Daily news roundups

Valdes update, Casey, Gaddis, and MacMath named to TOW, more news

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Philadelphia Union

Carlos Valdes

It’s not every day that one sees a player’s agent publicly lamenting a decision the player has made. Ricardo Pachon, Carlos Valdes’ agent, said on Monday (via Spanish language wire service EFE, crappy Google translation here) of his apparent decision to leave San Lorenzo ahead of the Copa Libertadores semifinals over a little thing like getting paid to return to Philadelphia, “I am very sad that a huge chance at glory is lost.” Nevertheless, the article affirms that Valdes is to “travel to Philadelphia in order to define his future.”

For more on Valdes:

Team news

Conor Casey and Ray Gaddis have been named to MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week.

In addition to being up for Save of the Week, Zac MacMath has been named to SI’s Best XI for Week 19. MacMath makes the bench in Goal.com’s Team of the Week.

At CSN Philly, Dave Zeitlin has the latest Inside Doop.

More power rankings! At SI, the Union move up three spots to No. 13. At Soccer America, it’s a three spot move up to No. 14.

At the Union website, an article on Fred scoring his first league goal since 2010, and another on how patience and hard work have paid off for Ethan White.

Local

WFMZ 69 has a report on tonight’s PDL playoff game between Reading United and Connecticut’s CFC Cruz. Kickoff at Gurski Stadium is at 7:30 pm and fans who attend the game wearing Reading United gear can see the game for free.

Harrisburg City Islanders host Oklahoma City Energy on Wednesday night at 7 pm (NSCAA, YouTube). Previews from Harrisburg City Islanders and Penn Live.

More on Taylor Racioppi’s (PDA, Ocean Township) call-up to the US U-18 WNT camp that is taking place in Mexico today through July 28.

Dan Borislow, the locally born entrepreneur who bought WPS side Washington Freedom, moved the team to Florida, renamed the team after his company, and eventually began a protracted legal battle that led to the league’s demise and led to all kinds of uncomfortable allegations about Borislow’s relationship and interactions with his players, has reportedly died of a heart attack after playing a pickup game of soccer on Monday night.

MLS

The Washington Post’s Steven Goff tweeted on Monday that a deal that will see the return of DaMarcus Beasley to MLS will likely be signed by the end of the week. His services may be too costly for his former club, Chicago Fire, who are also in the sixth spot of the allocation order.

Julian Green has been added to Bayern Munich’s first team roster for the upcoming friendly against Chivas de Guadalajara at Red Bull Arena and the All-Star Game.

At the Kansas City Star, Matt Besler pens an open letter to fans after he and Graham Zusi secured DP contracts to remain with Sporting. Besler begins,

Thank you. I grew up in front of you. You drafted me out of college and brought me home. You never turned your back on me while I learned the ins and outs of the professional game. You’ve provided the most loyal fans in MLS. You’ve made Sporting Park the best stadium in the country. You supported me with the U.S. National Team like I am one of your sons. You’ve reassured me that I am right where I belong.

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/sporting-kc/article776898.html#storylink=cpy

FC Dallas and former Honduras national team midfielder Hendry Thomas is out six to eight months after undergoing surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee after an injury picked up in the recent US Open Cup win against Carolina.

The Orlando Sentinel reports, “Orlando City continued to take steps to clean up its fan conduct and stadium environment this week, establishing a “Fan Advisory Council,” reinstating The Ruckus supporters group and announcing the suspension of 15 fans.” The news comes after “a major incident during a game against rival Tampa Bay in which four fans were arrested and 16 others ejected from the stadium.”

More on efforts in Florida’s Broward County to encourage David Beckham to shift his gaze there from Miami.

You will recall the link in Monday’s roundup about hopes for a MLS franchise in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Review-Journal has questions about how landing a franchise and building a stadium would be financed. More on Las Vegas’ prospects from MLSsoccer.com.

US

Sunil Gulati on the ability of the US to host a World Cup on short notice: “The U.S. is ready to host the tournament tomorrow. Our infrastructure for a tournament this size is in place.”

Gulati has denied reports that the US will play Iran in a friendly in November, saying, “No game has been arranged at this time.”

The Huffington Post has a great Q&A with Clint Dempsey that covers a number of World Cup related topics.

Jozy Altidore stopped by the soccer field where he was discovered in Boca Raton for a surprise visit during a youth soccer tournament.

Elsewhere

World Football Insider reports, “[T]he report by its chief investigator Michael Garcia into possible ethics violations in the corruption-tainted World Cup bidding process will not be made public.” Only the final decision made by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee will be made public.

Initially expected to be submitted by the end of July, the report will now be delivered to the ethics committee “by the first week of September.”

The chairman of Match, FIFA’s World Cup ticket and hospitality partner, says the arrest by Brazilian police of the company’s chief executive on charges of ticket scalping is a case of mistaken identity.

CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb thinks the US shouldn’t be the only host of the Gold Cup. “We must start to expand the Gold Cup. What it is going to do is force governments to improve their infrastructure. From a future standpoint that’s definitely in our plans.”

Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Douglas Costa, one of six South American players who refused to return with the club to Ukraine after a friendly on Saturday in Lyon, posted a message on Instagram that said the players “all run a deadly risk” by returning to the war-torn country,  adding, “I like the club, the people, the city, but I’m afraid. We want to stay at the club, but we must have risk-free working conditions.” The Guardian notes, “The city of Donetsk is held by pro-Russian rebels who are battling advancing Ukraine forces, and lies around 38 miles from the site where Malaysian Airlines flight MH17 crashed on Thursday with almost 300 people on board.”

16 Comments

  1. Old Soccer Coach says:

    With reference to “World Football Insider reports, “[T]he report by its chief investigator Michael Garcia into possible ethics violations in the corruption-tainted World Cup bidding process will not be made public.” Only the final decision made by the adjudicatory chamber of FIFA’s ethics committee will be made public,” can anyone think of a reason not to conclude that Garcia has proved the corruption beyond reasonable doubt and that they are desperately trying to protect themselves?

    • John Ling says:

      That’s certainly the conclussion that information leads to. Nothing says “transparency” like burying a damning report, eh?

  2. I think we have all learned a very important lesson during this Valdes saga…the software applications used for translations on the web are HORRIBLE!

  3. I have to ask because I appreciate and respect the opinions and most of the feedback from regulars on PSP. If this was NY(pick a team), LA, Seattle, Orlando FC, or Toronto FC, would Valdes’ returning to MLS be this long drawn out process?

    • Probably.
      MLS however corrupt it may be(as it turns out no at all corrupt by world soccer standards – still pretty damn corrupt) probably only do so much when negotiating with a foreign club or federation. The second the Union gave a percentage of Valdes rights to someone else the only thing that would break the knot qould be a very very large suitcase full of cash or lots of legal wrangling, helped in no small part by Valdes burning every bridge in sight. So the MLS could have helped by providing a large suitcase full of cash but they never would have for a non marquee player like Valdes.

  4. The Black Hand says:

    His agent has a point. Valdes is a player that probably should be playing at a higher level, than the MLS. He could play in a number of European divisions. The MLS will be comfortable, but won’t really develop him anymore than it already has.

    • Does it need to? He’s 29 years old. He’s in his prime. He knows what kind of offers are coming in from Europe, and apparently they’re not good enough. And he knows how regularly San Lorenzo is paying him — or not paying him.

      The paychecks show up consistently in MLS. The crowds aren’t violent. The U.S. has a high standard of living. Expect more Argentine and South American players to keep making this choice.

      • yeah i think people underestimate how different the fanbase and the league are in america. for instance when he said publicly that the reason he hadnt been to just TWO days of practice was that he hadn’t been paid in almost half a year his twitter was flooded with hundreds of san lorenzo ‘fans’ saying truly awful and sometimes racist things toward him. that doesn’t happen in mls

      • The Black Hand says:

        Yeah. You make a good point, Dan. If he was 23, I would say “Go to Europe”, but he’s 29. At this point he is what he is, as a player.

      • Probably the biggest issue with him staying in MLS is Pekerman, the Colombian National Team coach. If he continues in the notion that MLS is an inferior league to those in South America, then Valdes may be jeopardizing his future with the national team. On the other hand, maybe Pekerman will revise his views over the next few years. Even Klinsmann seemed to soften on MLS after Dempsey AND Bradley came back home.

      • kingkowboys says:

        Valdes will be 33 at the next world cup. His chances are probably not that great on making the team where ever he plays. He only played a throw away game as well. I think Valdes will be focused on club football for the remainder of his career.

      • Eli Pearlman-Storch says:

        I agree with that sentiment about the World Cup, however the issue I see is the Copa America looming in 2016. With Mario Yepes very unlikely to feature, Valdes could make his case over the next year and a half that he deserves to be a starter with this fantastic Colombian team, which should, by then, also include Falcao.
        .
        At 31 years old, he should be in exactly the sweet spot for a centerback looking to help his country (who will be a favorite) win the Copa America Centenario, so I don’t think he’ll be so keen to give up on his international ambitions just yet.

  5. OneManWolfpack says:

    If I’m Valdes, at 29 years old… I want to be paid. Period. He just fulfilled a dream by playing in a World Cup. Now he wants to come back to a stable league, where he can cash his paycheck. Makes perfect sense to me.
    .
    The Union need to grab Beasley if it’s at all possible. Trade Sheanon to Toronto for the top spot. I know Beasley is old but he would do wonders for the back line and the team in general. I know I’m grasping at straws, but it would be a great add.
    .
    FIFA is a disgrace. Just wanted to type that out. Why even do an investigation?!? Unbelievable. Is there any way UEFA (or someone) could start something to rival FIFA?!
    .
    With all this Ukraine / Russia stuff and Qatar being a total mess… can we please just have one of the upcoming World Cups? It would make things so much easier.

    • old soccer coach says:

      Russia will be stable. Dictatorships are very stable until the soldiers holding the bayonets mutiny, at which point they either overthrow the government or are executed (see February/March 1917 Petrograd, et. al.) The Communist Party of the Soviet Union made quite sure that the bitterest, most intense hostile reivalry in the the USSR was that between the KGB and the Military, so that the two institutions disposing of physical force – KGB had quite an array of its own armed forces 9internal security troops and border guards as well as the secret police apparat) – were more concerned about each other than about the Party.

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