Photo: Rob Simmons
Note: PSP is looking for a volunteer to write our Thursday news roundups. If interested, please email dwalsh@phillysoccerpage.com.
Philadelphia Union
The Union traveled to Chicago and lost 3-2. Their starting lineup was not any younger than usual. Down a goal with 12 minutes to go, Curtin made his final sub in the 90′.
The Union have one road win in the past 13 months. With their last game at home, it will be another 5 months or so to get another chance.
Local
Bethlehem drew St. Louis 1-1 in their season finale. They are the 8 seed in the USL Eastern Conference and begin their playoff journey in Louisville Friday night at 7:30.
American Club Soccer
Only one spot is left up for grabs: the 6 seed out West. San Jose will clinch it with a win at home against Minnesota.
A draw or better will leave Toronto with the most points in MLS regular season history.
Should there continue to be expansion drafts?
10 of the 16 USL playoff clubs are either MLS-owned or MLS-affiliated.
PLA and UPSL have merged in an attempt to gain National League status.
Portland defeated North Carolina to win the NWSL title. The final was an ugly affair.
Portland will have big losses this offseason but may have big new additions. They are on a good run right now.
Around the globe
Sunil Gulati will not resign.
Hertha Berlin has joined the American protests.
An Indonesian keeper passed away after a freak on-field collision.
Highlight of the day
Lindsey Horan’s championship winning goal.
Curtin’s not this teams only or even biggest problem, but he has to be replaced. He’s had FOUR years to show something…anything. Instead, we watch him trot out the same boring lineup and formation. Ilshino at the 10? He won’t even be here next year! No Rosenberry, Jones, or Yaro. Have those guys fallen so far down the depth chart they can’t even play in a trash game? If so, what does that say about Curtin’s coaching ability?
.
Seems like the few media members left covering this dumpster fire are apprehensive to call for his firing. I get it. He’s a nice guy. It’s probably awkward to say Curtin should be canned, then go to Chester and be one of two people asking him questions after practice. Oh well, maybe year FIVE will be different. Sigh.
I’m not 100% sure, but I think Ilsinho playing yesterday triggered the clause to renew his contract for next year by playing in 75% of the Union matches. I hope that is not the case, but if so another reason why Curtin needs to go.
According to the telecast, that was just an internet rumor and, according to Curtin, no lineup decisions yesterday had any contract implications.
I was thinking the the same thing, and it was one of the only times he played the full 90
The issue with Curtin, as I see it, is that I think he’d be a fine manager if this team went and gave him a Toronto roster, with 3 multi-millionaires who were legitimate game changers. But the way Stewart is building this club – necessitated we’ve been led to believe by a smaller budget from owners — you need to have a manager who can get much more out of a less talented roster. A better manager would have gotten 10-15 more points out of this squad (win a few more road matches). You have to have an Oscar Pareja — a man who can spin lead into gold. Curtin is not anywhere near there. If Stewart pulls the trigger and gets us a new manager in the off season, I will be impressed. Otherwise, I have no reason to think we’ll see anything change next year.
I wouldn’t trust Curtin with Toronto’s roster. Vanney has done a great job of melding resources with good coaching. Jim Curtin would have had them playing like the Toronto of old – overpaid and underperforming.
Yeah, I don’t want to undercut Vanney. I’m half intrigued by luring Robin Frazer away to coach the U, but I’d much prefer someone with a long record of success coaching a first team. I think we can also put to bed the “foreign coaches can’t make it here” mantra as well. If Stewart knows some good Cutch coaches looking for an MLS challenge, I’m all ears. What I don’t want is an MLS retread. No Arena. No Onalfo. No Heaps.
Is “He would be a fine manager if he had the richest payroll in the league” a compliment or an inuslt!?!?
Is that the best you can come up with to defend the dude?
I wish I could could 20 million worth of players too!
The Oscar Pareja who has 4 more points that the Union with a much better roster? The thing is Curtin has clearly been bad and has been given a long run for how poor the results overall has been, but man our roster is bad. I mean we have had a black hole at the 10 and wing (Pontius), almost not O help from our outside backs, and have gotten lucky that Elliot and Gooch played well in the back. This is a poorly setup roster with “big” money being wasted in basically every spot. Basically everyone from Sugarman, Strewart, Curtin, and the players have been bad this year.
Most of us could probably manage Toronto to a playoff spot (at worst). Curtin does not have the chops to develop, maintain, grow, counter, change, etc. a roster that clearly needs managing. Some teams, when strong enough, just need a guy to fill out the lineup card. The Union have that guy with a roster/team that needs the exact opposite.
.
As the roundup noted – Down a goal, with 12 minutes to go, Curtin made his last sub, in the 90+ min. AND it was Jay Simpson. That has to be the last straw. Please let that be the last straw.
James, et. al. It was not meant as a compliment. It was, at best, courtesy to a guy I generally like, just not as a manager of the Union.
A. is 100% right.
did i miss something about giliano wijnaldum? when was the last time he played? he didn’t play for bethlehem or the union yesterday. is he injured?
I think he’s still recovering, but I didn’t see him on the injury report this week.
#curtinout #gulatiout
That list is too small. If you don’t want to type a lot of names you have to reverse it and say who you still want. Like seriously, there’s probably 5 people I would be upset about if they weren’t on the team next year (including coaching/management).
And somehow a country that can’t develop youth just had its U/17 team coached by some guy named Hackworth advance to the U17 World Cup quarter final by beating Paraguay 5-0.
U17 teams have always done well. The issue is that U17 to U23’s development needs major improvement either by getting NSCAA to play all year, by getting those who do not go to College to play more on MLS teams, and to develop more abroad (like Pulisic).
Wonder what sort of difference a year-long NCAA soccer schedule would make? Probably wouldn’t match academy training, but doubling the time in competition would have to be better than what we have now.
There is hope…