Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
Philadelphia Union
Zac MacMath is up for Save of the Week. Vote here.
At the Union website, Kerith Gabriel notes that the three penalty saves MacMath has made so far this season is one save away from the 4-penalty kick saves in one season record set by D.J. Countess during the 2003 season with the Dallas Burn, thankfully known today as FC Dallas.
Power rankings? Ugh — if we must. At SI and Soccer America the Union drop one spot to No. 14. It get’s worse at ESPN, where the Union drop two spots to No. 17: “The Union continue to play just poorly enough to lose. Once again, Philadelphia created some decent chances but failed to convert (except for an own goal). Defensively, killer mistakes keep undoing the team’s hard work.” Only winless Chicago and Chivas USA are ranked below the Union.
Sebastien Le Toux said after Saturday’s loss in Seattle, “Disappointment was the feeling right after the game, it’s just very frustrating. I thought we played well but a mistake here and there cost us the game. There’s a little bit of frustration and disappointment, but we have to move forward.”
At CSN Philly, Ryan Bright notes the Union’s current 1-4-5 record ranks alongside the 2010 and 2012 season starts as the worst in club history. The team’s current eight-game winless streak also ties previous worst winless streaks from 2011 and 2012. If the team doesn’t win on Saturday against DC, it will be a new record low.
Stoppage Time Soccer wonders if John Hackworth is on the hot seat.
Five ESPN writes offer their predictions for who will be on the 23-player US World Cup roster. Only Jeff Carlisle and Adrian Melville have Maurice Edu on their list.
Tickets for this year’s Team Dinner charity event at Fogo De Chao on June 4 will go on sale on Wednesday at 3:11 pm.
Local
Penn Live reports, “On May 19, the Central Dauphin School Board will consider a proposed partnership granting the City Islanders practice time on the school’s grass and turf fields this summer, in exchange for scholarships, clinics, and uniforms for students.”
Ocean Nor’easters have announced the return of ten players from the 2013 Eastern Conference Champion squad: Dwayne Reid, Tyler Hilliard, Michele Pataia, Dennis Zoncher, Alec Golini, Mitch Grotti, Emmanuel Kollie, Frank Tweneboa, Abdul ‘Oscar’ Umar, and Shawn McLaws. Jason Plumhoff, who played with Reading in 2013 after first playing with Ocean City in 2012, also returns to the team.
MLS
Four MLS players — San Jose defender Víctor Bernárdez, Houston midfielder Boniek García, Colorado winger Marvin Chávez and New England forward Jerry Bengtson — have been named to the roster for the Honduran pre-World Cup camp that begins in Miami on May 12. Four former MLS players — Andy Najar, Roger Espinoza, Mario Martínez and Carlo Costly — are also on the roster.
At Philly.com. Jonathan Tannenwald looks at the state of negotiations for the league’s new broadcast deal with ESPN and Fox. ESPN president John Skipper said, “We’ve been telling people for six months now, I think, that we’re on the precipice of getting a deal, and we are on the precipice of getting a deal. It’s the longest I’ve ever been on a precipice, but we expect to be partners with Major League Soccer going forward.”
If chunky, garish championship rings are your thing, you’ll like Kansas City’s “stunning” MLS Cup ring bling.
Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez has suggested a new stadium downtown waterfront location for David Beckham’s Miami franchise as an alternative to the PortMiami site. The Miami Herald reports, “Gimenez proposed filling a massive boat slip between Museum Park and AmericanAirlines Arena, which, according to the mayor, would create enough new land for a stadium as well as a pedestrian walkway along Biscayne Bay.”
US
If you have Showtime, 60 Minutes Sports will be airing a profile of the USMNT on Wednesday at 9 pm.
USWNT interim head coach Jill Ellis is interested in having the interim tag removed. Ellis, who wasn’t interested in taking the position when she last served as interim head coach after the departure of Pia Sundhage, tells Soccer Wire, “This time it would make sense for me. I think a little bit my circumstances have changed, but yeah, I’m interested in the position, interested in having the conversation about being the next national team coach.”
The USWNT will host France in two friendlies in June, in Tampa on June 14 and in East Hartford, Conn. on June 19. Is it just me or do you also find it strange that the team has scheduled friendlies during the World Cup?
Elsewhere
One moment your up 3-0 and tightening your grip on the league championship, next thing you know the game is over and it’s 3-3. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has conceded the Premier League title to Manchester City after Liverpool blew a 3-0 lead over Crystal Palace on Monday.
In related news, the Press Association reports, “Manchester City are facing UEFA sanctions for breaching financial fair play rules which would see the club limited to a 21-man Champions League squad instead of the usual 25 players next season.” The club is also facing a salary cap for Champions League play next season and a £49m fine to be paid over three years. That’s $83,188,721 in American money.
Looks like Paris Saint-Germain will also be facing Financial Fair Play sanctions.
UEFA and the Professional League of Spanish Football (LFP) have issued statements condemning another racist incident at a game in Spain, this time Levante midfielder Pape Diop was subjected to racist taunts from the stands during the 2-0 win at Atletico Madrid.
Reuters has more World Cup previews, this time for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Costa Rica.
FC Copenhagen fans have taken their tifo game to an impressive, multi-layered level:
Is this what hell feels like? We had so many reasons to be optimistic going into the season :(.
My world is bleak and unforgiving. My joy enters my heart and no song breaches my soul. Did I choose the Union or did the Union choose me? Maybe it was simple fate. No matter we are interlocked together, forever, falling down to the abyss forever and ever and ever and ever and ever….
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So yea.
my optimism was a bit restrained.
The fault lies with us.
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We thought this team, the players were better than they are.
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The talent isn’t there.
This I disagree with!
It’s hard to look at a Nog or Maidana and say there is no talent there.
Even someone like Edu, who still looks like he is trying to find his form, clearly shows better talent than a Farfan or Daniel.
However, it is easy to look at Wheeler, Cruz, Hopp, Wenger and a washed up Casey and see it isnt.
But whose fault is it starting Wheeler every game? We have a talented CB, he just sits on the bench.
My point isn’t to absolve Hack, but to point out we aren’t as talented as we thought. Maybe half the team starts for other MLS teams, the rest are USL fodder.
Man things are so bad wih this team they made Los turn back to the Dark Side.
This isn’t hell. Ask any Liverpool fan today.
that is so true. Suarez was totally inconsolable.
That tifo….
So at what point do the Union give up on the season and just start committing penalties to see if MacMath can get the record?
Do it this week. At this point, if DC gets a penalty, I think Hamid would take it.
I watched that Liverpool game yesterday. That was completely unbelievable. I’m an Aston Villa fan myself, but poor Liverpool. Why they didn’t just pack it in for the win, is beyond me.
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As for our squad. I don’t care who starts, I don’t care who subs in. This team must get all 3 points Saturday. That’s basically where I’m at. No more debating who should play and who shouldn’t… just win the damn game.
Liverpool couldn’t just pack it in because they had to try and make up the goal differential with City if they were to have any shot at winning the title.
Yeah I get that, but the three points was just as important in my opinion.
Not even, City still has two games to slip up in. Liverpool was never going to make up the goal difference.