Coach P Retired - From High School Soccer

Can't believe it's been six months since I posted anything here.  Not like there wasn't anything going on in soccer.  Just not enough hours in the day.  Maybe once taxes are finished I'll be able to write more.

For now I just wanted to mention my "retirement" as treasurer of Haddonfield High School Girls Soccer Booster Club and stadium announcer.  I started the group in 1994 when Kirsten was a sophomore (her first year on varsity) and as I always used to joke, she graduated in 1997 but they never found a way to get rid of me - until now.

As I told this year's Booster Club coordinator (I don't use "president" because that suggests an election) Jen Siok: "It's time."  Twenty-six seasons is plenty.  The bookkeeping isn't that hard although I always like to say I can barely count past 10 and thank heavens for Excel.  But the most fun has always been the games and we have virtually no night games any more where we used to have a third to a half of our schedule under the lights.    We always drew good crowds at night against West Deptford and the local schools: Audubon, Collingswood, Haddon Heights and Haddon Township and we would play some of our games at night at their fields.

As long as I keep a day job I can only get to games on nights and Saturdays.   So less games to attend means less contact with the players and their parents.  That aside, I am closer in age to the team grandparents than parents - keep in mind our oldest grandson is a freshman in high school.

I recall how much Kirsten enjoyed playing under the lights, especially on a Saturday when a lot of her friends would come to the game then they'd walk over to someone's house for a party.  I remember one year at our post-season banquet one of the captains said how much she loved hearing the National Anthem and running out onto the field when I announced her and the other starters.  She told me I was part of her high school experience.

The parents who did not have flexibility with work schedules liked the night games as well.

I always tried to run a professional operation to make the experience the best possible for the players and parents.  This post from 10 years ago describes the production:
http://coachpssoccerblog.blogspot.com/2009/09/nighttime-in-high-school-stadium.html

And this post from the same year detailed things that could go wrong:  http://coachpssoccerblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/fans-dont-mind.html

But times change.  And the lack of night games was not the reason I decided to step down.  As I told Jen, it was simply time.

It was a great run and I met so many exceptionally nice young ladies and equally nice parents.  I worked with three head coaches: Charlie Keil, Glenn Gess and the current coach, Lori Quintavalle, whose older sister, Beth was on the team with Kirsten.  Lori is a great coach and a great friend.  I was honored to serve on the committee which recommended her to the AD for the head coaching job - we obviously made a good decision.  I was also on the committee that recommended Glenn, another excellent choice.

I had the pleasure of working with eight Booster Club coordinators:  Greg Lupinski;  Siegrid Kiep; Pat Cosnet; Ginger O'Malley; Michelle Sehdev; Chris Stanton; Lynn Green; and these past two years, Jen Siok.  The enthusiasm and energy each of these awesome people put forth for the program and our girls was inspiring  

I leave with many fond memories of great games and great people, including those named elsewhere in this post.  Some of the memories are recounted on this blog under the "High School" label.  

I gave a farewell speech at our banquet last week and as I told everyone, it was truly my pleasure over the 26 years.  I was touched that Lori gave me the game ball from the South Jersey final (that we won), one of the T-Shirts that the girls wore, and a nice plaque.   

I'm not going anywhere and maybe if I ever retire from my day job I'll be able to get to more games.  And if Lori or the Booster Club needs anything, they know that help is just a phone call or email away.  But it was time to let someone else to take over the checkbook.  I told Glenn when he stepped down as coach that we'd miss him but the program would get by.  Trust me they will get by just fine without me.

I enjoyed all 26 years.  As I said every year at the end of the Seniors Night ceremony and at last week's banquet, "Ladies, thanks for the memories."

On Top Of the World - Again

It's not surprising the U.S. women kept the World Cup that they won four years ago.  Not that it was easy.  After cruising through the group phase, the women defeated Spain, France and England, all by 2-1 scores, before facing the Netherlands in the final Sunday.

I thought the Americans dominated in the early going and but for the brilliant goalkeeping of Sari van Veenendaal would have had a one or two goal lead at the half.  But as coaches we always use to tell our players the longer you let a weaker opponent hang around, the more confident they become and if they score first it's a huge boost.   That didn't happen and when Megan Rapinoe nailed a PK in the 61st minute it was a huge boost.  When Rose Lavelle drilled a left footed laser into the lower right corner in the 69th minute you knew it was over.  The Dutch seemed to give up in the last 20 minutes.

Glad to see my former player Carli Lloyd, the star of the 2015 Cup but now relegated to a bench role, get on the field in the 87th minute.  Not sure how many caps this is for Carli, but if this was her last, what a career!

Not surprisingly, perhaps the best story of the Cup came from Grant Wahl of Sports Illustrated.  The New York Times had extensive and first rate daily coverage, including Andrew Keh's report on the final. 

Much was written about how this Cup was meant to be a statement by the women that they deserved pay equal to the men.  (Of course they do!)  The Times wrote in an editorial on the subject: 

"It is difficult to understand the argument that the United States women’s national soccer team should get paid just as much as the men’s national soccer team.

The women are much more successful. They should earn more."

Here's hoping the success in France will lead to success women and girls in the U.S..

Three Shutouts in First Round, Spain Up Next

So the United States completed its stroll through the group phase of the Women's World Cup with 16 goals for, none against and three wins.  The most recent victory was 2-10 against Sweden in LeHavre Thursday.  Sweden, which hasd already clinched a spot in the knockout phase, will face Canada Monday, June 24 while the Americans take on Spain at the same time.

Andrew Keh and Andrew Das of the New York Times reported on the Sweden match.  The Times' Jere Longman reports on the growth of women's soccer in Spain.

On To The Sweet 16 - But First Sweden

Nobody expected 13 goals and although the U.S. scored "only" three against Chile, they dominated the match and would have had at least three more but for the brilliant goalkeeping of Christiane Endler, who robbed Christen Press of sure goals twice and did the same on other shots.  Endler, who plays for Paris Saint-Germain, was named player of the match.

Good to see my former player, Carli Lloyd get back into the starting line-up and reward Coach Jill Ellis for the decision by scoring in the 11th and 35th minutes.  The first goal was a left footer one-timed into the corner and the second a header.  Sandwiched between these two was a goal by Julie Ertz off a corner.

Lloyd missed a chance for a hat trick when she hooked a PK wide left in the 81st minute.  I thought the penalty was questionable and was awarded after VAR review.  There was a foul, but it appeared to be just outside the 18.  Not so said the ref as she pointed to the penalty mark.

Sweden beat Thailand, 5-1 so the only question that remains is which team will finished first and which second.  Given the huge goal differential favoring the United States, Sweden would have to win Thursday's showdown,. but regardless of the result both teams will advance.

Andrew Das has game coverage in the New Yorks Times.

Forget Thailand. Chile's Up Today

Much has been written and said about the United States women's 13-0 thrashing of Thailand in the World Cup opener.  Many have defended the scoring as necessary because goal differential is the first tie-breaker in the group stage.  Agreed - but celebrating each goal like it was the World Cup winner was over the top.  Keep in mind, Eastern High School's team probably would have been a tougher opponent than Thailand.  In other words, the goals were expected so why act like it was such a big deal, even for women playing in their first World Cup?

The U.S. plays another less than stellar opponent - Chile - today before taking on powerhouse Sweden in the last match of the group stage.

13 Proves Lucky For U.S. in World Cup Opener

    JUNE 11, 2019 -- The United States women exploded for 13 goals in a rout of Thailand in the World Cup opener for both teams before 18,591 in Reims.  Alex Morgan scored five times for the U.S. and Carli Lloyd, who (along with Christen Press) came on in the 57th minute, netted the final goal in stoppage time.   Andrew Keh reports for the New York Times.

    In the other Group F match, as expected Sweden defeated Chile, 2-0.  The U.S. will face Chile and Sweden will take on Thailand on June 16.

If You Build It (Downtown) They will Come

Today's Boston Globe, reports with some envy how the MLS team Minnesota United opened a soccer-specific stadium in by a rail line St. Paul not quite two months ago, while the New England Revolution is stuck at the New England Patriots' stadium out in Foxboro.

The Globe notes that smaller soccer-only venues in downtowns have recently opened in Orlando, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C while others are in the works in Cincinnati, Nashville, and Austin.   

I recall how the Philadelphia Atoms of the old North American Soccer League played at Veterans Stadium, the multi-purpose facility that housed the Eagles and the Phillies.  The current MLS team, the Union, plays in a vey nice soccer-only stadium, but it's out of the way in Chester, a difficult to reach decrepit place south of Philadelphia.