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Bournemouth friendly, trialists and transfers, US draw, more news

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Philadelphia Union

Bournemouth friendly

The Union host Bournemouth tonight in a friendly. It’s the newly promoted Premier League side first-ever game in the US. Kickoff is at 7 pm and the game is a bonus game for season ticket holders.

Previews at Philadelphia Union, Inquirer, and Delco Times. Also, Brotherly Game asks three questions of Bournemouth blog Cherry Chimes. Bournemouth Echo has more coverage of the team’s visit here, here, and here.

Bournemouth will be wearing its new first kit, unveiled on the club’s website on Monday, for the first time in tonight’s game.

At Goal.com, a bookies view of who will win tonight.

Trialists, transfer targets, more Union news

On Monday, Jim Curtin discussed several players that have been trialing or otherwise linked to the club. Curtin said Chilean midfielder Santiago Dittborn had impressed during his trial last week: “We’re exploring different options with him, but he was impressive. When you get good players in in good form, the idea after a trial is to hope that you can make something work

Curtin said of Swiss winger Tranquillo Barnetta, “We’re interested in all good players and strengthening our squad right now. He’s a player that we do know of. He’s on our radar but no decisions really have been made on a player of his quality. He’s a national team player. We’d love any player of his quality to bring in.”

Curtin also said Rodolfo Zelaya had begun a one-week trial with the club on Monday. “Rodolfo is a guy that we’ve had our eye on, previous Gold Cups, he’s done well with El Salvador obviously. He’s a guy that’s a little different kind of forward than the ones that we might have. We’ve got a lot of target forwards.” Curtin said FC Dallas, with whom Zelaya had previously trialled, hold his discovery rights. (More background on Zelaya here.)

The subtext of all this is that any significant moves this summer will be contingent on offloading Rais Mbolhi, as well as freeing up international spots. More on Curtin’s comments at Union Tally and CBS Philly.

It can be quite edifying to get some outside perspective on the Union. At World Soccer Talk, Abe Ascher says of the Union and Jim Curtin:

Jim Curtin, without a doubt, has the hardest managerial job in Major League Soccer. Ask any Union fan, or anyone who covers the team, and they’ll tell you that the aggressively inept ownership of Nick Sakiewicz has made it impossible for Philadelphia to succeed…

The start of the campaign was just as ugly as was to be expected, and there is no ugly in sports like Philadelphia ugly.

Everyone mostly stopped paying attention to the Union after a month, but Curtin has just plugged away all year, and on Saturday he was rewarded with what he called Philadelphia’s “most complete win of the year,” a 3-0 home drubbing of the Portland Timbers.

The Union have now won three of four and are only two points out of the playoffs – and third place, for that matter – in the Eastern Conference. It hasn’t been an accident…

Bottom line, the Union won’t make the playoffs this year. But Curtin, stoic and unwilling to panic, has held together this season and has put his team in a position to recover their dignity. If Philadelphia can continue their playoff push late into the season, he deserves consideration for Coach of the Year.

If Curtin can continue to guide the team in a playoff push, it’d be hard to disagree.

Vincent Nogueira and Cristian Maidana have been named to SI’s Best XI for week 19. They were also named to MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week, where Jim Curtin was also named Coach of the Week.

The Union are SBI’s Team of the Week.

Power rankings: The Union move up two spots to No. 15 at SI. At MLSsoccer.com, they move up one spot to No. 16. At ESPN, a three spot move up to No. 15.

CJ Sapong is on MLSsoccer.com’s ExtraTime Radio podcast.

Philly Sports Network talks to Zach Pfeffer.

At the Guardian, Dave Zeitlin has a fine read on YSC Academy, which is having it’s first graduating class.

More on Saturday’s win over Portland at Metro and Prost Amerika.

At TheCup.us, some guy reviews the kerfuffle around the scheduling of the NYRB-Union US Open Cup quarterfinal game at 4 pm next Tuesday. Hey, wait a sec, that guy’s name is really familiar.

Local

Reading United host Long Island Rough Riders tonight at 7 pm.

The Inquirer talks to Zack Steffen, who one former coach describes as “the best player this area has produced in a long time.”

Mainline Media News talks to Heather Mitts about a clinic she recently did at Rose Tree Soccer Club, her career, and love of the Philly area.

A study released on Monday by the journal JAMA Pediatrics concludes that young players are at greater risk for concussions from collisions during play than from heading the ball. More at My Fox PhillyTrib Live, and the AP.

MLS

The Fan XI for the MLS All-Star Game was announced on Monday night, along with Commissioner picks Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, players who, of course, have yet to actually play MLS minutes. Notably absent was Sebastian Giovinco, an oversight that will presumably be corrected when the rest of the 22-player MLS All-Star gameday roster is announced on Saturday.

Also released on Monday were images of the All-Star team’s jersey. Meh.

2015 MLS All Star Jersey

Real Salt Lake host LA Galaxy tonight in their rescheduled US Open Cup quarterfinal game.

DC United’s Bill Hamid is out 4 to 6 weeks after undergoing surgery on his left hand and right knee. What do you know, the Union are in DC in two week’s time.

Sacramento Republic has named the company that will oversee its stadium construction. Give them a franchise, already, they’re doing everything the right way.

US

Well, another underwhelming showing from the US in Monday’s group stage final game. Of course, the US has already advanced to the next round where the real work begins, and of course the game was an opportunity for Jurgen Klinsmann to evaluate which players he’ll keep for the rest of the tournament. Still, who likes to see the US look vulnerable?

The team advances to the quarterfinals to face a still to be determined third place finisher in Group C on Saturday at 5 pm, right in the middle of the Union’s road game in Toronto. They’ll do so without Jozy Altidore, who tweeted his best wishes for the rest of the tournament to the team on Tuesday morning.

Recaps and reports from Monday’s draw at PSP, US Soccer, CONCACAF, Fox Sports,   Washington Post, MLSsoccer.com, ASNAmerican Soccer Analysis, Goal.com, SBIProSoccerTalk, and The Guardian. Postgame quote sheet at US Soccer.

Soccer America has three takeaways, Goal.com has five takeaways. ProSoccerTalk has three things learned. ESPN has three thoughts, and so does SI. The Guardian has five lessons learned from the tournament.

Player ratings at New York Times, ESPNMLSsoccer.com, ASN, Goal.com, ProSoccerTalk, and Soccer America.

ESPN on the shaky center back showing from Ventura Alvarado and John Brooks.

Vice Sports asks, how do we judge Jurgen Klinsmann’s tenure?

Carli Lloyd’s long-range goal in the Women’s World Cup final was named Goal of the Tournament.

SI has issued individual covers featuring each member of the US Women’s World Cup winning team. Very cool. Reaction from Awful Announcing and Washington Post. Want to get all 25 covers? Click here to find out how.

Elsewhere

Reuters reports, “Sepp Blatter is set to face the media in Zurich on July 20 for the first time since he announced last month that he would step down as president of soccer’s governing body FIFA.”

Another Reuters report says Blatter declined an offer to testify in front of the US Senate subcommittee that is meeting on Wednesday for hearings on the ongoing corruption scandal.

Asked his thoughts after he was found guilty of assaulting a steward with an inflatable shark in February, Grimsby Town fan Kenneth Meech said, “I’m a bit deflated, to be honest.”

18 Comments

  1. For those going to the game tonight, expect traffic to be a mess. President Obama is in the area to give a speech, and his departure flight is scheduled for 5:50pm from Philly International.
    .
    http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150715_Traffic_Alert__Obama_visits_Philly_today.html

  2. Andy Muenz says:

    Great article on the US Open Cup page, Ed.
    .
    Regarding the All Star Game, I think it’s a show of disrespect for the players who’ve been playing all spring for the commissioner to name two players who aren’t in the league yet to the all star team. Once again Don Gardner shows a close resemblance to Bozo the Clown.

    • Agreed how do you put two guys who haven’t played a game into the all-star team when givinco Kei Kamara ethan finely all aren’t on the list this is pretty pathetic if you ask me. It shows his utter lack of respect for any talented player not from the EPL.

    • Yeah, if Don Garber wants money so badly, he should just drop the charade and pick Sponsors to play for the MLS All-Star Team

    • Jim Presti says:

      Agreed. In reality, they could’ve named both L&G to the 22 man roster etc. Pure publicity picks.

    • Andy. What a disgrace. I agree as evidenced by my comment below.

  3. Curtin really has grown into the job over the last couple months. There is no doubt he should be praised for keeping this team going through the disheartening doldrums of the first 1/3 of this season. Can we please give him some help?

  4. Has there been any sort of rumor about the Goalie-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named? The last one I heard, Sak f’ed up by insisting on getting a transfer fee from the team in Turkey. Anybody heard anything else? Because until he’s off the books, he takes up a shit-ton of salary cap space – but just as importantly occupies one of our international slots.

    • John-
      Allegedly, it was M’bohli’s AGENT, not Nick Sak that was demanding the fee.

      Yes, 1 time we can’t actually blame Sack. 🙂

      • John Ling says:

        Thanks. I’m in favor of giving Sak all the shit he deserves – but nothing more. 🙂

  5. Goal.com hyperlink broken in first paragraph for me. I have a huge gambling addiction and I’m out to read all articles in regard to Bournemouth betting. For real though, it links me to the same webpage as the new kit release.

  6. “JD – the undisputed king of sportswear.”
    .
    Where do I file my dispute?

  7. Maybe in a year or two the MLS All Star game can be ‘enter European club here’ against all the expat European players plying in the MLS…pillaging millions and earning time playing in a game they just stepped foot in the country to be part of. Jucking Foke.

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