Last saw Carli two weeks ago at the Philadelphia Sportswriters Association banquet when she accepted the Athlete of the Year award. Pretty cool seeing that, and also my old high school buddy, Dave Montgomery of the Phillies, receive the Ed Snider Lifetime Distinguished Humanitarian Award.
Only had a chance to briefly say hi to Carli before the dinner and then got in a short line to get her to sign the program to my granddaughter, Allison.
Back on the soccer field, Lloyd scored the only goal last night as the U.S. women beat Mexico, 1-0, to clinch a spot in the semi-finals of the Concacaf Olympic qualifying semifinals February 19 in Houston. The winners of the semifinal matches on February 19 will qualify for the Rio Olympics. The New York Times ran an AP story of the game.
And finally, here's an in-depth interview Seth Davis did with Carli on Campus Insiders on February 11.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
Friday, February 5, 2016
U.S. Soccer Sues Women's Team
Nothing like a lawsuit to take the glow off a World Cup.
Just seven months after the United States Women's team routed Japan, 5-2, to capture its first World Cup since 1999, U.S. Soccer has sued its most successful and glamorous team. Sort of. As reported by Andrew Das of the New York Times and Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated, the sport's governing body ran into court in Chicago seeking a declaration that the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the players union did not expire until the end of 2016.
A declaratory judgment action does not seek damages but merely asks a court to determine the rights of parties. Declaratory judgment suits are commonly used to interpret insurance policies and other contracts.
The last agreement expired in 2012 but, according to U.S. Soccer, has been extended by a memorandum of understanding signed in March 2013. But back in December, Richard Nichols, executive director of the players union, said the memorandum was invalid as a collective bargaining agreement and would expire on February 24. Apparently U.S. Soccer interpreted that as a threat of a strike because the CBA contained a no strike clause. Nonsense, Nichols told Das earlier this week. “There were no threats about strikes or work stoppages.” He aid the players were merely “reserved our legal rights.”
So, apparently, is the organization. The last thing it needs is for its popular women's team to walk out in an Olympic year. The women have lost only once in the last year, in a friendly with China back in December. On Wednesday they begin their Olympic qualifying tournament with a match against Costa Rico in Frisco, Texas.
Just seven months after the United States Women's team routed Japan, 5-2, to capture its first World Cup since 1999, U.S. Soccer has sued its most successful and glamorous team. Sort of. As reported by Andrew Das of the New York Times and Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated, the sport's governing body ran into court in Chicago seeking a declaration that the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the players union did not expire until the end of 2016.
A declaratory judgment action does not seek damages but merely asks a court to determine the rights of parties. Declaratory judgment suits are commonly used to interpret insurance policies and other contracts.
The last agreement expired in 2012 but, according to U.S. Soccer, has been extended by a memorandum of understanding signed in March 2013. But back in December, Richard Nichols, executive director of the players union, said the memorandum was invalid as a collective bargaining agreement and would expire on February 24. Apparently U.S. Soccer interpreted that as a threat of a strike because the CBA contained a no strike clause. Nonsense, Nichols told Das earlier this week. “There were no threats about strikes or work stoppages.” He aid the players were merely “reserved our legal rights.”
So, apparently, is the organization. The last thing it needs is for its popular women's team to walk out in an Olympic year. The women have lost only once in the last year, in a friendly with China back in December. On Wednesday they begin their Olympic qualifying tournament with a match against Costa Rico in Frisco, Texas.
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Gearing Up For the Olympics
Hard to think the World Cup is old news, but yesterday's announcement of the Women's National Team roster for Olympic qualifying matches reminded us it's time to look forward to Brazil.
As Paul Kennedy points out in Soccer America, there is a big turnover from the World Cup team of just six months ago. Six players have retired and two are pregnant. Coach Jill Ellis did not select Whitney Engen or Heather O'Reilly. That amounts to a 50 percent change.
The biggest surprise seems to be O'Reilly, a veteran with 228 caps, number 7 on the all-time list for U.S. women. She saw little time in the World Cup and perhaps is just not valued by Ellis. I'll be interested to see if we read more on this in the coming weeks.
As Paul Kennedy points out in Soccer America, there is a big turnover from the World Cup team of just six months ago. Six players have retired and two are pregnant. Coach Jill Ellis did not select Whitney Engen or Heather O'Reilly. That amounts to a 50 percent change.
The biggest surprise seems to be O'Reilly, a veteran with 228 caps, number 7 on the all-time list for U.S. women. She saw little time in the World Cup and perhaps is just not valued by Ellis. I'll be interested to see if we read more on this in the coming weeks.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
NFL Runs Over Kids Soccer
Fifteen hundred youth soccer players in California will be looking for a new place to play, unless a court blocks the National Football League's plans to convert the 11-acre Santa Clara Soccer Park into a media center for Super Bowl 50.
Seems when the City of Santa Clara bid to host the February 2016 Super Bowl it agreed to the condition of making the city-owned soccer park available to the NFL. Now, as the soccer league battles the 49ers and the NFL in court, work has begun on covering the fields and building the mediae center on top of them.
As the San Jose Mercury News reported today, a court will hold a hearing next Monday on whether to issue a permanent injunction banning the NFL from taking over the soccer fields. The judge who will hear the case has already turned down two requests for a temporary injunction.
Seems when the City of Santa Clara bid to host the February 2016 Super Bowl it agreed to the condition of making the city-owned soccer park available to the NFL. Now, as the soccer league battles the 49ers and the NFL in court, work has begun on covering the fields and building the mediae center on top of them.
As the San Jose Mercury News reported today, a court will hold a hearing next Monday on whether to issue a permanent injunction banning the NFL from taking over the soccer fields. The judge who will hear the case has already turned down two requests for a temporary injunction.
Sunday, December 13, 2015
Grant Wahl's Solution to PKs
In last week's Sports Illustrated, sidebars to the article about the NHL's switch to 3 v. 3 overtimes in an effort to avoid shootouts, made suggestions to improve other sports, including soccer.
Soccer writer Grant Wahl proposes removing a player every five minutes in overtime. "Soccer games should be decided by soccer," Wahl writes. He reasons that "soccer is a game about space: How to find it, how to use it, how to create it." He goes on to say that his proposal would create more space and add interest because of the coaching decisions required. And debates about these coaching moves would be soccer debates, which those about shootouts are not.
I greatly respect Wahl as a soccer journalist, but I think he's trying too hard here. My problem with is proposal is it assumes someone will score once the teams are playing with less than the normal 10 field players. But the more players who are removed, the more running those remaining on the field will have to do. And there are only so many miles in the legs of even the fittest professional players.
After 95 minutes it's 10 v. 10. After 100 minutes, 9 v. 9. At the 105 minute mark it becomes 8 v. 8, then at 110 7 v. 7. At the end of 120 minutes, the normal amount of overtime, the teams would be down to four field players and a keeper. Is Wahl suggesting that they keep going here?
Soccer writer Grant Wahl proposes removing a player every five minutes in overtime. "Soccer games should be decided by soccer," Wahl writes. He reasons that "soccer is a game about space: How to find it, how to use it, how to create it." He goes on to say that his proposal would create more space and add interest because of the coaching decisions required. And debates about these coaching moves would be soccer debates, which those about shootouts are not.
I greatly respect Wahl as a soccer journalist, but I think he's trying too hard here. My problem with is proposal is it assumes someone will score once the teams are playing with less than the normal 10 field players. But the more players who are removed, the more running those remaining on the field will have to do. And there are only so many miles in the legs of even the fittest professional players.
After 95 minutes it's 10 v. 10. After 100 minutes, 9 v. 9. At the 105 minute mark it becomes 8 v. 8, then at 110 7 v. 7. At the end of 120 minutes, the normal amount of overtime, the teams would be down to four field players and a keeper. Is Wahl suggesting that they keep going here?
Monday, December 7, 2015
Timbers Chop Down Crew For MLS Cup
In just their fifth Major League Soccer season the Portland Timbers won the MLS championship with a 2-1 victory over the Crew before 21,747 in Columbus yesterday.
The Timbers got off to a quick start when Crew keeper Steve Clark could not clear a passback and Portland midfielder Diego Valeri intercepted the attempt and scored just 35 seconds into the match. The Timbers doubled the lead in the seventh minute after the assistant referee missed a ball over the touchline that should have been a Crew throw-in. Portland took advantage and Rodney Wallace scored with a diving header off a cross from Lucas Melano,
The MLS webpage has an entertaining video of numerous calls and non-calls during the game. The New York Times ran a comprehensive story by Brian Sciaretta on page D-5.
The Timbers got off to a quick start when Crew keeper Steve Clark could not clear a passback and Portland midfielder Diego Valeri intercepted the attempt and scored just 35 seconds into the match. The Timbers doubled the lead in the seventh minute after the assistant referee missed a ball over the touchline that should have been a Crew throw-in. Portland took advantage and Rodney Wallace scored with a diving header off a cross from Lucas Melano,
The MLS webpage has an entertaining video of numerous calls and non-calls during the game. The New York Times ran a comprehensive story by Brian Sciaretta on page D-5.
Tuesday, December 1, 2015
Cherry Pie
It only took 85 years, but AFC Bournemouth from the coast of England finally made it to the top division of English Soccer - the English Premier League - this season. Bruce Schoenfeld wrote an entertaining piece about the team, known as "The Cherries," for ESPN - The Magazine a few weeks ago.
Schoenfeld wrote, "The idea of a team advancing through England's 92-club, four-tier league system to the EPL is surprising enough. It rarely happens, even over a generation -- let alone in the span of five years. In English soccer, the same marginal sides tend to bob up and down from the top of the second-highest division to the bottom of the first. But if any club could do it ... well, Bournemouth would not be it."
With a population of 180,000, Bournemouth is one of the smallest cities ever to play in the EPL and its stadium, with a capacity of only 11,464, is the smallest venue.
On the field the Cherries are off to a slow start and it will be tough to stay in the EPL. They have two wins and four draws in the first 14 league matches, leaving them in the relegation zone - 18th place. Although AFC has been competitive in most games, it is riding a 10-game winless streak since beating Sunderland, 2-1, back on September 19.
Schoenfeld wrote, "The idea of a team advancing through England's 92-club, four-tier league system to the EPL is surprising enough. It rarely happens, even over a generation -- let alone in the span of five years. In English soccer, the same marginal sides tend to bob up and down from the top of the second-highest division to the bottom of the first. But if any club could do it ... well, Bournemouth would not be it."
With a population of 180,000, Bournemouth is one of the smallest cities ever to play in the EPL and its stadium, with a capacity of only 11,464, is the smallest venue.
On the field the Cherries are off to a slow start and it will be tough to stay in the EPL. They have two wins and four draws in the first 14 league matches, leaving them in the relegation zone - 18th place. Although AFC has been competitive in most games, it is riding a 10-game winless streak since beating Sunderland, 2-1, back on September 19.
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