Brotherly Game - 2017 Preseason: Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Philadelphia Union story streamThe beautiful game with a Philadelphia attitudehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48005/brotherlygame-fave.png2017-02-18T22:50:33-05:00http://www.brotherlygame.com/rss/stream/144199852017-02-18T22:50:33-05:002017-02-18T22:50:33-05:00Jones’s goal lifts Union over Rowdies
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<img alt="MLS: Tampa Bay Rowdies vs Philadelphia Union" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/ngk9FDB6fyXLFxdG3Ax4CW_s7kw=/0x0:3404x2269/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53309163/usa_today_9886518.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Union worked in 21 players in their first official preseason game.</p> <p id="ibF9MR">A second-half goal from <span>Derrick Jones</span> was all the <a href="https://www.brotherlygame.com/">Philadelphia Union</a> needed to open up their Rowdies Suncoast Invitational campaign with a win. 21 Union players took part in the 1-0 victory over the host Tampa Bay Rowdies.</p>
<p id="NcLH14">Jones created the goal almost single-handedly, forcing a costly turnover from a Rowdy (a Rowdies player can be referred to as a Rowdy) in the midfield, then continuing up the field and dancing past goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald. </p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the 87th minute now, still 1-0 thanks to this beauty from Derrick Jones. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DOOP?src=hash">#DOOP</a> <a href="https://t.co/GfLVYx0pWp">pic.twitter.com/GfLVYx0pWp</a></p>— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilaUnion/status/833141327726403586">February 19, 2017</a>
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<h2 id="PQAF3K">First Half</h2>
<p id="Xy3KkG">Union XI: <span>Andre Blake</span>; Fabinho, <span>Richie Marquez</span>, Jack Elliott, <span>Ray Gaddis</span>; Derrick Jones, <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/245616/haris-medunjanin">Haris Medunjanin</a>; Marcus Epps, <span>Alejandro Bedoya</span>, <span>Fabian Herbers</span>; CJ Sapong</p>
<p id="UXWCZf">Though the first half was fairly messy as a whole, the Union did have a few pieces of really good play in the opening stages. The common denominator in all of them was Haris Medunjanin, the Bosnian midfielder who joined the club less than a month ago. Medunjanin’s quality was on display early, as he pulled off a few slick turns and sprayed the ball around the midfield with ease. His most impressive actions came in quick succession, as he hit inch-perfect 30-yard entry passes to Fabian Herbers and Marcus Epps within minutes of each other.</p>
<p id="jvOLG6">Alejandro Bedoya created the best chance of the half in the seventh minute, threading a ball to CJ Sapong from the top of the box. Though Sapong was one-on-one with the ‘keeper, his attempt wasn’t clean enough to give his team the lead.</p>
<h2 id="AvJOYD">Second Half</h2>
<p id="5Li4jh">Union XI: Blake; <span>Keegan Rosenberry</span>, <span>Ken Tribbett</span>, Jack Elliott, Giliano Wijnaldum; <span>Warren Creavalle</span>, Jones (<span>Brian Carroll</span> 76’); Ilsinho, Adam Najem (Anthony Fontana 76’), <span>Chris Pontius</span>; <span>Charlie Davies</span></p>
<p id="2DdK2H">The final 45 minutes were played at a bit of a slower pace, but the quality remained consistent with that of a preseason game. Still, the Union managed to create a few chances, including the one that would earn them the win.</p>
<p id="cwHycc">In the 70th minute, Chris Pontius shook a defender loose at the top of the box before unleashing a driven shot on goal. While the power was there, the placement wasn’t, as Fitzgerald controlled the ball without much trouble.</p>
<p id="qZ7hYY">Ten minutes later, 17-year-old Anthony Fontana created a similar chance for himself, but he too couldn’t beat Fitzgerald. </p>
<h2 id="B5svJm">Notes:</h2>
<ul>
<li id="pa1DVy">Haris Medunjanin has taken no time at all to show that he’s the best player on this team. The midfielder won’t give the pedometer a workout, but he makes the ball do all the work for him. He’s reminiscent of former Union midfielder <span>Vincent Nogueira</span>, but he seems to be capable of making more of an impact in the final third. Though the Union have been using him as their most defensive midfielder, he’ll need a partner willing to track back lest the back line will be left exposed too often. <span>Maurice Edu</span> can be that partner, but he’s still working his way back to full health.</li>
<li id="7iX15n">Despite his goal, Derrick Jones had a rough outing. The young midfielder’s passing is still very unpolished, and his defensive impact isn’t great enough to compensate for it. Most of his challenges were clunky, and he was finally shown a yellow card a few minutes before his goal. Another full season in Bethlehem will do him a lot of good.</li>
<li id="0mLMLa">Jack Elliott, the Union’s fourth-round pick from West Virginia University, showed well at center back. The tall Englishman was the only field player to play all 90 minutes on Saturday night, and he demonstrated a relatively impressive passing range for a defensive player. That, paired with his physical tools, make it likely that he’ll earn a roster spot with Bethlehem Steel.</li>
<li id="MOERF4">Anthony Fontana showed promise in his 15-minute shift, creating space for himself in the box on two occasions. The 17-year-old Academy player made eight appearances for Bethlehem last season.</li>
</ul>
https://www.brotherlygame.com/2017/2/18/14660158/derrick-jones-goal-lifts-philadelphia-union-over-tampa-bay-rowdies-mls-preseason-suncoastJohn Rossi2017-02-18T21:37:13-05:002017-02-18T21:37:13-05:00Philadelphia Union 1, Tampa Bay Rowdies 0: Recap and player ratings
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<img alt="Derrick Jones" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/iskec6K92TOtrbKZULolQoMIGN0=/0x0:1083x722/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53308631/derrickjonesamaniampong.0.0.jpg" />
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<p>A Derrick Jones goal was enough to give the Union a 1-0 win at Al Lang Stadium.</p> <p id="1xN2gJ">By preseason standards, it was a great game. The players all looked pretty fit, the Union scored a goal, and no one got hurt as the <a href="https://www.brotherlygame.com/">Philadelphia Union</a> downed the Tampa Bay Rowdies 1-0.</p>
<p id="Iw8Qd7">After a rather uneventful first half, <span>Derrick Jones</span> got sprung on a great pass from <span>Chris Pontius</span> and faked out the goalkeeper to give the Union a goal in the 73rd minute.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">In the 87th minute now, still 1-0 thanks to this beauty from Derrick Jones. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DOOP?src=hash">#DOOP</a> <a href="https://t.co/GfLVYx0pWp">pic.twitter.com/GfLVYx0pWp</a></p>— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilaUnion/status/833141327726403586">February 19, 2017</a>
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<p id="d755Pd">In the most preseason of things, the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ Neil Collins was sent off for a verbal altercation with an assistant referee. <span>Jim Curtin</span> was a gracious guest however and let Tampa sub someone out.</p>
<p id="EC1j6J">So how did the Union players individually perform against the Tampa Bay Rowdies? Fill out the sheet by rating the players on a scale from 1-10 using the guide below. The votes will be counted and in the future we'll compare the fans votes against other player ratings to see just how well the Union did.</p>
<p id="qrFoX4">Here's the scale:</p>
<p id="uxkj8c">1 - not a pro (USL/NASL/MLS) quality performance</p>
<p id="x2nmzC">4 - average USL starter</p>
<p id="wabpXp">6 - average MLS starter</p>
<p id="l6R6PI">9 - MLS All Star</p>
<div id="P9C8kW"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 141.4227%;"><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScrFF3LQ0ho5exwNN06o-sVudi5uIqspwiV5b20ycvzkN5DdQ/viewform?embedded=true&amp;usp=embed_googleplus" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
https://www.brotherlygame.com/2017/2/18/14656194/philadelphia-union-tampa-bay-rowdies-2017-preseason-match-recap-player-ratingsEugene Rupinski2017-02-18T19:20:11-05:002017-02-18T19:20:11-05:00Game thread: Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Philadelphia Union
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<img alt="MLS: Preseason-D.C. United vs Philadelphia Union" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/5KS5OeGfgt21QzcrKNVpfzcfxK0=/0x66:4046x2763/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53307799/usa_today_9121084.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The Philadelphia Union are back in action, kicking off the 2017 season against the Tampa Bay Rowdies</p> <div id="eBK4AJ"><div><div style="left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4SuGyDlYkn4?wmode=transparent&rel=0&autohide=1&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" style="top: 0px; left: 0px; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div></div></div>
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<p id="Stql6u"><strong>Game Info</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="0SGntS">Date: Saturday, February 18, 2017</li>
<li id="UYJcVy">Time: 7:30 PM ET</li>
<li id="5VHBqs">Place: Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL</li>
<li id="jApGco">Stream: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/RowdiesOfficial">Tampa Bay Rowdies YouTube (RowdiesOfficial)</a>
</li>
</ul>
<p id="KfE00y"></p>
<p id="9ywC8f">Know Thy Enemy: In lieu of an SB Nation blog, visit <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/">/r/TampaBayRowdies</a> for Rowdies info/links/and the like.</p>
<p id="pVY6sd"></p>
<p id="6xMCIR"><strong>Starting XI</strong></p>
<ul>
<li id="n5TFro">
<a href="https://www.brotherlygame.com/">Philadelphia Union</a>: <span>Andre Blake</span>; <span>Ray Gaddis</span>, Jack Elliott, <span>Richie Marquez</span>, Fabinho; <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/245616/haris-medunjanin">Haris Medunjanin</a>, <span>Derrick Jones</span>; <span>Fabian Herbers</span>, Marcus Epps; C.J. Sapong</li>
<li id="UgbIOr">Tampa Bay Rowdies: <span>Matt Pickens</span>; Darnell King, Tamika Mkandawire, Neill Collins, <span>Luke Boden</span>; Martin Vingaard, <span>Michael Nanchoff</span>; <span>Darwin Jones</span>, Joe Cole, <span>Leo Fernandes</span>; <span>Martin Paterson</span>
</li>
</ul>
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<p id="zyW9FW"><strong>Injuries</strong></p>
<p id="26uWFL">Philadelphia Union</p>
<ul>
<li id="3hPdAR">
<span>Josh Yaro</span> will miss the next 3-4 months to undergo shoulder surgery.</li>
<li id="mhoHIg">
<span>Maurice Edu</span> is still rehabbing from a broken leg suffered last October.</li>
</ul>
https://www.brotherlygame.com/2017/2/18/14655948/how-to-watch-tampa-bay-rowdies-vs-philadelphia-union-streaming-live-onlineJustin F.2017-02-18T09:00:02-05:002017-02-18T09:00:02-05:00Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Philadelphia Union preview
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<img alt="Philadelphia Union Preseason 2017 - Photo Gallery" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/XAp0Bly-bTHjFL1phIMmQbQp2L8=/0x0:6000x4000/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53301419/_DSC5036.0.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Trey Madara / Brotherly Game</figcaption>
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<p>Finally.</p> <p id="SFs0yv"><strong>Game:</strong> Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. <a href="https://www.brotherlygame.com/">Philadelphia Union</a></p>
<p id="aKhkda"><strong>Date: </strong>Saturday, February 18th</p>
<p id="YaCzFz"><strong>Time: </strong>7:30 PM Eastern, 4:30 PM Pacific (12:30 AM UTC)</p>
<p id="cwH35Y"><strong>Venue:</strong> Al Lang Stadium (Saint Petersburg, Fla.)</p>
<p id="I1qPOp"><strong>Television:</strong> None</p>
<p id="Znnb9P"><strong>Streaming: </strong><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/RowdiesOfficial">Tampa Bay Rowdies YouTube Channel</a></p>
<h1 id="eVav6b">Finally.</h1>
<p id="3Qg91t">The offseason is over, and the preseason is about to begin in earnest as the Philadelphia Union are set to play in an actual friendly match tonight, and it feels <em>so good to say that.</em> The random scrimmages that have been played before were ok, but this will be a real test in a real game setting. The Union will be able to get a good look at themselves and focus on playing their brand of soccer for 90 minutes. It may be messy and chaotic at times, but they’ll be forced to think on their feet against a live opponent.</p>
<p id="o3oLYo">The Union should line up in their normal 4-2-3-1, with much of the expected opening day lineup available. <span>Andre Blake</span> should be back in time from a friendly on Thursday night in Houston with the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/jamaica">Jamaica</a> National Team to finally get some reps in goal with his new back line in front of him. Look for Giliano Wijnaldum to start on the left next to Richie Marquez. This will be the first good look at Wijnaldum that the Union fans will get, so it will be interesting to see how he not only meshes with Blake and Marquez but with the midfield as well. <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/110911/oguchi-onyewu">Oguchi Onyewu</a> should get the nod at right center back for the injured Josh Yaro. With <span>Ken Tribbett</span> in the rotation, one has to imagine this job is Gooch’s to lose. Finally at right back should be <span>Keegan Rosenberry</span>, who Union fans first got a look at around this time last year when <span>Ray Gaddis</span> went down with an injury in preseason.</p>
<p id="1Kka6D">The midfield will also be interesting to watch, as head coach <span>Jim Curtin</span> said in the press conference on Thursday that he would look to play <span>Alejandro Bedoya</span> in the 8 with Bosnian midfielder <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/players/245616/haris-medunjanin">Haris Medunjanin</a> in the 6. How these two are able to play off one another will be critical to the Union’s success this season. If these two can mesh early to snuff out opposing threats as well as create offensive opportunities, then the Union will be well on their way.</p>
<p id="Pc1MUd">Look for <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/united-states">United States</a> National Team debutante <span>Chris Pontius</span> to start on the left wing with <span>Roland Alberg</span> taking the 10 from <span>Tranquillo Barnetta</span> and much fitter Ilson Jr. on the right wing. The dynamics in play between these three - Pontius slashing and cutting from the left, Alberg looking for daylight to rip a shot or send a through ball, and Ilson Jr.’s technical mastery and ability to put you on the wrong end of a highlight reel - provide the Union a multitude of options.</p>
<p id="EIEnQT">Perhaps the biggest question mark for Union fans though will be the man up top Jay Simpson. The fans just don’t know much about him, not having many opportunities to see him at Leyton Orient in <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/fifa/teams/england">England</a> and only one preseason scrimmage to go on. What we’ve seen so far has been comforting, however it wouldn’t be the first time that a Union player has looked like a world-beater in the preseason then shrunk during the regular season. That said, the match against Tampa should provide the Union fans more of a benchmark for Simpson and help us set our expectations as to how he’ll perform this season.</p>
<p id="Q8ckMY">The Tampa Bay Rowdies are about to enter the unknown as well. This will be their first season in USL after being in NASL since the club was re-started in 2008 as FC Tampa Bay. Most MLS fans however will recognize a lot of the names on the roster. Goalkeeper Matt Pickens backstopped the <a href="https://www.burgundywave.com/">Colorado Rapids</a> to their MLS Cup win in 2010. Left back <span>Luke Boden</span> was one of the few guys that made the transition from USL to MLS with <a href="https://www.themaneland.com/">Orlando City</a> in 2014. Reading United alum and ex-<a href="https://www.sounderatheart.com/">Seattle Sounders</a> defender <span>Damion Lowe</span> has played with Andre Blake for the Jamaica National Team. Midfielder Joe Cole played in the English Premier League for the better part of two decades with <a href="https://bracethehammer.sbnation.com/">West Ham United</a>, <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>, <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>, and Aston Villa as well as being capped by England 56 times. <span>Leo Fernandes</span> was with the Union for the past three seasons. Forward Georgi Hristov trialed with the Union in 2013 before signing with Tampa. The list of guys with MLS experience is long, and it would be foolhardy to think these guys aren’t going out there with something to prove and to get noticed by a club. They’ll make life difficult for the Union for sure.</p>
<p id="7eVWVQ">That being said, don’t look at the final score in these matches. Much like watching the Eagles in preseason or the Phillies in spring training, the final scores are just about meaningless. Instead look for fitness levels. Are guys sucking wind after 20 minutes? Is there someone who looks good enough to go for 70-90 minutes? Look for timing as the match goes on. Are passes going to where no one is? Are people getting on the end of crosses? These are the sorts of things to focus on.</p>
<p id="lUTyTd">It’s good to be back.</p>
https://www.brotherlygame.com/2017/2/18/14655522/tampa-bay-rowdies-vs-philadelphia-union-2017-preseason-match-preview-how-to-watch-online-streamingEugene Rupinski2017-02-17T11:00:02-05:002017-02-17T11:00:02-05:00Suncoast Invitational roster includes two academy players and two unsigned draft picks
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<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/I3EEfkkVvxi1alo-dZqaGVh4FMc=/102x0:2099x1331/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/53286069/tomasromero.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Tomas Romero | Matt Ralph</figcaption>
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<p>Anthony Fontana, Tomas Romero, Jack Elliott and Aaron Jones will be with the team for the preseason tournament</p> <p id="iKKcAf">A pair of academy standouts and two unsigned draft picks fill out the <a href="https://www.brotherlygame.com/">Philadelphia Union</a>’s preseason roster released ahead of the Rowdies Suncoast Invitational Tournament.</p>
<p id="uGbFzo">The Union released the roster on Thursday ahead of their first official preseason match against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.</p>
<p id="odnkoN">Midfielder Anthony Fontana and goalkeeper Tomas Romero are the two academy players on the roster. Goalkeeper Kristopher Shakes, who has also spent time with the first team in Florida, wasn’t included. </p>
<p id="h8CPGo">Indy Eleven goalkeeper Keith Cardona, who has spent time training with the team, is one noticeable absence from the roster, which has just the two first team keepers and Romero. </p>
<p id="Fv7w0n">Two of the Union’s three unsigned draft picks are included, defenders Aaron Jones and Jack Elliott while the other unsigned pick is still with the organization training with Bethlehem Steel FC. Jones’ Clemson teammate Alex Happi, who spent time with the first team before they left for Florida, is also still training with Steel FC. </p>
<p id="vPkiYp">Santi Moar was the first of the Union’s five draft picks to sign when he inked a USL deal with Bethlehem and Marcus Epps has signed a first team contract. </p>
<p id="lX92kh">The 28 allotted spots on the first team roster are currently full, but two additional spots for homegrown players are <a href="http://www.rslsoapbox.com/2016/12/20/14026538/mls-adding-two-homegrown-spots-rsl-success">reportedly set to be added by the league</a>. A third roster spot could also be reserved for a player sent on a season-long loan to Bethlehem. </p>
<p id="wM5rIo">The Union will play <a href="https://www.mountroyalsoccer.com/">Montreal Impact</a> on February 22 at 7 p.m. and <a href="https://www.blackandredunited.com/">D.C. United</a> on February 25 at 5 p.m. All three games will be played at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg. </p>
<div id="LgQRaK"><div data-anthem-component="table:317093"></div></div>
<h5 id="5xHvRV"> * Unsigned draft pick<br> # Member of the Philadelphia Union Academy</h5>
https://www.brotherlygame.com/2017/2/17/14640744/suncoast-invitational-roster-union-academy-players-unsigned-draft-picksMatthew Ralph