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Pfeffer with goal & assist for US U-18s, more news

Photo: Courtesy of US Soccer

Philadelphia Union

Zach Pfeffer scored a goal and had an assist in the USMNT U-18s 2–2 draw with Canada on Friday. The team, which included Union academy goalkeeper Zack Steffen, defeated Canada 3–1 on Wednesday.

Union Dues attempts to understand why Michael Farfan led the league in fouls.

You can view the new trailer for the Sons of Ben documentary here.

The Brotherly Game has another article based upon other sources claiming that Carlos Ruiz could return to the Union. This time, the origin of the report is an uncredited notice in the Mexican edition of deportes.terra.com which contains no named sources and claims Ruiz was “much loved” during his time with the Union (crappy Google translation here).

Local

You will recall from last Friday’s news roundup reports we linked to about Tottenham fans being attacked by Lazio supporters ahead of Thursday’s Europa League match between the two clubs. Among those injured were three students from Swarthmore College who apparently just happened to be at the bar that was the scene of the attack. The students are part of a study abroad program hosted by Temple University.

MLS

No Union players are represented but voting is open at MLSsoccer.com for Goal of the Year and Save of the Year.

ESPN and IMS report that the “challenge” that David Beckham is searching for could be becoming a player and joint-owner of New York Cosmos. Both articles are based on a report from Irish tabloid Sunday World, a report that seems to have disappeared from the tabloid’s website.

Women’s Soccer

The initial flush of reporting on Wednesday’s teleconference led by US Soccer president Sunil Gulati announcing details of the as yet unnamed women’s professional league that is to begin play in March or April has been followed by some skeptical analysis. Noting that the women’s game “is immensely more popular with fans on the international stage than on the professional one,” the Daily News’ John Smallwood writes that the financial backing of US Soccer “still doesn’t necessarily give private investors reasons to put their capital at risk.”

Without deep-pocketed owners, is the new women’s league merely substituting the word “sustainability” for “operating on the cheap”?

ProSoccerTalk sees the involvement of the Portland Timbers in the still unnamed Portland women’s team as an sign of the evolving soccer landscape in the US.

US

Noel Lemon, the native of Northern Ireland who was the general manager of the NASL Tulsa Roughnecks and previously played for teams in Philadelphia including the Philadelphia Spartans in 1967, passed away last week. Lemon was instrumental in bringing international teams to the US through the Marlboro Cup (1987-1990), a competition that provided much needed experience to US national team players en route to qualification for the 1990 World Cup.

Elsewhere

From the Department of Apparently It’s True, Azerbaijani Premier League club Baku FC, bottom of the table and faced with relegation, have hired a 21-year-old as their new manager whose only experience is that he’s played Football Manager since 2002.

 

One Comment

  1. Nice trailer for the Sons of Ben documentary!!

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