Photo: Mikey Reeves
Philadelphia Union
The Union face two MLS games and a U.S.O.C. game in the next nine days and may lose multiple players to national team duty. A rough stretch, and a good opportunity for some lesser-used Union players to prove that the Union really are two deep at every position.
Is this weekend’s game a must-win?
The Union again find themselves looking for a way out of a losing streak.
Is it time for a change on the back line?
Ronaldo Damus could be joining the Union, but not until he’s 18.
Quick hits from Curtin’s press conference.
The Vincent vs. Rosenberry debate looked settled after last season, but this season has seen it completely reversed.
The Union announced a really cool opportunity for kids to experience their very own “pro day”.
Why to watch the Union play D.C. It looks like Deshorn Brown could get the start for D.C.
Local
Accolades and schedules for the Union Academy playoff runs.
The Steel’s five game unbeaten streak by the numbers. They have gotten some help from Union players getting some valuable experience.
The Steel’s weekly conference call.
Time change for the Steel’s August 5 game.
MLS
Quick analysis of Wednesday night’s games.
San Jose signed It’s coming, right?
Minnesota’s NASL players are proving that second division players should get more respect (and looks) from MLS teams.
Why U.S. soccer’s future is pro-rel, smaller markets and… muffins?!
Around the globe
LM Kenny Saief completed his switch to play for the USMNT.
The Confederations Cup saw two 1-1 draws.
The pros and cons of using VAR, in a historical context.
The Chinese government is trying to curtail foreign spending by levying a 100% tax on big foreign transfers.
Is building stadiums in Qatar safe? No!
In “there’s a first for everything” news, Juventus’s Moise Kean may not be able to re-sign with Juventus because his Dad has not been paid in tractors.
Highlight of the day
I’m a little light on details for this one, but this is a fantastic bicycle kick for Orlando City in what I believe are the U-18 U.S. Development Academy playoffs.
“Curtin led a critical session in the film room, but he said there isn’t a single area that the Union needs to improve to get back to winning. The defense has only allowed six goals in eight games, while the offense netted twice as many goals.”
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“I feel like I’m taking frickin crazy pills!”- Curtin can’t be serious. We are almost in last place. Something must be changed. This week will feature the norm in both league games and the USOC will be the different lineup, everyone knows it.
Pretty much.
We are the fucking titanic. I’m tired of hearing “We’re actually doing fine!” WHEN WE ARE IN LAST PLACE.
Then stop listening to press conferences. They are pointless anyway. Why do people care about them so much?
Spot on, A! Never understood why press conferences are so important to people. Rarely does anything interesting or completely honest gets revealed at them.
The link above concerning the Haitian, Damus, is worth reading if you have time and interest.
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A technical point for detail freaks is that the homegrown signing rules can avoid the 18 year old requirement, I infer from both Zach Pfeffer and Andrew Carleton with Atlanta, and perhaps Matt Real with the Steel, but I cannot remember Matt’s birthdate off the top of my head.
It is my understanding that the 18 year old limit is not a homegrown thing, but a FIFA rule. My current understanding is that you can sign a pro contract as young as 15, but it has to be with a team in your home country and it has to be approved by your parents. Once you turn 18, you can sign outside the country.
Wasn’t Ayuk 17 when he signed here?
Nope, 2 weeks after his 18th birthday.
The VAR experiment in USL applies to goals, red cards, cases of mistaken identity, and there may be one other that I don’t recall at the moment. There is a time limit. And an extra official makes the decision to call the referee over.
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The three situations I remember are already breaks in play.
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Very concretely, offside calls are not review save in the case of an actual goal.
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The argument against VAR made in the link above cites offsides on a goal. With a 30 sec interruption as being a momentum killer in the famous Man U stoppage time comeback over Bayern Munich nearly 20 years ago.
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The proposed practices have preserved the essence of the flow of a soccer game every time I have seen them in use in the USL, which was twice in 2016 with NYRB2. They did not disrupt momentum.
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In the Steel’s VAR game at Goodman earlier this season the VAR was not ever used.
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My biggest conclusion was that there would have to be goal line cameras added to the coverage in all stadia.
“And it does start with defense in this league. You look at teams at the top of the standings in each conference and they defend their butts off for 90 minutes. We’ve been able to do it in patches in games but we’ve just been too inconsistent.”
Maybe, then, it’s time for another change.”
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Think Zeitlin may have finally put his finger on it. It’s time for a managerial change. Midpoint of the season and in 22nd place. Not that I’m in any hurry for the Sorber era, but I’ve seen enough of the Curtin era.
This isn’t related to any stories above, but did anyone listen to The Play podcast with Bobby Warshaw this week? He had Danny Cruz on and Danny told a story about a Union fan telling one of the Union players that he f***ing sucked before the match even began.
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I’ll always support the team, but hearing that story really disappointed me. Like I get frustrated with the team, but I can’t imagine ever calling a player’s name on a team I support to get their attention and insulting them so bluntly. I know that there’s always a few bad apples and that’s not indicative of the whole fanbase, but the story just really bothered me.
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I wanted to know if anyone had heard the podcast and had any reactions to it.
Every team has drunk a-hole fans. Story a few years ago with Real Madrid winning 22 straight games then after losing to Barcelona idiots followed Bale, Ramos, and Jese to their cars hurling insults and kicking Bale’s car. Bale had scored a game winning brace only two weeks before.
Still Philly fans are considered a class of their own.
Sad.
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