With the Mexican and Central American leagues all within their first three weeks of the season, a more extensive preview of the Group Stage for the CONCACAF Champions League will be done in the coming weeks. But here is a first-glance look at how the groups shake out following the conclusion of the Preliminary Round fixtures Thursday evening.
Group A: Arabe Unido, Cruz Azul, Real Salt Lake, Toronto FC
A finalist in the previous two editions of the tournament, Cruz Azul is the clear favorite to advance from the group stage. Panamanian clubs have not seen a lot of success in the tournament, which likely leaves Major League Soccer sides RSL and TFC battling for the second ticket to the Quarterfinals.
Group B: Columbus Crew, Joe Public, Municipal, Santos Laguna
Another successful club previously in the Champions League, Santos Laguna is the likely first-place side in the group. The remaining three could well be locked in a tight race for the second with the outsider being Joe Public, which is in the midst of the offseason.
Group C: Marathon, Monterrey, Saprissa, Seattle Sounders
This will probably the most competitive group top to bottom. Monterrey is making its first appearance, but will be the leader as one of the favorites in the Mexican Primera. Saprissa and Marathon are both big clubs in their home countries while Seattle may be looking at the Champions League as its calling card for 2010 like it did with the US Open Cup last year.
Group D: FAS, Olimpia, Puerto Rico Islanders, Toluca
Like Monterrey, Toluca will be favored despite making their first appearance, particularly given the make-up of the group. Puerto Rico, after a tough group last time, will have a shot of advancing again and may even be favored for second given its schedule and opposition.
Saturday, August 7
Friday, August 6
Something Freddy Adu Needed?
Mike Woitalla of Soccer America wrote a column today… ‘What Went Wrong with Freddy Adu.’ While he offers little as an explanation to Adu’s slow descent from stardom, he points out that not every great young player goes on to be a successful professional star.
I will, however, offer up one idea that may have been of help in Adu’s development - the inclusion of a mentor of similar capabilities. When I was working on the countdown of the Top 25 players in the history of USL-1, one of the items I considered mentioning for player number 2 on the list, Johnny Menyongar, is that he would have served as a perfect mentor for Adu. I left it out because it really didn’t have a lot to do with the countdown, but I still feel that the idea may have produced something if it would have occurred.
At 5-foot, 5-inches Menyongar is actually three inches shorter than Adu, but at the time Adu was beginning his professional career, his diminutive counterpart was still in the prime of his career in USL-1. Menyongar was a successful midfielder and striker in USL and could have been a great example of how a small, skilled player like Adu could utilize his skills at the professional level.
Instead of being dumped into the deep end with top-flight DC United, Adu could have spent a year, maybe two if needed, with Menyongar in the second flight, experiencing the professional game’s rigors, responsibilities and expectations both on and off the field before moving onto MLS or play abroad.
I think often times, these up and coming youth internationals are brought into MLS with the expectation to make the immediate jump to being a first-class professional and improve to be a first-team international player despite only seeing action on the training ground. Instead these players could be gaining valuable experience at a lower level as a starter which would provide a bridge to the top levels of the game.
And as a regular with the Liberian national team, which included a three-year stint as captain, Menyongar would have served as a good mentor in how to balance league and international play. He would have been able to share with him his experiences of playing on a lower-level national team and playing World Cup quality nations, and what to expect when those situations arise. As a fellow small player, Menyongar no doubt has a different view on how to handle those situations that the typical national team coach or squad-mate would not be able to provide.
The thing that always struck me watching Menyongar that I have not seen in Adu is a fierce yet joyful determination on the pitch. Menyongar’s style of play was impossible to shut down because it was a spirit of play that was relentless and creative, something that spread to the other players on the field and mede the team better.
Watching Adu, it always seemed to me like he was searching for something. Perhaps it was how to play a big small-game, something Menyongar mastered years before.
I will, however, offer up one idea that may have been of help in Adu’s development - the inclusion of a mentor of similar capabilities. When I was working on the countdown of the Top 25 players in the history of USL-1, one of the items I considered mentioning for player number 2 on the list, Johnny Menyongar, is that he would have served as a perfect mentor for Adu. I left it out because it really didn’t have a lot to do with the countdown, but I still feel that the idea may have produced something if it would have occurred.
At 5-foot, 5-inches Menyongar is actually three inches shorter than Adu, but at the time Adu was beginning his professional career, his diminutive counterpart was still in the prime of his career in USL-1. Menyongar was a successful midfielder and striker in USL and could have been a great example of how a small, skilled player like Adu could utilize his skills at the professional level.
Instead of being dumped into the deep end with top-flight DC United, Adu could have spent a year, maybe two if needed, with Menyongar in the second flight, experiencing the professional game’s rigors, responsibilities and expectations both on and off the field before moving onto MLS or play abroad.
I think often times, these up and coming youth internationals are brought into MLS with the expectation to make the immediate jump to being a first-class professional and improve to be a first-team international player despite only seeing action on the training ground. Instead these players could be gaining valuable experience at a lower level as a starter which would provide a bridge to the top levels of the game.
And as a regular with the Liberian national team, which included a three-year stint as captain, Menyongar would have served as a good mentor in how to balance league and international play. He would have been able to share with him his experiences of playing on a lower-level national team and playing World Cup quality nations, and what to expect when those situations arise. As a fellow small player, Menyongar no doubt has a different view on how to handle those situations that the typical national team coach or squad-mate would not be able to provide.
The thing that always struck me watching Menyongar that I have not seen in Adu is a fierce yet joyful determination on the pitch. Menyongar’s style of play was impossible to shut down because it was a spirit of play that was relentless and creative, something that spread to the other players on the field and mede the team better.
Watching Adu, it always seemed to me like he was searching for something. Perhaps it was how to play a big small-game, something Menyongar mastered years before.
Pro Action Around CONCACAF
With the Honduran league finally kicking off, the action around CONCACAF gets pretty busy on a weekly basis for the next few months. Here is a look at the upcoming action around the region for the weekend.
Not to be Ignored: USL-2 Playoff Chase
After previous success in 2010 by Charleston and Harrisburg in the US Open Cup against Major League Soccer opposition, it is time for the USL Second Division to once again come out of the shadows as it enters the final two weeks of the regular season.
Although the race for the regular season title is virtually over with Charleston merely needing to either pick up a point or Richmond drop one, the league has several races of intrigue as each club faces its final two games. Trailing the two league-leaders, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Charlotte Eagles are battling for the third and final playoff berth. Meanwhile, the Harrisburg City Islanders and Real Maryland Monarchs are vying to avoid the stigma of finishing last.
The Races
Regular Season Championship
Charleston, unbeaten at home (6-0-3), sits six points ahead of Richmond in the chase for the regular season title which would make them the host for the league championship match. The pair split the regular season series with the Battery winning at home 4-1 and 1-0 while falling in Richmond 3-1 and 2-0, ironically the same aggregate scoreline for the respective hosts. Charleston finishes the season against third-place Pittsburgh on the road and fourth-place Charlotte at home. Richmond, four points clear of third, wraps up with a road match against fifth-place Harrisburg and a home match versus last-place Real Maryland.
The Remaining Playoff Berth
While Richmond has yet to ensure a finish no worse than second, the third-place Riverhounds more importantly must keep their eyes facing behind them as they also only hold a four point lead on Charlotte for the third and final berth. Pittsburgh, which holds the tiebreaker on Richmond should that become a factor in a battle for second and home field advantage, split the season series with Charlotte as both clubs splitting their two home contests.
Given their six-game winless start, which was part of a greater 1-3-5 run, the Riverhounds are fortunate to even be in the running for the postseason, but with only one defeat in their last six (3-1-2) the Hounds are the hotter team of the two. Charlotte has gone winless in their last five (0-2-3) with their last win coming in Pittsburgh July 2, but have since lost at home to Pittsburgh July 23. Pittsburgh hosts Charleston and visits state rival Harrisburg to close out the regular season while Charlotte is on the road to face Real Maryland and the Battery.
Avoiding Last Place
Leading by two points, Harrisburg is looking to keep ahead of last-place Real Maryland as the final two weeks play out. Like Pittsburgh, the City Islanders had a rough start, needing six games to find a victory as they opened the campaign on a 1-6-4 start. That hole was washed over with an successful run in the US Open Cup that included a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls, which sparked a four-game unbeaten run (3-0-1) in league play. But a 2-0 loss to DC has been followed by three winless outings (0-2-1) heading into the final two weeks. Real Maryland, meanwhile, is in the midst of a longer stretch of unfortunate results having gone winless in their last seven league matches (0-5-2), dating back to their Open Cup loss in Richmond.
Harrisburg hosts Richmond and Pittsburgh to close out the season and the Monarchs host Charlotte before visiting Richmond looking for revenge to finish their campaign. With Charlotte only three points ahead of the City Islanders and five in front of Real Maryland, both could also conceivably jump the Eagles, on the road for two should they reverse their form.
Remaining Schedule (USL-2 Standings [+])
This Saturday: Charlotte @ Maryland; Richmond @ Harrisburg; Charleston @ Pittsburgh
Next Saturday: Pittsburgh @ Harrisburgh; Maryland @ Richmond; Charlotte @ Charleston
Although the race for the regular season title is virtually over with Charleston merely needing to either pick up a point or Richmond drop one, the league has several races of intrigue as each club faces its final two games. Trailing the two league-leaders, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Charlotte Eagles are battling for the third and final playoff berth. Meanwhile, the Harrisburg City Islanders and Real Maryland Monarchs are vying to avoid the stigma of finishing last.
The Races
Regular Season Championship
Charleston, unbeaten at home (6-0-3), sits six points ahead of Richmond in the chase for the regular season title which would make them the host for the league championship match. The pair split the regular season series with the Battery winning at home 4-1 and 1-0 while falling in Richmond 3-1 and 2-0, ironically the same aggregate scoreline for the respective hosts. Charleston finishes the season against third-place Pittsburgh on the road and fourth-place Charlotte at home. Richmond, four points clear of third, wraps up with a road match against fifth-place Harrisburg and a home match versus last-place Real Maryland.
The Remaining Playoff Berth
While Richmond has yet to ensure a finish no worse than second, the third-place Riverhounds more importantly must keep their eyes facing behind them as they also only hold a four point lead on Charlotte for the third and final berth. Pittsburgh, which holds the tiebreaker on Richmond should that become a factor in a battle for second and home field advantage, split the season series with Charlotte as both clubs splitting their two home contests.
Given their six-game winless start, which was part of a greater 1-3-5 run, the Riverhounds are fortunate to even be in the running for the postseason, but with only one defeat in their last six (3-1-2) the Hounds are the hotter team of the two. Charlotte has gone winless in their last five (0-2-3) with their last win coming in Pittsburgh July 2, but have since lost at home to Pittsburgh July 23. Pittsburgh hosts Charleston and visits state rival Harrisburg to close out the regular season while Charlotte is on the road to face Real Maryland and the Battery.
Avoiding Last Place
Leading by two points, Harrisburg is looking to keep ahead of last-place Real Maryland as the final two weeks play out. Like Pittsburgh, the City Islanders had a rough start, needing six games to find a victory as they opened the campaign on a 1-6-4 start. That hole was washed over with an successful run in the US Open Cup that included a 1-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls, which sparked a four-game unbeaten run (3-0-1) in league play. But a 2-0 loss to DC has been followed by three winless outings (0-2-1) heading into the final two weeks. Real Maryland, meanwhile, is in the midst of a longer stretch of unfortunate results having gone winless in their last seven league matches (0-5-2), dating back to their Open Cup loss in Richmond.
Harrisburg hosts Richmond and Pittsburgh to close out the season and the Monarchs host Charlotte before visiting Richmond looking for revenge to finish their campaign. With Charlotte only three points ahead of the City Islanders and five in front of Real Maryland, both could also conceivably jump the Eagles, on the road for two should they reverse their form.
Remaining Schedule (USL-2 Standings [+])
This Saturday: Charlotte @ Maryland; Richmond @ Harrisburg; Charleston @ Pittsburgh
Next Saturday: Pittsburgh @ Harrisburgh; Maryland @ Richmond; Charlotte @ Charleston
Thursday, August 5
Power Rankings: Can You Say Parity in PDL?
As pointed out earlier in the week, the trend of upsets in the postseason came to an end after several years during the conference playoffs over the weekend as the higher seeds in each of the head-to-head match-ups through the playoffs have a record of 8-1-3. The lone higher seed to fall prior to penalties was fifth-seeded Ottawa in a 3-2 affair to Reading, seeded 10th overall. But, results also showed great parity as clubs from different divisions squared off.
Of the dozen games played last weekend, only two were decided by more than a goal, a pair of 2-0 victories in conference semifinal matches. Seven matches finished with one-goal margins and three others were decided in penalties after 120 minutes of stalemate soccer.
As far as the rankings are concerned, the Western Conference showed that on paper it is still very deep with all three games decided by a goal or less, which says a lot for the California clubs that traveled north and acquitted themselves well, despite first-game exits, with a draw and narrow loss, boosting their power ranking.
Kitsap, unfortunately, fell with the loss at home combined with Thunder Bay and Reading claiming their conference titles. Forest City remained in the top four with only their second loss of the year coming 1-0 at the hands of host Ottawa Fury.
Baton Rouge moved up slightly, but was hurt by the close nature of the conference playoffs as the Southeast Division looked to be far better on paper than the Mid South. The Capitals drew 1-1 and needed penalties to get past a Laredo side that finished the regular season poorly and unbeaten Mississippi was knocked out from the spot after a 2-2 draw against 7-5-4 Houston, the lowest seed in the playoffs. Baton Rouge then narrowly edged Houston in the conference final, 2-1. As a result, Mississippi took a big drop in the rankings while Laredo and Houston each made a move up the list past a number of teams that were not in the playoff field, having proving they deserved to have been in the postseason.
The Soccer Barn’s PDL Power Rankings
(yellow denotes Final Four participant)
1 – Portland Timbers U23s (16-0-0): 2-1 wins over Hollywood and host Kitsap.
2 – Thunder Bay Chill (12-2-2): 1-0 win over London, 2-1 win against Michigan.
3 – Reading United AC (10-2-4): 2-1 wins against MPS and host Ottawa.
4 – Forest City London (10-1-5): 0-1 loss to host Thunder Bay.
5 – Kitsap Pumas (12-2-2): 1-1 draw against Ventura County, 1-2 loss to Portland.
6 – Baton Rouge Capitals (9-2-3): 1-1 draw versus Laredo, 2-1 win over Houston.
7 – Ventura County Fusion (11-4-1): 1-1 draw against Kitsap.
8 – Mississippi Brilla (11-0-3): 2-2 draw against Houston, knocked out penalties.
9 – Hollywood United Hitmen (10-3-3): 1-2 loss against Portland.
10 – Michigan Bucks (11-3-2): 2-0 win over Rochester, 1-2 loss to host Thunder Bay.
The Rest of the Best: 11 Ottawa Fury (11-2-3) – 12 Houston Leones (7-5-4) – 13 MPS Portland Phoenix (10-2-4) – 14 Laredo Heat (9-5-2) – 15 Dayton Dutch Lions (8-3-5) – 16 Rochester Thunder (10-3-3) – 17 Real Colorado Foxes (7-3-6) – 18 Chicago Fire (9-5-2) – 19 Ironbound Express (10-3-3) – 20 Long Island Rough Riders (8-4-4) – 21 Tacoma Tide (9-4-3) – 22 Atlanta Blackhawks (6-4-4) – 23 Central Florida Kraze (6-5-3) – 24 Central Jersey Spartans (8-5-3) – 25 Victoria Highlanders (7-6-3)
Previous List [+]
Of the dozen games played last weekend, only two were decided by more than a goal, a pair of 2-0 victories in conference semifinal matches. Seven matches finished with one-goal margins and three others were decided in penalties after 120 minutes of stalemate soccer.
As far as the rankings are concerned, the Western Conference showed that on paper it is still very deep with all three games decided by a goal or less, which says a lot for the California clubs that traveled north and acquitted themselves well, despite first-game exits, with a draw and narrow loss, boosting their power ranking.
Kitsap, unfortunately, fell with the loss at home combined with Thunder Bay and Reading claiming their conference titles. Forest City remained in the top four with only their second loss of the year coming 1-0 at the hands of host Ottawa Fury.
Baton Rouge moved up slightly, but was hurt by the close nature of the conference playoffs as the Southeast Division looked to be far better on paper than the Mid South. The Capitals drew 1-1 and needed penalties to get past a Laredo side that finished the regular season poorly and unbeaten Mississippi was knocked out from the spot after a 2-2 draw against 7-5-4 Houston, the lowest seed in the playoffs. Baton Rouge then narrowly edged Houston in the conference final, 2-1. As a result, Mississippi took a big drop in the rankings while Laredo and Houston each made a move up the list past a number of teams that were not in the playoff field, having proving they deserved to have been in the postseason.
The Soccer Barn’s PDL Power Rankings
(yellow denotes Final Four participant)
1 – Portland Timbers U23s (16-0-0): 2-1 wins over Hollywood and host Kitsap.
2 – Thunder Bay Chill (12-2-2): 1-0 win over London, 2-1 win against Michigan.
3 – Reading United AC (10-2-4): 2-1 wins against MPS and host Ottawa.
4 – Forest City London (10-1-5): 0-1 loss to host Thunder Bay.
5 – Kitsap Pumas (12-2-2): 1-1 draw against Ventura County, 1-2 loss to Portland.
6 – Baton Rouge Capitals (9-2-3): 1-1 draw versus Laredo, 2-1 win over Houston.
7 – Ventura County Fusion (11-4-1): 1-1 draw against Kitsap.
8 – Mississippi Brilla (11-0-3): 2-2 draw against Houston, knocked out penalties.
9 – Hollywood United Hitmen (10-3-3): 1-2 loss against Portland.
10 – Michigan Bucks (11-3-2): 2-0 win over Rochester, 1-2 loss to host Thunder Bay.
The Rest of the Best: 11 Ottawa Fury (11-2-3) – 12 Houston Leones (7-5-4) – 13 MPS Portland Phoenix (10-2-4) – 14 Laredo Heat (9-5-2) – 15 Dayton Dutch Lions (8-3-5) – 16 Rochester Thunder (10-3-3) – 17 Real Colorado Foxes (7-3-6) – 18 Chicago Fire (9-5-2) – 19 Ironbound Express (10-3-3) – 20 Long Island Rough Riders (8-4-4) – 21 Tacoma Tide (9-4-3) – 22 Atlanta Blackhawks (6-4-4) – 23 Central Florida Kraze (6-5-3) – 24 Central Jersey Spartans (8-5-3) – 25 Victoria Highlanders (7-6-3)
Previous List [+]
Tuesday, August 3
Pro Rankings: CCL, Two More Leagues Kick Off
The week after the start of the Mexican, Costa Rican and Guatemalan leagues, the CONCACAF Champions League kicked off with the Preliminary Round featuring 16 teams representing eight different leagues. On the weekend, the first division leagues in El Salvador and Panama also started play with Honduras on the horizon this coming weekend.
The big news in the Champions League was the continued role of giant-killer being taken on by the Puerto Rico Islanders, which were in the process of coming out of a tough start in USSF Division 2 play that has them near the bottom of the table. The Islanders traveled to Los Angeles and laid a stunning 4-1 loss on the MLS-leading Galaxy. The series now heads to Puerto Rico, where the Islanders are notoriously difficult to beat as Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul have both suffered defeat.
In other CCL action, the MLS clubs Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders each posted narrow 1-0 victories at home. Toronto heads to Honduras to face Motagua and Seattle is off to El Salvador to play Clausura playoff champion Isidro Metapan, who opened their league campaign with a big 4-2 win over Atletico Balboa.
The Mexican sides had surprisingly close matches, but were on the road in both. Santos Laguna returns home to play San Juan Jabloteh, up 1-0, and Cruz Azul hosts Panama’s San Francisco with a 3-2 lead. Both clubs posted shutout wins in league play as Santos stunned Pumas 4-0 and Cruz Azul somewhat avenged their CCL championship defeat to Atlante with a 2-0 result. San Francisco, the playoff runners-up last time out, opened their league campaign with a 2-2 draw against Chorrillo.
Also in Panama’s opening weekend, the defending playoff champion and regular season runner-up Arabe Unido played a 1-1 tie against Tauro, 3-0 losers at Marathon of Honduras in the CCL, and Atletico Chiriqui, the regular season champions, were 3-0 victors against Plaza Amador.
In El Salvador, other opening weekend results saw Aguila, the runner-up in both the season and playoff, play to a scoreless stalemate on the road against Once Municipal and Firpo, the regular season champion, post the same result at home versus Alianza.
In addition to the second legs of the CCL continuing this week, the Superliga resumes with semifinal action Wednesday and Thursday followed by Honduras opening league play on the weekend.
The big news in the Champions League was the continued role of giant-killer being taken on by the Puerto Rico Islanders, which were in the process of coming out of a tough start in USSF Division 2 play that has them near the bottom of the table. The Islanders traveled to Los Angeles and laid a stunning 4-1 loss on the MLS-leading Galaxy. The series now heads to Puerto Rico, where the Islanders are notoriously difficult to beat as Santos Laguna and Cruz Azul have both suffered defeat.
In other CCL action, the MLS clubs Toronto FC and Seattle Sounders each posted narrow 1-0 victories at home. Toronto heads to Honduras to face Motagua and Seattle is off to El Salvador to play Clausura playoff champion Isidro Metapan, who opened their league campaign with a big 4-2 win over Atletico Balboa.
The Mexican sides had surprisingly close matches, but were on the road in both. Santos Laguna returns home to play San Juan Jabloteh, up 1-0, and Cruz Azul hosts Panama’s San Francisco with a 3-2 lead. Both clubs posted shutout wins in league play as Santos stunned Pumas 4-0 and Cruz Azul somewhat avenged their CCL championship defeat to Atlante with a 2-0 result. San Francisco, the playoff runners-up last time out, opened their league campaign with a 2-2 draw against Chorrillo.
Also in Panama’s opening weekend, the defending playoff champion and regular season runner-up Arabe Unido played a 1-1 tie against Tauro, 3-0 losers at Marathon of Honduras in the CCL, and Atletico Chiriqui, the regular season champions, were 3-0 victors against Plaza Amador.
In El Salvador, other opening weekend results saw Aguila, the runner-up in both the season and playoff, play to a scoreless stalemate on the road against Once Municipal and Firpo, the regular season champion, post the same result at home versus Alianza.
In addition to the second legs of the CCL continuing this week, the Superliga resumes with semifinal action Wednesday and Thursday followed by Honduras opening league play on the weekend.
Monday, August 2
PDL Conference Playoff Recap
Heading to the PDL Championship, the four-team semifinal and final event, to be hosted by the regular season champion perfect 16-0-0 Portland Timbers U23s, winners of the Western Conference title, on August 6-7 are the Central Conference Champion (third seed) Thunder Bay Chill, Southern Conference Champion (eighth seed) Baton Rouge Capitals and Eastern Conference Champion (10th seed) Reading United AC.
Still leading the postseason scoring race so far is Thunder Bay’s Brandon Swartzendruber, who has all three of the Chill’s goals. Kenny Uzoigwe (Michigan), Kevin Struthers (Ottawa) and Phillip Buffington (Mississippi) each had a pair after the first two days with Ottawa’s Justin Dasah tallied two on Sunday, but all three clubs have been eliminated from the postseason. However, semifinal-bound Reading’s Luke Mullholland added a second and Tyler Witmer scored twice against Ottawa Sunday to keep within range. Also of note, Reading’s Charles Sapong has three assists, the only player with more than one.
As far as team results are concerned, the higher seeds in each of the head-to-head match-ups through the playoffs have a record of 8-1-3. The lone higher seed to fall prior to penalties was fifth-seeded Ottawa in a 3-2 affair to Reading, seeded 10th overall. Mississippi, however, was the lone higher-seeded team to be eliminated via the penalty kick tiebreakers while Baton Rouge and Kitsap both survived shootouts in conference semifinal action. Although only two of the four top seeds won their respective conference championship, the results mark the end of a trend in recent years that regularly saw top seeds falter prior to the league semifinals.
Results (Overall PDL seed denoted with first game)
Central Conference
Semi: 14-ROC 0 :: 2 MIC-6: MIC Uzoigwe (Fuzzetti) 14, MIC St. Louis 54
Semi: 7-LON 0 :: 1 THB-3: THB Swartzendruber (Marinez) 5
Final: MIC 1 :: OT :: 2 THB: MIC Uzoigwe 79, THB Swartzendruber (Robertson) 84, THB Swartzendruber (Zardetto) 118
Eastern Conference
Semi: 13-IRB 0 :: 2 OTT-5: OTT Struthers (Ruesgen) 67, OTT Struthers (Mellor) 72
Semi: 11-MPS 1 :: 2 REA-10: MPS Banks 55, REA Mullholland (Sapong) 73, REA Frimpong (Hogan) 89
Final: REA 2 :: 1 OTT: REA Witmer (Sapong) 35, REA Witmer 49, OTT Dasah 73, REA Mullholland (Sapong) 76, OTT Dasah 90
Southern Conference
Semi: 16-HOU (6) 2 :: PK :: 2 (5) MIS-2: MIS Buffington (Rich) 56, HOU Vallentine (Rivas) 69, MIS Buffington (Ihmeidan) 104, HOU Simon 112
Semi: 15-LAR (6) 1 :: PK :: 1 (7) BR-8: LAR Garcia (Bayona) 16, BR Chagnard (Callon) 77
Final: HOU 1 :: 2 BR: HOU Richards 38, BR Settle 75, BR Anderson 88
Western Conference
Semi: 12-HOL 1 :: 2 POR-1: HOL Whitfield 4, POR Braun (Dugoni) 63, POR Evans (Braun) 66
Semi: 9-VC (3) 1 :: PK :: 1 (5) KIT-4: KIT Gordley (Perdido) 3, VC Berrera 31
Final: KIT 1 :: 2 POR: POR Ramsey 24, KIT Lee (Wallace) 42, POR Abrego (Farfan) 82
Still leading the postseason scoring race so far is Thunder Bay’s Brandon Swartzendruber, who has all three of the Chill’s goals. Kenny Uzoigwe (Michigan), Kevin Struthers (Ottawa) and Phillip Buffington (Mississippi) each had a pair after the first two days with Ottawa’s Justin Dasah tallied two on Sunday, but all three clubs have been eliminated from the postseason. However, semifinal-bound Reading’s Luke Mullholland added a second and Tyler Witmer scored twice against Ottawa Sunday to keep within range. Also of note, Reading’s Charles Sapong has three assists, the only player with more than one.
As far as team results are concerned, the higher seeds in each of the head-to-head match-ups through the playoffs have a record of 8-1-3. The lone higher seed to fall prior to penalties was fifth-seeded Ottawa in a 3-2 affair to Reading, seeded 10th overall. Mississippi, however, was the lone higher-seeded team to be eliminated via the penalty kick tiebreakers while Baton Rouge and Kitsap both survived shootouts in conference semifinal action. Although only two of the four top seeds won their respective conference championship, the results mark the end of a trend in recent years that regularly saw top seeds falter prior to the league semifinals.
Results (Overall PDL seed denoted with first game)
Central Conference
Semi: 14-ROC 0 :: 2 MIC-6: MIC Uzoigwe (Fuzzetti) 14, MIC St. Louis 54
Semi: 7-LON 0 :: 1 THB-3: THB Swartzendruber (Marinez) 5
Final: MIC 1 :: OT :: 2 THB: MIC Uzoigwe 79, THB Swartzendruber (Robertson) 84, THB Swartzendruber (Zardetto) 118
Eastern Conference
Semi: 13-IRB 0 :: 2 OTT-5: OTT Struthers (Ruesgen) 67, OTT Struthers (Mellor) 72
Semi: 11-MPS 1 :: 2 REA-10: MPS Banks 55, REA Mullholland (Sapong) 73, REA Frimpong (Hogan) 89
Final: REA 2 :: 1 OTT: REA Witmer (Sapong) 35, REA Witmer 49, OTT Dasah 73, REA Mullholland (Sapong) 76, OTT Dasah 90
Southern Conference
Semi: 16-HOU (6) 2 :: PK :: 2 (5) MIS-2: MIS Buffington (Rich) 56, HOU Vallentine (Rivas) 69, MIS Buffington (Ihmeidan) 104, HOU Simon 112
Semi: 15-LAR (6) 1 :: PK :: 1 (7) BR-8: LAR Garcia (Bayona) 16, BR Chagnard (Callon) 77
Final: HOU 1 :: 2 BR: HOU Richards 38, BR Settle 75, BR Anderson 88
Western Conference
Semi: 12-HOL 1 :: 2 POR-1: HOL Whitfield 4, POR Braun (Dugoni) 63, POR Evans (Braun) 66
Semi: 9-VC (3) 1 :: PK :: 1 (5) KIT-4: KIT Gordley (Perdido) 3, VC Berrera 31
Final: KIT 1 :: 2 POR: POR Ramsey 24, KIT Lee (Wallace) 42, POR Abrego (Farfan) 82
Sunday, August 1
Purely for the Game
You know, I was sitting on the couch watching the post-game celebration by the Germans after claiming the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup this morning via a 2-0 victory in which Nigeria fought well against a vastly superior team to keep it close after an eighth minute goal until a late own goal sealed it, and something hit me about this tournament, which I have watched over the past few weeks – my first time for any women’s youth tournament. The motivation on the pitch is for one thing – the team.
The German ladies celebrated with a joy and spirit that seemed different from the men’s game. And when teams have been eliminated, the sorrows have been all that more crushing, with the exception of what I saw from Nigeria, who appeared to fully comprehend their achievement, in perspective, of finishing runners-up in a close-fought affair. That heightened emotion is coming from a place inside that knows that this may be it, because typically only a select few from the youth ranks advance to the national team.
So what is different? MONEY – the one thing that was absent from the tournament that I had not realized until those howls of exhilaration in Germany came across the television screen was the constant talk of potential multi-million dollar contracts and transfer fees - for kids mind you - that inevitably inundate the broadcasts and discussion of men’s youth national team tournaments. Sure, a number of these ladies will have opportunities to play professionally in Europe or North America, but with the level of money in the women’s professional game being so minute in comparison to the men’s, it does not even register as an afterthought in a player’s mind.
Unlike their male counterparts, there is no dual motivation out there on the pitch – a situation that often places the good of the team in competition with the good of the player who is looking to impress and maximize that almighty pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for himself. If their team comes up short in the men’s tournament, so be it – the teenager is off to London, Barcelona or Milan, where they slip into a posh six-figure sports car and cruise to their million-dollar abode. For the ladies, it’s a bus-ride to the team facility where they carpool in a used vehicle to an apartment they share with a couple other players on the team, wondering what they need to do next to ensure some kind of career on, or most likely, off the field that will be good enough for them to get by.
The German ladies celebrated with a joy and spirit that seemed different from the men’s game. And when teams have been eliminated, the sorrows have been all that more crushing, with the exception of what I saw from Nigeria, who appeared to fully comprehend their achievement, in perspective, of finishing runners-up in a close-fought affair. That heightened emotion is coming from a place inside that knows that this may be it, because typically only a select few from the youth ranks advance to the national team.
So what is different? MONEY – the one thing that was absent from the tournament that I had not realized until those howls of exhilaration in Germany came across the television screen was the constant talk of potential multi-million dollar contracts and transfer fees - for kids mind you - that inevitably inundate the broadcasts and discussion of men’s youth national team tournaments. Sure, a number of these ladies will have opportunities to play professionally in Europe or North America, but with the level of money in the women’s professional game being so minute in comparison to the men’s, it does not even register as an afterthought in a player’s mind.
Unlike their male counterparts, there is no dual motivation out there on the pitch – a situation that often places the good of the team in competition with the good of the player who is looking to impress and maximize that almighty pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for himself. If their team comes up short in the men’s tournament, so be it – the teenager is off to London, Barcelona or Milan, where they slip into a posh six-figure sports car and cruise to their million-dollar abode. For the ladies, it’s a bus-ride to the team facility where they carpool in a used vehicle to an apartment they share with a couple other players on the team, wondering what they need to do next to ensure some kind of career on, or most likely, off the field that will be good enough for them to get by.
PDL Playoff Round-Up
For anyone looking for a compilation of PDL playoff scoring summaries thus far through two days of conference playoff action, here they are (since USL’s site is missing quite a few).
Leading the postseason scoring race so far is Thunder Bay’s Brandon Swartzendruber, who has all three of the Chill’s goals. Kenny Uzoigwe (Michigan), Kevin Struthers (Ottawa) and Phillip Buffington (Mississippi) each have two, but Ottawa is the one team alive of the three.
As far as team results are concerned, the higher seeds in each of the head-to-head match-ups are unbeaten with a record of 6-0-3. Mississippi, however, is the lone higher-seeded team to be eliminated via the penalty kick tiebreakers while Baton Rouge and Kitsap both survived shootouts.
Results (Overall PDL seed denoted with first game)
Central Conference
Semi: 14-ROC 0 :: 2 MIC-6: MIC Uzoigwe (Fuzzetti) 14, MIC St. Louis 54
Semi: 7-LON 0 :: 1 THB-3: THB Swartzendruber (Marinez) 5
Final: MIC 1 :: OT :: 2 THB: MIC Uzoigwe 79, THB Swartzendruber (Robertson) 84, THB Swartzendruber (Zardetto) 118
Eastern Conference
Semi: 13-IRB 0 :: 2 OTT-5: OTT Struthers (Ruesgen) 67, OTT Struthers (Mellor) 72
Semi: 11-MPS 1 :: 2 REA-10: MPS Banks 55, REA Mullholland (Sapong) 73, REA Frimpong (Hogan) 89
Final: OTT v REA – Sunday
Southern Conference
Semi: 16-HOU (6) 2 :: PK :: 2 (5) MIS-2: MIS Buffington (Rich) 56, HOU Vallentine (Rivas) 69, MIS Buffington (Ihmeidan) 104, HOU Simon 112
Semi: 15-LAR (5) 1 :: PK :: 1 (6) BR-8: LAR Garcia (Bayona) 16, BR Chagnard (Callon) 77
Final: HOU v BR – Sunday
Western Conference
Semi: 12-HOL 1 :: 2 POR-1: HOL Whitfield 4, POR Braun (Dugoni) 63, POR Evans (Braun) 66
Semi: 9-VC (3) 1 :: PK :: 1 (5) KIT-4: KIT Gordley (Perdido) 3, VC Berrera 31
Final: KIT v POR – Sunday
Leading the postseason scoring race so far is Thunder Bay’s Brandon Swartzendruber, who has all three of the Chill’s goals. Kenny Uzoigwe (Michigan), Kevin Struthers (Ottawa) and Phillip Buffington (Mississippi) each have two, but Ottawa is the one team alive of the three.
As far as team results are concerned, the higher seeds in each of the head-to-head match-ups are unbeaten with a record of 6-0-3. Mississippi, however, is the lone higher-seeded team to be eliminated via the penalty kick tiebreakers while Baton Rouge and Kitsap both survived shootouts.
Results (Overall PDL seed denoted with first game)
Central Conference
Semi: 14-ROC 0 :: 2 MIC-6: MIC Uzoigwe (Fuzzetti) 14, MIC St. Louis 54
Semi: 7-LON 0 :: 1 THB-3: THB Swartzendruber (Marinez) 5
Final: MIC 1 :: OT :: 2 THB: MIC Uzoigwe 79, THB Swartzendruber (Robertson) 84, THB Swartzendruber (Zardetto) 118
Eastern Conference
Semi: 13-IRB 0 :: 2 OTT-5: OTT Struthers (Ruesgen) 67, OTT Struthers (Mellor) 72
Semi: 11-MPS 1 :: 2 REA-10: MPS Banks 55, REA Mullholland (Sapong) 73, REA Frimpong (Hogan) 89
Final: OTT v REA – Sunday
Southern Conference
Semi: 16-HOU (6) 2 :: PK :: 2 (5) MIS-2: MIS Buffington (Rich) 56, HOU Vallentine (Rivas) 69, MIS Buffington (Ihmeidan) 104, HOU Simon 112
Semi: 15-LAR (5) 1 :: PK :: 1 (6) BR-8: LAR Garcia (Bayona) 16, BR Chagnard (Callon) 77
Final: HOU v BR – Sunday
Western Conference
Semi: 12-HOL 1 :: 2 POR-1: HOL Whitfield 4, POR Braun (Dugoni) 63, POR Evans (Braun) 66
Semi: 9-VC (3) 1 :: PK :: 1 (5) KIT-4: KIT Gordley (Perdido) 3, VC Berrera 31
Final: KIT v POR – Sunday
Flash Champs Behind Boquete and Parker
For the third consecutive year, the team that scored first was unable to see it through to a W-League championship as the Vancouver Whitecaps fell, 3-1, to the Buffalo Flash in their bid to become the first three-time league champions. Buffalo finishes the season as unbeaten champions with Veronica Boquete scoring twice and league MVP Kelly Parker setting up two goals.
The Pali Blues trailed in the past two championship games before winning back-to-back titles, but were not as quick on the comback as Buffalo Saturday night. The Flash lived up to their name in answering Vancouver's go-ahead goal, a fantastic long-range strike in the 57th minute by Amy Vermeulen over the keeper and just under the bar, immediately on the night. Parker slipped a no-look pass off to her right as they entered the box and Gemma Davison, who was dangerous on the flank in the first half, put it away to level terms in the 61st.
Three minutes later Boquete ran through the defense to give Buffalo the advantage in an eventful seven-minute span since a defensive error gave Vermeulen the open opportunity. Boquete clinched the game in the 88th off a through ball from Parker, who finally captured the W-League title in her fourth appearance in the championship game and sixth venture to a W-League championship (Final Four) event after coming up short with the Ottawa Fury (2003-06) and FC Indiana Lionesses (2008).
The Soccer Barn SNA MVP for the W-League Championship Playoffs is Veronica Boquete. Both Boquete and Parker dominated the postseason as Buffalo, which defeated three Canadian clubs and Atlanta, romped to the title, each tallying four goals three assists. Boquete scored the first two and final two of the playoff run. With Parker having finished empty-handed so many times before, it appears having the strike partner of Boquete is what made the difference as the two teamed up for five of team's 10 playoff goals in one of the best performances by a duo in W-League playoff history.
Take a look for yourself. Here's the Buffalo Scoring Breakdown for the playoffs:
Central Conference Semifinal 3-1 vs Toronto
Boquete (Davison)
Boquete (Parker)
Parker
Central Conference Final 1-0 vs Ottawa
Parker (Boquete)
W-League Semifinal 3-1 vs Atlanta
Hammond
Parker (Boquete)
Parker (Boquete)
W-League Championship 3-1 vs Vancouver
Davison (Parker)
Boquete
Boquete (Parker)
Other Reports: USL [+] Equalizer [+] Whitecaps [+]
The Pali Blues trailed in the past two championship games before winning back-to-back titles, but were not as quick on the comback as Buffalo Saturday night. The Flash lived up to their name in answering Vancouver's go-ahead goal, a fantastic long-range strike in the 57th minute by Amy Vermeulen over the keeper and just under the bar, immediately on the night. Parker slipped a no-look pass off to her right as they entered the box and Gemma Davison, who was dangerous on the flank in the first half, put it away to level terms in the 61st.
Three minutes later Boquete ran through the defense to give Buffalo the advantage in an eventful seven-minute span since a defensive error gave Vermeulen the open opportunity. Boquete clinched the game in the 88th off a through ball from Parker, who finally captured the W-League title in her fourth appearance in the championship game and sixth venture to a W-League championship (Final Four) event after coming up short with the Ottawa Fury (2003-06) and FC Indiana Lionesses (2008).
The Soccer Barn SNA MVP for the W-League Championship Playoffs is Veronica Boquete. Both Boquete and Parker dominated the postseason as Buffalo, which defeated three Canadian clubs and Atlanta, romped to the title, each tallying four goals three assists. Boquete scored the first two and final two of the playoff run. With Parker having finished empty-handed so many times before, it appears having the strike partner of Boquete is what made the difference as the two teamed up for five of team's 10 playoff goals in one of the best performances by a duo in W-League playoff history.
Take a look for yourself. Here's the Buffalo Scoring Breakdown for the playoffs:
Central Conference Semifinal 3-1 vs Toronto
Boquete (Davison)
Boquete (Parker)
Parker
Central Conference Final 1-0 vs Ottawa
Parker (Boquete)
W-League Semifinal 3-1 vs Atlanta
Hammond
Parker (Boquete)
Parker (Boquete)
W-League Championship 3-1 vs Vancouver
Davison (Parker)
Boquete
Boquete (Parker)
Other Reports: USL [+] Equalizer [+] Whitecaps [+]
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