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Philadelphia Union
Kacper Przybylko, the Polish striker last under contract to 1. FC Kaiserslautern (who released him after being relegated to the 3. Liga), is trialling with the Union. Last month he was trialling with Sunderland.
The Union are looking to change their narrative, according to Jeff Carlisle.
MLS
Josef Martinez has been named MLS Player of the Month.
NWSL
McCall Zerboni broke her arm during the USWNT friendly vs. Chile, and will miss the rest of the season.
US Soccer
The Puerto Rican Soccer League, the top league on the island, has announced an investment of $200 million and the construction of ten soccer specific stadiums.
Don’t expect a new USWNT GM to be starting any time soon. Or to meaningfully impact WWC Qualifying.
World
Apparently FIFA doesn’t think the best women’s player in the world is an American.
Crystal Palace player Wilf Zaha is making a financial contribution to help fund Crystal Palace Ladies academy efforts.
Last night’s result with NE winning at NYCFC doesn’t help the Union’s playoff chances (except to show that NYC is beatable at home).
It helps our chances to get into 3rd place…
Union certainly are in striking distance. fivethirtyeight doesn’t believe in us, but NYCFC isn’t the same team they were and Union have a game in hand.
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NYCFC has an easier schedule, as does Crew (barely) – the Sep 29th Crew game and the Oct 28th NYCFC game (both away) will determine the Union’s fate.
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I see us playing a wounded NYCFC team in the knockout round. We’re going to get close, and knock them down to 4th in that final game, but not quite eclipse them. We’ll have the momentum though and move on to the next round for the first time in Union history (oh yeah, with our Open Cup hardware in hand after beating Houston).
Not directly Union related, but maybe we can make a good impression…
http://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/sport/16687482.reading-fc-jordan-obita-jets-to-united-states-for-specialist-rehab-treatment/?ref=twtrec
looks like the Union mascot will be revealed Monday. I’m hoping for a banally workshopped mascot like the Sixers Hip Hop the rabbit and a homoerotic Chuck Tingle creation.
I’m looking for a Larry Lavin type figure with a dynamite smile.
Been telling my wife since ZOLO that I have the perfect mascot. Harry BallSack.
looking for the Waste Management dump truck, painted blue and googly eyes
It’s a platypus, right? I mean it has to be a platypus. What else comes from an egg?
Most snakes lay eggs. That’s my guess.
If it’s NOT a snake… first, it has to be a snake right… I mean, come on Union… but if it isn’t – it better be something completely insane and outrageous… like this guy: (sfw) https://media.phillyvoice.com/media/images/793142_G.width-704.jpg
Przybylko seems like he’s a Jay Simpson level player… Couldn’t impress with Sunderland, a League One club, so he’s kicking tires over here. Or having his kicked. He does seem like the kind of player Curtin likes up top — tall. Will be curious to see if the U feels like he can contribute.
Yeah like Fafa right?
I’m not a Sunderland fan by any measure, but calling Sunderland a League One club is a little disingenuous.
Not really disingenuous as they are currently playing in League One.
Keep in mind that Sunderland has suffered back to back relegations and the financial pressure that this causes a club. So they may have passed on signing him because they weren’t able to make it happen financially and not because he wasn’t good enough to play in League 1.
Good point Zizou… I’m also not trying to indict the player before we see how he does, if we see how he does. To be honest, I remain unconvinced that Simpson is so bad. (I kind of wonder if he wasn’t foisted on Curtin a bit by Stewart.) Just interesting to me where we seem to hunt for players.
The “oddly specific skill” is a pretty good one. For those who haven’t listened to the “Open Wide For Some Soccer Podcast,” I highly recommend it. Granted it’s DC-based, but the banter and MLS/American soccer talk they do is pretty excellent stuff (and one that is more PG-13/R-rated in terms of language).
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Also, who’s going to Houston?
Me (bought my plane tickets yesterday)!
Extremely angry and sad I couldn’t make going to Houston work. Win or lose… I will be bitter about it for a long time
De George reporting Ilsinho out for about a month. Dockal has an ankle sprain and will be less time. Likely will be careful rushing him back with Cup Final looming.
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If Dockal can’t go, and with Ilsinho and Fontana injured, it has to be Jones or Creavalle against the Impact. If that happens it will be interesting to see if Curtin just moves Bedoya to the #10 or if he inverts the midfield.
It’s rough, but honestly I would also entertain keeping the same midfield but put Najem at the 10.
I think the net loss of playing Bedoya at the 10, where he never really played well (or the team with him there) and worse than keeping 2/3rds of our midfield intact and going to our 3rd string #10.
Yeah. I mean I get the desire to get Jones in (although he didn’t seize his chance last game) but I’d much rather see Najem start. Would even honestly prefer Herbers.
Standard Ilsinho leg injury. Killer. Guy was finding joy…. often.
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BIKRAM.
Is that Charlotte McKinney with Kacper? I say sign him up!