Daily news roundups

USA faces Haiti in GC, Union prepares for Timbers, victory parade, more

Photo: Courtesy of Portland Timbers

USA v Haiti at the Gold Cup

The US faces Haiti tonight in its second group game of the Gold Cup tournament (8:30 pm:Fox Sports 1, UniMás, Univision Deportes, Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go, Univision Deportes En Vivo, SiriusXM FC).

Previews at US Soccer, MLSsoccer.comCBS Sports, Soccer AmericaYahoo Sports, Goal.com, and ProSoccerTalk.

MLSsoccer.com reports Jurglen Klinsmann is using tonight’s game to audition players for roster spots the rest of the tournament. Klinsmann said, ”

We also still see a lot of competition going on in our own team. There are quite a lot of fifty-fifty situations going on the table.

There’s also the situation that theoretically every team can switch players after the group stage. The players know as well. So if you’re [the 23rd player on the roster] now, you don’t want to lose anything. You want to be here on the 26th of July in Philadelphia. This kind of all gives it more spice and hopefully there’s a lot of spice here [against Haiti].

Fox Sports and SI on how tonight’s game has a special significance for Jozy Altidore, who has Haitian roots.

The Boston Globe reports the US will host Brazil in a friendly at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 8.

Philadelphia Union

The Union face Portland Timbers, currently third in the Western Conference, at PPL Park on Saturday at 7 pm (6abc, MLS Live, Direct Kick, DirecTV).

Sound familiar?

Previews at PSP, Philadelphia Union, Inquirer,  CBS Philly, Metro, Brotherly Game, MLSsoccer.com, Portland TimbersPortland Monthly, and Prost Amerika. Three questions with fellow SB Nation blog Stumptown Footy at Brotherly Game.

NYRB boss Jesse Marsch says he will field the strongest team possible against the Union in the US Open Cup quarterfinal on July 21. “Yes. Yes. Yes. Obviously we have to figure out what that means at that time but we’re going after the game, for sure.”

Brotherly Game picks up on a report from Tuesday at Spanish website Estadio Deportivo (crappy Google translation here) that the Union is interested in Swiss international winger Tranquillo Barnetta, who is “available on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Schalke 04.” Barnetta’s agent is quoted in the Estadio Deportivo report as saying “Tomorrow (today) we are going to Philadelphia to study an offer from the MLS, but we also have others in Italy, Germany, England and Spain.”

At MLS Soccer.com, Dave Zeitlin looks at the emergence of Richie Marquez as a starting center back. Curtin is quoted,

His growth has been huge. Every game, he’s kind of like a warm blanket back there. He makes you feel comfortable. I’m not nervous. He does a good job of putting out a lot of fires.

You know what you’re going to get with Richie. He’s going to win things in the air, he’s going to break up plays, and he’s very fast – deceptively fast…

I couldn’t be happier to see a young guy grab a hold of a position and not let it go. That’s something I take pride in seeing a young player do. Any player that gets a run of games, the first thing I say is, ‘Don’t let me take you off the field.’ And he’s done that and has earned the right to continue as the starter.

At the Delco Times, Matthew De George elaborates on Curtin’s comments in this week’s press conference on the team’s depth at fullback.”

At Brotherly Game, Jared Young on what the new Target Allocation Money might mean for the Union.

At the Union website, Kyle Basedow begins a two-part series on Maurice Edu.

At the Bournemouth website, five things you should know about the Union.

The Jewish Exponent profiles Zach Pfeffer.

Union Academy

It wasn’t clear yesterday when the roundup went up, but the Union U-16s will face FC Dallas in the US Soccer Development Academy championship semifinals in Carson, Calif. on July 16. The championship will be played on July 18.

Local

Harrisburg City Islanders are on the road to face NYRB II on Sunday. Previews at Harrisburg City Islanders and New York Red Bulls.

Reading United host NYRB U-23s on Saturday at 7 pm, while Lehigh Valley United Sonic are on the road to Jersey Express. On Sunday, OCean City Nor’easters host DC United U-23s at 7 pm.

At Philly.com, Kate Harman on how Vineland native, and former USWNT player, Jill Loyden is training the next generation of goalkeepers.

MLS

Landon Donovan will coach the Homegrown Team that will face the Club América U-20s as part of the All-Star Game week.

Soccer America has a take on the new Targeted Allocation Money salary mechanism. World Soccer Talk has two takes.

MinnPost reports, “St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman announced Thursday that he is all-in on recruiting Major League Soccer to build a stadium in the city for a new expansion franchise.” Coleman said,

Goal.com says its time for Freddy Adu to try the NASL. Maybe it’s really time for him to try another profession.

US

US Women’s World Cup ticker-tape parade

The USWNT will be honored with a ticker-tape parade today in New York City. If you can’t attend the parade, it, and the concluding ceremony at City Hall, will be live streamed on Fox Sports 1 and ESPN3 beginning at 11 am.

There was a predictable, if not understandable, social media freakout when, following a tweet from NYCFC announcing a fan contest, Empire of Soccer reported that following an invitation from US Soccer, and along with the NWSL and area NWSL club Sky Blue FC, MLS, NYCFC and NYRB would have floats in the parade, while New York Cosmos had declined an offer to join the parade “in respect to the Women’s victory.” CBS Sports soon joined in the harrumphing.

Meanwhile, Once a Metro reported that NYRB would be represented by four girl members of its pre-academy program, half of whose 3,000 participants are girls, as well as a young female Special Olympics goalkeeper who also participates in the program. Hudson River Blue reported that NYCFC would be represented by “three young women who are members of the Light Rail, the youth supporters club,” as well as “members of the Blue Ladies, who are the women’s supporters club.” Both reports stated the intention is to support women’s soccer, not the clubs themselves, and that NYRB or NYCFC players would be taking part. Soon after, PIX 11 reported the two teams would be sharing a float. We shall see.

So, a poorly communicated fan contest initiated a great deal of negative reaction (and reflexive self-righteousness), followed by a piece of incomplete (if not bad) reporting, and by the time further details were reported, the damage had already been done. And why are MLS and its New York area teams even involved in the first place? Because MLS is one of the few sources of private funding that have emerged for the parade (the New York Times reports $450,000 of private funding for the parade, which leaves $1.5 million in costs for NYC). And like sponsors of parades everywhere, MLS and its local teams are using their sponsorship to also promote themselves, whatever the reported intentions of NYRB and NYCFC. Shocking stuff. And I’ll still have tears in my eyes.

Ultra Violet will be paying for a plane-drawn aerial banner that reads “FIFA– Equal Pay 4 Equal Play,” as well as bike ads, during the parade. Meanwhile, The Federalist writes that women’s soccer doesn’t deserve equal pay.

The Guardian on what’s next for the USWNT.

Elsewhere

Reuters reports, “A Miami-based affiliate of Spanish media giant Imagina group is one of the unidentified sports marketing companies alleged in a U.S. indictment to have agreed to pay a bribe in a global soccer corruption scandal…The company is Media World, a subsidiary of Imagina US, according to two sources familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity. Imagina US is a subsidiary of the Barcelona-based Imagina group.”

The AP reports, “Swiss anti-corruption expert Mark Pieth says FIFA president Sepp Blatter refused multiple requests to disclose his salary and foment transparency within football’s governing body.”

Reuters reports Blatter has reiterated that he will not stand for re-election, and explained criticism is rooted in envy that “has been festering for years.” Asked why he didn’t do more to institute reforms, he sarcastically replied, “I not only see everything, I’m responsible for everything, even for the English women’s own goal at the World Cup recently. Am I responsible for climate change too?”

The US Senate’s Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, Insurance, and Data Security, will hold a hearing entitled “Examining the Governance and Integrity of International Soccer” on Wednesday, July 15. Subcommittee chairman Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said,

The recent revelations of bribery and mismanagement at FIFA should be of concern to us all. The organization’s culture of corruption is turning a blind eye to significant human rights violations and the tragic loss of lives. This hearing on the recent FIFA scandals will begin the discussion about our country’s own participation in the organization, ways the United States and our allies can work to reform FIFA, and how we can restore integrity to the game so many Americans and citizens of the world enjoy.

Checkout the latest Footy on the Telly for listings of live soccer on TV, online, and on satellite radio for the upcoming week.

14 Comments

  1. Y’all heard anything more about Tranquillo? Sounds like he’d be a (really) great pickup.

    • I agree. I don’t know much about him, but he seems to fit a need much more than the rumor earlier this week.
      .
      I do have to say, once, just once, I would like to have a Union rumor or transfer that doesn’t come with some financial caveat, or that it was a free transfer, or free agent, etc. It’s not that those are bad things, or bad ideas by the team, I just want someone targeted purely on talent or upgrading of the roster, and not money first.

      • Yup… Sometimes I take my crew to Outback for a filet just because it is really good even though it costs me an arm and a leg to feed family.

      • OneManWolfpack says:

        If he fits a need… and costs a few dollars… chances are, the Union will act interested, and then not sign him. Sorry, been a little cynical lately…

    • Agreed. Pretty solid resume (German league for years and plenty of caps with the Swiss), and at a position of serious need right now.

      • I’ve seen Barnetta play quite a bit as I use to watch most German soccer league games. Definitely fits a need for this team has very good service the problem here is he is probably to solid a player for the Union to pay and he is 30 yrs. old. He has good leadership qualities and I see him fitting in well with the likes of Nogs and Maidana. He knows how to play organized football so the problem is he likely will not fit into the disorganization that our team usually has. I think he would be a good addition, but don’t see the Union pulling the trigger soon enough and I don’t see him accepting when I am sure he will have offers in the EPL.

    • Yeah,

      And I’m also interested in that Santiago Dittborn kid.

      • Ultimately, if the union would spend money they could actually get them both which could be a good thing Barnetta is versatile and he could also teach Dittborn which could make a nice combination in a position of need it then allows the Union to trade or loan Wenger who can’t do much anyway.

  2. Andy Muenz says:

    So the real question is whether either team can break the scoreless drought at PPL Park or whether they will play their third consecutive 0-0 tie there. Think about it, in 180 minutes at PPL Park, Portland has yet to score or concede a goal.

    • This is a game Union need to win. Three points is only option. Need to get off to a good start this half of season.

      • So much international football in the last month. Such pace and desire. I’d love to see Philadelphia come out with even half of the energy of the teams I’ve been watching. Let’s get the fireworks started before the final whistle, boys!

      • Agreed it’s been an orgy or smorgasbord or something tasty to that nature. Great summer for the beautiful game.

  3. The USMNT looked vulnerable against Honduras. I really hope to see them come out and spank Haiti tonight. Right now I think their swagger isn’t justified.

  4. Looks like one of (possibly the only) M’Bohli suitor may soon be out of the picture

    http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2015/07/11/13480632/victor-valdes-in-talks-with-antalyaspor

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