Daily news roundups

Big USOC match for Union, Cannavaro, ratings record for USA-Portugal game, more USA & WC news

Philadelphia Union

Big US Open Cup match tonight as the Union host the New York Cosmos with a 7 pm kickoff. If the Union win, they will be the quarterfinals host of the winner of the Rochester Rhinos-New England Revolution match on July 8.

Noting that the New York Red Bulls have aided the Union’s preparations for the game by providing overhead video from their 3-0 loss to the Cosmos in the fourth round, Union interim head coach Jim Curtin said, “They’re a team with a bunch of old MLS players that you’re very familiar with, and they’re looking to prove that they belong in MLS.” Curtin explained. “They have some very talented guys, guys who have had some rejuvenation in their careers…These guys are all competitive as hell. They’re looking to represent a league. They think they belong in MLS, and they showed it against Red Bull. It was a pretty impressive performance, their 3-0 win.”

Sheanon Williams said the Union cannot rely on late goals like they did against Harrisburg if they want to defeat the Cosmos. “They obviously gave Red Bull a good [butt] whooping. So we definitely have to be ready.”

Says former MLS and US international midfielder Danny Szetela, “I was hoping, I was praying that we’d get Philly because I think this team deserves to play another MLS team and this is the only opportunity we have in the [Lamar Hunt U.S.] Open Cup so it’s a great opportunity for us.”

Previews from Philadelphia Union, Delco Times, Daily News, New York Cosmos (print) New York Cosmos (video), Big Apple Soccer, Soccerly, MLSsoccer.com, Global Football Today,

The Cosmos will be without Marcos Senna, who has returned to Spain for a week’s vacation while he recovers from a hamstring strain.

With the Cosmos is defender Jimmy Ockford, the Pennsbury High School grad on loan to the club from Seattle.

By the way, Kevin Kinkead tweeted on Monday, “Vincent Nogueira didn’t train today because he’s day to day with a minor groin injury.”

Greg Seltzer reports, “I have learned that Philly Union are talking with Al-Ahly assistant manager Fabio Cannavaro — yes, that Fabio Cannavaro — for their head coach job. And I am told that talks are heading in a positive direction.”

Kevin Kinkead later tweeted, “I’m hearing that the Union have indeed been in talks with Fabio Cannavaro for the head coaching job,” adding, “As far as Cannavaro, he’s one of numerous foreign coaches that I’m told the Union have been speaking with about the head coaching job.”

The fourth annual Blue & Gold Cup 7 v 7 tournament will take place at YSC Sports in Wayne on July 26. Click here for a registration form.

Local

At Penn Live, Michael Bullock observes that, nearing the midway point of the season, Harrisburg City Islanders are about to enter into a critical five-game stretch against teams sitting just above or just below them.

They weren’t yet available when Monday’s roundup was posted, but here are match reports from Harrisburg City Islanders on their 1-0 loss to Montreal Impact Reserves, Reading United on their 2-1 loss to Long Island Rough Riders, and Ocean City Nor’easters on their 3-1 win over Northern Virginia Royals.

Zach Thornton, the former MLS Goalkeeper of the ear, has joined the coaching staff of Villanova’s women’s team.

Emily Perrin has joined the Penn women’s team as an assistant coach.

MLS

Portland have exercised the purchase option to acquire Fanendo Adi, who was on loan to the Timbers from Danish first-division side FC Copenhagen, signing the Nigerian forward to a Designated Player contract.

US

ASN wonders, “What in the world is going on with Michael Bradley?”

Jurgen Klinsmann has faith in Bradley. “I’m absolutely sure that Michael will grow big-time into this tournament. There’s no better stage to do it than in the next game against Germany. Every game you play now is getting bigger, so that’s when you want to see those things coming through.”

At ESPN, Jeff Carlisle says making Bradley into the scapegoat on the Portugal equalizer is too easy.

At The Guardian, Paulo Bandini says fan dejection after the draw with Portugal shows just how far expectations for the US team have come.

An online petition has been created asking President Obama to declare Thursday, the day the US faces Germany in their final group game, a national holiday.

Sunday’s match against Portugal set a new ratings record, with some 18.2 million watching the game on ESPN. A further 6.5 million watched the Spanish language broadcast on Univision, which was also a new record for that network, bringing the total to 24.7 million viewers for the game. The previous record was 18 million viewers for the 1999 Women’s World Cup final between the US and China.

Noting that the ratings numbers make the match the most-watched sporting event in ESPN’s history that didn’t involve American football, the New York Daily News says, “And with an average of 500,000 people watching the game streamed online, according to ESPN, and untold others taking it in at bars or in large public gatherings, the actual number might be closer to 30 million.”

At Philly.com, Jonathan Tannenwald takes a deeper look at the numbers.

SB Nation has a roundup of what people in Brazil are saying about visiting US fans.

Hope Solo has pleaded not guilty to charges of domestic assault. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 11.

World Cup

In Monday’s final group games, Brazil defeated Cameroon 4-1, and Mexico defeated Croatia 3-1, to advance from Group A. In Group B, the Netherlands defeated Chile 2-0, although both teams advance to the next round. Spain defeated Australia 3-0.

Today’s final matches in Group C, which kickoff at 4 pm, it’s Japan (1 point) vs. Colombia (6 points), and Greece (1 point) vs. the Ivory Coast (3 points). In Group D’s matches at 12 pm, it is Italy (3 points) vs. Uruguay (3 points), and England (0 points) vs. Costa Rica (6 points). Check this week’s Footy on the Telly for listings of who’s carrying the games.

Elsewhere

Helena Costa, who was set to become the first female manager of a professional men’s team in Europe after she was hired by French Ligue 2 side Clermont Foot 63 in May, has quit before starting her first day on the job.

The New York Times on the strangeness of stoppage time.

25 Comments

  1. Andy Muenz says:

    Based on yesterday’s open practice, projected lineup for tonight’s game: Blake; Gaddis; Edu; Williams; Fabinho; Cruz; Carroll; Akugo; Maidano; Casey; LeToux.

  2. How bad does the league want the Union to win tonight? For years the Cosmos have been a minor irritant to the league. A deep open cup run kind of rubs the Cosmos in the face of the MLS again.

    • True, I’m just disappointed that we were all deprived of the Hackworth-Alecko Eskandarian reunion tonight.

  3. Hopefully Carlos Valdes will get a start for Colombia today now that they have clinched a spot in the next round.

    • He did start. And as of halftime looks good.

      • Yea he was cleaning up sloppy team play in front of him. Just like with the union. He was defending is Japan’s goal but I dont know how he would have stopped that short of fouling

  4. “The New York Times on the strangeness of stoppage time.”
    .
    Certainly takes getting used to if you grow up watching hockey, basketball, and American football. I can absolutely understand how people who aren’t regular soccer fans continue to question stoppage time.

  5. any streams?

  6. OneManWolfpack says:

    Thoughts on the Union talking to Cannavaro? Do you guys think this is a good direction for the U? I remember him as a player, but I don’t know him at all as a coach.

    • would be an improvement tactically if I had to guess. Everything else is up in the air.

    • Andy Muenz says:

      Does he have any experience as a head coach? Otherwise he’s really just Hackworth/Curtain without any exposure to a salary cap

  7. guy was a world class defender. if he can coach that up then I’m all for it.

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