Photo: Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
Tonight’s MLS Homegrown game versus Tigres UANL U-20 features a league record four Philadelphia Union players.
Local
Reading United will host the PDL Championship game on Saturday versus Calgary Foothills SC.
A great read on the long, storied history of the Bethlehem Steel moniker.
MLS
Everything from a goal-crazy (and very bad defensive) Week 22 in MLS.
The MLS All-Star game festivities are revving up in Atlanta.
Ahead of the game: Why MLS worked in Atlanta.
More on Fernando Adi and Fatai Alashe’s move to FC Cincinnati ahead of their rise to MLS in 2019.
Nashville is planning their stadium ahead of their 2020 MLS move.
Should the Crew move to Austin, MLS is mulling over other plans for Columbus. #SaveTheCrew
USL
USL’s midseason meetings will be held in Atlanta this week.
The league’s power rankings for Week 20.
Dear Philadelphia Union,
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if one is to believe in this Union Way one should be doing backflips over ‘a record number’ homegrown players ….. in a gimmick game?
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Okay. Here’s an Ayuk backflip.
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With love,
Chinaski, Henry….
….. the Barfly of Cynicism Corner
My attention to MLS and the Union has been a little wanting this season…. So maybe I missed it….Have the Union said a single word about how and/or if it would replace Stewart? Today’s his last day, correct? Anything at all from the club besides a rumor that we might be selling Ayuk to a Turkish pop star on behalf of his favorite Super League club?
Have not heard anything about Stewart’s replacement nor a timeline for the search. Also, have not heard any journalists asking. There has been plenty of articles and questions about “Earnie’s legacy” but nothing about how the organization moves forward that I have seen.
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Today is indeed his last day working for the Union as his USSF contract begins tomorrow.
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Sounds like the Ayuk thing is that the Union are allowing his agent to “explore other options” while still under contract with the team. Hard to really know where it is coming from – anything from the team wanting to move on to him not wanting to wait for a first team opportunity.
Cpfief, for the record, I have asked both directly about the process itself and the identities of candidates of the sources to which I am credentialed, BSFC ones.
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I was told my questions were good ones, and that my sources were wondering them also. My sources had no information.
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I am not credentialed to the Union, so have no sources there.
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Jay Sugarman runs a REIT. When you are buying real estate with a view to holding it profitably by leasing it to businesses, you do your due diligence to a fair-thee-well. Sugarman is not a short-term Guy in his primary business.
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They will take however long they take to decide what the job description is, and who the right candidates are.
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After all, they took forever to decide to sign the best soccer writer available, Adam Cann.
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We could easily be right here this time next year.
We have not heard anything since Stewart has been brought on. That’s not going to change now. Things aren’t great at the club now, but it appears the behind the scenes things are much improved.
Pete. It’s been Albright all Along. I’m on the record from the first rumors, ‘after a thorough and exhaustive search,’ Chris Albright will be named Sporting Director.
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The best part…Albright or not- I get to post upon its announcement —no matter what- SURPRISE. SURPRISE.
Reading these responses and was thinking about what might be worse than the club naming Albright director. I think if he is named “interim” director that would be even worse. Not only a failure of imagination and ambition but also of commitment. I’m preparing for the worst.
That’s Sakiewicz’s record talking, wouldn’t you say?
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I have no idea how long Mr. Graham spent looking at Heads of School candidates before he hired Nooha Ahmed-Lee.
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It took Sugarman at least several months to Find and hire Earnie Stewart, and we have no idea when he privately decided he was moving on. Ou only info on that the manner in which he dismissed the idea that Sakiewicz’s ever had a chance to be a real partner.
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It’s gonna be a while, in my opinion.
They’ll promote Chris Albright and spin it as part of the Homegrown movement. Enjoy!
This is more or less what I expect. Sugarman will say something to the effect of they did an “extensive” search and concluded Chris was the best option among all of them.
Fine with it till the end of the year, as after today’s deadline, there isn’t really much else for a GM to do. But if he’s the guy going forward after we just miss out on the playoffs… AGAIN… I am D-O-N-E with club as a season ticket holder. Not replacing ES with an actual GM is a deal breaker for me.
Oof.
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You’re forgetting roster decisions for 2019. You are forgetting the expansion draft for Cincinnati. These are decisions to be made at the end of the season.
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I expect Earnie has told mr. Sugarman what he, Earnie, would recommend. I suspect those recommendations are why he has stayed the extra six weeks.
I find it interesting that replacing Ernie Stewart with Chris Albright is looked at as a deal breaker. Stewart hasn’t really done much in moving the team forward and never really looked at this job as more than a stepping stone to the USMNT from day one of taking this job. Unless you have an ownership change or at least a change in spending money, is a GM from outside the organization really going to make a difference?
I don’t think it’s a deal breaker John. To be honest, it may be difficult for Albright to worsen the fortunes of the club, so it’s not like his appointment would constitute some grave calamity. Speaking for myself, failing to go out and find a proven manager to replace Stewart is just more of the same. It’s further resignation to the status quo. I agree that the status quo is likely going to be the status quo until current ownership sells.
Considering Albright was doing the job before Stewart got here, it’s not a big surprise.
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Just hope they start another search for next year.
Good News Everyone! A 4th tier Frenchman is in Philadelphia. We’re doomed, doomed I tell you!
I was just listening to SiriusXm and the reports from Atlanta. More than 70,000 tickets have been sold for the all-Star game tomorrow, folks in town are totally stoked for the game; even many who generally do not love sports (they just go since the atmosphere in the stadium is dynamite). Then when you hear Bocanegra and Tatto speak enthusiastically about their initial thoughts and how they built the team then you just get jealous and look at the Union as such amateurs – so frustrating!
i think us hosting the 2012 All Star game is the perfect contrast — the yang to Altanta’s yin — to this year’s fete. it shows the growth of the sport from just 6 years ago till now. the 2012 ideal of suburban, soccer specific stadium to 2018 center city-turfed mecca (i’ve been there and it truly is one). from the embarrassing ousting of manage and, later, CEO for the U to the well-formed, almost overnight sensation of United. the hodge podge of “talent” that was the 2012 team, where no one was voted for the All Star team, versus the wealth of riches on this year’s host. one star’s decent in the blackness while another is brilliantly ascending.
The difference is all on the owners: one is insanely rich and already owns a sports team the other is mildly rich and owns property. Really shouldn’t be a surprise.
Yeah, it’s depressing…yeah.