Photo: Paul Rudderow
Philadelphia Union
Chicago Fire have been winless in 31 consecutive road games. Let’s hope the Union can make it 32 tonight. A win or draw will set a new franchise record of 10 consecutive home games without a defeat.
Tonight will be former Union man Veljko Paunovic’s first time at Talen Energy Stadium as head coach of Chicago. He said of the Union,
I think they are doing very good. I think they’ve had a very good season, especially playing at home. They win games. They’re in a very good mood. Of course, everything is easier when you’re winning games and when you have success. That’s another challenge for us. In the same way and the same line with what I said before, that’s another challenge. We have in front (of us), a very difficult team to play at home. We have a team that is successful, leading our Conference. We have to understand that we are not going there just to give up, just to go there and participate. It’s the same thing. We are preparing for that. The main thing is to recover, but more than that we have to understand and we have to believe and push until the end to win the game from the first minute till the end.
He said of countering the Union’s high press,
We will stick to our way we have to perform in terms of the idea or style of play. We have to improve, especially in the first line of pressing that Philly does. We have to find more of our guys in the middle in order to connect with our forwards because I believe we have a very well balanced team. I believe we have potential in attack, especially that we have David (Accam) back now and with Kennedy (Igboananike) who’s scored four goals. He’s leading our (team) and I would say we have guys that can score goals but we have to connect with the midfield in both lines. The defensive line and the midfield line has to be more accurate, more precise, and more determined. That will be a main challenge to do on that side. Then we have to be very consistent with that.
Previews at PSP, Philadelphia Union (print, video, game notes, scouting report), Philly.com, Pattison Ave, MLSsoccer.com, Chicago Fire, CSN Chicago, Chicago Fire Confidential (preview, notes), Chicagoland Soccer News, and the AP.
At Philly.com, Marc Narducci on Roland Alberg.
In the power rankings at MLSsoccer.com, the Union drop two spots to No. 4 following last weekend’s loss to NYCFC: “Finding a full-time replacement for Vincent Nogueira – maybe this is Roland Alberg’s chance? – is job No. 1. Job No. 2 is getting C.J. Sapong healthy ASAP, because they’re a different team when he’s available.” Yep.
At Brotherly Game, Jared Young has his weekly comparison of Union player ratings.
Tickets for next Wednesday’s US Open Cup game against NYRB go on sale today. Season TIcket Holders get a 33 percent discount. Parking is free for all US Open Cup games.
US
Well, the US loss against Argentina in Tuesday night’s Copa America Centenario semifinal may not have been unexpected but, you know, a shot — any shot, on goal or off — from the US would have been nice. That Messi free kick goal certainly was. So, having lost to the No. 1 team in the world, the US will face either the No. 3 or No. 5 country in the world in the third place game in Arizona on Saturday.
Jurgen Klinsmann said after the loss to Argentina, “We just simply hit a far better team today…You were trying to scream on to the field saying, ‘Go at them. Become physical. Step on their toes. I think there tonight you could clearly see in that moment that once we were 1-0 down, we had far too much respect for them…After that early goal, I think that our players could feel that, probably in every position on the field, that they are just better than we are…I’m not critical with any player. It was a lesson. We hit the wall now. We had a fantastic run in this tournament and you have to give the opponent compliments and swallow that pill.”
Klinsmann also said, “The more we play these caliber of teams, the more we are going to learn. The players will be more confident to take them on. This is just a process…Hopefully we can play these teams every year. When you play them on a regular basis, that respect gets smaller and smaller. If you play them for the first time in five years, you look over and know where [their players] play [for big European clubs] and know their jerseys, it’s all mental again.”
Tonight was obviously a rough night against a terrific team. We got dominated tonight. Getting here was an accomplishment, and it doesn’t feel quite the way it did a few hours ago…Today is a good day to judge where we are in the program overall. We’re obviously a long way off — we knew that going in. But we knew we were a long way off when we beat Spain in 2009 or Germany or Holland last year, so those things can happen. That’s obviously what you were hoping for today…We look at all of this and we’ll do that after the tournament is over and assess where we are and how we’ve done. Obviously the three consecutive wins was good. Today and the Colombia game were less good. The semifinals are the teams that are ranked 1, 3, 5 and 31 in the world. We’re still going to play a top-five team on Saturday — let’s make that part of the overall assessment.
Recaps and reports at PSP, US Soccer, CONCACAF, ca2016.com, Houston Chronicle, Washington Post (recap, report), Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, New York Daily News, USA Today, The Guardian (recap, commentary), CNN, NPR, NJ.com, Reuters, the AP (recap, commentary), MLSsoccer.com (recap, analysis, commentary, player ratings, USA, Argentina), SI (takeaways, commentary), ESPN (recap, commentary, player ratings, USA, Argentina), Fox Soccer (report, commentary), CBS Sports (recap, player ratings), Pro Soccer Talk (recap, takeaways, analysis, player ratings), Soccer America (takeaways, commentary, player ratings), ASN (recap, analysis, commentary, player ratings), Goal.com (recap, commentary, player ratings), Yahoo Sports (recap, commentary), SBI, and Philly Soccer News.
Landon and Jurgen are buds again, hurray!
Bethlehem Steel FC
The Bush Chicken talks to Sekou Conneh, who scored his first goal for Bethlehem Steel in the 1-1 road draw with Wilmington Hammerheads.
Philadelphia Union Academy
The Union Academy U-14s bounced back from Monday’s USSDA showcase opening 2-1 loss to Sockers FC with a 3–1 win over Chicago Fire U-14s on Tuesday. Michael Pellegrino opened the scoring in Frisco the 10th minute, with Brendan Hasson scoring in the 25th minute. Chicago scored in the 41st minute with Jack de Vries adding the insurance goal for the Union in the 81st minute. The team next faces Portland Timbers U-14s on Thursday at 4 pm.
The Union Academy U-16s face Real Salt Lake AZ in their opening game in the USSDA playoffs in Frisco today at 5 pm. After that, the Union U-18s face Beachside SC of Connecticut at 7:30 pm.
City Islanders
Harrisburg lost 3-2 to FC Montreal on Tuesday night, their fifth loss in a row in all competitions. Recaps at City Islanders, Philly Soccer News, USLsoccer.com, and FC Montreal.
PDL
Ocean City Nor’easters thumped Evergreen FC for a 6-1 road win on Tuesday night. Chevaughn Walsh scored a hat trick in the win, which sees Ocean City move up to No. 2 in the Mid-Atlantic Division standings ahead of Saturday’s road game against first place Reading United. Recaps of Tuesday night’s win at Ocean City Nor’easters and Press of Atlantic City.
Reading United hosts Lehigh Valley United Sonic tonight at 7 pm. Brotherly Game has a midweek Reading United update.
Local
The Philadelphia Tribune talks to Archbishop Ryan soccer standout Monte Guess, who will soon begin his college education at the Naval Academy.
MLS
In addition to the Union-Chicago game, two other MLS games will be played tonight, Real Salt Lake-New York Red Bulls (10 pm: MLS Live, Direct Kick, SiriusXM FC) and LA Galaxy-Colorado Rapids (10:30 pm: MLS Live, Direct Kick). NYRB are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference with 22 points, one point behind the Union.
San Jose has signed former Union man Shea Salinas to a new multi-year contract.
LA Galaxy defender Robbie Rogers is out for six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic ankle surgery.
The Boston Globe reports New England Revolution has held talks about building a stadium in Dorchester “at the site of the former Bayside Expo Center, now owned by the University of Massachusetts…The university is currently tearing down the exposition hall as part of its plan to expand the UMass Boston campus to that site.” The report says, “University officials have been in active discussions with Kraft but do not appear to be close to an agreement.”
The new USL franchise in Nashville will announce its name and logo on July 1.
Elsewhere
Britain votes in a referendum on Thursday on whether or not to leave the European Union. Vice Sports looks at what a European exit could mean for the Premier League.
I love Talking Heads and I owe a debt of gratitude to them this morning as I’m driving around thinking about that game last night….. “We’re on the road to no-where”
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Smile & a Sigh.