Photo: Paul Rudderow
Note: PSP is looking for a volunteer to write our Thursday news roundups. If interested, please email dwalsh@phillysoccerpage.com.
Philadelphia Union
Quick hits from Jim Curtin’s presser.
After a report that English Premier League teams were interested in signing Andre Blake, Curtin and Earnie Stewart both restated that they have received no formal offers.
Curtin also made clear that he will not be playing young prospects to last out the season for the sake of it.
Jack Elliott has been a surprise rookie star this year. The Union contend it’s because of his high “soccer IQ”.
Matthew De George posted a bunch of interesting tidbits on Twitter:
Curtin thinking about inverting the triangle with Creavalle behind Bedoya and Medunjanin. First question: why didn’t Curtin think about this sooner? Second question: How about Jones instead?
Trusty, Najem, and Jones will not play against Chicago. Look, the Union promised that the Academy would provide first team players. They never promised they would actually play.
Blake will be back next year, but there have only been “light” discussions regarding a contract extension.
The Union want difference makers. Difference makers cost money. Where’s the 3/3 tweet where Earnie says “we will spend this offseason”? Because without the “we will spend” part, this is really just taunting the fan base, isn’t it?
The Union are holding a t-shirt design contest. This page keeps updating with entries. It’s worth scrolling through. There are some great designs.
Local
Philadelphia Union Academy swept Richmond United.
A good story of a local HS soccer player’s journey back from injury.
MLS
New York Red Bulls remain historically trophy-less, falling to Sporting Kansas City in the US Open Cup final.
Montreal shocked top team Toronto FC, winning 5-3.
Atlanta continued their ultra-productive offense, crushing LA Galaxy 4-0. They have played 4 games in the past 10 days and have outscored their opponents 17-3. This is called “peaking at the right time”.
The Rapids are interviewing their fair share of candidates for the head coaching vacancy.
Reno 1868 set the USL team goals record. Antoine Hoppenot is second on the team in goals, and Brian Brown has chipped in a few as well.
Around the globe
After feuding with teammate Edinson Cavani, Neymar has insisted that PSG sell the Uruguayan.
In related news, Barcelona, minus Neymar and Neymar’s replacement (due to injury), are top of the La Liga table with 17 goals for and 2 goals against. Messi has 9 goals already.
Ronaldo returned, but Real Madrid’s incredible goal-scoring streak left. The poorly performing superteam fell 1-0 to Real Betis.
“Curtin also made clear that he will not be playing young prospects to last out the season for the sake of it.”
…
“Curtin thinking about inverting the triangle with Creavalle behind Bedoya and Medunjanin.”
……
I became physically angry when I read this. Any reason Jim?!? Any reason you are just letting guys sit and watch when they can gain the actual experience of playing competitive games?!? Would love to hear the rationale… is it cause the Union still have a mathematical chance? (this better not be the reason) Or maybe it’s because you are so limited as a coach you don’t know how to make changes? Someone, please help me out on this one.
Did you actually READ the article? Curtin actually makes some good points.
.
Here it is in a nutshell: The First Team Sucks, throwing young players out there with this crappy lot will not help them develop. Young players need to be setup to succeed. Playing them now with this group would be the opposite.
So not playing them is better. I don’t see how that is… at all… in any capacity.
Huh… not playing younger guys is an interesting choice for a team that talks so much about it’s academy….
Is there reason the team just refuses to spend any real money at all? I’m trying to give the benefit of the doubt, but there’s nothingness but cheapness. It’s really good and smart to make money all signings….. to fill out the roster. There still needs to be significant investment made. The Union are almost a decade in now and (comparatively) worse off than when they started.
My opinion is because Sugarman didn’t have to. I feel like they will spend the money this coming offseason because he’s gotten away with it for 8 years now, but everything comes to an end. He probably understands now that he has no choice – given the vocal nature of sites like this one and the fans that post and go to games, and buy season tickets, etc. It will probably be the bare minimum – meaning enough shut people like us up for a little while, but with Curtin still running the show – assuming he is – it won’t really matter.
.
Sugarman won’t spend like Toronto or Atlanta (or even the next tier down) because his investment still increases even if he doesn’t. So why do it? For fun? He doesn’t care. He’s a money guy. He’s an investor, a majority shareholder… and thus by default – the owner. But, let’s be honest – dude doesn’t care.
.
And hey, the stock market is doing well, so he’s gotta be in a better spot financially than the last bunch of years.
I don’t think he is going to spend at all. A bunch of bad contracts will expire, and MLS is going to give out a crap load of TAM this offseason. So, we are going to spend money in the sense that MLS forces teams to spend a higher minimum amount. I doubt Sugarman is throwing in one extra dollar though.
Is peaking six weeks before the start of the playoffs “peaking at the right time”?
As a Union fan, I am not qualified to answer this question 🙂
Wow…. I am actually envious of the Rapids for first firing their underperforming coach and second for conducting MULTIPLE interviews of potential candidates, all of which are with coaches from outside the organization. I hope Earnie is lining up a new potential manager behind-the-scenes because there is no way Curtin can come back as the manager next year AND the Rapids and Revs both have an advantage over us in that they can already start to vet potential managers before the end of the season.
and John Hackworth is one of them.
Credit to John – he has done well with the US youts. If I’m Earnie this offseason I’m thinking outside the box and getting alittle crazy. I’m calling my old buddy Eric Wynalda. If we can’t get entertainment from the players on the field might as well get an entertaining coach.
I for one would love to see Wynalda coach the Union!
.
The guy has vision. It would be a huge breath of fresh air in that regard.
.
Sure he’s going to make a weird comment every now and then – I’m more than fine with that!
Wynalda not likely as long as Bedoya’s on the team. Unless the two make up.
That’s easy. Get another DP.
.
I like Bedoya, I like his effort and for the most part his D, but he has not made DP contributions to this team. He seriously unbalances the field pushing everything to the right (have you seen his heat maps?). This paired with Harris sitting back creates a huge void in the field on the left side.
That’s called a 4-3-3 Jim. Not a bad tactic for a team with no real 6
https://www.metro.us/sports/source-rapids-have-interest-former-union-head-coach-john-hackworth#.WcPNx8jZsdw.twitter
.
Imagine with a payroll and leadership if he’s really a good coach. Oh the irony.
i’m looking forward to seeing keon daniel back in mls
Excellent T-shirts!!! Thanks for the link!
I second this. That link was great.
“We do know that we want some difference-makers, and once you say that, the soccer really simple: To get good players, you have to go out and spend money.” Earnie Stewart on 9/20.
Unless he was misquoted by the Inquirer it will be up to our sporting director to get this done.
The T-shirts.. Oh dear.. (O_O)
Damn those 2 touches, to set up the perfectly placed shot, from Pulisic were just world class.
Deft Punk