Photo credit: Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
The Union had NYC at 2-0, even before an unfathomable foul by Matarrita brought the visitors down to ten men.
See our post-game press conference coverage and player interviews here.
Ilsinho’s goal is up against some stiff competition, but has been nominated for MLS’s Goal of the Week.
Local, local, and national coverage.
That win has people looking past the end of the season and into the playoffs. Like, a lot of people.
In case you missed it, tactical genius and PSP alum Adam Cann has a podcast now. It’s produced by the Union itself, so even though there’s just two episodes they’ve both had pretty heavyweight guests.
Local
Things are also looking bright up in the Lehigh Valley, where here.
Penn FC scored two but allowed the Kickers to score three.
MLS
The whole “Mark Wahlberg is thinking about buying the Crew” thing appears to actually be happening. #SaveTheCrew
In addition to record-setting attendance, Atlanta is blazing new trails on getting soccer into communities much of the rest of the country has struggled to reach.
Europe is interested in Jozy Altidore, again.
Patrick Vieira may have left the City Football Group, but he’ll still be making them money if this Jesus Medina transfer rumor is true.
CNN wanted to run a story about soccer in America, so they found the most American player they could think of. Wayne Rooney.
Toronto FC managed to pull themselves together to beat Vancouver in the Voyagers Cup Final, ensuring CONCACAF Champions League soccer will return to Toronto next season despite the team’s miserable MLS performance.
Claudio Marchisio has left Juventus. If only there was an MLS team with a penchant for Italian players.
NWSL
The owner of WPSL’s Columbus Eagles sent an open letter to all members of Austin’s city council following PSV’s announcement that they would field a women’s team should the Crew move to Texas.
The Seattle Reign have reached an agreement to continue playing at Memorial Stadium through the 2019 season.
Meanwhile in Salt Lake City, the Utah Royals have lost their local media support.
US Soccer
The post-World Cup FIFA rankings are out and the USMNT has moved … up? Okay!
Matt Miazga started for Nantes in their 2-0 loss to Dijon.
Tim Weah started next to Neymar when PSG faced Guingamp, eventually being subbed off for no less than Kylian Mbappé.
According to Taylor Twellman, Juan Carlos Osorio will not be the next head coach of the USMNT.
World
La Liga apparently plans to do better than meaningless friendlies in the US, instead playing a regular league game here in the States. The Spanish player’s union is not enthusiastic about the idea though.
FIFA no longer feels corruption is a problem. But speaking negatively about FIFA is …
Sorry this one is late folks, I’m feeling a little under the weather today.
Thanks Jim. Sorry you’re not feeling well. Get better soon. Good roundup.
On La Liga playing in the US: I get why playing these games in the states is a major loss to fans of the league and the participating clubs. I also get how it’s a brand extension for La Liga and the clubs involved…
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But it seems to me there should be a FIFA rule that keeps domestic league play domestic. There’s the simple foundation and tradition of domestic lub football, but it also poses, I think, a real potential harm to other domestic leagues. What if the PL started playing a dozen games at US cities during its season. What would that do to MLS? I don’t think it’s silly to think it could pose a real risk for support of the domestic football here. Maybe that’s a pollyanna attitude. But I’m having a hard time convincing myself that any of the promotional benefits outweigh the harms.
Ask the NFL how it’s working out. It’s been so successful that Tottenham designed the stadium with the NFL in mind.
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There is so much money at stake that teams are willing to risk odd performances for grabbing hold of the barely-tapped American market. It may seem odd, but it’s very profitable.
I don’t think London is an apt comparison though, since the UK doesn’t have a league with the ambitions to compete with the NFL.
To use a less personal example- imagine if Munich played Dortmund in a Bundesliga match in Salzburg. Or Chelsea vs. Liverpool in Dublin. It’d be a serious threat to the domestic leagues, and it wouldn’t be unreasonable for FIFA/UEFA to do something about it.
Jim does a perfectjob with my point here. I’m not questioning the ability of La Liga to make money and promote its own brand (barf) but of the ramifications for one domestic league holding matches in another country with its own domestic league, which depending on who you ask might be struggling for fans/dollars, etc.
Yeah, this is a horrible idea for MLS to allow La Liga to come to their turf.
I play multiple times a week in multiple leagues, and nearly every team I play on I find that the number of people who follow the Union are very small. Most have never been to a Union game, which I find heartbreakingly amazing.
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MLS is going nowhere if it can’t start getting these people to go out to MLS games. For them to allow La Liga in on their turf is inexcusable.
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That’s above and beyond the various reasons why no domestic league should sacrifice a home game to play in another country. I’d be really mad if I had to miss a game. I can’t imagine what NFL fans feel about it beyond the novelty.
The Matarrita red has to earn him multiple games off, right?
Assuming it does get multiple games, it would be nice if there was a provision making one of those games the next one he would be playing against the Union. (I know there isn’t, but it would be a good rule…not just in soccer, but in all sports.)
+1. Great idea.
I’ve always been in favor of this idea. Along with punishing the team by making it short-handed against the team that was wrong, it also has always struck me as a good idea simply to allow for a “cooling off” period. More important, probably, in hockey, I guess, which was my top sport for a long while.
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But yes, sign me up for this sort of discipline.
Might be some lean times around here this week as a lot of posters won’t have much to bi#$h about. “\_(•_•)_/”
MLS hits rivalry week with games schedule for five straight days beginning on Wednesday. On another note, the playoff push is happening in MLS and it’s starting to be right of the Seattle Sounders as they begin their run up the conference….again. This week takes Seattle(35) to Portland(37) who sit two points ahead of them in sixth place with two games in hand. Getting a win in Portland against the fading Timbers can make or break their run. Also just ahead of them with 37 points are the L.A.galaxy who host LAFC. It’s a huge game for the Galaxy as they’ve played two more games than the Sounders.
In the East, New York Red Bull vs. NYCFC kicks off rivalry week on Wednesday. NYCFC loss against the Union makes this game at Yankee stadium almost a must win if they want to stay in the race for the Supporters Shield. NYCFC sits four points out of first with Atlanta and one point behind Red Bull who have a game in hand. To say this is a big game in the season would be an understatement.
If the Union want to make a push,the time is now. A win at home against New England stretches that lead to seven points with them. Meanwhile Montreal travels to Toronto also sitting on 33 points but playing two more games than both the Union and the Revs. Toronto is in must win territory right now 9 points from that last spot. A win gets them within 6 points of Montreal with two games in hand. It seems it’s now or never for Toronto.
Sitting with 27 points and lots of home games on their schedule is reborn D.C. United. They travel to their arch rivals Red Bull on Sunday. Rooney looks like he’s making players around him better to the surprise of many critics thinking he was here to enjoy his retirement.
If you’re a fan of MLS this should be quite the week. If you’re a dreamer and a fan of the Union a win against the Revs with a road trip to D.C.on Wednesday….
Ha! You’re underestimating people’s abilities.
The game in DC is looking huge for the Union (especially if they can wrap up 9 points on the season against the Revs).
Funny you mention. I was pretty disappointed the win drew out 25 comments in the post game wrap up….lame as hell… even if it is high summer vacation season.
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For a couple reasons, maybe people don’t really give a damn right now….and if thats the case, sample sizes here seem to be showing that.
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Second, the right to bitch, moan and complain is directly, IMO, offset by the willingness to congratulate. Personally, I enjoy trumpeting as much as skewering… thats what this place is for.
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that said… back to my regular place on the plains….in the 26th minute, Ray lets a ball ride deep across his body to buy time, draws two pressing defenders deep into Union territory, then plays a deep adjacent pass across Andre’s body to further buy time and create a numerical advantage in right defensive channel…to build out play … only for the GoalKeeper to freaking dump then ball to the half way line and turn it over.
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I wasn’t at the game and TV limits my view… what I want to know is was this “knee jerk by the keeper” or were Haris and Keegan lollygagging herby forcing the play.
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Because, that stuff…. nit pick nit pick…infuriates my sensibility.
I believe people have the right to nitpick, i just think some people live to do it. In the beginning of the season it was all about the number 10 and spending money, which turned into fire Curtin because he doesn’t know how to use him. Slowly with many circumstances (late arrival, loan without guarantee, New baby) Dockal is about to have the best season ever at the number ten this team has ever seen. Just thinking at some point this team is starting to play with an identity which is what many have wished for. Playoffs and a game for a trophy against Houston would be a good thing for me.
Honestly I’m embarrassed. I totally screwed up and thought the game was on Sunday for some reason. I don’t why. I didn’t get to see it so I didn’t comment. I just enjoyed reading what everyone else had to say. Also, as I said a few days ago, I’m on board. Keep the Union fun train rolling. Just upset I missed the last stop.
That Atlanta story is the seed, and hopefully the spark, that starts this country on the road from “priviledged travel teams” being the development vehicle to “every kid has access” to some space and the ability to develop a love of the game and the same crazy creative crucible we see in SA street games and even NA playground basketball.
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That’s an important story to read and watch.
Soccer should only be an expensive sport for the best of the best (and the bills paid by US soccer at that point). It should not be expensive for the best 15 kids of every year or every little town in the country. what a joke the current state of the youth level is in this country.
And it’s really amazing… how did we become an “elitist” country in terms of soccer, when I realty, we sucked. Growing up in the late 80s – early 90s and playing like I did, the USMNT was nothing compared to now. Sure they were ok and the 94 WC being here was a great boost, but we basically sucked. How could we be elite and be garbage at the same time. Unreal. So many wasted years and probably wasted talents on kids who found other sports or just quit.
Capitalism and a sucker being born every day is how. Next question.
Someone should write a story about the Unity Cup here. If you go to some of the games you can see that there is a lot of talent from the ‘poor’ neighborhoods in the city. I hope the Union has some scouts and will recruit some to their Academy (as happened to Derrick Jones).
When scouts start looking at soccer “courts” under I-95 overpasses instead of perfectly manicured soccer fields in Chadds Ford, that’s when this country gets “good” at soccer. “Elite” isn’t going to come from such a restricted pipeline.
It’s a crazy thought process if you think about it. Kids with money can never be good because they are from Chadds Ford. Yet kids under 95 will lead us to the promise land. Now all we have to do is get the kids under 95 the coaching the Chadds Ford kids are paying for and then they will be better? Makes no sense to help them if they are better without the coaching, no? Makes you wonder how a kid from Hershey ever made it? And for what it’s worth more kids doesn’t equate to better results otherwise India and China would be powers.
India and China have to generate middle classes large enough, wealthy enough, and secure enough to spend a lot of money on entertainment.
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in my nearly seven decades alive, both have endured meaningful famines. India in the 50s I think I remember and China as a direct result of Mao’s Great Leap Forward in the late 50s.
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give them time.
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And remember from whom Borek Dockal came on loan.
When scouts start looking at soccer “courts” under I-95 overpasses instead of perfectly manicured soccer fields in Chadds Ford, that’s when this country gets “good” at soccer. “Elite” isn’t going to come from such a restricted pipeline.
Saying it twice doesn’t make it right. Elite is just a nice talking point but until you figure out how to pay for anything, wishing is just a wish.
Lol. Didn’t mean to say it twice and I guess I didn’t round my thought out too well (either time) 😉
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My point wasn’t intended to target a kid’s talent level based on her/his location (nor to denigrate kids in Chadd’s Ford), but that the only kids who get meaningful attention in this country are from a system that is very narrow and exclusive.
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The article was pointing out that access to soccer is beginning to broaden and diversify in the Atlanta region. More areas to play large and small (yes, “boxes” or “courts”) are being built, but beyond that, more kids are becoming interested and finding ways to play regardless.
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If soccer in America starts to become the new “pick up game” go-to, kids are going to learn to develop their own talents and creativity watching and imitating their professional heros as well as trying to show off and one-up each other in neighborhood kick abouts.
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Have you seen the way kids in South America (and many other parts of the world) will start a game for any reason, in any space, with any materials they can get they can shape into a ball? There’s very definitely not anyone “paying for that”. It’s not too different than what kids here in the States have done with basketball for generations. (And yes, here in Wilmington, there are basketball courts under I-95)
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When Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, and Michael Jordan came along, street basketball exploded far beyond the popularity it had ever known before. The levels of skill kids developed in just ONE generation of play after them is MILES beyond anything we saw in the pro game before (and yup, that includes Dr. J). The player pool got a lot deeper and wider in the last 25 years because the talent seekers started recognizing street players and creatively elevating them outside the “traditional”, narrow pipeline of HS to 3-4 yrs of college to pro.
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The best players in South America aren’t found because a parent had the means to buy uniforms, orange slices, and 10 years of travel ball for their kids, then off to some “academy”. THAT road barely exists there, and their mediocre 2nd level pros can dribble circles around anyone in the US with the exception of maybe 10-15 guys. Their talent seekers ply the neigborhoods looking for the 3v3 and 5v5 games.
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All I was trying to point out was if we start seeing real expansion in kids playing soccer organically here in the US, the same way we’ve always seen basketball played on playgrounds, streets (underpasses!), and driveways, THAT’S when we see our international soccer status go to the next level.
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It’s obvious (to me anyway) that what we’ve produced via methods as they stand today have fallen well short of the top shelf. Pulisic is certainly a first, truly bright gem, (that had to go to Germany at 16 to guarantee he was cut and polished properly).
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I just think if we see the kind of spark that article is describing in Atlanta take hold and spread, in 10 years we’ll be seeing talented players as the norm rather than the exception. Maybe they’ll even get to complete their development here, rather than having to move overseas before they can even drive so they don’t get snuffed out.
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In the end, it’s just my opinion. The article gave me hope for real, rapid growth of the game and talent here in the US.
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The End ;-D
I knew what you meant. Was able to extrapolate the meaning….
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….you know— connotation denotation inferences, and ‘all that jazz’
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hands.
I’ll send you a case of eye drops el P 😉