Union News Conference scheduled for 2pm. Novak's 1:30 press conference was cancelled. From a Union beat writer Dave Zeitlin @DaveZeitlin I've been told this Union press conference is a very important one.
About six months too late, I'm afraid, but it was a move they absolutely needed to make. Hopefully they can bring in a new coach and maybe a new DP to go with it.
Yeah.. Damage is already done. They lost a lot of good players during this off-season/season and replaced them with.. not as good players...
It is Nowak's M.O. Seriously, he did the same thing at DCU at the end. Traded away Adu in the offseason and then immediately jetted. Now he traded away good LeToux (and Mwanga) and is gone. I said this when he left DC for Philly .... I hope they enjoy him for 2 or 3 years, because players grow tired of his schtick rather quickly. I've long said that he makes a better national team coach then league coach. And I'll stick by that assessment.
I'd think Hackworth takes the job in the interim. Rumors say he's the heir-apparent when/if Nowak is gone, but maybe they use the remainder of the season to evaluate him and/or look for a permanent replacement. I wonder if player movement decisions become null and void when the decision-maker leaves. Red rover, red rover, send Le Toux/Harvey/Califf back over. -EDIT- Watch here: http://www.philadelphiaunion.com/live http://www.csnphilly.com/live1
Official: Nowak out: CEO & Operating Partner Nick Sakiewicz announces that coach Peter Nowak is stepping down.— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 13, 2012 Hackworth in: John Hackworth will replace Nowak as head coach of the club.— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) June 13, 2012
well that presser had a distinctly Bataan Death Marchy feel to it didn't it .... all is not sunshine and lollipops in the land of the progeny of franklin.
Well hey, at least Nowak didn't trade away all of your assets before stepping down...wait... I do genuinely feel for the Philly fans. This same time last year, the Union were rivaling the Galaxy for best team in the league. Then players left/were traded away and it all went downhill.
No love for Hackworth from MLS: http://www.mlssoccer.com/all-star/2...all-star-mls-announce-nowaks-replacement-soon
This was going to happen. Looks like the WCQ break was judgement day for a few coaches. Unlike Winter who was down to just poor results. Nowak was a different story. Nowak may have been a MLS legend in his day as a player but as a coach he has left me for a lot of lost words. At DC he did win MLS cup his first season, yes, but it was due largely by the only GOOD move he ever made as a coach which was okay the deal to bring in Cristian Gomez. And for at least 4 seasons Gomez was no question the best player in MLS scoring and assisting double digits his first 3 seasons. But after that it was all down hill. Nowak left DC to go to the USMNT with Bob Bradley and dispite good seasons at DC was always shy of winning gold after 2004. The good times at DC were marred by how Nowak benched Freddy Adu. Played Freddy Adu out of position. Used him in a Copa SurAmericana game as a D-MID and then traded Adu. His Olyimpic run with the U23 was a flop as the US went 3 and out. And took a very good Philly team and tore it apart. Nowak always had a strong temper and I think that was what has doomed him in his teams. He tends to have a gripe with the most talented players on his team. This all started (in Philly) with Carlos Ruiz... The Union locker room with Nowak in it was not a happy place... This we do know.... way to many players have runned for the hills when coached by Nowak. Or have been pushed out.... Nowak has yet to realize he is NO LONGER the star player. He is a coach and he should be honored to coach good players. That is why coaches like Guardiola are champions and coaches like Maradona fail. Nowak is the latter.
After building it up. Can't forget that. You can't blame Nowak for the dismantling without acknowledging the role he played in building that team.
Caleb Porter needs the experience of coaching the MLS All-Stars. Although if they're considering a short term/temporary hire of someone in the area, I'm sure MLS might be eyeing José Mourinho for that All-Star coaching gig.
My recollection about Adu and DC was that his departure was either mutual or at his request to go on to bigger and better things. It's a little revisionist to blame Freddy's move to RSL on Nowak's ego or poor decisionmaking. And since Freddy's time at RSL was hardly covered in glory, it's hard to say DC made a bad trade.