Daily news roundups

Zac thanks fans, Union home dates leaked ahead of today’s schedule release, Gerrard announcement today, more

Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Philadelphia Union

On Tuesday, the Union announced the one-year loan of Zac MacMath to Colorado Rapids. In return, the Union receive Colorado’s lowest second round draft pick in next week’s draft. At present, that is the 41st pick. (The Union’s first pick of the draft comes in the second round, 31st overall.) If Colorado decide to retain MacMath at the end of the season, the Union will receive their highest first round pick in the 2016 draft.

MacMath sent a message to fans on Twitter and Facebook:

I can’t say thank you enough to all my fans, friends, staff, coaches, and teammates. It’s been a pleasure playing for you these last four seasons. Without all of you, I wouldn’t be the player I am today. The spirit and toughness of Philly is forever ingrained in me, and I’m incredibly grateful to have started my professional career here. It is with great excitement, but some sadness, that I leave Philadelphia and embrace the opportunity to play with the Colorado Rapids. I hope many of our paths will cross again. Thank you for everything!

And for all my @SonsofBen, don’t ever stop doing what you do. Keep yelling, keep reppin’, keep making waves in and out of the soccer community. You’ll be missed.

Before the announcement, Kevin Kinkead reported at CBS Philly that the Union have no plans to sell Rais Mbolhi, who will “be the starting goalkeeper on opening day.” Kinkead reports the Union also “still plans to loan out backup goalkeeper Andre Blake.”

More reports on the loan from PSP, Philadelphia UnionInquirer, Daily News, Philly.comDelco TimesCSN Philly, Brotherly GamePhilly Soccer NewsColorado Rapids, Burgundy WaveMLSsoccer.com, Soccer America, SBIGoal.comPlaying for 90, and Vavel.

The 2015 schedule is to be released today. When it comes out, we’ll be able to compare it to the home schedule that apparently was briefly viewable on the online accounts of season ticket holders on Tuesday:

Leaked 2015 Union home schedule

An Orlando City schedule that also briefly appeared on Tuesday on Ticketmaster has the expansion side hosting the Union on Aug. 8.

The Sons of Ben will be hosting a pre-SuperDraft party at the Fieldhouse next Thursday, 8:30 am-12 pm. There will be a post-draft gathering at Misconduct Tavern, 3 pm-6 pm.

Brotherly Game has a season review of Sebastien Le Toux.

Local

Soccer America has a Q&A with Joe Cummings, the president of the NSCAA, ahead of next week’s convention in Philadelphia.

MLS

Bruce Arena tells the LA Times that Steven Gerrard will join LA Galaxy in July. A signing announcement should come later today.

Gerrard says in the Times report,

I want to finish my career very strong. I want to add some more medals and trophies to my collection. So I think it’s a match made in heaven, really.

One of the reasons why I chose the LA Galaxy was because of the success they’ve had recently. But also the plans for more success in the future.

The report also has comments from LA president Chris Klein.

Goal.com reports, “The midfielder traveled to London on Tuesday night and is expected to finalize a contract with the Galaxy on Wednesday morning.”

Goal.com reports that NYCFC are close to signing Mix Diskerud.

At Metro New York, Kristian Dyer (remember him, Union fans?) reports that New York Red Bulls have fired head coach Mike Petke. Maybe that has something to do with a report at Big Apple Soccer by the same reporter that Petke’s assistant coach Robin Fraser is headed to Toronto.

As expected, Kansas City have signed midfielder Roger Espinoza.

Chicago have signed Brazilian striker Guilherme “Guly” do Prado, who last played for Premier League side Southampton.

LA Galaxy have re-signed forward Alan Gordon.

Real Salt Lake has agreed to transfer fee, sending defender Carlos Salcedo to Chivas de Guadalajara.

As expected, Garth Lagerwey has been named the new GM of Seattle Sounders. A post on the Sounders website says former GM Adrian Hanauer “will remain an owner and focus on the business operations of the club.” Presumably this means he will focus on a new stadium for the Sounders. More at Salt Lake Tribune, Seattle Times, and Sounder at Heart.

Former Dynamo assistant coach Steve Ralston and goalkeeper coach Tim Hanley, both of whom resigned from the Dynamo last week, have joined their former boss Dominic Kinnear at San Jose.

The Orlando Sentinel wonders why “MLS, NYCFC and Manchester City” can’t admit they handled the Frank Lampard situation wrong “from start to finish.”

Former Columbus Crew midfielder Daniel Paladini is facing six misdemeanor charges stemming from his domestic violence arrest in October. Paladini was suspended with pay by the league following his arrest. Columbus declined to pick up his option at the end of the season and he was not claimed in the Re-entry Draft.

NWSL

Jeff Plush has been named the new commissioner of the NWSL. Plush has extensive experience through serving as managing director of Colorado Rapids and on the MLS board of governors.

US

A judge declined to rule on a motion to dismiss the domestic violence case against Hope Solo on Tuesday. The trial is scheduled to begin on Jan. 20.

Kevin Payne, the former DC United president and CEO, has been named CEO of US Club Soccer. More at Soccer America.

Elsewhere

A profile piece at Reuters on Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, who announced he will challenge Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, says he “became the youngest member of the FIFA executive committee when he was elected to the governing body in 2011 but the Jordanian has never been over-awed by the more established members on soccer’s top table.”

At the Guardian, Owen Gibson says Hussein has little chance of defeating Blatter.

18 Comments

  1. last home game on Sept. 20? Looks like a brutal end to the season if that’s the case…

  2. That’s only 16 home games, so I’d expect to see a home game versus Orlando in October. Also, no LA Galaxy for the second year running, presumably because of the conference realignment. The 5 Western teams coming in are Colorado, Dallas, Seattle, Portland and Houston

  3. Shane (new official OC FC supporter) says:

    Diskerud to NYCFC . . . now I’m officially pissed!

  4. Ryan Shultz says:

    32 game season?

  5. Even though I’m not big on Zac as a top-flight keeper, he has conducted himself with nothing but class through this whole ordeal. I wish him the best of luck and a successful career. I can understand why a large portion of the fan base love him. He does have local roots too, his pops is from Philly…..so yes Zach, we know you’ll always be Philly tough and thanks dude. You’ll have plenty of Union supporters pulling for you Colorado!

  6. Looks like the Union (well, more likely, the league) hasn’t learned that 7pm weekday games manage the rare feat of sucking and blowing at the same time. Ugh! At least only one of them is a school night…

    • Not exactly stoked about the Sunday night games during the school year either, especially the two 7 pm ones. Will be over by 9, I would just rather have them on Saturdays so it’s easier and there’s more time to hang out afterwards.

      • I hear ya. With my daughter being older now – holy cow, she’ll be 14 by the time the season kicks off! – I’m less concerned about the end time. It’s still a concern, but she’s proven responsible enough over the years to get up on time the next morning even though she’s dragging and then go to bed a bit earlier the next night. So she’s earned some leeway from us there.
        .
        I hate weekday games because they’re a bitch to get to on time. In fact, for various reasons last year, we missed kickoff – including the USOC final – because of getting stuck in traffic, either on I-95 or (in the case of the final) getting into the damn parking lot. I have roughly a 45-50 minute drive home from work, but I use the PA turnpike, so that can turn into 90 minutes at the drop of a hat and offer no alternatives. Then after getting home, another 10 minutes to change and gather up a scarf and tickets. Then another hour drive from our home in Bucks County to PPL – again, barring any traffic issues. But since it’s a weekday, that means we’re driving during rush hour. So of course there are traffic issues.
        .
        I just wish they’d push back to 7:30. That extra 30 minutes is golden, even if it means we can’t hang out before the game, it does mean we usually get there on time.

  7. And apparently the Petke firing is official. So much for the Union having the worst FO in MLS. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/01/07/new-york-red-bulls-part-ways-head-coach-mike-petke

  8. Gruntled Fan says:

    Is it me or there a lot more Sunday games this season (according to the leaked schedule)? Do they really all need to be at 7 PM? Nothing like driving the 45 minutes home from Chester at 9:30 at night on Sunday knowing you’ve got to work the next day…

  9. New TV deal with Fox is likely the reason for more Sunday games. I’m in the same boat with the 45 minute drive on a Sunday night.

    • OK, scheduling based on TV makes sense from an MLS perspective. All of those games better be on national TV, though, or it just seems counterproductive as far as attendance/walk-up revenue goes. I’ll bet even young whippersnappers without kids agree (mostly) that 7pm on a Sunday is a pain in the ass. Even pre-kid, I preferred a 4 or 5pm kickoff. Still plenty of time to down a few beers before the match and still get home in time for Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Oh, well…so it goes.

    • Shane (new official OC FC supporter) says:

      A plethora of Sunday night games . . . perhaps The Union did a study and came to the conclusion that a large portion of their missing weekend fans were beachgoers.
      .
      Obviously a fake speculation on my part. . . but it just sounds so Union FO doesn’t it?

  10. Mix to NYCFC? Now I’m really crying. Anywhere but there…this makes two blows to my fragile Union psyche in 24 hours.

  11. People, Mix is overrated. He’s going to have a tough time in this league. He has no engine and is way too nice out there. When Jurgen said his squad needed to be nastier………..Mix was exactly who he was talking about. Over the last few MNT matches, multiple European scouts were watching him, 14 clubs were at one match………and nobody bit….that should tell you something right there.

  12. The old CBA expired Jan. 1, and I think MLS pre-camps are set to start around Jan. 23. Has anyone heard anything on the CBA negotiations? I’d be surprised if the players agreed to go to camps under the old deal as they’d lose a lot of their leverage. So I hope someone is working on it even if it’s not being reported. Thought it was interesting that the Gerrard story has generally been reported the same way- the league will pick up $750,000 for the 18 month contract. I wonder if that means $500,000 is the expected new DP threshold?

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