Photo courtesy of Sport Invest agency
Philadelphia Union
The Union’s acquisition of Bořek Dočkal is anticipated to be officially announced today at a news conference in Chester.
Dočkal was in uniform for the Union at their practice yesterday.
There ya go. Borek Dockal pic.twitter.com/zvaR5by4CY
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) February 27, 2018
Borek Dockal wearing No. 10 pic.twitter.com/V4vODwfSmN
— Matthew De George (@sportsdoctormd) February 27, 2018
538 predicts the Union will finish in the middle of the pack, which is about what most of us think.
Here’s a random piece on Freddy Adu, who is in camp with new USL side Las Vegas Lights. He last played in MLS with the Union.
This is pretty cool:
https://twitter.com/PhilaUnion/status/968617804630052864
Local
Penn FC, the reboot of Harrisburg’s USL team, has signed three more players.
The PDL’s Ocean City Nor’easters will host an open tryout on March 31 in Gloucester County, N.J. Several Nor’easters alumni have gone on to play in MLS, including current Union backup goalkeeper John McCarthy. For more information and to register, click here.
MLS
Here’s a great read on Chris Wondolowski from Bobby Warshaw. What makes it great is that it’s about more than just Wondo, but rather how players like him can easily get lost in the soccer world and never make it.
Some MLS transactions:
- NYC FC has signed 26-year-old center back Sebastien Ibeagha from USL.
- LA FC has signed 20-year-old Colombian midfielder Eduard Atuesta using targeted allocation money.
- Sporting Kansas City has locked down goalkeeper Tim Melia, defender Ike Opara and forward Daniel Salloi with new contracts.
- Seattle signed South Korean international center back Kim Kee-hee.
- The Chicago Fire are interested in Lee Nguyen.
ESPN has a quick run through the biggest questions for each MLS club. Apparently, the biggest Union question has nothing to do with the No. 10 or the young defense. Hmm.
FourFourTwo has a look at the most fascinating figures in MLS this year.
Other American/international soccer
The NASL has canceled its 2018 season after losing a court ruling to reinstate the league’s Division 2 status. We can now begin the office pool on how long it takes before NYC FC or the Red Bulls buy the rights to the Cosmos brand.
Morocco could beat the U.S./Canada/Mexico joint bid to host the 2026 World Cup, ESPN reports. That surely shocks everyone familiar with the current U.S. president’s impact on America’s reputation abroad.
Toronto advanced in Champions League play last night, knocking out Colorado. They’ll play Mexican giants Tigres next.
ESPN has a good feature on the Dallas Cup, a top youth soccer tourney.
Read this about two Maryland soccer-playing brothers deported to El Salvador.
And we’ll close with Eric Wynalda’s shot across the bow at Landon Donovan:
You’re right – The easy path must be much more enjoyable -I will give it a try. Getting lectured by you is always enlightening https://t.co/f1RkEmKWBm
— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) February 27, 2018
The ESPN article just lists a 2-3 sentence blurb about each team’s biggest questions. Accam’s potential impact can be summed up in 2-3 sentences. Our search for a 10 and our reliance on kids who can’t drink would be harder to sum up in a mini-paragraph.
Yeah, ESPN piece now just teases Accam…. I was wondering yesterday, though, about having a young back line, particularly no vet center backs in a league in which nearly every team spent money on attacking talent. The attacking talent these center backs will have to face this season are going to be a magnitude more capable than they were last season.
Agreed. We were talking about this the past couple of days. We know they’ll take their lumps, we just need to see growth throughout the season. Trial By Fire isn’t the worst-case scenario.
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I have a feeling (pure gut feeling) that Trusty is more than up for the challenge. He’s going to be a league-wide stud who will not spend much time in MLS.
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Again, just a guess. But he gives off an air of success.
Trusty has seemed pretty solid. Fontana needs to work on being involved a little more.
well apparently Borek Dockal gets less tease than a new kit release: i have 2 ticket reps begging me to re-up and reporting in their copy-and-paste email that he’s a done deal.
ESPN’s run through of questions that provoked the editorial “Hmm” above suggest how long in advance the pieces are drafted.
In re: office pool on “Cosmos” brand raffle.
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Red Bulls definitely won’t given that their most fundamental mission from the parental business perspective is to sell energy drinks.
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NYCFC might buy it for use on a lower division farm team, but … .
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Under what conditions do we think Rocco Commiso would sell to anyone or anything even remotely affiliated with MLS, USSF, or USL?
Doesn’t the NASL own the branding? Isn’t that why Tampa Bay and Indy 11 had to pay exit fees?
Rocco pretty much IS the NASL at this point, including Cosmos.
Cosmos, Miami and Jacksonville are playing in a different league this season? NPSL?
One thing missed here. I believe it was 10 years ago today that MLS made the initial announcement of the Union franchise!
I am impressed. 🙂
How is the Union not capitalizing on this?!?