a reputable seeding system for all the teams and a simple S-curve.”

At The Guardian, Jonathan Wilson looks at how soccer is helping Syrian refugees at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan.