RCU Signs Willoughby for 2010 I'm not sure how I missed this earlier.... Rocket City United retained a key piece of their NPSL SouthEast Region Championship team from 2009 by signing winger Paul Willoughby. After losing forward Raphael Barbosa, the signing of Willoughby is a boon to RCU's offensive prowess.
Member of Willoughby's Army suggests the contract period she'd like RCU to sign.
Reportedly, the Huntsville native's fanclub, Willoughby's Army, could be heard squealing their approval from outside Parkway Place Mall at the news of the signing.
It looks like RCU will add a long road trip to Oklahoma this season when they face FC Tulsa. This news broke through Chattagnooga FC and RCU's twitter feeds.
"Welcome! RT @ChattanoogaFC: Verry interesting Chatt FC would like 2 welcome Tulsa FC (yes, of OK) to SE Region of NPSL. Load up the fan bus!"
FC Tulsa will replace Atlanta club Saturn FC whose owners relocated to New Jersey and can no longer support the team from afar. The rumored team in Nashville will not happen in 2010 as the interested ownership group removed their application in December.
African Football History
In what many are calling the year of African football, the BBC has released a two part podcast on the history of African football. Educate yourself and check out part 1 and part 2.
USMNT and Beer Pairings
Beer loving blog The Shin Guardian does a delightful post on what beers to pair with different types of US Men's National Team events. My only detrimental comment is that the PBR dude needs to open his palate to other brews.
One of my buddies from the daily pick-up games in which I play has a special connection to Haiti and the tragedy that has stricken the already desperate country. Jim Biard was part of a missionary group who traveled to Haiti for 3 weeks last summer. On the trip, Jim was struck by the beauty of the Haitian's spirit and the starkness of the poverty. Here's a note Jim has written especially for the Perfectly Weighted Through Blog that describes some of his trip, his despair at what must be happening in the country now, and a list of links that you can use to help.The hardship for the Haitian people is certainly not over...
I went with a mission group to Haiti in June 2009. It was a crazy trip. Haiti really is at the low end of the list of Third World nations. I was prepared for that, and it didn't freak me out, but I found it troubling to see first hand how huge the gap is between the "haves" and the "have nots". There is beauty in Haiti, but the country suffers greatly from erosion as a result of deforestation and other types of poor land management. It sometimes seemed that there wasn't a corner of the country that wasn't littered with plastic bottles or bags. The "highways" are dirt roads. The major cities seem to have only one or two paved streets. There are no bridges over many of the rivers. Most of the agriculture is done by hand with hoes and pickaxes. (Which is probably better in terms of limiting erosion, but it is backbreaking work! It's also hard to make a go of it since your potential crop size is so limited.) There appeared to be no sanitary sewer system anywhere we stayed. In essence, there is almost zero modern infrastructure in Haiti.
Jim, left, kicks around with the kids
But, like I said, there is beauty in Haiti. The last day of our stay, we hiked about an hour out of the city of Port de Paix along the river that bounds it on one side. The river and the areas along its banks were gorgeous! We hiked to a spot where a small waterfall cascaded down a 100 ft cliff into a pool that then fed into the river. It was the sort of place that would be part of a state park here in the USA. We swam in the pool with little Haitian kids and had a great time.
Kids on a burro
We spent most of our time living on the outskirts of the village of Beau Champ. We were on an upland plateau, and the climate was semi-arid. It was much less lush than on the banks of the river down near the coast where we took the hike. There was beauty there as well, but more subdued. Also more thorny. They seem to have every type of thorny plant found in the Americas or in Africa in Haiti!
A young Haitian, Kevinson, and his sister
The most beautiful thing about Haiti was the people. Especially the people in Beau Champ. They were often sweet and shy, kind and generous. I was deeply moved by the strength of spirit that I saw in the people of Haiti. They continued to live their lives, love their families, plant their crops, and look to the future, even though they had little reason (to American eyes) to do so. I know that people often don't miss what they never had, but it touched my heart. It made me realize what whiners we often are here in the USA. We complain and get upset about things that so minor compared to having enough food to keep your children from starving in front of your eyes, or dying from a curable disease because there are no doctors anywhere in the area.
Football is a refuge from the daily struggle
Now, don't get me wrong, I did see people that had no hope. I met some people that were angry with the world. Haitians are subject to the same range of faults as anyone else in this world. They aren't necessarily better for their struggles. Yet they touched me and inspired me.
I was also sobered and felt a bit depressed as I began to realize the enormous effort that will be required to bring the Haitian nation to a point where it is stable and moderately prosperous. Just bringing them to the point of being able to feed themselves will be a monumental task!
Young boy with his plate
(I had written this much back in August 2009. It is now January 20, 2010, Haiti is reeling from the massive earthquakes in the region around Port au Prince.)
What can I do? Where can I start? Haiti was in such a fragile state before the quakes, and now there is no telling how bad it may become, even with aid pouring in. The lack of infrastructure means that it is extremely difficult to get the food and medical supplies to where they are needed. It also means that people in the rest of the country will suffer as well. Port au Prince was the main port, and most of the trade with the rest of the world went through there. The people in other parts of the island are effectively cut off from markets for their crops and goods. Food aid that was being sent into places like Beau Champ won't arrive. Fuel supplies will run out. The impact on the entire nation is hard to fathom.
Young Haitian girl models a hat for the camera
Some authorities estimate that the disruption of their fragile infrastructure may lead to a final death toll of 3 million people! This won't be due to injuries, but to starvation and disease. These beautiful people living in such desperate conditions are only 600 miles from Miami.
I want to go there, to do something tangible to help. I'm donating money, but it doesn't feel like enough. I think of the kids and adults that I made friends with who will likely suffer tremendous hardships over the coming months. I want to ride in like the cavalry and save them, but I have no way to do it. I recognize that I would probably be little help to anyone if I did go, but it doesn't stop me from feeling the desire to do it. So I pray...
Here are some links to a few places where you can make donations to help with the earthquake relief effort. There are many good groups, I just happen to know something about these particular ones. There are also a couple of links to sites that have other lists. These groups are not listed in any particular order.
Please help your neighbors in Haiti.
American Red Cross http://www.redcross.org/ In general, Charity Navigator says it sends 90% of donations to the field, and gives it 3 stars. If you are an Intergraph employee, Intergraph says it will match your donation. (There was an email sent out giving the details of how to do it.)
International Disaster Emergency Services http://www.ides.org This is a Christian charity. In general, Charity Navigator says it sends 86% of donations to the field, and gives it 4 stars. They are known for helping everyone, not just a particular subgroup. (Some groups only help those in their religion/denomination, etc.)
Northwest Haiti Christian Mission http://www.nwhcm.org/ This is the group that I worked with this last summer. I couldn't find a rating for them, but I know first-hand that they don't have a high overhead. They do a lot of good and have a well-established network of people in Haiti.
Direct Relief International http://www.directrelief.org/ This group deals with medical supplies and aid. In general, Charity Navigator says it sends 99% of donations to the field, and gives it 4 stars. They also have been working in Haiti for some time. They say 100% of donations will go to the effort.
Haiti Emergency Relief Organization http://haiti411.com/haiti/ This is a group based out of Huntsville, AL. The leader is Haitian. They are a Christian group. I couldn't find a rating for them.
One of the unadvertised perks of parenthood is the passing of every germ your little one can acquire to the parents and this week my daughter passed on a nice stomach bug to me. So, in between trips to the bathroom, I was able to hit the internet for some interesting nuggets.
Soccer on the Radio
Enjoying the company of friends while listening to the game on the radio.
There was no soccer on the radio when I grew up. But I did get to listen to some fantastic sports broadcasters ply their trade over the radio waves. Listening to Jon Miller broadcast Oriole games was a joy. My family would also watch the Redskins with the TV sound muted and crank up the radio broadcast to catch the excitement of the local broadcast crew. So, I totally get it when the guys at EPLTalk advise us to listen to soccer on the radio for a change. The radio broadcast can open up the game in your imagination and bring the excitement of the stadium to you in a way TV just can't do, no matter how good the resolution. I'm gonna give it a try.
Bundesliga is Back I was so excited to see that the best supported league in Europe was back in action this past weekend after its traditional winter break. And I was excited to read the quote machine Raphael Honigstein's latest Bundesliga wrap-up column. This week he writes about the surprising season Eintract Frankfurt is enjoying. And Raphael doesn't disappoint by dropping this gem of line:
"After 18 matches played, Frankfurt are in seventh, only one point behind Werder Bremen. The position is so incredulous, it really belongs in the Kama Sutra."
Hehehe!
Juju in African Football
Juju man blesses a ball.
Andrew Guest of the blog Pitch Invasion wrote an incredibly interesting piece on witchcraft in African soccer. He makes some great points that juju is really no different from western religious blessings, for instance, teams who pray together before a match or the players who cross themselves while entering the field. It's just that many western people are ignorant of the African culture and therefore sensationalize the actions that they don't understand.
From the NPSLInsider... NASL coming in to address owners at #npslagm. Just announced today.
I can't wait to hear what comes out of this. Exciting times, we live in kids...
Journey to the Center of AngolaHere's another terrific article from one of America's best soccer writers, Grant Wahl. In this one he describes his marathon journey from Baltimore to Angola for the African Nations Cup.
Local League sells NASL.com Domain Name To New Pro League, Secures Exhibitions
As I speculated in November, the North Alabama Soccer League has sold the NASL.com domain name to the new North American Soccer League. The Alabama youth league president Kevin Parker has confirmed that the sale has been made and there is a splash screen for the new division 2 professional league at the NASL.com address.
When asked about the compensation the league received for the domain name Parker said, "There was some monetary compensation, but that was not very important to us. The main goal was to grow the sport of soccer in North Alabama." Parker said that in addition to money, the new Pro League has agreed to hold several exhibition matches featuring several of the Pro league teams and low-cost clinics given by the professional coaches in Northern Alabama in the near future. "We didn't have to give them the domain name [NASL.com], but this wasn't an opportunity that we wanted to give up. You just don't see this type of high level soccer in this area very often."
As for the teams playing in the exhibitions, those details will be released in the coming months, but Parker said the agreement includes multiple exhibitions spanning at least the next two years.
This is great news for the sport in Northern Alabama. More high quality soccer the better, I say.
Haitian native and US National Team player, Joe Gaetjens, is carried off the field after scoring the lone goal in the 1:0 World Cup victory over England in 1950.
US soccer fans should hold a special place in their hearts for Haiti, the country devastated by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake earlier this week. After all, the goal that took down the giants of England in 1950 was scored by Haitian native, Joe Gaetjens. Also, current US forward Jozy Altidore is of Haitian decent and has been especially affected by the disaster. Here is a link to Jozy discussing the tragedy with CNN.
Altidore on a goodwill trip he made to Haiti a few years ago.
What can we in Huntsville do to help?
Huntsville resident and native of Haiti, Simeon Nerelus, is the founder of he Haiti Emergency Relief Organization. HERO is collecting food, medications, and other supplies. Here's more info about HERO.
WHO? This food and fund raising drive to benefit the people of Haiti. Food is being donated to Food For The Poor (501c3) and Money is being donated to Trinity United Methodist Church and with the note of "Haiti Relief". 100% of these donations will go to direct relief in Haiti.
WHAT? FOOD: rice, beans, powdered milk MEDS: over the counter, vitamins
WHEN? NOW!
WHERE? HudsonAlpha Institute 6900 Moquin Drive Huntsville, AL, 35806
Trinity United Methodist 607 Airport Road Huntsville, AL 35802
Also, Haiti is a football mad nation. So, this is the time for you in the Huntsville soccer community to go dig into your closet for your old soccer gear and donate whatever you can in an attempt to help bring a bit of normalcy back to a country that is suffering so badly. I've got a ton of old cleats, balls and replica jerseys that I'm planning on taking down to Trinity United Methodist Church to the help the cause. I suggest you do the same.
It's looking more and more like we Huntsville soccer geeks will not have to travel far to catch some World Cup matches should the US be awarded the 2018 or 2022 tournament. Both Nashville and Atlanta have been selected as host city finalists for the USA bid. If the USA is selected to host the tournament, which is still a big if, the committee would then cut the list down to 12 host cities. So, there's still a chance that neither city will host matches. Keep your fingers crossed.
Ryan Knapp will be live tweeting the NPSL league meetings at the National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention this week in Philadelphia. Check it out on the NPSLInsider twitter feed.
Short-Shorts, Uh-oh!
The new NASL and USL have settled their differences for the time being. Hooray! Now, Brian Wellman, the owner of the NASL club Carolina Railhawks, has this to say according to Inside Minnesota Soccer:
Brian Wellman jokingly says NASL unanimously approved shorts from 1977 NASL. Trunks can't go 1" past groin. LOL Euwwwww!
Bundesliga BreakfastCan't go a half hour without sporting your team's colors or badge? Have I got the thing for you. A Budesliga Bread Toaster. The toaster brands your favorite Bundesliga team's logo on your toast. These are some of the silliest bits of team merchandise that I've ever seen.
I guess I left out some commas in the title of the post. I hope you didn't get the wrong idea...
Anyway, I'll be doing some DIY home improvements this weekend. So, I'll be out of pocket for the next few days. Enjoy these tidbits until you hear from me.
Anarchists United! Now, That's an oxymoron!
3-sided soccer field
Apparently, during the 80s a group of anarchists in Scotland dreamed up the idea of 3 team soccer. And apparently they formed a league. As my friend Ryan tweeted, "Figure out an offside rule for this!" As for the rules, read 'em. It's worth it, if only for the entertainment.
Yanks, but no Yanks The folks at TheShinGuardian.com don't like the nickname for the US Men's National Team. They've proposed changing it from "the Yanks" to something else. So, as blogs are want to do, they've created a poll to decide on a new nickname.
Thankfully, the guys at MatchFitUSA.com think the Yanks nickname is fine and are lobbying to keep it. I gotta agree. Much like the term Gringo, some feel that Yanks is a derogatory term, but so what? Although Yanks and Gringo may have originally been derogatory, it makes me proud to hear it now, if only because nowadays those terms are usually used with respect as in, "The Yanks beat us 2:0 again!" Yeah, Yanks is good with me.
Trecker on Refs and CollegeI've gone on and on about how hard refereeing is and how little respect the guys with the whistles get. It's seems Jamie Trecker agrees with me. Plus, he says it's about time the college game falls in line with FIFA regulations.
Generation Adidas Explanation
MLS has a program to recruit promising undergraduate soccer players called Generation Adidas. The GA program allows the recruit a chance to go pro while still having the fallback of having school paid for should the player not turn out to be MLS caliber. Player agent Patrick McCabe, who is well versed in the GA intricacies, breaks it down for us in this nice little interview.
I realize that I've been doing a lot of Soccer on TV posts lately, but TV is the way that most of us in Northern Alabama get our soccer fix. Personally, I make it a point to take a trip to my old stomping ground in DC to catch an MLS match or two every year, and I've traveled to Atlanta and Charleston to catch some division two action in years past. I'm sure that I'm the exception, and other than Rocket City United and the odd USMNT game in Nashville, there just isn't much of an opportunity to watch live high quality soccer other than on FSC, GolTV or ESPN.
While we in Huntsville may find that the TV coverage is a godsend, some believe that the widespread broadcasting of pro soccer is stunting the game. The Guardian's Jonathan Wilson argues that the sports highlight show culture and celebrity lifestyle of big time pro soccer players is turning too many kids into Cristiano Ronaldo wannabes. Much like the lack of good fundamental basketball players followed the growth of Michael Jordan and his acolytes, Wilson believes that stepovers, flicks and tricks have taken over the game.
But fear not, Tom Dunmore of Pitch Invasion isn't quite so sure and believes that "television cannot kill the ultimate unpredictability of football’s development."
Behind the Scenes with a Player Agent
There is a side to the professional game that not isn't very well known to the general soccer fan. The player agent is the guy often portrayed as lurking in the shadows, spewing transfer rumors, and cashing in on the big fees for bigtime players. That's not exactly how it work in MLS, though. There is a lot of work done behind the scenes to find teams for players and vice versa but in the US, the fees for these players tend to be far from bigtime. Ex-player and current player agent Michael Wheeler spoke to This Is American Soccer about the reality of the American game and the chances most players have of becoming an MLS player and not just a flash in the pan.
One things for certain. It's really, really hard to become a high level pro.
Jacob over at SouthernSoccer.comgives his take on what should be done to resolve the vacancy that Daryl Owens stepping down as the Vice President of HASL. I have to say I agree with all of his points. It's time for a few young men or women to step up and "get stuck in" and help the league move forward.Jacob also announced that the HASL team meeting will be held at 2PM on January 24th at Pete's Soccer Shop. This is not one to miss.
As a person that actually has some experience as a TV commentator, I know just how hard the job is. Analyzing a game and instantly providing interesting, insightful commentary without sounding like an idiot is brutally hard and is surprisingly draining. I am fully aware that I sometimes come across as a bumbling numbskull during my broadcasts. But as in everything else in life, it's all about practice. And I promise that as I watch FSC and GolTV on the weekends, I'm running the commentary in my brain, often while I'm folding clothes for my wife! :) So, I'm hoping to be better in the future.
Now, my broadcast partner John and I have had several conversations about who does a good job and who does not. A certain "Captain for Life" is not one of John's favorites. I do admit there are guys out there that consistently say the dumbest things and do not have the faintest idea who or what is happening on the field. The Gaffer at EPLTalk has an interesting idea on how to limit those guys who irritate us the most each weekend from getting on the air in the first place. He'd like the leagues require a broadcasting license in order to become on-air talent similar to the coaching licenses that the leagues require. Interesting...
Cancellations The record cold here in Huntsville has been wreaking havoc on the daily pick-up games in which I play. The wind and the cold have reduced our numbers to the hardcore or the crazies (the key is layering guys!). If it keeps up for the rest of the week, we might have to consider canceling the game for a day or two, even though I love snow soccer. Speaking of canceling, here's an article on all of the wacky reasons for game cancellations around the world.
The Colorado Rapids have not been the most successful club in MLS, but there is one area where they do lead the league. They are certainly the most "21st century" team. They host "Play Clean" nights at their stadium where they run special offers for being "green" for carpooling fans, hybrid drivers, and recyclers. Now, they have a new innovation called the Flash Seat. It's a paperless ticketing system that let's the fan use an ID or credit card to claim their seat. Pretty cool.
I'm not a fan of the retrospectives you'll see around this time every year, but looking back on the Aughties, as the past decades is being called by some, there has been no shortage of Yogi Berra-like footballers and coaches. Guys who can just drop a good line. Robin Hacket of Soccernet has comprised a list of quotes. Here are a few of my favorite.
"A virgin" - October 2007 - Peter Crouch responds to a question about what he would have been if he had not become a footballer.
"Football is made up of subjective feeling, of suggestion - and, in that, Anfield is unbeatable. Put a s*** hanging from a stick in the middle of this passionate, crazy stadium and there are people who will tell you it's a work of art. It's not: it's a s*** hanging from a stick" - May 2007 - Jorge Valdano, Real Madrid legend and now director general of the club, reacts to Liverpool's Champions League semi-final match against Chelsea.
"Everyone thinks they have the prettiest wife at home" - May 2002 - Arsene Wenger reacts to Sir Alex Ferguson's comments that Manchester United were the "better team" despite Arsenal winning the double.
While the goal itself wasn't the prettiest display ever, IMHO, this article displays exactly why soccer is a great sport. Throughout a match there are literally thousands of decisions that impact the game. Soccer players have to be independent thinkers whose individual choices can collectively dictate success or failure. It's just the opposite of pointy-ball football where players are just automatons whose every step has been rehearsed and coached to an extreme. The breakdown of the decisions that led to the US goal illustrate the cascading series of events that must occur to lead to any goal in soccer.
Recently, I sat down with the Huntsville Adult Soccer League's Vice President Daryl Owens to talk about the league's future after he announced last fall that the Fall 2009 season would be his last as VP. Daryl runs the day to day operations of the biggest and best adult soccer league in Alabama.
As of the end of the year, there have been no volunteers to replace him, and although Daryl and league President Pete Needham would hate to see it happen, there is a possibility that HASL will cease to exist. That is, if no one steps in soon.
2002 was a special year for the US in the World Cup in South Korea. The team was packed with exciting players who may not have been superstars, but were a special group of players. After squeaking through the group stage, they posted the first of the many "Dos a Cero" victories over Mexico in the round of 16. Then, they took on the mighty, mighty Germans, who they outplayed. Here's recently fount these highlights of that match.
USA outplays Germany, but still comes up short
I watched the match with several thousands of my fellow soccer fanatics at RFK Stadium's big screen TV. And I remember thousands going nuts when Tony Sanneh's header hit the net. We all thought it went in, but it wasn't and the US were suddenly out.
I still get miffed about the Tortsten "Fingers" Fring's no-call handball. After the Hand of Gaul, the Irish now know how we feel.
USSF Deny USL and NASL
The USSF has refused to sanction either the USL or the upstart NASL as a legitimate Division 2 league. Instead they have been given a week to work out their differences. What isn't clear is what will happens when they do or do not work out those differences? Here's a pretty good podcast discussing the situation.
US Soccer Dissing About The South
With the possibility that there will be no second division soccer in the US this year, the folks at MLSTalk have written about US Soccer's forgotten land; the south.
PDL More Important Than Given Credit
Here is an article that discusses the importance of the USL's Premier Developement League. A mostly amature league that has quietly developed players for years to prepare them for the big time leagues, including a large amount MLS current crop of players. The NPSL is a direct competitor with the PDL and is trying to duplicate some of its success developing players for the higher level of professional soccer.
"Fundamentally, what they sought in the New World was freedom to practice any sport they wished," historian and author Bruce Wright said. "The Pilgrims thought people should not be forced to conform to one single game, especially one in which the hands went unused."
"We must keep in mind what these radical Puritans believed about idle hands," Wright added.
Great stuff from the Onion. I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.
Not really related to this MLS CBA mess, but I had to show this book cover written by KC Goalkeeper Kevin Hartman.
... And speaking of MLS, here's a very good run down of the issues at stack in the Collective Bargaining negotiations between the players and MLS. A work stoppage would be disastrous to the US soccer. Between this and the USL v NASL, there is s a lot to wring you hands over in the next few weeks. Maybe Boots will have to save the day on this one too.
USMNT World Cup Tix Available to General Public
US Soccer has opened its allotment of tickets to the 2010 World Cup for sale to the general public. Those who want to order tickets for USMNT games will need to submit pre-application data to US Soccer by Jan. 11, 2010
Referees: Those Without Ego Need Not Apply
MLS referees have not had the best reputation. Angelo Bratsis is trying to change that. The former FIFA referee and current MLS referee instructor gave a very interesting interview about what it takes to be successful in the thankless task, including something I was surprised to read: a healthy dose of ego.
Igor Popovich, who played with Rocket City United during the 2008 season prior to spending the 2009 season with Buffalo City FC, may suit up in 2010 against his former team. The Brazilian midfielder has been participating in the recent Chattanooga FC tryouts and is one of the 57 players who are still in the running for a 2010 ChatFC roster spot.
Popovich scored a terrific free kick goal for RCU at 2:15 of this video
I'm not sure how I missed this earlier.... Rocket City United retained a key piece of their NPSL SouthEast Region Championship team from 2009 by signing winger Paul Willoughby. After losing forward Raphael Barbosa, the signing of Willoughby is a boon to RCU's offensive prowess.
Member of Willoughby's Army suggests the contract period she'd like RCU to sign. 
The UAH men's soccer team will welcome former players to Charger Field for an alumni game at on March 27th as part of a fund raising effort that includes a golf tournament the day before.
It looks like RCU will add a long road trip to Oklahoma this season when they face FC Tulsa. This news broke through Chattagnooga FC and RCU's twitter feeds.
Beer loving blog The Shin Guardian does a delightful post on what beers to pair with different types of US Men's National Team events. My only detrimental comment is that the PBR dude needs to open his palate to other brews.
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