Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia Union
When Union press officer Chris Winkler tweeted on Wednesday that Vincent Nogueira had received his green card, thus opening up an international spot on the Union roster, fans who had been hoping for the signing of Ilsinho had good support for those hopes. And a few hours later, Ilsinho’s signing to a two-year deal using Targeted Acquisition Money was officially announced by the club.
Expectation for Wednesday night’s game against NYRB, already high given the opponent, could only grow given the Ilsinho signing, and it grew further when the midfielder was announced as part of the starting lineup. And then came the clunky challenges, all a part of a generally chippy first half, with Ilsinho getting a yellow card in the 29th minute, one followed ultimately by a red card in the 44th minute.
While the challenges were the sort one might expect from a player who hasn’t played a competitive match since June 4 of 2015, it wasn’t exactly the kind of performance one wants to see after a signing. Afterall, such indiscipline resulted in his team playing down a man for the final 45 minutes and presumably means he will be unavailable for the final match of the preseason on Saturday against Toronto.
Fans should take heart, though. According to transfermarkt.com, in 220 matches, Ilsinho has received 36 yellow cards, one red card from a second yellow (May 7, 2014), and one straight red (Nov. 3, 2007).
As for the Union’s performance, it’s hard to get past the magnificent showing from John McCarthy in the draw. Credit to the team for not only preventing NYRB from scoring after going down a man but also for creating some very promising chances. Lots to work on, nevertheless.
More on the Ilsinho signing at PSP, Philadelphia Union, MLSsoccer.com, Philly.com, Delco Times, CSN Philly, Philly Soccer News, Brotherly Game, and Vavel.
Reports from the draw with NYRB at PSP, Philadelphia Union, CSN Philly, Philly Soccer News, Brotherly Game, Vavel, Prost Amerika, New York Red Bulls, Empire of Soccer, and Big Apple Soccer. NYRB head coach Jesse Marsch talks about the game (video).
At MLSsoccer.com, Dave Zeitlin talks to Maurice Edu about his slower than expected recovery from sports hernia surgery. Edu says, “It’s hard because I want to be out there playing, I want to be out there getting prepared for the season. But I have to be smart and trust the staff we have here, listen to them, and make sure I put myself in the best position possible to get out there and help this team.”
While Edu only joined the team in Florida on Saturday, he likes what he’s seeing: “It’s very competitive but it’s a healthy competition. You don’t hear any complaining or stuff you would normally get in the preseason. It’s been a hard preseason, which I think is very important for us, especially if we want to start the season off on the right foot.”
Edu is clear that the Union have a chance to establish a new beginning:
It’s a chance for us to take the club in a different direction. What’s happened is in the past. This is a chance to start fresh, establish a new identity and bring this club to where we want to be…We’ve underachieved. We haven’t lived up to what our potential should be. This is a chance for all of us, myself included, to go out there and really give our fans something to be proud of, give our city something to be proud of and, more importantly, show that we are a team that deserves to be competing for things, not just a team that’s content to win a game here or there.
We want to establish a foundation to build on for future years. It starts here. It starts now. It starts this season.
Make it so.
At Goal.com, Seth Vertelney talks to Andre Blake about finally being the Union’s No. 1 goalkeeper.
At Union Tally, Matthew De George has a look at the Union roster.
SBI has a season preview.
More from Jim Curtin’s teleconference with reporters on Tuesday at CSN Philly.
Bethlehem Steel FC
PSP and Brotherly Game.
More on Ken Tribbett being signed from Bethlehem by the Union at Noise Nation.
Local
Looks like former Harrisburg City Islander and La Salle man Jason Plumhoff is signing with NASL side FC Edmonton.
The Temple men’s team has announced James Gledhill as assistant coach.
The Temple women’s team has announced nine new players ahead of the 2016 season.
MLS
Player moves:
- Philadelphia signed midfielder Ilsinho.
- San Jose have acquired Panamanian international midfielder Minnesota United on loan from Lobos BUAP for the 2016 season.
Preseason games:
- The Union drew 0–0 with NYRB.
- Columbus drew 2–2 with Swope Park Rangers.
- Toronto drew 1–1 with Montreal.
- New England defeated Houston, 2–1.
- NYCFC lost 2–1 to FC Cincinnati.
- Chicago defeated Minnesota United, 4–0.
- Kansas City defeated Colorado, 4–1.
- Vancouver defeated Portland, 2–0,
In CONCACAF Champions League play, Salt Lake lost 2-0 on the road in Mexico to Tigres. The Galaxy finished with a scoreless home draw against Santos Laguna.
Jozy Altidore could miss the start of the season with a hamstring strain.
Minnesota United released renderings of the stadium that will be built in St. Paul and it is quite lovely, even if much changes between presenting renderings and construction.
More at Minnesota United, MLSsoccer.com, Northern Pitch, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, Politics in Minnesota, MPR, CBS Minnesota, KAAL, Fox 9, KARE, ESPN, and SI.
US
When a long overdue re-design of the US crest was leaked back in October, it was also leaked that the new US home kit would be black. Why the US would go with a black home kit after seemingly settling on white as the home color was as good a question as the new crest design was, at least in my view, at best a weak improvement over the terribly outdated crest that had been on US jerseys since the mid 1990s.
On Wednesday, Todo Sobre Camisetas published leaked images of the black US kit. The good news was that the black kit was now being referred to as the away kit. The bad news? Not only does it appear the leaked crest will be the new US crest, the black jersey is perhaps the ugliest US kit of all time. How bad is it? Hideously, abominably, ludicrously, outrageously bad.
If you can stand it, Footy Headlines has more images of the latest US kit disaster. Needless to say, I should have bought more than one of the Centennial jerseys back in 2013.
From Reuters: “Renowned U.S. soccer player Hope Solo said Thursday she was unlikely to join her teammates for the Rio Olympic Games without more information about Zika as she hoped to have children and was concerned about the virus’ health effects.”
The Guardian has a profile piece on the USWNT’s Mallory Pugh.
At Soccer Wire, part two of an interview with US U-18 MNT head coach Omid Namazi.
US Club Soccer has released a statement on US Soccer’s new Girls Development Academy, which will presumably compete with the USCS-sanctioned Elite Clubs National League.
Elsewhere
CONCACAF announced on Thursday morning the unanimous approval of by its members of “a comprehensive package of reforms” that address “term limits, independent members, governance reforms, greater financial transparency, and effective compliance processes.” A statement from the confederation says, “The reforms to CONCACAF’s statutes fundamentally change the governance structure of football in the region and set new standards for accountability and transparency within international sports organizations.” As Soccer America makes clear, there is much bad history to overcome.
On Wednesday, FIFA’s Appeal Committee announced the bans against Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini would be upheld but also reduced the length of the bans from eight years to six years: “Mr Platini’s and Mr Blatter’s activities and the services they had rendered to FIFA, UEFA and football in general over the years should deserve appropriate recognition as a mitigating factor.”
Platini was not pleased, saying in a statement, “The decision is insulting, shameful and is a violation of rights…The charges against me are baseless, built from the ground up and surreal in view of the facts and the explanations I gave during the hearing.” He added, “I am the victim of a system that had only one goal: To prevent me from becoming FIFA president in order to protect certain interests that I was about to bring into question.” Platini says he will appeal his ban to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In related news, the AP reports, “FIFA ethics judges have formally opened cases against South American football officials Luis Bedoya and Sergio Jadue, who have made guilty pleas to U.S. prosecutors about taking bribes.”
At The Guardian, Owen Gibson on how Sheikh Salman, the favorite to win Friday’s election, “hardly looks a suitable candidate if football’s much maligned governing body is serious about reform.”
Goal.com explains how Friday’s election process will work. The AP reports, “FIFA asked presidential candidates to provide details of their intended victory speeches ahead of Friday’s election in a bid to keep them on message while the governing body tries to repair its scandal-tarnished image.” The Extraordinary Congress and presidential election will be streamed live on FIFA’s YouTube channel.
Inside World Football reports on rumors that Brazil and Argentina could break away from CONMEBOL’s endorsement of Infantino and vote for Salman.
From ESPN: ‘FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne has warned against electing Gianni Infantino to the top job in world football.”
SI talks to FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein. For what it’s worth, Jimmy Carter supports Prince Ali.
FIFA’s executive committee is urging all FIFA members to approve the proposed reform package during Friday’s Extraordinary Congress. More from Reuters.
At Goal.com, Transparency International’s Gareth Sweeney explains what FIFA can do to regain the trust of soccer fans.
At The Guardian, Moya Dodd on how more women at FIFA is one key to reforming the organization.
At ESPN, some suggestions to FIFA on what fans would like to see in the way of change.
FIFA’s new soccer museum in Zurich will open on Sunday. The Guardian describes it as “a nerds’ nirvana untouched by its grubby reality.”
Who in THE F got paid for that US kit idea???
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That may be worse than a lot of the original MLS stuff.
That kit looks like it was designed by the guys who created SIMON the electronic board game
+1
Independent research has shown american soccer is in it’s Dark Night of the Senses and this new kit hopes to display that consciousness crises.
Good GOD man!
It’s worse than I thought then…
Well they didn’t go straight to plaid. But it’s just as ugly.
That Minnesota united guy, now with San Jose, is a beast of a playmaker… 😉
“San Jose have acquired Panamanian international midfielder Minnesota United” — That new Minnesota Franchise needs to find a way to get their hands on this guy. Imagine the marketing opportunities…
Hey, at least the new jerseys don’t make the players look like giant popsicles.
Those were better than this new one.
“Fans should take heart, though. According to transfermarkt.com, in 220 matches, Ilsinho has received 36 yellow cards, one red card from a second yellow (May 7, 2014), and one straight red (Nov. 3, 2007).”
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What does this tell you? in his very first MLS start the dude got red carded… welcome to MLS buddy the mixed martial arts of soccer.
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Cynicism and the power of accurate observation… fine bedfellows.
Plus his timing is ca. June 2015. Let’s hope his timing isn’t due to his fitness, which might not improve quickly.
Similar start to Barnetta but that seemed to work out fine.
I like the new kit. I don’t get the hate for it here. The US national team has had many uglier ones over the years. I especially like the new crest.
Go back to the denim one from 94!!! Ha
The kit looks like it’s supposed to show the varying degrees of a bruise. Starts black. Then gets blue. Then turns red. Nothing about it screams US National Team. Except the minor indication from the crest. F-U-G-L-Y. That jersey is FUGLY.
Hmm…I like your take on it. Maybe it looks like a bruise intentionally. This team realizes they don’t have the skills, so we’re just going to beat you up. These uniforms are subliminally expressing that message to the other teams.
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…or am I taking this a bit too far?
any further than Dark Night of the Senses?
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Is there ever a too far?
Not on this site. 😉
Ahem…no comment…points finger at self*
I brought up yesterday the question of “why change the schedule?” I know El P has championed it many times, and a few others chimed in, but after discussions off-site and hearing the feedback, I think I’ve come to a conclusion myself. Should be noted, I am NOT a fan of those who think MLS should be modeled after Europe, and I am aware that most of what they do doesn’t model it at all. MLS is its own league, and it should find a happy medium of traditional soccer practices and American sports traditions. As for the schedule, here’s my conclusion:
A “split” season more in line with Scandanavia, where it’s one full season just with a longer winter break. Run August-November, with a break from Dec-Super Bowl Sunday. This removes most cold weather issues, but also avoids going head-to-head with the NFL playoffs and the Super Bowl. Whether you love the NFL or hate it, MLS can’t come close to competing with the NFL. More casual fans may be inclined to tune it after that anyway. So pick back up the week after the Super Bowl, and run the season through late April/Early May, with the Championship falling on Memorial Day weekend. This year Sunday the 28th is the UCL final, so I could imagine a doubleheader with that game. Can you imagine a Barcelona-Bayern Munich UCL Final at 2:30 followed by LA Galaxy-Philadelphia Union at 6 in MLS Cup? If even some UCL fans stay tuned for MLS Cup it’d be a win for the league. Plus regulation is over around 8 which is when Sunday Night Baseball comes on, so if no extra time that avoids another viewing conflict. I love MLS but not every one else does, so the more casual fans can tune in without missing their other teams the better. The league then takes June and July off, which allows MLS to schedule their beloved international friendlies. Teams can go to Arizona or Florida for mid-season training, and the league could still hold an all-star game at that point with a Mexican team or teams from other leagues over that break if they want. The January USMNT camp could still be utilized as well as the league would not be playing.
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Starting February 13th this year would’ve given the CCL teams 2 full games under their belt before their quarterfinal matchups, which is better than nothing. (In either case those four teams should be playing each other starting in January anyway to get ready for the knockout). I think this schedule addresses a lot of the issues I hear on both sides. It aligns with the FIFA calendar, but avoids dates where ratings may suffer and cold weather would affect play. I personally don’t like the Apertura-Clausura approach, but ultimately the unbalanced schedule that currently exists wouldn’t work with that type of contest anyway, and going to 46 games by the time the league is at 24 teams is unrealistic. 34 games is perfect for 24 teams, and perhaps that will work better at that time.
Just my thoughts after some careful consideration.
I appreciate the deep thought and energy that went into this and think generally it is an excellent plan that meets both my expectations and the impediments to viewership. High marks. Well done.
Thank you sir, that’s high praise as I know you are well informed and have been pushing this. I spent a lot of (see: too much) time on this as it’s both a hot button issue every year yet VERY unlikely to ever happen, but I think it’d be in the best interest of the long-term health of the league.
Read your work again ~ like it just as much and generally the Clausura Apertura rants by me are just to find a way to break for 6 or 8 weeks through the dead of winter…and still not have to play through the dead of summer which is also troubling.
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MLS wants to build an important HUGE and widely considered great league but then has it totally Americanized with disregard IMO for the players and the National team…and those players from other nations….. teams spending money to bring players here who are taxed from just playing a whole year then have to face 6 hour transcontinental flights to play in Houston with 99% humidity in August.
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The model got MLS off the ground…. congratulations now think it through and adjust to the arc of the world arrow just a bit….
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This one thing while not a panacea would at least quell non stop arguments from me about pro/rel for a bit and display that the fathers of NFL I mean MLS have the games best interest at heart.
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Between your schedule solution and Mr John Ling’s pseudo pro/rel solution the leagues 2 most glaring issues are resolved for free from well informed well intentioned lovers of this sacred game. Now if those in charge just had a meaningful clue behind their own agendas.
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Again this is me giving you a standing ovation for deep thought and consideration and a workable solution.
You’ll get no qualms from me. I like it.
Brian, you’ve put forth an interesting proposal here. I’m not totally sold on it, but it’s definitely worthy of further consideration. (I can’t escape the fact that I’d much prefer to be sitting in Talen Stadium in June than in February.) Thanks for taking the time to share all the details with us.
June vs February is my entire issue with something like this. November is usually no picnic, either. 🙂 Early March and late October is bad enough…
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My issue with this plan is my issue with every such plan. I just don’t understand the desire to switch. I don’t care that’s what Europe does. I don’t care that’s what Mexico does. Etc.
John, I HATE – nay LOATHE – the argument to change becuase Europe is that way. My consideration is simply becuase I think it’s what MLS has to do to compete in CCL and grow the brand. As for February and November that’s easily solved with road games, which would be reciprocated by teams like Orlando and Houston escaping the scorching August heat in places like Toronto and Vancouver. June-July and December and January are the 2 hardest months because people are out doing things in the summer and it’s hot, then it’s freezing in the winter and the NFL is on. So this is my attempt at a solution for people who want it moved, but also those who like the way it is. Not much changes, just no longer playing through the summer.
There are many, many good arguments here. I do have one small nit to pick: “The league then takes June and July off, which allows MLS to schedule their beloved international friendlies. Teams can go to Arizona or Florida for mid-season training…”
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I don’t think athletes are in a hurry to head to Florida and Arizona in June and July! Maybe this opens up a booming (and less expesive) market in the northern states. Instead of camp being held in the South, it’s held in Michigan, and Ohio, and Wisconsin.
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Just a small detail from a rather well thought-out plan. Just figured I’d help to fine-tune it.
Good catch, but I meant they could go there in December and January, just as they do now, but it would be mid-season training instead of pre-season training. Should’ve clarified that more. I just assumed that with 2 full months off teams – or at least players – may want to go down there and train a little, or the Union could honor their agreement with Clearwater and go down as a team for 2 or 3 weeks before the re-start to get back into the swing of things.
Actually, I think they should do both. Winter mid-season training in Florida/Arizona, and summer Pre-Season training up north. Expand your fanbase footprint. It’s about the almighty dollar, and you do that with exposure and merchandise (i.e. – European teams touring in the summer).
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I’m sure we have fans in Clearwater, due to preseason. Maybe we can set up summer camp in Racine, Wisconsin and pick up fans there!
(Yes, I know this is ridiculous, since we have a perfectly fine facility here…just thinking outside the box sometimes.)
Concerning the conversation about schedule reform in North American professional soccer, I think the geographic expanse of the league is orders of magnitude larger than any other major professional soccer league on the planet save those of the Russian Federation, orders of magnitude. Hence I find arguments by analogy to other leagues unconvincing.
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Additionally, the diversity of climate types found within North American professional soccer is quite large. We have humid subtropical teams, we have temperate interior continental teams, We have an Alpine team, we have a three teams in the vicinity of a temperate zone rain forest where all three currently play on turf rather than grass for good reason. We lack only outright desert and full tropical rain forest at the highest level, and have the desert part in USL with Arizona.
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To play the schedule, game frequency needs to be intensified to two games a week, which means enlarging rosters substantially and salary budgets accordingly to address the rigors of travel, and playoffs need to be scrapped. Play a championship final in Minneapolis-St. Paul in the first week in December? Please.
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and it is currently considered a hardship to open a season with seven consecutive games in a row on the road. What would the complaint quotient be here in Philadelphia if the first Union home game every year were Memorial Day weekend, and the last on September 30th, to say nothing of the competitive disadvantages of starting with seven straight on the road and finishing with four.
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we have what we have because ownership has figured out how to profit from the status quo, and ownership cares most about profit, the argument will be a sophisticated, nuanced version of, “It ai’n’t broke, so we ai’n’t needsa fixit.”
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Only if a new schedule could promise increased profits would it ever be considered.
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Thiefa is about to elect a president who will maintain the corrupt Havalange-Blatter status quo. They want the goose that lays the eggs of gold to go on laying, as will MLS.