Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
The Union set a club record with their fourth straight win, a PSP, CSNPhilly, BrotherlyGame, Section215, PattisonAve, and SBI.
Postmatch quotes and quick hits from Curtin’s quotes.
After their fourth straight win, the Union are brimming with confidence.
What a difference two weeks makes.
The Union were the beneficiaries of a red card given under very unique circumstances.
Fafa Picault has risen quickly from benchwarmer to integral starter.
Part 1 and Part 2 of a conversation with Chester CFO Nafis Nichols.
Local
Lightning struck twice in Bethlehem’s game against Cincinnati. Literally. Stoppage time in the Steel’s 2-1 loss was abandoned due to stormy weather.
Seku Conneh became Bethlehem’s all-time leading scorer with his goal in the loss.
Harrisburg City had a dramatic 2-2 draw that had them wondering if they could have taken all 3 points.
MLS
Fabian Herbers and Atlanta’s Julian Gressel have blazed a trail from Europe to American college that blends the European focus on tactics and technique with the American focus on physical attributes and education. It will be interesting to see if more lower-division prospects take this route in the future, given the success of Herbers and Gressel.
Dallas took their first loss of the season against San Jose.
Around the globe
The U-20 USMNT kicked off the U-20 World Cup with a 3-3 draw against Ecuador. The American side made two comebacks, going down 2-0 and 3-2 before getting the equalizer deep in stoppage time. Derrick Jones replaced Gedion Zelalem after Zelalem went down with a non-contact injury. Auston Trusty was in the 18 but did not play.
Real Madrid won La Liga.
Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga.
Juventus won Serie A.
Arsenal will not be in the Champions League for the first time in two decades.
A look back at the U-20 USMNT of 2003.
Highlight of the day
There were a lot of good highlights this weekend, but I love these fanshots of Sapong’s goal and Medunjanin’s goal.
My highlight is the offsides though no less Messi redirect nutmeg of goalkeeper this weekend.
The article of the Germans coming to America to play college soccer really flips the script on our long-standing discussion about skipping college to play soccer. Here are guys who grew up in the culture where players skip college entirely, but they realized that the education is just as important, especially for the guys who are not destined to play in the top flights.
.
Interesting insights from people who were part of that system.
+1
If I’m not mistaken, that was Jack Harrison’s route as well. Was in a PL academy… Manchester U. maybe. Really interesting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Harrison_(footballer,_born_1996)
.
I’m not sure of his rationale for leaving, but I could understand his pessimism towards receiving minutes at ManU. One year at Wake Forest makes him feel like a highly-rated college basketball player.
.
It is interesting to see Euros make the move from their academies to the US Programs.
Earnie Stewart seems to like those players a bit, too. Herbers, Jack Elliot and Aaron Jones are both England born: http://fiftyfive.one/2017/01/ipswich-philly-aaron-jones-story/
–
It’s a very interesting type of player. Union have had some good luck with these guys. I wonder how Jones will fare.
+2. I thought this was quite fascinating. I was wondering what our El Pachyderm would say about it.
–
Honestly, it may just be the case that you can’t focus maximal energy on youth soccer and youth education at the same time. If that is indeed the case, then the European model should be only for the absolute best in the world, the most elite of elite kids, and the rest might perhaps be better served with the US model. Maybe. At least, the way these guys tell, it gives you something to think about.
If europeans, washed out of Academy abroad choose to play here, ultimately I think it raises the standard of the US game.
.
Soon enough it is my opinion college will no longer be a viable avenue to first tier footy…. if MLS academies are doing things right and college soccer does not change its policy college players should not be good enough based on hours and time spent in training.
I missed much of the game, but I caught red card the sequence and that was the strangest, most hilarious series of events I’ve seen in a soccer game.
I always thought that the player had to go somewhere near midfield to come back on…with ref permission of course… Anyone with knowledge of the rule please help me out….and send a copy to the Rapids coaching staff!
Fwiw I sit in 119 – directly behind where Calvert went down and was carded. I watched the sequence, he was arguing with both ref and assistant for a foul after he got up which got him carded the first time. But when he was asking to come on the assistant waved his arm telling him to go around to midfield to be waved on, so I guess he took that as a sign to enter the field. I thought it was clear that he was telling him to go to midfield, but I was higher up than he was.
I sit in the complete opposite corner (101) and it was blatantly obvious that the assistant was telling him to go around to the sideline. So much so that I immediately jumped out of my seat and started screaming for the card as soon as I saw him run back onto the field over the endline.
I was at the match, and I honestly couldn’t believe that second card. I mean, I’ve seen guys go on the pitch too early, and the ref blows the whistle and waves them off to the sideline and says, “You stay off until I let you back on.” Even Tommy Smyth on the Union’s broadcast said he thought it was harsh. Maybe the ref was extra frustrated because 1) Calvert was whining about his BS injury and wouldn’t get off the field (I thought the first card was for delay of game); 2) he was jawing at the ref; and 3) he entered from the endline instread of the sideline. Still, it was odd.
4) Rivero has a tendency to play to the home crowd.
Thanks guys. I thought that the side judge was motioning that way. I sit in section 114 and we went crazy when he came on the field from the end line!
Re: Herbers: official word on injury (or did I miss it)?
I don’t think we have “official” yet, but Curtin mentioned in the postgame press conference that it was somewhat serious and that he will miss time. But that’s about as extensive as it got.
Derrick Jones seems to have been instrumental in that comeback this morning. Seems to have played a lot better than Zelalem; so maybe DJ will start the next game.
I think that’s an incomplete statement: “Seems to have played a lot better than Zelalem” should have read “Seems to have played a lot better than Zelalem at defensive mid.”
.
Gideon is not a defensive midfielder, so that’s on Ramos for playing a guy badly out of position.
.
That said, I think we’ll see DJ in that spot again, given his reported performance.
https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/05/22/2017-team-week-wk-12-superstars-and-men-red-shine
.
Gotta love the national love: Medujanin, Gaddis (Bench), Sapong (Bench).
Anyone interested in the Union’s overall financial situation should read the two pieces by Kevin Kinkead above detailing his interview with the Chester city CFO. Informative and worth the time.
What did you read that gave you insight into the club’s financial situation?