Photo: Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
Bosnia-Herzegovina’s national team calls up Medunjanin. Duh.
Local
Write-up on NPSL site about New Jersey Copa player.
Asbury Park FC hops on crypto currency fad.
Junior Lone Star FC adding a team in United Premier Soccer League.
MLS
Perry Kitchen returns to MLS, but with LA Herbalife. They signed former Earthquakes keeper David Bingham, too. And Toronto’s Steven Beitashour is in their sights.
Giles Barnes is off to Liga MX. Landon Donovan also off to Club Leon?
U.S. Soccer
Dwyer out of USMNT camp due to injury.
Pulisic: “Americans expect too much of me.” Queue Minor Threat.
JP Dellacamera to moderate debate between USSF presidential candidates.
Around the globe
Liverpool mayor defends city’s £280m loan to Everton for stadium scheme. See, they’re just like us!
Chelsea & Aresenal, 0-0, in Carabao Cup.
ManU’s Lukaku considering legal action over voodoo claim. And, no, that isn’t an Onion article.
After pledging reform, FIFA pays millions to ruling council.
Highlight of the day
KYW Philly Soccer show has a new podcast episode out.
Players report to camp in 11 days. Still nothing done.
The Pulisic ‘sob story’ lead ……..in todays parlance…. is click bait.
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Be better, PSP.
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If anything his statement is a tacit…. ‘start playing young players (since there is this WC open space) and let us do this thing.’
Big story today is the SoccerAmerica interview with Brad Rothenberg. Utterly catastrophic account of how USSF bungled Jonathan Gonzalez affair and has completely missed out on developing the relationships needed to reach out to the Latino community in the states. Even with a grain of salt, understanding it’s an interview with a decidedly and understandably biased source, it’s still alarming. I’d post the link but the comment would likely be held up in moderation purgatory. Go find it.
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Also along those same lines, was a discussion on the Twittersphere around MLS’ poor rate of playing under 22 domestic nationals. Under 22 Americans played less than 2 % of MLS minutes. Serie A, EPL, La Liga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 — the top destinations for foreign talent — all did better.
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I have to say, I think all the hand wringing is ultimately a good thing. That it is all now magnified by the failure to make the World Cup is also a bonus. No way steps to improve would have had a chance otherwise. (Not sure what the chances for improvement are now, but they’re better than what they would have been.)
Pete, you just don’t get it.
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Or so you will be told by those in the know, the gatekeepers, the soccer aristocracy.
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You have to wonder….
Above right, under the banner “PSP on Twitter”, click on “A signing!”
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Ives Galarcep reports he is hearing that the Union are signing Union Academy graduate Mark McKenzie as a homegrown player.
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That would be a good thing, good for Bethlehem this year in games and probably good for the first team down the road.
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I hope to goodness it happens.
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No, he is not a game changing number 10. He was excellent as a defender in his USL appearances with the Steel last spring until he matriculated at Wake for summer school.
Jonathan Tannenwald, in reply to that report, said that he believes they will also be signing Matthew Real soon
I really hope they do sign McKenzie and Real to homegrown contracts. However, as noted above, the next step is to actually play these kids in MLS games. Let’s be honest…we aren’t winning MLS Cup next year and probably not even making the playoffs (again). I’d much rather watch a team that is blooding its young talent than a team laden with middling veterans. Unfortunately with Curtin returning as coach I don’t hold out much hope in this.
At one of the Chalk Talks, Curtain said the young guys have to earn their minutes. I get that in theory, but they are not walking on the field as finished products. They need the minutes to get to a place where they can earn the spot.
Curtin routinely talks about “earning it”. Sometimes it’s about working in some players who maybe played hard and need to learn too. This is one of Curtin’s biggest faults as a coach.
These moves are good, solid moves, and necessary. What they are not is enough. I hate to complain, because I’ll take almost anything at this point, but can he be a real Pro CB at 5’8? Not that you must be a 6’4 beast, but 5’8 would be crippling against crosses and such. Can he play outside back?
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Someone with better knowledge of roster rules. How many players can the Union have total and how does them being at Bethlehem effect that?
Real is a LB. I’m confused by this comment. These are the moves we should be making to fill out the middle and bottom of the roster. No more room for lots of middling players. Now we just need to follow this up with more expensive starters…….
I meant Mckenzie
In case anyone is looking for a good read on Youth Soccer in America, this one could hurt:
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“Alianza de Futbol proves free-to-play soccer can be a success in the U.S.”
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https://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2014/11/3/6950129/free-to-play-alianza-futbol-contracts-trials
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https://twitter.com/_Zeets/status/951268088338698240
In other news, MLS.com reports Lee Nguyen asked for a trade. I’d take him. He’s 31, but fits the #10 bill. If we have no other irons in the fire….
Here is a great example of a move we should be making. Instead, we’ll sign another flawed non-CAM midfielder for twice the price, and get half the production.
Spot on. Down in Chester the round holes get the square pegs and vice versa till infinity.
I would love to see an attacking 4 of Fafa, CJ, Lee, and our new DP right wing (or maybe just Ilsinho/Herbers/Epps/Ayuk).
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With Harris and Ale sitting right behind them the offense could actually look pretty decent.
Yea I was pondering this as well. He’s got a great record with the Revs, has always been a threat on the field as a #10. I don’t think it would be a bad decision if the FO can establish a good deal. He’s one of the best players in the league and I believe would make an impact on the team. Although , I still think ilsinho needs to have a staring roll on the squad so where would we place him ? Another aspect is our poor coaching and idk if our team would diminish Lee Nguyen’s play or not. A lot to think about.
Lose some, win some I guess.
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http://www.espn.com/soccer/united-states/story/3345173/bayerns-timothy-tillman-to-switch-from-germany-to-us