RCU Preseason Friendly This Saturday

Rocket City United has announced that they will play Martin Methodist College this Saturday at 1 p.m. at John Hunt Soccer Complex.  New RCU coach Gerry Cleary will be busy as he also serves as the head coach for MMC.

RCU and MMC Coach Gerry Cleary, center in black, instructs his players.

Here's the press release from RCU:

Rocket City United will kick off their preseason preparations with a friendly match against Martin Methodist College during the Southern Soccer Challenge this Saturday.   The tournament features high school teams from all over the area and will be played at the John Hunt Soccer Complex. 

Group stage matches are scheduled for Friday March 26.  On Saturday, teams will play the semifinal rounds at 9 and 11AM before the two division finals at 3:30 and 5:30PM. 

Between these rounds, at 1PM, RCU will play their first test game of the preseason.  Fans will be able to watch returning players as well as new test players who may factor into the squad come the regular season.  Rocket City as an organization is excited to start building their relationship with Martin Methodist College, as well as for the new season.  RCU’s home opener is May 14 against the new Knoxville Force as Madison City Schools Stadium.

High School Elite, More NCAA, College Player Development

Times Releases Elite High School Players List

The Huntsville Times has released its list of Boys and Girls "TimesElite" High School soccer players.  Grissom swept the Player of the Year awards with Jonathan Ray and Courtney Hurt being honored.


NCAA Men's College Cup Coming To Alabama

Yesterday, it was announced that the 2011 NCAA Men's College Cup would be hosted in Hoover.  Here's a video on the announcement.




Is There Room For College Soccer In US Player Development

Speaking of college soccer, there's a debate raging within the US soccer community (and in our comments section) over the role that college soccer has in player development.  Some feel that reliance on the college game to develop truly elite players is hindering the progression of US soccer and that the better options is developing players in a professional environment.  Other feel that college soccer allows a good environment for players who mature later than their counterparts in the professional ranks. The Washington Post has an interesting article with quotes from some big names in the college game.

All-Stars: NPSL and High School

NPSL All-stars to take on RCU

Rocket City United will have one more home game after all.  They fell short in their attempt to qualify for the NPSL Final Four, but they will take part in the action on the field during the Soccer Wars Festival by facing the NPSL All-Stars on Friday, July 30.


NPSL Final Four Qualifying

In other Soccer Wars news, Chattanooga FC is the only team to have qualified for the NPSL Final Four so far by winning the Southeast Region Championship.  I've broken down the other regional qualifying campaigns over at the NPSL Insider blog here.


AHSAA All-Stars

The South All-stars came from behind to score 2 second half goals for the 3:2 win over the girls from the North at the John Hunt Soccer Stadium last night.  In the nightcap, the North All-Stars crushed the South 7:1 in the boys match.

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!

Catching Up: RCU Tune-up, AHSAA Final Photos , and ChatFC Hosts Atlas

I've been out of town for a much needed mini-vacation, but now I'm back to catch up with the local soccer action. Again, a special thanks goes to Doug and Darrell who provided terrific match reviews of the AHSAA playoffs last weekend.

RCU's Final Tune Up On Saturday

After announcing its partnership with Heroes FA to create the RCU Heroes Academy of Excellence earlier this week, Rocket City United will play in it's final tune-up this Saturday at Columbia High School at 7:30 PM. The format of this match will be a internal scrimmage within the team's roster. The "Red vs. Black" match is free and open to the public.


AHSAA Finals Revisited


Speaking of RCU, Steve Van Horn, the veteran RCU defender, coached the only local High School team to capture a state title this year, when he led Grissom to a 3:0 victory over Hoover in the Boys 6A finals. The Huntsville Times has a nice set of photos catching the action that took place at John Hunt Park last weekend.


Chattanooga FC will host Mexico's Atlas
Just up the road from Huntsville, RCU rivals Chattanooga FC have announced that they will host the Mexican power, FC Atlas of Guadalajara. ChatFC will play the Atlas U-23 squad on May 29th at 7PM. As Greg wrote in his NPSL Southeast preview, Finley Stadium is a special place to watch a match and we should expect a great atmosphere for this one.

Grissom Boys win, Girls fall in 6A State Finals

"We wuz robbed" – Grissom girls fall to Spain Park 2-1 in overtime.

From special PWT-blog correspondent, Doug - The Grissom-Spain Park girls final started out in windy conditions with Grissom benefiting from the wind in the first half. With Catherine Lumb pulling the strings from midfield, Grissom exploited Spain Park’s flanks to great effect. After some build up in the Spain Park box, a Grissom direct kick from 20 yards was beautifully parried by the Spain Park Keeper. Though they escaped the free kick, Spain Park could not escape the ensuing corner kick, which was converted by Isabel Shanteau and Grissom took a deserved 1-0 lead in the 19th minute.

As the first half progressed, pressure from Spain Park increased. The speedy Simonie Charley looked especially dangerous. Grissom’s keeper Katie Roberts came off her line to smother a couple of fine scoring chances. The half ended with Grissom clinging to their 1-0 lead.

The second half opened with some chances for both sides. Utilizing the wind, Spain Park increased their pressure as the half progressed. A free kick from just outside the box would be converted in the 33rd minute and the game was tied 1-1. That score held to the completion of regular time.

Two minutes into overtime Spain Park was awarded what has to be called a gift as the referee called a very soft foul in the top corner of the box and pointed to the penalty spot. The ensuing penalty was blasted up the middle and Spain Park took home their gift of a state title.

Grissom Boys dominate Hoover 3-0, Win State Championship

The Grissom boys took home their first state title of the millennium by beating the #1 ranked Hoover Pirates by a score of 3-0.

The game started with Grissom utilizing the winds at their back and their possession passing game to apply pressure to the pirates. Hoover responded with a more direct approach with neither team able to gain the advantage in the early moments of the match.

All this changed when Grissom took advantage of poor handling by the Hoover keeper. Mitch Wilson was able to poach the ball from the keeper and tuck the ball in at the near post giving Grissom the early 1-0 lead. Josh Konantz almost doubled the lead by holding off two Hoover defenders, only to see his ball cleared off the line.

The second half opened with Hoover taking advantage of the wind. They applied pressure which required some clean handling by Tiger’s keeper Josh Cook. Grissom absorbed the pressure and then took advantage of a quick counter in the 53rd minute. Mitch Wilson broke free down the left wing and teed up Jake Vayda with a cross across the goal mouth. Vayda punished the Hoover lapse and doubled Grissom lead 2-0.

Four minutes later it was Wilson again who gained possession at the Hoover 18, turned his man, and shot a beautiful ball to the far corner giving Grissom a 3-0 lead.

This lead proved insurmountable as the Grissom back four, led by Jonathon Ray and Justin Jong, repelled anything that Hoover threw at them and rode out the game to a well deserved 3-0 win.

Another thanks goes to PWT-blog special correspondent Doug for these great game reports.

Local teams play in States Semis

I am currently out of town, and thanks must go out to special correspondents Darrell and Doug who have written up the action over at John Hunt Park where the state high school play-offs are going on.

Randolf falls in 1-4A Boys Semis

From special PWT-blog correspondent Darrell- AHSAA 1-4A Boys Soccer Semi-final between Indian Hills and Randolph began with a shot at the Indian Hills goal in the first minute and a shot at the Randolph goal in the second minute. Both teams continued attacking both goals with Randolph playing its possession game and Indian Hills threatening on the counter attack. Soon thereafter in the 6th minute of the game Indian Hills player #11, Alex Jomroz, put the ball in the back of the net through outstanding individual effort (no assist). After the kickoff both teams continued playing with great strength, as boys of this age always do. Indian Hills thrilled the fans in the 23rd minute with a cross by player #24, Andrew Washburn, to a teammate who headed the ball toward the goal from close range but straight at the Randolph goalkeeper who was only able to deflect it back into play. Randolph's defense cleared the ball out. Pressure then shifted and Randolph player #6, Eric Ly, almost scored with a quick shot in the 34th minute and player #11, Clark Ingram, with an excellent header that was saved by the Indian Hills goalkeeper in the 40th minute of the game.

The second half began much like the first half with a shot at each team's goal within the first minute. Randolph player #6, Eric Ly, showed his value to his team with a shot that was just barely wide in the 3rd minute and then a bend-it-like-Beckam shot on a direct free kick in the 11th minute of the second half. But Indian Hills was the team who scored next when their player #15, George Smith, crossed the ball in front of the Randolph goal which was not immediately cleared out by the Randolph defense and ended up in the goal from a shot by Indian Hills player #12, Jake Shuford, in the 12th minute of the second half.

Down 2 to 0, Randolph did not let up. Randolph continued their controlled attacks, led frequently by their player #6, Eric Ly. At one point, he even attempted a bicycle kick/shot in the 21st minute, but still no goal. Indian Hills played out the game with just enough effort to preserve their two goal lead, but not without a price. One of their players was cautioned for faking a foul, i.e. a dive, in the 34th minute of the second half. Soon the game ended and Indian Hills advanced to the final with a win over Randolph, 2 to 0.

Grissom Girls Shut Out Prattville

From special PWT-blog correspondent, Doug - The Grissom girls took no prisoners in their state semi-final beating Prattville 4-0. The team started a little flat and could not beat the Prattville keeper from distance. Finally after 30 minutes Abby Phillips broke through and put a nice finish to open the scoring. A few minutes later she struck again and the girls cruised into half time with a 2-0 lead.

The second half started with Grissom holding possession and knocking the ball around the mid field. Prattville had no answers for Grissom’s dominance and rarely put together more than 2 passes. Any long balls they served were ably dispatched by Heather Jeziorski. It was only a matter of time when Isabel Shanteau was released through the disorganized Prattville backline to make the score 3-0. Katie Vallely finished the scoring line by practically walking the ball into the net for the final 4-0 scoreline.

The win puts Grissom through to the final against the arch-foe Spain Park (Saturday, 11AM, Field 2). An earlier meeting in the Lakeshore shootout ended with Spain Park winning in PK’s. The lady tigers are looking for revenge on the big stage.

Grissom Boys Convert Chances to Advance to Finals

From special PWT-blog correspondent, Doug - The Grissom boys put away a pesky Auburn team 3-1. The score line is a bit generous to Grissom as the game was evenly played until the last ten minutes when Grissom put the game away with 2 goals.

The game started out promisingly for Grissom and within 10 minutes some good link play in the middle put Bobby Copeland through to put the tigers up 1-0. In the 13th minute Auburn tied things up by taking advantage of a goal mouth scramble. Grissom failed to clear the ball past the 18 and the ball was played back in and calmly put away to tie things at 1-1.

The rest of the first half was evenly played in a battle of the midfields. Grissom had a couple of opportunities but lack of finishing left the game tied at half.

The second half started much the same way as the first ended with neither side looking particularly dangerous.

That ended in the 33rd minute of the second half when Josh Konantz played through Matt Volz in 1 on 1 with the keeper. Volz slipped the ball past the keeper but its pace put in doubt whether it would be cleared off the line. Bobby Copeland made sure that did not happen by slamming the ball home for his second. Three minutes later Josh Konantz took advantage of Auburn’s failure to clear the area and flicked past the keeper for the final score, 3-1.

The win puts Grissom against Alabama’s #1 ranked team, Hoover High (Saturday, 1PM, Field 2) . It is yet another Huntsville-Hoover battle to claim dominance of the state.

1-4A Huntsville HIgh School Derby Decided In PKs

After splitting their regular season matches, it could be said that not much separates the Huntsville rivals Randolph and Catholic, be it distance between campuses or quality on the soccer field. That viewpoint was vindicated in today's AHSAA 1-4A second round playoff match as the teams battled through a scoreless regulation and overtime. The Huntsville derby match's official result will be a 0:0 draw, but the playoffs require a winner. So, the victor would be decided by kicks from the mark, and the Raider's goalkeeper, Drew McDonald , was the deciding factor as Randolph won the tiebreaker 4:2.

Randolph Coach Sean Cooper from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

Earlier in the day, it was feared that the game would be postponed due to tornadic weather conditions, but the weather held and a capacity crowd witnessed the action including a heard of cattle on the hill adjacent to the field. A strong gale played havoc with clearances and passes and it seemed Randolph did not know how to take advantage of the tailwind in the first half. When asked about the wind Randolph coach Sean Cooper said, "Our game is ball on the ground and we really don't look to play many long balls."

Catholic took a different tack by taking advantage of the tailwind in the second half with several shots from distance that troubled the Randolph nets but didn't break the deadlock, including a shot from the Falcon's foward Andrew Dunn 25 yards from goal that beat McDonald only to hit the upright. Tensions showed as several harsh challenges were exchanged between the teams and names were noted in the referee AJ Hick's notebook.

Perhaps they didn't know it was playoff game with overtime, or maybe it was feeding time, but as the teams lined up for the extra time periods, the cattle on the hill had moved on to better pastures. However, the fans were treated to exciting end to end action, but no decider would come and both five minute extra time periods ended without a golden goal.

PK Save from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

In the dreaded PKs, McDonald stood to the fore with a vital save of Catholic's Raul Alonso after Cody Santos converted his spot kick for the Raiders. The teams then traded goals from Sanket Shah for Randolph and Americ Zuurhout for Catholic. After Randolph's Eric Ly scored from 12 yards, Nicco Libarios missed wide on his attempt for the Falcons. McDonald, himself, would then send his shot past Catholic keeper Brent DeSilva for the fourth and deciding kick, sending his team through to the semifinals and his teammates and fans into jubilation.

Game winning PK from Ryan Harbaugh on Vimeo.

New US World Cup Jersey, Group C Projections, and Grissom Soccer Camp

World Cup Home Jersey Released
The new white home jersey to be worn by the US in this summer's World Cup has been released by Nike. The jersey is made from polyester made from recycled plastic bottles and features a sash design similar to the design of the jersey that the US wore in the upset of England in the 1950 World Cup. In keeping with that theme, I ordered mine with the name and number of the goal scorer from that day, Joe Gaetjens.


Statistician's Projections of Group C


In an ESPN article, statistician Nate Silver, famous for his Major League Baseball player and US political predictions, has released his predictions for the results from the World Cup's Group C. So? According to Silver's simulations, England and the USA should advance. He projects the US getting 4.27 points from the three matches with a 21.6% of winning the group and a 55.8% of advancing. Too bad the games aren't played on paper.

Personally, my gut is telling me that this will be a much harder group than these projections indicate. I will be very happy if we get 4 points from the group. With a little luck, that will be enough. In my ideal World Cup scenario, we finish second in Group C and face Germany in the second round, followed by Mexico in the quarter-finals. Another crack at Germany in a knock-out situation would be an ideal situation for an upset by the US, and we know what it takes to beat Mexico. But again, with a little luck, this could be a good World Cup for our boys.


Grissom Hosts Soccer Camp

This summer Grissom High will host thier 17th annual Soccer Camp for children ages 5-16. The players will be provided with instruction on individual technique, skills and tactics. For more information and camp registration, go to http://www.grissomsoccer.com/camp.htm.

High School Second Round Match-ups Set

This weekend, several local teams are set to participate in the second round of the knock-out style AHSAA play-offs where winners will qualify for the State Tournament to be held at John Hunt Park on May 7th and 8th.


Two marquee match-ups will provide excitement for local soccer fans as not one, but two Huntsville derbies will be contested for a spot in the state semifinals next week. In 6A boys action, the first Huntsville derby clash will take place Friday night at 6PM with Grissom hosting Huntsville. The second Huntsville derby match will feature Catholic traveling across town to Randolph at 5PM on Saturday in 1-4A Boys action.

Local teams in action (Home team first):

6A Boys
Grissom (3:1 over Clay-Chalkville) v Huntsville (1:0 over Mtn Brook), Friday, 6PM

5A Boys
East Limestone (1:0 over Hartselle, OT) v Cullman (3:0 over Madison Cty), Friday, 4PM

1-4A Boys
Randolph (1:0 over Oneonta) v Catholic (4:1 over Westminster Chrtn), Saturday, 5PM

6A Girls
Mountain Brook (5:1 over Decatur) v Grissom (3:0 over Hewitt-Trussville), Friday, 5PM

1-4A Girls
Madison Academy (5:0 over Westminster Chrtn) v Guntersville (2:1 over Randolph), Saturday, 11AM

High School Playoff Start Today

Several local teams will be playing in the first round of the Alabama High School Athletics Association playoffs beginning today in the hopes of qualifying for the finals to be hosted at John Hunt Park on May 7th and 8th.


Local teams in play (home team listed first):

6A Boys
Grissom v Clay-Chalkville
Mountain Brook v Huntsville

5A Boys
East Limestone v Hartselle
Madison County v Cullman

1-4A Boys
Randolph v Oneonta
Catholic-Huntsville v Westminster Christian

6A Girls
Mountain Brook v Decatur
Hewitt-Trussville v Grissom

5A Girls
East Limestone v Cullman
Madison County v Athens

1-4A Girls
Madison Academy v Westminster Christian
Randolph v Guntersville

UAH's Joe Nemzer on Recruiting Players

The National Collegiate Scouting Association ran an interview with UAH Interim Head Coach Joe Nemzer. In the article, Nezmer talks about his coaching style, the work ethic of his teams, and the great educational value of UAH.
Nezmer also gave this important tip for young players who are looking to get recruited,

"A common misconception among high school athletes is that “If I’m good, colleges will find me.” While this may be true in some cases, for the most part, you won’t be recruited unless you are proactive."

He also recommends sending out highlight videos, schedules and soccer resumes.

High School All-stars Announced

Several local players were selected to represent the North All-stars in the annual AHSAA North-South soccer game to be held at John Hunt Park on Monday July 12.

Local Girls
DEFENDERS: Danielle Berryman, Madison Academy; Christine Jones, Huntsville;

MIDFIELDERS: Natalie Harding, New Hope; Nancy Brasseale, Catholic-Huntsville;

FORWARDS: Courtney Hurt, Grissom; Jessica Salinas, Bob Jones; Morgan Thorsen, Westminster Christian

GOALKEEPERS: Taylor Rae Rutherford; Decatur.

Local Boys

DEFENDERS: Jonathan Ray, Grissom.

MIDFIELDERS: Kennedy Pope, Huntsville; Johnathan Mitchell, Bob Jones; Steve Owens, Sparkman.

Alabama High School Finals To Be Streamed By Raycom Media

The Alabama High School Athletics Association has signed an agreement with Raycom Media to live stream the state's Soccer Finals as part of a comprehensive 3 year agreement to broadcast a variety of the AHSAA's sporting events online and live/tape delayed over the air broadcasts. Raycom has streamed several AHSAA events this year via their broadcast TV station websites including WAFF 48 here in Huntsville. The AHSAA Boy's and Girl's Soccer Finals will be held in Huntsville this year on May 7 & 8.

Tidbits

RCU Plays For Region Championship

RCU will host Saturn FC this Saturday, July 18 at 7:30 at John Hunt Soccer Stadium with a birth in the NPSL Final Four on the line. A win or a draw will see RCU take the NPSL Southeast Region title. Each regional champion will be drawn into a mini single elimination tournament in Madison, WI played on the last weekend in July. I'll have more on Saturday's match later in the week.


North Downs South in State High School All-star Game

The best players from the 2010 graduating class met in the Alabama State High School All-star game last night at John Hunt Soccer Stadium. Goals by Oxford's Ian Martin and Grissom's Bobby Copeland led the North to a 2:0 victory over the South.

RCU Hosts "Military Night" This Saturday

RCU will salute the military by hosting a meal and providing tickets for 180 soldiers from Redstone Arsenal to Saturday night's crucial match versus Saturn FC.

Couple of Scheduling Tidbits

The Alabama State High School Soccer Tournament will be held as scheduled this weekend. The semifinals will be contested on Friday with the finals are to be played on Saturday at the John Hunt Soccer Stadium. There had been fears that the swine flu school closures would cause a rescheduling of the tournament.

However, unrelated to the swine flu, the Rocket City United v Mississippi Brilla match scheduled for May 15th in Clinton, MS has been rescheduled to June 23rd. That will cut down on some of the early season travel RCU had planned that I mentioned in an earlier post.