Photo: Earl Gardner
Editor’s note: PSP is looking for someone to write our Thursday news roundups. Please email dwalsh@phillysoccerpage.com if you’re interested.
Sons of Ben
Terrible news about Kenny Hanson, the former Sons of Ben leader, who suffered a severe head injury in South Carolina recently. He is on life support, and doctors don’t believe he will survive.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for Kenny’s care. Please donate if you can.
Philadelphia Union
The MLS transfer window has closed. Some deals may still be announced as paperwork gets finalized, but …
Don’t expect much from the Union, Earnie Stewart tells The Inquirer.
The team will not be signing Nico Martinez, who had briefly trained with the club.
Unless something changes, the Union’s biggest transfer window signing will be the club’s first chief tattoo artist, Jay Cunliffe, announced Wednesday. They inked the inker just before the transfer window slammed shut, as many fans watched with baited breath and a “will they sign him in time?” sense of speculation. Allocation money was reportedly not used. (Yes, the Union actually announced this on the last day of the transfer window.)
Jim Curtin provided some insightful comments on Ballou Tabla skipping training for Montreal while seeking a transfer to Europe.
MLS
D.C. United has continued their team makeover by signing U.S. international Paul Arriola to the most expensive deal in team history. D.C. also signed Lancaster, Pa. product Russell Canouse, formerly of Hoffenheim, and Zoltan Stieber from German side Kaiserslautern. These are just the latest deals — Lamar Neagle and Bobby Boswell left this week via trades — that see United overhauling the roster to prepare for their first season in their newly built stadium.
Columbus sent Ethan Finlay to Minnesota United for way too much money. The Loons are like that one team in your fantasy league that everyone else (but Colorado) knows they can rip off.
Vancouver acquired RSL center back Aaron Maund and then traded fellow defender Christian Dean to Chicago.
Minnesota loaned midfielder Rasmus Schuller to Finnish side HJK.
FC Dallas signed Venezuelan midfielder Luis Gonzalez.
Orlando looks set to trade Luis Gil to Colorado for Dillon Powers. Caveat: Gil is on loan from Mexican side Queretaro.
Krisztian Nemeth appears to be going to New England instead of Kansas City. Because New England’s problem is a lack of attackers, apparently, not that porous defense.
There’s been talk about a lot more moves, so don’t be surprised to see some announced after the close of the window.
Chicharito defends Carlos Vela’s decision to sign with LAFC.
U.S. Open Cup
Sporting Kansas City reached the U.S. Open Cup final again, knocking off San Jose in penalties.
Cincinnati sold out their semifinal match against the New York Red Bulls in just seven hours. High ticket demand crashed the team’s website. Can we get them an MLS franchise now?
Around the globe
Does anything else matter on MLS transfer deadline day?
When the U.S. treasury department issues sanctions against Rafa Marquez for ties to a drug trafficking ring, that news stands alone.
Except you should also read this story about the aftermath at Brazilian club Chapecoense, which lost most of its players to a fatal plane crash last year.
Highlight of the day
This:
Thank you to everyone who posted & sent me this 😂😂😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/O7tmOSYR38
— Marouane Fellaini (@Fellaini) August 8, 2017
Hard to believe that we couldn’t have developed a tattoo artist at the academy level rather than having to sign a full-blown professional.
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BTW- “Inked the inker” is a brilliant turn of phrase, Dan.
Wow kinda tone deaf that Union do this on transfer deadline day wtf
Really bad timing! Doesn’t show well at all for a “let them eat cake” transfer window.
Thanks. I get lucky now and again. 😉 That one was just begging to be written.
I’ll tell you one thing this team is good for: insomnia. I feel for the people writing these daily news updates. Just thinking about the Union lately is curing my inability to take an afternoon nap.
So by judging by what going on it seems that the Union are going to build around their your core Blake/Rosenberry/Yaro/Elliot/Wijnaldum (Mcarthy) (Trusty)
Jones/Najem/Epps
Picault
And will pick up complimentary pieces other than the ones they have around them.
That means Alberg, Pontius, Ilshino and Edu are not long for the team or at least not long at what they are currently getting paid.
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This. Might work. But it’s the only way forward at the Unions current budget.
It might work, but if you’re planning on building around that core group of young players, perhaps they should start playing some of them more often.
That was also the theme of the town hall. The Union philosophy is to develop talent through the academy, sign them to team friendly terms and use their funds to supplement positions of need. That’s Earnie’s vision and I am hoping it works as I do believe we do have a decent group of young talent to build on and they should have money to spend on upgrading areas of need with Alberg, Edu, Simpson & Ilsinho all having expiring contracts.
Send Alberg & Simpson back, keep Ilsinho & Edufor depth if they can agree to a more team-favorable terms and sign a decent #10 with the other money is my 2 cents.
mind you this would mead a Union rookie would have to have a good sophomore season.
That has literally never happened before.
Keep Edu? I think he has cashed enough checks
Edu could offer to play one year for free. If only there were a precedent for such a gesture…
I think the problem is our core pieces are complementary pieces for everyone else.
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This kick the talent can down the road methodology is garbage. Earnie is now the pimp of hope, selling dreams on Seaport Drive. Wins don’t come, but lemme tell you about the left foot on this 6th grader we’re oh so close to signing.
Earnie did mention “1 or 2” things that were being worked on ahead of the deadline at last night’s town hall. Nothing that would be of immediate impact but more geared toward 2018. Not sure if it got done yet, but worth mentioning.
Keep hope alive!
The occasional terse injection of editorial opinion is nice, a throwback to an earlier era.
You’ll see more of that. Some idiot editor (who might that be???) overdid it on ratcheting back our new guys on opinion in roundups, so they’re still holding back a bit.
Ok, so the youth HAS TO start the rest of the way right?