Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
The big news of the day: Philadelphia Union sent David Accam to Columbus Crew for $500k.
And with the cleared roster spot, the Union signed Bethlehem Steel striker Michee Ngalina to a full-time first-team contract. The club says he’ll be making appearances sooner rather than later.
Adam Cann dives in on what makes Michee special.
All signs indicate that the Union will use Accam’s freed up cap space to keep Jamiro Monteiro around.
U.S. Open Cup
It was a full slate of U.S. Open Cup first round action. See all the results here!
And if you don’t feel like pouring through all the results, locally Reading United defeated Philadelphia Lone Star 2-1 in Reading.
Lone Star tied it up late, but the goal was waived offside:
Not a great angle but this was the @PhillyLoneStar goal that was waived off for a very disputed offsides #USOC2019 pic.twitter.com/tmkqK6Ij77
— Brotherly Game (@BrotherlyGame) May 9, 2019
MLS
Chicago Fire will reportedly pay Bridgeview, IL $60.5M (!!!) to end their lease and play elsewhere.
A whole slew of trades went down before the spring deadline yesterday. See them all here!
On the field, it was a solid slate of MLS games Wednesday night.
Atlanta took care of business against Toronto at home 2-0.
Columbus counterattacked themselves to a big 3-1 win over Zlatan and the Galaxy.
Chicago joined the new trend of battering New England’s defense with an emphatic 5-0 victory.
Related: Is Brad Friedel the next MLS coach to get canned? Friedel likes to talk about how MLS players don’t have enough pressure on them… so what about the coaches?
And to wrap up the night, New York Red Bulls fell again at home, this time 2-1 to Montreal Impact.
World
Because the previous day’s Champion’s League semifinal comeback wasn’t bonkers enough, Tottenham came back from a 2-0 halftime deficit (and 3-0 aggregate) to beat Ajax 3-3 on away goals, breaking hearts in Amsterdam.
Can’t imagine the pain those Ajax players are experiencing. All the so-close chances not converted. The absolute capitulation in that second half yesterday… They let that match go.
I’m a Spurs fan, and I just feel awful for the Ajax players. I’m glad that Spurs have a title shot, but those Ajax players will feel that pain forever.
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Brutal. And so much more brutal than the Liverpool/Barcelona game. Barca felt it coming for the entire 90 minutes. Ajax had it won for 95:59. Spurs had it won for 00:01.
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Brutal.
The Spurs result is more shocking to me. When Origi scored in the 6th minute on Tuesday, I felt it coming. There really is no home field advantage like Liverpool at Anfield.
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The only thing more painful I can think of is if I have to suffer through a Spurs victory over Liverpool on June 1. 🙂 While Liverpool should surely be the favorites, I can imagine so many scenarios in which Spurs pull it off. I honestly hope Kane is healthy enough and thrown out there to start because I think Spurs are more lethal of late without him. I fear Son more than anyone else on that team.
Both teams had several non converted chances (including a couple of great saves by the Ajax keeper and blocks by the defenders). It’s two rounds in a row that Spurs have had massively exciting second legs.
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Could be 4 Premier League teams in the Champions League and Europa League finals.
To say that it was eventful to watch the match in Fado is an understatement. Was just incredible how the mood shifted between joy from the Ajax supporters to joy from the Tottenham supporters. That Tottenham eventually won was surreal. At least Ajax had some good changes in the 2nd half. But where 5 minutes of extra time came from is still a mystery for me.
I am gutted.
Please correct me if I am wrong: Brad Friedel had zero experience as a coach (of any kind) on a professional team when New England hired him.
I also actually thought he had none… but from Wikipedia: On January 5, 2016, Friedel was named the United States under 19s head coach. He won the 2017 CONCACAF U-20 Championship as assistant coach of the U.S. team with Tab Ramos and Omid Namazi
He liked Matt Freese as a GK with Us u19s
A few people around here wanted him to replace Curtin.
I don’t believe I ever argued for him to replace Curtin, but I do recall arguing I thought it was a good hire.
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Missed that one.
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The guy I wanted to get a chance was Mark Lowry.
And he is gone.
gotta love those wikipedia vultures updating the page already
i saw a note that the Chicago Red Stars would still play in Bridgeview, IL while the Fire would relocate to the city proper. bonkers. i don’t think NWSL or the Red Stars have a say in this, nor the resources to terminate and relocate.
I would think playing in Chicago Soldier Field is a huge step back for the Fire. Make me wonder if there is another plan for a stadium in the city.
I think I read somewhere a few months ago, that there was another investment group starting a USL team in they had stadium plans for downtown Chicago (North side maybe). Then the rumors were, I think, that the new investor were talking with the Fire about options..to play nice. Wondering if the play nice is teaming up to build a new SSS plus additional real estate development.
Boy I called the Derrick Jones situation.
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Relegated to the hinterlands and a career derailed.
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The margins are so thin. Guy plays very well in a World Cup, seems to play well with few first team chances in MLS, for whatever reason (which we do not know) Jim Curtin never entrusted him to grow and learn on the field which others have been afforded in positions of direct need.
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Guy coulda have potentially been moved overseas and sold with a very strong showing last season.
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Now…. done.
Hard to judge without knowing the whole “off the field” situation that had been mentioned. Plus, for maybe the first time ever, you have to say the Union have earned a little trust here – Tanner’s decisions have largely planned out and the history of the players in similar situations that they have moved have not exactly flourished elsewhere.
Who’s he going to unseat in the lineup? Bedoya, Harris or Jamiro? Seeing as he couldn’t beat out Warren for a spot in the 18….
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Yes he has talent. Yes he shows well against kids his own age. He’s been inconsistent in USL though. Curtin has consistently said that Jones needed to raise his game each and every day. They wanted more out of him, because they know what he’s capable of.
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Freddy Adu showed well at World Cups too…………his club career was merely fits, starts and flashes with no consistency.
Union did add a 20% sell-on fee, so when Nashville sells him to some euro club they do get something… but,
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This is a lost opportunity and I’m bummed we didn’t get to see more of Jones with the first team.
Something just doesn’t smell right with moving Jones. Nothing about this move follows what they’ve done so far in anyway. Accam was basically featured and moved, Rosenberry came off a really good season and was moved, Sapong played preseason and was featured and moved. Jones wasn’t, he was shelved and the coach was highly critical of more than just his on field play. Sounds like there is more to this story than meets the eye.