Daily news roundups

Gaddis believes, US Soccer’s quest for diversity, Qatar says 2022 WC will be tops, more

Photo: Paul Rudderow

Philadelphia Union

At the Union website, Ray Gaddis talks about why he believes Philadelphia is an ideal fit for him, adding, “I feel like I can win with the Philadelphia Union; that’s why I signed.”

He also talked about his belief in the team’s ability to reach the playoffs in 2015:

I’m a competitor and it tears me up not being in the playoffs. You want to play into the colder months; that’s where the rewards are as you are one of the few trying to win the MLS Cup.

There are a lot of great pieces in the locker room. I’m not the coach, but I get to interact with the guys day-in and day-out, and I believe there are quality pieces in the locker room for us to make a playoff push in 2015. I want that and I don’t want to be around anyone that doesn’t want that for this team and for this city.

Andre Blake and Jamaica open group play in the Caribbean Cup against Martinique tonight at 8 pm. I have not been able to find out if the game will be (legally) available for viewing here in Philadelphia.

Over the next five weeks on the Union website, fans can vote among a selection of Top Ten moments from the 2014 season, all of which is aimed at selecting the top moment of the season. You will recall that That Kleberson Goal™ won last year.

At US Soccer, a post on last weekend’s US Soccer Development Academy U-14 East Regional showcase notes that the Union Academy U-13/14s was one of seven teams that went 2-0-1.

Local

The USL organizational award nominees have been announced. Reading United was nominated in the communications category, and Harrisburg City Islanders in the broadcast category.

Harrisburg have announced they will be hosting an additional open tryout — in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Great Valley defeated 2-1 Mechanicsburg to advance to the PIAA Class AAA state championship game. They’ll face Peters Township on Saturday in at 6:30 pm.

The Central Bucks East girls team was defeated 2-1 in the PIAA Class AAA semifinal.

The Wall Street Journal reports, “The Pittsburgh Riverhounds soccer team is preparing to get out of bankruptcy with a new owner: a local businessman whose construction businesses have profited from region’s natural gas drilling boom.”

MLS

The league’s independent review panel has overturned the red card shown to the Crew’s Ethan Finlay after he made contact with New England goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth. And rightly so, the contact wasn’t even worthy of a yellow card.

New England Revolution owner/investor Jonathan Kraft says the team is continuing to work on a plan to build a soccer stadium “in Boston or the immediate surrounding area.” Kraft explains, “It’s something we’ve been working on for a while, and we’ve come very close with a couple of situations over the past half dozen years and they didn’t happen. Because of that we’re just going to stay quiet until we have something.”

A report from Las Vegas Review-Journal notes hopes that local soccer fans there could know as early as Dec. 6 when the league’s board of governors meets if the city will win a franchise. I’m gonna go with a no.

In a report from WSVN in Miami, Miami-Dade County’s mayor Carlos Gimenez said when asked about the plans for a David Beckham-backed MLS franchise in that he hasn’t talked to Beckham in several months.

Atlanta Silverbacks supporters group Terminus Legion are holding a rally this evening in an effort to convince the team’s owners not to sell the NASL franchise to owners in another market.

US

At SI, Stanley Kay talks to Doug Andreassen, the chairman of US Soccer’s Diversity Task Force, about efforts to identify quality players who may not be part of the traditional development system.

Andreassen’s strategy for identifying and developing street soccer talent is still being finalized, but he has a basic sketch of how the plan will be proposed. The first, essential step is to develop a network of community leaders across the country. These leaders don’t necessarily have to be directly involved in soccer, although that would obviously be a plus. They just need to have intimate knowledge of their communities.

Andreassen wants to develop a curriculum, similar to U.S. Soccer’s coach licensing program, that would train community leaders and certify them to help U.S. Soccer establish a presence in underserved neighborhoods. These local leaders would be entrusted to help identify soccer talent through local networking, coordinate the creation of community soccer programs, and foster a greater working relationship between U.S. Soccer and locals.

Andreassen says, “It’s hard to find these players. It’s not like I can ask Sunil Gulati to fly me to Nachodoches, Texas to find players. What you need is 1,000 people – 12,000 people – on the ground, people who already know their own communities.”

At ESPNW, a piece on the “complicated life and times” of Hope Solo.

Uh, something about Alex Morgan’s bachelorette party in Miami, and Jersey Shore “star” Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi’s bachelorette party in Miami, and now Morgan and Polizzi are pals. And there’s more? I’ve got nothing other than observing that it’s good to see that she’s recovered from the left ankle sprain that knocked her out of the CONCACAF World Cup qualification tournament well enough to wear heels.

Elsewhere

The AP reports, “Qatar’s sports minister says the 2022 World Cup will set a benchmark of excellence that will be ‘almost impossible to beat’ and promised…that the Gulf nation will implement labor reforms in the next few months.” The report continues, “Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali also insisted that Qatar wouldn’t jeopardize its hosting of the World Cup and ambitions of being at the front and center of sports by funding terrorism. He was vague on whether alcohol will be sold inside World Cup stadiums and how gay fans will be welcomed at the 2022 tournament.”

Reuters reports, “The president of the Confederation of African Football said it would have “signed its death warrant” if it had postponed next year’s Cup of Nations.” According to the report, “The confederation intends to name new hosts for the cup within three days.” CAF president Issa Hayatou said, “I cannot tell you where it will be played. All I can tell you is that it will take place.”

The AP reports, “Russian soccer teams are facing a severe financial squeeze, with the Ukraine conflict and plummeting ruble leaving clubs short of money but with soaring wage bills.”

In related news, the Guardian reports, “A Russian Football Union executive has admitted that the governing body cannot afford to pay national coach Fabio Capello’s controversial £6.8m annual salary.”

At ESPN, a comparison of seeing Shahid Khan-owned Fulham play at Craven Cottage, and seeing Shahid Khan-owned Jacksonville Jaguars play the Dallas Cowboys at Wembley, last weekend.

5 Comments

  1. Someone needs to call Curtin and Sak and tell them to fly to Russia with a briefcase full of cash and a handful of work permits and go raiding those teams. Roster turnover done.

    • GUY THAT SCREAMS THINGS says:

      ISN’T THAT PRETTY MUCH HOW WE GOT CHACO?!?! THE ARGENTINE CURRENCY COLLAPSES, MAIDANA GETS ON THE FIRST PLANE TO AMERICA?!? TWO CHEERS FOR THE STRENGTH OF THE AMERICAN DOLLAR!

  2. OneManWolfpack says:

    It’s awesome, and amazing, and all that good stuff to see the resources that are being put in to finding and developing American players. They may not all be successful or whatever, but just knowing that US Soccer, and a lot of MLS clubs are that financially and personally committed is great to see.

    • old soccer coach says:

      Has anyone ever seen an estimate of how much money the Union have put into the academy and the related facilities, both academic and athletic?

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