Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
Bedoya and Creavalle returned to training and will be available for this weekend’s game.
Andre Blake’s efforts were not enough to beat out Keegan Rosenberry for Save of the Month.
Chuck Booth has his weekly mailbag, covering Bedoya, filling the stadium, and whether a hot dog is a sandwich.
Reasons to Watch this weekend’s game – it’s been 2 weeks, ’nuff said.
Derrick Jones is not Rookie of the Year eligible.
Pulisic has ties to the Union.
Local
TopDrawerSoccer has named Bethlehem Steel the third best development side.
Former Temple defender Carlos Moros Gracia signed with first-division team GIF Sundsvall in Sweden.
Bethlehem Steel held a Press Conference about the start of the season.
MLS
Vancouver traded Kekuta Manneh to Columbus for Tony Tchani. Doyle with the analysis.
FC Dallas coach Oscar Pareja will be around awhile longer after a contract extension.
The top academy prospect from each club. The Union’s is Rayshaun McGann: “Rayshaun McGann has spent the majority of his recent time with the U17 MNT gearing up for the looming World Cup qualification cycle, but the Union don’t currently have a better outside back/winger hybrid in the system. Go back and watch his golazo against Portugal in 2016 and you’ll see why he’s garnering such rave reviews of late. His speed, vision and finishing ability are all top notch after the Union’s recent spate of academy signings.”
San Diego’s MLS project seems to be gaining steam.
Well, at least everybody’s having fun with the Chicago Fire’s Road to the World Cup…
Around the globe
What we learned and what Pulisic learned from the US-Panama game.
Nicaragua became the last team to qualify for the Gold Cup and will be slotted in the US’s group.
The USL, recently promoted to second division status, is looking to start a Division 3 league by 2019. This is probably to split the bonafide individual teams from the MLS developmental teams.
Lindsey Horan and Morgan Brian were ruled out of Russia friendlies as was Tobin Heath. Jaelin Howell has been called up to fill a roster spot.
As the World Cup field expands, will CONCACAF abandon the Hex?
A good story posted in the comments yesterday, N’Golo Kante’s journey to becoming one of the best players in the world.
Highlight of the day
No mid-week action anywhere this week, so how about this fantastic goal from Steven Gerrard?
and the one day MLS realizes competition does actually exist within the pyramid….opps.
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…cue Ron Wood and The Rolling Stones, Can you hear me knocking.
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What I would do for a 5 min glimpse into the footy future….
US Soccer’s recent email had a nice link http://usclubsoccer.org/2017/03/30/2011-id2-national-selection-team-where-are-they-now/ to the 1997 boys identified in 2011 for their Id2 program, the trip they made to the UK and what has become of them. 2 were actually Lehigh Valley boys, one of whom is now the goalie at UCLA and the other one has become somewhat as a monad (as some other Philadelphia Union Academy graduates have as described here http://www.brotherlygame.com/2017/3/10/14887972/philadelphia-union-academy-grad-sean-wilson-transferring-to-xavier
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That USL news is huge IMO.
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MLS now has teams in the USL which is now looking to open up another division. So in essence, you would have a legitimately connected three tier system instead of the “exclusive partnership” type of thing used before (like the Union’s relationship with Harrisburg).
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Also, for better or worse, it would further marginalize the NASL.
Writing appears to be on the wall for NASL. It’s either they do better and get stronger as an indie league or see their members assimilated by the Borg.
Resistance is futile.
I just found this article on Gooch’s return to DC (it was on the MLS roundup page):
http://www.csnphilly.com/philadelphia-union/reenergized-oguchi-onyewu-ready-keep-silencing-critics-dc-homecoming
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It’s nice to read how Gooch has become that veteran player-coach type to the young guys. But I also thought this was very telling:
“Right now, I’m more than happy in Philly,” he added. “This is probably the best situation MLS-wise I could have ended up in. We have a great training facility, a great stadium, great fans — and outside of that, I have a number of friends on the team I’ve known prior. The locker room is probably the best locker room I’ve ever been a part of in my career.”
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It’s not like he’s going to trash the organization or anything, but that’s quite a statement at the end. That locker room chemistry is always important for a team to stick together. I’m cautiously optimistic about the trajectory of this team, and statements like this make me think that they are on their way to understanding each other and there are better things to come.
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Maybe I’m naive…but it’s early in the season and I’m choosing to believe they will become much better.
Not naive. I think if things were not so great, he’d just be mum. Lots of players on the team seem to gush about it all the time. Definitely a positive thing.
Seems few paying attention to the news today so I’ll throw this one out there….
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… Coach Curtin receiving heavy praise in twitter-sphere for his erudite comments regarding Pulisic development so congratulations…. and then after you’ve read this commentary and twitter and and and other feeds please see comment #2 on the thread regarding this week’s Curtin Press Conference where some pointed questions are raised – riffing off Christian Pulisic’s development and the development of some players more local.
Random question – Anyone else as worried as I am about this game this weekend? DC is reeling and injured and haven’t scored. I hate when the U play teams in this position. We aren’t the type of team who steps on throats. We need a win, as the tough games continue with Portland next weekend. Really nervous here. Thoughts?
Not nervous, but a win is a tall order. DC has its back against the wall and really needs a result. Even with Mullins out, Acosta, Sam and Nyarko are a force to be reckoned with. With Gooch getting another start, Union need to be careful and not leave a big back yard for those guys to attack, which is just what they did in the last pre-season tune up in Tampa. I think we need to Mourinho this match (or do Olson it, for those who remember Benny Ball from the last few DC seasons). Best way to win will be to keep the score low, I think — eek out a tough 1-0 win on the road.
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Now that I’ve committed all that to writing, we can be assured a 4-2 Union victory
Zeitlin tweets:
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“Curtin said for first time in a while the x-ray/doctor meeting on Edu was positive & showed healing. ‘I guess we call it a minor victory.'”
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“Still no timetable though.”