Photo: Earl Gardner
Copa America in Philly
The storylines out of the Copa America sure change fast, don’t they?
The US opens the tournament with an underwhelming loss to a clearly superior Colombia team only to roar back in the second group game with a 4-0 win over Costa Rica. Going into Saturday’s game at the Linc, the question was whether the US would be able to prevail in order to secure second place in Group A. By the time many who had travelled to see the game had made it home after the USMNT’s gritty shorthanded 1-0 win on Saturday night, the US were the first place winners of Group A thanks to Costa Rica, who could not advance, shockingly defeating Colombia, 3-2.
Speculation naturally turned to who would finish in second place in Group B to face the-first-place-in-Group-A US. Implicit in the speculation was that the US had thankfully avoided having to face Brazil. Come the end of Sunday night’s Group B games and it was Brazil eliminated from advancing thanks a clear handball goal goal from Peru. And all of this after pre-tournament favorite Uruguay had already been eliminated after beginning play in Group C with two straight losses.
Crazy stuff.
And so, the US will now face Ecuador — whom they defeated 1-0 in a Copa America warm-up game on May 25 — in the the quarterfinals on Thursday in Seattle. Jurgen Klinsmann said his team now has an opportunity to grow into the next level:
The old story is the underdog story, and I cannot hear that story anymore. I want to see them risk things. Let’s go for it. Because if you’re not going for it, sooner or later they are going to break you down.
The knockout stage is very mental-driven. It’s an absolute mental game…This is all about the moment, and this is what they need to believe in. No matter who is on the other side, ‘I’m ready for you.’ This is what we would love to see. Now it’s becoming a mental learning curve…
It’s just a wonderful opportunity for our team now to play these type of games. It’s grow, grow, grow and rise to the occasion. We have nothing to lose…Why not be courageous? Why not put on pressure and give them a game?
Do it.
Recaps and reports at PSP, US Soccer, Philly.com (recap, commentary, commentary), Delco Times, CSN Philly, NJ.com, Philly Voice, Philly Soccer News, Brotherly Game, Washington Post, New York Times, New York Daily News, New York Post, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, USA Today (recap, report), The Guardian (recap, report), MLSsoccer.com (recap, analysis, player ratings), ESPN (report, analysis, player ratings), Fox Soccer, SI (recap, report, commentary), CBS Sports, ASN (recap, analysis, player ratings), Soccer America (analysis, player ratings), Goal.com (recap, commentary, player ratings), Pro Soccer Talk (recap, analysis, player ratings), Vice Sports, NESN, and the AP.
Paraguay head coach Ramon Diaz resigned after his team’s loss to the US.
John Brooks. Say it again: John Brooks. One more time: John Brooks. Say it louder: John Brooks. Who’s that? John Brooks. The man: John Brooks.
An early look ahead to Thursday’s quarterfinal meeting with Ecuador at SI. MLSsoccer.com reports Ecuador head coach Gustavo Quinteros is optimistic about facing the US. ESPN says the US could make the semifinals.
Pulisic! Pulisic! Pulisic? Pulisic!
Philadelphia Union
At the US Soccer website, a look at the Union’s unique partnership between its academy team and the YSC Academy. Academy director Tommy Wilson taps Derrick Jones and Auston Trusty as candidates for the first Union signings out of the academy program.
At Philly.com, Jonathan Tannenwald has quotes from Earnie Stewart about the Copa America, Christian Pulisic’s development as a player, the American style of play, and more.
At the Union website, gifs of the top ten moments of the season so far. Good times all, good times.
At the Union website, Chris Winkler has a US Open Cup primer.
MLS Multiplex on Chris Pontius.
Camp out on the pitch at Talen Energy Stadium after the game against DC on July 9, or Toronto on August 20.
Bethlehem Steel FC
An 11th minute goal from Corey Burke was the difference as Bethlehem defeated Charlotte Independence 1-0 on the road on Friday. Bethlehem’s lineup for the game was:
Samir Badr; Ryan Richter ©, Mickey Daly, Auston Trusty, Taylor Washington; Bolu Akinyode, Derrick Jones (Mark McKenzie 90’+4’), James Chambers, Cole Missimo (Raheem Taylor-Parker 79’); Jamie Luchini (Justin McMaster 90’), Cory Burke (Josh Heard 71’)
Substitutes not used: Andre Verdi, Nick Bibbs, Lamine Conte
With the result, Bethlehem is now tied for 9th in the Eastern Conference (16 points, 4-4-4). Recaps and reports at PSP, Bethlehem Steel FC, Unauthorized Bethlehem Steel FC Blog, Philly Soccer News, Brotherly Game, USLsoccer.com, and Charlotte Independence.
Eric Ayuk opened the scoring with a goal in the 19th minute in Cameroon’s 3-0 win over Zimbabwe in U-20 Africa Cup of Nations play on Sunday. Cameroon now hosts Libya to begin third round play on July 8 with the second leg on July 22. Recaps from Sunday’s win at Cameroon Web (crappy Google translation) and Camer-Sport.be (crappy Google translation).
PDL
Reading United defeated Baltimore Bohemians 3-2 on the road on Friday night. The win sees Reading in first place in the seven-team Mid Atlantic Division (13 points, 4-0-1).
The Philadelphia Union Festival took place in Reading on Sunday and the main event was a friendly between Reading United and Bethlehem Steel. Reading took the lead in the 7th minute with a goal from Ismael Noumansana before Bethlehem equalized in the 67th minute from a penalty kick goal by Freddy Gill in what finished as a 1-1 draw.
The Bethlehem lineup apparently featured a number of Union Academy players. Earnie Stewart was in attendance and said of the game, “I wanted to see Reading play in a real game and to see our talent in the Academy play older guys. In the first 10 minutes I thought Reading was better but after that our kids held themselves well.”
WFMZ has a video report on the game.
Last place Lehigh Valley United Sonic picked up their first win of the season, defeating sixth place Evergreen FC 2-1 on Sunday.
Nathan Regis scored a hat trick in Ocean City Nor’easter’s 3-1 win over New England Revolution U-23s in a friendly on Saturday. More on the win at Ocean City Nor’easters and Press of Atlantic City.
MLS
At Brotherly Game, Matt Reppert considers alternatives to the Expansion Draft.
The latest from the MLS stadium front in Minnesota includes concerns about traffic, that the stadium plans are moving too fast, and the possible loss of green space included in earlier plans for the stadium.
Indy Eleven, current team of former Penn and Ocean City Nor’easters standout Duke Lacroix, has won the NASL Spring Championship.
NWSL
First place Chicago (15 points, 4-1-3), drew 1-1 with third place Portland (14 points, 3-0-5). Second place Western New York (15 points, 5-3-0) defeated fifth place Orlando (12 points, 4-4-0), 1-0. Fourth place Washington (14 points, 4-1-2) drew 1-1 with last place Boston (4 points, 1-6-1). Sixth place Seattle (11 points, 3-3-2) defeated eighth place Houston (7 points, 2-4-1), 1-0. Seventh place Sky Blue (9 points, 2-3-3) drew 1-1 with ninth place Kansas City (6 points, 1-4-3).
US
The injury to U.S. Women’s National Team star Carli Lloyd may be worse than first reported.
Seven weeks after Lloyd sustained a Grade 1 MCL strain during a Houston Dash game, the key player of the U.S. team is still “not quite at 100 percent,” she disclosed Friday at the College of New Jersey.
“I’ll be more than ready and have plenty of time for Rio,” Lloyd said, however, noting she does not have an expected date to return to full action. “Just whenever I’m good to go, I’m good to go.”
When she was pressed for more information on her injury timeline, Lloyd became a tad surly.
“You want to ask anything else but the injury,” she said at a soccer event for the Boys and Girls Club of Mercer County ahead of the Special Olympics New Jersey opening ceremony set to take place later Friday night. “I’d rather you talk about the kids because my injury is very boring, there’s nothing to report.”
Reuters reports, “A group of Chinese and American investors have bought an 80 percent stake in French Ligue 1 soccer club OGC Nice, the club said on Friday without disclosing the fee.”
Elsewhere
Following multiple instances of fan violence, officials in France have banned alcohol “in fan zones and ‘sensitive areas’ on match days” for the remainder of the Euro 2016 tournament.
From ESPN, following violent clashes between England and Russia supporters in Marseille:
Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin has said 150 specially-trained Russian hooligans were behind much of the violence that broke out in the city ahead of the England vs. Russia game on Saturday.
Robin told a news conference that “extremely well trained” people were behind three days of clashes.
“These people were well prepared for ultra-rapid, ultra-violent action,” he said. “These are extremely well trained people.”
More at The Guardian.
At ESPN, Iain MacIntosh has a detailed look at the clashes in Marseille.
A top football official in Moscow has praised the Russian fans involved in violence over the weekend in Marseille, saying they had defended their country’s honour and should be forgiven.
“I don’t see anything wrong with the fans fighting,” Igor Lebedev wrote on Twitter. “Quite the opposite, well done lads, keep it up!”
Lebedev, who sits on the executive committee of the Russian football union, is an MP from the nationalist Liberal Democratic party and the deputy chairman of the Russian parliament.
Also at the Euros, some pretty fun soccer was played. You can look it up if you don’t believe me.
the russian world cup is going to cup is going to be a disaster. between the authoritarian government, the racism and the violent hooligans… i just hope no one gets killed
I just hope no one gets killed, too. Pound of prevention is worth an ounce of cure. So probably be better to be ultra safe and secure by just canceling the whole tournament altogether.
seems reasonable, that is why i said they should cancel it
Lovely. It’s all sorted, then. I’m quite sure the former KGB Colonel Putin won’t mind, as well.
The 2018 World Cup in Russia should be a blast.
I sat with a smile on my face as Stuart Holden spoke about wanting Brazil as he thought we could beat them.
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I love when my thinking is ahead of the curve… that is a self righteous pat on the back.
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This morning… we all sigh an exhale- “yeah Ecuador, we can beat them!” because they aren’t Brazil- well Ecuador is actually better than Brazil.
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Regarding the riots…. my favorite Tweet is a picture of the Russian Prime Minister on the field urging, and reveling in the actions of his citizens… great stuff – I’ve read some really interesting perspectives on this… The Marseille have a hand in this as well- literally storming into bars and razing english fans who otherwise had just been drinking and enjoying and not provoking anything other than song.
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This has been going on for hundred years- longer even… everybody is a photojournalist now. Not excusing it… just really isn’t special.
Ecuador better than Brasil? yeah, by an arm
they both looked dour last night
if the USA are to advance to a semifinal with these geezers this is the week to do it
I think you meant Peru? Ecuador and Brazil had a lively 0-0 draw earlier in the tournament.
Yes. Oops
The American Outlaws better be hitting their local MMA gyms instead of their Rock Gyms ahead of Russia 2018 dude………by the looks of Merseille with the Brits, they are going to prime targets for these dudes in Russia……..government sanctioned too, crazy. And yeah, this generally goes on every Euro….and club match, they just choose to cover it now!
I’m in a mid life spot where it would probably do me good to get an ass kicking… Tyler Durden style.
“Just ask, man.”
i’ll keep that in mind.
Uh…You’re breaking the first rule.
Call me old-fashioned, but I like my hooliganism to be purely grass roots level, not this type of hothouse flower type of stuff.
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All kidding aside, I’ve been to Russia and enjoyed it. Have thought seriously about attending the ’18 WC there (went in ’06 to Germany), but now…not so much. If you’re a foreigner in a strange land and acting like a fool, you should expect/deserve to find trouble. However, for many of these fans, that didn’t appear to be the case and I find that very disturbing.
based on what I’ve read, the Russians came to kick ass, weaponized
extremely disturbing
some day, I don’t know when, maybe in two years, who knows, Jurgen Klinsmann will no longer be coaching the national team and at that time I hope to heaven we can all stop reading his trolling of MLS because that shit is so TIRED
+1
I have a dream…
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That Earnie Stewart turns the Philadelphia Union into a MLS-leading type of organization, grooms Chris Albright as his successor, then goes on to become the Technical Director of US Soccer.
Also, I have an inkling that Roberto Martinez may be interested in coaching the USMNT.
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I guess “craziness is like heaven”.
Is it wrong I’m pleased that Andre Blake’s Copa squad isn’t as good as he is? Let’s hope he plays well tonight but it will be great to get him back after the Open Cup game.
What are the chances Harrisburg City Islanders dump the Philadelphia Union out of the U.S. Open Cup considering the fact that HCI beat Bethlehem Steel FC 3-1 convincingly recently with BSFC using no fewer than eight MLS players in their starting line-up in that match?
Harrisburg is a tough team but I wouldn’t say the Union should be on “full upset alert”.
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BSFC is a feeder team and so even with a number of Union players in the lineup, they likely only had one practice, at most, to work out the tactics. The players that are on the Union’s roster are mostly fringe players that are having trouble breaking into the first team, save Tribbet and Herbers both of whom only played a half. Also, you are throwing a group out there that likely has not played together before. Looking at the game recap, 16 players saw the field for BSFC so the game was in constant flux.
I watched it on you tube. I don’t remember much, except that Aaron Wheeler scored two in the first half in quick succession.
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I saw Harrisburg live against The West Chester United Senior team in West Chester. Bobby Warsaw was a CI DCM who made an excellent run out of the back to score the first goal. I am quite foggy, but think he did it again against BSFC.
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Great deal will depend on how serious the Union decide to be this season. We know Curtin’s vote, we need to guess Earnie Stewart’s.