Daily news roundups

A must read from Lahoud, Temple makes it six wins in a row, more news

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

There was no press conference this week from Union manager Jim Curtin so team news is a little thin this Thursday morning.

Which is just fine because you can take the time you would use catching up on Union news to read the very moving piece at The Players’ Tribune by Michael Lahoud about refugees, leaving Sierra Leone in the midst of a civil war alone as a child to come to the US, the support he had when he got here, and reconnecting with his African roots. It’s a must read.

New England Revolution head coach Jay Heaps on the uncertainty of who will be on the field for the Union this weekend ahead of next week’s US Open Cup final: “The only ones we’re going to know is their staff. It’s one of those [things] where you can’t get a real read on what they’re going to do. We have an idea what they’re projected lineup will be, and we have an idea of other lineups they may use, and then we’ll just leave it at that.”

The Union Academy teams had a good weekend, going 3-0-1. At Brotherly Game, Matt Ralph rounds up the results.

DC United got a customized jersey to the Pope. Will the Union?

Local

No. 17 Temple defeated La Salle 4-1 on Wednesday. Penn lost 2-0 to No. 23 Penn State. Former Union Academy player Connor Maloney scored both goals for Penn State.

Former Philadelphia Independence head coach Paul Riley has been sacked by Portland Thorns. More at The Oregonian (announcement, reaction), OPB, The Columbian, and the AP.

MLS

In league play on Wednesday night, sixth place Montreal (39 points) defeated last place Chicago (27 points), 2-1. Didier Drogba scored, getting away with murder in the process. In Western Conference play, eighth place Houston (38 points) bounced back from Sunday’s loss to the Union with a 1-0 win over the Union’s US Open Cup final foe, fifth place Kansas City (44 points).

In CONCACAF Champions League play, Los Angeles drew 1-1 in Trinidad and Tobago with Central FC to clinch top spot in their group. Seattle advance to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over Vancouver, who are now eliminated from advancing.

MLS comes in at No. 5 in GoEuro’s “Football Price Index,” a ranking of “the costs of attending a top division game in 25 countries, and included factors like bus, train, and air transport to an away game as well as accommodation, food, and beverages during the matches.” MLS comes in last in the “Best Value League Ranking.”

More local support for building Minnesota United’s new stadium in St. Paul.

Is the sale of NASL side San Antonio Scorpions and its stadium nearing completion?

More MLS talk in Charlotte.

Elsewhere

From Reuters: “Switzerland’s Attorney General Michael Lauber has formally asked FIFA to give investigators access to the email accounts of the global soccer organization’s suspended General Secretary Jerome Valcke.”

Also from Reuters: “Swiss authorities have approved the extradition of Venezuelan soccer official Rafael Esquivel to the United States as part of an investigation into suspected corruption in soccer, the government said on Wednesday.”

At Sky Sports, Pele says Sepp Blatter should tell the truth about what he knows about FIFA corruption. “I don’t know exactly what happened, you hear but you do not know, but after what has happened in the last two years, he deserves to be honest and say the truth of what he has seen.”

Will the next FIFA executive meeting, scheduled to take place in Japan in December, go ahead as planned or will it be moved or even postponed because, you know, certain people are afraid they’ll be arrested if they leave their home country?

11 Comments

  1. I’m allergic to facebook, so, many thanks for the link to Mike’s piece. I have to go now, I must have something in my eye cause it’s watering. Both eyes, actually.

  2. Fat Uncle Phil from Urkel says:

    I want to hug Michael Lahoud now.

  3. What a fantastic piece from Lahoud. Amazing story that everyone should read, and incredibly well written. Moved and a bit choked up over here.

  4. Great article by Michael. While I’m still not happy with the way the Union acquired him, he is definitely a class person to have on the team.

  5. I had no idea about Michael Lahoud’s story. Amazing. Another fine example of how immigrants/refugees have made our country better. I’d also give him a hug.

  6. Really cool.
    .
    For anyone with a few extra minutes…the David Villa piece… Just a kid from Trullia, is really good too.

  7. I really see Pope Francis as a #6, not a #10.

  8. Great piece by Michael. I cant imagine what it was like to go through all that, but he did an amazing job telling the story.

  9. Phenomenal stuff from Lahoud. What a story.
    .
    Not sure how I feel about KC losing to Houston. Should I be hopeful?

    • Should be more upset that Feilhaber picked up a suspension. So he’s sitting Sunday night and nice and rested for Wednesday

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