Photo: Peter Andrews
Philadelphia Union/Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel’s Zach Zandi made the USL Championship Team of the Week.
Speaking of the Steel, their match this weekend is back at Goodman Stadium.
The Union Soccer Podcast recorded last night at the Yards Brewing Co. with Jim Curtin. It’ll post sometime today.
MLS
Jeff Larentowicz: Atlanta United playing in empty stadium “was like an old MLS game.”
Women’s World Cup
Sam Kerr scored four goals, one shy of the World Cup record and the most by an Australian, in a 4-1 victory over Jamaica.
Marta becomes World Cup finals leading scorer as Brazil join Italy in last 16.
Over at the Guardian: Women’s World Cup hit by empty seats and Fifa’s warped priorities.
USWNT defense faces first real test of World Cup with Sweden.
U.S. Soccer
Apparently, the USMNT is still a thing. They beat Guyana last night, 4-0.
In Open Cup action, Atlanta beat Columbus, 3-2; and Minnesota beat Houston, same score.
USWNT home matches generated more revenue than USMNT’s since 2015.
College soccer will still have relevance in professional American soccer.
Around the globe
Sounding like a failed musician, Freddy Adu says, “I’m not ready to give it up.”
Mexican soccer’s homophobic chant is back, and so are the insufficient attempts to stop it.
Highlight of the day
https://twitter.com/ChuckBoothSport/status/1140986850401824775
I read that Freddy Adu article. Union were one of, I think 2 teams that actually brought him back for a second consecutive season. He’s played for like 14 teams in 13 years. I do think he was managed poorly but I also think he got an inflated sense of how good he was. Maybe the two go together, I don’t know. I’d like to see him come through the system in today’s soccer culture and see if he was given a better chance to develop and succeed.
Union FO really screwed up Steel this season. it seems more like an obligation now than an asset in their portfolio. really disappointing. Talen’s junk field aside, there is hardly any equity/identity in the team. i watched the win over the weekend. was fun. feel sorry for the abandoned fan base in the Valley who “oh, only because of these circumstances, and with no notice, you’re getting your team back.
It’s definitely become more of an obligation than an asset. I’m not sure how much of that is down to Ernst taking over from Earnie and how much it has to do with the team not having a true home this season.
I mean they gave us Aaronsen? He’s worked out pretty well no?
It’s been bumpy this year, but look at any vaunted development academy in the world and they have lulls as well. Between the stadium situation, the usual turn over, and the NT call ups they haven’t really found consistency this year.
The semantics are key I think. Right now, Steel is a developmental team and not a “minor league affiliate.” As a result, no one who follows the first team is really paying attention, and no one who followed them as a quasi-stand-alone in Bethlehem does either.
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I believe the team’s statements about a facility in Bethlehem are legit, and can understand why they weren’t interested in pumping a bunch more money after a team that wasn’t moving the meter.
Mission accomplished….well sort of. I’ll take it. Looking forward to welcoming back Chambers and Coach Burke. I believe I read it will be Chambers’ 100th match with Steel.
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Understand myself and anyone else who comes out are doing so to support Chambers, Coach Burke, and Lehigh Valley soccer. I’m a Union supporter but the Union FO can go screw. We will not settle for you dumping the team in Easton’s HS stadium or bringing them back for a game or two each season like will happen Saturday. There needs to be a good, permanent solution or pull the plug on the club altogether.
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As I’ve said before, there will eventually be a LV USL club. It can either be a dedicated Union2 team or down the line we will have an independent one.
I’M interested how you think a team could come back to LV without a stadium solution? The problem is lighting at the stadium for night games and USL stepped in and told them Sunday day games won’t cut it anymore. So what’s the solution you see?
Why is it that day games won’t work? They’re not on television, they don’t produce ad revenue. (I’m not directly asking you, just hand wringing at USL)
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The reason night games became a thing is because people are at home watching tv at night, right?
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As far as I’m concerned, USL has an inflated ego. You’re basically the equivalence of a 4th tier English league.
Now that I see they’re on ESPN+, my mind still isn’t changed. It’s not like ESPN+ is gaining any ad revenue from USL level television, right?
Both leagues of USL are on ESPN+. From what I understand they are getting revenue from the deal. It’s amusing to me that you have a beef with the Union but USL is the one who dictated the change. Outside of building a new stadium is there any stadiums in the area that would meet the criteria of the league and USSF?