Category: Columns – Sports
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Philadelphia Union, the team for the world’s moment
(Published by The Philly Soccer Page on Nov. 9, 2020) Ten years ago, Vice President Joe Biden and his granddaughter Natalie welcomed Philadelphia Union into the world with the first kick at the club’s first home game. Now, days after the Philadelphia region gave the world a massive gift by playing a crucial role in electing […]
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Le Toux isn’t a Union legend. He’s something more.
(Published by The Philly Soccer Page on May 8, 2018) I miss Sebastien Le Toux. I miss the runs. The goals. The perfect crosses. The engine that never quit. I miss the hustle. The work ethic. The way he loved not just Philadelphia, but Philadelphians, so much so that he even married one and essentially […]
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Ilsinho, streetballer extraordinaire — but is that all?
(Published Aug. 9, 2016 in The Philly Soccer Page) Every basketball streetballer knows a playground legend. He’s the guy with the nasty handle and the thousand-mile J. He can break your ankles off the dribble, drop a dime in your eye, and call “water” before the net tells you, “Swish.” He’s got more tricks than […]
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The good old days that never were
(Published July 25, 2015 in The Philly Soccer Page) There was a time not all that long ago that Philadelphia soccer fans brimmed with optimism. They had a new team, it was full of young and promising talent flanked by a few likeable and capable veterans with strong character, and the future of professional soccer […]
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The difference between a good and bad team
(Published on April 28, 2015 in The Philly Soccer Page) The difference between good and bad teams in MLS is three goals. The Columbus Crew are a good team. Philadelphia Union are clearly a bad team. No more talking about how much talent the Union have, how likable Jim Curtin is, or what level of play […]
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How to play Moneyball in MLS
(Published Feb. 3, 2015 in The Philly Soccer Page) In all the talk about MLS clubs like Philadelphia Union playing Moneyball, there tends to be some confusion at times. Some people mix up the concepts of Moneyball, cheap, and dumb. In actuality, they’re quite different. Moneyball is neither cheap nor dumb. Cheap and dumb are, […]
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Don’t panic, Union fans! (Or, panic.)
(Published on Jan. 28, 2015 in The Philly Soccer Page) DON’T PANIC. I learned this lesson from a book I read some years ago, a book purchased in part because of the large, friendly letters on the book cover that said, “DON’T PANIC,” and in part because it was on sale at a slightly lower […]
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Still hating on the World Cup? Here’s why you should watch, even if you’re not a soccer fan
(Published on June 27, 2014, by The Oregonian, Newark Star-Ledger, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Cleveland Plain-Dealer and other Advance newspapers) This is why you love sports. That one play. The one moment of transcendent athletic brilliance that you’ll remember your whole life. Kirk Gibson’s home run in the 1988 World Series. Christian Laettner’s buzzer-beater against Kentucky. […]
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The legend of Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, and replacing USA’s Jozy Altidore
(Published on June 17 by The Oregonian, New Orleans Times-Picayune, Newark Star-Ledger, Cleveland Plain-Dealer, and other Advance publications) For those people who bemoan soccer’s perceived lack of scoring, we bring you the new legend of Guillermo Ochoa. The Fortress of Fortaleza, the Great Wall of Mexico, the Six-Fingered Man — call him what you will. He […]
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Brazil promises a spectacle, but corruption and protests could bring disaster
Soccer is not everything in Brazil. It’s just the biggest thing.
Daniel Walsh 