Photo: Marjorie Elzey
Union
The Union take on Atlanta United tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. Look for our match preview later today.
It’s also 90’s Night tomorrow, a time when Brenden Aaronson and Anthony Fontana weren’t even alive to understand most of these references.
Anthony and Aaron-Son Meet the 90’s 📺🎶#DOOP | 90’s Night: 8/31 vs ATL pic.twitter.com/PTpgEMalkV
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) August 29, 2019
Fafa Picault says Atlanta is a different team now in the match preview.
The club announced have exercised their 2020 option on Kacper Przybylko.
Curtin discusses Mark McKenzie’s rollercoaster of a year.
Steel
Bethlehem face Swope Park Rangers on Sunday at 6:00pm at home. Here’s what you should know before you go.
MLS
The entire Philadelphia Union organization is heartbroken to hear of Colin Clark’s passing. He was a wonderful player and person, and we are keeping his family and friends in our thoughts. pic.twitter.com/GaLrig46jU
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) August 29, 2019
The strength of schedule rankings coming into the final stretch.
Top five newcomers of the year in the league list doesn’t include any Philly players, but Jamiro Monteiro got an honorable mention.
Ezequiel Barco will miss tomorrow’s match for Atlanta after an injury in the US Open Cup final.
US
The USWNT beat Portugal 4-0 at the Linc last night in their victory tour match. Official attendance was 49,504, the largest attendance for a friendly in USWNT history.
World
Virgil van Dijk and Lucy Bronze win UEFA’s Player of the Year awards.
The Champions League groups have been drawn so here are all the predictions and discussions.
10 things to watch for in the Premier League this weekend.
Updated European summer transfer tracker.
Robert Lewandowski extends contract with Bayern Munich through 2023.
Who needs Lewandowski when you got Przbylko?
Anthony and Aaron-Son – BRILLIANT work by the Union marketing folks. Awesome stuff.
Two things this week that jumped out at me.
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One Curtin commenting on McKenzie’s development. “When you talk about soccer players who play in the United States for the national teams everyone thinks that development is this steady rise and it goes perfect and that’s how everyone wants it to be. Part of development is also struggle, part of development is also suffering and not being in the team and how you deal with adversity when things don’t go well. I think so many times now in the academies across America so many kids are promised and it’s going to be so easy and they have such nice uniforms and facilities but it’s a process that doesn’t have a ton of struggle. I give Mark a ton of credit now someone who was in the starting lineup right off the bat and had a difficult preseason had an injury or two, off the field struggles with family, people stick then passing away things that should be private but you go through a lot of different variables in your development and each person responds differently but I think his response has been amazing……a lot of people won’t talk about it but it’s a huge box that’s been checked for me”.
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Second was with Ilsinho inn the lineup the team is +23 goal differential and he’s only played 900 minutes.
It’s astonishing how little credit he receives league wide. He was a story after the NYRB game and no one has mentioned him since. And I look forward to a fresh McKenzie getting more playing time down the stretch.