Photo: Earl Gardner

Philadelphia Union

The theme from Jim Curtin’s weekly press conference (full transcript here at PSP) on Wednesday was disappointment — with the team’s performance in the loss in Chicago, in decision making on the field both in the attack and in defense, the continuing string of “silly,” and costly, fouls, in the month of March generally — and hope — in the fact that no team is running away with the East, that injured and otherwise absent players will soon be returning, that April is a chance to start afresh.

On the injury front, things continue to look bleak in the short term. Curtin said that both Cristian Maidana and Sheanon Williams are “a week to two weeks away” from returning. Conor Casey was not discussed, but he remains listed as out on the league’s latest injury report. CJ Sapong has returned to training but he still needs to satisfy the criteria of the league’s concussion protocol before he can return and it is unclear if he will do so in time to face his former team when the Union play Kansas City on Sunday.

Curtin said that only 13 players were in training on Wednesday, the team’s first training session since returning from Sunday’s loss in Chicago. Some of this is due to some unexpected illnesses. Steven Vitoria is away (where, I do not know) to be with his wife for the impending birth of their second child. Asked if Vitoria will be available for the Kansas City game, Curtin said, “The hope is yeah. They haven’t had the baby yet, but the hope is that he’ll be available for selection for the weekend. That’s the plan right now.” Not exactly encouraging.

Curtin discussed the possibility of Sebastien Le Toux playing as the No. 10 against Kansas City.

Seba does give you a guy that, if he plays beneath Fernando, can do the running defensively to shut down their holding midfielder, but then also can make a run out of there to try to get in behind the other team’s back when we do break.* So, he is a candidate for playing in there. He’s not, trust me, he’s not the prototypical No. 10 that’s going to get a ball played into his feet, hold it, turn, and dribble three guys, that’s not really his role. But, if you look at the options, I think that could be one of the better ones. We’ll see as the week goes.

We later tweeted:

Curtin clarified to PSP: @PhilaUnion could attack w/ Le Toux as a second striker in a 4-4-2. Defensively, he would drop into the 10 channel.

— Philly Soccer Page (@phillysoccerpg) April 1, 2015

Curtin also agreed that Le Toux and Andrew Wenger may be feeling too much pressure. “[T]hey both want to score goals. That’s what they’re paid to do, that’s what they want to do for the team, they want to help the team. So, maybe there is a bit of pressing right now in trying to, every time they get on the ball, do something that leads to a goal……I’m confident in both of those guys, I know they can do it in this league, they have for a little while now. So, the chances will come. We need to shore up defensively; we’re a team that when we’re organized defensively, that’s usually when our attackers get going the best.”

Curtin acknowledged “there is definitely a sense of urgency from the coaching staff and from the players. We know that you can’t dig yourself into a deep hole; we learned that last year, it’s hard to dig out of. It’s four games gone by, we’ve lost twice, we’ve been beaten twice. We’re not happy with where we sit in the table, at the bottom.”

He explained,

We’re frustrated, we’re angry, for sure. But, we also know that this is a good group, this is a good team, and the points that we’ve gained so far haven’t really reflected what we’ve put into it. We think we’re deserving of a couple more points, which changes the outlook on things. My message to all of them is to stay positive. Take a look in the mirror at yourself, and know that you can do better each day in training, and that will translate to the game. We’re in this together, we have to fight our way out of a tough spot. But the month of March is behind us, and it was a bad month, for a lot of different reasons, for the Philadelphia Union. But, it’s in the past now. We’re on to April, and we need to get some results in April.

Andrew Wenger said, “We’re not pleased with where we’re at. You can probably look at it and say we’ve had a month of weird things happen that it normally might take a full season to see, but we’ve also had some poor performances. And that’s the thing that we can control.”

While acknowledging the team is only four games into the season, John Smallwood writes at the Daily News that so far, the 2015 Union “is starting to look like the same, old Union – a group that rarely comes through in the big moments, drops points in the most maddening of manners and doesn’t match up with the top-echelon teams of Major League Soccer”:

For the past two seasons, the Union has missed the playoffs because of a point or two lost here or there.

Given the Union’s history over the last three seasons, an early hole seems about three times deeper than it actually is.

And, given the Union’s history, is anyone confident the team can pull things together and not end up having another slow start lead to it coming up short in the playoff race again?

PRO has announced the referee assignments for the weekends games. For the Union’s game in KC on Sunday, they are REF: Ismail Elfath will be referee, Adam Garner and Kevin Klinger are the linesmen, and Younes Marrakchi is the fourth official.

ASN notes the Union’s scoring problem.

Brotherly Game has an optimist-pessimist look at the loss in Chicago. Also, a guesstimation of where the team is with the salary cap.

A late match recap at US Soccer says of Zach Pfeffer’s play with the US U-23s in Tuesday’s loss to Denmark:

The U.S. began threatening with Zach Pfeffer, who twice combined with Khiry Shelton for good opportunities, but Denmark’s goalkeeper did his job; first with a fantastic diving save on a shot from 16 yards out, and then with a header from 12 yards out that went just wide.

A final chance to equalize came late in the game but Pfeffer’s attempt inside the six was cleared, and a rebound shot taken by Ariel Lassiter was saved by the goalkeeper.  

Google Maps has an interface that allows you to play Pac-Man on street maps. A Reddit user has compiled a list of links to Pac-Man interfaces for MLS stadiums, including PPL Park.

From the Union website: “To kick off their partnership, Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and the Philadelphia Union, a major league soccer team based in Chester, Pa., will offer an exciting opportunity for children ages 6-14 to win a first-class, week-long Union Soccer School camp scholarship. Ten lucky winners will have the opportunity to attend the seven-day camp for free!”

Union Academy

The Union U-16s defeated San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 on Wednesday with goals from Raheem Taylor-Parkes and Justin McMaster in their final group game at the Generation adidas Cup. Out of championship contention with a 1-2 record, the Union face Aspire Academy from Qatar today at 3 pm.

Local

At the Harrisburg City Islanders website, a preview of Saturday’s road game against Charleston Battery (7:30 pm, YouTube). More previews at Charleston Battery and Dynamo Theory.

Several area players have been called up for the joint US U-16 and U-17 GNT camp. Called up for the U-16s are Emily Gray (D: Penn Fusion; Sewell, N.J.)and Mackenzie Pluck (M: FC Bucks; North Wales, Pa.). Called up for the U-17s are Sydney Zandi (D: Penn Fusion; West Chester, Pa.) and Rachael Dorwart (M: Penn Fusion; Mechanicsburg, Pa.).

MLS

At MLSsoccer.com, a roundup of some of the April Fools’ Day pranks pulled by players and clubs around the league.

NASL commissioner Bill Peterson spoke to reporters on Wednesday on a variety of topics. On the topic of a NASL players union, he said,

They control their own destiny. They know our clubs will look out for their best interests as it relates to other opportunities in this country or other countries. So the concept doesn’t seem to fit in. But by all means if there was an approach we would have a conversation with them and look to do what’s best for the players and the league itself…I don’t see it happening. Our owners are treating our players very well. They’re slowly increasing the amount of money they’re paying those players each year. our roster numbers are going up, but going up at a steady rate. I think a fair rate based on the revenues we’re generating.

Pretty hilarious stuff. More on Peterson’s comments, including his continuing belief that the league should have an automatic spot in the CONCACAF Champions League, at Soccer America (1), Soccer America (2), and Empire of Soccer.

US

At SI, Liviu Bird reviews the tactical setups of the USMNT in its recent games.

At Soccer Gods, Bobby Warsaw has an interesting take on why Jurgen Klinsmann seems to rub so many US commentators the wrong way: “[T]he European football culture where Klinsmann was raised revolves around individual ambition. Personal success means more than team accomplishments”:

It’s a funny feeling around a European locker room. Everyone is happy to be on the team, but everybody also wants to be on a different one. A lot of the players have one foot out the door as soon as they step in. If a European player could pick between a trophy at the end of the season and moving on to a bigger club, he would choose the move. And it’s all perfectly accepted. It’s a strange way to conduct a team.

The US defeated the Bahamas 6-2 on Tuesday to finish atop of Group C at the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship in San Salvador, El Salvador. The team faces Jamaica tonight at 7:45 pm in a quarterfinal game that is being live streamed at Beach Soccer Worldwide.

A state senator in Florida has introduced a bill that “requires coaches who get kicked out of games involving children 12 years old or younger to be benched for the rest of the season. It also includes a provision for those organizing the leagues, like Pop Warner, the YMCA and others, to set up an appeals system for coaches to make up for ‘overzealous refs.'”

At the Guardian, Michael Lewis has a good read on the tour by the original NASL’s Chicago Sting of Cuba in 1978.

Elsewhere

Reuters reports, “A group of U.S. senators has written to the international soccer association FIFA, urging it to consider removing Russia as host of the 2018 FIFA World Cup because of its role in the Ukraine crisis and occupation of Crimea.” Among those signing the letter were Pat Toomey (R., Pa.) and Bob Menendez (D., NJ).

The AP reports FIFA spokeswoman Delia Fischer “rejected the notion that it makes sense to strip Russia of the World Cup.”

A few years ago, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the chairman of the European Club Association, called for a “revolution” against the “corrupt people” who run FIFA. Now, the BBC reports, Rummenigge “believes Fifa is changing ‘in a good way,'” and that Sepp Blatter is “ready to change.”