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United Abroad: Alumni News & Notes for May 2013

2013-05-22T16:00:05Z

Links, links, and more links in this edition of United Abroad. It seems like everyone that used to play for our beloved team is scoring goals for their new team, except for Facundo Erpen of course. Let's get started, shall we? (For some of the links a translator app may be needed. I use Google Chrome and it translates for me, though, even with the translator, you may still not be able to understand it. But hey! That's what I'm here for!)

American Exports | MLSsoccer.com

Charlie Davies made his third start of the season for FC Randers in its 2-2 tie at AaB. He still hasn't scored yet, (scoreless in 23 appearances), but it looks like he did make a pass that led to a goal. It looks like Davies is finally getting some decent playing time with Randers and hopefully the starts continue. Now, about those goals Charles...

Football Every Day " Doe returns and vows to get back his goalscoring form

Francis Doe returned to action after his ankle injury that kept him out for a few games with Selangor FA. The 27 year old had some strong words regarding his comeback saying that he is ready to get back in his "goalscoring form" and "I believe we have it in us to win the title and I'm all fired up to give 100%."

AFC CUP: New Radiant sink Selangor - Soccer - New Straits Times

Doe followed up those comments starting in 0-2 loss and registered the team's only shot on target in the 80^th minute. Boy, DC sure could use some shots on goal, even Doe giving them one per game couldn't hurt... right?

Ticinonews - Al Chiasso derby

Chiasso gets the win, gets three points, and Emiliano Dudar scores. Viva Chiasso!

Atlas v Santos - Mexican Liga MX - ESPN FC

Atlas loses 1-3 to Santos. Facundo Erpen doesn't score (because, why would he?), but he does get a yellow card (because, why wouldn't he?).

Wilson and Najar return to the National Team

Honduras national team coach Luis Fernando Suarez announced Sunday that Andy Najar will be joining the national team in their qualifying for the 2014 World Cup. Honduras will play their first qualifying game on June 7^th versus Costa Rica.

Kljestan wins second consecutive Belgian league title - Yahoo! Sports Canada

Najar's club team (Anderlecht) has also been crowned as Belgian league champs for the second consecutive year in a row, earning them a spot in the group stage of the Champions League for the second consecutive year.

American Exports | MLSsoccer.com

Freddy Adu didn't play during Bahia's 7-3 loss vs Vitoria, but after a coaching change, he did log 30 minutes in the club's 1-1 draw with the same team. Perhaps this is a sign of things to come for Adu with Bahia under his third coach in two months with the team. Yes, you read that right, three coaches in two months. Also, Bahia sold ten tickets to that 1-1 game. You also read that right, ten tickets. Bahia will begin play in the Brazilian League Championship this Sunday.

Rapids Branko Boskovic: Difficult times - Football - krone.at

Branko Boskovic had his return to Rapid Vienna playing out differently in his head. In this article (have fun reading, translating, and interpreting this one), he talks about how he is ready to get back out there after numerous setbacks. He started this past Sunday for Rapid.

Vegalta exit ACL after home defeat | The Japan Times

Hamdi Salihi hit the winning goal for Jiangsu as they defeated Vegalta 2-1, but they still failed to advance in the Asian Champions League. With his new team, Sahili has logged fifteen appearances, six goals, and one assist. D.C. United as a team has scored a total of six goals in eleven games this season. So there's that.

New Chicago escaped the poor down from Board - Sports | UNOENTRERIOS.COM.AR

CHRISTIAN GOMEZ ALERT: GOOOOOAAAAAL! Nueva Chicago defeated El Torito Rojinegro 2-0 and Gomez put Chicago on the board with this goal in the 19^th minute. And people say he's too old...

Bolivia gives payroll and former Colo Colo joins coaching staff - Terra

The Bolivian national team has announced that Marco Antonio Etchevvery has joined the coaching staff. Etchevverry last managed Sociedad Deportiva Aucas in 2009.

* * *

That does it for the month of May, hopefully DC United can get back on track so I don't have to watch Christian Gomez highlights to cheer up or stare at Salihi's stats and play the "what-if?" game. As always, Vamos United.

But wait! There's a poll!

Poll

Which DC United Alum do you miss seeing in black and red the most?

Freedom Kicks: D.C. United links for May 22, 2013

2013-05-22T14:36:09Z

Happy Wednesday, ladies and gentlemen. The Richmond Kickers won their U.S. Open Cup game against a fifth division side (featuring former D.C. United midfielder Danny Szetela) on Tuesday night, setting up a match with DC. We're also waiting on players to return to injury and for us to sign some mediocre players to turn our season around, because that's just what we do.

D.C. United to face USL PRO affiliate Richmond Kickers in third round of 2013 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup | D.C. United

Nice long headline, trying to get all the search terms in. Respect the hustle.

D.C. United news and notes | Washington Post

Enlightening opinion, DeRo!

DCU getting pieces back, adding new ones? | CSN Washington

Some similar stuff to the Goff piece, but with more quotes from Ben.

Possible temporary homes for New York City FC | Pro Soccer Talk

Looking at the other options ... you probably could have just said Yankee Stadium.

Canadian Exports: Simeon Jackson's days with Norwich City coming to an end | Major League Soccer

I wants a Simeon Jackson for D.C. United. Can haz?

Filibuster Podcast: Week 13 - Hey everybody, we got a point! Let's get another! Or three!

2013-05-22T14:25:27Z

For the first time in a couple months, we can't say "another week, another loss" for D.C. United. Last weekend, the Black-and-Red took their first step forward in some weeks, earning a home draw to Sporting Kansas City. That leads off this week's episode of Filibuster - the Black & Red United podcast. We also check in for post-game audio with head coach Ben Olsen, goalscoerer Kyle Porter and returning-from-injury midfielder Chris Pontius. This week also features our preview of United's Memorial Day weekend clash with the Portland Timbers, who have transformed themselves into a formidable attacking side under first-year head coach (and one-time United target) Caleb Porter. We close out with a bit of levity at the expense of the unfortunately named New York City FC, MLS' just-announced 20th club, which will start play in 2015.

Thanks, as always for listening. Get in touch with us with any questions, comments, concerns or anything else via Twitter - @FilibusterDCU - or by emailing us at filibusterpodcast@gmail.com. Or just leave a comment on this post.

iTunes Link | RSS Feed

Our theme song is Pocket by Beau Finley, used with permission.

Finally, a quick heads up: there are going to be some back-end changes at Filibuster in the near future - just as soon as we find some time to take care of a few transitional issues. It will hopefully be a seamless transition, and we'll let you know more when it happens, but consider this an early warning of some changes on the technical side.

D.C. United vs. Portland Timbers lineup: Can DeRo play with an attacking midfielder?

2013-05-22T12:54:51Z

The great Nick DeLeon as attacking midfielder experiment began against Sporting Kansas City and, while he showed flashes, it was not the epiphany that some of us hoped it could be. But one thing that we noticed is that there were a number of times that DeLeon and Dwayne De Rosario were occupying the same space, leading to breakdowns in passing lanes and turnovers. This leads me to wonder: Can De Rosario play as a forward when there is an attacking midfielder underneath him rather than two defensive midfielders?

We all know that he loves to channel his inner midfielder when playing up top, dropping well into the midfield to pick up the ball and start the attack. And we all know that he played for many years as that attacking midfielder, so it is bred into his instincts. But the flashes that DeLeon showed makes me think that he has the talent to pull the strings, if DeRo complete the transition to true second forward and can get out of his way. But if he can't, the team either needs to build around him by getting a better second defensive midfielder and spelling him with DeLeon or start laying the groundwork for the post-DeRo years.

The lineup for the game against the Portland Timbers is almost identical to the formation against the Sporks, except that Chris Pontius comes back into the lineup at left midfield and Taylor Kemp replaces Daniel Woolard at left back. Watching Woolard getting beaten by Graham Zusi's speed multiple times has convinced me that Woolard, despite all of his good qualities, is simply too slow to be an effective starting fullback right now. Starting James Riley is pointless to me, so why not go with Kemp?

With this lineup, the subs would be Joe Willis, Brandon McDonald, James Riley, Raphael Augosto, John Thorrington, Carlos Ruiz (unless he's retired or traded before the game) and Lionard Pajoy. Who do you all see starting on Saturday? Am I crazy about DeRo's ability to work with an attacking midfielder?

Richmond Kickers 4:1 Icon FC: Kickers roll on the strength of their second half explosion

2013-05-22T01:14:23Z

This second round matchup in the centennial edition of the US Open Cup pitted the Richmond Kickers against Icon FC, who beat the Brooklyn Italians to get to the River City. The Kickers put out primarily a first choice lineup, partially out of necessity (four of their six loanees were claimed by their parent clubs for US Open Cup purposes) but partially on purpose. The Kickers looked less than impressive in their most recent league match, against the Los Angeles Blues, and so getting those players back on track may have figured into coach Leigh Cowlishaw’s plans as well.

The first half went according to this season’s script for the Kickers: start out slow but take control as the half wears on. That script manifested itself in Argjent Duka, Dilly Duka’s older brother, scoring an easy goal in the 9th minute. But a mere two minutes later, the Kickers woke up and scored, with Joseph Ngwenya dribbling, spinning, holding the ball, and laying it off to Stanley Nyazamba, who easily scores. Richmond went ahead 14 minutes later, when Ngwenya was cut down in the box and the Kickers were awarded a penalty kick. Ngwenya took it himself and sent the keeper the wrong way.

The second half began frenetically, with the Kickers pushing Icon FC back into their own box and serving in ball after ball; when Icon could break out, they went end to end in an entertaining first 15 minutes to the half. But the game was over at the 60 minute mark, with Mike Callahan taking a shot that took a wicked deflection off of Teddy Niziolek and into the goal. Joseph Ngwenya was given an assist on the goal (which will likely be changed to an own goal) and then was immediately subbed off. The wind was immediately taken out of the sails of Icon FC and both teams slowed the pace of the game down. The Kickers got a fourth late in the game, with Stanley Nyazamba curling a beautiful shot into the upper corner of the goal.

Danny Szetela was not able to affect the game that much, as he was constantly under pressure by the Kickers duo of Luke Vercollone and Mike Callahan. Two players that did stand out for Icon were Jonathan Yazo, a winger who is going to the New York Cosmos in the fall, and Argjent Duka, the goalscorer and older brother of Chicago Fire midfielder Dilly Duka. You wouldn't think that they were an amateur side, but were still no match for one of the top tier teams in USL Pro this season.

The man of the match for this game is Joseph Ngwenya, who has remade himself as an attacking midfielder instead of being the target forward he has been for most of his career. He was initially credited with two assists (one may be taken away for an own goal) and scored on a penalty kick. This means that D.C. United will visit Richmond next Tuesday to take on the Kickers in the third round of the US Open Cup. MLS loanees Brian Ownby (of Houston Dyanmo), Taylor Kemp, Casey Townsend, and Conor Shanosky will all be held out so that they can play with their MLS sides, while Andrew Dykstra and Michael Seaton will play for the Kickers.

Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris Selected for US Roster Ahead of Match Against Canada

2013-05-22T00:41:29Z

This will be the first meeting between the two countries since the 2012 Olympics semifinal, which saw the US come from behind three times to win 4-3 in the waning minutes of overtime. Much has been made of the "Rematch," including marketing it as such by the hosts. (Incidentally, neither Harris nor Krieger were on the US Olympic team. Harris was rehabbing after shoulder surgery; Krieger had just completed knee rehab after a torn ACL, but was not named to the roster.)

Sermanni will select 18 players from the training camp roster to play against Canada for the sold out match at BMO Field.

"It's always an important match when you play a neighbor, and with the strong contingent of Canadian players in the new league and how close the competition has become between the two countries over the past few years, there's an intensity about this game far greater than a typical international friendly," said Sermanni. "I know our players are really looking forward to the match and to the crowd, but also to getting back together as a national team and continuing to evolve in a positive direction."

The Spirit duo were on the most recent US rosters in March for the Algarve Cup in Portugal, during which Harris earned her first cap and Krieger scored her first international goal, as well as in April for friendlies against Germany and The Netherlands.

This marks the first time this season NWSL teams will be tested without their international players from the US and Canada, which has not yet announced its roster for the match. Spirit midfielder Diana Matheson is expected to be named, with the likely addition of defender Robyn Gayle. Defender Candace Chapman may be a longshot, as she's still getting back to full game fitness after a knee procedure this spring.

Krieger and Harris are two of 15 players currently rostered on NWSL clubs getting the nod from Sermanni. Both will be available for this weekend's May 25 road match against the Boston Breakers. They are scheduled to return to Washington to train with the Spirit following the June 2 friendly, though they could be called into camp again for US matches against South Korea on June 15 and June 20.

The USA is 44-3-5 all-time against Canada and has not lost to the Canadians since March 2001.

Also of note is the fact the grass field of BMO Field is not scheduled to host any games during the 2015 Women's World Cup. Canada has taken some criticism from international players for its plan to use fields with artificial surfaces.

U.S. Women's National Team Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Nicole Barnhart (FC Kansas City), Ashlyn Harris (Washington Spirit), Jill Loyden (Sky Blue FC)

DEFENDERS (8): Rachel Buehler (Portland Thorns FC), Crystal Dunn (North Carolina), Whitney Engen (Liverpool), Julie Johnston (Santa Clara), Ali Krieger (Washington Spirit), Kelley O'Hara (Sky Blue FC), Christie Rampone (Sky Blue FC), Becky Sauerbrunn (FC Kansas City)

MIDFIELDERS (6): Amber Brooks (Bayern Munich), Lauren Cheney (FC Kansas City), Tobin Heath (Paris Saint-Germain), Carli Lloyd (Western NY Flash), Kristie Mewis (FC Kansas City), Heather O'Reilly (Boston Breakers)

FORWARDS (4):

Sydney Leroux (Boston Breakers), Alex Morgan (Portland Thorns FC), Christen Press (Tyresö), Abby Wambach (Western NY Flash)

Richmond Kickers vs. Icon FC: Streaming, lineup, predictions, and GameThread

2013-05-21T19:00:07Z

The second round of the 100th edition of the US Open Cup is upon us, and this is the round in which most of the NASL and USL Pro teams enter the competition. The Richmond Kickers, featuring D.C. United loanees Andrew Dykstra and Michael Seaton, will take on New Jersey based Icon FC, who beat the Brooklyn Italians of the NPSL in the first round to earn a trip to Central Virginia. This is the first time that Icon FC have entered the US Open Cup, while the Kickers won the Cup in 1995 and made the semifinals in 2011.

Icon FC don't seem to have a website, but they star former D.C. United player Danny Szetela and Dilly Duka's brother, Argjent Duka; they are coached by Greg Bajek. In addition to the loanees, the Richmond Kickers have the top goalscorer in the professional era of the Open Cup (1995-present), David Bulow, but he has not made the bench so far this season despite being healthy.

The winner of this game faces D.C. United in the third round a week from today. If the Richmond Kickers win, United will travel down to Richmond; if Icon FC wins, the clash will occur at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds. As a side note, if you have not yet read Jeff Crandall's piece on the coin flips that determined the matchups and locations for the third round of the US Open Cup, stop what you are doing and do so now.

Time: 7:00 pm

Venue: City Stadium, Richmond, Va.

Streaming: As always, Richmond Kickers home games are available on uslnation.com; this one is no different.

Predicted lineup: With a game this past Friday and a game this coming Friday, I expect there to be some variability in the Kickers lineup. So I will predict that Andrew Dykstra will start in goal, with Juan Arbelaez, Henry Kalungi, Shane Johnson, and Alex Lee in defense. Philippe Davies and Sascha Goerres will start in defensive midfield, with Brian Ownby, David Bulow, and Joseph Haboush in front of them. Michael Seaton will start up top, with Kickers all-time leading scorer Matthew Delicate (who is coming back from an 18-month long lingering groin injury) coming in sometime early in the second half. Regulars William Yomby, Mike Callahan, Luke Vercollone, Nate Robinson, and Joseph Ngwenya all get some rest.

Result: Even the Kickers backups should be able to take care of an amateur team from the USASA, so I am going to go with a 3-0 win for the Kickers to set up a trip for D.C. United to Richmond next week.

Follow me here and on twitter for all of the updates for this game. If you watch, let's hear your pre-game, in-game, and post-game discussion!

Freedom Kicks: D.C. United links for May 21, 2013

2013-05-21T15:14:28Z

Happy Tuesday, ladies and gentlemen. D.C. United didn't lose last weekend. I wanted to remind everyone, just in case you forgot. We didn't lose. Hooray for not losing. Here are some things to read.

3 trialists at training today | The Twitter machine

I recommend not looking up Mike Grella's scoring record.

Feature: Nick DeLeon | D.C. United

Yay Nick DeLeon!

U.S. national team ticket sales update | Washington Post

Man ... the upper level of RFK kind of scares the crap out of me. 40k there is just ... are we sure no one's going to die?

As far as transfer rumors go, Gonzalo Higuaín to Arsenal actually makes some sense | Pro Soccer Talk

It makes a lot of sense, and as a Tottenham fan, I has a sad.

With 2-assist game vs. Dallas, Seattle Sounders' versatile Brad Evans adds new role to list: playmaker | Major League Soccer

Don't let anyone at our Sounders blog hear you say something positive about Brad Evans.

Productive Gekas sheds label as Human Relegator | ESPN FC

This is pretty nuts.

Real Madrid have learned nothing, and they don't deserve José Mourinho | SB Nation

Shots fired.