Daily news roundups

Post Turkey Day news bits

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

Following the Philadelphia Eagles embarrassing Thanksgiving Day loss, USA Today declares Philadelphia “the saddest pro sports city in America right now.” The Union and their second worst in MLS finish get a mention that notes, “The highlight of their season this year was the fan-made video ‘memorializing’ the 17 goalkeepers who’ve played for the team.” Putting aside the lack of any mention of such highlights as the incredible shorthanded US Open Cup quarterfinal road win over NYRB, or, say, the firing of Nick Sakiewicz and the hiring of Earnie Stewart (yes, I’m reaching), one wonders if the author has any idea that the “fan video” was made by “fans” at NYRB SB Nation blog Once a Metro.

Continuing with the trolling theme, a blog at English newspaper The Sun takes issue with the Sons of Ben using Milwall’s “No One Likes Us” chant. Slow news day, I guess, thanks for noticing. I will pass on commenting on the fact that the blog — which is really just a promotion for the newspaper’s fantasy football game, is using the name of a crappy TV series.

Sticking with England, Michael Lahoud helps preview the MLS conference finals for Sky Sports.

At Brotherly Game, season reviews of Cristian Maidana and an omnibus review of Fernando Aristeguieta, Conor Casey, and Antoine Hoppenot.

MLS

Demonstrating what might be considered a perverse sense of timing if you were among those players whose options were declined, several teams — New England, Orlando, and Kansas City — announced roster moves the day before Thanksgiving. Some notables among those whose options were not picked up include local lad Steve Neumann at New England, Corey Ashe, Tally Hall, and Danny Mwanga at Orlando (The Mane Land notes of former Union man Mwanga, “The 24-year-old only appeared in four games and didn’t score a single goal in purple in a competitive match (although he did score in a friendly at Louisville City).”). Former Union man Amobi Okugo will remain at Kansas City.

At ASN, Brian Sciaretta talks to Gregg Berhalter about his dual role as head coach and technical director at Columbus Crew. The Crew face NYRB at RBA in the second leg of the conference final on Sunday (7:30 pm, FS1).

At SI, Liviu Bird writes Dallas “exudes confidence” ahead of Sunday’s Western Conference final against Portland, despite being at a two-goal deficit after losing the first leg, 3-1. Sunday’s game kicks off at 5 pm on ESPN.

At ESPN, Doug McIntyre writes the biggest stars remaining in the playoffs may not be players but the team managers.

Didier Drogba on playing in MLS:

People think it’s easy to play there, believe me it’s harder than playing in the Premier League. Because of the travel, you can stay at the airport three or four hours if you miss your flight.

That’s what makes it hard so as you can see there’s not many away wins. And also of course there are also some very good players in this league.

Sacramento Bee reports, “In an attempt to show Major League Soccer that political and civic support exists for a new soccer stadium in Sacramento’s downtown railyard, Republic FC and city officials will bring a preliminary term sheet to the City Council next week outlining plans for a 25,000-seat stadium project costing $226 million.” More at Sacramento Business Journal.

When exactly was discussing promotion/relegation in US soccer “taboo“?

US

At US Soccer, a end-of-the-year Q&A with USMNT head coach Jurgen Klinsmann.

The Guardian talks to USWNT head coach Jill Ellis about prepariing for the Olympic qualifiers. I suppose we’ll all have to just get used to the “can’t rest on the laurels” angle.

Head coach Michelle French has announced her 20-player roster for the CONCACAF U-20 championship tournament, which will be be held in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Dec. 3-13.

News regarding the Copa America Centenario from Grant Wahl: ” I’m told MLS will likely not schedule any games during the group stage of the tournament. The draw is set to have four seeded teams, with one of them being the host United States. I’m told the four temporary grass surfaces will be given more time to take root than we usually see during the summer, and organizers are expecting that every country will send its best possible teams.”

Elsewhere

The AP reports, “French authorities have extended a measure banning away fans from attending soccer matches in the wake of the Paris attacks.” The ban will remain in effect until mid-December.

At Reuters, more on Sepp Blatter’s belief that FIFA’s executive committee cannot ban him because he is “not a FIFA official.” Understandably, the ethics committee disagrees.

From the AP: “FIFA presidential candidate Sheikh Salman received an endorsement Friday from his executive committee colleagues at the Asian soccer confederation.”

Reuters reports, “Swiss justice officials have issued their first order to send bank information to U.S. prosecutors who in May charged 14 soccer officials and sports-rights marketers with racketeering, money laundering and bribery.”

Also from Reuters, “The head of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has resigned his post on FIFA’s Executive Committee after months of pressure to stand down, the South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) said on Thursday.” The report notes,

He has not attended any FIFA Executive Committee meetings since May, when police raided a Swiss hotel and arrested nine soccer officials and five sports media and promotions executives in a landmark corruption investigation into the sport’s world governing body.

Marin was one of those detained and Del Nero returned to Brazil immediately after the raid and has not left his homeland since. According to Brazil’s constitution, Brazilian citizens cannot be extradited from Brazil to another country.

Hilarious.

The hilarity continues as the AP reports, “Qatar has launched an investigation after heavy rains exposed poor construction following a deluge that saw water cascade through the roof of its $15 billion main airport.” Apparently, investigations are already underway concerning shoddy construction of infrastructure being built ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Finally, there’s this: “Soccer world body FIFA, mired in the worst graft scandal in its history, is giving 48 Swiss watches worth up to $25,000 each to a children’s soccer charity after a year cajoling officials who received them from Brazilian soccer authorities to give them up.”

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

25 Comments

  1. I’d be open to bringing in Neumann, Ashe, and Hall.
    .
    Neumann young attacking option. Ashe as outside back depth/competition for Fabinho. Hall as Blake’s veteran backup while McCarthy is starting for BSFC.

  2. I don’t approve of the use of No One Likes Us, either. It’s forced, unearned, and just plain someone else’s unique thing.

    • Well you described 90% of the chants at PPL. My nain problem with No One likes us it is a kind of thing asshole fans sing to get themselves over. I am in the River End to sing for the team not to sing for a bunch of assholes.

    • I don’t approve of many things that happen in the River End. Just seems like people are trying to hard to create some culture that should form naturally. co-opting British chants is cringy

      • So does that mean you also disapprove of the British using “when the saints go marching in”? Because that’s an American song.
        .
        In the end, who cares? If you’re worrying about what songs are sung, I think you’re missing the point.

      • “When The Saints Go Marching In” has been sung by Southhampton fans since the 1950s, and evolved organically, unlike most of the songs we sing, which are just variations of someone elses supporters culture.

        My point is, I want American soccer culture to be its own thing, something unique that isn’t borrowed from someone else. I don’t like feeling like I’m role playing as some English fan.

      • I think you miss something important. This country is about things that are borrowed from somewhere else. This country is a melting pot. It’s people are from somewhere else, unless one is Native American. Instead of having an inferiority complex, embrace what makes us, us.

    • Let me preface the following comment by saying, most sincerely, I am NOT “against” the Sons of Ben. I would like to see an atmosphere in Philadelphia as infectious and fun as the ones I see in Seattle and Portland. Stadiums full of fans who are ALL on the SAME page and having a great time. Also, I am not in any way, shape or form a “prude”.
      .
      I have made my living as a leadership consultant for over 20 years. I help new leaders learn how to be effective right from the start and I also mentor and improve the practices of those who have “struggled” or flat failed as leaders.
      .
      My family will be 3rd year STHs in 2016, so we’ve been around to observe quite a bit both inside and outside the stadium.
      .
      “No One Likes Us” is at the very heart of the CHASM that separates the SOBs and the majority of fans (many with younger kids) in the stadium.

  3. el Pachyderm says:

    Steady as she goes for the Union by comparison to the total shit show that is the other major sports… I’m convinced we are at least tacking correctly now.
    .
    Damn the torpedoes…. full speed ahead.

    • Hey I think the Flyers have a good handle on moving things along and finally trying to build the right way. Sorry, little biased here, HUGE Flyers fan… as well as Union of course

      • The Flyers have a long way to go. There’s something wrong going on over on Broad street. Some kind of bad mojo in and around that team. I’ve never seen such a group of heartless players. And I really started watching the Flyers when they last went 5 years without making the playoffs. So I know bad when I see it. And this recent team is BAD.

      • Probably the Sixers fault.

      • I like this.

  4. I don’t think that the Pro/Rel discussions are “taboo” as much as they are beating a dead horse.
    .
    Without getting into whether it should or not, it is simply not going to happen. The infrastructure, and I use that term in the broadest possible way, is simply not there for it to work smoothly as it does, say, in England.
    .
    That aside, I’m hopeful that the U can capitalize on the overall suck of the other Philadelphia sports teams to capture some attention this coming year.

    • Yeah it’s amazing how many chances over the past few years it seems they have had to get a real foot hold on the local scene, and they just don’t. Need a big offseason followed by, oh you know, some WINS!!

      • When the Eagles were getting their butts kicked and all of my family was done watching, I switched over to the Liverpool vs. Bordeaux match. After 15 minutes the pleas came to put the Dallas game on. Some people will never be reached.

      • el Pachyderm says:

        …..So you get what we had here last week….
        .
        Which is the way he wants….well, he gets.
        .
        The pace of the Liverpool game was so much more enjoyable than my oft uttered phrase when watching American football, ‘oh hey look grown men standing around.’ Or, ‘oh hey imagine that, another commercial.’

      • I used to be a football fanatic. But after dealing with Andy Reid for so many years, then his hiring of Mike Vick, I started to get my fill. With the leadership or lack thereof, from Goodell, my interest has almost waned to none. I can only look past the hired thugs for so long before the rapists, murderers, and wife-beaters, have finally gotten to me. I’m tired of the “hey he might be a wife-beater, but he can sure play football” attitude. Enough. I may still tune in to see how things are going, but they will never have my devotion again, like the Union do.

  5. el Pachyderm says:

    I know he recanted but Don Garber’s comments regarding Chattanooga FC are reprehensible. I hope the day comes, of which I am not likely to see, when NYRB are the first ever team relegated and replaced by Chattanooga with their ‘crappy field and 4,000’ fans.
    .
    Another viable league. Need it.

    • Agreed. I read his comment in a tone of someone who’s tired of answering the same question for the 300th time. But it was handled without any class. The name-dropping backfire was sweet justice.
      And I agree with Rob on the Pro/Rel lack of infrastructure. We’re a good 15 years and as many stadiums away from a legitimate discussion.
      And I see it really happening as the premiere league model: graduation of top teams into a new league rather than relying solely on growth of smaller teams in a lower league. If the league grows beyond 30 teams in those 15 years, I could see the single entity proposing a first and second division. Or if single entity is successfully challenged, then maybe teams move between leagues.

  6. Stoppage_only_entry says:

    A link to The Sun, really?
    #dontreadthesun

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