Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union

Philadelphia Union

Tranquillo Barnetta and Chris Pontius have been named to MLSsoccer.com’s Team of the Week.

At SBI, The Union were named Team of the Week, and Roland Alberg’s stoppage time strike against New England was named Goal of the Week. As of this writing, you can still vote for Alberg for MLssoccer.com’s Goal of the Week.

Power rankings! At ESPN, the Union jump six spots to No. 8: “Alejandro Bedoya’s debut can only be seen as a massive success.” At SI, the Union move up three spots to No. 7: “Bedoya may not have appeared on the scoresheet, but his influence in central midfield was obvious.” At Soccer America, the Union move up one spot to No. 12: “The debut of Alejandro Bedoya and return of Charlie Davies to Gillette Stadium couldn’t have gone much better. The former Boston College star went 72 minutes and Davies earned an assist as the Union rolled over the Revs to snap a four-game winless skid.”

Calling Alejandro Bedoya “a perfect piece to the puzzle” to get the Union’s “stacked midfield playing well as a unit,” Goal.com says his arrival “just might be” what is needed for the team to make a deep playoff run.

At Philly Voice, Kevin Kinkead has analysis and player grades from Saturday’s decisive road win over New England.

At Union Tally, Matthew De George compares “the ebb and flow of a playoff chase” this season to the 2011 season, the only time in the team’s history that it made the playoffs.

The weekly fact check at the Union website notes, among other things, the team is 9-3-4 against Eastern Conference opposition this season ahead of this weekend’s home game against Toronto.

The fantasy soccer column at MLSsoccer.com notes “the Philadelphia Union and their 4-0 victory over the New England Revolution was a points bonanza,” with Andre Blake, Richie Marquez, Fabinho, and Chris Pontius each making the Dream Team of the Week.

Also at MLSsoccer.com, a highlight reel of Andre Blake’s best saves for the Union.

US National Soccer Players notes Keegan Rosenberry and Jordan Morris are leading candidates for Rookie of the Year honors and says both “will also likely take part in future Jurgen Klinsmann National Team call-ups in the coming months,” adding, “MLS continues to be a talent pipeline for young Americans. 20 years ago, it was a different story.” The article says Rosenberry “isn’t the type of modern-day defender who helps the attacking third. That’s not what he does. Instead, he offers stability and confidence as an astute right back.” We can all agree he offers stability and confidence but don’t you think he also helps in the attacking third?

In the latest rookie rankings at MLSsoccer.com, Morris moves to No. 1, dropping Rosenberry to No. 2.

The Union Academy U-14 team played their counterparts from Premier League side Southampton FC at the Union Training Grounds on Monday, winning 5-1.

Local

At the Ocean City Nor’easters website, a review of the team’s memorable 2016 season.

In its first game of the preseason, the Temple men’s team defeated Lafayette, 1-0.

The Philadelphia University athletics website notes the men’s soccer team comes in at No. 4 in the 2016 Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) preseason coaches poll.

MLS

Two CONCACAF Champions League matches tonight involving MLS teams. At 8 pm, Kansas City plays away against Trinidad and Tobago’s Central FC. At 10 pm, NYRB plays El Salvador’s Alianza FC away. Both games will be livestreamed on the CONCACAF Facebook page.

The Washington Post reports Jeremy Ebobisse has withdrawn from Duke and signed with MLS. MLSsoccer.com later confirmed the signing.

Detroit Free Press talks to Detroit Piston’s owner Tom Gores, who along with Cleveland Cavaliers owner and Quicken Loans founder Dan Gilbert is leading the effort to bring a MLS franchise to the Motor City, about his deep background in soccer.

US

#DogsForChristen

Elsewhere

The Guardian reports, “João Havelange, the Brazilian who ran FIFA for two decades, has died in Rio de Janeiro aged 100…Havelange presided over FIFA from 1974 until 1998 where he was credited by many for expanding football into a global game and remained as honorary president until 2013. He resigned that role following an investigation into allegations that he had accepted bribes to grant lucrative World Cup contracts to the marketing company ISL.”

PA Sport reports, “An aircraft carrying Manchester City staff and media to a Champions League match was evacuated before take-off after reports of smoke in the cabin…No players were on board, according to reports.” The team faces Steaua Bucharest today.

Reuters reports, “A masked fan ran onto the pitch, attacked a goalkeeper and said he had left a bomb in the stands of a top flight Swedish soccer match on Monday, forcing the game to be abandoned in the final minute. Police arrested a 17-year-old after the incident at the clash between Jonkoping Sodra and Ostersund, whose keeper Aly Keita was chased and knocked down before a security guard wrestled his attacker to the ground.”

Former Aston Villa player Dalian Atkinson is dead after being tasered by police in England early on Monday. The Sun reports Atkinson, who had recently undergone dialysis after suffering kidney failure, was tasered three times before collapsing after police responded to a domestic disturbance call. Atkinson’s brother said, “My brother had lost it. He was in a manic state and depressed – out of his mind and ranting. He had a tube in his shoulder for the dialysis and he had ripped it out and was covered in blood. He got Dad by the throat and said he was going to kill him. He told Dad he had already killed me, our brother, Paul, and sister, Elaine, and he had come for him. He was not in his right mind.” Atkinson’s father said his son had yelled “I am the Messiah” after he was tasered a second time.