Photo: Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
The second stage of the Re-entry Draft takes place today at 3 pm with the Union having the sixth pick. As of this writing, 48 players are available for selection although three players on the list, including the Union’s Chris Albright, have announced their retirement.
You can read PSP’s full preview of the draft here. Notable names still available to the Union in the draft include Heath Pearce, Pennsylvania natives Dan Gargan and Corey Hertzog, Dwayne DeRosario, David Ferreira, Joel Lindpere, and Brandon Barklage. The Brotherly Game also looks at who the Union might be interested in among those left in the draft.
Dave Zeitlin tweeted,
From talking to Rob Vartughian earlier this week, I wouldn't expect the Union to pick anyone in Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft today.
— Dave Zeitlin (@DaveZeitlin) December 18, 2013
Santa Fe president Cesar Pastrana says the club “is currently negotiating for Carlos Valdes to stay” with the Colombian club.
Google has released its list of the most searched soccer teams in the US for 2013. Coming in at No. 5 after Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, and the Portland Timbers is your Philadelphia Union.
Nick Sakiewicz is pleased with how hosting the College Cup went. “I thought the crowd was good considering how poor the weather was with three storms on a single event being tough to deal with. But I thought our crew and our stadium staff did a great job. We pulled off a great event.” PPL Park will host the College Cup again in 2017.
The Brotherly Game rounds up how ex-Union players have fared.
Local
Two area coaches have been honored by the NSCAA. Rutgers-Camden head coach Tim Oswald, who is also the head coach of the Ocean City Nor’easters, has been named the NSCAA’s NCAA Division III Coach of the Year. Yardley Makefield SC’s John Greaves has been named Youth Coach of the Year.
Ocean City will be holding open tryouts on Jan. 4-5 at Rutgers-Camden. Click here for registration information.
MLS
It’s official: DC United have acquired Eddie Johnson from Seattle in exchange for allocation money. The Washington Post has background on the trade with more from ESPN and SI.
In other player movement news,
- Toronto FC have acquired Justin Morrow from San Jose in exchange for allocation money.
- Houston have acquired the rights to David Horst from Portland in exchange for a fourth round draft pick at the 2014 SuperDraft.
- Chicago’s Logan Pause and Chris Rolfe have opted out of Stage 2 of the Re-entry Draft.
Seattle GM Adrian Hanauer says a Clint Dempsey offseason loan is “likely, but until it’s done, we won’t report it as done. But I do think it’s likely.”
It looks like San Jose’s Steven Beitashour will leave the club to pursue opportunities in Europe.
FC Dallas hope to name a new head coach by the end of the week.
Miami-Dade County commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to negotiate with David Beckham in the search for a privately funded MLS stadium. More on the news from the Miami Herald and Reuters.
Soccer America looks at how Miami is “giddy” with the prospect of a new team and stadium while New York isn’t.
Is the US talent pool deep enough to support ongoing expansion in MLS, the NASL, and USL PRO?
US
Jurgen Klinsmann says Group G will be an opportunity for the US to show how much it has grown. “We don’t regard ourselves as outsiders in this group. We regard us a growing nation. We continuously improve on various levels…We know, that on a good day, we can give the biggest nations a good fight. We are no longer a small footballing nation.”
Stuart Holden is back in Bolton to visit with the team’s medical staff but club manager Dougie Freedman says “he’s still got a long way to go.” Freedman explained, “Stuart is back over here to spend a few weeks with our medical guys. We’ll see where he is, and then he’ll head back to the US to continue his rehabilitation…Once he has made significant progress on that front, probably about six to eight weeks, he’ll then come back to us to step up the work on the football side of things.”
Stars and Stripes on how US bases in Germany “feed US soccer team’s multicultural success.”
The U-17s will be participating in the IMG Cup in Bradenton beginning today through Dec. 22. Info on how to watch livestreams of the games can be found here.
Carli Lloyd writes, “‘Playing with freedom’ is the main factor that helped me build my base as a youth soccer player, and it still is today.”
Elsewhere
Striking construction workers at the World Cup stadium in Manaus where two workers died on Saturday say that pressure to complete the stadium in time for an end-of-the-year deadline is putting their safety at risk. One worker said, “The rating for safety in the building site is zero… and we’re under constant pressure to work.”
The managing director of FIFA’s World Cup Brazil Office, Ron DelMont, said “At no point” has FIFA suggested that worker safety regulations be loosened in order for stadium construction deadlines to be met, adding, “[E]verything that we ask for is within the legislation and the guidelines of the government.” DelMont said, “There is never a discussion that says you have to cut any corners to make sure that you deliver the stadium.”
FIFPro has announced it is preparing a legal challenge to the transfer system on the grounds that it impedes freedom of players’ movement and the rights of players as workers. More on the story from ESPN.
Real Madrid and Barcelona are among seven Spanish clubs under investigation to determine if the state aid they received was in compliance with European Union regulations.
At The Guardian, Jonathan Wilson considers the changing role of the holding midfielder.
Any chance we sign any if these local lads to Homegrown contracts? We signed Pfeffer at 16, and that may pay off handsomely very soon.
15, actually
I’m looking forward to that “exciting Union news” I’ve been waiting for…
Glad I wasn’t holding my breath. I guess I still have something to look forward to?
By my count the Union have 8 picks in the 2014 combined Super-Supplemental Draft [4 Rounds]. Looks like 2 in the 1st, 2 in the 2nd, 3 in the 3rd and 1 in the 4th. I’m suprised we haven’t traded any of them [yet. I just have a hard time believing that the talent pool is THAT deep. Especially when you factor in College Athletes with cemented ties to other clubs. Also looks like the Gen. Adidas pool looks to be small[er] this year.
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Any thoughts?
It kind of goes against the Unions “Lottery tickets on the cheap” philosophy.
I doubt they will trade any draft picks preferring to grab as many prospects in the hopes that some of them will pay off. I could be wrong on this but I suspect they will draft as many as possible to give them a look in camp.
good point. It’s also worth noting that Zusi was taken, i think, in the third round. So you could grab an overlooked player.
Thats what they are hoping, I think.
I’m generally OK with that approach, but hope that they don’t hype their picks like they did with Okai and then release him.
I’m VERY ANGRY about that tweet from Zeitlin. Corbin Bone? And who exactly is going to make this team better. What a great offseason so far. SO MAD…
While obviously there is a lot of time left in this offseason, considering all the moves our rivals are making it will a bit disappointing if the Union don’t select anyone today. Thus far, the front office has not improved the team, in fact at the moment we are arguably worse, at least in terms of depth, with the departures of Kleberson and Torres. The addition of Corben Bone, while a totally fine pickup in context that could pay off longer term, does not make the team better right now.
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I’m beginning to think that sieve! is probably right and that we will see the Union use all of their draft picks and see what sticks. That plus maybe one signing/trade, and that will be the extent of our business.
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God I hope I’m wrong.
Your first point is the most frustrating, that the Union are sitting idly by while DC, Toronto and others are all picking up pieces and making moves. With so many draft picks, a ton of allocation money and so much talented youth it’s stunning to me that they haven’t been able to make a deal yet. Regardless of the past, the front office and coaching staff has shown little to no creativity in creating trades and player movement.
I’d take a flyer on David Ferreira (at a reduced salary.) C’mon, what is so difficult about that? The dude can ball…!!!
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What’s the point of having picks and allocation money if we NEVER use them?!?
agreed. but not on a DP Salary. He was pushing 730k last year. If the Union picked him up it needs to be around 200-250k. His age and salary are serious deterrents for most teams.
I think we have way less allocation money than we let on. Between buying back Le Toux and paying down Soumare’s salary among other things I son’t think it is the hoard we were lead to believe.
A lot went towards finalizing the Torres loan to purchase from the sale of SLT too. That didn’t work out so well.
O.k. The front office said, it is time to spend some money and add to this team. Well, the re entry draft is over and the union didn’t make a move. So maybe this is a good thing their going overseas! When the transfer window opens up that’s when the union will make some moves. Right?
What is this optimism. It is not welcome here.
Disappointing. I was very much a “wait for it, it was only phase one of the draft” guy last week. I was OK with them not making a selection in phase one.
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Justin Morrow should’ve been a prime target for this team. I like Ray Gaddis. I love his hustle – his play against Toronto is easily one of my favorites from this year – and I love that he’s young and has room to improve. But he’s not a left back; and Morrow was just sitting out there, waiting for a team to come along and give SJ an offer. And I really can’t believe the Union couldn’t give SJ more than the Reds did to acquire him.
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And then, after not making that trade they did nothing yesterday. Nothing. Sitting at dinner, my wife was going through all the transactions. “Toronto took De Rosario, blah blah blah.” “Who did the Union take?” asked my daughter. Nobody, she was told. “Well, that’s stupid,” was the reply. And that, right there, is my summary of their inaction.
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Disappointing off-season so far. Especially since I think they’re really only a few pieces away from being serious contenders.
There is something so fundamentally wrong with this organization to the point of being sneaky and underhanded. Where is the transparency? We get a lot of tired cliches and talking points but no substance. Maybe I’m hoping for too much too soon. It just seems to me that we are being spoon fed a mediocre philosophy from the ownership group,management and coaching.