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Morning Ticker: USL Final set, Gladbach coach fired and Poland reaches FIFA deal

Somebody finally stopped the Montreal Impact and it figures that it would be another Canadian team to do it.

The Vancouver White Caps ended Montreal’s dream USL season with a 2-0 victory that helped give Vancouver a 2-1 series aggregate victory in the USL playoff semifinals on Sunday.

First-half goals from Jeff Clark and Eduardo Sebrango provided the margin of victory for Vancouver, which received a shutout from goalkeeper Tyler Baldock, who made his first start of the season in place of suspended goalkeeper Jay Nolly.

The White Caps will now face the Puerto Rico Islanders in the USL Final after Puerto Rico overcame a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat the Rochester Rhinos, 3-2. Cristian Arrieta headed home a Petter Villegas corner kick in the 119th minute to give the Islanders the victory.

The USL Final is set for Oct. 12 in Vancouver.

Here are some other news stories to get your day started:

Moenchengladbach fires manager

German club Borussia Moenchengladbach fired head coach Jos Luhukay on Sunday, a day after the club lost its sixth game in seven matches.

The news could be a blessing for U.S. national team midfielder Michael Bradley, who has been left on the bench in recent matches for Moenchengladbach.  Sporting director Christian Ziege will take over as head coach. Ziege was directly responsible for the club buying Bradley from Heerenveen this summer, which could lead to some increased playing time for the former MetroStar.

Poland close to deal to avoid FIFA penalties

Just when you thought Poland might lose the right to host Euro 2012, there comes a deal to bring things back to normal.

Poland faced major sanctions by FIFA if its government did not re-instate the Polish Soccer Federation after suspending it amid investigations of corruption. The soccer federation and goverment reached a last-minute deal on Monday and is awaiting FIFA’s response to the deal.

Poland and Ukraine are set to co-host Euro 2012.

These are just some of the stories from today and Sunday to help get your day going. Feel free to share your thoughts on these, and any other stories from this morning or Sunday in the comments section below.

Comments

  1. I was at the Islander’s game. The atmosphere was very good, even though Puerto Rico is not soccer savy. The fact that the Islanders are the only team on the Island to play in a nation wide league, will help them build on their growing, and enthusiastic fan base.

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  2. What was Bradley’s transfer deal in relation to the transfer deals of top class midfielders? I keep hearing about American players that gee, since their clubs forked over THIS much money, they must see SOMETHING in the guy… but I’m beginning to believe that going prices everywhere have been inflated by the inordinate amount of money that is being pumped into the game.

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  3. Tex, sometimes players turn out to be busts, but your analysis seems totally dismissive of MB’s Heerenveen career (really!), and quite unsurprised that he is just a sub on the Bundesliga’s worst team. The math just doesn’t add up. Bradley may not be the second coming (of whomever) but a team just doesn’t go out and spend what they did for a guy who had a great season, and let him sit on the bench. Something is not right, and I doubt it is that MB has nothing to offer. I don’t think cynical analysis is in order here.

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  4. Bradley has been on the bench because he’s not at the level of the other players who are playing. He’s considered a sub on a bad team. Great move to leave Holland.

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  5. “…Michael Bradley, who has been left on the bench in recent matches for Moenchengladbach.”

    Bradley has never made it off the bench except as an injury replacement for Paauwe and even in that game Bradley was pulled early.

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  6. A Christian Ziege sighting!

    Blue, even better, Ziege was also a defender. There aren’t too many guys out there these days who can fully mentor a “complete” midfielder on both sides of the ball. Could be very good news for Bradley.

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  7. Thank goodness the ‘Gladbach manager is out of there. Michael Bradley is turning into Benny Feilhaber part 2, but worse. Like Feilhaber when he went to EPL-worst Derby, Bradley selected Bundesliga-worst ‘Gladbach and then found himself nailed to the bench. Bradley’s situation has got to be considered more disappointing, though, since he was much more productive at Heerenveen than Feilhaber ever was in his club career. Bradley was a star in the Eridivisie and now can’t even get on the field at the lousiest team in the Bundesliga.

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  8. I wonder with Ziege’s own successful experience as midfielder (on the left I think) how he might help develop MB, as well as see his potential.

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