Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

If you’re like me, you may be wondering what happened with that signing Union fans were tipped to expect this week, the one with the guy with the “potential to be a big time player”? Did the unforeseen happen to sink the deal or might it still happen? I guess the week isn’t over…

One thing that is totally happening is Zach Pfeffer’s auspicious beginning with Hoffenheim. After scoring in his first exhibition game with the club on Tuesday, Pfeffer netted another in his second on Thursday. Well done, indeed!

https://twitter.com/ZachPfeffer_27/status/289464534329085952

Of interest to Union fans will be this ranking of the Top 10 left back prospects in next Thursday’s SuperDraft, which includes Reading United alumni Greg Cochrane and Penn State’s John Gallagher.

Photo courtesy of Sheanon Williams

On the Union website from Kerith Gabriel is this list of five reasons to be psyched about the 2013 schedule.

By the way, partial season ticket plans will be available on Monday, Jan. 14 with individual game tickets going on sale on Friday, Jan. 18 at 10am.

In Thursday’s Daily Doop is word that the Union’s 90th Minute radio show is set to return this season.

Sheanon Williams tweeted on Thursday that scarfs are available for purchase to support the Miles for MJ, which is working to fund a cure for neurofibromatosis. You can purchase a scarf (limit of two per order) for $25 plus $5 for shipping by sending an email to miles4mjscarves@gmail.com. after which you will receive a PayPal link. A great looking scarf for a great cause.

Finally, in at No. 3 on Goal.com’s list of the five worst MLS coaches of all time is Peter Nowak. He’ll always be No. 1 to us.

Local

The Hermann Trophy winner will be announced tonight. Two of the three candidates, Ryan Finely and Jose Gomez, are Reading United alumni.

Reading United alumni Deshorn Brown has signed a Generation adidas contract, becoming the fourth-ever Reading player to do so (Zarek Valentin, Corey Hertzog and Andrew Wenger previously signed GA deals).

The news about Brown was soon followed by that of Stephen Okai becoming the tenth Reading United alumni to be invited to this weekend’s Combine. With 72 players invited to the combine, that means nearly 14 percent are Reading alumni.

Three of those Reading players–Ryan Finley, Jose Gomez, and Eric Schoenle—are included in Soccer America’s list of ten players to follow at the Combine.

In related news, the team rosters for the Combine were released on Thursday.

At Goal.com, Kyle McCarthy has some tips for following the Combine, including this: Beware of misinformation.

Little incentive exists for anyone to share the truth this week. Agents want to push their clients higher up the draft board. Coaches and technical directors do not want to weaken their position by revealing their intentions. Players do not want to alienate any potential employers. But the rumor mill will churn out interesting tidbits of information nonetheless. Take it for the entertainment it is and wait for the SuperDraft to reveal the truth.

MLS

Much to the surprise of no one, the league announced on Thursday that Kansas City will host the 2013 MLS All-Star Game.

Portland Timbers have signed Argentine midfielder Diego Valeri as a Designated Player on a loan from Argentine first-division side Club Atlético Lanús.

FC Dallas have signed Peruvian national team goalkeeper Raúl Fernández. Looks like Seitzy’s got a fight on his hands.

It’s official: Houston Dynamo defender Andre Hainault has signed with SPL-side Ross County.

Cascadia

The Cascadia Supporters Group—the supporters groups of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps—have issued a statement in opposition to the league’s attempts to trademark the term “Cascadia Cup,” which was created by supporters groups of the three teams in 2004. “The supporters groups in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver jointly oppose Major League Soccer’s claim of ownership of the Cascadia Cup trademark. The three supporters groups have jointly used the Cascadia Cup mark for many years and have been the rightful owners of the mark.” In order to protect their claim, the supporters groups recently created the Cascadia Cup Council as “the appropriate entity to protect the mark from third parties that are unaffiliated with the supporters groups in the Pacific Northwest.”

The league issued a response saying they applied for a trademark “with the interests of the MLS clubs in the Pacific Northwest and our fans in mind,” adding the move “would put Major League Soccer in a position to protect the brand from exploitation by parties unaffiliated with the League and its supporters.”

“However,” the league statement continued, “we understand that some of our fans have concerns about how the trademark will be managed, and we are planning to meet soon with leaders of the three teams’ supporters groups to discuss the topic together.”

In (somewhat) related news, the Cascadia Association Football Federation has been formed with the goal of participating in the Non-FIFA VIVA World Cup.

NWSL

The allocation of national team players throughout the league’s eight teams is tentatively scheduled to happen today at 1:30pm.

The NWSL’s FC Kansas City team has released their new logo.

Yael Averbuch, who has elected to remain with Swedish side Kopparbergs/Goteborg rather than return to the States to play in the NWSL, describes a crazy 2012.

Elsewhere

Michael Garcia, the guy at FIFA charged with cleaning up soccer’s world governing organization, says that he’s been busier than he expected to be.

The Guardian reports, “Liverpool’s former owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have withdrawn their allegations against the men who, in 2010, successfully led the legal campaign which forced the America pair to relinquish control of the club.” It all seems so long ago.

At SI,  the always excellent Sid Lowe looks at the Ballon d’Or and what it says about some of the troubling issues facing the Spanish game.