Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
Out of town yesterday? Did you unplug from the matrix? Either way, welcome back and be sure to catch up on PSP’s match preview via Chris Gibbons.
Matt Ralph of Brotherly Game has a nice feature on how Mark McKenzie went from Wake Forest backup to an MLS starter.
With Cory Burke injured and C.J. Sapong still injured, who could the Union start at the No. 9?
If the answer is Fafa Picault, he’ll be ready to go.
Alejandro Bedoya opened up about the U.S.’s failure to qualify for the 2018 to Yahoo!. And he wasn’t holding back:
- “Jurgen was always challenging you. He pushed and tested you, and maybe some people can’t handle that as well as others. I think that was a problem.”
- “Until that last qualifier, the lineup was changed from the first game to the second game. Maybe that was a bad coaching move, but I think maybe some players also weren’t being honest and saying they were 100 percent when maybe they were a little bit sore.”
- “That’s something today that still haunts me, to think of what could have been if we’d just changed a few players.”
- “I feel that I could have made a difference.”
- “Other guys, the veteran guys, let us down I think.”
Local
Bethlehem Steel will make their first trip to Lucas Oil Stadium to face Indy 11.
How missed opportunities came back to haunt Reading United in their U.S. Open Cup defeat.
If you are still looking for plans for the Champions League finals, Casa Soccer is throwing a watch party at Tavern on Broad.
This Saturday, 28 teams representing 24 different clubs will compete in the 2018 Eastern Pennsylvania Presidents Cup Finals at United Sports Training Center in Downingtown.
U.S. Soccer
Peter Wilt is something of hero in professional soccer, having already helped launch five different pro teams. Now, he’s been hired to add a sixth to his resume and bring a team to Madison, WI. Outside of Michigan, Wisconsin is the largest populous state without a professional soccer team.
“Cool” things are happening to improve the coverage of women’s soccer.
MLS
The New York Times looks at how a certain MLS team has reshaped the sports landscape in Atlanta.
Speaking of Atlanta United, is the club’s next target Colombian superstar Radamel Falcao?
After nothing more than a token gesture from Arsenal, New York City FC looked like they would keep their head coach for at least another yet. Yet Patrick Vieira might trade the Big Apple for the French Riviera as talks are progressing with Ligue 1 side OGC Nice.
Looks like the Union won’t have to worry about facing New York Red Bulls attacker Derrick Etienne Jr. over Memorial Day weekend. The Haitian has been called up for a friendly against Argentina.
Around the globe
Today’s must read piece comes from The Set Pieces: The trials and tribulations of the Afghanistan women’s national football team.
ESPN FC published a detailed feature on the world’s “most private superstar” and soccer’s greatest player (my words), Lionel Messi.
Arsene Wenger won’t be the only available Premier League-winning manager this summer. Claudio Ranieri is set to leave Ligue 1 club Nantes at the end of the season. Maybe high profile players won’t be the only newcomers to MLS.
Soccer legend and Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon announced this is his last season with Seria A powerhouse Juventus, but he left the door open as to whether or not he will join another club next year.
Falcao to ATL. Of course. The Union currently looking forward to the 2019 draft and a 2nd division Colombian who really lit up the scoring charts in 2014!
There’s a rumor that the Union are looking at Honduran striker Rubilio Cstillo. https://twitter.com/TodosConLaH/status/996995722762424320?s=19
–
I’d think Simpson deserves a shot this weekend — but I’m not at PRACTICE. I’m not at all convinced Fafa could pull it off. Accam might be OK.
–
Let me beat this dead horse: Accam and Simpson up top in a 4-4-2. :::thud::thud::thud:::
a 4-4-2 is not part of this teams plans…….to continue to suck.
“A 4-4-2 you say… I have never heard of this. Regardless, I am not interested.”
.
– Jim Curtin
You have no idea of Football, M8!
Saturday night, people should feel free to remind Kyle Beckerman that he is not going to Russia (although try to do it when Bedoya isn’t nearby).
Arena had the team for 8 of 10 games. The failure is his.
.
….to this day JK made two mistakes in my opinion…
.
1. Never settling on a back four
2. Not going with a youth movement after Gold Cup failure which indicated, the time was right
.
Cost him the job.
.
.
The Messi article is great. Borderline recalcitrant. By personality more artist than athlete I believe.
As a writer, I like to think I have a pretty good vocabulary…then I have to go and look up “recalcitrant”
The vocabulary I’ve learned from the Elephant on this site, is second to only the knowledge I learned from Adam Cann’s breakdowns.
+1
It’s great Wisconsin is trying to get a team but what does Wilt’s hiring mean for NISA? I was really looking forward to following that league’s progress but haven’t heard much about it in recent months. Does anyone have details or thoughts?
Makes sense, lets start Fafa “I can’t hit water if I fell out of a boat” Picault as a lone striker in the usual formation but keep one of your most expensive players (like him or not he deserves a start) in Simpson on the bench or maybe not even in the 18….that is why I will not be there tomorrow!
Any good Preakness picks???
Fafa is good in the air and we love crosses. Plus he appears willing to press.
Not directed at you, but the Jim can’t win with Simpson. Either he is not playing the most expensive striker and people complain or he plays him and he is not any good and then people complain about how much he is overplayed and that someone else should be starting. Simpson is who he is and the training staff knows it.
Burke is suspended, not injured, right? Is that a typo or did he get hurt last game in addition to the red card?
Cory Burke played the full 90 in Bethlehem Wednesday.
.
Took a beating but kept on ticking, to paraphrase the ancient Timex watch commercial.
Bedoyas comments show that he is just a sheep being sheparded by whomever runs the flock. A decent player devoid of much soccer intellect and someone who should never play for the National team again. His time is well past, and he has nothing left to contribute , Particularly on a intellectual level. He deserves to become the head coach of the team he is now toiling for. What a joke. Time to clean house now.