PWT-blog Visits Red Bull Arena

On my recent vacation I had the opportunity to visit the Red Bull Arena for the New York Red Bulls v Toronto FC match.  Although TFC didn't put up much of a fight in a 5:0 loss to NYRB, I had a fantastic night at a great soccer stadium.  And as a DC United fan, it really pained me to write that last sentence.  Anyway here are some of the action from that night.

Driving up to the Stadium

A converted old warehouse turned parking garage

Tailgate in the Warehouse

Kids game outside the stadium

RBA

Inside

View of the action from our seats

A Storm Refugee at a Charleston Battery Game

Last Wednesday's storms tore through North Alabama and in addition to the terrible death and destruction, it knocked out power all across the Tennessee Valley.  After sitting in a darkened house for nearly 24 hours and no restoration of power in sight, it was time for my family to seek refuge elsewhere.  Fortunately, we have relatives in the Charleston, SC area and after we spent the one night in a hotel in Chattanooga hotel and still no news about the power coming back at home, they were adamant that we should take the opportunity to visit them.  I love our visits there for the many relaxing diversions available: good company, the beach, the pool, the hammock, and... the soccer.  Charleston is the home of one of the most unsung clubs in American soccer, the Charleston Battery. 

The Battery were founded in 1993 and have been a mainstay of American minor league soccer ever since.  They've won several titles and hold an very successful annual preseason tournament that attracts the best MLS clubs.  But perhaps their most important achievement is the 1999 opening of the country's first real soccer specific stadium, Blackbaud Stadium.  The 5,100 seater has two stands and an in-stadium Pub that is the closest thing to a soccer museum that can be found in the South (and perhaps the USA now that the Soccer Hall of Fame has closed its doors).   

Charleston Battery v Pittsburgh Riverhounds Video

Shortly after setting off from Chattanooga to Charleston, I got a call from my uncle asking if I was interesting in a trip to the stadium on Saturday night.  "Of course!"  It was Kick for the Cure Night where the home side would wear pink to recognize cancer survivors, and we had great seats for the match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

The night was fantastically cool and despite numerous opportunities the home side could not find a goal and the visitors were happy with a scoreless draw.  But it was another great visit to one of the best venues for soccer in the South.

Here are a handful of photos from the night.

Kids sit on the cannon outside the stadium gates

The Battery Supporters Group, The Regiment, raffle off a jersey.  I didn't win.  :(

Stadium food. Yummy!

The Stadium's Pub: The Three Lions

Line-ups for Pink Night

The Beer Garden behind the goal.  Every stadium needs one of these.

USMNT in Nashville, Montgomery Soccer Complex and NPSL Meetings

USA Coming Back to Nashville

LP Field rocked the last time the US played in Nashville

The US Men's National Team will return to LP Field for the first time since the spring of 2009 when they face Paraguay on March 29th.  


Montgomery to Build Soccer Complex

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.
 

NPSL League Meetings Held In Baltimore

The National Premier Soccer League is holding its annual league meetings this week in Baltimore, MD during the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's convention.

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.

U-20 USA v Mexico

USA v Mexico U-20s line up before the match

The United States U-20 team took on regional rival Mexico in the Torneo de las Americas tournament, yesterday.  In a chippy game that typifies all USA v Mexico matches, the teams drew 1:1, but the rules of the tournament dictated PKs, which Mexico won 4:2. 

Kennesaw State Soccer Stadium

I was excited to go see this game for a few reasons.  First, the game was played in one of the newest soccer specific stadiums in the US at Kennesaw State University outside of Atlanta.  I've been to many of the south's stadiums and this one, which also serves as the home stadium of the WPS' Atlanta Beat, is one of the nicest.  It seats about 5,000 and and has a nice polished feel to it.  It leaves you with the impression that a professional outfit plays here, and is not just a pile of bleachers with a new coat of paint.

The stands are close to the natural turf field, and there are no benches; everyone gets an actual seat.  Several suites run along the west side of the field, and there's a cool, tiered lounge-type area for eating and imbibing while not missing the action.   BTW, even though the stadium is was built as a partnership with KSU, it does not sit on University property and can server beer.  Bonus!

Future USA World Cup stars?

Another reason for excitement was the chance to see the next stars of North American soccer play up close.  Jaun Agudelo, the 18 year old who just a week prior to this tournament scored in his debut for the senior US team, was a force in the match and made the life of the Mexican left back difficult for the entire 90 minutes.  But still,  I had to keep reminding myself that despite their physical maturity and great skills, these players on the filed in front of me are teenagers.  For every graceful maneuver and breathtaking run was a ball played to no one, or a forced ramble that lead to a turnover.   A few more years of seasoning will serve these youngsters well.

RCU Travel To Chattanooga To Face New Champs

Rocket City United will make their way up Route 72 to Chattanooga tomorrow night for their regular season finale where they'll take on the newly crowned NPSL Southeast Region champion in front of a raucous crowd expected to reach nearly 4,000 at Finley Stadium.  Chattanooga FC locked up the title with a 3:2 win over Pumas last weekend and booked their ticket to the NPSL Final Four to be hosted by RCU at the Madison City Schools Stadium from July 29-31 .

Chattanooga's hopes of an NPSL championship took a major hit, however, as star forward Chris Ochieng suffered a broken ankle during training Thursday night.  Ochieng has been a big part in the success of CFC this year scoring 5 of the Blue's 15 total goals.  The team will now have the RCU match and an exhibition match against MLS club DC United's Under 20 squad to work on the strike partnership of local Chattanooga players Luis Salazar and Ivin Espinal before the NPSL Final Four.

In the meantime, RCU will travel up to Finley Stadium hoping to remain unbeaten against CFC, but will face a Chattanooga team that is intent on changing the recent history.  “Rocket City is consistently a tough opponent for us,” CFC coach Brian Crossman told the CFC website. “We’ve never beaten them before, so our guys are pretty motivated for this one.”

If you've never gone to an RCU away match, this would be the one to attend.  RCU's traveling contingent will be meeting prior to the match at the Big River Grille (222 Broad St. next to the aquarium) for food and drinks at 5:30pm Eastern.  If you can't make it to Chattanooga, you can follow the action on Chattanooga's ESPN affiliate, 105.1 The Zone.  Follow the link and click the the listen live button to hear John Moran and myself join a true radio professional, Nick Bonsanto, call the came.  The game kicks off at 6PM Central.

Finely Stadium before kick-off.  Big-time atmosphere!

Finley Stadium is the best atmosphere in the NPSL with a rowdy bunch of supporters who consistently sing and beer stands in the seating area to provide the consumer a view of the action while they wait to be served.  Chattanooga leads the league in attendance, averaging over 3,000 per match and would like to get over 5,000 for the RCU match.  Chattanooga's NBC affiliate WRCB a nice little video of what you can expect at the game on Saturday.

Local Happenings: RCU, AHSAA All-stars, Women Wanted, Decatur

Now that the World Cup is over, it's back to the regular life, and back to a more local soccer focus for PWT-blog.

RCU Thumps Atlanta FC 5:1

After learning that they would not return to the NPSL Final Four, Rocket City United took out its frustrations on Atlanta FC with a 5:1 victory.  Chattanooga FC had already claimed the Southeast Region Championship with a 3:2 win at Pumas on Saturday night, but that only seemed to spur RCU's offensive firepower as Andrew Nkurunungi's hat trick paced RCU.  Late goals by Norbert Webley and Calvin Mbata finished off the scoring for RCU.

RCU will now prepare for its season finale when it takes on the newly crowned champions next Saturday in Chattanooga.  My broadcast partner, John Moran, and I will be on hand to call the game for Chattanooga's ESPN Radio, 105.1 The Zone.  If you have the chance, I highly encourage you to travel up to Finley Stadium to take in this match.  The crowd and atmosphere are top class.


AHSAA All-star Games Tonight

The best high school players in the state will take the field tonight at John Hunt Soccer Stadium for the AHSAA All-star Sports Week.  The Girls game will be at 5PM, followed by the Boys game at 7PM.


Women Wanted For The RCI and HASL

The organizers of the Rocket City Invitational soccer tournament are looking for women players to complete a four team Women's divsion.  Adult female players can sign up as individuals and will be placed on teams for the 6 aside games.  If the tournament is a success, there is interest from HASL in starting a women's division.  Now's your chance ladies!  And gentlemen, if you know any women who may be interested in playing have them follow this link to register a team or individual.


Decatur Is Looking For More Soccer

Here's an interesting article Decatur's Jack Allen Soccer Complex and the economic impact that it brings to the city.  It looks like they'd like to bring more high-profile soccer to the area.  Cool!

What's New With Rocket City United?

Rocket City United is about open their 2010 NPSL Southeast Region season Saturday night against Pumas of Birmingham (7:30 PM at the Madison City Schools Stadium). There's a buzz in the local soccer community about the team and genuine excitement in Madison about the new direction the club has taken. Let's take a look a some of the major developments in RCU since the successful 2009 season ended.

New OwnershipIn February, Bryan Boyd and his design company SCS purchased an ownership stake in the club. "Southern Convention Services is excited about partnering with Rocket City United in Madison to promote the highest level of soccer locally." As part of the deal, SCS has become the major jersey sponsor for the club. SCS's experience will be vital for the hosting of the league championship, as RCU has won the right to host the NPSL Final Four on the final weekend of July.

New Team Offices/Training Center

Armstrong's Contract and RCU Training Facility from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

With the addition of SCS to the ownership group, the team moved their offices from downtown Huntsville to western Madison and into the corporate headquarters of SCS. Along with office space for the coaches and team staff, the club also announced that they will build a training facility for the team on land adjacent to the team offices. They hope to have the training facility ready for the 2011 season.

New Stadium
In December, the team announced that it had reached an agreement with the City of Madison to use the Madison City School Stadium as its venue for all home matches and the NPSL Final Four. The move to the 7 year old facility will make it one of the premier venues in the NPSL. Team president Andy Zorovich expects a bump in attendance with the relocation. "The corps of the people who were coming to our games last year live in the [Madison] area." He also expects the game day experience to improve. "It's a real stadium. It's got everything we need... I think it will be very, very nice having the games there."

New Coaching Staff

Also in December, the team announce the hiring of Desmond Armstrong as the new Technical Director of the club replacing Greg Petersen. Armstrong, a former professional player who has represented the USA in the 1990 World Cup, has been brought to lead the team and establish a more intricate player development program including the "RCU Heroes Academy of Excellence". Additionally, the RCU training staff has added Mike Lee and Ike Onyeador to assist Armstrong. Lee is an Armstrong acolyte from South Africa who played for the Armstrong at NAIA school Montreat College and brings a strong understanding of the world's game. Onyeador is an upcoming coaching talent who is also the assistant at NAIA power Union College.

New Players

Perhaps the biggest change in the team from last season is on the field. Of the team's roster from the NPSL semifinal match last year, only 8 players remain, with only 4 from that starting 11 expected to make an impact on this year's team. There has been an influx of talent from abroad and several additions from local programs UAH and Alabama A&M. The corps of the returners are on the defensive side of the field and it will be interesting to see if the attacking players that have been added to the squad can gel in time to lead to a successful NPSL Southeast Region season.

That's it for tearing off the wrapping of all the club's "newness". It's going to be a very exciting and interesting year for RCU. See you all Saturday night!

RCU Roster, No MLS Strike and Red Bull Arena Excitement

RCU Begins Roster Building

Rocket City United coach Desmond Armstrong has begun building its roster for the 2010 campaign. After a week of practices, Armstrong has begun the job of filling out the 26 man roster he hopes to use to defend the NPSL South East Region title. Most of the players participating in the workouts this past week were local talents including several members of the UAH and Alabama A&M squads. There were also several returning members from last year's RCU team who impressed during the preseason workouts.


Pshew! MLS Strike Averted
MLS and their players have agreed on a 5-year Collective Bargaining Agreement that has averted a threatened strike by the players. While not granted free agency, the players did win concessions to create a "re-entry draft" for out of contract players at each seasons end. Also, the majority of player contracts will be guaranteed and player pay will be increased with minimum salaries set at $40,000 and the salary cap increasing by $200,000.


Jewell of a Stadium

The New York Red Bulls successfully opened their stadium with a 3:1 defeat of Brazilian Club Santos. Here's a nice little video of all of the action in the stands and on the field.

Champions League Concert and MLS Stadium Vids

Can You Imagine?

Heineken's Italian ad agency deserves an award for creativity. In the days leading up to this year's Real Madrid v AC Milan match, they arranged for hundreds of soccer fans to be duped into attending a classical music concert and poetry reading that would coincide with the match. Check out the results below.

MLS Stadiums Opening and Renovating

Lots of good news from the stadium front in MLS. We've already seen the beautiful new Red Bull Arena is complete and will open Saturday.

Down the turnpike, there's a new stadium being built for the expansion club Philadelphia Union with plans to open in April.

PPL Park will be the home of the Philadelphia Union

And the Toronto FC stadium, BMO Field, is expanding and they're laying down grass turf to replace the plastic pitch that they've played on for the past 3 years.

Toronto FC talks BMO Field and other TFC news

These are great developments for the league. Now, if they could only figure out the CBA mess.

Tommy's Pizza Sponsors RCU, American Soccer Culture in Danger, and RedBull Arena Opens

Tommy's Pizza to Sponsor RCU

Yesterday, RCU announced that Tommy's Pizza will be a 2010 team sponsor. Tommy's had provided pizza for RCU's Ribbon Cutting ceremony, and it I have to say I was impressed. I'm not a huge thin crust pizza guy, but the Tommy's New York style pizza was terrific. I'm looking forward to eating more at all home RCU matches and at Tommy's Bridge Street Town Center location.


American Soccer Culture: Is there one?

Jason Davis of Match Fit USA has written an extremely interesting article about the burgeoning American soccer culture and the influence that British soccer culture has on it. I've written before that American soccer fans have a huge inferiority complex when it should be proud of the rich soccer history. According to MLSTalk, the way to battle the British influence is to support your local club as the American leagues expand their footprint across the country.


RedBull Arena Opening This Weekend

I've heard the new RedBull Arena described as the "best soccer stadium in the western hemisphere", and from everything I've read, that's no exaggeration. The $250 million, 25,000 seat building will open this Saturday when the worst team in MLS, New York RedBulls, will face Brazilian club Santos.

New York's First Practice at Red Bull Arena from mlsinsider on Vimeo.

The DC United fan in me is conflicted. Certainly this is an amazing building and a boon for MLS, but how a club that has done nothing but stink up the cellar of the MLS (see the final 2009 MLS standing on the right of this page) gets a stadium built before the most successful team in American professional soccer is mind boggling.

Field Conditions at RCU's New Stadium Cancels Matches

Rocket City United's new home and the site for the 2010 NPSL Final Four, the Madison City Schools Stadium, has been closed due to dangerous field conditions. The Bob Jones High School soccer matches scheduled last week were postponed due to a 15 yard by 60 yard patch of the turf along the west side of the field that was considered too dangerous for safe play.

Due to the wet autumn weather, the field in the MCSS was damaged along the west sideline of the field where football benches a located during high school football games. Field repairs attempted shortly before the soccer season left a raised patch of sod running along the touchline, five yards into the soccer field that disrupts the natural roll of the soccer ball and causes treacherous footing for players and referees alike. Bob Jones and Madison City officials closed the field for corrective action.

The MCSS field prior to the attempted turf repairs that left the field unplayable (affected area is not shown).

According to one official who refereed matches at the stadium, "The repair was the laying of Bermuda sod in an area about 15 yards by 60 or 70 yards long, which is inside the soccer field. The ground was barely, if any, prepared before laying the sod. The sod was not rolled afterward. Basically too late and too poorly done."

UPDATE:

The MCSS field is scheduled to be overhauled in late April in preparation for the RCU season. It appears that the recent repairs were satisfactory and games were held last Saturday.

RCU President Andy Zorovich says he and the Athletic Director for Bob Jones High School, Bobby Jackson, have discussed the field issues at the MCSS at length. "I have been aware of the field situation since last December when Bobby Jackson and I discussed the field and plans to refurbish in late April/early May... I have full confidence in Mr. Jackson's commitment to having a high quality field at Madison City School Stadium."

Barca Babies, US Soccer Movie, Stadiums, and FSP

Barcelona Babies: The Iniesta Generation

The New York Times Goal Blog has a funny little article about the sharp increase is births around 9 months after Barcelona won the European Championship. They're calling it "The Iniesta Generation" after the fancy-footed midfielder.


The Rising Beast of US Soccer

The opening paragraph of this interview from Culture Of Soccer Blog with filmmaker Pablo Miralles really defines the fear that the rising US Soccer juggernaut causes in fans of the traditional soccer powers.

"An English fan he was interviewing said to him, “You know what I’m most scared of? I’m scared that Americans will actually start caring about this sport.” The thought of this clearly spooked the (slightly inebriated) English fan, who proceeded to start crying. Which led Pablo Miralles to wonder: What was it that would lead a fan halfway across the world to shed tears over the possibility that the US would become a soccer power?"

Miralles' current film project called "Gringo At The Gate" describes the different views that US Soccer fans have of the sport from their southern neighbors in Mexico.

Trailer for Miralles' film "Gringos At The Gate"

Note to self: Re-up Netflix when this one comes out.


Stadiums Are The Key

Rendering of the Philadelphia Union's stadium that opens this year.

Respected Houston soccer media icon Steve Davis is right on target when he says that the key to long term growth in soccer in the US is stadium development. Having a building of thier own gives the clubs financial viability and gives the community and supporters a sense of permanence. You also gotta love the tongue lashing that Davis gives soccer haters, too.

"It also says to the soccer haters: 'Screw you, we’re here to stay. So go hide in the forest with the rest of the xenophobic jackholes and douchey ding dongs who always want to know ‘Why can’t things just be the way they used to be?' "

More Leagues For Fox Soccer Plus


EPLTalk.com has been right on top of the Fox Soccer stories this winter. They were on top of the FSC HD news and now they're giving us the rumors on Fox Soccer Plus. Looks like we'll get to see the French League Un and the English Championship (2nd divsion just below the EPL).

Searching For Soccer Bars, World Cup TV, and Atlanta Stadiums

Chattanooga Also Needs A Soccer Bar

Looks like Huntsville's not the only city in need of a soccer bar. The Chattahooligan blog is looking for a good place to watch soccer in Chattanooga. Hmm... This may be a light bulb moment!

Someone could make a fortune opening a chain of soccer bars!!! :D

ESPN Announces World Cup Broadcast Schedule

As if we didn't already know, ESPN is taking the World Cup seriously. All matches will be shown in HD, some in 3D, 12 hours of daily coverage in the first round and live coverage on ESPN mobile. They're going all out. Yesterday, they announce the broadcast schedule with 44 matches on ESPN, 10 on ESPN2, and 10 on ABC.

Atlanta Will Have 2 Soccer Stadiums

The Atlanta Beat's proposed stadium

The Atlanta Beat of the WPS has announced that it will build an 8,300 seat soccer stadium in conjunction with Kennesaw State University. The Beat are currently playing in the 5,000 seat RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium built by the Atlanta Silverbacks of the USL/NASL.

Atlanta's first soccer stadium, the Re/Max

So, Atlanta will have 2 soccer stadiums within 25 miles of each other. Who says the south doesn't support soccer?

Player and President Comments on Armstrong

RCU midfielder Derek Pirtle shares his excitement about the Armstrong hiring and about playing in the new Madison City Schools Stadium.

Derek Pirtle on RCU Desmond Armstrong Hire from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

RCU president Andy Zorovich comments on the hiring.

Andy Zorovich on the Desmond Armstrong hire from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

RCU's New Home: Madison City Schools Stadium

Of course, the big news at the press conference today was the announcement of former US National Team member Desmond Armstrong as the technical director, but perhaps just as big was the announcement that RCU will be moving their home matches to the Madison City Schools Stadium. This is a major upgrade from John Hunt Soccer Stadium.

Madison City Schools Stadium: The new home of Rocket City United

I stopped by the stadium after the press conference and was impressed with it. Built in 2003, it seats a few thousand and will meet the needs of RCU.

Andy Zorovich on Madison and Madison City Schools Stadium from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

BTW, since the Stadium is on Celtic Drive, I have to wonder if the builder of the stadium is a Hoops supporter. :)

RCU Press Conference Recap

RCU Technical Director Desmond Armstrong

As I told you earlier this week, Desmond Armstrong was officially announced as the Rocket City United Technical Directory today during a press conference at the Madison City Hall. In addition, the city and the club announced that RCU will be playing their home matches in Madison and the NPSL Final Four will be held aat the Madison City Schools Stadium.After being welcomed by several local dignitaries, Madison Mayor Paul Finley welcomed the team and spoke about some of the benefits the team will bring to the city and vice-versa. "This is an exciting day for Madison... We have 1,500 kids in the city of Madison in AYSO soccer. We have 25 different club teams... and that's not to mention the teams at Liberty, Discovery, and Bob Jones... As a business person, I understand why you are here. Your target market is here. We are the center of this Tennessee Valley. If you go to Decatur, and Athens, and Huntsville, Madison is an ideal location."

Madison Mayor Paul Finley Welcomes Rocket City United

RCU president Andy Zorovich then spoke about his original intention on playing in Madison and his delight that the team is able to call the Madison City School Stadium home after two seasons playing in Huntsville's John Hunt Soccer Stadium.

Zorovich was also proud to announce that Madison would play host the NPSL Final Four at the end of July. "This year the championship for our league will be held here. It's going to be a great opportunity... Hopefully, we'll be playing in that final game on July 31st. That's the goal that we'll have for the team." After setting that lofty expectation, Zorovich gave the floor to Armstrong to address the media.

Desmond Armstrong addresses the media

I'll be posting more footage from the press conference later today.

Arsenal's Old Stadium Repurposed

Instead of taking the dynamite to Arsenal's old stadium, Highbury, they retrofitted the stadium's stands into apartments and the field became an English garden. Very cool.



I wonder if Nick Hornby owns the penthouse suite?

Alabama Ruled Out As World Cup Venue

USA Bid Committee has further trimmed the list of cities under consideration to host matches should the US win the bid to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Twenty-seven cities made the cut as venues for the upcoming quadrennial event. Birmingham, Alabama was not one of those cities, however.

Despite the fact that Alabama will not host matches, Huntsville soccer fans still may be able to catch a match or two within a two hour drive. Nashville's LP Field is still in the running, and judging from the recent World Cup Qualifier held there last spring, Nashville has a pretty good chance to make the final cut.

"We will be working closely with officials from all 27 cities, stadiums and host committees over the next few months in our process of identifying the final list of cities that will be included in our bid book to FIFA in May 2010," said David Downs, the Executive Director of the USA Bid Committee. "The support of the individual cities and their capacity to promote the bid will be crucial to our efforts as we work to maintain the momentum created by the launch of our national campaign and our Web page, goUSAbid.com, last week. With the passion for the game being shown by our fans and the existing infrastructure in place in the U.S., we are confident we have assembled a list of candidate cities that will meet and exceed FIFA's requirements for hosting World Cup matches."

Regardless of the cities chose, the USA bid will need to be very strong to beat out other contending countries including Australia, England, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico and Russia.