Some Soccer News for Jun 2, 2017

It's Day 153 of 2017.


MINNESOTA UNITED

One final review of Minn Utd v Orlando, with attention paid to Brent Kallman and the team's defensive shape. By Noel Quinn for Fifty Five One.

You, dearest du Nord reader, most likely know this story all too well, but in case you don't: Why Minnesota United are nicknamed "the Loons"?

Ismaila Jome made his first MLS start last week, and you probably want to know more about him. By Andy Greder for the St Paul Pioneer Press.

Minnesota centerback Joe Greenspan has been nominated for USL Player Of The Month for May during his loan spell at Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Fantastic.

The real key to Kansas City's consistent success has been their commitment to defense. By Matt Pentz for ESPNFC.

Even though he was called up to the USA team this week Matt Besler has returned to KC for 2 days to play the Saturday game with his club.

Schedule/Results:
-Sat Jun 3
Kansas City v Minnesota - 4pm CT on ESPN

MNUFC released a basic outline of the stadium construction timetable. Cloud City here we come!

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USMNT

Matt Besler has been released to his club SKC team for this weekend's game.

Jorge Villafana's rise from reality TV to Chivas USA to Portland Timbers to Santos Laguna to USMNT. He is no longer Sueno. Quite the journey. By Brian Straus for Sports Illustrated.

• Bruce Arena on Villafana: "He’s a left back, which is one of the criteria I think you should have for selecting a left back."

Solidifying and then building the USMNT squad is Bruce Arena's main job, but getting points must be the teams only focus. By Steve Davis for Four Four Two.

Friendly Schedule:
-Sat Jun 3
USA v Venezuela - Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy UT - 9:00pm CT on FS1

USA Roster (26 players):

• G: Brad Guzan - Atlanta United, Ethan Horvath - Club Brugge, Tim Howard - Colorado Rapids, Nick Rimando - Real Salt Lake
• D: DaMarcus Beasley - Houston Dynamo, Matt Besler - Sporting Kansas City, John Brooks - Hertha Berlin, Geoff Cameron - Stoke City, Timothy Chandler - Eintracht Frankfurt, Omar Gonzalez - Pachuca, Matt Hedges - Dallas, Tim Ream - Fulham, Jorge Villafana - Santos Laguna, DeAndre Yedlin - Newcastle, Graham Zusi - Sporting Kansas City
• M: Kellyn Acosta - Dallas, Paul Arriola - Tijuana, Alejandro Bedoya - Philadelphia Union, Michael Bradley - Toronto, Fabian Johnson - Borussia Moenchengladbach, Dax McCarty - Chicago Fire, Darlington Nagbe - Portland Timbers, Christian Pulisic - Borussia Dortmund
• F: Jozy Altidore - Toronto, Clint Dempsey - Seattle Sounders, Jordan Morris - Seattle Sounders, Bobby Wood - Hamburg
• C: Bruce Arena

Venezuela Roster:

• G: Alain Baroja - Sud America, Jose Contreras - Deportivo Tachira
• D: Paul Camacho - Deportivo Tachira, John Chancellor - Dolphin, Rolf Feltscher - Real Zaragoza, Alexander Gonzalez - Huesca, Jose Luis Marrufo - Mineros De Guayana, Yordan Osorio - Tondela, Rubert Quijada - Caracas, Jeffree Vargas - Arouca, Jose Manuel Velazquez - Arouca, Mikel Villanueva - Malaga
• M: Archimedes Figuera - Universitario, Francisco Flores - Mineros de Guayana, Alejandro Guerra - Palmeiras, Jacob Kouffati - Millionaires, Francisco La Mantia - Deportivo La Guaira, Darwin Machis - Leganes, Junior Moreno - Zulia, Jhon Murillo - Tondela, Romulo Otero - Atletico Mineiro, Aristotle Romero - Mineros de Guayana, Jefferson Savarino - Real Salt Lake
• F: Andres Ponce - Lugano, Salomon Rondon - West Bromwich Albion, Christian Santos - Deportivo Alaves, Edder Starling - Caracas
• C: Rafael Dumadel

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Samantha Kerr of Sky Blue named NWSL Player Of The Month for May

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Zach Steinberger of Jacksonville Armada named NASL Player Of The Month for May

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Yield: du Nord Music Mix Vol 126 (download + extract)

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MLS

The turnaround this season by the Chicago Fire is very very important to the fans in the stands. By John Kass for the Chicago Tribune.

Dallas has wisely signed young goalkeeper Jess Gonzalez to a new 4 year contract.

Houston and Chicago were the worst of the worst last season, yet somehow they are flying high right now. By Steve Davis for Four Four Two.

Week 14
(15 games)
-Wed May 31
Columbus 3-0 Seattle
New York City 2-2 New England
Orlando 2-0 DC
Houston 5-1 Salt Lake
-Fri Jun 2
Portland v San Jose
-Sat Jun 3
New York City v Philadelphia
Kansas City v Minnesota - 4pm CT on ESPN
Vancouver v Atlanta
DC v LA
New England v Toronto
Montreal v New York RB
Dallas v Salt Lake
Colorado v Columbus
-Sun Jun 4
Orlando v Chicago
Seattle v Houston

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Five talented NASL players with the potential to achieve bigger things. By Jeff Rueter for Four Four Two.

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Men's U20 World Cup - South Korea

Quarterfinal Schedule/Results:
Venezuela v USA - Jun 4 - 1:00am CT on FS2
Portugal v Uruguay - Jun 4
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Italy v Zambia - Jun 5
Mexico v England - Jun 5

USA Roster

• G: Jonathan Klinsmann - U California, JT Marcinkowski - Georgetown U, Brady Scott - De Anza Force
• D: Danny Acosta - Real Salt Lake, Cameron Carter-Vickers - Tottenham, Justen Glad - Real Salt Lake, Aaron Herrera - U New Mexico, Erik Palmer-Brown - Sporting Kansas City, Tommy Redding - Orlando City, Auston Trusty - Philadelphia Union
• M: Tyler Adams - New York Red Bulls, Luca De La Torre - Fulham, Derrick Jones - Philadelphia Union, Eryk Williamson - U Maryland
• F: Jeremy Ebobisse - Portland Timbers, Lagos Kunga - Atlanta United, Brooks Lennon - Real Salt Lake, Emmanuel Sabbi - unaffiliated, Josh Sargent - St. Louis Scott Gallagher Missouri, Sebastian Saucedo - Real Salt Lake
• C: Tab Ramos

The tournament.

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UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIFINALS

Can two famous fullbacks, Marcelo and Dani Alves, be the key to victory in the Final? They will face off head to head on one side of the field. By Jonathan Wilson for Sports Illustrated.

I don't think there is any doubt that a win in this game would mean more to the players of Juventus than those of Real Madrid. By Rory Smith for the New York Times.

• Is there any way they could both lose? That would be nice.

Final:
-Sat Jun 3
Juventus v Real Madrid - 1:45pm CT on Fox from Cardiff Wales

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Much like pick up basketball in places like New York City changed the NBA, could pick up soccer in South London change the Premier League? By Rory Smith for the New York Times.

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The coach, Jorge Sampaoli, who brought Chile that perro loco attitude over the past 5 years is now the new head man for Argentina. Very curious to see how this works out.

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German club 1860 Munchen has fallen, I mean really fallen, and may not get up. The perennial 2nd division team were just relegated to the 3rd division 2 weeks ago, but the club management missed the deadline to pay the register fee for next season and therefore they have been relegated to the 4th division, and possibly the 5th division if certain requirements are not met. From Deutsche Welle.

• $$$$$ seems to be the issue. Big Surprise.

The Bird Is The Word