Daily news roundups

Bedoya, Blake, Burke get international call ups, Rosenberry wins Fair play award, Ivory Coast Unity Cup champs, more

Photo: Earl Gardner

Philadelphia Union

Alejandro Bedoya has been called up by the USMNT for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Mexico (Friday, Nov. 11) and Costa Rica (Tuesday, Nov. 15).

Andre Blake has been called up by Jamaica for the Caribbean Cup qualifier against Suriname on Sunday, Nov. 13. You will recall that the game was originally scheduled to take place in October but was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew.

the roster now stands at 20 players.

On Friday, Keegan Rosenberry was named as the winner of the league’s Fair Play Award. Playing the full 90 in all 34 regular season games — the only field player this season to do so, only the fourth rookie to do so in league history, seeing more time “on the field than any non-goalkeeper since 2013” — Rosenberry committed just 13 fouls, the second fewest in the league among those who played in 34 games, while making 78 tackles. The award “utilizes subjective evaluations on sportsmanlike behavior, as well as objective criteria such as fouls committed, cards received, games and minutes played to select the winner.” Columbus won the Fair Play team award.

At Philly Soccer News, quotes from Fabinho, who says the injuries Josh Yaro suffered had an effect on the performance of the backline in the second half of the season. Looking ahead, Fabinho said, “I think the staff will look for other players and what we have to do for next year. And next year has to be better than this year. My opinion, especially for me because I’ve been here for four years, I want to go to the final or I want to go win trophies for this club. Before I leave this club, I need to win something, U.S. Open or MLS. For me, I want both for sure.”

At Union Tally, Matthew De George looks at the Union’s injury history in 2016 and notes, excluding Maurice Edu, “just 10 players missed 34 games with injuries. Even with Edu, the total rises to just 65…That’s a 42 percent reduction from last year.” In 2015, De George writes, “21 players missed a total of 112 man games.”

At Brotherly Game, Jared Young reviews the results of the weekly player ratings comparisons with the weekly fan votes there, the player ratings here at PSP, and the algorithm at WhoScored.com.

Brotherly Game updates its staff voting on who the Union should protect in the Expansion Draft.

At Stars and Stripes FC, Alejandro Bedoya is No. 3 in a discussion about the depth chart for USMNT attacking midfielders, behind Sacha Kljestan and Michael Bradley and ahead of Darlington Nagbe: “The U.S. have so few true No. 10’s that we’re forced to pigeonhole players into the spot. Alejandro Bedoya has played there some in the past, but he doesn’t possess the natural playmaking gene. His high work rate is nice, but you’re just not going to see him being the proverbial point guard of any team.”

Section 215 on the expectation that Alejandro Bedoya will occupy the attacking midfielder role that was Tranquillo Barnetta’s.

The 2016 season review series at Pattison Ave begins with the hiring of Earnie Stewart.

Bethlehem Steel

Cory Burke has been called up by Jamaica for the Caribbean Cup qualifier against Suriname on Sunday, Nov. 13.

Philadelphia Union Academy

The Union Academy U-12s hosted Lehigh Valley United in two games at YSC on Saturday with the first game ending in a scoreless draw, as did the second game. On Sunday, the U-12s were in Conshohocken for two scheduled games. The first game began with Timothy Madden giving the Union a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. Delco equalized with a goal from Ethan Williams in the 26th minute before Madden put the Union ahead again in the 29th minute. But the lead would not last long with Harry Simpson equalizing for the home team in the 32nd minute and the game finished at 22. No match report is up on either the Union or Delco pages at the USSDA website for the second game.

The U-13s also faced LVU at YSC on Saturday, winning 3-0 with goals from Mateo Infante (11′), Brandan Craig (46′), and Micah Cain (64′).

Facing their LVU counterparts at YSC on Saturday, Julian Anderson equalized for the Union U-14s with a goal in the 16th minute after Caleb Gerdeman put the visitors ahead in the 12th minute. Aboubacar Camara scored a second-half brace with goals in the 56th and 60th minutes to put the Union ahead, although Kresstoph Whittick scored for LVU in the 80th minute and the game ended at 32.

The U-15/16s and U-17/18s hosted Bethesda on Saturday at the Power Training Complex. The U-15/16s were 40 winners with two goals from Daniel Bloyou (20′, 42′) and another from Aziz Saidi (time not recorded), and a Bethesda own goal in the 71st minute. The Union U-15/16s are third place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (17 points, 5-1-2) having played two fewer games than first place Baltimore Armour (24 points, 8-2-0) and second place NYRB (22 points, 7-2-1).

The U-17/18s were also 40 winners. Tiger Graham opened the scoring for the home team with goals in the 15th and 36th minutes. Justin McMaster added another goal in the 67th minute, with Kalil ElMedkhar adding the final goal in the 71st minute. The result sees the U-17/18s second place in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (19 points, 6-1-1) behind first place NYRB, who have played two more games than the Union, winning all ten that they have played.

Union Academy defender Rayshaun McGann did not start for the US U-17s in their 4-0 win in Sunday’s friendly against Jamaica. As of this writing, no match report has been posted at the US Soccer website so I do not know if he was subbed into the contest as he was in last week’s 3-0 win over Jamaica, nor whether McGann’s Union Academy teammate Chad Letts appeared for Jamaica. Former Union Academy goalkeeper Carlos Joaquim Dos Santos, now with Benfica, did not get the start for the US.

Local

Level at 0-0 after extra time on Sunday, VIllanova goalkeeper Will Steiner stopped three of DePaul’s penalty kick attempts as his team won 3-1 APKs to advance to the second round of the Big East tournament. The team travels to face Butler in Indianapolis on Thursday.

La Salle defeated UMass 1-0 at McCarthy Stadium on Saturday. On Sunday, the team was announced as the No. 3 seed in the A-10 tournament. The team faces No. 6 seed Rhode Island on Thursday in North Carolina.

Penn played Princeton to a 2-2 road draw on Saturday. With Harvard’s team suspended from the rest of the season, Penn will play Columbia on neutral ground at Princeton on Wednesday.

Temple fell 1-0 on the road to USF on Saturday, ending their 2016 season with a 10-6-2 record overall, 2-3-2 record AAC play.

Ivory Coast defeated Liberia 1-0 on Saturday at Citizens Bank Park to win the inaugural Philadelphia International Unity Cup championship. During the half, Indonesia was awarded the tournament’s Fair Play Award.

At the Union website, a recap of the training session led by Union Youth Director Iain Munro last Wednesday for youth participants in the Unity Cup.

At the CONCACAF website, a discussion with City Islanders defender and Bermuda international Dante Leverock.

Danny Barbir (West Bromwich Albion; Allentown, PA) has been called up for the final US U-19 MNT camp of 2016, which takes place Nov. 5-14 in Sunrise, Florida. Also called up was Berlin, NJ’s Isiah Young, who used to play for the Union Academy before joining PDA.

MLS

The Eastern Conference final will be an all-Canadian Series with Montreal hosting Toronto in the first Eastern Conference leg, while Seattle will host Colorado in the first leg of the Western Conference final series.

Montreal advances after defeating NYRB 2-1 at Red Bull Arena (3-1 on aggregate) thanks to a pair of goals from Ignacio Piatti, who opened the day’s scoring with a terrific strike in the 51st minute. Toronto hammered NYCFC 5-0 (7-0 on aggregate), Sebastian Giovinco scoring a hat trick with additional goals from Jozy Altidore and Jonathan Osorio. The first leg of the Eastern Conference series will be played after the international break on Tuesday, Nov. 22 (8 pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN, MLS Live) with the second leg on Wednesday, Nov. 30 (7 pm, FS1, Fox Sports Go, MLS Live).

Colorado advances after defeating the Galaxy 3-1 on penalty kicks after extra time. The Rapids, down a goal after the first leg in Los Angeles, equalized the aggregate score with a booming, swerving 37-yard strike from Shkelzen Gashi in the 36th minute, who left the game minutes later after rolling his ankle. No further scoring came and after 30 minutes of extra time, the game went to penalty kicks. Former Union man Sebastien Le Toux, who had a fine game with the Rapids sunk Colorado’s second penalty kick to put the home side up 2-1. Giovani dos Santos then missed for LA, Marco Pappa converted for Colorado, and Tim Howard saved the attempts from Ashley Cole and Jeff Larentowicz for the win. Seattle, up 3-0 after hosting the first game, lost 2-1 to Dallas but advanced 4-2 on aggregate. Former Union man Chris Seitz was in goal for Dallas. Seattle now hosts Colorado in the first leg of the Western Conference final on Tuesday, Nov. 22 (10 pm, FS1, Fox Sports Go, MLS Live), with the second leg in Colorado on Sunday, Nov. 27 (4 pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN, MLS Live).

Steven Gerrard could retire. Or maybe not.

The futures of Federico Higuain and Michael Parkhurst at Columbus are uncertain.

What, no Ronaldo to MLS then?

Don Garber says no pro/rel for MLS. Again.

US

Jurgen Klinsmann has called up 26 players to train for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Costa Rica:

Goalkeepers (4): Brad Guzan, Ethan Horvath, Tim Howard, William Yarbrough

Defenders (9): Matt Besler, Steve Birnbaum, John Brooks, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Timmy Chandler, Omar Gonzalez, Fabian Johnson, Michael Orozco, DeAndre Yedlin

Midfielders (9): Alejandro Bedoya, Michael Bradley, Lynden Gooch, Julian Green, Jermaine Jones, Sacha Kljestan, Christian Pulisic, Caleb Stanko, Graham Zusi

Forwards (4):
Jozy Altidore, Aron Johannsson, Jordan Morris, Bobby Wood

Klinsmann named Tim Howard as his No. 1 goalkeeper. More on the roster at SI, ESPNFox Soccer, and Goal.com.

Who will stand in against Mexico for the injured Geoff Cameron?

Pulisic!

At the FIFA website, Mike Windischmann talks about the US qualifying for the 1990 World Cup. Windischmann was captain of the team that played in Italy.

Congratulations to Carli Lloyd, who was married on Friday.

Elsewhere

Ajax sent Scottish Lowland League East Kilbride 27 crates of beer on Saturday after the Scottish team broke the previous record of 26 wins in a row that was set by the Dutch side in the 1971-72 season when the team included Johan Cruyff. East Kilbride defeated BSC Glasgow 3-1 to set the new record.

The Uruguayan Football Association postponed all matches over the weekend following the death of a Penarol supporter who was shot by “rival Nacional supporters while celebrating Penarol’s 125th anniversary in the town of Santa Lucia on Sept. 28.” Penarol supporter Hernan Fioritto was 21 years old.

36 Comments

  1. Just want to recognize a few things:
    1: Union looked a lot better against Toronto than the hapless NYCFC.
    2. Red Bulls again with a lot of empty seats at RBA…. Perhaps the fan base knew what was coming.
    3. Le Toux was in the starting IX for the Rapids.

  2. Can’t imagine the MLS Front Office is too happy right now. Their prestige teams, LA and both NYC teams, are gone. MLS Cup final likely in Denver (or Canada) in December — break out the orange ball!

  3. Dear Fabinho.
    .
    You are forever exonerated from any further discussion regarding a rocket and the sun. I sense the urgency for you and I am in FULL accord.
    .
    Sincerely.
    El P.
    .
    .
    .
    So nice to know that no sooner did the protectionists start trying to hold back Master Pulisic — he announced his intention and just said in no uncertain words…
    .
    … “To hell with you- I have World Class as my target- dream a little bigger friends and reach for the great beyond and as Dr. Ellie Arroway says in Contact, I am Okay to Go.”

    • Fabinho is a very interesting player. Not young when he came and not good either. He still shows his gambling style and crosses to often but that dude has come to a new place, learned the language, embraced the culture and always left it all on the field. I’ve never seen him get tired even though he’s always out there and has improved a lot in his time here.

  4. Piatti. Drogba. Giovinco. Altidore. Morris. Dempsey. Gashi. Doyle.
    .
    If you want to win in the MLS, you gotta bring in guys who put the ball in the net. Bedoya is a good start. It takes two to tango. Time to find him a dance partner.
    .
    Go Rapids. Go Le Toux.

  5. Please God let Pulisic be back with Dortmund by 11/25. I spent a fortune on tickets to go see him play.

  6. Wow Giampero Ventura, manager for Italy, crushed MLS, “Giovinco plays in a league that doesn’t much matter”.
    .
    This is how the league is viewed by an enormous swath of people.
    .
    Any of you interested in a fantastic documentary? German subtitles so you will have to be patient.
    .
    Watch Trainer! on Netflix… great stuff and just one more faceted view which highlights why MLS is piddling podunk league of exclusion-ism.

    • It’s very difficult to argue for MLS when Giovinco scored more goals in two years with Toronto than he did in more than six in all competitions in Serie A…

    • Thanks, will definitely check out Trainer.

      • So good.
        .
        See these managers in 4th and 3rd and 2nd division clubs perfecting their craft in front of rabid organic fanbases sometimes with 5,000 fans – with the SOLE intention of rising and birthing themselves into the next tier- then the owners and boards of directors taking on the ‘burden’ and costs of expanding the brand in order to actually make a toe hold in the next division with its greater demands longer lasting.
        .
        EVERYTHING that is right and proper about how the game is supposed to be built and is capable of being built here if only the policy changed… if only soccer in this country had the game’s best interest.
        .
        And yes John O, my constant naysayer, it might be rough for a while and maybe a club or two doesn’t make it but for every two clubs that fold 20 CLUBS with grassroots funding and capital and investors and Landon Donovan and Stu Holden and Mike Piazza ALL with stars in their eyes following this very dream in lower level clubs abroad come home where they should be….and begin building the greatest first tier ever seen…. and THEN we win World Cups.
        .
        SPOT on BRILLIANT documentary.

      • RB Leipzig is the GREATEST story in all of Football. One Red Bull building from a piddling podunk 6th or 9th teir club to joint top of Bundesliga… while the other Red Bull can’t even get a stadium of people for a sacred cow playoff game…and WILL ALWAYS be piddling and podunk.
        .
        it is ALL a joke.

      • This is totally attainable here. People argue the infrastructure is not available and they are right —but what they fail to understand is…. the reason the infrastructure is not there is because the pyramid is closed… and in fact the infrastructure IS actually in place. Dear Word, how many teams are on Long Island alone that if given the chance may say…damn it… we’re going for 3rd tier… then our business plan will be 2nd tier then our business plan will be 1st tier… these clubs are literally littered ALL over the US map. Regionalize the pyramid… open the pyramid…. SUPERNOVA.
        .
        Totally circular reasoning to argue otherwise — like a gin drunk on a soap box on a saturday night with a distinct lack of understanding… distant sound of karaoke in the background… “i believe the children are our future, teach them well and let them lead the way”
        .
        People. Wake up. Demand change. Change occurs. Time elapses. Greatest football the world has ever seen.
        .
        .
        We truly are a sleeping giant and now with MLS the giant is on benzos instead of speed.
        .
        Soccer has failed time and again for one reason… lack of open system.
        .
        Period.
        .
        End of story.

      • John P O'Donnell says:

        Kind of makes the point how much people here don’t care about soccer. If a region finds it hard to support a team, I would find it less likely that these small towns would organically grow the sport. It’s like a plastic surgeon opening an office in North Dakota instead of Hollywood California.

        Meanwhile in New York proper, they seem to have no problem getting fans to enjoy the beautiful game in a baseball stadium.

        But I like your plan, let’s burn it to the ground and start over… again. Also no summer schedule or playoffs. Imagine next year when Seattle goes into the high school stadium the Cosmos might play in, I’m sure that will impress the Italian coach knowing he might not even be able to shower after the game.

        Think about how it might help the economy as well. I’m sure it won’t be long before someone invents disposable synthetic turf, so you don’t have to worry about an owner rolling it up in the middle of the night and giving up on the team. Bring it on baby, it’s a can’t miss!

      • For the third time…will you please stop putting words into my mouth about burning ‘it’ to the ground- it’s off base and inaccurate and quite frankly pisses me off.
        .
        Thank you.
        .
        Lastly …when did I ever say this had to happen in one day? A structured and well planned process. A paradigm shift. Get it?

      • John P O'Donnell says:

        Would love to listen to such a plan that makes sense but I’ve yet to hear one. Let’s just look at some of the facts that have to be answered.
        1.) How do you start when expansion teams are still coming into the league paying expansion fees?

        2.) Teams that have built infrastructure with government assistance, how will they be able or compensated to pay bills if they are relegated?

        3.) How would you convince tv executives to buy the product when you can’t guarantee markets? Something they clearly want as you can see by the expansion markets being chosen.

        4.) Since there is no significant money for winning NASL and probably no parachute payments, how do you find this revenue to protect teams from the burden of going up and down?

        5.) What is the plan to build the NASL past the (10?) teams that are left and what type of money should they have to invest so teams just can’t invest as little as possible thinking they might get a big payday down the road, then sell?

        6.)What’s the plan if it’s turns into a dismal failure because there is no guarantee it will work? Although hardcore soccer fans may love it, the casual fan might not and halt the growth of the game.

        Lastly, do you think the Union would survive in NASL or USL?
        I look at US Open Cup crowds and wonder if that is what they would draw and if they could afford to stay in business. Because personally I think the answer in NO!
        P.s.
        And when I say burn it to the ground, I’m talking about the suddenly wildly successful system of single entity. The one that has generated more revenue for a domestic soccer league in America than we ever saw before. The one that has built more infrastructure for the game than ever had before. The one that is employing more American and Canadian players than ever before. The one that is in the middle of building academy’s to develop players for teams that the first NASL never had. Because that all can stop, especially for a team like the Union that is probably getting that revenue from the league and not the owners pocket.

      • All excellent and provocative questions of which I am certain there are solutions.
        .
        Yes I think the Union would survive in a lower tier… many grassroots clubs already are surviving and thriving in far lower tiers.
        .
        as for money… the decentralizing of power and control from the league becomes the first step in altering the flow of money.
        .

      • John P O'Donnell says:

        So you have no plan and your answer is the decentralization of power changes the flow of money. I think it drains the well and why there will never be anything but the model we have now. The league will grow to 32-40 teams and a minor league baseball style NASL & USL will affiliate with MLS teams. This will be the path that players from the academy and the draft will travel to the first team. With NASL on life support, I think it’s almost there.

      • I’ve argued for different ideas..- 100%.
        .
        I’ve also argued there are plans to open the pyramid by people smarter than me… with cogent and well thought out parachutes and time tables and incentives… et al.
        .
        And yes decentralization of power and control gives the many many entrepreneurs who would invest in soccer a reason to do so..instead of investing their money abroad which is what’s happening. We’ve been down this road many times… you and I.
        .
        I imagine you are probably right regarding the path of soccer in the US… and we’ll always be second rate at best as a result. Millions will pay no attention to it and the casual fan will pay attention to it only based on the success or failure of the team, and people like you will continue to argue that, “we’re just not ready… because NASL is on life support…See!”
        .
        MLS gets what MLS wants.

      • some men you just can’t reach….

      • John P O'Donnell Jr. says:

        I agree, some men you can’t reach…..but I haven’t given up on you.

        “\_(°~°)_/”

    • ON IT! Thx for the reference.
      .
      I would suggest “Men Who Swim” or “The Parking Lot”…But they have nothing to do with soccer and should be reserved for the deepest, most mind numbing part of the off-season (when our movement mimicks that of koi under the suface of a frozen pond).

      • Old Soccer Coach says:

        nice analogy.

        Reminds me of the best analogy I ever heard, a comment by a former student Eric Michaelson, “The look on the face of a frying trout.”
        .
        Hadn’t thought of that in years.

    • el Pachyderm says:

      “…. if you play in that league it becomes a problem of mentality.”

    • Wait, the new Italian manager is favoring players who were on his club team? I’m shocked. Yes the MLS isn’t a great league, but there’s also something to be said for playing all the time rather than sitting on Juve’s bench all the time. I have to say I would rather have pro/rel than not but I just don’t see it happening anytime soon. That said, how many leagues in the world are really better than MLS?

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