Photo: Earl Gardner
Philadelphia Union
There have been bad times before in the short history of the Union. But if you look at social media, or the comments sections of area Union blogs, since Sunday’s loss in Kansas City, ask yourself this: Has there ever been such a potent combination of deep disappointment and frustration with on field results and open, furious disdain for the team’s ownership, and most specifically, Nick Sakiewicz?
Is this some kind of tipping point? I don’t know. But, with fans and the press openly questioning the future of the club, right now may be the worst of times.
On the bright side, the new PSP bottle openers arrived (perfect for in the aid of sorrow drowning) and Wednesday’s weekly press conference should be very interesting, right?
No. 1 on World Soccer Talks’ list of Ten things learned from week 5? “Crisis in Philadelphia”:
What’s the worse feeling for Philadelphia Union fans right now? That the Union became only the seventh team in MLS history to go into stoppage time winning and finish it losing, or that there’s next to no hope that next weekend and the weekend after will be any better.
Things are about to get bad in Philadelphia, and when things get bad in Philadelphia, they get bad. Much of the blame for the Union’s MLS-worst start isn’t being placed at the feet of manager Jim Curtin.
There’s little he can do with an overmatched and undermanned roster that has failed to make meaningful upgrades and devoted its limited resources to all the wrong places.
Union owner Nick Sakiewicz has lost his entire fan-base. It hasn’t helped him that the controversial signing of Algerian goalkeeper Rais M’Bholi has backfired; then again, it hasn’t helped him that he made a foolish signing. The once-vaunted PPL Park is quickly losing its status as one of MLS’ better atmospheres. Philadelphia have been courting total disaster for some time. Now, it appears they’re getting it.
The next month will be crucial for the fate of the franchise going forward.
Yep.
Dave Zeitlin in the latest Inside Doop on Mbolhi:
Remarkably, all three of Sporting Kansas City’s goals came off restarts, and while Philly’s marking in the box is certainly a cause for concern, goalkeeper Rais Mbolhi has yet to inspire much confidence in that area either. On SKC’s first goal, Mbolhi was caught way off his line, fell down, pretended to be hurt to draw a foul, and then screamed at the refs. The high-priced Algerian goalkeeper didn’t look especially mobile on SKC’s other two goals either, and predictably drew a lot of the postgame ire from Union fans, who were expecting him to command the box better than former goalie Zac MacMath. But that hasn’t been the case so far and, truthfully, Mbolhi is not only looking like one of the worst goalkeepers in the league but one of the worst signings in Union history.
Zeitlin also rightfully points to the questionable mental toughness of the team: “If mental toughness is the disease, Curtin and company have yet to find a cure.”
Matthew De George writes, “The appraisal of the [Union’s] problems has grown frighteningly familiar and shows no signs of reversal. Pick a trope, any trope.”
ASN on the Union:
If Don Corelone’s sons were MLS teams, the Union would be Fredo—always trying desperately to impress… but never pulling it off…
Jim Curtin ascended to the head coaching spot in Philadelphia with minimal assistant coaching experience. While that formula worked to some degree in New England and D.C., and previously with Jason Kreis when he was at Salt Lake, sometimes it seems MLS teams are opting for inexperience because it’s cheap rather than because it’s the best option for the team.
Curtin…may blossom into fine head coaches someday but there’s a reason why most great coaches spend time as assistants first.
Zolo Talk is done with defending Nick Sakiewicz and Rais Mbolhi. “Ladies and gentlemen, I have had enough. I am officially on the bandwagon calling for this team to be sold.”
Some Union fans have no doubt noted the new campaign just launched by Newcastle United fans aimed at forcing team owner Mike Ashley to sell the club. They even have a new website, AshleyOut.com.
The Phillies were shutout 8-0 by the Red Sox in their season opener at Citizens Bank Park on Monday. Chestnut Hill Local on the sorry state of the Philly Sports scene before that game:
One glimmer of hope in March for city sports fans might have been the city’s Major League Soccer Team, The Union. Though not nearly as popular as the other big league franchises in town, the team showed signs of life last year in an appearance in the U.S. Open Cup final and nearly beat the perennially excellent Seattle Sounders.
This year, however, the Union is off to a start that equals the worst this city has ever seen,topped off by a loss last night to Kansas City in which the team took a 2-1 lead in to the 90th minute and gave up two goals in extra time to lose 3 – 2. It was a choke job for which the team has lately become famous. Now, with no wins, two draws and three losses in league play, the team is the worst of 20 teams in the league.
Can hope glimmer again?
Power rankings: Soccer America has the Union last at No. 20: “A few late-game collapses plagued the Union last year and a by squandering a 2-1 lead to SKC in stoppage time, Philly brought back those dark nightmares…Keeper Rais Mbolhi isn’t instilling confidence with his erratic play, but too many teammates are culpable as well.” The Union are also last at MLSGB. Mercifully, SI has the Union at No. 19: “Philadelphia’s bizarre relationship with the goalkeeper’s union continues, as Raïs M’Bolhi hasn’t inspired much confidence with his early 2015 form.”
More on Sunday’s loss in Kansas City at Philadelphia Union, Philly Soccer News, Brotherly Game, Vavel (recap), Vavel (analysis), Sports Talk, and Sky Sports.
More Leo Fernandes — “On loan from the Philadelphia Union (Major League Soccer),” just in case someone didn’t know what league the Union play in — scoring the lone goal in the New Cosmos season opening win.
Local
Sports Max has a look at Jamaican international winger Cardel Benbow’s move to Harrisburg City Islanders, which he believes will help in his development.
The recently launched American Soccer League began its first season last year with eight teams, including AC Crusaders and Philadelphia Fury, two teams that also happen to be backed by league CEO Matt Driver. Now heading into the spring portion of the season, the league is down to seven teams with Newark’s Ironbound Soul suspended because of “organizational issues.”
The Temple men’s team has announced it will hold two residential camps at Gwynedd-Mercy College, “open to any and all ages 12 and up,” July 12-15 and July 19-22.
Taylor Racioppi (F: PDA; Ocean Township, NJ) has been called up for the US U-20 WNT camp that will be held April 11-18 in Carson, Calif.
USWNT star Carli Lloyd has joined the coaching staff of the Medford Strikers Soccer Club. Lloyd said, “I look forward to giving back to the club where I played my youth soccer.”
MLS
Montreal Impact are in Costa Rica to face Alajuelense tonight in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League semifinal series (10 pm: FOX Sports 2, Unimás). Montreal won the first leg, 2-0.
NYCFC have surpassed the 16,000 season tickets sold mark.
How about some rumors? How about Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez to Orlando? How about Carles Puyol to Colorado or NYCFC? OK, probably not Colorado.
US
In an interview at US Soccer, Jurgen Klinsmann says we shouldn’t be focused on recent results.
It would be foolish not to use this one year of time to try out a lot of things. To integrate new players, to tryout different systems, to move out of your comfort zone going to Europe, going to other places and risking some results. If we wouldn’t do that, there’d be no growth. If we would just be comfortable and play all of our games in the U.S. against teams we’d most likely beat, there is no growth. It’s very important that we understand that we might do it at the expense of some results.
Fair enough, but the team better be at the Linc on July 26.
The Original Winger on the ever-changing US kit:
We have had red kits. Blue kits. White kits. Anthracite kits. Striped kits. Wavy striped kits. Denim kits with stars. Kits with sashes…
But let’s have the home jersey consistently consistent. Pick a color and then stick with it. Introduce a new version of it every year if you want. Just keep the home kit the same color. Let the home kit begin to give our national team an identity. Even if just aesthetically speaking.
And lastly, I have one ore request. I’m not trying to be greedy, just throwing out a couple of wants. can US Soccer please make the Centennial crest the official crest? Even slightly update it if need be. But that crest is so perfect for US Soccer. And it has history. Let’s incorporate that history into the identity of the teams and US Soccer in general. And fans love it.
I couldn’t agree more.
The US finished fourth at the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship after losing 4-3 to Mexico in the semifinals, and 5-2 to host country El Salvador in the third place game.
Elsewhere
ESPN reports, “FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein has told ESPN FC’s Gabriele Marcotti that he wants an investigation into how the U.S. television rights for the 2026 World Cup were awarded to Fox without a tender process or any discussion with the FIFA executive committee.”
Bin Al-Hussein spoke to Reuters on Monday before he issued his manifesto at the Confederation of African Football Congress in Cairo.
You cannot underestimate how important it is … to have a change right now. It’s been enough, in my opinion, in terms of all the problems and scandals.
I will not continue on the executive committee if I am not elected because I cannot see another four years for myself if things don’t change. If I win … I’ll make the changes that are so needed.
Apparently, the manifesto was not persuasive. The AP reports, “Every one of Africa’s 54 member countries will vote for Sepp Blatter in next month’s FIFA presidential election, the continent’s soccer boss said on Tuesday, referring to the 79-year-old Swiss as ‘dear Sepp.'”
Reuters reports, “The FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for tougher punishment for teams and associations found guilty of racism and discrimination and said monetary sanctions had become increasingly ineffective.”
This from the Department of I can’t Wait for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, the AP reports,
Russian Premier League team Torpedo Moscow must play two home games in an empty stadium after fans displayed a fascist banner, the club’s fourth racism-related punishment this season.
The Russian Football Union said Torpedo’s fans displayed a Nazi symbol during Sunday’s 3-1 win over Arsenal Tula.
The punishment will not take effect until May because Torpedo is already required to play its next two home games behind closed doors for a separate incident in which fans abused Zenit St. Petersburg striker Hulk with monkey chants.
Reuters reports, “Turkey’s Super Lig has been suspended for a week after an attack on Fenerbahce’s team bus, while the club have insisted they will not play again “until light is shed on the incident.” The AP reports that Turkish police have detained two people suspected of involvement in the shooting attack.
You know things are bad when the Chestnut Hill Local is calling you out.
The Local is a big fan of PSP.
Fredo. Can there be any worse insult than being likened to Fredo.
You broke my heart Fredo.
It ain’t the way I wanted it! I can handle things! I’m smart! Not like everybody says… like dumb… I’m smart and I want respect!
We defend set pieces like Fredo defends Don Corleone when he’s being assassinated at the fruit stand.
Carlo (Connie’s husband who set up Sonny)? or is Sugarman Carlo and Sak is Fredo (or vice versa)? where’s the Don when you need him …
Sak is most definitely Fredo.
Is Meulensteen Johnny Ola or Hiram Roth?
I read that and laughed. Followed by a single tear rolling down my cheek.
Can things get worse than the are right now?
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I know it’s not really the most important thing in the grand scheme of things, but last year had a good core that should have built on, and this year was ripe for the taking of the local sports consciousness. Instead I have friends making jokes about how bad the union are and asking why they should bother watching.
yes, they could fire the coach and further reduce the training staff, while simultaneously letting FO staff go and not replacing them with anyone, while making dubious and costly decisions on additional player acquisitions and sales/departures … wait, we already did this, twice, I think. this third time, Curtin, Rene and more FO staff would leave – and albright would be the coach and GM with Sak finally realizing his dream (from early last year) and signing the brazilian party animal Ronaldinho from the Liga MX side that is probably currently not paying him.
I think this team is better than what they’ve shown. And I think that makes this lousy start all the more frustrating. Hopefully, Curtin keeps Edu at CB where he belongs and can bring back Nogueira and Maidana to start in midfield. I bet those two players will improve the team’s dreadful pass completion rate from last week.
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I’d like to see a little more 4-4-2 formation out of the team — even though I was not impressed with it in the first half against Colorado. The key is Edu in the back and Maidana to on the pitch for 90.
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Who knows? They just might sweep the home and home with NYC. Stranger things have happened. I have no idea what to expect from this team right now. I won’t expect them to win, so if they do, I’ll just be pleasantly surprised.
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All my ire is aimed at Sak/Mbolhi. Mostly Sak. This team is in the bind it’s in right now because it put a ridiculous amount of resources into a position that it not only didn’t need, but one that is hurting the team. We’re paying $500,000 a year to lose games.
Curtin has to bench Mbolhi. And the team needs to suck it up and ship him out of here. Sorry, but this experiment needs to stop before it costs us even more.
I agree with pretty much all of this. Curtin has made mistakes, but HE is the FO’s mistake. M’Bolhi needs to go and so does Sak.
I think it’s legitimate to question whether Sak got some percentage of the M’Bohli signing. I’m not saying he did or didn’t, I’m just saying under the circumstances I would very much like to see some inquiries made into the contract by Tannenwald or one fo the few other Union writers.
Sure it can get worse. They are going to start unpaving all the lots . . . and if that doesn’t get the fans back, they are going to intentionally create additional potholes in the parking lots and all roads leading to the stadium. Oh and all the beer stands will no longer sell microbrews . . . only’ Fudd’ . . . the beer that makes hillbillies go blind.
There are already some nasty potholes on Reanny Street (the one parallel to Flower Street).
Fudd. Well done sir. Haha
#SakOut
#SugermanOut
#SellTheUnionNOW
Get them trending every chance you can. We will never be good until these two jokers are gone. I am so done with this team if they are involved with the insipid moves. I don’t need to see a cheap product with cheap moves at every chance. We are suffering for it now, and the money guys have been exposed as coachroaches by the light of day. SELL THE TEAM and be done with it.
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And spot on on the US Crest. The Nike version sucks donkey. Blue stripes? So lame. The Centenial Crest (and the US hockey crest) would be awesome. Needs to happen.
how do I get me a PSP bottle opener?
+1
Yes! +1
You can find me in the Northeast corner of Lot A not far from the lot entrance on Saturday. Look for the Betsy Ross Flag with the Union snake.
What’s the MSRP? 🙂
I can’t make this weekend, but I am there for New England on the 19th? Will this apply then too? I need one!!! Haha
+1. Hang on to a couple…please!
two years ago Ben Olsen realized his MLS season was “done” and played his youngsters for the rest of the year to determine what he had or didn’t have for the future.
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Blake needs games. At all levels games have started and teams are geling, so loaning him out becomes trickier. Noble is HCI’s captain and probably at the moment leader of the defense, so that opportunity would emerge only for injuries or suspensions, and would therefore have inherent problems of communication and understanding.
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McCarthy may be able to grow and learn from practicing at the MLS level, but he could use games also. The Noble comment above applies here also.
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Lee needs to play as he is a college midfielder learning a new position, while releasing Coady Andrews to accommodate a personal situation of some kind meant that Harrisburg needed a center back, Marquez instead of Lee was generous to Harrisburg, since Marquez has more professional experience marking set pieces in the box. (Yes, hindsight is 20-10.). Marquez probably has not practiced at flank back, something that could be remedied easily.
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Perhaps it is time for Marquez and White to split time at center back.
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Bird will need a longish rehab opportunity once he recovers from surgery, a circumstance that sounds like Harrisburg to me. He is a candidate for the season-long loan.
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Ayuk so far seems as though he has enough “game” to learn by playing at the MLS level, since he gave an allegedly good MLS left back all he could handle for a half.
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McGlaughlin did not impact the game as much as I expected against Pittsburgh when he was on loan to Harrisburg a week ago, however, Harrisburg is still finding its strongest lineup having traded away one starter late (Langley) and released a second to accommodate a personal situation (Andrews). Jimmy needs games somewhere for everyone to find out whether he’s reached his ceiling.
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Catic has been handicapped in his two matches with Harrisburg by the newness of the relationships with his team-mates. Several times in both games, his instinctive movements were not the ones anticipated by the man delivering the ball, although the delivery and the run were timed properly, the ball didn’t go where Catic did. He also is having to learn the physicality of USL. To me he seems the strongest candidate for the newly-created salary-off-the-books season-long loan recently announced, because his position on the field is the most dependent on nuanced subtleties for success.
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Hoppenot is a known quantity.
Don’t believe this has been noted as yet. Also made the top slot in the Guardian’s “5 things we learned”:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2015/apr/06/the-glorious-incompetence-of-philadelphia-union-and-the-brilliance-of-bill-hamid
See PSP’s Twitter feed from Monday morning and Monday’s round up.
“But, with fans and the press openly questioning the future of the club, right now may be the worst of times.
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On the bright side, the new PSP bottle openers arrived”
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I laughed
I feel this team is in a “Phillies” type situation. Meaning, the people in charge are so bad, that I don’t want them to be the ones to play the youngsters, evaluate them, make trades, sign guys, etc. the only way to hurt owners in the wallet and to be so vocal you can’t be ignored. I want to see soccer succeed here and I want to support the U, so I will go to the games.
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But we need to be united and focused and loud. We need the SOB’s to be the supporters group they claim to be. We must continue to hold people accountable. The average fan can not let up. The local and national media must continue the onslaught. I am taking a page out of LCBline’s book: FREE THIS FRANCHISE. Sak and Sug OUT!!
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Oh, and PLEASE tell me how to get a PSP bottle opener!! Don’t tease me dammit!! Ha! I need something good to get me through this season.
I’ve read and totally agree with the article written in “Zolo Talk.” To me it’s a must read!
https://zolotalk.wordpress.com/2015/04/06/i-hit-my-breaking-point/
FREE THIS FRANCHISE!!
I am relying on organization from others. My words are the only weapon I have. Truly what needs to happen is the SOB have to lead this. We need them to stand and unite for the good of the Union— and to hit the Onion in the wallet. That is our only recourse.
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Otherwise it is sad to say that we sit by and watch the stinking pile of dung and crush them with our words.
You know things aren’t well when “The Godfather” references start popping up! How long ago did we call this? The crappy thing is……we saw this coming….but there isn’t shyte we can do, except hit them in their wallet….which I’ve been doing for two years now…….
dude, I had three season tickets in 114 for the first four seasons……saw the writing on the wall even back then….everyone else seemed happy just to be hammered at our shiny new stadium…..haven’t been back since. Don’t want it to be this way…….it just has to until changes happen…..then I’ll be back with my family. Until then…..crickets!
crickets.