Image: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
Global newspaper The Guardian has noticed the Union’s 247-day winless streak.
An otherwise positive road result is dampened by The Streak. (Yes, it’s worthy of a proper noun now.)
The Union are looking for positives after another draw.
Eric Ayuk made his debut for Jönköpings Södra IF over the weekend.
The Union can’t attack so they might as well start defending.
What did LAG Confidential make of the Galaxy’s play Saturday?
Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem and goalkeeper Matthew Perrella have mutually agreed to part ways.
Steel will host Reading United as part of the Philadelphia Union festival.
MLS
What can expected goals tell us about the weekend’s results? (Hint: LA should have scored one.)
In a piece that may frustrate some Union fans: the week’s best coaching moves.
Your league Team of the Week and Total MLS’.
Soccer America’s power rankings (Union are up to #20?!) and league talking points.
Nine thoughts on Week 9 and more takes on yet another weird MLS weekend.
How Mauro Diaz’s absence has made FC Dallas more versatile.
Orlando is looking like one of the league’s best sides.
A Tampa Bay Times editorial goes all in on the St. Petersburg waterfront stadium referendum.
Paging Carlos Valderrama: Will MLS take a chance on Tampa again?
US Soccer
Alex Morgan and Lyon defeated Carli Lloyd and Manchester City for a spot in the Champion’s League final.
The USMNT will host familiar foe Ghana July 1 in East Hartford, Connecticut in a Gold Cup tune up.
Love the comments in the best coaching moves article!
Agree. But listening to JP Dellacamera announcing that Le Toux goal made me want to punch my monitor.
Ok but just a reminder going by my experience watching Letoux play for the Union there is a 50/50 chance Letoux would have shanked that.
That expected goals statistic is interesting, though I’m not sure how reliable it is yet. I think it’s telling me that, as bad as the Union’s record is so far this year, it *should be* even worse.
Anyone know a site that has those xG calculations for the season?
MLS website has been running that column with xG each week, so you should be able to find the past Union games…
http://www.americansocceranalysis.com/team-xg-2017/
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Union have scored 2 less then their xG and let in 3 more then their xGA.
That chart mirrors what I’ve thought I have seen looking at individual games. We have been a bit unlucky. We shouldn’t be top of the table but probably shouldn’t be at the dead bottom.
ESPN’s best and worst of the month in MLS:
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http://www.espnfc.us/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3117178/orlando-city-and-bastian-schweinsteiger-mls–biggest-winners-from-april
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Villa’s midfield chip is goal of the month and also this:
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“Who lost the month? Union fans
Generally speaking, Philadelphia sports fans don’t get my sympathy from the rest of the country. It’s well-known that fans in Philly have a tendency toward a type of behavior that doesn’t win them much support. If sports fans in the City of Brotherly Love aren’t calling for a coach to be fired, they’re probably not talking.
That said, it’s hard to not feel bad for fans of the Philadelphia Union two months into the 2017 season. The Union still don’t have a win on the year — they’re the only team left without one — and seeing any indications of progress requires a decidedly optimistic take on their situation.
In April, the Union managed to collect just two of a possible 15 points. That’s bad.”
ESPN lost the month if you wanna know the truth
http://blog.3four3.com/2017/05/02/a-huge-deficiency-in-the-suburban-american-soccer-player/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+3Four3+%283four3%29
While I generally agree, a lot of these young players are going to academies and very young ages. Like 8 years old. So yeah there is some time there to be playing with the neighborhood kids I think this point is greatly overstated. We just haven’t cared about soccer much in this country and kids go out a play a bunch of different sports instead of focusing on just one. With MLS academies growing all over the country this is going to change the National Team for the better I think though.
Funny – came down from the Lehigh Valley on Sunday for a game at Parkwood. On the walk from the lot to our game field, we passed a pick up game of late teens/early 20’s types. No lines, tall grass…
Just as we were behind the goal, one guy put a corner kick into the box that was back heeled like a laser into the back of the net. My daughters eyes practically shot out of her head then turned and looked at me and said “Did you see that!?!?”
We’re getting there. Slowly, but surely, getting there.
My son plays pickup in the school playground every day. There’s always a game in the field at his school. It’s a big difference between my generation and his. I’d love some smaller pitches in the neighborhood…. The township left some U-10 sized goals up for most of last fall into the winter that we used and had a lot of fun just playing and getting neighborhood kids together for games. It’s happening. Slowly. But it’s happening.
Just received an invite for STH to a town hall meeting next Thursday (May 11) with Stewart, Curtin, Bedoya, and McDermott. Unfortunately, I’m going to be out of town next week but would love to read about it here from someone who attends.
i’m debating whether or not to go to this. its going to be really unpleasant
Notice Sugarman is not listed as an attendee?
Then is it really worth it? I’m not telling anyone what to do with their time, but if no one shows up, wouldn’t that send a loud and clear message?