Photo: Courtesy of Footy Headlines

Philadelphia Union

You will recall the Union Rumors tweet last Saturday linking ADO Den Haag midfielder Roland Alberg with a move to the Union. At the time, there was nothing concrete to judge the rumor beyond UR’s informed assessment of the Dutch team’s financial problems, the pending expiration this summer of Alberg’s contract, and that Alberg was in AZ’s academy system when Earnie Stewart was with the club.

Well, when you’re looking for something concrete to verify a rumor, an announcement on a club website is pretty solid. Earlier today, a post on the ADO Den Haag website (crappy Google Translation here) reported Alberg’s move to the Union is “near,” with Alberg currently in the US to ” iron out the last wrinkles for a transition to the Philadelphia Union.” Stay tuned!

In other exciting news, Footy Headlines has leaked images of the Union’s new home jersey, which is set to be officially unveiled on Thursday:

Footy Headlines notes, “Boasting the famous design of the club, the new Philadelphia Union 2016 Strip combines the traditional main color navy blue with golden applications. On the front of the new Philadelphia Union Kit is the famous golden vertical stripe that this year features a unique color gradient created using small versions of Philadelphia Union’s logo…Inside the collar of the new Philadelphia Union 2016 Kit is the lettering ‘We are One’, while Philadelphia’s snake from the club logo is on the bottom of the shirt. Like all MLS 2016 Jerseys, the new Philadelphia Union 2016 Jersey comes with the new 3 stripes positioning on the side of the shirt. Navy shorts and socks complete the Philadelphia Union kit for the 2016 campaign.”

In further exciting news, the schedule was first released in the beginning of January most of the match times were listed as TBD.

At MLSsoccer.com, Dave Zeitlin has a piece on Andre Blake entering the season as the Union’s No. 1 goalkeeper after two years of waiting. Jim Curtin says in the article,

It’s huge for Andre to have that peace of mind to know that he’s going to be the guy,” Curtin said. “I think that’s made him more comfortable in terms of knowing where he stands with the group, with his teammates. You can see it on the field. He’s confident. He’s made some big saves in training.

He’s capable of making the save that wins you a game. We have to get back to getting shutouts and it starts with Andre in the back. And I think a big first step is him just knowing that he is the guy, and he has that right now.

Blake says, ““Yes, it’s a big year for me. I’ve been hearing a lot of talking going around. But for me, that’s something that can cause a distraction and a lot of pressure. So I’m just going to take it one game at a time, and hopefully it all goes well.”

At the Delco Times, Matthew De George has a piece on the promise of Union draft pick Fabian Herbers who has, by all accounts, impressed in preseason training. Intertwined with that promise is the question of just where on the field Herbers will play. De George notes Jim Curtin “envisions him as a depth option as a center forward, but he has the ability on the ball to play in midfield and the speed to fit on the wing.” Herbers says, “In practice, I’ve played up top as the holding guy up top, the No. 9. And I feel really comfortable doing that. I was also comfortable on the wing or underneath, and I can play any of those positions.”

Prost Amerika has predictions for the Union midfield.

Philly Sports Network on why the Union “don’t need to fork out” on a striker to be successful.

Metro on the Union’s “retooled” offense.

Brotherly Game’s series on “silly offseason complaints” continues with “Where my homegrowns at.”

Bodog has odds on who will win this year’s MLS Cup. The Union are at 50/1. (Sounder at Heart deciphers the odds, concluding, “take these odds with a giant helping of salt.”)

Headline at Onion-esque soccer site The Nutmeg News: “Philadelphia Union Trade Fan To Seattle Sounders For Targeted Allocation Money.”

Local

The 2016 PDL schedule was released on Tuesday. You can view Reading United’s schedule here, and Ocean City Nor’easter’s schedule here. Lehigh Valley United has not posted their schedule as of this writing but you can view it by selecting the team on the master schedule at the PDL website.

Soccer America says Hershey, Pa.’s Christian Pulisic, who just had his senior team debut with Borussia Dortmund — you can see video of Pulisic talking about the debut here — “must be protected.” The argument basically is that Pulisic should continue his development with Dortmund before being called into the US U-23s or senior team: “The most important next step is that he solidify his spot in the Dortmund 18 and get minutes here and there, in the Bundesliga and perhaps the Champions League, without the distraction of flying back and forth on lots of transatlantic flights.”

SBI has a profile piece on Lancaster, Pa.’s Zarek Valentin, who recently signed with Portland after two seasons with Norway’s FK Bodø/Glimt.

CBS New York has an interview with Carli Lloyd.

MLS

Player moves:

Chicago has signed defender Johan Kappelhof as a Discovery Signing using Targeted Allocation Money to a three-year deal. Kappelhof spent the past five seasons with Dutch side Groningen.

No official announcement as of this writing from Columbus, but La Liga side Real Betis says it is loaning Egyptian fullback Amro Tarek to the Crew through June, with an option to extend the loan until the end of 2016.

KSL.com reports Salt Lake have picked up Chris Wingert after the defender was waived by NYCFC. No official announcement as of this writing from RSL, the club Wingert played for before New York.

Portland have transferred midfielder George Fochive to Danish Superliga side Viborg FF.

Atlanta United signed 27-year-old midfielder Junior Burgos, who was then sent on loan to NASL side Tampa Bay Rowdies for the 2016 season.

Preseason games:

DC drew 2-2 with Swedish side Jonkopings Sodra IF.

Salt Lake was defeated 1-0 by Tijuana.

The Washington Post reports the league has ordered Orlando City to end its efforts to sign AC Milan defender Antonio Nocerino, whose discovery rights are currently held by DC United. The report says at this point, no tampering charges have been filed.

Interesting read at the Los Angeles Times on on the creative ways the Galaxy was able to sign Nigel de Jong, Jelle Van Damme, and Ashley Cole and still remain under the salary cap. The key seems to be finding players not getting playing time who still have substantial contracts that clubs are happy to buy out.

At Brotherly Game, Jared Young considers how the league’s single entity structure affects fans’ trust in the league.

US

Michael Orozco and Brad Evans have been released by Jurgen Klinsmann from the USMNT to return to their club teams ahead of Friday’s friendly against Canada (10:15 pm: FS1, Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2Go, UniMas, Univision Deportes). Former Union man Orozco, who scored the second US goal in last Sunday’s 3-2 win over Iceland, was scheduled to only play in the Iceland game. Evans has a tight hamstring.

The return leg of the US U-23’s two-game home-and-away Olympic qualification series against Colombia will be played on Tuesday, March 29 at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas at 9:30 pm (ESPN2). The first leg of the US-Colombia Olympic qualification series will take place Friday, March 25 in Colombia, at 5:30 pm ET (broadcaster TBD). The game in Frisco immediately follows the senior team’s World Cup qualifier against Guatemala at MAPFRE Stadium in Columbus at 7 pm (ESPN2, UniMas, UDN).

At The Equalizer, Jeff Kassouf talks to USWNT head coach Jill Ellis about her team’s preparations for CONCACAF’s Olympic qualification tournament, which begins Feb. 17 against Trinidad and Tobago in Houston.

The New York Times reports Fox Sports has acquired the rights to English-language broadcasts of the Mexican national team: “Through an agreement that will be announced Wednesday, Fox Sports 1 will televise 25 home games — friendlies and World Cup qualifiers — of the team called El Tri starting this year and continuing until the 2018 World Cup in Russia.”

A podcast at Soccer Wire discusses US Soccer’s impending launch of a Girls Development Academy that will mirror the Boys Development Academy.

Elsewhere

FIFA presidential hopeful Gianni Infantino has picked up another endorsement, this time from Russia.

Reuters reports, “Venezuela said on Tuesday it will not seek the extradition of former national soccer federation boss Rafael Esquivel, who is detained in Switzerland as part of a probe into corruption in world governing body FIFA.” The news means Esquivel’s extradition to the US, already approved by Switzerland, can proceed without objection from Venezuela, although his lawyers are appealing on the grounds of age and poor health.

Goal.com reports, “CONMEBOL has opted to celebrate its centenary by reducing existing sanctions on players and clubs. The governing body of South American football is operating in its 100th year and has moved to decrease standing punishments ahead of the start of the preliminary stages of the 2016 Copa Libertadores on Tuesday.”

Vice Sports reports on the FIFA’s new World Football Museum, which will open in Zurich at the end of February.