Photo: Courtesy of Philadelphia Union
Philadelphia Union
So, yeah, all three points would have been nice but a point on the road at Toronto ain’t too shabby. As Jim Curtin described after the game, “All in all, a good point for us and a point that will go a long way in terms of pushing towards the playoffs. But still, always disappointed to not take all three, once you have a lead.”
And how about Alejandro Bedoya’s goal? MLSsoccer.com calls it “an AT&T MLS Goal of the Year contender.” The goal has also been noted by CBS Sports, Fox Soccer, and Stars and Stripes FC. Click here to vote for it for Goal of the Week.
Now, if the Union can manage to get a result this weekend at NYRB…
Recaps and reports at PSP (recap, quotes), Philadelphia Union (recap, report) Delco Times, Philly Voice, Philly Soccer News (recap, report), Brotherly Game (recap, analysis), Pattison Ave, Vavel, Section 215, MLSsoccer.com (recap, Union, Toronto), Toronto FC, Toronto Sun, Toronto Star (recap, report), Sportsnet.ca, Waking the Red (recap, report), The Vocal Minority, Pro Soccer Talk, SBI, Goal.com, MLS Multiplex, The Canadian Press, and the AP.
The Monitor checks in with former Union man Dzenan Catic,who has bounced back from a concussion to close the season well with USL side Rio Grande Valley.
Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem concluded their first USL season in eleventh place (28 points, 6-4-10) with a 2-0 home loss to Orlando City B, bringing their season closing winless streak to 12 games.
Head coach Brendan Burke thanked the fans after the game and added, “I know it was a tough year, kind of up and down for us and we had some really bright moments but more frustrating moments which is why we landed where we did in the table. More importantly we got three guys pushed through to the first team and that is why we are here.”
Burke also confirmed Union Academy graduate Yosef Samuel was the twelfth USL contract player for the match in order to satisfy the league requirements for USL contracted players following the departure last week of Ryan Richter to New York Cosmos.
Recaps and reports at PSP, Bethlehem Steel (recap, quotes), WFMZ, Philly Soccer News, USL, Orlando City B, Orlando Soccer Journal, and The Mane Land. Allentown Morning Call has a photo gallery.
Philadelphia Union Academy
With one exception, it was a winning weekend for the Union Academy squads. The Union U-12s had two games on the road against their counterparts from Lehigh Valley United on Saturday. In the first game, Anthony Derk put the Union ahead in the 9th minute before LVU equalized in the 56th minute. Seven minutes later, Ian Abbey scored what proved to be the winner in the 2–1 victory. In the second game, Francis Westfield opened the scoring in the 16th minute and Julian Pittaoulis added another goal in the 20th, before LVU scored what proved to be their only goal in the 21st minute. Nelson Pierre then added goals in the 26th, 33rd, and 56th minute to complete a hat trick and give the Union the 5–1 win.
The other Union Academy teams were on the road to Maryland on Saturday to face their counterparts from Baltimore Armour. The U-13s were 2-0 winners with goals from Selmir Miscic (64′) and Sean Bettenhausen (69′).
Aziz Saidi converted from the penalty spot to put the Union U-15/16s up 1-0 in the 12th minute before Baltimore equalized in the 35th minute. Axel Picazo scored the gamewinner for the Union in the 80th minute for the 2–1 victory.
Byron Josue Monge scored a late brace with goals in the 69th and 78th minutes to give the Union U-17/18s a 2-0 win.
Next Saturday, the Union Academy teams host Continental FC Delco.
City Islanders
The City Islanders (31 points, 8-15-7) concluded the season in tenth place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-1 road win over FC Montreal. Recaps and reports at USLsoccer.com, Philly Soccer News,
Local
Army defeated Navy 1–0 to claim this year’s Army-Navy Cup at Talen Energy Stadium on Friday.
In the weekend’s Philly Soccer Six games, Penn crushed Drexel, 5–0, Alec Neumann scoring a first-half hat trick. La Salle was defeated 2-0 in overtime by UMBC. Villanova defeated Marquette 2-1 on the road. Saint Joseph’s defeated Central Connecticut 2-0 on the road, midfielder Matt Crawford scoring a brace. Temple was defeated 1-0 on the road by UConn.
Pittsburgh Sports Castle talks to Reading-native Corey Hertzog, who is now with Pittsburgh Riverhounds.
MLS
In the Eastern Conference, NYRB, Toronto (this time for real), and NYCFC have all clinched playoff spots with the weekend’s results. First place NYRB (48 points, 13-9-9) did the Union a solid and defeated fifth place Montreal (38 points, 9-10-11), 1-0. Second place Toronto (48 points, 13-8-9) came from behind to draw 1-1 with fourth place Philadelphia (42 points, 11-11-9). Third place NYCFC (48 points, 13-9-9) pounded last place Chicago (27 points, 6-14-9) for a 4-1 win with David Villa scoring a brace. Sixth place DC (37 points, 8-9-13) pounded eighth place Orlando (34 points, 7-10-13), 4-1. The playoff hopes of seventh place New England (36 points, 9-13-9) took a hit with a 2-0 road loss to ninth place Columbus (32 points, 7-11-11).
In the Western Conference, first place Dallas (53 points, 15-8-8), who are the only team in the West to have clinched a playoff spot, drew 0-0 on the road with fourth place Salt Lake (45 points, 12-10-9). Second place Colorado (48 points, 12-5-12) gave up a stoppage time goal to draw 3-3 on the road with eighth place Vancouver (35 points, 9-14-8). Shkelzen Gashi scored two for the Rapids in the draw. Third place LA (48 points, 11-5-15) fell 4-2 at home to seventh place Seattle (38 points, 11-13-5) after taking an early lead, with Jordan Morris scoring a brace for the visitors to burnish his Rookie of the Year claim. Fifth place Kansas City (43 points, 12-12-7) defeated ninth place San Jose (34 points, 7-9-13) 2-1 on the road. Sixth place Portland (41 points, 11-12-8) were defeated 3-1 on the road by last place Houston (32 points, 7-11-11), Mauro Manotas scoring a hat trick, former Union man Cristian Maidana assisting his final goal.
At MLSsoccer.com, how FC Dallas became home to the best academy in the US.
More than one thousand Atlanta United supporters showed up for the club’s U-17 team’s home debut. Well done.
“A private investment group” and San Diego State is considering building a stadium that would be shared by its American football team and a MLS expansion team and has sent out a survey to gauge interest among San Diegans in the idea. Reports at San Diego Union-Tribune, KPBS, Soccer Nation.
At The 91st Minute, Will Parchman on the MLS-Bundesliga connection.
Gerard Pique to MLS?
NWSL
the regular season concluded over the weekend. First place Portland (41 points, 12-3-5) captured the regular season title with a 3-1 road victory over seventh place Sky Blue (26 points, 7-8-5). Second place Washington (39 points, 12-5-3) fell 3-1 on the road to third place Chicago (33 points, 9-5-6). Fourth place Western New York (32 points, 9-6-5) thumped last place Boston (11 points, 3-15-2), 4-0. Fifth place Seattle (30 points, 8-6-6) defeated eighth place Houston (22 points, 6-10-4), 3-2. Sixth place Kansas City (26 points, 7-8-5) defeated ninth place Orlando (19 points, 6-13-1) 2-1 on the road.
Washington hosts Chicago on Friday in the playoff semifinals (8 pm, FS1), with Portland hosting Western New York on Sunday (5 pm, FS1). The championship final is on Sunday, Oct. 9 (5 pm, FS1).
US
The Washington Post reports, “Lauren Holiday, a former U.S. soccer star and the wife of New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, has given birth to a healthy baby girl. Now she will prepare for brain surgery to remove what has been described as a benign tumor.”
Elsewhere
FIFA has disbanded its anti-racism task force, declaring the work complete despite ongoing concerns about discriminatory behavior at matches in 2018 World Cup host Russia.
FIFA wrote to members of the task force to say that it has “completely fulfilled its temporary mission” and “is hereby dissolved and no longer in operation.
In the AP report, task force member Osasu Obayiuwana says of Congolese federation president Constant Omari, who replaced well-known crook Jeffrey Webb as president of the task force, “We never had a single meeting under his chairmanship. I wrote him, more than once, asking for when a meeting would be held. But I never received a reply from him.”
Goal.com reports, “FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura has defended the abolishment of the governing body’s anti-racism task force, claiming a ‘strong’ program will be put in place to tackle discrimination.” More at The Guardian.
Reuters reports, “Six Asian candidates will vie for three seats on the reformed FIFA Council in Goa on Tuesday after a senior Qatari official was barred from the election due to an ongoing investigation into corruption. The FIFA Council has replaced the largely discredited Executive Committee under reforms instituted in the wake of the corruption scandal which has engulfed soccer’s world governing body over the last 16 months.”
ESPN talks to one of the candidates, Australia’s Moya Dodd.
Well Dear Union,
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….too bad you were fumbling around in the dark the last two years missing the opportunity to steal a few fans and the limelight as was so often written around these pages – there’s a new fascination ‘for the Birds’ in town (pun intended) and it isn’t Alejandro Bedoya – despite an otherwise “magisterial” gol.
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in other news….whatever Pique wanted…. whatever Pique wanted…. whatever Pique wanted. Alas, he’d be destined for Chicago… oh wait- that’d never happen… ain’t the archaic rules and they’re bending so beneficial… (again, pun intended.)
I reject your either/or
many people cheer multiple teams
the NFL is popular
no need to steal
I remember people writing about how down the other Philly teams were and the Union were missing a golden chance to capture some fresh eyes for awhile there…
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I have no ill will towards american football.
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Course if you believe that and I’ll tell you another one.
WE need a better striker
So does everybody except Barcelona.
For the 3rd time in 4 weeks the Union are playing a team with a midweek CCL game. This time NYED is playing in Guatemala where a draw sees them through to the KO and a loss leaves them dependent on the Guatemala – El Salvador result in 3 weeks. Now that the drinks have clinched a playoff berth, I think it’s time they focus on CCL and go with their reserves on Saturday.
Nice to see Samuel signing with the Steel. I must have missed that news. He was an exciting player to watch in the preseason. Hope to see many more following this path.
+1.
I never saw an announcement either. Asked coach Burke directly after the final game and he confirmed it.
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It had to be him because he was on their Official Roster at the USL website, as of FRiday afternoon, and is a high school graduate. No one else on the roster fits being the 12th USL roster player.
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Good that he got his first appearance out of the way. What I saw confirmed the organization’s judgment that McMaster is currently ahead of him.
Regarding basically everything FIFA does – smh 🙁
What do you mean? I personally think they should get some credit for eradicating racism from the game…
Oh I see what you did there… 🙂
I’m a bit lost… trying to find it- but unable.
The Pulisic hype train just lost it’s brakes. Even the Bundesliga is getting in on the action now.
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http://www.starsandstripesfc.com/2016/9/26/13055152/christian-pulisic-hype-bundesliga
Appreciate the lead for article.
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So interesting to me the american soccer media and those who claim to be media consider Christian Pulisic a prodigy. He really isn’t a prodigy. He’s a kid who loved footy… and aspired to be better than everyone else which means he put in the resultant work.
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A talented lad yes… talent and skill are two different things though …talent, that which is more often than not given and skill that which is certainly earned through sweat equity.
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Curious as to why Restrepo still isn’t seeing the field. the guy is lightning fast and has got some moves to match. And there is no way his defensive work rate can be lower than ilsinho’s
He cost the team 2 pts. at United, and isn’t one of Curtin’s guys. Curtin has no use for anybody that needs work and coaching to contribute. He lacks the time and the interest. Maybe one day the powers that be will recognize that, and get him everything he wants……so he can panic, bunker and screw that up too.
He pulled up with groin in the 27th minute of the Steel game home to Riverhounds two sundays ago. Toughed it out for another 13 minutes, but then had to come off.