Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz

Philadelphia Union

Fans gathered at Dave and Buster’s on Tuesday evening for the annual Meet the Team event. Look for our photo essay from the event later.

Jim Curtin’s weekly press conference takes place today at 12:30 pm. The press conference will be streamed, with Maurice Edu first talking to reporters at 12:15 pm.

Maurice Edu has been named to ProSoccerTalk’s Team of the Week.

Good news ahead of Sunday’s game in Chicago: Fire Designated Player forward David Accam has been called up by Ghana for two friendlies in France. Hot Time in Old Town’s reaction was understandable: “Not cool, Ghana, not cool. Sunday’s game against Philadelphia was supposed to be Accam’s grand entrance.” Chicago will also be without Scotland international Shaun Maloney, who is also a DP.

PRO has announced the match officials for Sunday’s game. The referee will be Dave Gantar. Matthew Nelson and Oscar Mitchell-Carvalho are the linesmen, and Nima Saghafi is the fourth official.

Brotherly Game on Zach Pfeffer’s red card.

More power rankings: At MLSsoccer.com, the Union drop three spots to No. 15: “They were arguably the better team through the first 40 minutes, before Zach Pfeffer’s red card. Totally fell apart afterward, and are now on just two points from three games. Union fans are already on the edge.” At SBI, it’s a one spot drop to No. 16: “After narrowly snagging draws in the team’s opening pair of games, luck finally ran out for the Union against the buzz saw that is the FC Dallas attack.” (So, the Union narrowly snagged draws in a first game in which they dominated the offensive stats, and came from behind to lead in the second game, and were lucky in having penalty kick no-calls in the first game, and an outrageous game-tying penalty kick call go against them in the second? Ok, then.) The Examiner has them at No. 15: “It is a long MLS season ahead, Philadelphia fans, and we are still in March. Don’t press those ‘panic’ buttons just yet.” That’s right, we have more than one.

We all hate Red Bull, even in Germany. Rightly so, too.

Union Academy

At Brotherly Game, Matt Ralph recaps the results of last weekend’s academy games. Against their Richmond United counterparts, the U-18s lost, 1-0, and the U-16s won, 3-0. The U-14s defeated Lehigh Valley United, 1-0.

Union Academy midfielder Zach Zandi has been announced as the first member of the Villanova men’s team’s incoming class of freshmen.

Local

Harrisburg City Islanders have announced their 2015 roster, which at present stands at 17 players, with Union loanees to be announced soon. The team also unveiled their 2015 jersey which, aside from making me think of Frankenstein, also underscores just how badly the team needs a new logo, weirdly placed as it is where the sponsor logo typically is. More at Penn Live.

In Ireland, former City Islander and Union man Morgan Langley scored on his debut for St. Patrick’s Athletics, a 2-0 win over Derry City. Entering the game at the start of the second half, Langley scored with a header eight minutes from time. More on the game here.

Drexel have announced the addition of Sean Lawlor to the coaching staff of the men’s team. Lawlor was an assistant at Syracuse the last two seasons.

AO Philly is hosting a benefit event with Neshaminy Creek Brewing Company on April 12. The Barks and Beers event will take place at the Neshaminy Creek Brewery in Croydon and will benefit Warrior Canine Connection, which trains service dogs for disabled veterans. Tickets are $20, which includes entry to the event, your first pint, and lunch. A combo ticket that includes a scarf costs $40, which saves you $5 off the cost of the scarf. Click here to order tickets.

Brotherly Game reports on the recent charity darts tournament in benefit of Camden Youth Soccer Club.

MLS

The league is expected to announce Minnesota United as the next MLS franchise today (to be broadcast on Fox Sports 1 and livestreamed on the league website at 12 pm). More at Minneapolis Star Tribune and KAALtv.com. Soccer America looks at how public funding has been used in the on-going stadium boom in Minneapolis.

At ESPN, Doug McIntyre on why the MLS schedule continues to conflict with FIFA international dates. At World Soccer Talk, Steve Davis says the league should not schedule games on FIFA international dates.

Seattle came from behind to draw 2-2 with Liga MX leaders Tijuana in a friendly on Tuesday night.

Cameron Porter, the third round SuperDraft from Princeton who scored that electrifying stoppage time goal for Montreal in CONCACAF Champions League play against Pachuca, is out for nine to twelve months with an ACL tear, suffered in last weekend’s match against New England.

Chicago have signed midfielder/defender and 2015 SuperDraft pick Kingsley Bryce.

Houston have loaned defender Oumar Ballo and midfielder Memo Rodriguez to USL affiliate Charleston Battery for the season.

Speaking of Houston and the USL, MLSsoccer.com reports the Dynamo Dynamo are “working on a partnership with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA Development League to create a USL franchise for the 2016 season. The intent is for Houston to control soccer operations while the McAllen-based basketball organization handles the business side.”

Frank Lampard, who says he may visit NYCFC over the international break, has been watching the team on TV in England and thinks they “looked fantastic.” Lampard also said he’s looking forward to playing against Steven Gerrard in August.

Awful Announcing on why MLS needs to develop a thicker skin when it comes to press coverage.

A source tells the Miami Herald that David Beckham “hopes to have ‘significant’ news to share ‘before summer’ regarding the finalizing of his team ownership group, a name for his Miami Major League Soccer club and the proposed debut season — maybe 2017, but more likely 2018.”

The Miami Herald also reports the David Beckham-led expansion bid appears to be focusing on a location near Marlins Park for a new stadium. “The Beckham team’s embrace of Marlins Park marks a significant messaging change. Last year, when they were pursuing prime land at PortMiami, Beckham partner Simon Fuller famously called Marlins Park “spiritually tainted” when opponents of the port option brought up the baseball site as an alternative.” More on possible stadium locations at Soccer America.

The Indy Star reports, “A powerful state senator said Tuesday that the Indy Eleven’s owner should put up his own money now that a Senate committee approved $20 million for renovating IUPUI’s Carroll Stadium for the professional soccer team.”

US

The USMNT faces Denmark today (3 pm: ESPN2, UniMas, Univision Deportes, Watch ESPN). They will do so without Clint Dempsey, who suffered a hamstring injury in training on Monday and will be out two to three weeks.

Seattle head coach Sigi Schmid said of Dempsey’s injury, “He feels that it’s not that bad. I talked to (U.S. men’s coach) Jurgen (Klinsmann) as well, and Jurgen said he’s definitely out for the game tomorrow, thought he might be able to go the following Tuesday, but didn’t want to push him with the national team right now. That’s why he sent him home.”

Will we see a Jozy Altidore-Aron Johannsson pairing up top at the grounds of the AGF, the team Johannsson first played for after leaving Fjölnir in Iceland?

Previews from PSP, US Soccer, MLSsoccer.com, Soccer America, SI, US Soccer Players, Empire of Soccer, The Guardian, ProSoccerTalk, and Goal.com. Also at Goal.com, ten key questions ahead of the Denmark and Switzerland friendlies.

At Yahoo Sports, the headline is: “Jurgen Klinsmann wastes another chance for teambuilding with latest U.S. roster mishmash.” At SI, it is “Klinsmann again emphasizes balance with latest USMNT roster selections.”

US U-23 MNT head coach Andi Herzog has called in two more players, defender Boyd Okwuonu and midfielder Dan Metzger. The team is currently in Bosnia-Herzegovina for the first training camp of the year.

At ESPN, Jeff Carlisle looks at why fewer US players are in the Premier League.

The viewership numbers for games on NBCSN and beIN Sports continue to rise.

Elsewhere

The AP reports, “Ukraine’s top football official isn’t ruling out a boycott by his country of the 2018 World Cup in Russia, but believes such action won’t be needed.”

The AP reports, “A French campaign group has filed a legal complaint against construction giant Vinci for grave mistreatment of migrant workers in Qatar, the host country of the 2022 World Cup, accusing it of practicing ‘modern slavery.'”

Running unopposed, Michel Platini was re-elected for a third four-year term as president of UEFA.

At the UEFA congress in Vienna, the three challengers to Sepp Blatter in FIFA’s upcoming presidential elections spoke of the need for a change in leadership.

The Press Association reports, “England are interested in bidding for Euro 2028 but are very unlikely to bid for the 2026 World Cup, FA chairman Greg Dyke has revealed.”

Vice Sports talks to Darya Safai, the Iranian activist working to pressure the ban in Iran on women attending games.

Vice Sports is against video replay.

Goal.com reports, “Players and staff from Swedish third-tier side Dalkurd narrowly avoided being on the doomed Germanwings flight that left 150 people presumed dead on Tuesday.”

German FA president Wolfgang Niersbach said of the crash, “It’s had an impact on everyone and it overshadows everything. As a football family, we owe it to the victims and their families to pay our respects.” German clubs have also issued announcements expressing their condolences to the families and friends of the victims.”