Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia Union
A very worthy come-from-behind draw in rainy Montreal over the weekend.
So, where do you fall, are the Union on a three-game winless streak or a four-game unbeaten streak?
A win against DC at home on Friday would surely tip the scale toward the more positive view.
Recaps and reports at PSP (recap, postgame quotes), Philadelphia Union, Delco Times, Philly Voice, Philly Soccer News, Brotherly Game (recap, analysis), Pattison Ave, Vavel, Prost Amerika, MLssoccer.com (recap, Union, Montreal), Montreal Impact, Montreal Gazette, Mount Royal Soccer, Goal.com, SBI, the Daily Mail, The Canadian Press, AFP, and the AP.
Curtin was asked by reporters after Saturday’s game about Zlatan Ibrahimovic being on the Union’s discovery list, which a team spokesperson had earlier confirmed to MLSsoccer.com. While expressing his disbelief that he was answering questions on the topic, Curtin described any move for Ibrahimovic as “speculation,” although he acknowledged having him on the discovery list was “possibly” a “strategic move,” which was a way to acknowledge that having him on the discovery list meant the team could receive $50,000 in compensation from another MLS team that wished to sign the Swede (click here for the MLS Roster Rules and scroll down to Section III (“Player Acquisition Mechanisms”), Item D (“Discovery Process: Discovery Conflict Resolution”).
Following a column by Kevin Kinkead at Philly Voice last week, ESPN confirmed as much in two separate reports. However, during the halftime broadcast of Sunday’s KC-Orlando game, Taylor Twellman said, “From what I’ve gathered, you don’t discover Zlatan, [Lionel] Messi or [Cristiano] Ronaldo. So, Zlatan coming into the league, there’s this talk of whether or not the Philadelphia Union would get compensation — they would not.”
Twellman later clarified on Twitter the Union would not receive compensation “because Philly wouldn’t meet his market value thus they lose ‘discovery priority.'”
More on the Ibrahimovic speculation at Brotherly Game, MLSsoccer.com (1, 2, 3), Goal.com, Pro Soccer Talk, and The Guardian (CJ Sapong is “an improvised and slightly out of sorts centre-forward”?).
Armchair Analyst Matthew Doyle hails Keegan Rosenberry as a Rookie of the Year contender.
At Union Tally, Matthew De George has an interesting piece about Curtin’s goal to get more attacking players on the pitch via the midfield.
At Philly Sports Nation, some roster notes and a review of how far the Union have come. Stateside of Soccer says the Union are passing every test handed to them.
The News Journal has a profile piece on the Sons of Ben. They barely get a mention in a review at MLSsoccer.com of chants from abroad adopted by MLS supporters groups.
Coming in at No. 6 in a list at the New York Daily News of the worst MLS signings is Rais Mbolhi.
Bethlehem Steel FC
After going down 1-0 in the 26th minute, penalty kick goals from Ryan Richter (78′) and Derrick Jones (84′) saw Bethlehem Steel defeat FC Montreal 2-1 on Saturday.
The Bethlehem line up was:
Matt Jones; Ryan Richter (capt.), Mickey Daly, Auston Trusty, Taylor Washington; James Chambers, Derrick Jones, Boluwatife Akinyode (Taylor-Parkes 71); Seku Conneh (Burke 78), Cole Missimo (Gissie 67), Leo Fernandes (Fred 90)
Substitutes not used: Samir Badr, Nick Bibbs, Jamie Luchini
Reports at Bethlehem Steel, Allentown Morning Call, WFMZ, Unauthorized Bethlehem FC Blog, Philly Soccer News, and USLsoccer.com.
Bethlehem, eighth in the Eastern Conference with 12 points and a 3-2-3 record, faces 12th place Harrisburg City Islanders (7 points, 2-5-1) at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster on Sunday at 6 pm.
Reading United
Khori Bennett scored in the first minute as Reading United defeated Lehigh Valley United Sonic 1-0 in the opening game of the doubleheader at Lehigh University’s Goodman Stadium on Sunday. Recaps at Reading Eagle, WFMZ, and Philly Soccer News.
Reading is on the road to face Evergreen FC on Saturday. Lehigh Valley United Sonic is off this weekend before hosting Evergreen FC on Wednesday, May 25. At Brotherly Game, Matt Ralph notes the Union Academy connections on the LVU roster.
Philadelphia Union Academy
On Saturday, The Union Academy U-13/14s walloped NJCSA, 6-0. Matthew Myers had a hat trick, Nicholas Blacklock scored a brace, and Kenyatta Collins also scored a goal. The team is on the road to face NYRB on Saturday.
The U-15/16s drew 1-1 with their counterparts from Montreal Impact. Daniel Bloyou scored, assisted by Darius Lewis. The team is in second place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference with 50 points and a 15-3-5 record and hosts first place New York Red Bulls (51 points, 15-1-6) on Saturday at the Union training grounds.
The U-17/18s drew 0-0 with Montreal Impact. In first place with 52 points and a 16-3-4 record, the team hosts second place NYRB (49 points, 15-3-4) on Saturday at the Union training grounds.
Local
Upper Dublin Soccer Club, founded in 1971, has been recognized for its service to the community with an Upper Dublin Non-Profit Organization medal.
MLS
In the Eastern Conference, Montreal (16 points, 4-3-4), tied for first place, drew 1-1 with Philadelphia (15 points, 4-3-3). NYCFC, tied for first place, defeated Portland 2-1 on the road. Fourth place Toronto (14 points, 4-4-2) fell 4-3 at home to Vancouver. Fifth place DC (13 points, 3-4-4) defeated eighth place NYRB (10 points, 3-7-1), 2-0. Sixth place New England (13 points, 2-3-7) defeated last place Chicago (7 points, 1-4-4), 2-0. Seventh place Orlando (11 points, 2-3-5) was defeated 2-1 on the road by Kansas City. Ninth place Columbus (10 points, 2-4-4) drew 1-1 with Colorado.
In the Western Conference, first place Colorado (24 points, 7-2-3) came from behind to draw 1-1 on the road to Columbus. Second place Dallas (23 points, 7-4-2) defeated eighth place Seattle (13 points, 4-5-1), 2-0. Third place Vancouver (20 points, 6-5-2) defeated Toronto 4-3 on the road. Fourth place LAG (19 points, 5-1-4) and fifth place San Jose (18 points, 5-3-3) had the weekend off. Sixth place Salt Lake (17 points, 5-3-2) lost 1-0 on the road to last place Houston (11 points, 3-6-2). Seventh place Kansas City (17 points, 5-6-2) came from behind to defeat Orlando, 2-1. Ninth place Portland (12 points, 3-6-3) lost 2-1 to NYCFC.
Former Union man Zac MacMath is finding his form in Colorado, just ahead of Tim Howard’s arrival.
Portland Timbers have waived forward Michael Seaton, the Jamaican international who joined the club last season from DC United.
New USL side FC Cincinnati continues to make its case for MLS expansion, drawing 23,375 to Saturday’s 1-0 win over Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, a new USL attendance record. (Former Union man Jimmy McLaughlin scored the goal.) More on FC Cincinnati’s strong attendance at Cincinnati Enquirer, WCPO, USLsoccer.com (1, 2), MLSsoccer.com, and The Guardian.
NWSL
First place Washington (13 points, 4-0-1) defeated sixth place Houston (7 points , 2-2-1), 1-0, with the winning goal being scored by former Philadelphia Independence midfielder (and PSP fave) Joanna Lohman. Second place Chicago (10 points, 3-1-1) drew 0-0 with ninth place Kansas City (2 points, 0-3-2). Third place Portland (9 points, 2-0-3) drew 1-1 on the road with fifth Seattle (7 points, 2-2-1). Fourth place Orlando (9 points, 3-2-0) defeated eighth place Western New York (6 points, 2-3-0), 1-0. Seventh place Sky Blue (7 points, 2-2-1) defeated last place Boston (0 points, 0-5-0), 1-0.
Former Philadelphia Independence midfielder (and PSP fave) Jen Buczkowski, who has been with Kansas City since the founding of the NWSL, has retired. More at Reporting KC.
US
ESPN reports, “The United States and Mexico are considering a joint bid for the 2026 World Cup and have already won early support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino.” US Soccer board member John Motta said:
We have spoken to our Mexican counterparts and are very open to the idea of a joint bid. It could be a positive move for the game in both countries, and it’s also a very exciting proposition for FIFA. We will now go away and formulate a timetable for further discussions. But whatever happens, we will bid for the 2026 World Cup — either jointly or we will go it alone.
More at Fox Soccer.
In related news, Reuters reports, “The 2026 World Cup bidding process must be ‘bullet-proof’ after the controversy which has surrounded the hosting of the next two tournaments, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Friday.”
Jozy Altidore’s hamstring. Again.
Washington Post reports the USWNT will play a final warmup game before the Olympics at RFK somewhere between July 22-24.
At Goal.com, former Union head coach John Hackworth talks about the US U-17s participating in the All India Football Federation’s Youth Cup.
Elsewhere
Sunday’s Manchester United-Bournemouth game was postponed after a suspicious package was found at Old Trafford. after the package was destroyed by a controlled explosion, it was announced that the package had been a prop mistakenly left behind in the stadium after a security training exercise. Someone’s job security has no doubt been compromised.
In related news, Ziad Khoury, the head of security for Euro 2016, says, “We’re not stressed. We’re confident, calm and cool. The objective is to organize things well.” Meanwhile, a headline at Reuters reads, “Stretched and stressed, French police prepare for soccer spectacle.”
FIFA has appointed Fatma Samba Diouf Samoura of Senegal as secretary general: “Ms Samoura is a 21-year veteran of United Nations programmes who is currently the UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria.” Samoura must pass an eligibility check administered by the independent Review Committee before assuming the position. If she does pass, she’ll begin the new job “before mid-June.” More from Reuters.
Reuters reports: “Domenico Scala, a Swiss businessman who led reforms to clean up scandal-plagued FIFA, quit his post at the global soccer body on Saturday, saying its watchdog committees had lost their independence and members would be under threat of dismissal.”
FIFA said Scala had “misinterpreted” new rules regarding the appointment and removal of members of the organization’s independent committees: “The Council fully respects the independence of the Audit and Compliance and the Ethics committees, and any suggestions to the contrary are without merit. Mr. Scala has made unfounded claims which are baseless. FIFA is focused on reform and the path forward as evidenced by the appointment of a new FIFA Secretary General.” More at The Telegraph and Vice Sports.
Apparently, money spigot has not been turned off when it comes to the perks delegates enjoyed at the FIFA Congress in Mexico City last week.
Also from Reuters: “Soccer’s world governing body FIFA needs to start thinking about professional footballers and address their problems, according to the general secretary of the World Players’ Union FIFPro.”
At Esquire, a conversation with Pele.
I need an explanation of the benefit of the joint US/Mexico WC bid. Are we trying to help out Mexico? I simply don’t see any reason that the US would “need” a partner to host…anything.
Agreed.
Totally whole hearted agreement. We have way better facilities and larger stadiums, plus the extreme changes in climate and altitude would not be beneficial to the tournament. Plus we could put the tournament on next month if need be.
Have you considered lead time to build the audiovisual support centers required to support all the various different types of media, in your one month estimate? The faster the build, the disproportionately more it will cost, of course.
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I completely agree that we are a strong candidate for a rapid, emergency substitution should the Russian Federation dissolve into civil war, for instance, or Qatar disappear under a tidal wave of some amorphous, unknown Islamic phenomenon. But I doubt we are the only candidate. The absolute fastest replacement at the moment would be France because they will have just run Euro 2016. Germany would be close behind, I would think, as well.
Splitting the costs. A hot local crowd in Mexico, A good spot for people to travel too in the US. I actually find the idea intriguing.
Because a joint bid is the only way we get to host it. Fifa is loathe to put the tournament in North America, Fifa is still bitter about US involvement in the corruption sweeps. Infantino rewards Sunil by letting him co-host, Sunil gets to put hosting a cup on his Resume and the Mexican and US federations get to solidify their post-Blatter power over the region. Not to mention that Fifa will also use the opportunity to float the new 40 team tournament. Added teams equal added sponsorships. I called this last week that there would be a N.A. tournament, I just assumed that Canada would be involved as well. Fifa obviously does not care about infrastructure and logistice when deciding a cup host, i.e. South Africa, Qatar, Brazil, etc.
Guessing the US wants to make sure there is no way another country swoops in and gets it. Pretty sure Infantino has said he really wants a joint host… adding Canada or Mexico would satisfy that want.
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I agree though, there is no need for us to share with anyone. We deserve it after the Qatar debacle, and it will of course, make a ton of money here. No need for a partner.
Yeah, co-hosting is purely political. There is no financial reason for it.
Per the Zlatan news/rumors/stuff:
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http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/05/15/carlos-bocanegra-attends-zlatan-ibrahimovics-final-match-psg
sweet. i’ll see a couple matches down there. having Zlatan there is great.
Best of luck to Jen Buczkowski. It’s a shame we couldn’t have continued to have a women’s soccer team here in Philly for her to play on. She was always one of the most underrated players around.
Zlatlanta has a nice ring to it. But I could get used to Phizlatadelphia …
In other Academy news RE: Cayman Cup U15
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ManCity only beat Houston 9-0
and I believe DC 5-1.
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Clear signs we are closing the gap.
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Incidentally one Academy team played City hard…. that would be Brian Kleiben’s team which lost 3-2 in OT.
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A buddy of mine said, what did I expect- City is a storied team with history and access to the best players in the world. Okay…. but 9-0? proof to me we are STILL doing it wrong…. 9-0 is inexcusable —– EVER.
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Jozy Altidore- Bikram yoga. I keep telling you clowns.
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The OT story is too goofy to be true…at least they are training though I guess.
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And lastly- for those of you who watched the Timbers NYCFC game last night Tommy McNamara exactly displays the kind of quite footed solid attacking dribbling mafioso winger I am talking about… at least 2x last night he attacked the end line turned the defender and disheveled the central defense. That is the type of winger(s) we need…. not Pontius & Letoux at the same time.
Agreed on the Man City drubbing of the academy teams. They went on to beat the Cuban national team 6-0 as well. Brian Klieban should be put in charge of our Youth National Teams. I spoke to a dad that has seen the Union academy play and feels that they play way to methodically and that we don’t have the players to break down a midfield/defense (they play like robots). Common refrain across the US. How do we break that system up?
I have significant concern with the academy teams Ive seen. No one dribbles. They play frenetic keep away games in my opinion at top speed all the time.
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I’m not a ‘licensed’ coach- well not really – so I’m sure I have no idea what I’m talking about. Course neither is Eric Wynalda.
I coached a game this weekend, U9, where the opposing coach actually yelled at his players for dribbling. Don’t these guys understand that anyone can pass a ball but that it takes skill and moxy to learn how to beat a defender off of the dribble and unlock the D?
It becomes a lost art the older a DA player gets…I swear.
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this is why futsal is SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOS SOS SOS SOS important to the trajectory of the game stateside.
der Kaiser Franz Beckenbauer had absolutely no coaching license to his credit when he steered West Germany to FIFA World Cup title in 1990
Is the academy level about results or is it about developing players for the future? I thought it was the latter, but seems like your assessment is more results based.
Sure and…with all due respect, one can argue or wonder and certainly be concerned with how well are our players being developed… I don’t really expect to beat MCity at the U15 age group at any MLS academy level… but I also do not expect them to lose 9-0…. EVER.
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Once again…with proper coaching based on a clearly delineated style and philosophy of play… RE: Kleiben… clearly we have the potential to play them a tad tighter..wouldn’t you say.
Very true, just trying to keep you sharp and on point 😉
I kind of like the fact that all three goals scored vs. the Union last week are up for Goal of the Week. That tells me that teams need to do something special to beat the Union’s D.
that’s a nice way to spin it. for now, i’ll take it.
Zlatan playing for the Union would prompt me to buy life-long season (of his contract) tickets. Holy crap that would be awesome if Sugarman would post up the money and take Zlatan around to see the Ol’ Swedish Church settlement on Colombus Blvd or show him that Philly is the coolest city in the country right now (it’s called selling folks!)
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Also this pulaver about discovery claims, $50K ect is a complete turnoff to the non-MLS fans, and it sucks that this shines the light on how a very select few teams (LA, NYCFC, Seattle ect) garner the benefit of the league (to be honest, how couldn’t you want to live in SoCal? It is sweet out there minus the fake assholes that live there). It also highlights that the single entity system needs to go away and allow teams to go after it if they want to be good. Screw the controlled growth and parity… That is what makes the NFL so boring now.
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Final point- how cool is it for Hoppenot, Jimmy Mac and Berry now playing in front of way more people that they had in Philly? The power of a downtown stadium. What could have been in Philly, Chicago, Dallas. Hopefully Big Don has learned this mistake moving forward.
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Here is the thing, if Sacremento and Cincy are posting this amount of fans, what’s the fucking issue other than Don has his eyes on getting his more glamorous cities in? Screw that, go with fan supported teams and GROW. I believe this will get us to the dream of promotion/relegation sooner as more of these teams will push MLS into the 32 team or more where they will have to have relegation.
Glamorous cities are defined by MLS as # of viewers. # of viewers increases and then the next TV contracts increase since there are more viewers “in market”. It’s all about the money, not organic growth.
Yes. This. Garber wants money. Period
Well the fact that the end game isn’t ever gone to be promotion/relegation is why they are going after big cities. Their tv partners know that in America you must have a large foot print on major markets to sell advertising. You really don’t think that Pepsi is concerned that Cincinnati draws well at the gate do you? They might when they look to expand to 32 but not when the league is sitting at 20 teams. Pro/rel doesn’t build a better soccer player, revenue does. It’s the reason why a certain academy is beating one of ours 9-0. The irony is few of those players will ever play for Man City as they just buy high profile players year after year. Garber is looking to build the league and revenue from network money. They want to be at 28 teams by 2022 and it’s no coincidence as that is the end of the current tv right’s deal. So Miami, Atlanta, Minnesota, LA, Detroit, Sacramento, Saint Louis….step right up as you fill in the markets on the map.
… “few of those players will play for ManCity”… agreed — but many will play at Bucharest, Roma, Fiorentina, Hamburg, Everton, United, Real……
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Yes they will and few will play for teams trying for promotion. The newest trend is they are heading here for college…COLLEGE! Maybe world class players might not come from there but it seems college players are making a little more of an impact for teams that had players go from academy to college. Hopefully in a few more years academy to first team might be a reality. Watching the three first round draft picks this year surely hasn’t been disappointing. As much as you want us competing with EPL teams like yesterday, slow growth is producing results. It took the Union only seven years to build needed infrastructure. I’m sure you remember them practicing in a park just five years ago, do you think Man City’s academy was practicing in a public park back then?
Once again, you argue well as usual….
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…though I stand by my position that 1: under no circumstances should a professional academy in the USA get beaten by another 9-0 even if you are trying to go toe to toe with them and 2: we are missing something very vital in the development of our youth players… something is off.
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and the reason I can say this is because a very talented and skilled youth coach then proceeded to play ManCity to a 3-2 OT loss… which puts everything into contrast and relief at the same time… either our coaches are not good enough or the player pool is off. The Dynamo and DC United Academy were founded a generation of players ago 2007 and 2005… (I think it was DC that lost 5-1)
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These are sound arguments.
Of course something is off, it’s called a soccer culture. Twenty years ago most kids start with someone’s dad coaching them. He also is the baseball, basketball or lacrosse coach on occasion too. But slowly in the last decade things have been changing. You mentioned fustal and it’s importance, this year they just started building courts in different neighborhoods here. This is part of that culture but the most important one is watching players and kids imitating those moves and improving their game. The good thing is this generation now has access to more soccer in this country then ever before. The other thing is players turning into coaches, the more the better. The sooner kids are exposed to coaches with a licence the better. Look at how America winning the gold medal in 1980 made the NHL one of the big “four”leagues in this country. It was considered a foreign sport when I was a kid. That moment changed the culture of that sport. Forty years later, kids from Jersey are playing in the NHL.They had a coach who dared to win. You don’t hear that from JK, you here why we’re not good enough. To me it starts at the top.
I grew up half a hundred miles northeast of Cincinnati. There is a long standing, intense, multi-sport rivalry with Pittsburgh, who was the opponent for the record breaking 23,000 plus crowd. With that being said, they have had solid attendance; it is of course a first season, there is a curiosity factor, they are a sports mad section of the country (no disparagement intended).
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Nippert is a football stadium; the width of the soccer pitch is restricted. It is not as bad as Yankee Stadium for NYCFC, but it is not a proper 75 yards wide, either.
I just want to go on record to say I have 0 problem with Union putting Zlatan on a discovery list to game the goofy MLS system. MLS has gamed Union enough, why not reverse the fortune a little bit. I also believe there is a 0 percent chance we get Zlatan to play in Chester, but I’d be 200 percent thrilled if it happened.
Of course, the league is turning right around and telling us to go to hell with the claim, but I don’t think anyone is surprised by that.
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But I’m with you. Try to stick it to the league after getting screwed before (Rosenberry, Bedoya?)
So Zach Steffan is on the USMNT roster going to Puerto Rico.
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I hope there aren’t still people out there upset about the Union not signing him to a deal. As if being in the Academy forces indentured servitude.
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Good on him. I hope he gets minutes. We need that next generation to step up in the next 2 years. Howard and Guzan are expiring quickly.
100%…It is abundantly clear…if you have any aspiration to play against the best in the world or hope to be world class yourself… can’t do it here.
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Problem is many people see 9-0 or 5-1 – U15 results against ‘powerhouse’ european programs in 2016 and think or say, “what do you expect, we’re new at this”… and then I think or say… “I expect to beat them— and it doesn’t matter and no we are not new at this” just like I expect to beat Club America in the first knockout round of CCL on a regular basis just like I expect Union to beat a newly relegated Aston Villa… and we could if we were doing this right. Easy. But we’re not… and we won’t… and in 12-15 more years— we’ll still be taking the ‘foul medicine’ as Thom Yorke sings in Ful Stop….
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….thinking we are progressing right along after a few more round of 16 exits from the World Cup. Any quarterfinal or semifinal national team has world class players on it and lo…. those players were developed in their home country for the most part- then ply their trade abroad…. this is why the link between MLS and USNT is enjoined though few seem to see it… which is beyond me even bothering to argue.
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The next big welping point …. how long til we organically grow the first HG world class player?… At this rate… may not be in my life time… so by God’s grace that is about 40 more years or so.
I agree with Pete above – if MLS is gonna have stupid rules, you may as well play along and use them to your advantage.
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Now I know there is .000001% chance he actually puts on a jersey, but my one question is: How did the Union get him on their Discovery List? The Union. Our team. The team with, up until this year, one of (if not, the most) dysfunctional front offices in the league… have Zlatan Ibrahimovic on their list. And I have to think he wasn’t just put on there a few weeks ago. Seems impossible to believe its actually true.
years ago, the league let owners pick a name out of a hat for a laugh but then had to stick with it. Toronto: “hey guys! guys! i got Drogba!” (laughter) Sak: “i got Zlatan!” Man City partnership was just happening. “We got Lampard!” (random guy) “you don’t even have a stadium, how can you have Lampard?” “we’ll figure it out! *wink* it’ll be awesome!”
That Brotherly Game link about about Zlatan is some interesting stuff… MLS and their rules… I don’t even know why I get excited for even one F’n second…
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It basically says, MLS has invalidated the claim to Zlatan because the league has determined the Union couldn’t or won’t make a “legitimate offer” to Zlatan. So we won’t get $50K. What a joke… Drogba is discoverable, but Zlatan isn’t. Chicago is allowed to make a “legitimate offer” to Drogba but the Union aren’t to Zlatan (in order to get the $50K). Do I think we would sign him, or he’d come here? No. But it’s exactly the same thing they did with Drogba, and Chicago got paid by Montreal. We won’t.
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Here’s the link to the story – http://www.brotherlygame.com/2016/5/15/11679566/philadelphia-union-would-not-receive-compensation-for-zlatan-ibrahimovic-rights
The difference is that Chicago was willing to pay Drogba’s salary. The Union aren’t going to play Ibra’s $12M/year. I’m guessing they told Garber that fact outright.
I suppose that is true and if it is revealed as so, then I would back off my arguement. It’s just the double standard MLS bullshit that drives me nuts. And this reeks of that.
Is it just me, or do you think the league is afraid that Union WILL actually make a legitimate offer to Zlatan and may drive up the price or *gasp* he may even consider it…..
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Think about it. In Philly, Zlatan would be a God. Worldwide, the City would, almost instantaneously, become associated with Him. You have to imagine that would interest a player with “strong” personality and he would at least consider going to such a place.
100%. William Penn himself would climb down from his perch… in LA he will be appreciated… in NY he would be appreciated… in Philly he would be deified.
MLS should want Philadelphia viewed that way, though. This is the 4th or 5th largest media market in the country. (can’t recall, too lazy to look it up.) Numerous world-class companies have their headquarters in the area (Comcast, Astra-Zenica, Campbells, Bimbo *gag*, and so on).
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There’s a lot of money to be tapped by having Philly either well-liked or deeply hated (or ideally both) around the league. It falls to Sugarman to prove to Donnie G that he can afford to make this a world-class destination.
Agreed. My fear, and I think correctly so, is that MLS let him stay on the Union’s discovery list, to keep him from another “big, acceptable” club… and now they can pull the rug out on the Union… so they can “let Zlatan choose his club.” * see: allocate him to an appropriate market, of MLS’s choosing * It appears to be very clear that MLS won’t even let the Union make an offer… which is a total disgrace.
He would be Iverson. Bigger than the team and the game.
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This city would love him. I completely agree with everything you said.
We soccer nuts are not representative of the greater metropolitan region as a whole.
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Should Zlatan Ibrahimovic be deified in Philly, yes.
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To the question, will he be deified, I refer yOu to the story why Andrea Pirlo likes New York. He can go out onto the street and live like an ordinary citizen. Klinsmann lives in Southern California for the same reason.
There’s a distinct difference: Pirlo enjoys being anonymous. Ibra has ZERO intention of remaining anonymous.
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He has spoken of his desire to take over the American market. Requires a huge presence, of which he is more than capable.
How much more would the franchise be worth if they spent 12 million on him? He would benefit from playing on the east coast so endorsement money wouldn’t suffer. The team is in a good position right now in the standings to make a run and he could be a good villain to New York teams. Shame we never go for that one over the top DP. It would be fun to watch this team getting hyped up by the press not only here in Philadelphia but the rest of there country as well. Just once it would be fun to be the big market team we deserve to be.
It would stick a rather large pin in the MLS map and step the Union up several notches (in a lot of categories) instantly. One can dream I guess…
After reading all of these comments I plan on dreaming of him coming here. .001% …..so there’s a chance!!!!!
If they could spend 12 mil on him, they probably wouldn’t be using the discovery mechanism as a method of scamming $50k in funny money.