Photo: Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
Power rankings! At SI, the Union remain at No. 8: “The Union needed three points to stay within range of the Eastern Conference elite, but a late defensive breakdown at home left Philadelphia with a single point to take from a 1-1 draw with Montreal. The missed opportunity for three points at home will sting even more considering that the Union’s next three games are away from Talen Energy Stadium.” At ESPN, the Union drop one spot to No. 8: “Early in the year, the Union looked like a team that had learned to see games out, especially at home, but that has slipped a bit in the time since. Philly is 1-2-1 in their past four at home.” At Soccer America, the Union drop two spots to No. 12: “Playing a foe fatigued by a midweek game, instead it was the Union that conceded a late goal to end up tied. Tranquillo Barnetta supplied the 1-0 lead by lashing a left-footed shot from the penalty arc just before halftime, but Warren Creavalle reacted too late to a flicked ball on the tying goal. Philly is fourth yet needs at least a few points from a three-game road swing (Portland, TFC, Red Bulls) to ease the pressure.”
Keegan Rosenberry has resumed his rightful place atop the latest Rookie Rankings at MLSsoccer.com.
Rosenberry and Fabian Herbers are in a teaser video at MLSsoccer.com promoting the annual “24 under 24” series, which will debut this year on Sept. 19.
Jim Curtin is mentioned in a discussion at Pro Soccer Talk about who will be named MLS Coach of the Year.
At the Union website, a look at the Eastern Conference standings after last weekend’s games. Also at the Union website, the weekly “By the numbers” post.
Local
Drexel hosts Temple tonight at 7 pm.
This week’s Philly Soccer Six award winners:
Player of the Week: Matt Robinson, La Salle (5 assists in 2 wins)
Defensive Player of the Week: Will Steiner, Villanova (2-0-0 including win at No. 22 Villanova)
Rookie of the Week: Eden Ben Hemo, Drexel (game-tying goal in 1-1 draw with Rhode Island)
Several area teams were involved in the first round of local qualifiers for the 2017 US Open Cup over the weekend. Vereinigen Erzgebirge hosted Brick Lions FC of New Jersey and was defeated, 5-2. Junior Lone Star hosted Rising Stars FC and won, 5-1. West Chester United, who made it to the second round of the 2016 US Open Cup where they were defeated by Harrisburg City Islanders, defeated Salone FC, 2-1. The next round of qualifiers will take place Oct. 15/16 and will feature Bick Lions hosting Junior Lone Star, and Christos FC of Maryland hosting West Chester United.
Shore News Today notes video of Wildwood High School graduate Jared Irwin’s goal for Cabrini College last week went viral and was picked up by Fox Soccer.
MLS
Kansas City hosts Vancouver in CONCACAF Champions League play tonight (8 pm, Facebook). If the Whitecaps win, they’ll be the first team to clinch a spot in the tournament quarterfinals.
Speaking of Vancouver, an article at The Guardian looks at how MLS roster rules benefit American players — who are considered domestic players if they are on a Canadian team — but do not benefit Canadian players — who are considered internationals if they are on a US team. US immigration law is apparently a factor. The article says Victor Montagliani, Soccer Canada’s president and also the president of CONCACAF, “warns that unless a critical issue is addressed – that Canadian players are treated as equal to Americans under MLS rules – Soccer Canada may take sweeping and dramatic action to block Toronto FC, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps from continuing to play in the league.” Well, I suppose that’s one way for some “outside chance” cities in the US to get in on MLS expansion.
Jurgen Klinsmann calls Landon Donovan’s return from retirement to the Galaxy “pretty cool.”
US
FC Dallas hosts New England Revolution in the final of the 2016 US Open Cup tonight at 10 pm (ESPN2). Previews at US Soccer (Dallas, NE, Five Things, Game Notes), thecup.us, MLSsoccer.com, FC Dallas, and New England Revolution.
The US was defeated 3-2 by Argentina at the Paralympic Games in Brazil on Monday. The US will play Ireland in the 7th/8th Place Match on Wednesday.
ASN on Alyssa Naeher, the goalkeeper likely to replace the suspended Hope Solo with the USWNT.
Promoting a new autobiography that is being released today, Abby Wambach talk to the AP about her addiction to alcohol and prescription drugs.
Elsewhere
Check out the latest Footy on the Telly for listings of today’s Champions League games on TV and online.
You will recall we linked to news that Michel Platini will be allowed to address the UEFA congress on Wednesday despite being banned from participating in all football related activities for four years. FIFA says it is allowing Platini’s appearance as a “gesture of humanity.” Hilarious.
Jim Curtin, Manager of the Year. Maybe most economical for saving substitutions. He knows he can’t roll them over right?
I don’t think he’s the coach of the year, but he’s in the running. Just because we have had some let downs doesn’t mean we haven’t made great progress this season. I mean honestly how many coaches have been better? Not too many and most have much better squads too.
+1.
Curtin should get some consideration. On the whole, I think it should be Oscar Pareja in a landslide, although Nelson Viera and Jesse Marsch will likely get votes too.
Agreed, I think Mastroeni probably gets some too. Results just don’t lie there and that team was terrible last year (like us…).
Agree. And they had a great win last weekend against Dallas. NE is also coming on very strong; we seem to fizzle. Key to getting far in the play-offs is to peak just before them; doubt that we will…
I try very hard not to view everything through the lens of our last match. But honestly, after seeing Curtin screw up the substitutions in our last match so badly, I can’t see him getting serious consideration for Coach of the Year.
Good to see Herbers and Yaro in the also receiving votes category for ROY.
Ahhh…. The sweet sweet succor of Champion’s League.
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—- could you imagine having our very own Champion’s League right here in the USA someday? Seattle in the final against Philadelphia… If only. Maybe someday there will be an Eastern and a Western table and the winner on the table wins the individual league and the top teams qualify for a Champion’s League.
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Boy now wouldn’t that make a mint. Too bad— if only… if only.
Right now, I just want to see Portland compete hard for CCL, especially tomorrow night in Costa Rica.
They couldn’t hold off a tired Montreal club at home. I don’t have a lot of faith in them beating a tired Portland team on the road. My hope is they are pissed about snatching a draw from the jaws of victory and come out fired up.
For all practical intents and purposes the USL is actually two separate leagues divided by the Mississippi River this season. There is no inter conference play that I have noticed save for the championship final of the playoffs.
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That structure saves Eastern conference teams the expense of flying a lot. The Steel have flown twice this season, I believe, Louisville – for schedule crunch reasons [Saturday night to Tuesday night games away]- and Orlando. In the west I have not google mapped the distances and travel times. Yet.
There has been some crossover games between the two conferences. Mostly teams around the Mississippi that are close to each other (e.g. St. Louis and Louisville).
I would guess that western teams need to fly. San Antonio/RGV to Seattle, Vancouver, etc. Much longer distances.
El P – This has to be the future of this league. It must be. It’s the only way, other than the money grab, that Garber and the boys can justify so many teams.
hope so. And there cannot be any inter league play..defeats the purpose of the Champion’s League… you don’t get to play San Jose as a DC United fan…unless you earned the right to and the balls ‘will it.’
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If I can’t have pro/rel than I’d like a table with an ultimate Champion’s League…. who knows maybe invite the Canadian league top three and Liga Mx Top three.
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There simply cannot be a single league with 36 teams…. please I beg you MLS… dare to be different… even while being the same.
This is where I think the league is going. The structure now clearly makes pro/rel impossible. I agree with you that that isn’t good, but like you said, if we can’t have that… give us this.