Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
The Union (40 points, 11-9-7) have a chance to move from fourth place in the Eastern Conference into second place, depending on how other results go, and solidify their chances of making the playoffs when they face Chicago away on Saturday (8:30 pm: TCN, MLS Live, Direct Kick). Both teams are missing key players who are away on international duty. The Union hasn’t won in Chicago since May 11, 2013.
Previews and such at PSP, Philadelphia Union, Philly Soccer News, Pattison Ave, Section 215, MLSsoccer.com, Chicago Fire (matchday poster), Hot Time in Old Town, and The Guardian.
Looking to the Eastern Conference standings, the Union would’ve had the chance this weekend to move into first place had Thursday night’s NYCFC-DC United game ended differently. NYCFC (44 points, 12-8-8) has moved ahead of Toronto into first place with their 3-2 comeback win over sixth place DC (32 points, 7-9-11). The visitors took the lead in the 36th minute with a goal from Lloyd Sam before David Villa equalized in the 79th minute. Frank Lampard gave NYCFC the 2-1 lead with a goal in the 85th minute before Lamar Neagle equalized for DC in the 91st minute. Lampard then scored the gamewinner in the 93rd minute. Lampard’s brace puts him level with Roland Alberg in the category of goals per 90 minutes at 0.88.
For Union fans looking to keep an eye on this weekend’s matchups, second place Toronto (43 points, 12-8-7) and fifth place Montreal (37 points, 9-7-10), as do NYCFC and DC. However, third place NYRB (40 points, 11-9-7) is on the road to face Vancouver on Saturday (7 pm, MLS Live, Direct Kick). Montreal hosts Orlando on Wednesday.
At Delco Times, Matthew De George highlights the role Warren Creavalle has played in the Union’s recent success.
Alejandro Bedoya is the guest on the latest ExtraTime Radio podcast.
With only 22 percent of the final vote, Roland Alberg lost out to RSL’s Yura Movsisyan for Goal of the Week.
With the Jamaica national team in Panama for tonight’s World Cup qualifier, Andre Blake says of his team’s opponent, “They are a good team and we respect them, but we don’t fear them for sure. We have to go out there and impose our game and stick to our game plan and not worry so much about them.” Jamaica is third in their group with four points, three behind Panama, and six behind Costa Rica.
At Brotherly Game, Jared Young’s player ratings comparisons for the games against New England, Toronto, Columbus, and Kansas City.
Bethlehem Steel FC
Tenth place Bethlehem (27 points, 6-11-9) host first place in the Eastern Conference NYRB II (56 points, 17-3-5) on Sunday at Goodman Stadium at 3 pm (YouTube). Bethlehem is winless in its last games, its last victory coming at home on July 14. NYRB II is on a five-game win streak and is 10-1-1 on the road this season. Previews at Bethlehem Steel,
Philadelphia Union Academy
The Union Academy teams begin the 2016-17 season on the road on Saturday with games in New Jersey, Virginia, and Washington, DC. The U-12s are on the road to face Cedar Stars Academy-Monmouth in Tinton Falls, NJ at 1 pm. The U-13s face their counterparts from DC United at 2:45 pm, with the U-14s playing before them at 12:30 pm. Both of those games are at RFK’s Turf Field. The U-17/18s face their counterparts from DC United at Evergreen SportsPlex in Leesburg, Virginia at 2 pm, followed by the U-15/16s at 4:15 pm. More on the opening of the season at Brotherly Game.
City Islanders
NYRB has announced that next Wednesday’s match against the City Islanders has been moved from Red Bull Arena to Millersville University in Pennsylvania. NYRB II General Manager and Red Bull Arena VP of Operations Shaun Oliver said in a statement, “In order to provide the highest quality field surface for both our USL and MLS teams as they hit the stretch runs of their seasons, we have agreed with Harrisburg to move our scheduled USL home match. With our MLS team already playing on the road this weekend, this break will allow the Red Bull Arena pitch to return to the standard that has come to be expected by both our players and opposing teams.”
City Islanders’ auction of the Star Wars-themed jerseys the team wore when the played Bethlehem Steel earlier this week is now open. The auction, in support of The American Cancer Society, runs through Tuesday, Sept. 6.
Local
The Temple men’s team begins a two-game homestand on Friday when they host Pittsburgh on Friday at 3 pm, followed by Northeastern at noon on Sunday.
The Temple women’s team defeated Rider University 1-0 on the road in overtime on Thursday. The team hosts Towson on Sunday at 3 pm.
Amirah Ali (F: PDA; Voorhees, N.J.) has been called up for the US U-18 WNT training camp in San Diego, Sept. 3-10.
MLS
Portland has signed Liam Ridgewell to a contract extension “utilizing Targeted Allocation Money at the start of the 2017 MLS season.” Ridgewell’s new contract is reported to be for two years and is not a DP contract.
That silly video created by the league we linked to in Thursday’s roundup that seemed to applaud Nigel de Jong’s departure from the Galaxy to Galatasaray, as well as the tweet from the league account announcing the video, has been deleted. USA Today observes that the video was “created by the league’s content makers” raises some familiar questions: “Is this league’s Twitter account a journalism source covering the league, or is it a marketing tool? If it’s meant to be taken seriously as a journalism source, why produce a slanted video disparaging a player on his way out of the league?”
The first seats have been installed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the soon to be home of Atlanta United.
Reports out of Canada say Ottawa Fury will leave the NASL at the end of the season, perhaps to join the USL. Ottawa has been in the NASL for only two years.
US
The US faces St. Vincent and the Grenadines today at 3:30 pm (beIN Sports, beIN Sports en Español, Telemundo Deportes en Vivo – SVG’s stadium has no lights, hence the early kickoff) in a World Cup qualifier. What’s at stake? Soccer America explains,
Trinidad & Tobago and the USA can both clinch berths in the Hexagonal on Friday, though the Soca Warriors have the easier route from Group C into the CONCACAF final round. All T&T needs to do is beat or tie Guatemala at home. The USA needs to win at St. Vincent & the Grenadines and have Guatemala to lose. A U.S. win and Guatemala tie will for all intents and purposes decide the second spot. The USA would head into Day 6 with an advantage on goal difference of six goals, plus the margin of victory against SVG.
The US hosts Trinidad and Tobago on Tuesday (8:15 pm: FS1, Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports Go, UniMás, Univision Deportes).
Jurgen Klinsmann said that Brad Guzan will start against St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Tim Howard will start in Tuesday’s game against Trinidad and Tobago. SBI reports, “Klinsmann also announced that Geoff Cameron, Kyle Beckerman, and Jozy Altidore would all be starting as well,” although the report does not specify if that is just for tonight’s game or both games. MLSsoccer.com says the trio “will feature in Friday’s match.”
Previews at PSP, US Soccer (game notes, five things to know), MLSsoccer.com, ESPN, SI, Soccer America (preview, commentary), FourFourTwo, SBI, Goal.com, Pro Soccer Talk, US National Soccer Team Players, Stars and Stripes FC, and Brotherly Game.
Some thoughtful comments at ESPN, SI, and Goal.com from Jozy Altidore and Jurgen Klinsmann about how the playing of the national anthem before a game is observed by players.
Official: Heather O’Reilly has retired from the USWNT. 230 caps, 46 goals, 54 assists.
At ASN, Brian Sciaretta talks to Lynden Gooch, the player who was cut by the US U-20s and didn’t feature in the US U-23 team that failed to qualify for the Olympics and has started Sunderland’s first three matches of the new Premier League season.
US Soccer has a look at the US Paralympic Team that begins play in the Paralympic Games in Brazil against Netherlands on Sept. 8, followed by Iran on Sept. 10, and Argentina on Sept. 12.
Elsewhere
Check out the latest Footy on the Telly for listings of live soccer for the upcoming week on TV, online, and on satellite radio.
The AP reports, “FIFA President Gianni Infantino said ‘football history’ was made by a successful test of video replays in France’s 3-1 win over Italy in a friendly on Thursday.”
Reuters reports, “Swiss federal prosecutors are investigating soccer great Franz Beckenbauer and three other German soccer officials for fraud and money laundering in connection with the award of the 2006 World Cup to Germany, authorities said on Thursday.” More at The Guardian.
Can someone tell me if union games are stream able on computer.
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Not for free. If you buy MLS Live, you can obviously watch online. If you log in to your cable provider, you can usually watch some content.
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Games are also available through Sling, based on the network and which package you select.
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So, to answer your question…sometimes.
Yeah when I was just in Florida last week I tried to find a free stream to watch the Columbus game and couldn’t get one… unless I wanted to download some shady video players and stuff like that.
In new Bethlehem Steel Communications person Tom Via’s email of 11:43 am earlier this morning, he did not list Maurice Edu as one of the Union players available to the Steel for Sunday’s game against Red Bulls 2.
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I would advise against considering the information conclusive one way or the other, because one time Walter Rsstrepo was announced as available on Saturday sometime, and Leo Fernandes showed up Sunday afternoon instead.
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Coach Burke has said that he usually doesn’t know – as opposed to guess intelligently I am confident – whom he will have until Saturday.
Someday I’ll tell my grandchildren about great phrases in the early history of our club.
“Allocation money.”
“Water makes you weak.”
“Maurice Edu is getting close to 100%.”
So… so good 🙂
You win again.
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Same source as above.
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Auston Trusty has travelled with the first team to Chicago.
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Thus end etch the fact. Let the interpretation begin.
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Why do they need him? One possibility is that Ken Tribbett is hurt. Straight forward replacement of the bench center back reserve.
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A second possibility is that Ken Tribbett is the reserve defensive central midfielder behind Creavalle in an emergency, so they need a second center Back??? We’re this one true it would suggest Brian Carroll is not available for the bench.
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What other scenarios make sense?