Surprise, surprise. The U.S. women will be playing at the Olympics in London.
The Americans qualified for the Olympics with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica in Vancouver yesterday in the CONCACAF semifinal in Vancouver. I was happy to see my former player, Carli Lloyd, be named Woman of the Match for the second straight game. (She won the award in the 4-0 victory over Mexico, but it was somewhat of a no-brainer since she had a hat trick.)
Tough tournament for the U.S. They opened with a 14-0 trouncing of the Dominican Republic and followed it up by shutting out Guatemala, 13-0. With the wins over Mexico and now Costa Rica, they have scored 34 goals in four games - six by Lloyd.
Canada also punched its ticket to London by downing Mexico, 3-1, last night. Canada and the United States play in the final - which is really only for bragging rights - on Sunday.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Apocalypse Now
I don't know if it's a good sign for the sport or not, but for three consecutive weeks soccer has provided Sports Illustrated's "Sign of the Apocalypse" .
The young lady who made her wedding dress out of Manchester City jerseys was featured in the January 9, 2012 issue, and in the last post on this blog. Then a week later the editors thought it apocalyptic that of 29 new 50-pence pieces recognizing Olympic sports issued by the Royal Mint, one featured soccer and explained the offsides rule on the reverse side.
And finally, the current edition dated January 23, 2012, contains this "sign":
The young lady who made her wedding dress out of Manchester City jerseys was featured in the January 9, 2012 issue, and in the last post on this blog. Then a week later the editors thought it apocalyptic that of 29 new 50-pence pieces recognizing Olympic sports issued by the Royal Mint, one featured soccer and explained the offsides rule on the reverse side.
And finally, the current edition dated January 23, 2012, contains this "sign":
In order to learn how to "best reach each player," the coach of top-division German soccer team Hannover 96, Mirko Slomka, asked his players to fill out a survey about their sexual interests, with 128 questions ranging from their erotic preferences to their most intimate fantasies.
Must be working. At the midpoint of the Bundesliga season, Hannover is in 7th place of 18 teams
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Something Blue For These City Fans
Sports Illustrated reports this week that a 38-year old bride in England, Karen Bell, sewed her own wedding dress for her December 21 ceremony by stitching together parts of vintage jerseys of her husband Simon Bell’s favorite team, Manchester City.
Here’s the account from the Manchester City website. After the ceremony, the newlyweds went from Chester to Etihad Stadium and arrived in time to watch their favorite side defeat Stoke city, 3-0. (The Blues did not fare as well today, losing an FA Cup match to cross-town rival, Manchester United, 3-2.)
SI calls the fact that someone would make her wedding dress from soccer jerseys a “Sign of the Apocalypse.” Coach P thinks it’s a great idea and that the bride looks stunning, but then recall I wanted my bride to dribble a ball down the aisle when we got married March 13, 2010, a suggestion quickly rejected.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The F.A. Takes On Racism
If any sport is multicultural and multilingual around the world it is soccer. And as baseball in the United States finally integrated more than 50 years ago (which was many years too late), so too have soccer teams in Europeans countries that were previously predominantly white integrated. Which unfortunately has led to overt racism among fans and other players.
FIFA embarked on a campaign five years ago to eliminate racism, although its efforts have been questioned by some. Now, England seems to have taken the effort to a new level by filing criminal charges against the captain of the national team and Chelsea, alleging that he made a racial slur towards Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers during a league match in October. And while the Crown Prosecution Service was going to criminal court, the Football Association suspended Luis Suarez of Liverpool for racist remarks made to Patrice Evra of Manchester United.
The story is reported in today's New York Times by Jere Longman. While fighting racism in any form is a laudable and necessary goal, I question the wisdom of criminalizing on-field behavior, as opposed to taking steps within the sport as was the case with Suarez.
FIFA embarked on a campaign five years ago to eliminate racism, although its efforts have been questioned by some. Now, England seems to have taken the effort to a new level by filing criminal charges against the captain of the national team and Chelsea, alleging that he made a racial slur towards Anton Ferdinand of Queens Park Rangers during a league match in October. And while the Crown Prosecution Service was going to criminal court, the Football Association suspended Luis Suarez of Liverpool for racist remarks made to Patrice Evra of Manchester United.
The story is reported in today's New York Times by Jere Longman. While fighting racism in any form is a laudable and necessary goal, I question the wisdom of criminalizing on-field behavior, as opposed to taking steps within the sport as was the case with Suarez.
Friday, November 25, 2011
Can the WPS be saved?
I hope I'm wrong, but things do not look good for the women's professional game in this county.
Fourteen months ago, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), announced that the Western New York franchise would give it eight teams in 2011 - this after it had lost L.A. Sol and St. Louis Athletica. But in October 2010 the league champion FC Gold Pride, a West Coast team, announced it was shutting down and a month later the Chicago Red Stars folded.
U.S. Soccer by-laws require professional leagues to have six teams but it granted WPS a waiver in 2011. Then a month ago, in a terse two-sentence press release, the league announced the termination of the MagicJack franchise, leaving five teams, all on the East Coast. (The owner of that team has sued WPS.)
Now, as reported by Jack Bell in today's New York Times, , U.S. Soccer gave WPS 15 days to secure a sixth team for 2012 before deciding whether to extend the waiver. If another franchise is not found, it seems certain the league will lose its certification as a D-1 level professional league. Jack Cummings, one of the league's founders, said the damage caused by decertification would be "irreparable.
Fourteen months ago, Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), announced that the Western New York franchise would give it eight teams in 2011 - this after it had lost L.A. Sol and St. Louis Athletica. But in October 2010 the league champion FC Gold Pride, a West Coast team, announced it was shutting down and a month later the Chicago Red Stars folded.
U.S. Soccer by-laws require professional leagues to have six teams but it granted WPS a waiver in 2011. Then a month ago, in a terse two-sentence press release, the league announced the termination of the MagicJack franchise, leaving five teams, all on the East Coast. (The owner of that team has sued WPS.)
Now, as reported by Jack Bell in today's New York Times, , U.S. Soccer gave WPS 15 days to secure a sixth team for 2012 before deciding whether to extend the waiver. If another franchise is not found, it seems certain the league will lose its certification as a D-1 level professional league. Jack Cummings, one of the league's founders, said the damage caused by decertification would be "irreparable.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Sudden death - season over for HMHS girls
Nov,. 15, 2011 -- The end took your breath away.
One moment the Haddonfield girls were battling evenly for a spot in Saturday's state final at TCNJ. In the next, Robbinsville's Christine Levering took a perfect pass from Erin Sutphen on the right and put the shot where coaches hope all their players will shoot - low and into the left corner beyond the reach of Haddonfield keeper Kellie Riley 3:16 into the first OT.
Golden goal. Game over, season over and in the case of many seniors, soccer career over.
The girls probably didn't think of it this way when it ended, but it was quite a season for Haddonfield. A 24-2 slate with the two losses coming to Group 4 state champion Lenape in the South Jersey Coaches Cup final and Group 2 runner-up Robbinsville in the state semi-final is nothing to be ashamed of.
Haddonfield took an early lead in the game at Bishop Eustace on Maddie Kiep's header off a corner from Kylie Kirk in the 8th minute, then had two more chances in the next five minutes but failed to build the lead. Levering tied the score seven minutes into the second half and the momentum swung to the Ravens. Other than a shot by Kirk with 21:40 left that Robbinsville defender Mollie O'Kane cleared off the line, Robbinsville had the better of the play and did not win in regulation largely due to the stellar play of Kellie Riley in the Haddonfield goal.
So Haddonfield went home for the year and Robbinsville advanced to the final at The College of New Jersey, where it lost, 2-1 to Ramsey - on a golden goal.
One moment the Haddonfield girls were battling evenly for a spot in Saturday's state final at TCNJ. In the next, Robbinsville's Christine Levering took a perfect pass from Erin Sutphen on the right and put the shot where coaches hope all their players will shoot - low and into the left corner beyond the reach of Haddonfield keeper Kellie Riley 3:16 into the first OT.
Golden goal. Game over, season over and in the case of many seniors, soccer career over.
The girls probably didn't think of it this way when it ended, but it was quite a season for Haddonfield. A 24-2 slate with the two losses coming to Group 4 state champion Lenape in the South Jersey Coaches Cup final and Group 2 runner-up Robbinsville in the state semi-final is nothing to be ashamed of.
Haddonfield took an early lead in the game at Bishop Eustace on Maddie Kiep's header off a corner from Kylie Kirk in the 8th minute, then had two more chances in the next five minutes but failed to build the lead. Levering tied the score seven minutes into the second half and the momentum swung to the Ravens. Other than a shot by Kirk with 21:40 left that Robbinsville defender Mollie O'Kane cleared off the line, Robbinsville had the better of the play and did not win in regulation largely due to the stellar play of Kellie Riley in the Haddonfield goal.
So Haddonfield went home for the year and Robbinsville advanced to the final at The College of New Jersey, where it lost, 2-1 to Ramsey - on a golden goal.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
HMHS Suffers First Loss in Coaches Cup Final
The Lenape girls showed why they are ranked #1 in South Jersey with a 4-1 win over second-ranked and previously unbeaten Haddonfield in the Coaches Tournament final at Eastern High School yesterday.
Despite general domination by the Indians, the game was closer than the score indicates and a different bounce here or there could have created a different result.
Although Lenape controlled play in the first 10-15 minutes, the Bulldogs had a golden chance in the 20th minute but couldn't knock a loose ball into the net when it was still 0-0. Less than two minutes later Rachelle Ross knocked home a rebound to put Lenape up, 1-0 and with 14:35 until intermission Katie Rigby drilled one into the left side of the goal to make it 2-0.
With 7:48 left in the half, Katie Johnson headed a corner kick from the right side over the bar and less than three minutes later Haddonfield could not score on a corner kick from the left that was placed right in front of the goal.
Haddonfield narrowed the gap to 2-1 with 26:30 left when Lauren Roberts scored off a trademark long throw-in from Olivia Blaber. But Courtney Kovac's goal in the 60th minute, which seemed to roll off Kellie Riley's outstretched fingertips, restored the two-goal cushion. The Indians sealed the win 10 minutes later when Emmy Duffy scored.
"Sometimes we have good games and today we had an excellent game," Rigby told Marc Narducci of the Inquirer after the game. No argument from that assessment here. Lenape, now 20-2-1, deserved to win, but Haddonfield showed why they merit their high rankling.
The Bulldogs face West Deptford Monday in the state play-offs.
Despite general domination by the Indians, the game was closer than the score indicates and a different bounce here or there could have created a different result.
Although Lenape controlled play in the first 10-15 minutes, the Bulldogs had a golden chance in the 20th minute but couldn't knock a loose ball into the net when it was still 0-0. Less than two minutes later Rachelle Ross knocked home a rebound to put Lenape up, 1-0 and with 14:35 until intermission Katie Rigby drilled one into the left side of the goal to make it 2-0.
With 7:48 left in the half, Katie Johnson headed a corner kick from the right side over the bar and less than three minutes later Haddonfield could not score on a corner kick from the left that was placed right in front of the goal.
Haddonfield narrowed the gap to 2-1 with 26:30 left when Lauren Roberts scored off a trademark long throw-in from Olivia Blaber. But Courtney Kovac's goal in the 60th minute, which seemed to roll off Kellie Riley's outstretched fingertips, restored the two-goal cushion. The Indians sealed the win 10 minutes later when Emmy Duffy scored.
"Sometimes we have good games and today we had an excellent game," Rigby told Marc Narducci of the Inquirer after the game. No argument from that assessment here. Lenape, now 20-2-1, deserved to win, but Haddonfield showed why they merit their high rankling.
The Bulldogs face West Deptford Monday in the state play-offs.
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