Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
The Union won! … a friendly against a pre-season version of a mid-table Bundesliga team. But hey, Frankfurt played a competitive starting XI and didn’t make any subs, while the Union started a squad or backups and depth players, so maybe this result isn’t completely meaningless.
Local and German coverage. Google Translate.
David Accam’s stoppage time game winner against Chicago has been nominated for the AT&T Goal of the Week.
Local
Despite losing a lot of key players to the Union for the above-mentioned friendly, Bethlehem steel came back to get a draw against North Carolina FC.
Reading United came from behind to finish their season with a 3-2 win over Lehigh Valley United, giving Reading an undefeated record of 12-2-0.
Penn FC lost to Ottawa Fury 2-0.
Ocean City gave DC United a Brazilian after the Nor’easters beat the MLS team’s U23’s 7-1.
MLS
It’s been nine months since Anthony Precourt became MLS’ biggest villain, and fans and players in Columbus still don’t know what the future holds. #SaveTheCrew
Argentine team Racing Club made a “real offer” to buy Sebastián Blanco, but the Timbers (and Blanco) turned it down.
Giles Barnes is back in MLS, this time with Colorado.
Peter Vermes talking pro soccer with … Yahoo Finance?
DC United’s new stadium opened this weekend, complete with an off-the-bench appearance from Wayne Rooney.
Unfortunately some of the worst traditions of RFK came with DC to their new digs. And that comes on the back of the ongoing supporters group fued.
Believe it or not, Mike Petke is forty-two years old. With that said he did have some valid criticism of MLS Refereeing after RSL’s loss to Minnesota. No printouts were involved.
Patrick Vieira chose to move back to France.
NWSL
The league has been trying to get away from being run by US Soccer lately, and one of the reasons is the way US Soccer handles international dates for allocated and non-allocated players.
Orlando Pride player and Brazilian legend Marta has been named a UN Goodwill Ambassador.
Unsurprisingly the NC Courage have locked up an NWSL playoff spot.
Chicago Red Stars are still hunting for a playoff spot, despite Sam Kerr becoming the first NWSL player to score fifty goals in a season.
US Soccer
Watch this Christian Pulisic assist and remember that 2018 is behind us now, and we have every reason to be optimistic about the future.
Even Bobby Wood is feeling positive.
Despite that good news, youth soccer (and every other youth sport) participation is on the decline in the US.
World Cup
On Saturday Belgium defeated England 2-0, ending the “Cinderella Story” in which one of the best funded and supported teams in the world squeaked past Tunisia, and took advantage of an essentially geriatric Costa Rica, to make it to a knockout round where Sweden was the only team they could beat in regulation time.
On Sunday a high-scoring final saw France defeat Croatia 4-2. Croatia were unfortunate to go down early on an own goal by Mario Mandžukić, but three more from Les Bleus ensured that wouldn’t be the deciding goal. Kylian Mbappe, France’s nineteen year old star, has also announced that he will be donating his World Cup earnings to a charity that provides sports instruction for hospitalized and disabled children.
Looking forward, FIFA confirmed a long-held suspicion by announcing that the 2022 World Cup would be played from late November through to December because Qatar. It was also hinted that 2022 may be the first 48 team tournament, but nothing official on that yet.
FIFA to broadcasters: stop being so skeezy.
Actually, Eintracht subbed their whole team at halftime (with the exception, maybe, of the GK). Nonetheless a decent showing by the U.
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Maybe it was just me, but I thought Eintracht was coming in with some challenges that were a little strong for a friendly, particularly the CB’s in the second half.
Maybe Matt Kassel was giving them advice as to how to play a friendly.
I work with a Croatian guy so I’ve been pulling for them. I’m gutted after yesterday. This morning I came into work and said to my guy, “they really shot themselves in the foot, didn’t they?” to which he corrected me, “Both feet.” It’s unfortunate but we’re all expecting this French side to be dominant for the foreseeable future, right? What’s another twenty years for the Croatians?
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On a happier note, I’ve never enjoyed a World Cup from beginning to end as much as I enjoyed this one. Sad it’s over but dang, that was fun.
MSG24365 I read the game the same way. Eintracht #3 and Cory Burke were starting a war with I think Burke getting away with a minor headbutt. Both of these players were going at each other rather hard the rest of the night. I also thought the Germans were definitely getting well passed the Friendly mark after the 60th minute when Curtin cleared the bench.
One small correction on your “Cinderella” story. Costa Rica was in Brazil’s group. Panama was the team that England walloped.
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Croatia had a tough hill to climb given that they essentially played 2 more games than France (3 overtimes for Croatia and an extended 90 minute stretching session for France against Denmark).
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One great thing about this World Cup was the fact that the France-Denmark game was the only 0-0 draw (and the only game that was 0-0 at the end of regulation). First time since 1954 that there were fewer than 2 scoreless draws.
When you wake up and remember the team you have spiritually supported since you were a kid won the World Cup.
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When you pee– then fall back asleep – only wishing it was your Motherland.
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Amazing when I read comments and articles about the negative football France played when compared to other teams. Didier Deschamps was a defensive midfielder. He defended and sprung counters. Doesn’t that look eerily like the team that just won the World Cup…. to pull on the thread of wonder a bit longer, how do we suspect that same group of young men will (would), {notice I lead with will}…play when Zinedine Zidane is appointed head coach? Either way…. they are the best in the World and would be so no matter how they CHOSE to play. Thankfully we tied them before the event.
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Oh and in other news, Union U14s playing an international event stateside the next 10 days or so on livestream International Champions Cup…. I only tell you all this because I think Union do a SHIT JOB of interfacing with its fanbase, youth potential fanbase and those souls like myself who have an ENORMOUS gap to fill now that World Cup is over.
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…..leave it to the elephant in the room to do —your job — Union Interface Media Department.
by the way, just so no one gets bunched up…the capitalizing denotes actual Media Department of Union HQ, not those folks volunteering their time at this specific Union Interface Media Department, oh hey look busy carpenter bees.
Griezman faked a trip. There should not have been a free-kick and the first goal should not have been scored like it was. Wish VAR had been used for that critical free-kick.
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Had such a good time in the various bars during the worldcup. Fado was great but the VIP room yesterday at Brauhaus Schmitz was totally ace.
I’ve had a couple conversations the past few weeks with a lot of my friends who aren’t “soccer fans”, but were watching the WC here and there. Everyone hated PKs to settle games of course, but what got called out the most was the diving/delaying that was displayed.
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Maybe I’m being naive here, but if play has to be stopped for a player writhing around in pain legit or otherwise, why doesn’t the ref just send the guy to the sideline and keep him there for 5 minutes before letting him back on? Wouldn’t that dissuade the embellishing?
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Also on substitutions – have the player exit the field at the closest touch or end line. The wandering over to the furthest corner flag, then acting semi surprised at the substitution, followed by the meandering stroll over to midfield offering high fives and applause to the goalie and various sections of the stadium is pure tedium.
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Penalties to decide a game blows. I’d rather see two 5 minute periods of 11v6 “power plays”.
I’m going to defend penalties as a way to break a tie, which I think is a better way to see it than as a way to decide “who was the best team.” First, they are awesome to watch. Even people who don’t like games getting decided on pens, will likely admit they’re compelling as anything in sports. And, if any team can’t find a way to win a match in 120 minutes, they don’t have much to complain about if they’re eliminated on pens.
To me, not nearly as compelling as overtime in the Stanley Cup playoffs where a game can end in 5 second or 5 extra periods.
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That being said, I can’t see playing a World Cup match for 5 extra periods until the players start dropping dead.
With respect. The theater is relevant. It’s part of the game. ‘You’ can have the antiseptic version of soccer. I’ll take—- football- with its hero’s, antiheroes, archetypes, conjures of black magic and misdirection.
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If people complain about World Cup because of the theatrical they missed the theatrics and have a point of view steeped in American provincialism.
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The complaints are curious. How can an American fan — who watches the NFL in which there might be 15 minutes of action every three hours, or the last two minutes of any NBA game — complain about gamesmanship in soccer? I get that the embellishment and time wasting can get old, but there are plenty of ways the ref can manage it with cuations and adding time.
So the dates for the 2022 World Cup are confirmed…Monday, November 21st to Sunday, December 18th. Thanksgiving soccer…woo-hoo! Move over NFL! They plan to play it in 28 days. How on earth can you possibly have a 48-team tourney in that time? They would have to change the dates if so I assume. The minimum you could play group round is 12 days (16 groups, 3 games each, 4 games a day). So you would only have 16 days to go through 5 rounds (round of 32 to the final). Maybe I’m wrong, but would be too congested. I assume they’ll stick to 32 for this tourney.
Also, does Qatar have the infrastructure to handle 16 more teams and fans?
If not, let some more migrants die building it up! Right, FIFA?
Something tells me 2022 is gonna be a major let down, barring our country taking a huge step forward in preparation for the real party of 2026. This WC was really good and enjoyable. I just don’t see the same for Qatar… in the fall/winter… in Qatar…