This and That

Champions League on FOX through 2015

FOX has extended its contract with UEFA to broadcast the UEFA Champions League.  FOX Sports will show matches through FSC, FSP, and the regional FOX Sports stations.  The CL Final will continue to be broadcast in HD on the main FOX network, including the local FOX54, for the next 4 years.


NAIA Women's Tournament

Two Saturday's ago, I called the play-by-play for the 2010 NAIA Women's Championship Final.  Lee University took home their third straight national title in a 3:0 victory over Cinderella story Hastings College to end another exciting tournament.   I'd like to thank the hardworking folks at the Decatur Parks and Rec. department and Jack Allen Soccer Complex, Amanda Dahl from the NAIA's media relations, and my buddy Juergen Beck from Freedom Light Productions, who runs a mean camera while catching all the action and braving the weather. 


Oh Yeah, This Happened

If you've followed this blog for a while, you already know that I believe FIFA's only reason for existing is to line the pockets of the bigwigs in charge.  On December 2nd, they erased all doubts of their corruption by naming Russia and Qatar as the hosts of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.  Don't believe me?  Below is the BBC's Panorama program that ran on the eve of the bid award, and casts a critical eye at the behavior of many FIFA Excutive Committee members who cast the votes to send the World Cup to Russia and Qatar.

U-20 Friendlies, NAIA in AL, and New NPSL Team in Atlanta?

U-20 Friendlies

 There will be lots of high quality soccer in the south this week beginning with the Torneo de las Americas outside of Atlanta featuring the U-20 teams from the United States, Columbia and Mexico.  The tournament culminates with a meeting of neighboring rivals USA and Mexico on Sunday afternoon at the new soccer stadium in Kennesaw, GA.  But the games won't end there as Mexico and Columbia will travel up to Chattanooga to face each other next Tuesday night.   If you're not able to make it to Sunday's match in Kennesaw, here's your chance to catch some of the next World Cup's stars less than a two hour drive from Huntsville.



NAIA Championships in Alabama

I've already told you that the NAIA Women's Championship will be held in our backyard, but the 2010 NAIA Men's Soccer Championship will also be held in Alabama.  Orange Beach will host the final 16 teams in a knockout style tournament.

 As for the Women's tournament, Decatur's Jack Allen Soccer Stadium will feature four games daily at 10 AM, 1, 4 and 7 PM on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.  The four teams that make it through will meet in the semifinals at 1 and 3 PM on Friday.  The championship will be held on Saturday night.  Come out to Jack Allen or follow the action here.  I hope to see you out there as I'll be calling several of the games including the semifinals and finals.

New NPSL Team in Atlanta?

Atlanta FC no more?

The latest rumor has it that Atlanta FC will be replaced in the NPSL Southeast Region by a team called Diablos Atlanta.  It appears the club will be led by former Mexican International Jose Manuel Abundis.  Plans are for the Diablos to play it's home matches in ReMax Stadium.  The stadium is also the home of the Atlanta Silverbacks who are to play their first season in the new NASL next year.

Catching Up

As you can tell, I've been taking a break from the blog.  Running the PWT-blog is a voluntary effort on my part and after the NPSL Championships last August, I was burned out.  So, in an effort to prevent future bouts with burn out, don't expect the frequency of future post to quite meet past levels.


So, what has happened in the Huntsville soccer scene since my last post?

Alabama A&M's men's team played their final match, an 0:8 nationally televised loss to the University of Memphis to finish 0-0-11.  A sad ending to a once great program.

 Rocket City United parted with its third coach in its four year existence.  Desmond Armstrong will not remain in the club, but will remain a feature in the area by opening Desmond Armstrong's Soccer Village in Greenbrier.   RCU will looked to better 2010's third place finish in the NPSL Southeast Region.  To help in this effort, RCU has hired Jan Henner to be it's Operations Manager.  Henner was previously on the staff at Bundesliga side 1899 Hoffenheim, and will run the RCU Academy.  As for the top position, it appears the leading candidate for head coach at RCU is Martin Methodist College Women's coach Gerry Cleary.  Next year's team will begin taking shape this Saturday, when RCU holds tryouts at Pt. Mallard Park in Decatur.   

Speaking of Martin Methodist, they will serve as the virtual home team during the 2010 NAIA Women's Soccer Championships held in Decatur next week.  I'll be calling several of the games from the Jack Allen Soccer Stadium including the final next Saturday at 5PM.  You can watch the live webcast of all the matches.

A women's league will begin this spring in affiliation with HASL.  The league format will most likely be four teams playing 6 to a side.  For more information, contact Suzy Pelmar.

NCAA Championships in Alabama, More Atlanta Soccer News, NPSL All-stars Announced

Hoover to Host 2011 College Cup

The city of Hoover, AL has been awarded the 2011 Men's NCAA National Championships including the semifinals on Dec. 9th and finals on Dec 11th.  The University of Alabama-Birmingham will serve as the host institution for the first NCAA Men's Soccer Championships to be held in Alabama.  The matches will be held at Regions Park Stadium, home field of the Birmingham Barons baseball team, and will be reconfigured for soccer.

Alabama has become a destination for college soccer as Orange Beach, AL will be hosting the 2010 and 2011 NAIA Men's Soccer Championships.  Decatur's Jack Allen Soccer Stadium was the site for the 2009 NAIA Women's Soccer Championships and will host the Women's Championship again this year from November 29-December 4.


Atlanta Forms "Soccer Cabinet"

A few days ago I wrote about a rumor that an EPL team was interested in starting an MLS club in Atlanta.  I was somewhat dismissive about the veracity of the rumor, because, let's face it, we've heard it all before.  Now, a group of business officials from the Atlanta area have created a "Soccer Cabinet" to explore ways to engage the soccer community in Atlanta and help Atlanta's international reputation by embracing the world's game.  They've even come up with a five point plan to address those goals.  Maybe something good will come of this.


NPSL All-star Roster Announced

The NPSL has released the list of players who will take on Rocket City United in the NPSL All-star Game that will be played next Friday, July 30th at 8PM at the Madison City Schools Stadium as part of the NPSL Final Four festivities.

NAIA Men's National Championships in Alabama

Last week the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that the 2010 and 2011 Men's Soccer National Championships will be held in Alabama. The University of Mobile will host the tournament at the Orange Beach Sportsplex in Orange Beach, AL. The competition will feature the top 16 men's soccer teams in the NAIA in a knockout style tournament held over a one week period. This year's tournament will be held November 26-December 4.
The NAIA Soccer Committee must enjoy the comforts of Alabama as Huntsville, Birmingham, and Mobile have all hosted the men's tournament in the past. Decatur hosted a successful Women's Championship this past December and Jack Allen Recreation Complex will continue to be the site of 2010 and 2011 Women's Championships.

Lee Crowned 2009 NAIA Women's National Champions

Lee University repeats as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Women's National Champion with a 2:0 win over Point Loma Nazarene University.
Lee midfielder Lauren Good scored in the 15th minute and Christiane Christensen added one in the 27th minute to power Lee on to its second national championship in as many years. Lee's stellar defense pitched its fourth consecutive shutout over the Cinderella story Point Loma Nazarene as Lee finished the tournament without conceding a goal.

NAIA Womens's Final Set

The NAIA National Women's Soccer Championship Final is set, as unseeded Point Loma University will meet defending champion Lee University.

Semifinal 1
Point Loma Nazerene University 0:0 (3:0) Azusa Pacific University
Carl Spackler's favorite ("Cinderella story; out of nowhere"), Point Loma Nazarene, does it again, surviving 110 of scoreless soccer to win it in PKs.

Semifinal 2
Lee University 1:0 Concordia University
In a tale of two halves, Lee capitalized on one of their opportunities while Concordia was unable to do likewise.

So, the final will take place tomorrow at 7PM at the Jack Allen Soccer Complex in Decatur.

#2 Lee Universityvs

(Unseeded) Point Loma Nazarene

NAIA Women's Semifinal Set

On a field more suited for a tractor pull than soccer, four squads punched their ticket into the NAIA Women's National Championship semifinals at the Jack Allen Soccer Complex. Hours of driving rain and high winds certainly was not conducive for the beautiful game, and the teams battled the elements as well as their opponents.

Quarterfinal 1
#4 Azusa Pacific 1:0 #12 Graceland
A 40 yard free kick skipped off the slippery turf and into the far side of the net for the only goal of the match for Azusa Pacific as the elements play their first trick of the day.

Quarterfinal 2
#6 Concordia 3:1 #3 California Baptist
In the first upset of the day, Concordia took the momentum of their golden goal winner the previous night to power past California Baptist.

Quarterfinal 3
(Unseeded) Point Loma Nazarene 2:0 #1 Linsey Wilson
In the immortal words of Carl Spackler, Point Loma Nazarene is "a Cinderella story, outta nowhere." While Loma hasn't won the Masters, they did defeat the highly favored Linsey Wilson squad whose possession game was neutralized by the elements and the solid team defense of Loma.

Quarterfinal 4
#2 Lee 3:0 #7 Martin Methodist
The defending national champion Lee scored and early goal and never looked back. A third minute goal and two second half insurance goals saw the Cleveland, TN side into the semis.

The teams will have a rest day tomorrow before meeting in the semis on Friday. Here are the match ups.

Semifinal 1, Friday, 3PM

#4 Azusa Pacific (California)
vs

(unseeded) Point Loma Nazarene (California)

Semifinal 2, Friday, 7PM

#2 Lee (Tennessee)
vs

#6 Concordia (Oregon)

I'll have more from Decatur Friday.

NAIA Women's College Championships Day 2

In the second day of round of 16 action, we had a few upsets and a golden goal winner!
Game 5
#12 Graceland 4:1 #5 William Carey
Graceland pleases there traveling contingent down from Iowa with a well earned victory.

Game 6
#6 Concordia 2:1 (OT) #11 McKendree
The most exciting match of the day. McKendree scored with about 10 minutes left only to see their dream die, as Concordia equalized 2 minutes from time and scored the golden goal winner 5 minutes into the first overtime period.

Game 7
Unseeded Point Loma Nazarene 6:1 #8 Vanguard
Two of the lowest scoring teams in the tournament explode for 7 goals between them. Pt. Loma scored 5 in the second half to avenge two regular season losses versus Vanguard and to see their Cinderella story continue as the only unseeded team in the tournament.

Game 8
#5 Martin Methodist 3:0 #10 Norwood
Virtual home team has little trouble advancing.

We had some great action from the Jack Allen Complex yesterday that sets up today's quarterfinals. With my normal broadcast partner, John Moran, out sick, I had to step up to the play by play in the first two matches and color in the third. Then, my voice gave out! Fortunately, we have located two more commentator's in Jeffrey Preston and Zach Folk who are doing a bang up job. I'll take the next two days off to rest the windpipe, and will be back for the semis and finals on Friday and Saturday.

Behind the scenes with the videographer, Juergen (waving), our IT guru, Lisa, and our Press liaison, Steve

Tune into WatchNAIA.com to catch the match-ups for the quarterfinals.

#4 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) (16-3-1) vs. #12 Graceland (Iowa) (19-1-2)
#3 California Baptist (17-4-1) vs. #6 Concordia (Ore.) (20-2-0)
#1 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) (19-2-2) vs. Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.) (14-4-3)
#2 Lee (Tenn.) (18-2-1) vs. #7 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) (16-2-2)

Due to the excessive rain on Monday and overnight last night, NAIA officials have decided to move the quarterfinal matches from the main stadium field at the Jack Allen Complex to a secondary field. After the stadium pitch gets some care from the hardworking groundskeepers at Jack Allen and a few days rest, the semifinals and final matches are expected to be back in the main stadium.

NAIA Women's Championship Day 1

At the end of a long day of cold, wet soccer, here are the results.

Game 1
#4 Azusa Pacific 2: 1 #13 Indiana Wesleyan

Game 2
#3 California Baptist 3:2 #14 Auburn Montgomery

Game 3
#1 Lindsey Wilson 4:0 #16 Southern Nazerene

Game 4
#2 Lee University 4:0 #15 Trinity Christian

I'll post some behind the scenes photos tomorrow from the Jack Allen Complex.

Announcements: I'll Be Busy Next Week

I've Got A New Gig

I'm honored to have been asked to do some periodic blog postings for the NPSL Insider blog. I'll be focusing on the South Region, including news, vids, and photos from Rocket City United and all of the other clubs in the National Premier Soccer League's hottest region. So, bookmark npslinsider.com now! I'll let you know when I've posted there, but check it out for all the inside news from the NPSL.


Another Gig: 2009 NAIA Women's Soccer Championship Webcast

John Moran, right, and I will be calling the 2009 NAIA Women's National Championship in Decatur, AL

The 2009 NAIA Women's Soccer National Championship is coming to Decatur, AL next week. Along with my broadcast partner, John Moran, I will be part of the play by play team calling the action beginning on Monday, November 30th through the Championship Final on Saturday night, December 5th, at one of the nations premier soccer venues, the Jack Allen Soccer Complex.
If you can't make it out to Decatur to catch the action, check out the webcast at http://www.watchnaia.com. Here's the Round of 16 schedule:

Monday, Nov. 30
Game 1 (10:00 a.m.) #4 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) vs. #13 Indiana Wesleyan
Game 2 (1:00 p.m.) #3 California Baptist vs. #14 Auburn Montgomery (Ala.)
Game 3 (4:00 p.m.) #1 Lindsey Wilson (Ky.) vs. #16 Southern Nazarene (Okla.)
Game 4 (7:00 p.m.) #2 Lee (Tenn.) vs. #15 Trinity Christian (Ill.)
Tuesday, Dec. 1
Game 5 (10:00 a.m.) #5 William Carey (Miss.) vs. #12 Graceland (Iowa)
Game 6 (1:00 p.m.) #6 Concordia (Ore.) vs. #11 McKendree (Ill.)
Game 7 (4:00 p.m.) #8 Vanguard (Calif.) vs. Point Loma Nazarene (Calif.)
Game 8 (7:00 p.m.) #7 Martin Methodist (Tenn.) vs. #10 Northwood (Fla.)

Look out for some posts from the broadcast booth next week.