Daily news roundups

Union v Ocean City news ahead of tonight’s USOC third rounder, Reading remains undefeated, more

US Open Cup

The Union host Ocean City Nor’easters tonight in third round US Open Cup play at PPL Park at 7:30pm.

We have two articles to help Union fans get up to speed on Ocean City. Greg Orlandini has a quick look at the Nor’easters’ history, style of play, and stand out players, while Adam Cann talks to head coach Tim Oswald about tactics, preparing the team to play the Union and 2013 PDL season.

Ocean City forward and native of Zimbabwe Frank Tweneboa, who Press of Atlantic City reports “was noticed in his home country by scout Jeff Cook of the Union,” said of tonight’s game, “It’s a great accomplishment for us to get to this game against the Union. We worked hard to get here. We’ll play our hardest and work together. We’ll give them respect, but we’ll play our best and stick to our game plan.”

Nor’easters defender Kevin Curran, a graduate of Ocean City High School, said, “Our plan is to not be drawn into their game, but to play ours. We want to limit their chances, and exploit on transition. One advantage we have is our speed. We’ll get our opportunities. It’s a matter of us capitalizing.”

Ocean City midfielder Ken Tribbett, who also plays at Drexel, said, “It will be great to play at PPL Park and play the Union. I’ve watched games but never played there…We will play as hard as we can and hope for a David vs. Goliath result.”

What will the Union line-up look like with tonight’s game coming three days after the club was on the road to Montreal? Union assistant coach Rob Vartughian said, “How guys recover from Saturday’s game is something we’ll gauge. I think what we’ve shown over these last 10 days is that we’re deep. We have players who have come in and contributed. We’re happy with that and it’s something we may have to tap into midweek. We’ll see how it goes.”

Vartughian said the Union has scouted Ocean City. “We had folks there at [Ocean City’s second round game] and will have a scouting report and the same pregame lead-up to any game.”

Jack McInerney said the team is preparing for this game like it’s a league game. “Our focus and preparation is always the same. We made a very good run in the Open Cup last season and it would be great to do that again this season. We’ll be prepared to play.”

More on tonight’s game from MLSsoccer.com, Pottstown Mercury, Union Dues, and David Murphy.

You can purchase tickets to tonight’s game here. Nor’easters supporters should enter the promo code “NOREASTERS” here if they would like to sit with fellow supporters. For season ticket holders, tonight’s game is already paid for as Bonus Game 2. If you have paid for a parking package, use parking pass Bonus 2. All lots will be open for parking.

If you are unable to attend tonight’s game, it will be streamed live at philadelphiaunion.com/live.

Even FIFA has noted the third round of the US Open Cup, even if they do have New York traveling to Reading.

Philadelphia Union

Monday’s holiday means there has been little in the way of MLS-related Union articles since the match reports we linked to in Monday’s roundup.

In Monday’s roundup, we linked to a quote from John Hackworth in which he said the Union defense in Saturday’s 5-3 loss to Montreal “was as bad as it’s ever been.” In the latest Inside Doop, Dave Zeitlin writes, “Philly’s starting defensive unit of Williams, Parke, Amobi Okugo and Ray Gaddis is still a pretty good one and we can probably just chalk this up to having a terrible night. But the main issue here is that manager John Hackworth really can’t make any changes since he no longer has any real viable defensive options on the bench. If the team continues to give up goals in bunches, look for Hackworth to bring in reinforcements.”

Noting Hackworth’s comment  that “We need to make some moves maybe, going forward,” Richard Farley writes at The Guardian, “Perhaps Hackworth is right and the team needs to make some moves, but whatever philosophies motivated their previous transactions have failed to pay off. Whether it’s Adu or Kléberson, the front office’s execution just hasn’t been there. When that changes, results will follow.”

MLSsoccer.com notes that Jack McInerney and Antoine Hoppenot were among the eight out of 14 MLS players who scored this weekend who are under 24.

Union Dues has a match recap.

Power Rankings! SI drops the Union and their defense—”which was stretched in just about every way imaginable as it conceded five goals to Montreal”—one spot to No. 10. ESPN drops the Union and their “wafer-thin backline” two spots to No. 13. Could this be why “it looks like former mainstay Danny Califf is on his way back to the Union”?

Union season ticket holders received an email over the holiday informing them that PPL Park will be hosting the “high-flying, back-flipping world of Freestyle Motocross” when the Moto-X Champions Tour comes to Chester on Saturday, Sept. 21. The Union host Toronto on Oct. 5. Mercy.

Local

Reading United remain undefeated after their 4-0 victory over F.A. Euro – New York Magic in PDL play on Monday. Dante Marini scored two second half goals, with Union academy player Darius Madison and New Hope’s Steve Neumann also recording  assists. Reading have now scored 15 goals in PDL play—18 including the US Open Cup—without conceding a goal. Reading travel to Red Bull Arena on Wednesday to face the Red Bulls in the third round of the US Open Cup.

Reading goalkeeper John McCarthy finished second in the Player of the Round voting for the second round of the US Open Cup.

MLS

Marco Di Vaio’s hat trick against the Union earned him SBI’s Player of the Week honors.

Mike Magee is happy to be home in Chicago as part of the deal that saw Robbie Rogers sign with LA. “I tried to get back a couple of times in the past. I think throughout the process with Robbie Rogers, that whole saga with him trying to get to L.A., it just crept into my mind that somebody had to go to Chicago. I raised my hand.”

The New York Times wonders if it matters that Robbie Rogers plays for “a major (sort of) North American team sport” or that Jason Collins became “the first active (sort of) athlete in a major North American team sport” to come out. “To those brave enough to make such a declaration, it does not matter what sport they play and at what level they play it. But, to the rest of us, it probably does. Such is the way of this particular kind of progress.”

Philly Daily News columnist John Smallwood describes Rogers’ LA debut as “blissfully anticlimactic” and then explains how societal change makes “the Robbie Rogers moment” different than “the Jackie Robinson moment.”

USA Today has a Q&A with newly appointed NYCFC general manager Claudio Reyna.

There has been some talk that Yankees Stadium could be used as a temporary home for NYCFC until their own stadium is built (where/when-ever that might be). So, how’d the venue do as the site of the Man City vs. Chelsea exhibition game on Saturday? EPL Talk said, “The venue itself is hardly suitable for proper soccer, with a narrow and short pitch as well as baseball dirt inhibiting the ability of players to have a proper run up to corner kicks.”

The “FC” part of New York City FC has provoked discussion about the language and terms used in American soccer vs. British football circles. The BBC has a look at some of the language differences.

NWSL

ProSoccerTalk recaps the weekend’s NWSL play.

US

Maurice Edu (sports hernia) and Corey Ashe (groin strain) have withdrawn from the USMNT camp with injuries ahead of Wednesday’s friendly against Belgium. No replacements will be named. Brek Shea has also left the camp to receive treatment for a calf strain but will be available to return when he is fit.

Look for our preview later today.

ProSoccerTalk writes that continued USMNT roster attrition will only increase calls for the return of Landon Donovan.

Stuart Holden is ready to make the most of his USMNT return.

You can watch the USMNT U-20s kick off play in the Toulon Tournament today against France at 1:30pm on beIN Sport.

Elsewhere

Jonathan Wilson looks at the tactical trends of the 2012-13 season.

The AP reports the same day “Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff praised the country’s preparations” for the Confederations Cup, “a small part” of roof of the host stadium Arena Fonte Nova collapsed, “apparently because of rainwater buildup.”

14 Comments

  1. Anyone else beginning to wonder if Vartughian doesn’t know what the word “deep” means?

    • Well if you line all the Union bench players up head to toe and then put them put them into a hole with each player standing on each others shoulders it would be a pretty deep hole wouldn’t it?

      • …And with Leo Fernandez replacing Roger Torres in the line up the hole is as deep as ever!

      • Using the philosophy that anyone can play any position, and even players who are clearly deserving of bench time deserve MORE playing time, then yes we are very deep. We have many players who only play offense, we have a few who only play defense, and we have players who just run for the entire game and barely touch the ball. Actually, they’d be a decent flag football team.

  2. At some point we need to point fingers and realize that besides Parke missing 3 games, this “good” back line that has given up the second most goals in the league has featured Williams and Okugo and Gaddis and Parke for the whole season.
    When are we allowed to go “Hm, know what, maybe we need to reevaluate these players and their perceived quality”?

  3. I’m glad PPL can make a few bucks on the side. Maybe the players could be asked, off the record, if the pitch suffers following the “high-flying, back-flipping world of Freestyle Motocross” event. At least my inbox hasn’t seen any direct mail adverts for the “heavily-eyelined, back-it-up world of underwear throwball.” So, there’s that.

  4. Is there going to be any way to watch the game, besides mlssoccer.coms match center or actually attending?

  5. Andy Muenz says:

    Any chance the SOB’s might sing about how the Norhteasters are just Blowin’ in the Wind tonight?

  6. scottymac says:

    ” Dave Zeitlin writes, “Philly’s starting defensive unit of Williams, Parke, Amobi Okugo and Ray Gaddis is still a pretty good one and we can probably just chalk this up to having a terrible night.”

    What team is he watching? If some of us are “Negadelphian”, is the opposite “kool aid drinkers”?

    ” the front office’s execution just hasn’t been there.” PREACH!

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