Bethlehem Steel FC head coach Brendan Burke is continually asked to handle last minute matchday roster changes as a result of the club’s affiliation with MLS Philadelphia Union. But Burke relies on four returning players to help keep his matchday units in cohesion. PSP spoke with Burke about those players and the impacts they bring to his club in an ever changing, ultra competitive environment like Steel FC houses.
Last year in the second home game, the Steel went up a man and a goal on a last man back red card and a PK. This year in the second home game, the Steel went down a man and a goal on a last man back red card and a PK, and Nashville goalie/coach Matt Pickens made sure the early penalty resulted in three points.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies were the better team on the night, defeating Bethlehem 2-0 in spite of stellar play by keeper John McCarthy.
After having watched preseason carefully, PSP estimates the current game-day player pool from which individual game-day rosters will be drawn, subordinate to the short-term needs of the first team. It’s complicated.
The Bethlehem Steel won their season opener at home for the first time in their short history, defeating the Richmond Kickers 4-1 to send the wind-chilled fans home happy.
After sustained careful preseason observation, PSP notes some characteristics of the 2018 Steel, the 2018 USL eastern conference, and what it thinks 2018 Steel success will look like.