MLS Round-Up
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Raymon Gaddis didn’t have much time to get nervous before his first start for the Philadelphia Union. The former Reading United man was called upon just before kickoff after Union center back Danny Califf suffered an injury in warm-ups. Gaddis got the call to replace him in the line-up for the club’s nationally televised game against the Columbus Crew.
But after helping the Union record a pair of shutouts in his first two appearances, which also led to the club’s first two wins of the season, Gaddis has appeared to fit right in.
“When your name’s called, you’ve got to perform,” Gaddis told MLSSoccer.com’s Dave Zeitlin after his debut against the Crew. “I was already confident in my game but this does wonders for my confidence – playing a full 90 and getting three points.”
It also helped having another member of the Union’s USL development pipeline alongside him. Sheanon Williams was slated to play at right back against the Crew, but the former Harrisburg City Islander slid into the center of defense to allow Gaddis to play his natural position while also providing vocal support in each of his first two starts.
“Sheanon, he was behind me, conducting me, telling me to do this and do that because he has a lot of experience [at right back],” Gaddis told Zeitlin. “My teammates helped me tremendously.”
Gaddis’ teammate, and a fellow PDL alum, Michael Farfan was named to the MLS Team of the Week after putting in a strong display on the road as the Union took a 1-0 victory against Chivas USA on Saturday night. The former Ventura County Fusion standout created the game-winning goal, scored by Freddy Adu, while providing an attacking spark all night.
Farfan was joined on the Team of the Week by Eric Brunner, who got the first nod of his five-year professional career after a standout performance for the Portland Timbers in their victory against Sporting Kansas City. The former Michigan Bucks standout, who helped the team reach the 2007 PDL championship game, was dominant in the air against SKC’s potent attack.
Steven Beitashour of the San Jose Earthquakes was also named to the team after helping his side take a 3-1 victory against Real Salt Lake with a pair of assists. The former San Jose Frogs standout, who had two goals in seven games for the side in 2007, helped the Earthquakes move to the top of the Western Conference standings with the victory.
Elsewhere, former PDL and USL First Division alum Brian Ching scored a late goal to earn the Houston Dynamo a 2-2 draw against the Columbus Crew on Saturday, while Richmond Kickers Future alum Dominic Oduro tied the fifth-fastest goal in MLS history as he scored after 25 seconds in the Chicago Fire’s 3-2 win against Toronto FC.