Photo: Daniel Studio

Philadelphia Union

Union head coach Jim Curtin said on Tuesday that both Maurice Edu and Tranquillo Barnetta are doubtful for Sunday’s season opener in Dallas. Curtin explained Edu’s injury is not related to his surgery for a sports hernia, and that the midfielder still has not been able to train with the team: “It has nothing to do with the surgery he had. It’s an injury that, it’s called a ‘stress reaction’ and it’s in his leg. Nothing’s broken or anything like that. Before he’s physically cleared to train with us, he has to have that fully heal, and then he can be out there.”

Curtin said of Barnetta, “It’s tough and it’s frustrating, but Tranquillo has a little bit of tendinitis in the knee from a former injury. It slowed him a bunch this preseason and he’s missed some time. He was able to play 60 minutes versus Montreal but isn’t quite fully fit right now. He’s still getting himself going.”

Curtin said of Edu and Barnetta, “These are two leaders, captain-type players and two guys we miss greatly and two important pieces that may or may not be with us [in] week one. But we have to prepare accordingly.”

At Union Tally, Matthew De George has further injury-related news: “The other injuries were minor. Cole Missimo left training a little early, though Curtin didn’t list an ailment. Josh Yaro was somewhat limited due to groin soreness. Ray Gaddis has largely shaken off his knee soreness and appeared to train fully.”

At Delco Times, Matthew De George on Ken Tribbett, who began at Drexel the same year the Union began play in MLS. Union head coach Jim Curtin Describing his play as “a revelation.” Jim Curtin says of Tribbett’s preseason, “He’s played the bulk of the minutes. He’s earned the bulk of the minutes, it needs to be said. We didn’t have him penciled in as, ‘He’s our No. 1 guy.’ I’d be lying if I said that. But he’s turned the coaching staff’s heads. He’s proving it on the field.”

Could Tribbett start in Sunday’s season opener in Dallas? Curtin says, “He’s held up against the top guys in our league” in preseason, adding, “I’m not naïve: When you go on the road in Dallas in Week 1, it’s a lot harder. But at the same time, he’s shown over a body of work in the preseason that he belongs in this league.”

De George reported after Tuesday’s training session, “Caught the end of some tactical drills at training, where it looked like the ‘first’ team featured Richie Marquez and Anderson as the center back pairing. Brian Carroll was the holding midfielder with Roland Alberg and Leo Fernandes in the central attacking midfielder spots. Not sure if that’s a hint for this weekend, but there are a lot of pieces to still fall into place with this lineup in the coming days.”

Jim Curtin on Ilsinho: “We knew probably two games into the preseason that he participated in that it was something we wanted to get done. … A guy that has come in, came from a big club in Europe, the situation there wasn’t ideal for him, so he came with us, turned our heads immediately.”

An article from John Smallwood on CJ Sapong at the Daily News has this clarification:

A misinterpretation between Sapong and a writer led to the bold prediction on MLSsoccer.com that he would tally 20 goals this season.

Sapong said what he meant by saying he wanted “to create 20 goals” was by either banging the back of the net himself or setting up one of his teammates to score.

“But hey, if they’re going to speak that into existence, that’s fine with me,” Sapong said. “I’ve gotten double-digit goals in all competitions but not in just an MLS schedule.

“Honestly, to look good on the stat sheet, I’d like to accomplish that, but if I got eight goals and 10 assists, helped this team get 20-plus (wins), I know that I will have accomplished what I need to do. I want to maximize my impact for this team.

“If I can have that impact, scoring, taking pressure off my teammates so they can get goals, create things, then I’ll be happy.”

The MLSsoccer.com article in question was from Dave Zeitlin, who quotes Sapong as saying, “If you look at the last season and the amount of opportunities that I had and the fact that I didn’t get to play the full season, I feel like 20 goals is something that I can reach. One thing I definitely want to add to my game is the ability to bring other players into the attack, as well. I want to create goals in any way possible. If by the end of the season, I’ve created 20 to 25 goals, whether scoring or assisted, that’s what I feel like my productivity should be.” Not sure where the misinterpretation could lie, he said “20 to 25 goals, whether scoring or assisted.” Anyway, who cares so long as we’re soon talking about the goals Sapong is scoring (or creating), rather than talking about Sapong talking about scoring (or creating) goals.

At the Union website, Chris Winkler talks to Andre Blake about being the Union’s starting goalkeeper.

At Goal.com, Ives Galarcep reviews “the top MLS players who have new homes in the league this year.” While former Union men Ethan White and Cristian Maidana are included, new Union man Chris Pontius is not.

Friends do not ask friends to look at those clickdiculous Bleacher Report slideshows so I’ll save you the trouble and just say Tranquillo Barnetta (No. 34) and CJ Sapong made this list of 50 MLS players to watch in 2016. Former Union men Zac MacMath and Cristian Maidana are also on the list.

Last Word on Sports looks at the first ten Union games of 2016.

For the third consecutive season, JP Dellacamera will be joined by Peter Pappas in the broadcast booth for Union games. This will be Dellacamera’s seventh season calling Union games. Marisa Pilla and Dave Leno will be part of the pre-game and halftime show segments.

Bethlehem Steel FC

Dave Leno will do play-by-play, and former Union man Matt Kassel will be the color analyst, for Bethlehem Steel games broadcasts in the team’s inaugural season. The press release notes, “Leno and Kassel will broadcast all 15 home matches from Goodman Stadium. Official broadcast network information will be announced at a later date.”

Noise Nation continues a look at how Bethlehem’s roster may be bolstered by players on loan from the Union.

Local

Former Union man Aaron Wheeler has signed with Harrisburg City Islanders. In case you’re wondering, they list him as a forward.

The PDL has launched a new website that will help you better keep up with Lehigh Valley United, Ocean City Nor’easters, and Reading United news.

MLS

Player moves:

Apparently, Kenny Cooper is no longer on trial with Kansas City.

Former DC United midfielder Perry Kitchen is signing with Heart of Midlothian in Scotland.

That’s two less MLS teams in the CONCACAF Champions League. On Tuesday night, DC drew 1-1 at home with Queretaro, being eliminated 3-1 on aggregate. The Galaxy was thumped 4-0 by Santos Laguna on the road, being eliminated 4-0 on aggregate after a scoreless draw in the first leg.

Seattle faces Club America tonight at the Azteca at 8 pm (FS2) after drawing 2-2 at home in the first leg. Salt Lake hosts Tigres tonight after losing 2-0 on the road in the first leg (10 pm, FS2).

MLSsoccer.com reports Queretaro issued a statement before Tuesday night’s game “denying that any phones belonging to D.C. players or staff were stolen from the locker room at Estadio Corregidora.” The report says, “In the statement, Queretaro claimed that D.C. had the only key to the away locker room and that footage from security cameras showed nothing untoward happening. The club suggested that the phones were stolen at a different location prior to the team’s arrival at the stadium.” The Mexican club says it still plans to reimburse DC United players and staff.

At ESPN, predictions on who will win the MLS Cup, the Supporters Shield, and be named league MVP.

Former Union man Jordan Harvey, now in Vancouver, believes the Whitecaps could win the MLS Cup this year.

NYCFC head coach Patrick Vieira: “I just think that coaching in the MLS is of course harder than in Europe. Because of the salary cap and the roster, and the way you have to make things balanced in the squad, making sure you have the players you need … In Europe, if you want a player, you just go out and buy them. Here, you can’t do it unless you have all these certain criteria. It is really interesting, really fascinating.”

The Guardian’s Marina Hyde has an opinion piece titled “Why the MLS should just sell itself and not the American dream” in which she argues, following recent comments by Robbie Keane, that all the talk about the attractiveness of a lifestyle change for international players interested in playing in MLS has to stop:

[I]f MLS is itself to get bigger and brasher and better, in the exhilarating American fashion, then the “lifestyle” stuff has to go. League bigwigs must have a stern word with the highest-profile signings, whose perpetual foregrounding of this aspect gives a very good impression that MLS is a bespoke kitchen island in the Hollywood Hills with a football contract attached. Furthermore, the frequent emphasis on the league’s “family friendly” qualities as a player destination does rather make it sound like a restaurant that provides crayons. A relief, certainly, but you’re not going for the food.

From the Miami Herald: “David Beckham missed a February target for securing county land for a Miami soccer stadium, and the lack of parking in plans for the 25,000-seat venue may be a sticking point in the talks.”

San Antonio Current on how fielding a team in the USL rather than the NASL might bolster that city’s chances of landing a MLS franchise.

US

Speaking at a sports business panel Monday night in Manhattan, Sunil Gulati addressed the possibility of the US hosting the 2026 World Cup, saying “We can host a World Cup relatively easily. We can do it overnight.” The trouble, Gulati explained, is one of politics, not capability: “Two hundred and nine countries vote in the next go-round. It’s going to boil down to what people think of U.S. foreign policy… Do they like what our country stands for…”

Gulati said the new FIFA president is aware that interest in hosting the World Cup is high. “Gianni Infantino knows that, he’s appreciative, but there’s no promises. It’s important for people to know that if we did host it, it would be extraordinarily successful, extraordinarily profitable. But there’s a long way to go.”

Soccer America on Gulati’s growing influence within FIFA.

At US Soccer, a piece previewing the start of the CONCACAF U-17 Women’s WOrld Cup qualification tournament. The US begins play on Friday against Jamaica.

At ASN, a commentary piece on how the policy of excluding players in US Soccer’s new Girls Development Academy from playing on high school teams “is only one of a number of foolhardy steps youth clubs have taken over the past decade to weaken the game at the high school level.”

Thank goodness this didn’t go anywhere.

Elsewhere

Reuters reports, “New FIFA president Gianni Infantino wants players to become more involved in the running of the sport and has recommended a cautious approach to the use of technology.” More on Infantino’s views on using technology at International Business Times.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport has announced Michel Platini has filed an appeal against the six-year ban from soccer handed down to him by FIFA. Reports from The Guardian, ESPN, and the Press Association.

Reuters reports, “Former Guatemalan soccer federation president Brayan Jimenez was taken to the capital’s airport on Tuesday for extradition to the United States to face corruption charges.”

The AP reports, “European Championship games could be moved to different venues in France and rescheduled without fans on another day in response to terror attacks or threats.”

Following a report from The Sun, The Guardian reports: “The Premier League’s self-styled leading clubs have denied discussing a breakaway European Super League but have admitted to meeting over changes to the format of the Champions League.” More at ESPN and Goal.com.

From the Press Association: “UEFA has announced that Galatasaray have been handed a two-season ban from European club competitions following their breach of financial fair play regulations.” More at Goal.com.