Daily news roundups

Union confirms Farfan exit, reports on Union transfer target, more news

Photo: Courtesy of www.taringa.net

All of us at PSP wish you and yours a safe and happy Christmas.

Philadelphia Union

The Union confirmed on Monday that Michael Farfan has been transferred to Cruz Azul. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.

John Hackworth said in the brief announcement, “Michael has been an important member for our club both on and off the field over the past three years. We thank him for his contributions to the Union and wish him the best of luck as he continues his career in Mexico.”

Following the Union announcement, San Jose confirmed the transfer of Rafael Baca. That announcement noted that the club would “receive allocation funds” in return. The LA Galaxy confirmed the loan of Jose Villareal for 12 months with Cruz Azul having the option to buy.

If you haven’t read it yet, checkout PSP editor Dan Walsh’s column on the Farfan transfer.

At the Delco Times, Matthew De George writes of Farfan transfer, “[T]he defection of Farfan is another hit to what appears on paper to be one of the thinnest rosters in the Eastern Conference.” More from CSN Philly and Brotherly Game.

At ASN, Brian Sciaretta writes of Farfan’s “bold move” to Mexico, “If he ever wanted to grab the attention of Jurgen Klinsmann, he has stepped in the spotlight. Now it is up to him to make the most of it.”

Union assistant coach Rob Vartughian says of new signing Corben Bone, who comes to the club via the Re-entry Draft and is on a league minimum salary, “We’ve known Corben for a long time. Corben is a very explosive, creative attacking player. And if you followed his career before he went to Chicago, he showed some of those qualities both on the international level as well as with his college team…Our hope is he comes in and recognizes the opportunity at hand and gives us his best. And hopefully this new environment is a restart for him.”

Vartughian added, “I think the biggest thing I would say with regards to Corben is he’s still a young player. It was really low risk on our part to give him an opportunity, and just based on what we know about him, we feel like it will make him better. And our hope is we can kind of relight that spark.”

Union Rumors for Christmas! Argentine website LaCapital.com.ar reports (crappy Google translation here) the Union have inquired about 28-year-old midfielder Pablo Perez, who currently plays for Newell’s Old Boys. Ahoradeportes.com reports (crappy Google translation here) that, while Perez is open to a move, he is not “seduced” by a move to MLS and that an offer from another unidentified club is also on the table. Elciudadanoweb.com reports (crappy Google translation here) that the Union offer came last week and that Perez “did not close the door to the chance to anchor in the Major League Soccer.”

Interestingly, the El Ciudadano mentions what appears to have been an offer to form some kind of reciprocal relationship with Newell’s similar to one the Argentinian club recently agreed to with French club Girondins de Bordeaux but, given my lack of Spanish and the crappy Google translation, it is unclear if the offer came from the Union. UPDATE: Jon Marks tweeted PSP to say, “The article says that Newell’s made contact with the Union about an agreement between the clubs.” And that, dear reader, is certainly news.

A mock draft at SBI has the Union selecting midfielder Leo Stolz (UCLA) and Patrick Mullins (Maryland) with their first two SuperDraft picks while acknowledging that Stolz, a junior, may not be in the draft. In the second round, SBI has the Union selecting centerback Joe Sofia (UCLA) and forward Mamadou Diouf (UConn).

Two Union wins make The 700 Level’s list of their 25 favorite Philly wins of 2013. At No. 20 is the 3-0 win over New York and at No. 7 is the win over Toronto courtesy of that Kleberson goal. The back-to-back draws with Dallas and RSL come in at No. 3 on The 700 Level’s list of 10 least favorite losses.

Local

Reading United Alumni Steve Neumann and Pedro Ribeiro have been named to TopDrawerSoccer’s Men’s College Team of the Season.

Arcadia University’s Kim Canfield has been named the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Academic Performer of the Year.

MLS

Voting is open at MLSsoccer.com for the best moment of the year. There are 17 options to choose from, none of which involve the Union.

Goal.com wonders if a Clint Dempsey loan to Fulham for the offseason is a good idea. “[Q]uestioning the move isn’t about fearing burnout for Dempsey…Where the Dempsey loan can be questioned is in what the loan will prevent Dempsey from doing, which is getting to know his club team during a full preseason together.”

The season review of Gabriel Farfan at Chivas USA blog The Goat Parade is less than stellar.

Speaking of Chivas USA, MLSsoccer.com reports, “CD Guadalajara and Chivas USA sporting president Dennis te Kloese left the institution on Monday after less than a year on the job.” More on the news from Soccer America.

At SI, Brian Straus looks at trends in coaching hires in MLS.

Tomas Rosiscky wants to end his career at Arsenal. The 33-year-old says, “If I should leave, however, then I would be tempted to play in the USA. Football has been on the rise there and I’m interested in trying a different style of life.”

FC Shirak, the reigning champions in the Armenian Premier League football, will play the LA Galaxy in a friendly at the StubHub Center on Feb. 8.

NWSL

Brian Ching, who recently ended his playing career, has been named the managing director of new NWSL side the Houston Dash. More on the story from the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Business Journal.

US

Reports suggest Celtic is looking to bring in Aron Johannsson. ProSoccerTalk wonders if such a move is what’s best for Johannsson.

The US roster for the 2014 CONCACAF U-20 Women’s Championship has been announced and includes two Penn State players, defender Brittany Basinger and midfielder Mallory Weber. The tournament will take place in the Cayman Islands, Jan. 9-19.

Elsewhere

The AP reports that, according to a Sao Paulo state Labor Ministry official, “the man who operated the crane that collapsed at the city’s World Cup stadium had worked 18 days in a row.”

Prosecutors in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco are suing FIFA for ticket irregularities during the Confederations Cup.

Abd al-Rahman al-Nu’aymi, the former head of Qatar’s FA, is one of two people named by US Treasury Department officials “as major financial backers of al-Qaeda and its regional chapters across the Middle East.” Nu’aymi denies the allegation.

The Guardian’s list of the 100 best players in the world concludes with the top ten.

Football? Soccer? Sepak Bola? Here’s a map that identifies what the beautiful game is called around the world.

13 Comments

  1. So a super-quick search on Pablo Perez… Wikipedia – the ultimate source on *everything* – lists him as a midfielder; ESPN lists him as a forward. He’s 28, 5’10” and 165 pounds.
    .
    Based on the stats at ESPN, last season in all competitions he was used 40 times (37 starts), scored 6 goals and had 5 assists. He also managed to draw 19 yellow cards in that time.
    .
    This season, he’s played 10 games (all starts), and has 2 goals with 0 assists. He has, so far, drawn 4 yellows and a red.
    .
    His Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_P%C3%A9rez
    .
    His ESPN Page: http://espnfc.com/player/_/id/138441/pablo-javier-perez?cc=5901

  2. Pablo Perez would be an excellent signing. Youtube him he’s a solid player. Looking at the FIFA 14 player ratings which are a really good representation of skill he is a 77 overall. Landon Donovan is also a 77.

    • I can play that game too: everybody should go look up Josue Martinez and Porfirio Lopez on youtube. Amazing skill!
      .
      Or, in a less snarky way… The youtube stuff looks good, sure. But it’s highlights; it’s intended to look good. How do those highlights reconcile with his actual stats? Like I said above, last season in 40 games he had 6 goals and 5 assists. Not exactly lighting the league on fire…

  3. OneManWolfpack says:

    Argentinian playmaking midfielder… not 65 years old… seems to have an upside, and is (apparently) interested in coming to MLS… that I will take. I’m not saying he’s the next Diego Valeri but it’s at least a serious attempt to address a need. Now make it happen.
    .
    Still not happy about Farfan leaving but it is a manageable loss

  4. James lockerbie says:

    Spend some money and put time into my house or take the family of four to the game?

    Well, If you don’t spend some money and pick up some real talent, your gonna make my decision a lot easier Nick. o.k. this may be harsh… but you got to give it to me its passionate! That’s what this team is so proud of it’s passionate fans. Please tell me your not pinning our hopes on Mr. Bone

  5. James lockerbie says:

    Perez said, “show me the money” the Union Response what money? how bout some allocation

  6. GET RID OF CARROLL!!!!!!!!

  7. This is some exciting news. Thank the heavens we’re actually pursuing guys who we can pencil in as starters in our midfield! Get it done Nicky. STAT!!!!!

  8. Merry Christmas PSP team. I’m grateful for your outstanding coverage again this past year! Thank you sooooooo much for doing what you guys do!

    • Yes, indeed! Merry Christmas to everybody on the staff, and to the readers as well. Once I found it, PSP very quickly became a daily read for me. From the fantastic news round-ups to the soccer history articles to the player ratings to the conversations here in the comments, this is a terrific community. I’m grateful to have been given a voice in the community this past summer with the “Soccer Dad” fans’ view articles.
      .
      I wish continued success for the site and its team in 2014, and a joyful, peaceful 2014 for all the readers! Cheers!

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