In a thrilling final, first year side Jacksonville United FC complete the incredible midseason turnaround to take home the NPSL Championship with a 3:2 win over Hollywood United. After losing its first four matches, JUFC turned the results around and rode three goals in Saturday's final from Tommy Krizanovic to finish its season with 8 straight wins and raise the NPSL Championship trophy.
Krizanovic opened the Jacksonville scoring in the 16th minute with a left-footed 15 yard drive across the width of the Hollywood goal before settling just inside the far post. Hollywood responded shortly thereafter when Arturo Albarran cheekily swivle kicked a cross to the head of Emmanuel Bentil. Bentil's downward header was knocked down by a Jacksonville defender's arm and the referee pointed to the spot. However, Hollywood would fail to convert the spot kick, when Albarran crashed his attempt off the crossbar.
Albarran would make up for that mistake with a wonder goal just minutes later. After receiving the ball in space about 30 yards from goal, Albarran laced into a curling drive that swerved into the far side netting and equalized the match. But it would only take 11 minutes for Jacksonville to retake the lead when Ramak Safin found Krizanovic for the finish in the 37th. The 2:1 scoreline would be taken into halftime.
After the break, Hollywood implemented its possession oriented game, and patiently probed the Jacksonville defense with good work from Nick Blanco and Jose Miranda coming close several times but unable unlock the Jacksonville defense. In the 76th minute, the breakthrough came when substitute Brent Whitfield broke into the penalty area and was taken down for a penalty. Albarran showed real moxie to step up and atone for his previous miss by slamming home his second penalty attempt of the night to level the score.
Hollywood continued the persistent pressure while looking for the winning goal, but in the 88th minute it was Jacksonville who struck against the run of play. Despite being outnumbered in the Hollywood penalty area, Ramak Safi danced to the endline and sent in a cross for Krizanovic to head home and spark jubilant celebration for the Jacksonville faithful.
After 4 minutes of desperate attacking from Hollywood in an attempt at a third equalizer, the referee blew full time and Jacksonville United captured the 2011 NPSL Championship.
I love this gig I have. I've met many of my boyhood soccer idols. That's just one of the terrific things about my involvement in the game. Recently, this gig had me crossing paths with another of my non-soccer heroes. It was with great pleasure that I was able to spend a few short minutes talking soccer with one of my all time favorite actor/directors and friend in football, Donal Logue.
Since this is my blog, I can digress a little off the topic of soccer, if I feel the whim. So, bear with me and I'll warn you, skip the next few paragraphs, if you're not interested in reading some deeply personal revelations about how Mr. Logue's work has affected me in a very real sense.
Donal is an actor of immense talent and starred in one of my favorite movies ever, the 2000 independent romantic-comedy, "The Tao of Steve". In it, Donal played the philisoph-slacker, Dex, who laid down some simple tenets for life (and for picking up women, coincidentally) which can be distilled into the following, "Be desireless, be excellent, be gone".
For me, a guy who struggled with self-image problems, especially around women, these ideas were a revelation. After dozens of viewings, my roommate and I could be heard around the apartment quoting lines from the Buddha and discoursing on solipsism. Yes, we were wild and crazy guys.
However, those six words became a personal mantra of sorts and I used them to help get over a very real problem with social anxiety and a general lack of confidence. By clearing my mind of desire or the need to be seen as something other than who I was, I was able to stand tall in who I actually was. (Does that make sense?) The second tenet was working hard to be excellent at whatever I chose to do in life; career, hobbies, soccer... These first two led me to the third tennant of "be gone" which I interpreted as being unafraid to face new challenges, which has eventually led me to the adventure of moving out of my comfort zone I'd built in Maryland and building a life here in Huntsville.
I know, it sounds kind of silly that a rom-com could affect a person so fundamentally, but life is like that sometimes. All the personal reflection that the movie inspired gave me the confidence to approach, woo, and eventually win over the smart and sexy woman I now call my wife. It has also led me to explore and enrich my life through soccer by giving me the confidence to appear on camera as a part time TV soccer analyst and play-by-play announcer. Art really can influence you in profound ways.
Now, Donal also wrote, directed, and starred another of my favorite movies, "Tennis, Anyone...?" about the celebrity tennis circuit. My father was the local tennis pro in the rural part of Maryland where I grew up. So, I certainly spotted some of the same types of egos in the movie that would swing the rackets around on my father's courts while I was rollerskating outside the fence to retrieve errant tennis balls in the late 70s/early 80s.
Plain and simple, I really appreciate Donal's work and he has more recently appeared in many successful movies and network shows including "Life" and "Terriers". Now that I've gushed on about my man crush on the guy, we can get down to the heart of the post.
It just so happens that Donal is also a soccer geek like me and has poured his passion into his club Hollywood United. He's "living the dream" of soccer ownership. His club will be playing for a National championship in the 2011 NPSL Finals on Saturday night. Here are some excerpts from our conversation a few days ago.
Two newcomers to the NPSL will kick off Saturday night to crown a national champion. The match-up will be the second year in a row that the champions of the West and Southeast regions meet to determine a national champion. Hollywood United will be looking to be the third West Region team in a row to be crowned champion (Sonoma '09, Sacramento '10). While Jacksonville United is attempting to bring home the winners medals to the Southeast for the first time in NPSL history. Atlanta FC, Rocket City United, and Chattanooga FC have all failed to raise the Cup for the Southeast region in years past.
If they are to buck the trend, the odds will be stacked against the Florida eleven. Jacksonville United is undoubtedly the underdog in this match. The first year club scraped into the post season by the slimmest of margins. However, coach Eric Dade is not concerned with the early season sluggishness, and has seen his team grow into a side capable of good things, "I think a lot of guys were on a very good men's adult team, and then all of a sudden, we're pros." He explained that as the season wore on the JUFC's professionalism and consistency took hold and the good results followed.
JUFC is certainly riding a wave of moment while on a 7 game winning streak and Dade is looking forward to the final on Saturday night, "I think it'll be a good game. I think you'll see two teams play with similarity. Hopefully, we'll find a way to be there at the end of it."
Hollywood United is also in its first year in the NPSL having moved over from the USL PDL, but is loaded with professional and international experience. For instance, both of Hollywood's goalscorers in the semifinals came to the squad with experience in top global professional divisions. The Hitmen's first scorer, Emmanuel Bentil was captain for the U-17 Ghana team that captured the World Youth Cup winner's medal. That experience led to three years on the books at Bayern Munich, before injuries led to time with other teams around Europe. Not to be outdone, two goal scorer Brent Whitfield spent time in the USA's Major League Soccer with Chivas USA.
Coach Jose Botello will be looking to use that experience against a JUFC side that he thinks plays an attractive game, "Jacksonville looks to knock it, looks to play, and get behind through short passes." Botello urges that a possession style game is also key to Hollywood's success, "It's something we stress. We want to keep the ball, and possession moving forward. At times, we struggled moving forward [in the semifinal]. That final pass wasn't there in the beginning of the game, but toward the end, we were much better."
NPSL Commissioner Is Excited About 2011 and Beyond
Dan Trainor has seen his league grow from a provincial outfit to a nationwide developmental league in a very short time and he is excited about the future. The twinkle in his eye is fully evident when speaking of the "continued steady growth" of the future of the 4th division circuit.
NPSL Finals Set: Hollywood United v Jacksonville United
The 2011 NPSL Final will be a battle of Uniteds as Hollywood United will take on Jacksonville United on Saturday at 7:30PM at the Madison City Schools Stadium.
Semifinal 1: NPSL newcomer and West Region champion Hollywood United scored three second half goals on their way to defeating Midwest Region champion Milwaukee Bavarians. The teams ended the first half scoreless despite several good chance from Hollywood. The second half would see Hollywood continue the pressure and a golazo from Emmanuel Bentil two minutes after the break opened up the match. Bentil roped a drive into the top corner of the goal from outside the area. Shortly after, second half sub Brent Whitfield made the most of his fresh legs as he paced the Hitmen with a brace of goals on their way into Saturday nights final.
Semifinal 2: The second semifinal was a wild affair. Twice the Erie Admirals took 1 goal leads and twice Jacksonville United battled back to equalize before adding two late goals to take seal JUFC's place in the final. Erie started the scoring in the 22nd minute with a headed goal from Gavin Falconer off a nice cross from Shane Howard. Jacksonville United got the equalizer before the break when Tyler Williams scored on the second effort after his first shot was knocked down. Erie then benefited from a deflected cross from Michael Kennedy that found the net for the 2:1 lead in the 58th. JUFC only took 3 minutes to respond with a blast from Tommy Krizanovic. Just 10 minutes later, JUFC took the lead for good with a Akinwale Leyimu tally followed two minutes later by a Nick Salafrio's effort that just crossed the line before the Erie defense could clear. The wild game wasn't over yet as JUFC keeper Stuart McCrory turned away an Erie PK attempt in the waning minutes to keep the score 4:2 in favor of JUFC.
The third place match between the Erie Admirals and the Milwaukee Bavarians will take place Friday night at 5:30PM at the Madison City Schools Stadium.
NPSL All-stars take on RCU
Rocket City United will suit up one more time this season, as they take on the NPSL All-stars Friday night at 8 PM. RCU will have their work cut out for them as a strong NPSL side has been selected from over 60 recommended all-star players from around the league. RCU defender Joseph Omondi will have the rare privilege of suiting up against his current club as he was selected for the All-stars. When asked about which team he'd play for in Friday's match Omondi broke out in his trademark smile, "I've been asked that a couple of times now. Being selected [to the all-star team], it' s a big honor for me. So, I think I'll be playing against Rocket City, and it's just going to be a fun game for me." NPSL Technical Director and All-star head coach claims this year's all-stars a much more talented side than the one that beat RCU 2:0 in last year's exhibition match.
RCU's Jason Sabio and the Phillipino National Team fall to Kuwait in World Cup Qualifying
Rocket City United defender Jason Sabio and his Phillipino National Team fell to Kuwait 5:1 on aggregate in the second round of the Asian Football Confederation's World Cup Qualifying. The Askals needed a miracle win by 4 goals in the return leg in Manilla after losing in Kuwait 3:0 in the first leg. Sabio did not appear in the second leg as the team fielded an attacking line-up in an effort to maximize its goal scoring capability. The miracle looked possible after the Azkals took an 1:0 halftime lead, but as they pressed for goals, Kuwait struck twice and eliminated the Phillipines' and Sabio's World Cup dreams.
First, I must apologize to my loyal readers (all three of you, not including my mom) for my lack of posting recently. I was out of town and on my way back into town I caught a bug of some sort and have been "laid low" for nearly two weeks. In the meantime, RCU finished up it's regular season, and Jacob and the guys over at Southern Soccer hosted another wildly successful Rocket City Invitational tournament.
And I have to give a special thanks to an outstanding young writer and friend, Drew Wooley, who stepped in and kept you all up to date on the all things RCU. Thanks, Drew. We'll miss you when you move on to bigger and better things.
NPSL Semi-finals Tonight
It's a great time to be a soccer fan in Huntsville-Madison. The NPSL Championships area upon us again. This is the second straight year that the championships of the nation wide league in the fourth division of the US soccer pyramid will be hosted by Rocket City United at the Madison City Schools Stadium. Last year, we were treated to five fantastic games including a great all-star match, a tremendous NPSL Final won by Sacramento, and appearances by some US soccer celebrities. This year's championships are looking to live up to last years event.
Semifinal 1 at 5:30PM: Hollywood United (2) v. Milwaukee Bavarians (3).
Hollywood United (not to be confused with FC Hollywood as German giant FC Bayern Munich is often called), is a first year NPSL team. Hollywood United has had an impressive Western Region season going 14W-1D-2L in their first year after switching over from the USL-PDL. The Hollywood in the name is also well deserved since the club was founded by several musicians, actors, and Hollywood celebrity types. One of my favorite actors, Donal Logue, is part owner of the club and was spotted in Madison today documenting the club's time here at the championships. Hopefully, I'll get to sit down with him sometime this weekend and discuss his club and his views on soccer in America.
HU's opponent is no slouch either. Midwest Region champions Milwaukee Bavarians are one of the most storied clubs in American soccer, and I'll be honest. They will be my sentimental favorite in the tournament, because they were founded in 1929 as FC Bayern, a similar name to my favorite European club (the previously mentioned "FC Hollywood"). Like their German namesakes, they have really come into their own as a soccer power in the last 30 years and are only slightly less decorated by silverware. The club holds 6 National Amateur and Open Cup trophies, and dominated this year's NPSL Midwest Region with a record of 8W, 2D, 2L.
Semifinal 2 at 8PM: Erie Admirals (1) v. Jacksonville United (4)
Northeast region champion Erie Admirals are making their 2nd appearance in the NPSL championships in three years. You might recall it was this same side that dashed Rocket City United's 2009 NPSL Championship hopes in Madison, WI by handing RCU a solid 4:2 drubbing in the semifinal. Erie is coming into the finals as the number one seed due to Points-per-game. They will be without one of their top players in Afrim Latifi who had a personal commitment out of the country and could not travel with the team.
Jacksonville United is the surprise of the tournament. A 2011 NPSL newcomer, the Florida team had trouble adjusting to the league initially, dropping their first four matches in the NPSL Southeast Region. JaxU then performed a remarkable about-face and reeled off six straight victories to pull level on points at 6W-0D-4L with fellow Region leader Georgia Revolution and qualified for the Championships based on number of wins. Despite the rough start Jacksonville is an experienced side in American soccer with many team members gaining US Open Cup experience with Lynch's Pub FC.
Sad Note:
The NPSL lost a member of its family as NPSL Board Member Charles Billings was found dead of what appears to be natural causes in his home this week. Billings was the Midwest Region Commissioner and GM of the Madison 56ers and was scheduled to travel to Madison, AL for this weekend's festivities.
American Outlaws to Host Women's World Cup Final Watch Party at the Brickhouse
The new American Outlaws-Huntsville chapter will host a Women's World Cup Final watch party at the Brickhouse Sports Cafe on Sunday at 1PM. After the US Women took care of business in Wednesday's 3:1 semi-final win over France, they'll look to bring home their first World Cup trophy since 1999's memorable triumph at the Rose Bowl. Let's get out there and support our ladies! HAIL, COLUMBIA!
Rocket City United Look to Pick Up First Home Win in Finale
The ad says, "We must protect this house!" Rocket City United must not have seen that one. The team is strangely more successful on the road then they are in the confines of the Madison City Schools Stadium. Coach Gerry Cleary is at a loss to explain the losses in which RCU seems to be the better side, "Again we’re saying Rocket City should have won a game when we didn’t win, but maybe we’re just not that good." RCU has its final opportunity to win at home of the 2011 regular season Saturday night against expansion side and surprise of the NPSL Southeast Georgia Revolution.
Rocket City United hits the road tomorrow to open the 2011 season against one of three new teams in the Southeast Region, the Knoxville Force. The Force will play their inaugural game in University of Tennessee's Regal Stadium. Don't expect a beautiful game during this one. Neither team will be at full strength and each will likely try to grind out a results until their full complement of players arrive in the next few weeks.
RCU has made seats available on the team bus for fans who would like travel to the game. This is a unique experience in sports and any fan interested should contact Director of Operations Jan Henner for more details.
NPSL Technical Director Matt Driver will participate in the International Alliance Symposium hosted by the Jamiacain Premeier League Clubs Association. "The mission is to have the top U-21 players from both of our leagues have access to different markets, different stages to play on," says Driver. Hmm, I wonder what this is about. A player sharing scheme? An international competition between the leagues?
Chattanooga FC to Host DC United U-23s
Chattanooga FC has announced that they will host the DC United U-23 team at Finley Stadium on July 23rd at 7PM eastern. DCU's U-23 is coached by the legendary Jaime Moreno and features the DC Metro areas top college prospects. The teams met last year at RFK stadium in Washington with the DCU defeating the eventual NPSL Finalists 3:0.
FOX Soccer Night in America
FOX Soccer Channel has rebranded its weekly MLS broadcast into Soccer Night In America, and it will begin with the Portland Timbers v Philadelphia Union match on Friday night at 9PM. Also, as part of the festivities for those without FSC (Hello, Knology customers!!!) MLS is offering access to the 2011 MLS Matchday Live online streaming service for free for all of this weekend's matches.
Chattanooga has the Chattahooligans and now Cleveland has its own supporters group. The 6th City Syndicate has been organized to root on the city's NPSL team AFC Cleveland who is set to join the NPSL in 2012.
CONCACAF Champions League Final: 90 Minutes In Salt Lake City Will Determine Champ
The NPSL PR arm is in full effect as the league prepares to kick into full gear. League Commissioner Dan Trainor has described the league as a "democracy in action" with the team ownership making decisions about the best way to develop players and also financial structures of the clubs.
RSL Earns Road Draw in CONCACAF Champions League Final
Real Salt Lake earned an exciting 2:2 draw in Monterrey in Leg 1 of the CONCACAF Champions League Final Wednesday night. It looked as if RSL would have to settle for a road goal as consolation for its efforts when Javier Morales scored a great goal in the 89th minute to pull even. Now, RSL goes back home where they haven't lost in years (literally) with two road goals. Check out the highlights.
"The curriculum is designed to improve development of players representing the largest organized player base in the United States. The curriculum concentrates on improving the youngest players by creating more organized, age-appropriate training sessions, developing coaching practices and creating an environment that is fun for the players."
If you are a youth soccer coach, you need to download, read and follows this doc. (But beware the download is nearly 100MB!) The PWT-blog will have a guest post on this in the near future.
MLS Game of the Week: DC United v NYRB
I've rarely posted about my favorite MLS club, DC United, here on the PWT-blog. Mainly because they have provided much worth writing about since I started the blog two years ago. They've played some pretty horrible soccer in that time. However, with the introduction of some exciting new young players like Charlie Davies, things are looking up for the Black and Red. On Thursday night at 7PM on ESPN2, they'll take on the star studded NY Red Bulls in the latest match in the rivalry that has been dubbed the Atlantic Cup. Here's a preview of the game.
Hollywood United, the celebrity filled LA based club has moved from the USL's PDL to the NPSL for the 2011 season. The club often fields celebrities for charity matches like actors Anthony LaPaglia, Dermot Mulroney and Donal Louge (who stars in one of my favorite movies, The Tao of Steve); musicians Ziggy Marley and Steve Jones (Sex Pistols); and ex-soccer stars Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda, Vinnie Jones, and Frank LeBoeuf. However, the club's Hitmen team is a serious contender in the NPSL's West Region.
The USA's rising stars were brought back down to earth by losing 2:1 to Guatemala in the CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying tournament. The loss eliminates the Young Yanks, but sent Guatemala to its first World Cup appearance of any age group. To be fair to the heavily favored US team, injuries and the prospect of playing the home team in front of a hostile 30,000 fans, tilted the match against them, but the USA's missed early chances came back to haunt them.
The Whitecaps forward Eric Hassli was tossed from Wednesday night's game after celebrating his PK goal by taking off his jersey to reveal a short sleeved version of the same jersey. It was Hassli's second caution of the match, and he was shown a red card. Idiot! But should he been thrown out from the match?
The FIFA Laws of the Game state a decision from the IAFB:
Players must not reveal undergarments showing slogans or advertising. The basic compulsory equipment must not have any political, religious or personal statements. A player removing his jersey or shirt to reveal slogans or advertising will be sanctioned by
the competition organiser. The team of a player whose basic compulsory equipment has political, religious or personal slogans or statements will be sanctioned by the competition organiser or by FIFA.
But Hassli "undergarment" was exactly the same as his outer garment! Does that count?
Fortunately, FIFA released a position paper to further elaborate :
A player who removes his jersey to celebrate a goal must be cautioned for unsporting behavior... It doesn't matter if the player has anything on underneath nor does it matter exactly what the player may have on underneath (including an exact replicate of the removed jersey). Bolding added for emphasis.
So, let this be a lesson to any players out there. Don't take off your shirt! BTW, if Grant Wahl had been elected FIFA President, these types of cautions would be eliminated.
As the Perfectly Weighted Through Blog speculated a few months ago, Rocket City United announced this morning that Martin Methodist Women's Coach Gerry Cleary will take the reigns for the 2011 season. New RCU Coach Gerry Cleary from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.
Cleary spoke about building a foundation for Rocket City United and bringing consistency to the coaching staff. After three different coaches in four seasons, consistency is certainly something that could help RCU. Notice that RCU's most successful season when they won the 2009 Southeast Regional Championship came in the second season under Greg Petersen.
2011 Schedule
RCU also announced its 2011 season schedule. The regular season is in the familiar home and away format to determine the Southeast Region Champion. All RCU home matches will be held at 7:30 PM at the Madison City Schools Stadium.
May 7 @Knoxville
May 14 home vs. Knoxville
May 28-30 NPSL US Open Cup Qualifying in Chattanooga
June 4 home vs. Atlanta
June 11 home vs. Chattanooga
June 18 @ Chattanooga
June 25 @ Georgia
July 2 @ Atlanta
July 16 home vs. Georgia
July 28-30 NPSL Final Four + All-Star Game
The NPSL will have 4 automatic qualifiers into the US Open Cup this year and the Southeast Region's qualification tournament will be hosted by Chattanooga on Memorial Day weekend. The format of the tournament will be announced in a few weeks.
RCU will host an exhibition match against an opponent to be named later on July 9th.
Other RCU News
RCU announced a partnership with the YMCA to help with the soccer program at the Y by holding coaching clinics and other special appearances by RCU players and staff.
RCU season tickets are on sale now for $50. If you buy now, you'll get a great deal, because for a short time only, it's buy one, get one free! With you're season ticket, you'll receive tickets to each home game, tickets to each NPSL Championship Weekend game, and free food and drink at every home game. The first 50 to take advantage of the deal will also get a free parking pass. That's the best deal I've ever seen for a season ticket package.
Rocket City United has announced a press conference to introduce their new coach who will guide them through the 2011 season next Wednesday March 2nd at 9:30 AM at the Madison YMCA. RCU will use the new Hogan Family YMCA located off Hughes Rd in Madison that opened last fall to announce a partnership with the YMCA.
RCU is also set to unveil the 2011 schedule which will feature matches against the two new NPSL Southeast Region clubs, the Knoxville Force and Georgia Revolution.
Let me know if you have any questions that you want answered.
US Soccer has released its schedule for the 2011 US Open Cup, and for the first time, the NPSL has gained four automatic qualification slots. The qualification process for the NPSL slots has not been finalized and will be released in a few weeks.
The US Open Cup is single elimination tournament similar to the FA Cup in which teams from all level of the game in America compete. In the past, the NPSL teams would participate in the US Amateur Soccer Associations (USASA) regional qualification process. Atlanta FC (now the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves) qualified through this process in 2008 and was knocked out of the tournament the fully professional Charleston Battery.
RCU has participated in the tournament each of the past three years, but has failed to qualify for the US Open Cup. The addition of 4 automatic berths may benefit NPSL teams. The late spring timing of the USASA's qualification often punished NPSL teams who were largely composed of college players who had not been released from their school commitments and could not participate.
The Silverbacks, who just announced the hiring of the former Mexican World Cup star Jose Manual Abundis, are back in professional soccer after a two year hiatus. The Reserves will be continue to be coached by Ricardo Montoya, who led Atlanta FC to the 2008 NPSL Southeast Region championship.
This is a very exciting development as now players on the Silverbacks Reserves will have the opportunity to develop in front of the watchful eye of the professional training staff.
It appears Rocket City United will have two new opponents on the 2011 schedule. The Georgia Revolution will join the Knoxville Force as the region's new additions. According to their Wikipedia page, the team will be run by the Rockdale Youth Soccer Association in the eastern Atlanta suburb of Conyers. The page lists two head coaches and the team will play home matches at the RYSA Soccerplex with a listed capacity of 1,000.
It appears all of the teams from the 2010 Southeast region will return. If the region plays the standard home and away schedule against each team, RCU will play a 12 game regular season. That makes for a busy summer of soccer in the Madison City Schools Stadium of 6 regular season home matches and the 2011 NPSL Championships.
The NPSL announced today that there will be 14 new teams joining the nationwide league, including a club from Knoxville, TN. The league also announced that it has gone from a non-profit to a for profit entity. Update: In addition, it has been learned that NPSL teams will now have the option to become professional or to stay amateur.
The Knoxville Force is expected to join the Southeast Region. The team will play its home matches in the University of Tennessee's Regal Stadium that holds 3,000 spectators. It is expected that they will take the place of Tulsa FC in the Southeast Region. Tulsa is likely to play its 2011 in a new region to include teams from Oklahoma, Texas, and perhaps other states.
HASL Spring 2011 Set to Begin February 23rd
The Huntsville Adult Soccer League held its Captains Meeting Sunday. There will remain 30 teams in 5 divisions for the Spring 2011 season that is set to start on February 23rd. This season for the first time ever, there will also be a Women's Division for adult women ages 18 and up. If you or a woman soccer player you know is interested in joining the six-aside league, contact Suzy Permar at discosoccer11@yahoo.com.
Give Back to the Game: Become a Ref
There is a shortage of referees in Northern Alabama. For years, HASL has not been able to add interested teams beyond its current number of 30 due to the lack of referees to officiate matches. In an attempt to combat this problem, the North Alabama Soccer Officials Association is sponsoring a USSF Referee Clinic for entry-level referees (USSF Grade 8 and 9). This is also the perfect time for all of you players who complain about the quality of referees in the area to put up or shut up. In fact, all HASL players who sign up for the clinic will be reimbursed 50% of the certification costs once they referee 3 HASL matches! The clinic costs $40 and will be held on January 28, 29 and 30th at the First Christian Church at 3209 Whitesburg Drive in Huntsville. For more info, go to the NASOA website.
Update: I've had several requests for info on other clinics being offered in Alabama from folks who can't make the NASOA clinic. My expert in all things refereeing, Darrell Schmidt says,
Click on the link “Referee Clinic Schedule” under Related Links on the left side of the page. Looks like there is referee clinic in February in B’ham."
Artist Rendering of the Montgomery Soccer Complex by McKee and Associates
Decatur's successful Jack Allen Soccer Complex has other Alabama cities taking note. Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange announced plans today that it will partner with YMCA to build a multi-million dollar complex which they hope will attract the same type of tournaments that JASC has been able to attract.
Several new teams and perhaps a new conference or two are expected to be announced. I hope to have some of the details of the meeting for you next week.
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.
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?
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.
I was having some technical difficulties with my video camera yesterday, but now I've gotten them straightened out. Here's a few interviews from Saturday night's NPSL Finals.
NPSL Commissioner Dan Trainer present the 2010 NPSL Championship Trophy to the Sacramento Gold.
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