The Bimbo sponsorship only has the Union training in Orlando. When it comes to a preseason tournament, the Union can participate anywhere (last PreSeason Central America, and the 2011 PreSeason Greece.) By the Union participating in the inferior preseason tournament, its likely going to have an impact on the season overall. Instead of versing 3+ MLS playoff teams to start off the season, the Union will be versing USL & NASL teams! Its just a negative situation.
New England played in the 2012 Desert Cup, winning all 3 of their group stage matches and only losing in the championship game by PKs. Clearly playing well in this superior preseason tournament had a positive effect on their season overall.
Beyond Bimbo sponsorship, there are practical reasons to play in Orlando. For the team and for most Union fans (I am aware of tens of thousands of Union fans on the East Coast and somewhere between zero and two in the Pacific Time Zone) it is far more practical to travel to Orlando than to Tuscon. I will be going to Orlando in February. I probably would not go to Tuscon.
I guess DCU, SKC, and Montreal didn't get the memo. I heard that TFC will also be one of the eight clubs participating. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Walt_Disney_World_Pro_Soccer_Classic Orlando City are no pushover, either.
There are normally 8 teams entered into the Disney Tournament. So far, for 2013, these are the confirmed teams: D.C. United Philadelphia Union Sporting Kansas City Tampa Bay Rowdies Montreal Impact I see 1 NASL team, and 4 MLS teams in that list, 2 of which finished 2nd & 3rd in the Supporter's Shield race, (Vancouver may come back to defend their championship, to make it a 5th MLS team). That 1 NASL team also went to the 3rd round of the Open Cup, AND won the 2012 NASL championship...hardly "Our Sisters of the Poor" material, as you are suggesting. Petulance is very unbecoming.
I would rather the Union play in relevant tournament that is at least "televised" on ESPN3 against MLS competition that is only a relatively inexpensive 2 hour flight from Philadelphia, than have to travel 3 time zones away to play significantly inferior competition which receives no air time online or on television that won't show how your current crop can stack up against current MLS players, where the flight will be significantly more expensive. Then again, I like the smell of bus fumes.
MacMath is training alongside Tim Howard at Everton for three (?) weeks. Hernandez doing a training stint with Real Sociedad. Along with GK @zacmacmath doing a training stint with Everton, homegrown player @c_hernandez31 will train with Spain's Real Sociedad #DOOP— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) November 5, 2012
How does something like that work? Does the Union pay all of MacMath's expenses? Does the Union pay Everton? Is there any requirement that Howard be nice or helpful to MacMath? What's in it for Everton to want to do something like this?
MacMath does Timmy's laundry and cook for him. In exchange, Timmy will show Zac how not to punt a ball directly out of play.
I would tend to doubt that considering that MacMath is pretty low down on the list of US keepers. Based on recent history, Johnson and Hamid would seem to be ahead of him. I find it interesting that training loans are pretty common but nobody (here) knows how it really works. What about for guys like Matt Kassel or Patrick From England who the Union bring in as trialists? Do they get paid? Do they get housing/hotel, airfare, living expenses, salary?
In terms of the trialists like Kassel and Kanyuka, they likely get team meals like everyone else, living arrangements somewhat provided or at least arranged (a shot-in-the-dark trialist like Kanyuka stayed with Lahoud for the time that he was here although a more-heralded trialist like Paunovic may have had hotel provided - nearby-location trialists like Kassel and Mkosana probably just crashed at other players' houses, if needed). They do not get a salary for their training/trialing stint as they essentially are trying to get a job, either now (i.e. Paunovic, Herdling) or down the road (i.e. Kassel, Mkosana - did not seem like either of them was going to sign this season but they are letting the coaching staff get a good, long view of them now as well as understand how the team trains so that they are better prepared to fight for a job in the pre-season). MLS used to allow trialists to be signed for a weekend contract for reserve games back when the reserve league was first formed - they got a few hundred $ but I have not seen that type of contract described in the press in a while. In terms of the overseas training, they would not get a salary - assumedly the host team gives team meals and arranges living accomodations. The host team gets a chance to look at the player for future transfer purpoes (i.e. MacMath has gone to Everton a few times now) - the player or his team (i.e. Union) likely pays for the travel to get him there and back (as it would be like any other employer paying for an employee's travel related to him getting developmental training) and the player is likely on the hook for non-team provided meals and whatever else he does when not training with the foreign team.
He is indeed, Chris Woods, I think. That sounds like a plausible connection. Perhaps this is also somewhat related to relationship built during the training stint and friendly Everton had here. Remember that the Everton U17 or 18s came over and played the Union's as well.
Lahoud was nominated for MLS W.O.R.K.S. Humanitarian of the Year along with Kei Kamara and Chris Seitz. Seitz should win this award, but good on Lahoud for being nominated, although I'm not really sure why.