Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

When the Union lost 2-1 to New York in April, it was the Red Bulls first win of the season, ending a six-game winless streak. With the 3-1 win over the visiting Red Bulls on Wednesday, the Union ended New York’s six-game unbeaten streak. For the Union, it was the first win at home since the home opener 1-0 win over New England on March 15, a stretch of seven home games.

Very nice.

The win moves the Union (22 points) into sixth place in the Eastern Conference, one point behind fifth place New York and fourth place New England, ahead of Saturday’s road game in Chicago (8:30 pm, CSN).

Interim head coach Jim Curtin said,

Great performance from our guys from start to finish, you know, it’s the result that the fans deserved…I think we made a statement tonight. We talked about it before the game, I told the guys that respect isn’t given, it’s earned and we had to grab it and we did that tonight…I think the Union tonight made a statement that we’re going to be a team in the Eastern Conference that’s going to be not just pushing for the fourth or fifth spot, but a team that can play with anybody. Did we dig a hole early in the year? Yeah we did, but we’re going to fight our way out, we’re right in the mix. Fortunately nobody’s really running away with the East right now so you’re a couple wins out of being in a top spot.

Curtin added,

To a man, every guy really, really brought it, I told you guys after the game in the last press conference, our response there was going to dictate how the rest of our season went. If you lose again at home and then you have to do a quick turnaround on the road to Chicago, a team that’s hungry, you’re in a big hole. We’re running out of games, the season goes quickly with these Saturday, Wednesdays. They disappear fast and to grab 3 points tonight against the Eastern conference opponent was a huge one for us.

More on the match as a statement game from MLSsoccer.com.

Conor Casey, who opened the scoring with a fine goal in the ninth minute, his sixth goal in as many games, said, “As a team we’ve been playing a lot better collectively and getting a lot of chances. Confidence is high with the group. It’s about riding that confidence right now and making the best of opportunities.”

Casey explained, “I think a lot of it is being in the right spot at the right time and picking your spots, finishing your chances. It’s been good to, as a team, be scoring more goals. It gives everybody, our defense, everybody collectively, more confidence.”

The second Union goal came from Fred and was his first MLS goal since he scored in the 2-1 defeat of New York on Oct. 16, 2010. Fred said, “I think it was a little lucky. I saw the ball come right by my foot. I said, ‘Hey, Conor, leave it.’ I saw the ball coming and I had to finish.”

Sheanon Williams joked of Fred’s tally, “He’s been talking about that goal in 2010 for the longest time. It’s nice to give him some new material that he can talk about in practice. Hopefully he’ll forget about the 2010 and score some more this year…He doesn’t score often, but when he does, he definitely lets you know about it.”

Cristian Maidana left the game early with a hamstring injury. Curtin said,

Unfortunately, it wasn’t that he got kicked; at first that was my thought that he maybe got kneed in the hamstring area, but it sounds like it’s a –  he called it a small little pull. It’s too early to speculate, so he’ll get looked at by the staff. Timing wise it isn’t actually the worst, because if you look ahead, we have Chicago, obviously is a huge huge league game, but after that there’s a little bit of a break. We don’t think it’s too serious, but, again, he’s a guy playing as good as anyone in our league right now, so if we are going to miss him, which I hope we don’t, it’s a big loss.

Match recaps from PSP, Philadelphia Union, MLSsoccer.com, Daily News, Delco Times, CSN Philly, Burlington County Times, South Jersey Times, Delaware Now, Soccerly, Philly Soccer News, Brotherly Game, New York Daily News, Empire of Soccer, Big Apple Soccer, Once a Metro, SBI, Goal.com, Sports Mole, The Sports Network, and The AP.

Video of Curtin’s postgame press conference, and interviews with Fred, Ethan White, Sheanon Williams, and Brian Carroll, as well as a postgame quote sheet, here at PSP.

While you wait for our photo essay of the game, USA Today has a photo gallery you can check out.

More on Brian Brown, who was in the gameday 18 for Wednesday’s game.

The 2014 MLS All-Star Fan XI was announced during the half of the Union game on ESPN2. No Union players are on the list.

Writing before Wednesday’s win at The 700 Level, Steve Moore says the Union should trade Zac MacMath. “The front office game is about taking risks at the right time and cashing in when it makes the most sense for you. Right now, Zac MacMath is a name that would perk up the ears of most teams around the league. And while a core group of fans would be quite upset, moving MacMath for the right price makes a lot of sense, whether you’re hosting World Cup keepers in the owner’s box or not.”

Following up his goal and assist in the 2-1 win over Chile, Zach Pfeffer scored from the penalty spot in the US U-20’s 4-0 win over Bermuda at the NTC Invitational on Wednesday, The team next faces Australia on Friday in their final match in the tournament. The game will be streamed live on the US Soccer website.

Empire of Soccer says Freddy Adu should join New York Cosmos if he wants to resurrect his career.

Local

The Drexel men’s team has released its 2014 schedule.

MLS

Three other games featuring Eastern Conference games were played on Wednesday in addition to the Union-Red Bulls game. Kansas City  (32 points) moves back into first place with a 2-1 road win over seventh place Columbus (20 points). Third place Toronto (25 points) came from behind to draw 1-1 at home against Vancouver. Fourth place New England (23 points) sees its winless streak extended to  games after a 5-1 thumping on the road at LA Galaxy. Both teams finished with ten men after first half red cards.

Kansas City have signed two midfielders, Honduran national teamer Jorge Claros, and and Philippines national teamer Martin Steuble.

With some ten clubs in England and Germany interested in him, Matt Besler says Sunderland and Fulham are leading the chase. “We’re trying to get something done as soon as possible. It’s a situation which needs to get resolved. I want to be staying in Kansas City if I’m going to stay. But if they’re going to sell me, then I want to know as soon as possible. It’s not just my decision. It’s the club’s decision if they want to sell or not. But I would definitely have an input on a team.”

Dom Dwyer, born and raised in England but living in the States since 2009 and with a green card since 2012, wouldn’t mind being called up by the US national team.

Orlando City sold 7,500 season tickets during a month-long sale in conjunction with the World Cup.

Marca reports New York City, New York Red Bulls, and Seattle Sounders are all vying for Xavi Hernandez.

Samba Football relates that a Globoesporte report claims that Robinho will head back to Santos to ensure his remains match fit before signing with Orlando.

The Wall Street Journal looks at why college football’s Southeastern Conference is looking to MLS for how to “to enhance their stadiums and entice a generation of absentee fans.”

If you haven’t seen the Mike Magee Ferris Bueller’s Day Off parody homage yet, sit back and enjoy. That’s some quality comedy, plain and simple (goal against the Union at the end excepted).

The outtakes and deleted scenes — which include a Greg Cochrane cameo — aren’t bad either.

NWSL

Fifth place Chicago hosts fourth place Portland tonight at 8 pm, and seventh place Houston hosts third place Washington at 9 pm. Both games will be streamed at NSCAA TV and on YouTube.

US

In the latest FIFA rankings, the US drops two spots to No. 15. Costa Rica moves up 12 spots to t No. 16, Mexico moves up two to No. 18. Honduras drops seven spots to No. 40.

The US World Cup group stage win over Ghana won Best Moment at the 2014 ESPY Awards on Wednesday.

At ESPN, a roundtable discussion on Jurgen Klinsmann, “his plan, his suitability and any alternatives that U.S. Soccer ought to consider.”

The Ecuador Football Association has announced (crappy Google translation here) it will play the US on a FIFA date in October. US Soccer has not yet confirmed the announcement.

At the Daily News, John Smallwood writes, “The United States is not behind the ‘rest of the world’ in soccer.”

The USWNT will host Switzerland in Cary, NC, on Aug. 20. The game, which will be the first time the two teams have met, will be streamed live on the US Soccer website.

Fox Sports will broadcast 14 games between July 23 and Aug. 12, from summer friendlies, to the Guinness International Champions Cup, to the FA Community Shield and UEFA Super Cup.

NBC have released their schedule for the first three months of the 2014-15 Premier League season.

Elsewhere

The New York Times’s Juliet Macur on FIFA’s “dazed and dated attitude on concussions.”

The AP reports that concussion expert Chris Nowinski says World Cup organizers “repeatedly failed to follow their own concussion protocol and then did not take advantage of the international interest in the tournament to teach fans and young players about the dangers of head injuries.”

At ESPN, Michael Cox on tactical trends at the World Cup.

Forbes has released its list of the 50 most valuable sports franchises in the world in 2014 and Real Madrid, followed by Barcelona and Manchester United, hold the top three spots.