Photo by Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
Slow news day in Union Land.
Andre Blake is up for Save of the Week.
Union loanee Eric Ayuk scored his first goal and took MotM honors for Swedish side Jönköpings Södra IF. Say that three times fast.
That was a vintage Real Salt Lake (and Union) performance over the weekend.
Like anyone on the mend should do, Maurice Edu visited a brewery.
Major League Soccer
Is it possible to manufacture a soccer rivalry?
Soccer America’s weekly Power Rankings.
NWSL
A roundup of all Week Seven action.
Houston Dash have parted ways with manager Randy Waldrum. It seems this was a long time coming.
Local
A full report on Bethlehem Steel’s 3-1 victory over Harrisburg City Islanders.
Fresh off their first PDL loss, Ocean City Nor’easters will take on fellow local club Reading United – who upset NASL powerhouse New York Cosmos in the U.S. Open Cup last week.
U.S. Soccer
How will the USMNT line up for their upcoming World Cup Qualifiers?
With Bobby Wood, Clint Dempsey, and Jordan Morris still getting back to full strength, should we be concerned about the striker position?
Defender John Brooks is set for a transfer to Wolfsburg that would be the most expensive ever for an American player.
Christian Pulisic (!) will have a new manager at Borussia Dortmund next season. Thomas Tuchel was suddenly sacked over the weekend.
Across the Globe
Another American manager will ply his trade in the English Premier League next season. David Wagner and Huddersfield Town beat Reading United (and U.S. midfielder Danny Williams) in a very drab promotion playoff yesterday.
There is nothing sadder than manufactured rivalry.
One of the biggest stories over the weekend was why Reading’s Williams did not get a call-up into the USMNT.
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Also NYCFC’s midfield is struggling with that Venezuelan kid playing in the U20 WC. Venezuela won this morning so he won’t be back for this weekend 🙂
We are discussing manufactured rivalries in MLS, meanwhile BVB finish third in the league and win German Cup and shit can the manager.
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This is competition. Meanwhile, in our ‘It’s always sunny in Philadelphia’ safe haven, nobody feeling any heat.
It sounds like it want about the team’s performance, per se. Apparently Tuchel and the higher ups have had a falling out.
They were feeling pressure, el P.
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I happened to run into Jim Curtin up a Lehigh game before the first win had happened. He remembered he should have recognized me from somewhere. He was cordial and trying to be upbeat as we exchanged pleasantries walking towards the stands. But both his words and his affect showed clear effects of the not-winning streak.
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Coach Burke also exhibited some effects, even though he is one step removed.
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Different degrees of pressure, without doubt. We agree on that point.
Doesn’t Philadelphia Fury v Philadelphia Atoms count as a local derby?