Daily Links: Union host rival D.C. United

Philadelphia Union News

Union carry momentum into rivalry showdown against D.C. United
D.C. United and head coach Wayne Rooney find themselves in the midst of a very congested Eastern Conference race. With 15 points through 12 matches, the club is one of seven teams with that amount of points in the East.

Jim Curtin’s tactical tweak in the Union’s latest win could be a sign of things to come
The 3-5-2 formation that the Union played was different from their usual setup, but it worked well. It could be seen more in the future, and it could get one of the team’s top prospects on the field.

The Union’s three Designated Players all got raises this year
Dániel Gazdag and Mikael Uhre got big raises, while Julián Carranza got a modest one for his first full year with the Union.

MLS News

MLS Midweek Preview: FC Cincinnati hosts CF Montreal, Inter Miami visits Nashville SC, and more
FC Cincinnati has remained atop the Eastern Conference standings following Week 12 MLS and although Pat Noonan’s squad did not feature over the weekend, they will be well rested heading into the first midweek slate of 2023.

MLS Power Rankings: Dallas, Montréal surge after Rivalry Week wins
The Union are now one spot outside the Top 5 in the latest MLS Power Rankings.

Shaqiri, Insigne & Chicharito: MLSPA releases 2023 player salaries guide
The guide contains players’ current annualized base salary and their annualized average guaranteed compensation.

Minnesota United star Emanuel Reynoso cleared to return by MLS following suspension
A two-time MLS All-Star, Reynoso is not expected to play in Minnesota United’s match against the visiting Houston Dynamo on Wednesday or their road contest versus the Portland Timbers on Saturday.

MLS games are all happening at once. Is that a good or bad thing?
The buffet of MLS matches played at the same time every week has garnered varying reactions from coaches, players, and fans.

US Soccer News

Folarin Balogun completes one-time switch to represent United States
The 21-year-old striker, born in Brooklyn, had come up in the English youth international system, but kept his options open to represent the USMNT. The Arsenal FC player, who is currently on loan with Reims, has 19 goals this season in Ligue 1, which is 5th among all scorers.

Time to shine: 10 MLS players to track at the FIFA U-20 World Cup
In 2023, nearly two dozen players across MLS (first team) and MLS NEXT Pro (second team) rosters await that opportunity. Fourteen players are representing the US, who enter as Concacaf champions and hope to build off three straight quarterfinal appearances at the premier youth tournament.

Rest of the World News

Inter advance to Champions League final, eliminate AC Milan behind Lautaro Martinez goal
Half of the Champions League final is set after Inter defeated Milan 1-0 (3-0 on aggregate) at the San Siro. Despite getting Rafael Leao back in the lineup, Milan were helpless during the match as Inter kept their attacks in front of them and were able to score a goal from Lautaro Martinez to put them through.