Soccer's Power To Stop Wars

Soccer has started wars and soccer has stopped wars.

In 1967 the two sides in the Nigerian civil war agreed to a 48-hour cease fire so they could watch Pele play an exhibition match in Lagos.  And in July 1969, several days after El Salvador beat Honduras 3-2 in overtime in the decisive third game of a World Cup qualifying series, the Salvadoran army attacked Honduras beginning the "100-Hour War," also known as "The Football War."

Perhaps the greatest display of the power of soccer over world events - if it actually occurred - was the so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 when British and German soldiers are said to have suspended hostilities on Christmas Eve and played a huge soccer game in a no-man's land between the two lines.

In accounts I have read there appears to be some dispute among historians as to whether such a game actually took place.  But, Lt. Kurt Zehmisch of Germany's 134th Saxons Infantry Regiment is said to have witnessed a match and written, "Eventually the English brought a soccer ball from their trenches, and pretty soon a lively game ensued. How marvelously wonderful, yet how strange it was. The English officers felt the same way about it. Thus Christmas, the celebration of Love, managed to bring mortal enemies together as our friends for a time."

My guess is there is some truth to the various accounts and that perhaps there were a few small games here and there, certainly not anything resembling an organized match.  But the legend is recognized more than 100 years later and the English Premier League has been running a Christmas Truce Tournament in Ypres, Belgium since 2011.

In the run-up to the 100th anniversary of the truce, CNN ran a good piece about it on line.

It is idealistic but still nice to think how much better the world would be if nations resolved their conflicts on a soccer pitch instead of a battlefield.

Wanderers Face Gunners on Isles of Scilly - Again and Again And Again

Today's New York Times reports on what it calls "the world's smallest soccer league," the Woolpack Wanderers and Garrison Gunners, who battle each other, and only each other, over a 20-game season on St. Mary's in the Isles of Scilly off the southwestern coast of England.  "No derby in world soccer is played quite as frequently as that between the Garrison Gunners and the Woolpack Wanderers," writes Rory Smith.

The five inhabited islands have a year round population of about 2,200, with St. Mary's the largest at about 1,650.  The league used to have four teams, two from St. Mary's and two from other islands, until the 1950s when a dwindling population forced it to shrink. 

Each summer the team captains meet at a local pub for choose sides for the coming year, a tradition that keeps the games competitive.

It turns out the league is not even officially the world's smallest.  To save costs, the two teams register as one with the English Football Association so in the eyes of English soccer the games are considered intramural matches,

"Star Of The South" Shines With Fans In Bavaria

Imagine if one of the players from the Phillies went out to, say Harrisburg, on his off day and spent a few hours tossing down beers with the fans.  Probably not happening.

But German powerhouse FC Bayern, described in its theme song as "Stern des Südens" (Star of the South) makes sure its players do just that on a regular basis, as reported in today's New York Times.  The story features forward Thomas Müller (#25), a native of Bavaria, visiting the town of Waging am See 100 miles east of Munich.  Müller, the story says he knows that these visits are "part of what it is to be a Bayern Munich player" and that playing for Bayern "is more than just going to work."

To quote the song: "Und so war es, und so ist es and so wird es immer sein."  (And so it was, and so it is and so it will always be.)

MLS Cup Final Saturday in Toronto

One team will win its first ever MLS Cup Saturday when the Seattle Sounders visit FC Toronto Saturday night.  Neither team has ever won the Cup.

There is a good preview of the match from MLS here.

Tragedy in Colombia

The soccer world is deeply saddened by the plane crash near Medellin, Colombia Monday night that wiped out the Brazilian Serie A (First Division) team, Chapecoense.  As reported in the New York Times, the team was traveling to Medellin to play Atlético Nacional in the finals of the Copa Sudamericana, when the plane experienced electrical problems and went down, killing 71 of 77 on board.

Based in Chapecó, a city of about 210,000 in southern Brazil, Chapecoense was mired in the fourth division as recently as 2009 and made it to the top tier in 2014 when it finished 15th.  This season it was in 9th place with a week to go.

Atletico has asked the tournament to declare Chapecoense the champion and the other teams in the Brazilian Serie A has said they will lend players to the club in the new season.

Co-Champs OK In NJ High School Soccer

Unlike the World Cup and other high level competitions, the New Jersey high school soccer play-offs accept a tie in the final and declare co-champions.  It happened to Haddonfield girls nearly 20 years ago and it happened to Haddon Township boys last week when they tied Verona, 1-1.

Chris Melchiorre of the Inquirer, one of the region's top high school sportswriters, took a look at the game and the concept of co-champions and concluded,  "It didn't look right. It didn't feel right.  But, yes, on balance, it was the right call."  I agree.

First of all, the only viable alternative would be the shootout .  This has been criticized endlessly over the years, but there are only so many minutes in players' legs and at some point more overtimes would be impossible as well as dangerous.  And in the games leading up to the final someone has to advance so the shootout is as good a method as any.

But in the last game of a competition?  "PKs would have just made the outcome that much harder on somebody,"  Melchiorre quoted Hawks senior goalie Kieran Burns as saying . You wouldn't want to see it end like that."

So by declaring co-champions you have twice as many kids who get to wear a state champion jacket and who 20 years from now can tell their kids that daddy won a state cup back when he played.

Melchiorre wrote, "The dejection on the players' faces was tough to watch last week when the game ended in a tie. But it lasted all of 15 minutes.

At the end of the day, the Hawks were, in fact, state champions.

And that's the feeling that will last a lifetime."

Arena Is back With A Different Outlook

As widely expected, Bruce Arena has returned as coach of the U.S. Men's National Team, replacing Jurgen Klinsmann, who was fired yesterday.  Jere Longman writes in today's New York Times that Arena is more receptive now than in the past to foreign-born players with dual citizenship playing for the U.S.  And George Vecsey says in his profile of Arena in the Times that the coach will keep it simple as he takes on the task of qualifying for the 2018 world Cup.

Arena, a member of the Soccer Hall of Fame and a successful MLS coach, begins his second stint as head of the men's team.  He also coached the squad from 1998 through 2006 when he was fired.  He is the winningest national team coach ever with 71 wins, 16 more than Klinsmann.

Soccer America quotes Arena as saying that while he did not expect the coaching job to come about as it did, he would have done it for free.

Arena has until March to get ready for the next World Cup qualifiers.

It's Harder Than It Looks, But . . .

I always told team parents that soccer can be harder to play than it seems and that controlling a rolling or flying ball while running or even standing still can be difficult.  Having said that, it boggles the mind that this Fourth Division Serbian player missed this shot on an open goal from about one yard away.  If the coach had him practice it he could not do that again. 

Thanks to Soccer America for posting the video.

Klinsmann Gets the Boot as MNT Coach

To the surprise of few - except maybe himself - Men's National Team coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired today, after the team dropped its first two World Cup 2018 qualifying matches.  Sam Borden has a comprehensive article on the New York Times website.

Klinsmann, a former German international player and coach who saw time as a player and coach at Bayern München and as a player at Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspurs, began his tenure in July 2011 and compiled a record of 55-27-16.  Perhaps his biggest achievement with the U.S. men came in 2014 when the team advanced out of the "Group of Death" into the Round of 16 where it lost in overtime to Belgium.

The official U.S. Soccer announcement sounded lie any other press release when a coach is fired: thanking him for a great job but we need to go in another direction.

According to Borden, former U.S. coach Bruce Arena is the top candidate to take over the team for the remainder of this World Cup cycle.

Kaine's Jet Does No Better In Post-Campaign Use

The New York Times reported that the aircraft that carried Democratic vice-presidential candidate Tim Kaine around the country has been "re-purposed" and was used to fly the U.S. men's national team to Costa Rica for a World Cup qualifying match, which it lost, 4-0.  At least Kaine and running mate Hillary Clinton received more votes than their opponents, Donald Trump and Mike Pence.  Too bad they don't have an Electoral College in the World Cup.

And speaking of the men's national team, Sam Borden reports in the Times that after the Costa Rica defeat, which came on the heels of a 2-1 home loss to Mexico, coach Jurgen Klinsmann's job is in jeopardy and that a change could be made this week.

State Cup Dream Ends For Haddonfield

A perfect header from the shortest player on the field brought perhaps the best season in Haddonfield girls soccer history to a sudden end.

Parsippany Hills senior Paige Restaino, 5'-1" tall, was in the right place and placed a corner kick from Nathalia Gallo-Lopez into the upper right corner with 9:19 to play to account for all the scoring in the Group 2 final at Kean University.  Haddonfield keeper Maya Olimpio, had no chance.

If there was ever a team that gave meaning to the clichés "On any given day . . . " and "There's a reason they roll the ball out . . ." it was Parsippany Hills.  The Vikings started the season 0-8-1 and was seeded 12th in its section, not expected to survive the first round.  They finished with a sub-.500 record but as state champs.  Talk about peaking at the right time.

Several Haddonfield parents felt - and I agree - that Haddonfield had a slight edge in the first half and played better in the second half.  But as I have often told players I coached, there are no style points in soccer.  You have to put the ball in the net more than the other team to win the game.  Parsippany did just that this morning.

There is good coverage of the game, including a video clip of the goal, at NJ.COM.   And Chris Melchiorre had a good story in Sunday's Inquirer.

Haddonfield certainly had some chances.  Bella Nugent made a nice cross from the right in the 6th minute but Vikings keeper, Aytana Muschajew, looking into a bright sun, made the catch.  Two minutes later, Nic Green launched a well-placed free kick from 35 yards out but it sailed inches above Madison Bee's head.  In the second half Wayden Ay broke through the defense with 13:20 left only to see Muschajew save her shot.  A minute after Parsippany scored, Muschajew took the ball off Bee's foot before the Bulldawgs forward could equalize. 

Parsippany had its chances as well, including a ball headed over the bar by Restaino before with 17:03 left. 

This was Haddonfield's first trip to the state final since 2009 when they beat Mahwah, 2-1 in overtime on Kate Johnston's golden goal.  They were 25-1 coming in with the only loss being to Group 4 Lenape in the semi-finals of the South Jersey Coaches Cup.  A 25-2 season with the losses in the Coaches Cup semifinal and State Cup final is pretty good in my book.  And it took a perfect play by the Vikings with two Haddonfield starters on the bench with injuries to beat them.

"Our girls were ready, we just couldn't find the net. We fought extremely hard," Haddonfield coach Lori Quintavalle said to the Inquirer.

There were a few tears after the game, but as always the Haddonfield girls showed class.  When they look back they will realize what a spectacular season they had.  And with only one senior starting, the potential for more great things next year is there.

We have not seen the last of this team.

On To the State Finals

Julia Parker's header off a perfectly placed corner kick from Nic Green in the 65th minute gave the Haddonfield girls all the scoring they needed to defeat Robbinsville and advance to the State Cup final Saturday.

The Courier-Post reported the story with video clips of Green and Parker.  Veteran Inquirer sportswriter Phil Anastasia also covered the game and has a video of Parker. 

With the win Haddonfiedl, now 25-1, goes through to the State Cup final Saturday at 10 a.m. at Kean University against Parsippany Hills.

I had to miss the game because of a Zoning Board meeting but as always received text updates from Nic's mom, Lynn - much appreciated.

HMHS Girls Face Robbinsville In State Semifinals

When we last left the Haddonfield girls team, they had just lost their first game after 20 wins, a 2-0 decision to Group 4 Lenape in the semi-finals of the South Jersey Coaches Cup. 

It didn't take long to get over the defeat.  Five days later the Bulldawgs ripped Manasquan, 5-0, in the opener of the South Jersey Group 2 tournament.  This was followed by wins over West Deptford and Deptford, 2-1 and 3-2, respectively, to put Haddonfield into the sectional final against Cinnaminson, whom they had beaten 1-0 less than three weeks ago in the Coaches Cup.

Same opponent, different tournament, same score.  Nic Green nailed a PK with 29:07 left to provide all the scoring needed.  In the first half Cinnaminson had a goal called back for obstruction of Haddonfield's goalie. Afterwards, Cinnaminson coach Matt Digney called both the disallowance of his team's goal and the penalty kick for Haddonfield, "soft calls," according to the Burlington County Times. 

Haddonfield plays Robbinsville Tuesday at St. Augustine in the state semifinal  The winner advances to Saturday's final at Kean University.

I have missed all these games because of with work or my wife's hip replacement surgery a week ago.  Thankfully, my good friend Lynn Green, our awesome co-chair (with the equally awesome Chris Stanton) of the girls soccer booster club has been kind enough to text me updates during the match.  Next best thing to being there.

Looking forward to a text at about 4 o'clock Tuesday saying we're headed to the final.

Harvard Cancels Men's Season For Sexual Comments

The Boston Globe reported yesterday that Harvard University has cancelled its last two games of the men's soccer season for lewd comments about the women's team in 2012, that apparently continued into this year.  The Crimson were 10-3-2 with two Ivy League matches remaining.

On July 31, 2012, a sexually explicit "scouting report" on freshmen women players was distributed.  It was found that the practice of "scouting" continued into this season.

The Globe quoted athletic director Robert Scalise as saying that the suspension of the rest of the season is “absolutely necessary if we are to create an environment of mutual support, respect, and trust among our students and our teams.”  But according to the Globe, some students disagreed with the action.

“If it were the whole team, then the whole team should be suspended,” said Christopher Rios, 19, a freshman from Texas to the Globe. “If it were just some players, they should just be suspended. If the coaches knew, they should be suspended.”

A female sophomore, who asked not to be named, was quoted as saying  Harvard is scapegoating the soccer team. Harvard announced a new policy this year to discourage participation in so-called finals clubs and other single-sex organizations on campus.

“What the soccer team did was not isolated,” she said. “The college used them as an example. It’s not fair.”

I have never been a big fan of group penalties, punishing those who may have played no role in the offensive behavior.  As reprehensible as the conduct of at least some men's players was, is it fair to take the season - including a possible NCAA bid - from players who worked hard all year and had nothing to do with the offensive material?  Is it fair to Penn and Columbia, who will each see a forfeit win on their record but who will each miss out on a game?

The heroes in this are Brooke Dickens, Kelsey Clayman, Alika Keene, Emily Mosbacher, Lauren Varela and Haley Washburn, the Class of 2016 recruits who were the subject of the 2012 "scouting report." On October 29 they published a courageous and strong response to the actions of the men's players in the Harvard Crimson that is worth reading in its entirety.

The women wrote, "In all, we do not pity ourselves, nor do we ache most because of the personal nature of this attack. More than anything, we are frustrated that this is a reality that all women have faced in the past and will continue to face throughout their lives. We feel hopeless because men who are supposed to be our brothers degrade us like this. We are appalled that female athletes who are told to feel empowered and proud of their abilities are so regularly reduced to a physical appearance. We are distraught that mothers having daughters almost a half century after getting equal rights have to worry about men's entitlement to bodies that aren't theirs. We are concerned for the future, because we know that the only way we can truly move past this culture is for the very men who perpetrate it to stop it in its tracks."

The Crimson originally reported the story on October 25,

Coaches Cup Over, State Cup On Horizon For Haddonfield Girls

Lenape scored twice in the second half to end Haddonfield's hopes of winning the South Jersey Coaches Cup.  The game was played on a rainy evening at Paul VI High School and I had to miss it because of my day job.  My good friend Lynn Green, co-chair of our Girls Soccer Booster Club, was kind enough to text me updates to the bitter end.

One cup ends but another begins Tuesday as HMHS, seeded second in South Jersey Group 2, will take on 15th seed, Manasquan in the first round of the State Cup.  The game is at 6 p.m. in Haddonfield's stadium.  Winner plays the winner of West Deptford - Manchester Twp. on November 4.  The state bracket can be found here.

Haddonfield Boys, seeded 7th,  begin their quest for a state title on Monday, October 31, when they face Lower Cape May at 4 p.m. in the stadium.

Now it gets serious.

Stanton Does Carli Lloyd Imitation As Bulldawgs Go Through In S.J Coaches Cup

HADDONFIELD, NJ, October 22, 2016 -- Sweeper Annie Stanton took a page from Carli Lloyd's book (you remember THAT goal in the 2015 World Cup final) when she lofted a ball from maybe 40 yards out towards the goal and saw it take a high bounce over opposing  keeper Angelina Blanchet's head and into the net with 28:11 left in the second half.

Haddonfield was up, 1-0, over Mainland Regional High School in the first round of the South Jersey Coaches Cup in the Haddonfield Stadium.  The Bulldogs made the lead stand up to go through to the second round Monday at 2:00 p.m. at Cinnaminson.

The game was played on a chilly , overcast day with a few sprinkles and enough of a wind blowing towards the school building (the direction of Stanton's goal) to be noticed.  The game was televised on Varsity Sports Net and will be shown several times this week on Channel 19 on Comcast and Channel 46 on Verizon.

I sat in the press box the second half and got to listen to the play-by-play, which I thought was pretty good.  All three announcers showed preparation and a knowledge of the game.

At halftime the broadcasters thought Mainland had the better of the play in the scoreless first half although Haddonfield goalie Maya Olimpio did not make a save until there were just under three minutes to play.  The Mustangs did put one shot just inches wide left in the 28th minute.

Mainland came out fast to open the second half and in the 44th minute appeared to have drawn first blood only to see the goal called back for offsides.   "We've already seen more action here in the first five minutes of the first half than in all 40 minutes of the first half," commented on of the TV guys.

But the tide began to turn.  "Whatever Coach Lori Quintavalle said at halftime seems to have worked," said one of the announcers.  The Bulldogs began to apply more pressure and when Stanton had the ball she said she just wanted to loft it over the head of Mainland's back line so one of her teammates could run on to it and shoot from close in.  I always told my players that good things can happen when they put the ball on net and Stanton learned - as Lloyd already knew - that this is very true.   Whether it was the wind, Blanchet's unfamiliarity with the turf field or something else, doesn't matter. 

There were a few nervous moments after Stanton's goal.  With 17:25 left Olimpio made a difficult clutch save when she tipped a hard shot over the bar.  With 12:29 left the Mustangs had a free kick from far out and like Stanton's goal, it took a high bounce but went off the left post into Olimpio's arms.  "The soccer gods giveth and the soccer gods taketh away," said one of the announcers.

Haddonfield seemed to get stronger as Mainland tried to mount an attack that would send the match into overtime.  One of the broadcasters said, "Mainland looks work down out there."  After the final whistle, another remarked, "Some teams might have sat back and played defense but they kept the pressure on.  That's why they're 19-0-0.  Teams like that find a way to put the ball in the back of the net."

New MLS stadium in Boston?

Article in today's Boston Globe about the New England Revolution's search for a stadium site in the city has an overview of venues around the league.

HMHS keeps rolling, 3-1 over Kingsway

I finally got to see the Haddonfield girls play yesterday and watched most of an impressive 3-1 win over Group 4 Kingsway.  (For those outside of New Jersey, Group 4 is the largest schools.  Haddonfield is in Group 2.)  The game was at Kingsway, which has a campus just slightly smaller than that of, say, Penn State.

We were already up, 2-0, when I arrived midway through the first half, and added another goal in the 2nd to make it 3-0 before the Dragons finally scored.  There were about 10 or 12 nervous minutes midway through the second half when Kingsway kept the ball in our end and we seemed to be content to watch them.  But we suddenly woke up and once we did there was no doubt that if any more goals were scored they would come from Haddonfield.  As it turned out, no one scored and the game ended 3-1.

Some of the parents said this was our toughest opponent yet.  Coach Q wasn't sure but did not necessarily disagree.  Doesn't matter.  Haddonfield is 8-0 going into the first night game of the season Monday against neighboring Haddon Township.

Back to High School

We're already five games into the high school season and the Haddonfield girls are off to a spectacular start:  five wins, no losses, 18 goals scored, two allowed.  Most recent win was 4-1 at West Deptford yesterday.

I never got around to writing about the traditional pre-season picnic, graciously hosted by Dave and Chris Stanton, so there are two phots above, both courtesy of Chris Stanton.  Top is our awesome coach, Lori Quintavalle, whom I have known since she was maybe 14.  Next to her is Freshman Coach Jessica Miller.  Bottom photo is yours truly.

Looking forward to the first night game in the stadium on September 26 against Haddon Township.

RB Leipzig Unloved In Climb to Budesliga

Perhaps the most controversial team ever begins its first Bundesliga season Sunday when RB Leipzig visits TSG Hoffensheim in the season opener for both clubs.

The problem with Leipzig, according to the New York Times article by Rory Smith is that it is seen as nothing more than a marketing tool for Red Bull, the Austrian energy drink maker.  Founded in 2009, RB lacks the history and tradition of the other teams and does not really follow the "50+1" model of the other teams, which are owned by  their members.  There only 17, each of whom pay about $900 per year, while Bayern München has 224,000 members at about $65 annually.

As Hallescher fan Julius Klappen put it, "“They are just money. A team is the colors, the badge, the identity.”  Or as Marko Hoffman, the schoolteacher who volunteers with the more traditional Lokomotiv Leipzig said, "RB is just marketing. It exists only to sell more energy drinks. And what happens if they lose interest, or if [owner] Dieter Mateschitz dies? What if they decide to leave the town? Or if they examine the books and say it is not working? What happens then?”

No Hope

The U.S Soccer Federation has ended its relationship with the talented but controversial goalie, Hope Solo, today terminating her contract and suspending her from the national team for six months.

The move was allegedly due to Solo's comments about Sweden playing "like a bunch of cowards" after beating the U.S. in a shootout in the Olympic quarterfinals.  My guess, however, is that the drastic action would not have been taken if Solo had not had the history she does. 

The New York Times quoted Rich Nichols, the general counsel for the women’s national team’s players’ association, as calling Solo’s suspension “excessive, unprecedented, disproportionate, and a violation of Ms. Solo’s First Amendment rights.”  He added, “She was fired for making comments that a man never would have been fired for.”  While his understanding of constitutional law may be a bit off (the First Amendment does not apply to actions of non-governmental entities such as U.S. Soccer), I think he is correct with the latter statement.

Some thought Solo got what she deserved because of her history and because she represents an entire nation in the Olympics.  I think what she said came out of frustration and heat of the moment, which is understandable given the circumstances of a shootout loss on an international stage.  Poor sportsmanship?  For sure.  But worthy of significant punishment?  No.

Grant Wahl points out on www.si.com that Solo's suspension applies to only some meaningless friendlies, that she is getting three months severance pay and that her contract would have terminated on December 31 anyway because that's when the collective bargaining agreement ends.  And she can still play for her club team, the Seattle Reign.  Wahl wonders if U.S. Soccer is trying to keep Solo from having influence when collective bargaining negotiations resume and notes that she is one of five players (along with Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe and Becky Sauerbrunn) pursuing an EEOC complaint against U.S. Soccer alleging wage discrimination.

My guess is we have not heard the last of Hope Solo.

Russ Rogers, noted S.J. High School Soccer Fan, dies

Another fan just took a seat in Heaven's grandstands.  I just learned that Russ Rogers, a fixture at South Jersey high school girls sporting events for many years, passed away on July 28 at age 88.

Russ was a retired tool and die maker with a distinctive gravely voice that frequently mentioned Jesus.  As in the time I was sitting with him in a packed Haddonfield High School gym before the Haddonfield - Sterling girls basketball game back in the '90s.  You had to arrive by halftime of the JV game to get a seat, but Russ had already watched the freshman and JV games.  As he looked around at the crowd, the excitement building as game time neared, he said to me, "Jesus Christ!  This is great!  This is great!"

Or the time Strikers coach and president Len Imielinski was busting Russ about how many games he saw every week between high school and club teams and said how difficult it must be to keep track of it all.  Russ took the remark very seriously and replied, "Jesus Christ, yes."

Russ was well-known by parents, coaches and officials at girls high school basketball and soccer games and club soccer games over the years, and I think he watched softball, too.  One year a freshman parent wondered how some old guy knew so much about his daughter and should he be worried and was assured by another team parent, "It's just Russ."

Back when I was coaching the '79-'80 Medford Strikers girls with Jerry Ciser and then Len and Dave Rauer, it was not unusual for me to get a phone call the day before a game that would start out with, "This is Russ.  From soccer."  Like a) I wouldn't recognize the voice; and b) would not know who he was.  He was usually calling to check a game time and location.  Len and I and others used to bust on him about reading about him on some of the on-line forums, and he would rise to the occasion with something like, "Jesus Christ.  You guys and that internet!" 

As often as I saw Russ at Strikers and Haddonfield games, I never knew much about him other than he was retired and lived in Pennsauken.  My late wife, Louise, once asked if there was a "Mrs. Russ" and I never knew until I read his obituary today that he was married at one time and had three kids.

I also never knew how Russ began watching the Medford Strikers, why he seemed to confine his high school following to Shawnee and Haddonfield girls and why he eventually switched allegiance to Haddonfield's big-time conference rival, West Deptford.  But none of that mattered.  He was enjoying himself at all the games and we should all be so lucky to relax and enjoy life.

I hadn't seen Russ in a number of years - probably was at a Haddonfield - West Deptford girls soccer game a few years ago - when he told me he didn't like to go out at night much any more. 

Russ probably never knew that he lent his name to a breed of older sports fans who follow teams.  I think it was the summer of '93 when a Strikers girls team played in a tournament up in Ottawa and their coach, Hank Roberti, told us of an older local gentleman who somehow began following their team at the tournament.  The next summer our team played in the same tournament and this guy recognized the club name in the program and came out to root us on.  Thus was born "Canadian Russ."

My friend, Mark Adlen, whose daughter played on that same '79-'80 Strikers team then went on to Ferrum College, told me of meeting "Ferrum Russ" at her games down in Virginia.  So of course when I met an older gentleman at a women's college soccer game in Brunswick, Maine, and he told me how he followed the college teams, he became "Bowdoin Russ."

I am sure wherever Russ is he will be cheering for his favorite teams in the upcoming soccer season and there will be another generation of Russes just like him in the stands at games around the country.

Solo Becomes THE Story As U.S.Women Eliminated

Once again Hope Solo has taken over the story.

As everyone knows by now, the United States women shocked the soccer world by being eliminated  in the Olympics quarterfinals by Sweden in a shootout after a 1-1 tie.  The game ended when Lisa Dahlkvist made her shot in the firth round after Christen Press had sent hers over the crossbar.   And suddenly there would be no third straight gold medal for the Americans, in fact no medal at all.

After praising her team for tying the match in the 75th minute, Solo then said that the Swedes played "like a bunch of cowards" for employing a defensive game plan and not attacking.  “The best team did not win today,’’ she added, according to Jay Schreiber in the New York Times.  “I strongly and firmly believe that.’’

Solo, fans will recall, created an uproar in 2007 when she criticized then-Coach Greg Ryan for playing Brianna Scurry instead of Solo in a loss in the World Cup semi-finals.  She has also come under scrutiny for her personal life, especially her arrest in 2014 on charges of assaulting two family members.  The charges were later dismissed although according to KING-5 television in Seattle, they were later reinstated and are pending.

KING also reported that Solo is unlikely to face any punishment for her remarks.  Nor should she.  Although in bad taste and showing poor sportsmanship, they were in the heat of the moment and the product of frustration.  Maybe the U.S. did outplay Sweden.  But the bottom line is Sweden made one more penalty kick than did the U.S.  As Swedish (and former U.S.) coach Pia Sundhage put it, according to the Times, “It’s O.K. to be a coward if you win.’’  “They played more attacking football than we did. We defended very well.’’  And Sports Illustrated's Grant Wahl quoted Sundhage as saying "I'm going to Rio.  She's going home."  Amen to that.

Former U.S. player Julie Foudy, now a TV commentator, said "It’s clearly not the tradition of our national team to react that way," and added, "She's not the first to lose a big game."  She agreed that Sweden's strategy was effective and said, "The U.S. team did not have enough in the attacking third to break it down.”

Wahl's article on-line, provided (as he always does) an astute analysis of the match and Solo's comments.  For example, he noted that of 27 shots by the U.S., only six were on goal.

Concerning Solo's comments, Wahl wrote that the keeper was not necessarily inaccurate in her description of the Swedes' game plan.  "But is cowardly too strong a word for what Sweden did?  Yes. It’s not like we don’t see such tactics on a fairly regular basis in this sport, and the onus is on the attacking team to break down the defense.  Finally, were Solo’s comments lacking grace and a sense of the Olympic spirit? Yes, they were. I’m convinced that they reflected her honest opinion, but they didn’t have to be said. "

Not surprisingly, Carli Lloyd took the high road.  Wahl quoted her as saying, “It’s always hard to swallow losing in PKs. It’s gonna hurt. But we’ve got to hold our heads high. This team is not going to crumble. We’re going to work that much harder.”

U.S. Coach Jill Ellis also refused to knock Sweden.  "The game is the game,” she said to Wahl. “Tactically, that’s a coach’s prerogative, a coach’s choice. They look at their personnel and determine a gameplan based on that. To take us to penalty kicks is probably a great strategy, because then it becomes a bit of a crapshoot.”

Carli and U.S. Ready For Olympics

My favorite U.S. player, Carli Lloyd, has scored the winning goal in the last two Olympic goal medal games.  How to top that? people asked.  Carli answered with a hat trick in the World Cup final.

So another Olympics starts this Wednesday against New Zealand, two days before the official opening ceremony.  Jonathan Tannenwald of the Inquirer has a piece about Carli and Olympic prospects in today's print edition.  If you go to the Philly.com site, in addition to that story, there is an expanded version of his interview with Carli, also worth reading.

Tannenwald says the game to watch is against France on August 6 at 4 p.m.  The last group match will be August 9 against Colombia.  The gold medal game is August 19.  Look for Carli and her teammates to be there.

FIFA Women's Olympics website is here.

Instant Replay May Be On Its Way

More than six years ago, on March 7, 2010, I applauded the decision not to use instant replay om soccer.  My concern was that stopping a match to look at a video replay would break up the flow of the game, one of the sport's attractions.
 
Now, as reported in today's New York Times, video review is back. Although I was against the concept, it appears FIFA has thought it out pretty well as it begins experiments in six countries, including Major League Soccer.  The list of reviewable situations is deliberately short:  clear errors on goals, penalty decisions, straight red cards and case  of mistaken identity.  Unlike other sports, coaches would not be able to request a replay.  A video assistant referee can recommend a review but only the center referee can initiate a formal review.

The International Football Association Board, which administers the Laws of the Game, has run several days of tests in North Jersey and has been in contact with other sports about their use of replay.  Experiments in actual matches will not begin until 2017.

It appears as though technology has advanced since my post six years ago and I am encouraged that the IFAB is taking its time to conduct thorough research.  This might work afterall.

Look at the scoreboard: France is in the final

There seem to be some people who think the better team in yesterday's Euro 2016 semi-final between France and Germany did not go through.  The scoreboard said France won, 2-0, but you'd never know if from some of the comments,

Sam Borden reported in the New York Times: "[German Manager Joachim" Löw said that the Germans were unlucky, that France was not the better team.  [French manager Didier] Deschamps did not necessarily disagree, saying that the Germans made France suffer. Still, he said, it made no difference."

“The better team is starting its holidays now,” claimed the tabloid Express, which bemoaned “a lack of directness and the right finishing” and compared France to Atletico Madrid: “Not nice to watch, but effective.”  Football magazine Kicker saw “the World Cup holders dominating for most of the time, but they failed to take the chances which presented themselves”.

Soccer does not award style points so all that matters is the scoreboard.  Antoine Griezmann scored both goals fr France, the first on a penalty kick during added time in the first half, and the second in the 72nd minute and France won where it mattered: on the scoreboard.  There would be no Euro Cup to go with the world Cup currently held by Germany.

The last two time these teams met was last November 13 at the same Stade de France venue when the terrorist attacks took place outside the stadium and at a concert hall in Paris.  Thankfully this game was without incident.

France will play Portugal in the final Sunday at 3 p.m. Eastern time.  Check the scoreboard about two hours later.

The Dream Ends For Iceland

The dream has ended for Iceland.  This morning's New York Times carried an article about the unlikely advance of this nation of 330,000 to the quarterfinals of Euro 2016.  The bubble burst later in the day when France scored in the 12th minute and never looked back enroute to a 5-2 win at Stade de France in  Saint-Denis before 76,863.  Sam Borden has the story in the Times.

France moves on to face Germany, which squeaked past Italy in a shootout, in a semifinal match Thursday in Marseille.  Portugal, which got by Poland in a shootout, will face Wales, a 3-1 victor over Belgium, Wednesday in Lyon in the other semi.

The final is Saturday in Saint-Denis.

For The Parents

Dan Shaughnessy's column in Saturday's Boston Globe should be required reading for every youth soccer parent in the country - not to mention for every youth baseball parent, youth swimming parent, every . . . you get the idea.

Shaughnessy, one of the country's best sportswriters in my book, reminds parents ". . . that it’s about the kids. It’s not about the parents."  Amen.  The column should be on the website of every youth team in the country and every coach should print it and give a hard copy to every parent on his or her team just in case they didn't look at the website.

Shaughnessy summarizes: "Try not to care about the game(s) more than your child cares."  He then offers eight reminders that are valid in every sport, in club or school games, at every age group and in every season.  And concludes: "Embrace the spirit of sportsmanship and competition. Frame these moments in your cerebral cloud and enjoy the games." 

If you have a kid - or grandkid - playing on any team in any sport, click on the link at the beginning and read the column.  It will make you a better fan and your kids will appreciate it.

Tunnel Vision

Offbeat story in today's New York Times by soccer superwriter Sam Borden about the trend of televising and filming teams in the tunnel leading to the field before a match.  More than other sports soccer has a ritual of teams parading onto the field, led by the officiating crew, and lining up to face the fans.  For a number of years now, the parade includes one youth player for each pro.

Anyway, interesting piece.

Copa America: It Got Worse After the National Anthem

The Uruguayan National Team should have had a hint it wasn't going to be their night before the opening match of Copa America against Mexico in Glendale, Arizona Sunday night.  As the teams lined up for the playing of the national anthems, the University of Phoenix stadium played the national anthem of Chile.

Things went downhill from there.

In the 4th minute, Uruguayan defender Alvaro Perieira started the scoring - for Mexico - by heading the ball into his own goal.  Just before halftime, Matias Vecino was sent off for a second yellow card after kicking a Mexican player, leaving Uruguay with 10 players.

Despite being down a man, Uruguay rallied when Diego Godin scored off a set piece in the 74th minute.  But being down a man proved too much and Mexico went up for good when Rafa Marquez scored in the 85th minute.  El Tri made the final 3-1 with goal in stoppage time.

A Soccer Media Bonanza

Gone are the days when soccer fans had to strain their eyes to find a few paragraphs about the sport in newspapers and magazines.  Generally the sport gets pretty good coverage in the major publications, even when there is no World Cup or Olympic tournament going on.  But this week was a pure bonanza.

A few days ago ESPN The Magazine arrived and there was Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer on the cover of what was billed as the "World Football Issue."  While I love watching Neuer play and look forward to reading the story, even better than that article was Hallie Grossman's piece on Carli Lloyd.  That of course was priority reading and it turned out to be one of the best Carli Lloyd stories I have read, objective and matter-of-fact, recognizing Carli's hard work to get where she is without being over the top.

Before I even had  chance to dig into the "World Football Issue," today Sports Illustrated arrived and there's Lionel Messi on the cover of the "Summer of Soccer" issue.   While The Magazine called Neuer the best goalkeeper in the world, SI refers to Messi as "The best player on the planet."

OK, so now I have a few days of reading to do.  But wait.  There's more.  Today's New York Times has an interesting story by soccer superwriter Sam Borden on the European Champions League Cup.  Not the tournament, whose final is tomorrow in Milan between Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid, but the actual trophy.  Borden tells us that thew cup is 29 inches high and weighs 16 1/2 pounds - more than twice the weight of the Super Bowl trophy.  It is made by GDE Bertoni in Paderno Dugnano, Italy. 

This Year It Was Easy For Hamburger S.V.

  For the third straight year Hamburg's status as the only team to have played every season in the German Bundesliga's First Division came down to the final day of the 34-game season.  Unlike the past two seasons, however, this year HSV avoided relegation with room to spare, beating Augsburg, 3-1.

Two years ago Hamburg advanced by a one-goal difference after a two game play-off with the number 3 team in the second division.  Last year, as reported on this blog, HSV was again in a play-off, this time with Karlsruhe, and was 12 minutes from relegation  when it scored a game-tying goal, then a go-ahead goal in overtime, then saw its keeper stop a penalty to avoid demotion.

By comparison, this year was a breeze.  Hamburg started the day with 38 points, tied for 12th place with Darmstadt and Augsburg.  Hoffenheim was in 15th place with 37 points and Eintracht Frankfurt in 16th with 36.  The 17th and 18th teams are automatically relegated while the 16th plays the 3rd place finisher in the second division for a spot in the top league.   As it turned out, even if HSV had lost it would have retained its place in the First Division because Werder Bremen beat Frankfurt and leapfrogged over them into 13th place.

So next year, when the 53rd Bundesliga season kicks off, Hamburger Sport Verein will be there, just has it has always been.

Balloons

It's windy in NJ today and while I did not watch any soccer games, the windy day reminded me of many years ago - more than 50 - when I was in 10th grade and played one spring for First German Sport Club Phoenix in Feasterville, PA.  We had a coach named Otto, who, when he wasn't keeping us from trying to get a beer at the bar after games (this was a German club, after all) tried to teach us soccer. 

And he must have been a success because to this day I can remember him on breezy days like today saying in his thick German accent, "It's vindy today boys.  Keep der ball on der grund.  Don't balloon der ball."  In other words, short passing game, don't just boot it as far as you can  - still good advice today and I've passed it on to teams I've coached.  I hope someday my former players will hear the voice saying, "Don't balloon der ball," and pass it on to their sons and daughters. 

The Foxes Wait

Leicester City must wait at least one more day - and perhaps longer - to clinch the Barclay Premier league championship, and in the process defeat 5,000 to 1 odds.

The Foxes could have clinched the title with a win over Manchester United but could manage only a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.  Tottenham Hotspurs are 8 points behind and play at Chelsea tomorrow.  A tie or a Chelsea win puts Leicester over the top. Should the Spurs gain the three points, Leicester will have to try again Saturday against Everton.

In today's New York Times, Sam Borden looks at the Foxes' remarkable and improbable run,starting with near relegation just 13 months ago.

MLS in Motown?

Two NBA owners are forming an investment group to bring an MLS team to Detroit and the league is interested.

Commissioner Don Garber was to have met yesterday with Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilber.  Garber is on record as supporting an expansion to 28 teams from the current 22.

The story is on the MLS website.

Analysis of the U.S. Women's Pay Disparity Claim

In today's New York Times Andrew Das provides an objective and very thorough look at the dispute between the U.S. Women's National Team and U.S. Soccer over the difference in compensation between the women's and men's national team.  Worth reading to understand the issues, but as the headline says, "It's complicated."

Ribery's "Traumtor" Wins It For Bayern

I was switching channels tonight and stumbled upon the FC Bayern - Eintracht Frankfurt match that was played last weekend  - just in time to watch one of the most spectacular goals I have ever seen.

In the 20th minute Mario Goetze (you remember him, had that nice shot against Argentina that won the World Cup in 2014) took a shot from just outside the 18.  Eintracht keeper Lukas Hradecky made a nice kick save with his left foot, only to see the rebound loop towards Franck Ribery, who went airborne and made a perfect bicycle kick over Hradecky for the game's only goal.

The Bundesliga website said, "Ribery Traumtor Führt Bayern Zum Sieg" (Ribery Dream Goal Leads Bayern to the Victory."  

Watch a video of the goal here. 

From The Pitch To The Court House: U.S. Women and Former Union Coach

Good thing Coach P is a lawyer in his day job because there's more soccer news coming from the court house than the soccer pitch these days.

The big story is the complaint filed with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by five members of the World Cup champion U.S. Women's team, including Carli Lloyd, accusing U.S. Soccer of wage discrimination.  This is only two months after U.S. Soccer sued the women's team asking a court to declare that the collective bargaining agreement did not expire until 2016.  This story was in Coach P'S Soccer Blog on February 5.

Not surprisingly, according Michael Powell's column in the New York Times, U.S. Soccer said it was disappointed in the action by Lloyd, Hope Solo, Alex Morgan, Becky Sauerbrunn and Alex Morgan.  (You won't find the news release or anything else about the EEOC complaint on the U.S. Soccer home page.)   In the main Times article on the complaint, Andrew Das quotes U.S. Soccer flack Neil Buethe, as calling some of the revenue figures in the players’ complaint “inaccurate, misleading or both.”  But Das reports Solo saying the men’s players “get paid more to just show up than we get paid to win major championships.”

The Boston Globe printed a copy of the complaint itself.  Shirley Leung's column in the Globe takes a look at the numbers cited and also contains a chart showing a state-by-state comparison of male versus female compensation. 

While we're talking about legal matters, let's not forget the lawsuit by former Philadelphia Union coach Piotr Nowak, who claimed the team breached his contract when it fired him back in June 2012.  Based on the arbitration clause in the contract, the dispute was submitted to an arbitrator who ruled in favor of the team in April 2015.  A final award entered in November 2015 order Nowak to pay the Union's legal expenses and costs.  The former coach moved to vacate the award.  As reported by Tim McCarthy in the Philadelphia Bar Association publication Upon Further Review, the federal district court in Philadelphia recently upheld the arbitrator's decision.

U.S. Men Keep '18 Cup Hopes Alive

Clint Dempsey started the scoring in the 12th minute and the United States men won going way, 4-0 over Guatemala in Columbus, to move into second place in Group C with two games to play.  The top two teams qualify for the next round, a group of six team with the top three going to the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the fourth entering an inter-continental play-off for a spot.

Just four days ago after the Americans had lost in Guatemala, after a tie with Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago!), there was concern that this would be the first time in eight World Cups in which the U.S. did not qualify.  For now those fears have been quieted and all is well in Planet U.S. Soccer. 

Andrew Keh provides a game analysis in the New York Times.

The U.S. is three points behind Trinidad and Tobago and one ahead of Guatemala.  The next match is not until September 2 against winless St. Vincent Grenadines.

Johann Cruyff, Star of "Clockwork Orange" Dies

Johann Cruyff, the face of Dutch soccer and the "total football" style of its national team in the 1970s, died of cancer in Barcelona yesterday.  He was 68.  His passing was announced on his website.  The cause was cancer.


The English journalist David Miller labeled him “Pythagoras in boots” for his ability to see open space and advantageous angles on a field. David Winner, in his book on Dutch soccer, “Brilliant Orange,” compared Cruyff’s play to the perfection and organization of a Vermeer painting.

The former England striker Gary Lineker, who played for Cruyff at Barcelona, was quoted in the New York Times as saying, “Football has lost a man who did more to make the beautiful game beautiful than anyone in history.”

According to the  Times, Cruyff was a heavy smoker until he had heart problems in the 1990s.

Cruyff joined Ajax as a 10-year old and made his debut with the first team in 1964 at age 17.  A year later the legendary coach Rinus Michels arrived and Ajax became one of the best sides in the world, winning three straight European Cups beginning in 1971.  The national team coached by Michels became known as "Clockwork Orange" for the color of its jerseys and its total football style.  It was said that while some teams played a 4-3-3 or a 4-4-2 formation, the Netherlands played a 10.

Before hanging up his boots for good at age 37, Cruyff played in two World Cup Finals, was named European Player of the Year in 1971, 1973 and 1974, won nine Dutch League championships one in Spain and played for Barcelona, two U.S. teams in the old NASL, Levante and Spain and finally with Ajax rival Feyenoord in Rotterdam.  In his last year Feyenoord doubled by winning the league and the cup.  After retiring as a player Cruyff coached Ajax and Barcelona.

R.I.P. Kara

The card that arrived in yesterday's mail was heartbreaking.

The front showed a photo of a girl dribbling a soccer ball and the text at the top read, "In Loving Memory of Kara Lynn Lemanowicz July 11, 2001- September 5, 2015."

Kara was the Eastern H.S. freshman who died at a sleepover with friends from her club team shortly before the school season began last September.

The card came to me as treasurer of Haddonfield's girls soccer program because many of our families contributed to send a donation to the Lemanowicz family in Kara's memory.

I did not know Kara or her family and cannot imagine the grief they felt and surely still feel to this day.  I can only hope there was some comfort in the support from the Haddonfield team and so many others in the South Jersey soccer community and that Kara's spirit lives on.

The inside of the card read:

A friendly smile
A casual touch,
These are the things
That mean so much,
To know you are with us 
In our time of sorrow,
Sharing our prayer,
Today and tomorrow,
God gives us comfort 
In the form of good friends,
May his peace be with you,
His love never ends.

The family of 
Kara Lynn Lemanowicz

MLS Kicks Off 21st

Major League Soccer starts its 21st season tomorrow with all 20 clubs in action, including the Union, who visit Dallas.  Here's the letter to fans from Commissioner Don Garber:

Dear MLS Supporters, Led by your incredible passion, last year clearly was our most successful to date, with two new expansion teams, an influx of world-class players, new media rights partnerships and record attendance. In 2016, soccer in the United States and Canada is poised to reach new heights. On Sunday, Major League Soccer's 21st season kicks off with all 20 Clubs playing on opening day, including four marquee matches broadcast live by the League's national television partners. "Soccer Sunday" will feature 11 consecutive hours of MLS matches and programming, including MLS Soccer Sunday: Week 1 LIVE, our digital "whip around" show that will air on MLSsoccer.com, ESPN3, FOX Sports GO and SkySports.com. This year we'll celebrate an incredible Summer of Soccer, highlighted by Copa America Centenario, the most prominent men's soccer event in the United States since the 1994 World Cup. More than 50 Major League Soccer players will participate in the June tournament, joining Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Neymar and many other global soccer stars as 16 countries compete in 10 cities, including nine MLS markets. MLS will take a two-week break from our season during group play of Copa America. We're pleased to have MLS Heineken Rivalry Week return in 2016, as two weekends will showcase the most anticipated rivalry matches of the season. In July, one of the most successful clubs in the world, Arsenal FC, will take on the MLS All-Stars in the AT&T MLS All-Star Game at Avaya Stadium in San Jose. We'll conclude the regular season with Decision Day as 10 games featuring every MLS club will take place simultaneously to determine which teams will qualify for the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. For a complete guide to the 2016 MLS season, click here. On behalf of Major League Soccer, I want to thank you for your support and hope you enjoy the 2016 MLS season. Enjoy Soccer Sunday! - Commissioner Don Garber The guide he references towards the end of the letter is here.