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Union bits and bobs, more news

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Philadelphia Union

At Philly Voice, Kevin Kinkead looks at what the Union’s forwards can do better to improve their play in 2017.

Andre Blake comes in at No. 3 in Soccer America’s rankings of MLS goalkeepers, one spot behind former Union man Chris Seitz. Former Union man Zac MacMath comes in at No. 10.

At the Union website, a collection of New Year’s tweets from Union players.

FourFourTwo has a New Year’s resolutions for each MLS team. Here’s the Union’s: “The Union 2016 bank statement was almost blank. Maybe someone can convince dad to not be so frugal in 2017 and take the kids to Disney World.” Yeah, I’m not sure if that is supposed to be funny either.

Brotherly Game reviews the Union’s draft picks between 2010 and 2012 and suggests in some instances who the team could’ve selected instead.

Local

Local lad Greg Cochrane has re-signed with USL-side San Antonio FC.

MLS

Houston have announced Erick “Cubo” Torres is returning to the club from his loan to Cruz Azul after the Liga MX side “elected not to exercise their option to complete a full transfer.” Houston also announced negotiations continue with the home clubs of José Escalante (Olimpia), Yair Arboleda (Santa Fe), Keyner Brown (Herediano) for new loans to the Dynamo for the 2017 MLS season. More on Torres’ return at Goal.com and Fox Sports.

At MLSsoccer.com, eleven Europe-based transfer targets for MLS teams that you can chat about around the water cooler.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports,

Major League Soccer investors trying to bring a team to St. Louis probably won’t get $40 million in tax credits or any state money, based on Gov.-elect Eric Greitens’ comments Monday.

“To be very clear, I have completely ruled out state funding for stadiums,” Greitens said Monday said taking questions from journalists in Dellwood.

More on Greitens’ comments at KTVI and KSDK,

Tampa Bay Rowdies Owner Bill Edwards, whose team has left the NASL to begin play in the USL, says the USL is “lightyears ahead of where I just came from, and it’s allowed me to focus on building my brand and team.”

More former Cosmos players are finding new homes. MLS-veteran Adam Moffet is signing with USL-side Sacramento Republic, and Bolivian international forward Yasmani Duk, who was on loan to the Cosmos last year, has signed with Al Ettifaq in Saudi Arabia. Big Apple Soccer reports Duk’s agent, Rodrigo Osorio “told the Cosmos Country Podcast that the Cosmos owe Duk for three months, from October to December. He added that he was contemplating taking legal action against the organization. ‘We’re waiting for them to pay this week,’ he told the CCP. ‘If not, we’ll start a suit through FIFA.'”

US

At SI, Grant Wahl has “10 fearless predictions” for 2017.

Goal.com has ten American soccer storylines to watch out for in 2017.

Elsewhere

The Guardian reports, “Four Chelsea football fans will go on trial in Paris on Tuesday charged with racist violence after a black commuter was pushed off a Métro carriage by a group of football supporters chanting: ‘We’re racist, we’re racist, and that’s the way we like it.'”

Politico talks to Alexander Shprygin, the head of Russia’s football supporters’ association who rose to international prominence following the Russian hooligan attacks on England supporters and others at last summer’s European championship tournament in France. It seems Russian authorities, who were quick to praise or explain away the violence in France, are taking steps to ensure it won’t happen at the Confederations Cup this summer or the 2018 World Cup.

13 Comments

  1. ~ before we all go under.
    .
    Trouble with the nature of tribalism is it tends to be exclusionary and operates as Wilbur writes somewhere along the consciousness continuum between magical animistic to mythic thinking.
    .
    I’m all for improving the culture of footy in america but not at the expense of setting back consciousness to the levels sometimes seen in other parts of the world regarding the Us v Them mentality of division.
    .
    Socio geopolitical footy is one thing… chanting we are racists we are racists… is something all together different.
    .
    .
    fade out again
    fade out again
    fade out again
    fade out again

    • For the three years I have been a STH, if my wife and I spot some fans of the opposing side near our tailgate or passing by, we will engage them in some lighthearted insults and invite them to join us for a beer and burger at our table. We’ve had a lot of takers and have made a lot of friends this way.
      .
      In my opinion, there is no pride or honor in “proving” loyalty to team by being a complete and utter ass toward someone else because she/he is wearing a different logo or color.
      .
      I want fans of all teams to feel welcome in our stadium; to have fun. That’s what it’s all about. I don’t mind shooting them a smile or giving them a nudge if our guys score on their guys (and they can do the same to me), but I’m not going to hurl ridiculous expletive laden insults or food at them (like I see in Sec. 103)
      .
      It’s pathetic when a sporting event includes a side show of “West Side Story”.

  2. Tampa Bay Rowdies Owner Bill Edwards, whose team has left the NASL to begin play in the USL, says the USL is “lightyears ahead of where I just came from, and it’s allowed me to focus on building my brand and team.”
    .
    This is encouraging the USL is endorsed as a solid second league. Even without Pro-Rel, there is still an obvious benefit to having the lower levels, and having them be successful. Hopefully this continues to give developing players the game time they need.

    • What would you expect him to say? He’s not going to be anything but complementary about his new league.
      .
      Most teams do like the USL in that it provides an avenue to keep costs down by keeping the schedule as regional as possible and trying to encourage low salaries.
      .
      I’m want there to be a stable system of lower league teams as well, but at a certain point these independent USL teams are going to have to put together a good product and not just rely on selling a game day experience if we want the game to continue to grow. The fact that the MLS reserve teams are beating up on the independent teams shows how much work there is to do.

      • pragmatist says:

        It’s the term “lightyears” that is telling. That is both complimentary to USL and completely damning of the NASL. It was not a measured statement.
        .
        There are 2 reasons why teams are in USL: as a minor-league club to an MLS side, or as a stepping-stone to MLS. Once expansion ends (in 10-15 years), it will serve purely as a minor-league to MLS. It just feels like everyone is moving in that direction and is working under the same umbrella, for better or worse.

      • It’s propaganda, it would be a mistake to take that statement at it’s world (although it’s probably true).
        .
        I’d argue there are multiple teams who are in USL that have no plans for MLS. Louisville, Richmond, Pittsburgh, Rochester… those teams don’t have plans to move up.
        .
        It’s my fear that what you are suggesting occurs. I think the thing soccer could do to beat out minor league baseball is to have actual teams for these small cities to get behind, not just minor league outfits. Because honestly, no one cares about their cities minor league team.

  3. Swans just hired Paul Clement, Carlo Ancelotti’s right hand man.
    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/jan/03/paul-clement-appointed-swansea-city-manager

    Odds he can keep the team from relegation? Can’t be very good.

    • Very smart football man, but IMHO, just might be one of those coaches who is better served as an assistant rather than being the big boss.

      Great interview with Bradley on Wahl’s podcast. Was pretty candid about what had happened.

  4. Just read the MLS article about European based players potentially coming to MLS. I heard the Honda rumors before, but wonder if ES is speaking with Lasse Schöne.

  5. Really Seitz is better than Blake?

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