Eastern PA Open Cup Final on Sunday

Two local amateur heavyweights play this Sunday in Feasterville for the right to advance to regional qualifiers in the U.S. Open Cup.

Phoenix SC will host United German Hungarians at 2 p.m. in the Eastern PA Open Cup Final, with the winner claiming bragging rights as not only the region’s best amateur team but also the opportunity to compete in the nation’s most prestigious soccer tournament. (Read a recap of their semifinal wins here.) The two squads have a renowned soccer history, with UGH having made it to the U.S. Open Cup finals in 1977 and 1993. 

Eight amateur teams from the U.S. Adult Soccer Association will eventually compete in the U.S. Open Cup alongside 32 other teams, including eight from Major League Soccer. It’s not unheard of for amateur teams to progress deep into the tournament. Last year, the Seattle Sounders won the Cup, and the furthest advancing USASA team was Sonoma County Sol, which lost in the second round against the Portland Timbers of the United Soccer Leagues. The amateur Ocean City Barons of the USL’s Premier Development League – the fourth tier of American soccer – were the most successful local team, surprising many by making it to the third round before losing to D.C. United.

The Phoenix – UGH game will take place at the Phoenix Sports Club at 301 West Bristol Road in Feasterville, Pa. View a map and directions here.

Posted via web from The Philly Soccer Page

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Come on you Royals!

Rants and raves (but mostly rants) about following a 2nd division team.

I am often greeted with the reaction of “Really?  Why?” when I tell people I am a Reading fan.  And it’s not the easiest explanation really.  Reading are toiling around in the relegation zone of the Championship this season, after flirting with immediate promotion back to the Prem last year.  So how did I become a fan of a mediocre 2^nd division team?

It all started in 2005-06.  This was the year I really started following the EPL as a league instead of just catching which ever game happened to be on TV that week.  As I  was watching West Brom, Sunderland, and Birmingham go down, I started to take note of Reading who had been tearing up the 2^nd division.  The Royals eventually finished first, with a record 106 points, losing only 2 games in the whole season.

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Bernardo, White linked to Union

U.S. U-20 international Vincenzo Bernardo is the latest name linked to Philadelphia Union since the expansion draft. 

Soccer 365 reports the free agent attacking midfielder could be headed to Major League Soccer in January, with Philadelphia and New York as speculative landing spots. Bernardo said in August that he wasn’t interested in MLS for the season’s end, but now he may be.  

Bernardo played for the Red Bulls’ youth teams from 2004-2006 before a stay with Napoli in Serie A that ended this year without any appearances for the senior team. He grew up in Morristown, N.J., and that proximity appears to be part of what has fueled the Philly and New York speculation. 

Other players linked to the Union recently include Roger Torres, a teenaged midfielder for America de Cali in Columbia, and winger Jeremiah White, who plays for AGF Aarhus in Denmark, where he is a teammate of U.S. international Benny Feilhaber. 

White has Philly ties, having played his high school soccer in Haverford.  He has had a sometimes rocky time overseas since passing on MLS out of college, playing for teams in Greece, France and now Denmark. He struggled to find regular time in Ligue 2 despite leading his team in goals scored for a time. With Aarhus, he has been in and out of the starting lineup but has seen regular playing time with the team. He often seems like someone who just needs to land in the right situation, and it’s hard to believe he wouldn’t contribute if picked up by the Union. 

Posted via web from The Philly Soccer Page

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Messi Wins Ballon d’Or

via news.bbc.co.uk

I’m telling you, the trophy is this big!

Barcelona winger/striker/wunderkind/noted mullet Lionel Messi won the Ballon d’Or on Tuesday. Messi is the best of the Argentinian young guns who will be stumbling into South Africa under the cocaine-residue-fueled guidance of national hero/mess Diego Maradona. Behind Messi’s emergence as the sport’s best player*, Barcelona captured the league title, the league cup and the Champions League title. Messi led the team in overall scoring (38) and in Champions League goals (9).
Messi received only seven points less than the highest possible score a player can receive from the Ballon d’Or jurors (European footy journalists), an outstanding total from any perspective. What makes this achievement even more stunning is that four of the top five vote-getters were Barcelona players.
Remember how everybody said Al Gore would have won in 2000 if Ralph Nader hadn’t split the vote? Messi had four teammates trying to split his vote and he zipped by them like they were wearing Manchester jerseys in a final.

*Best offensive player. As with all Best of… and Most Valuable… awards, the offensive-minded players get the most props. As the BBC article linked above correctly notes, Messi was given a lot more freedom when Barcelona purchased Dani Alves in 2008. He runs the wing and allows Messi to hold his nose to defensive responsibilities without looking like a poor teammate (cough-cough Cristiano). Who was the best defensive-minded player last season? Any nominations?

Posted via web from The Philly Soccer Page

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FIFA Move Toward Using Extra Officials

FIFA are expected to fast-track approval of a five referee per match system for the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa following mounting criticism of the Thierry Henry handball that led to France qualifying ahead of Ireland. A final decision will be made by soccer’s rule-making body, the International FA Board, in March. Said one executive member of FIFA: “The mood is that something has to be done and the easiest solution is to bring in the extra assistant referees.” The five referee system, which puts an extra official behind each goal, is now in place in the Europa League.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter, speaking from the Soccerex conference in Johannesburg, seemed to quash any hopes for the implementation of video replay technology for fear that the game would lose its “human face.” He did forsee the use of goalline technology when FIFA felt that it was “accurate” enough. He also announced that the sudden-death playoff system would be discontinued for the 2014 World Cup qualifyiers: “There is too much at stake and football is so important.”

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