Photo: Earl Gardner

Philadelphia Union

U.G.L.Y.

How ugly was it? John Hackworth said, “There were so many mistakes in the first couple minutes of the second half, it was hard to even watch what was being done out there.”

As Austin Berry put it, “It was just a crappy night.”

Sheanon Williams agreed. “We played like shit. We got scored on. Everything we said we didn’t want to do, happened.”

Referring to the gap in the quality displayed on the road in the win at Kansas City on Wednesday and the poor display shownm at PPL Park on Saturday, Amobi Okugo said, “It’s two steps forward, three steps back. Our backs were against the wall, we got the result. We come back home where we’re supposed to build a fortress, and we lose. We give up five goals at home. That’s unbelievable.”

Okugo explained, “It’s mental mistakes. When you’re tired, you have to use your head more. I don’t feel like we did that today. That’s where you get punished. Once they get rolling, once they get a full head of steam, they punish you, and that’s what they did today.”

With Fabinho suspended because of yellow card accumulation, and Okugo playing defensive mid due to Brian Carroll’s injury and Maurice Edu and Michael Lahoud being away on international duty, it was a new look Union backline with Aaron Wheeler partnered with Austin Berry in the middle and Williams on the left with Ray Gaddis on the right. That didn’t go so well.

Okugo said, “When your name is called upon you gotta step up. Whether it’s communicating, whether it’s following runners, being tough in the box, we didn’t do that today. We were fouling unnecessarily, not following runners, not getting second balls and that’s what happened.”

Berry said, “We’re all professionals. We should be able to play no matter who is out there. At this level, we should be able to perform no matter who we’re playing with. It was just not a good day.”

In a game with precious few bright spots — that Nogueira goal was sweet — Zach Pfeffer’s appearance was notable, his first since October of 2012. Did he think it would take so long to see the field again? Pfeffer said, “I didn’t think it would. That’s what it was. That’s what the cards showed. I just have to deal with it, be patient, put my head down and work hard every day and when I do get a chance like tonight, try to make the most of it…Any appearance on the field, you have to take it and make the most of it. Especially now, having not gotten MLS minutes for a while, this was a big opportunity, kind of in disguise. We weren’t really doing too well in the game, down by a lot of goals, but it was a chance for me to get in and impress and try to help the team, and I think I did that. I was happy with my performance.”

Recaps from PSP, here. USA Today has a photo gallery.

At Brotherly Game, Barry Evans’ weekly game changers post looks at the Kansas City and New England games.

US Soccer announced potential US Open Cup fourth round pairings on Friday. The Union will host the winner of  Baltimore Bohemians-Harrisburg City Islanders on a yet to be determined date. If Reading United defeats Rochester Rhinos in the third round, they will face 2013 US Open Cup winners DC United at the Maryland SoccerPlex. More on the fourth round draw, which could see New York Red Bulls face New York Cosmos if the Cosmos defeat Brooklyn Italians of the NPSL in the third round, from Philly.com.

Maurice Edu said of the disallowed  goal he scored against Slovenia in the 2010 World Cup, “When it first happened, I watched it a few times and didn’t know the call on the pitch, didn’t know the call afterward. To have been that close and have it taken away did kind of suck, but now the focus is try to do it again and have it count.” More from Edu at the USMNT pre-World Cup camp from San Jose Mercury News and MLSsoccer.com.

Philadelphia Union Academy

The Union Academy U-15/16 and U-17/18 teams hosted their counterparts from PDA on Saturday. The U-15/16s played to a scoreless draw, while the U-17/18’s finished with a 1-1 draw thanks to an equalizer from Chris Gomez. The U-13/14s hosted The Soccer Association of Columbia, winning 3-2 with goals from Nykolas Sessock, Juan Infante, and a 74th minute gamewinner from Anthony Fontana.

Local

Harrisburg City Islanders busted their home game jinx with a 5-3 win over Dayton Dutch Lions on Saturday. Former Union man Morgan Langley and former Union trialist Clesio Baque both scored two goals with Neil Shaffer also scoring. Match recaps from Penn Live, Harrisburg City Islanders, Dayton Dutch Lions, Penn Live, and Local 21 News.

Jimmy McLaughlin, who assisted the fourth goal, said the midweek US Open Cup second round win helped kickstart the Harrisburg offense. “I think our result this week, Wednesday in the Open Cup, was big and kind of got us back on a roll. This one really left us on a positive not going into the break. It would have been a tough two weeks with a bad result today and we would have been itching to get back. Now we can build on this and grow over the next couple weeks, relax a bit and then get right back at it and keep this train going. Because we need to carry this momentum throughout the rest of the year.” Harrisburg next play on May 31 when they host Richmond Kickers.

Union Academy product and South Philly native Darius Madison, who had a goal and three assists in Wednesday’s 5-2 win over Greater Binghamton FC in the second round of the US Open Cup, continues to be on fire, scoring a brace in Reading United’s 2-1 road win over NJ LUSO Parma.

An 89th minute equalizer from Ben Maurey saw Ocean City Nor’easters come from behind to draw 2-2 on the road with Long Island Rough Riders to open their PDL season.

In NPSL play, Junior Lone Star continued their bright start to the season with a 2-1 win over Clarkstown SC Eagles.

The Penn Women’s team has announced their 2014 schedule.

The Inquirer has a good read about an alumni game between Willingboro High School and Kennedy High School (which merged with Willingboro in 1990) made up of players who played for the schools between 1972 and 1992.

MLS

In the Eastern Conference, New England (20 points) moved into first place with their 5-3 win over the Union (11 points), who drop to ninth place. Kansas City (17 points) is in second place after falling 2-1 on the road to Chicago (12 points), who scored two penalty kicks in the first 15 minutes of the game and are now in eighth place with their second win of the season. Houston (17 points) is in third place with a 1-0 win over LA. DC (15 points) is in fourth place after drawing 1-1 with last place Montreal (7 points) thanks to a late equalizer from Eddie Johnson. In fifth place is New York (14 points), who lost 2-0 on the road to seventh place Toronto (12 points). Sixth place Columbus (13 points) drew 3-3 on the road to Portland.

In the Western Conference, first place Seattle (25 points) defeated sixth place San Jose (10 points), 1-0. Second place Real Salt Lake (23 points) defeated fifth place Colorado (15 points), 2-1. Third place Dallas (17 points) came from behind to draw 1-1 with seventh place Chivas USA (10 points). Fourth place Vancouver (16 points) had the weekend off. Eighth place Portland (10 points), down to ten men, came from behind to draw 3-3 with Columbus. Ninth place LA (9 points) lost 1-0 to Houston.

On Friday, Toronto acquired midfielder Collen Warner from the Montreal Impact in exchange for midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran and allocation money.

At MLSsoccer.com, some backstory on discussions between Toronto and Brek Shea.

Jack McInerney is settling down in Montreal. He’s scored four goals in the last four matches. Third place Western New York (10 points) fell 3-2 to sixth place Washington (9 points)

Looks like DaMarcus Beasley could be returning to MLS.

NWSL

First place Seattle (21 points) had the weekend off, as did third place Portland (11 points). Moving into second place is Chicago (13 points), who thumped now last place Boston (3 points), 4-1. Kansas City (11 points) is in fourth place after drawing 2-2 with eighth place Houston (4 points). Western New York (10 points) is in fifth place after losing 3-2 to sixth place Washington (9 points).

US

US Soccer announced on Friday that Jill Ellis is the new USWNT coach. Ellis was interim head coach after the dismissal of Tom Sermanni. Click here for a quote sheet with comments from Ellis and Sunil Gulati.

At ASN, Brian Sciaretta on five battles that will define the US World Cup squad, including Kyle Beckerman vs. Maurice Edu.

The San Jose Mercury News on how the US will lean on Clint Dempsey both for goals, and for leadership, at the World Cup. More on Dempsey from Soccer America.

At The Washington Post, Steven Goff has articles on Mix Diskerud (scroll down from the notes section) and Kyle Beckerman.

The Columbus Dispatch on Columbus Crew captain Michael Parkhurst’s chances of making the US World Cup team.

Jurgen Klinsmann said of the inexperience among the pool of US defenders, “There’s always a first time in life in whatever you do…I’m not worried about the inexperience.”

Goal.com looks a the USMNT’s depth chart in defense.

SBI has notes from the USMNT camp.

At The Big Lead, Ty Duffy on the US at the 1998 World Cup and “the making of modern American soccer.”

In an opinion piece at the Boston Globe, Derrick Z. Jackson calls for headers to be banned in youth soccer because of the potential for brain injury.

Elsewhere

The AP reports, “The roof of the stadium hosting the World Cup opener in a few weeks will not be fully finished in time for the tournament, constructors said Friday.”

UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rulings were announced on Friday.

Atletico Madrid are La Liga champions after drawing 1-1 with Barcelona on Saturday. It’s the first time Atletico have won the league championship in 18 years and the first time in a decade since the champion has been someone other than Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Arsenal are FA Cup champions, Bayern Munich are German Cup champions.

Some sixty fans were injured when a barrier collapsed at the relegation battle between Osasuna and already relegated Real Betis. Despite winning 2-1, other results saw Osasuna relegated after 14 seasons in the top flight.

Reuters reports on the growth of the women’s game in South America.

Bolivian first division side Sports Boys have signed 54-year-old Evo Morales, the president of Bolivia, to a one year contract.