Give it Peter Nowak and the Philadelphia Union: They do like to keep us on our toes. Just a day after Nowak and Danny Califf supposedly let bygones be bygones, Brotherly Game is now reporting that the former Union captain is not even traveling with the team to play the Chicago Fire on Saturday. No reason for Califf's staying home was apparently provided by Brotherly Game's "source close to the situation," but we can certainly speculate.
Danny Califf Left Off Philadelphia Union’s Travel Roster, Brotherly Game Reports
One possible explanation is that Califf is injured. That seems a tad unlikely as Califf himself has declared himself fit, despite Nowak suggesting that was the reason for his benching last week.
It’s also possible that Califf has simply lost his job based on performance. That also seems unlikely as the Union have not played particularly well in his absence, allowing five goals in their first two games. By contrast, when Califf was the starting center back last year, the Union only gave up more than four goals in any two consecutive games once all season and only gave up more than two goals in a game once.
The more plausible scenario would seem to be that Califf has simply fallen into Nowak’s doghouse. The exact reason for this is unknown, but Nowak has shown a clear dislike for players that don’t fall into line. It’s quite possible that Nowak is upset that Califf contradicted him last week and now he’s being punished.
If this is the case, the Union have to be looking to move Califf. The good news is that a player with his skill set should be able to find some takers. The bad news is that according to the Players’ Union, Califf made $250,000 last year. That makes him one of the higher paid center backs in the league. There simply aren’t a lot of teams that are looking to spend that kind of money -- after the season has started -- on a 32-year-old. This situation doesn’t promise to be going away anytime soon.
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