World Cup Draw: Where Are You Watching It?

It's time to let your boss know that you've suddenly come down with a sniffle, cough, or stomach flu. The World Cup Draw will be shown on ESPN2 at 11AM today. Where are you watching it? So far, I've heard from of two groups gathering around the Huntsville area. The SouthernSoccer.net crew will be heading over to Buffalo Wild Wings at Madison Square Mall. Some Rocket City United folks will be gathering at Tommy's Pizza to see if the US ends up in the Group of Death.
Any others groups gathering today?

More With Andy Zorovich

Here's part two of talk with Rocket City United President, Andy Zorovich. Andy talks about the best/worst things about being the head of RCU. He also talks about what the club does in the offseason. Enjoy!

RCU President Andy Zorovich Part 2 from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

You can find part 1 of the interview here.

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.

World Cup Stuff

World Cup Draw on FridayESPN2 will broadcast the World Cup Draw on Friday. They'll have three hours of coverage starting at 11 AM. How will the US fare? Climbing the Ladder provides the best analysis I've seen, complete with probabilities of drawing specific outcomes.

History of the World Cup Balls

The new Adidas ball the "Jublani" is set to be the official ball of the 2010 World Cup.

A few weeks back, I did a post on the Adidas World Cup Ball set that is on sale at Eurosport. British newspaper, the Telegraph has a photo essay of all of the balls used during the World Cups dating back to the 1930 Uruguay edition.

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.

Sit Down With Andy Zorovich

NPSL Commish Interview

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Andy Zorovich, the President of Rocket City United and the NPSL South Region Commissioner to talk about many topics including some behind the scenes looks at the NPSL and RCU.

As part of my first post for the NPSL Insider website, we talked about what's new in the South Region for 2010 and the process for the acceptance of new teams in the league. Check it out here.

RCU Presidential Interview Part 1

After the NPSL questions, Andy put on his RCU hat and he answered some RCU specific questions. Here's the first part of four RCU specific vids in which Andy discusses how he came to run a soccer team and why he selected the Huntsville/Madison area as the location.

Rocket City United President Andy Zorovich Part 1 from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo

Name This Keeper: Answer

Who is this goalkeeper?

None other than the world famous striker, Pele. He is shown playing in goal during a practice game in preparation for the 1966 World Cup in England. The image is from a terrific photo essay by Life Magazinge in honor of the 40th anniversary of Pele's 1,000th goal.

Pele makes the save.

Pele tells us of his goalkeeping career.

"I also played in goal for Santos Football Club," he says, reminding even hardcore soccer fans of a little-known fact about his astonishing career. "I played several games."

Incredibly, Pele was serving as the third goalkeeper for the Brazilian squad in England 1966 and would have taken his place between the sticks in an injury emergency.

Pele soars for a bicycle kick

But this is the image most of us think of when we think Pele.

Name This Keeper

The goalkeeper in this photo had a tremendous career, breaking several records, and winning many trophies. Can you name him?

Photo: Art Rickerby./Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

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.

Local vs National: NASL League Website

For a few weeks now, I've been posting some news on the dust up between the two minor league soccer circuits, the USL and the TOA which is now called the North American Soccer League. And I've been doing some poking around the Internet to get some more info on the NASL. Today, I was curious whether anyone was smart enough to do some domain name speculation on the soon to be coveted NASL.com. Guess what I found when I typed the now valuable address into my browser? The North Alabama Soccer League!!!


Bravo! You guys might be getting a phone call with a big offer soon!

Thieving Baboons! This Time I'm Not Talking About FIFA

Baboons Hooligans on the Loose in South Africa

Evidence of where the Baboons learned their hooligan tactics?!

Wild baboons in Cape Town are doing more than just looking cute and taking handouts. They're breaking into cars to steal food from tourists. Yet, another thing to be mindful of, if you're going to next year's World Cup!

Tuesday Nuggets

Technology Debate Continues

Do you see a foul? Of course not!

The Hand of Henry fall-out continues, fresh with an illustration of what the referees saw, or more correctly, what they did not see. FIFA has scheduled a special meeting prior to the World Cup Draw to address the situation while more big names call for instant replay.


Things Are Getting Interesting


So, the new TOA league will be called the NASL. And I've read more than once that the USL will drop its second tier USL-1 league to consolidate its third tier USL-2 league. This is in the midst of the USL issuing a press release threatening legal action against the TOA. Here is an article with plenty of nuggets from Inside Minnesota Soccer, which has been at the forefront of this whole debacle.


Wynalda Admits Mistake In Coming Back To US

Former US International Eric Wynalda

Eric Wynalda is the best entertainer in American soccer. He's never been one to check with his head before his mouth runs down a dangerous path. And that's what makes him blog gold. Here, in an interview for Yanks Abroad, he admits that he made a mistake in returning to the US to play for the upstart MLS in 1996. Aside from whining about his missed opportunities, Wynalda is championing the plight of the underpaid MLS player. There is no doubt that players in MLS are undervalued, and Wynalda feels that some of the cause for this is MLS tight-fistedness.

US Will Win It All In South Africa 2010

US Soccer Daily has made the bold statement that the US will win the World Cup next year! Here's their argument.

This trophy is ours!

Now, that's some positive thinking!

MLS and NASL (Really NASL!) Stuff

Stats of MLS Cup Final

The "heat map" shows where the action is taking place.

ESPN is throwing out all the stops for the MLS Cup broadcast. The newest innovation is the introduction of something called optical tracking data which will show "the distance and average speed players travel during the game, the number of sprints taken, and the amount of time spent in various parts of the field."

New League Rumored To Be Called NASL; Adds Two More Teams


Looks like this new US division two league is starting to take shape. USL News, an independent site covering all minor league soccer in North America, is reporting that the new league started by the TOA may be called the "North American Soccer League". Yep, just like the one that went under in the mid-80s. Apparently, they've filed patents with the US Patent and Trademark Office on the name.

Also, the league announced the addition of Crystal Palace USA and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, bringing their numbers up to 9 teams.

World Cup Teams and HASL Premiership Champion

World Cup Teams Decided

Here's the list of the 32 World Cup Qualifying teams. The draw will be held on December 4th.

AFC: Australia, Japan, North Korea, and South Korea

CAF: Algeria, Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, and host South Africa




CONCACAF: Honduras, Mexico, and United States




COMNEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay




OFC: New Zealand



UEFA: Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Switzerland

Who you got winning it?

HASL Premiership Division Champions
Foot Clan claimed their second consecutive HASL Premiership Divison Championship with a 0:0 draw against Turtles. The result left them even on points with the Law Dogs, but Foot Clan took the title with a better Goal Differential.

Let's Talk About That Handball

If you haven't heard about it, Thierry Henry settled a free kick with his hand that led to the deciding goal to send France through to the South Africa at the expense of Ireland. The referee was apparently screened from seeing the infraction, but Henry admits he did it deliberately.

"Le Hand of God" Goal (Please excuse my Frenglish)

So, the question becomes, what does FIFA do about it?

Well, the right thing to do would be to suspend Henry for a game and replay the match before the World Cup draw on December 4th. The one game suspension may sound harsh, but with such a high profile case, it would send a message that cheating in soccer is not tolerated. Let's assume France wins the replay (big assumption, I know), Henry would only miss the replay. However, if you know anything about FIFA, you know that they will completely ignore this incident for two reasons.


1. FIFA has no backbone. Did they do anything about the 1986 Maradona "Hand of God" goal, even though it occurred in the actual World Cup? No.
2. FIFA would prefer France in the World Cup. France is a team filled with superstars. France will sell far more tickets than Ireland.

So, let's assume FIFA does nothing about this incident. What to do to prevent the missing of similar calls in the future? Some would say add another ref or two either on the field or as a "goal judge" who only calls fouls in the box. This would definitely help, but there would still be missed calls.



Others suggest instant replay for all goals. I think this is a great idea. I suggest having a replay official in a booth who is charged with taking one minute to review all goals from available data from TV cameras to decide if foul play led to the goal. It usually takes more than a minute for the referee to restart the game from a goal anyway due to the players celebrating and grabbing water, etc. Use this time to review the goal and signal the ref to indicate that goal was illegal.

If FIFA were to implement this and the goal line technologies available, disputed goals would be all but eliminated.

Anyone have any other ideas?

Rumored USA World Cup Jerseys

I guess I should have waited a week or so to do my USA jersey post, because a few photos of the rumored US Home World Cup jerseys were leaked recently. Here they are:

Dempsey modeling the rumored World Cup uniform

Close-up of the shirt

My first impression is that it's a little bland, and I'm not big on the ringed collar. It's not bad, but I've always liked an actual polo style collar on my soccer jerseys. Maybe because if it has a collar, I can get away with wearing it to work on casual Fridays. :)

I'll let you know once the Away jerseys are released.

What Did I Miss?

I was busy visiting family for the past week or so. Here's what's gone down since then.

USA Men

Oh yeah, that's a foul on Bornstein (in the dark uniform)!

Call it sour grapes, but the USA lost 1:0 to Slovakia on a terrible PK call. If that play had happened at midfield, the Slovakian guy would have been cautioned for the rugby tackle he laid on Bornstein. Check out the USMNT Youtube Channel for highlights. Oh well, that's the type of experience you want to gain in the friendlies leading up to the World Cup and not in it. Referee's see things differently in other parts of the world. Remember Gooch's PK giveaway to Ghana? They'll be playing taking on another World Cup opponent in Denmark on Wednesday.

Here's a pretty good retrospective on the past 20 years of the USMNT. In 1989, when Paul Caliguiri hit the "shot heard around the world", qualifying for the World Cup was a massively unexpected result. Today, it would be a massively unexpected result if they did not qualify.


MLS Final Set: LA vs Salt Lake


Real Salt Lake pulled a NY RedBulls by qualifying last for the MLS Cup Playoffs and running the bracket to the final. The RSL shootout win over the hard-luck Chicago Fire was certainly more exciting than the 2:0 LA victory over Houston despite the 120 minutes of scoreless soccer. I was on the East Coast while watching the LA game and it was a marathon affair of boring soccer with a few of power outages sprinkled into the late night borefest. So, it's on to Seattle for RSL and LA. Let's hope the final has some goals or at least some exciting attacking football.

HASL Division Champs Crowned

Four of the five Huntsvill Adult Soccer League divisions have crowned champions while the Premership will be decided on Wednesday night. Here are the other HASL Division Champions:

Division I: CD Venom
Division II: Arsenal FC
Division III: Chivas USA
Division IV: Juventus

Wow, we have a team from the EPL, MLS, and Serie A winning Divisions in HASL! :)

Twickenham Rovers

BTW, this season's Best Team Name Award goes to the Twickenham Rovers. Nice British sounding name with a nod toward old Huntsville.

RCU Press Conference Rescheduled to December 11

Rocket City United have postponed the press conference originally scheduled for today. The press conference will be held at the Madison City Hall on December 11. RCU will announce 2010 season plans and introduce their new Technical Director at that time.