Photo: Earl Gardner

Philadelphia Union

Jim Curtin confirmed during the taping of the latest KYW Philly Soccer Show podcast on Tuesday night that Brian Carroll will be out 3 to 6 weeks with a plantar fasciitis injury that saw him leave last Saturday’s draw with DC just before the end of the first half. The pod will be posted later this morning and Curtin will surely talk more about the injury during his weekly press conference today at 12:30 pm, which will be live streamed on the Union’s Facebook page.

Alejandro Bedoya was officially introduced to the media in a press conference on Tuesday (full transcript here at PSP). Some highlights:

• Bedoya confirmed his contract is for three-and-a-half years.
• Asked why he made the move from Europe, Bedoya replied, “Why not?” He described his return to the US after nine years in Europe was in part motivated by the desire to be closer to family now that he has a young son. He also said he was sold on the Union: “Everybody who is part of the club, the direction they’re going in is something I bought into and I wanted to be a part of.”
• Asked about those who are critical of his return, Bedoya bluntly replied, “I don’t care what people say. They don’t speak for me, for my family, what goes on behind the scenes…[E]very club that I’ve been a part of, I’ve been blessed to have made a difference. And that really humbled me and I think wherever I’ve been, I’ve met the challenge in front of me…So for people that want to say I’ve been taking the [air quotes] easy way [end air quotes] or whatever they say, coming back to MLS… that’s a lot of B.S.”
• Bedoya said coming to a team that includes good friends like Charlie Davies, Maurice Edu, and Chris Pontius only makes the move better for him: “Philly was definitely the spot where I wanted to end up, with family close by. I was born in, grew up in [New] Jersey, so having them be able to come here makes a difference.”
• Asked to describe his preferred position, Bedoya replied, “I really don’t have a concrete answer to that…But throughout my career in Europe, and even with the national team, I’ve always been a versatile player. So I’m comfortable playing wherever Jim feels that I need to play. And I’m here to help the team out in any way that I can. So whether it’s playing out wide, on the right or the left, or behind the striker, or No. 8 or whatever it is, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m going to go out on the field and do my best to help the team win.”

Describing Bedoya as “a special player,” Jim Curtin said the midfielder’s arrival is another example of how the club is raising the bar for itself. He added, “On the field, I have no concerns with Alejandro. The pressure now is on the players, the staff, myself to get him acclimated. He just has to go out on the field and play… So, again, as a team now, everybody just has to do their part to make Alejandro feel welcome. And Alejandro just has to play. There’s no pressure on him.”

More from Bedoya’s introductory press conference at Philly.com, Delco Times, CSN Philly, Philly Voice, MLSsoccer.com, ESPN, SBI, ASN, and Stars and Stripes FC.

At MLSsoccer.com, Bedoya’s top five goals in Europe.

Metro on the additions of Bedoya and Charlie Davies.

In the latest power rankings at MLSsoccer.com, the Union remain at No. 10: “Philly’s mostly fine – they’re going to make the playoffs in the East, and they might even end up with a home game. But their propensity for giving up soft, late goals speaks to a lack of maturity on the backline and a lack of clarity through midfield. They have some time to fix it, and a helpful new arrival.” At SBI, the Union remain at No. 11: “The tie was pretty frustrating, but the Union’s biggest achievements from this past week came off the field. The signing of Alejandro Bedoya should be a major one for a team on the precipice of a playoff push, while Charlie Davies provides valued depth at the forward position. Overall, a big week for the Union, even if the result didn’t show it.”

Tranquillo Barnetta comes in at No. 2 in the latest Audi MLS Player Index Top 20. Chris Pontius is at No. 16. By the way, Barnetta’s free kick goal against DC (49.74%) lost out to Steve Birnbaum’s 94th minute equalizer against the Union (50.26%) in the vote for MLS Goal of the Week.

At the Washington Post, DC United head coach Ben Olsen on why he was tossed from last Saturday’s game against the Union: “Generally being annoying throughout the game. That’s probably the official term he put down [on the match report]. That’s what I would put if I was a referee and had to listen to me screaming the whole time.”

Bethlehem Steel FC

At Brotherly Game, Matt Ralph notes Bethlehem Steel, Union Academy, and US U-20 MNT defender Auston Trusty is no longer listed as an incoming freshman on the website of the University of North Carolina men’s soccer team. If Trusty is not going to college, could he be signing with Bethlehem Steel or the Union, or perhaps looking to play abroad?

Ryan Richter makes the bench in USLsoccer.com’s Team of the Week.

The team has announced a partnership with prepaid wireless provider Metro PCS.

Philadelphia Union Academy

The Union Academy U-16s were defeated 3-1 by Tijuana at the LIGA Bancomer MX International Tournament in Mexico City on Tuesday. Issa Rayyan scored the Union’s lone goal.

City Islanders

The City Islanders are on the road to face first in the Eastern Conference Louisville City tonight (7:30 pm, YouTube). Previews at City Islanders, Louisville City (preview, scouting report), Courier-Journal, WLKY, and USLsoccer.com.

MLS

New England defeated Chicago 3-1 in Tuesday night’s US Open Cup semifinal game. They’ll face the winner of the semifinal between LA Galaxy and FC Dallas, which kicks off at 10 pm on ESPN2 tonight, in the final on September 21.

NYRB’s defensive depth took a hit with two announcements on Tuesday: Defender Connor Lade is out for the rest of the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, while center back Damien Perrinelle will be out four to six weeks with a meniscus injury.

Vancouver has loaned midfielder Deybi Flores to Honduran side Club Deportivo Motagua through the end of 2016.

At MLSsoccer.com, a Q&A with Sam Handy, the global vice president of design for adidas Football. He says of the new MLS kits for 2018,

[W]e design for MLS a little bit differently than we do with European clubs, because of the way the league is set up. We try to have a harmonized approach and a design that works through all of the kits, but also allow the clubs to be as individual as possible within that certain framework.

It’s quite an interesting design process, and we try to find that link that makes them feel like adidas, but still allowing the club to have enough personality and point of difference that they express what their city stands for. There is also a lot more embroidery and detailing with MLS clubs.

What we are working on at the moment is finding the links between what we are building for the 2018 World Cup. [We’re working on] federation jerseys, like the German federation, and thinking about how that might influence some MLS clubs in spring 2018 as well.

I don’t know how long he’s been the creative director at adidas but, apparently, he recently saw his first MLS game.

MinnPost reviews stadium developments for Minnesota United in St. Paul. More at the Star Tribune.

Carlton Cole has signed with USL-side Sacramento Republic for the remainder of the 2016 season.

US

Two goalkeeping errors from Hope Solo on free kicks — the first one was something of a howler that went between Solo’s hands and legs, the second coming in the 90th minute — saw the US draw 2-2 with Colombia, a team that, before Tuesday night’s game, had been outscored 18-0 by the US in the previous five meetings. Nevertheless, the US advances to the quarterfinals of the women’s soccer tournament at the Rio Games at the top of their group and will face Sweden, who are coached by former USWNT head coach Pia Sundhage, on Friday at 12 pm (NBCSN). The winner will advance to face either Brazil or Australia in the semifinals on

Solo said after the game,

It’s part of the position, and I don’t wish it on anybody. Being a goalkeeper is extremely difficult mentally. But I’ve been around long enough to know that these things do happen. They’ve happened to me before. You just hope they happen few and far between…It always stings. Honestly, if I ever have kids they will not become a goalkeeper, I assure you that. I don’t wish it on anybody. I think it is the most unforgiving position in all of sports.

She explained, “I have learned to have a short-term memory, so I’m just going to put this game behind me and move on. Because I think there’s going to be some great football in the coming games, and I’m going to have to come up big and keep our team in it.”

Carli Lloyd said, “I would rather this happen now to maybe light some fire under us and motivate us even more. Every tournament is a different journey. In the World Cup we tied Sweden. In the 2008 Olympics we lost our first match. I’m not worried. I still think we’re going in the right direction.”

Recaps and reports at US Soccer, Washington Post, LA Times, SI, ESPN, ESPNW, Fox Soccer, Pro Soccer Talk, Soccer America (analysis, player ratings), Goal.com (recap, analysis), Yahoo Sports, and the AP.

Two USWNT matches played against Australia in 1995 that for some unknown reason were not included in the all-time player stats have been discovered, which means Kristine Lilly, the all-time cap leader, now has 354 caps. A full list of the new cap totals for US players who appeared in both games, as well as the totals for goals and assists, can be viewed here.

At the New York Daily News, Landon Donovan says the USMNT not competing at the Olympics is a missed opportunity to engage casual fans. He adds,

I think the bigger issue is that we don’t see a pipeline of good young players coming into Major League Soccer or the national team playing consistently. So if you had an Under-17 National team that didn’t qualify for their World Cup or a U-20 that didn’t qualify but you had four 18-year-old’s in the next World Cup, you could say you know what, we can handle it because we’re actually developing them on a level that matters. But we’re not getting them there. And when you have neither, that’s not a good sign.It’s not about doing well in these tournaments. that’s nice, and that’s icing on top. It’s more about, how are we developing players on the national team so we win a World Cup one day (with the senior team). And that’s where I have concerns.

Don’t we all.

FourFourTwo looks at the Professional Futsal League, which is set to debut in 2017. Some of the league’s primary financial backers come from the NBA and Donnie Nelson, the president of basketball operations for the Dallas Mavericks and executive director of the PFL, says “urban marketing” is an important focus for the league: “The marketability is really unique. In a lot of respects, I think we can become the urban solution for U.S. soccer, because a lot of kids in inner-cities don’t have access to fields, and they’ve got a lot of natural talent, but they don’t have the infrastructure to really get in involved with soccer. If you look at some of the great players, they started on futsal courts. We think the timing is right. We in the NBA know a little something about urban marketing.”

Elsewhere

The AP reports, “French club Nice will pay a tribute to victims of the deadly attack in the Riviera city by playing in a white outfit with no sponsor logos for their season-opening game on Sunday.”

Argentina head coach Edgardo Bauza is in Barcelona to try to persuade Lionel Messi to return to the national team.

PA Sport reports, “Police have arrested 10 people as part of a probe into the alleged fixing of a Welsh Premier League game.”

Cristiano Ronaldo has launched an app that allows users to take a selfie with him. Which is kind of brilliant.