Coach P is Back

Well, it's been awhile - combination of things, mostly time crunch with my day job, plus some log-on issues that have finally been resolved.

Since I've been gone, a lot happening the soccer world.

**David Beckham's group was awarded an MLS expansion franchise in Miami and has made its first payment towards the purchase of land for a stadium;

**back on July 23 the Men's National Team beat Jamaica, 2-1 to win the CONCACAF Gold Cup;

**just tonight the men scored a crucial 4-0 win over Panama in a World Cup qualifier and are now in third place, 3 points ahead of Panama with one match to play - October 10 against Trinidad and Tobago.  The top three teams get an automatic bid to next year's World Cup in Russia;

**Over in the Bundesliga, my favorite team, Hamburger Sport Verein (HSV) got off to a flying start with victories in the first two matches, only to drop the next four before a tie last weekend, leaving them in 16th place of 18 teams.  They'll try again on Friday the 13th at Mainz;

**Sadly, former Women's National Team coach, Tony DiCicco, passed away in June at the age of 68;

** Back on August 2, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), of which I used to be a member, re-branded itself as United Soccer Coaches;

** The Haddonfield Memorial High School girls team got off to a 5-1-1 start, with the loss and the draw being non-league games - 2-1 to Kingsway and 1-1 with Rancocas Valley.

There's been much more of course.  I'll try to keep in better touch in coming months.