This afternoon, we joined 15,849 others at Comcast to watch the Maryland women lose their fifth game of a season to a Duke squad that was rolling.
It is always a bummer to watch the women lose, but the game itself was not a disappointment. Although fairly well beaten, the Terrapins did not roll over and Alyssa Thomas led a fiery comeback that sputtered and fell apart with poor shooting.
I'm looking forward to Maryland's enrollment in the Big Ten and have no qualms about the departure from the ACC. The annual Maryland-Duke women's basketball game will, nevertheless, be missed. The environment is unparalleled at Comcast. While the men's game is an outpouring of fear and loathing, the women's game is a genuine rivalry teeming with energy. Beating Maryland at Comcast means something to the Duke women.
The game obviously means something special to the community around here. Today's attendance was nearly four times the average game attendance for the season (~4,379). Before this afternoon, there hadn't been more than 5,153 people at a game for the season.
Even more remarkable: the attendance for the game was higher than for all but one of the Georgetown men's home games at Verizon this season (they drew 17,474 for the game against Louisville in January).
The women's basketball program will thrive in the Big Ten, but there's not likely to be anything to this event.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Maybe You Might Try Coaching
In nearly twenty years of living in the Washington DC area, I've managed to develop an affinity for all of two local professional franchises: the Washington Mystics and D.C. United.
Like many Mystics supporters, we dropped our season tickets many years ago and only rarely make it to games.
D.C. United has been an automatic call. Even with two young kids, there's never been a question as to whether we would renew our seats each season.
Not anymore.
The season begins next Saturday with the first home game a week after and we've let friends know that our seats are available, gratis, for anyone wants to use them. Thus far, there is even less interest from our small circle of soccer supporters.
There were many great things about United's off-season: acquiring Casey Townsend through trade, drafting Taylor Kemp and Evan Raynr, and signing Michael Seaton to a professional contract. Add the return of Lance Rozeboom to full health, plus the two Brazilian Rafaels, and United was rolling into a new season stocked with quality young talent.
But from the very beginning, storm clouds loomed overheard. United acquired a 33-year old John Thorrington as their only addition from the MLS re-entry draft in December. Raynr, a talented passer with a good feel for the game, was set adrift after a brief look. More recently, the team has added a 30-year old James Riley and 33-year old Carlos Ruiz to the roster.
The move for Ruiz has drawn the most ire from supporters, but the Riley acquisition was in the same vein. The D.C. United that will take the field in 2013 is a cynical side led by a cynical coach that will play cynical soccer, measuring its value through "bite."
Ben Olsen is very charismatic. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the coach discuss his take on last season and his philosophy at a season ticket holder event this month. I think that Andy Najar became a better player under his regime, and that the same is true for Chris Pontius, Perry Kitchen, and Nick DeLeon.
But, like with Najar, I'd prefer to see Pontius and DeLeon move on and play somewhere else.
The attacking options available to complement Dwayne DeRosario, Pontius, and DeLeon are incredible: both Rafaels are insanely skilled, Casey Townsend is an accomplished striker and a tireless worker, and Michael Seaton's shown that he's not intimidated by being in the first team side. We've got as much a chance of seeing these guys as we did watching Branko Boskovic and Hamdi Salihi last year.
What we will "enjoy" instead is more Lionard Pajoy spelled by Carlos Ruiz, all the while being lectured on the unseen, unrecognized importance of these two veteran strikers and the purportedly unassailable truth of the physical demands of the M-L-S.
No matter how well Lance Rozeboom has played thus far, Marcelo Saragosa is going to get more time in the center of the midfield.
And it will all be in the service of wins; of returning D.C. United to the glory long left behind. Maybe they make the playoffs again by being the hard team. And maybe the club can build up its attendance with the new-found buzz borne from victories. If so, my complaints and concerns are parochial and of no moment to D.C. United's management.
But if it doesn't work... if you lose while putting crap on the field while simultaneously pissing away young talent?
This year should mark the resurgence of a franchise that has cemented itself as part of the District of Columbia. Absent the addition of a big-name designated player, the way United will build long-term excitement in the community is through its young stars supported by DeRo.
But why waste time coaching the kids if you can just wind up the old warhorses and claim one-nil glories?
I hope I'm made to eat these words as the season progresses. But I doubt it. And in the interim, if I want to see D.C. United's good young talent in action, we'll have to venture down to Richmond.
Like many Mystics supporters, we dropped our season tickets many years ago and only rarely make it to games.
D.C. United has been an automatic call. Even with two young kids, there's never been a question as to whether we would renew our seats each season.
Not anymore.
The season begins next Saturday with the first home game a week after and we've let friends know that our seats are available, gratis, for anyone wants to use them. Thus far, there is even less interest from our small circle of soccer supporters.
There were many great things about United's off-season: acquiring Casey Townsend through trade, drafting Taylor Kemp and Evan Raynr, and signing Michael Seaton to a professional contract. Add the return of Lance Rozeboom to full health, plus the two Brazilian Rafaels, and United was rolling into a new season stocked with quality young talent.
But from the very beginning, storm clouds loomed overheard. United acquired a 33-year old John Thorrington as their only addition from the MLS re-entry draft in December. Raynr, a talented passer with a good feel for the game, was set adrift after a brief look. More recently, the team has added a 30-year old James Riley and 33-year old Carlos Ruiz to the roster.
The move for Ruiz has drawn the most ire from supporters, but the Riley acquisition was in the same vein. The D.C. United that will take the field in 2013 is a cynical side led by a cynical coach that will play cynical soccer, measuring its value through "bite."
Ben Olsen is very charismatic. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the coach discuss his take on last season and his philosophy at a season ticket holder event this month. I think that Andy Najar became a better player under his regime, and that the same is true for Chris Pontius, Perry Kitchen, and Nick DeLeon.
But, like with Najar, I'd prefer to see Pontius and DeLeon move on and play somewhere else.
The attacking options available to complement Dwayne DeRosario, Pontius, and DeLeon are incredible: both Rafaels are insanely skilled, Casey Townsend is an accomplished striker and a tireless worker, and Michael Seaton's shown that he's not intimidated by being in the first team side. We've got as much a chance of seeing these guys as we did watching Branko Boskovic and Hamdi Salihi last year.
What we will "enjoy" instead is more Lionard Pajoy spelled by Carlos Ruiz, all the while being lectured on the unseen, unrecognized importance of these two veteran strikers and the purportedly unassailable truth of the physical demands of the M-L-S.
No matter how well Lance Rozeboom has played thus far, Marcelo Saragosa is going to get more time in the center of the midfield.
And it will all be in the service of wins; of returning D.C. United to the glory long left behind. Maybe they make the playoffs again by being the hard team. And maybe the club can build up its attendance with the new-found buzz borne from victories. If so, my complaints and concerns are parochial and of no moment to D.C. United's management.
But if it doesn't work... if you lose while putting crap on the field while simultaneously pissing away young talent?
This year should mark the resurgence of a franchise that has cemented itself as part of the District of Columbia. Absent the addition of a big-name designated player, the way United will build long-term excitement in the community is through its young stars supported by DeRo.
But why waste time coaching the kids if you can just wind up the old warhorses and claim one-nil glories?
I hope I'm made to eat these words as the season progresses. But I doubt it. And in the interim, if I want to see D.C. United's good young talent in action, we'll have to venture down to Richmond.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Proximity
As a kid, the name of nearly every
player on the sports teams I followed was imprinted in my brain. Yet the
relationship with those players was, with few blessed exceptions, entirely
remote. Meeting a Chicago Bear at a promotional meet and greet at a Sears
in the western suburbs was worth every minute of the interminable wait.
My cousins and I would spend hours standing outside a chain link fence in a
parking lot at Jack Murphy just for the chance to get Mark Parent’s signature
on a baseball.
As I’ve grown older, the distance
between fan and athlete has narrowed. But I still feel an intense sense
of privilege at being able to meet, however briefly, an athlete I root for as a
spectator.
I doubt it will be the same for my
daughters.
In the last week, our eldest
was at Maryland women’s basketball game on Sunday, a D.C. United season ticket
holder event on Tuesday, and a college gymnastics meet last night. At
each, the highlight for her was the chance to interact with players or coaches.
At RFK Tuesday night, our
four-year old found Coach Olsen mingling with fans before the questions and
answers session, peppering him with non sequiturs that Bennie looked eager to
escape. But before he did, she learned that the coach had a four-year old
kid and pondered when, exactly, it would be appropriate to share with him what
happened when the frog’s car broke down. A couple of days earlier at
Comcast, she shared her plans to celebrate her fifth birthday at Chuck E.
Cheese’s with Maryland’s Katie Rutan and Chloe Pavlech after the women’s impressive win over Boston College.
Last night was the best of the
week. Maryland’s gymnastics team has adopted the practice of granting
kids autographs from everyone on the roster after every home meet/match.
It is not a minor commitment. There are scores of children –
overwhelmingly girls – at Comcast for these events.
Attendance last night was announced at over a thousand.
And the gymnasts don’t just
sign autographs. They really seem to love interacting with the
kids. After walking through the line, our daughter has decided that maybe
gymnastics is something that she can do and she’s been practicing her tumbling
throughout the day. It was and is amazing.
Almost
as impressive for me were the number of football and basketball players at the
meet last night that came out to support the team. Watching Dez Wells
earnestly hand out flowers as the final scores were announced it seemed, to me,
as a genuine gesture of respect for fellow athletes. For our daughters,
we make a big deal out of going to see the men’s basketball team and the
football team play. Seeing Seth Allen and Dexter McDougle (among several
others) in the stands supporting the team signaled how big a deal the meet was
as well.
Not
that it was necessary. The event spoke
for itself. The perfect ten that Katy
Dodds netted from one judge followed an electrifying floor exercise. Stephanie Giameo's beam routine drew audible
gasps.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Beisbol
I am going to miss Maryland's return to the College Cup Final Four and the Georgetown derby sited in Alabama on Friday. I also missed Maryland's game against George Mason Sunday, missed our first home game tonight (against UMES), and will miss the South Carolina State game Saturday.
But even on vacation I cannot stop trying to find a sporting event to attend. Thanks largely to a useful post on Puerto Rico Day Trips, we made it out to the Carolina Gigantes/Cangrejeros de Santucre game tonight at Roberto Clemente Stadium.
The stadium is, indeed, big, beautiful, and well-maintained. We got ourselves a bit turned around getting out to Roberto Clemente, as (coming from the west) we needed to take a U-turn at the intersection of PR-3 and PR-857, then missed the turn to the parking lot (north on PR-853) and ended up back on PR-3 heading west. Correcting the mistake was easy, parking cost only $2, and admission was free. Scott Kazmir was on the mound for Carolina with Kyle Blanks in left field, the opposition featured Neftali Soto, former Nat/Oriole Luis Matos, and former Nat Felipe Lopez, and the stadium was gorgeous, so I kept looking for reasons to spend money to even out the experience.
Because Kazmir was on the mound, a number of scouts were in the stand. At the game, I did not realize that he was back on the radar of major league clubs and, from tonight's performance, I do not think you would have reasonably guessed that this was the case. Kyle Blanks, on the other hand, is striking. I had not seen him play before. At 6'6" and 270 pounds, he stands out without having to swing a bat. He hammered a couple of balls tonight. Given the level of talent there, I hope Blanks will finally be able to string together a full season of good health.
I did not expect to enjoy going to a winter league baseball game as much as we did tonight. Definitely a family-friendly environment, with the added benefit of very easy access by car to Carolina's stadium from San Juan.
But even on vacation I cannot stop trying to find a sporting event to attend. Thanks largely to a useful post on Puerto Rico Day Trips, we made it out to the Carolina Gigantes/Cangrejeros de Santucre game tonight at Roberto Clemente Stadium.
The stadium is, indeed, big, beautiful, and well-maintained. We got ourselves a bit turned around getting out to Roberto Clemente, as (coming from the west) we needed to take a U-turn at the intersection of PR-3 and PR-857, then missed the turn to the parking lot (north on PR-853) and ended up back on PR-3 heading west. Correcting the mistake was easy, parking cost only $2, and admission was free. Scott Kazmir was on the mound for Carolina with Kyle Blanks in left field, the opposition featured Neftali Soto, former Nat/Oriole Luis Matos, and former Nat Felipe Lopez, and the stadium was gorgeous, so I kept looking for reasons to spend money to even out the experience.
Because Kazmir was on the mound, a number of scouts were in the stand. At the game, I did not realize that he was back on the radar of major league clubs and, from tonight's performance, I do not think you would have reasonably guessed that this was the case. Kyle Blanks, on the other hand, is striking. I had not seen him play before. At 6'6" and 270 pounds, he stands out without having to swing a bat. He hammered a couple of balls tonight. Given the level of talent there, I hope Blanks will finally be able to string together a full season of good health.
I did not expect to enjoy going to a winter league baseball game as much as we did tonight. Definitely a family-friendly environment, with the added benefit of very easy access by car to Carolina's stadium from San Juan.
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
Feeders
Real Maryland's demise has me pondering a bit more the club's impact. I have focused predominantly on players like Mason Trafford, Joe Funicello, Jonathan Borrajo (recently released by the New York Red Bulls), and Draymond Washington because there was something about their play at Richard Montgomery High School that stood out -- making the trip to Rockville seem worthwhile.
In the summer of 2011, we went to Richard Montgomery largely to check out how a number of players with connections to the University of Maryland's program were doing. We ended up seeing impressive individual play by a group of players attached to George Mason University, including Dray. The kid that most captured attention was a crafty, diminutive winger just finishing his college career. Ryan Gracia had scored 15 goals in four years for George Mason, but seemed to score at will for Real Maryland.
I completely underestimated Gracia and trained my eyes on him in a vain effort to discern the flaws that would prove that he was not as good as the Terrapins who were not getting many opportunities on the team. Yet, in every match that Gracia played and we attended, he continued to impress.
Until yesterday, I had assumed that a failure to land a contract with a USL Pro squad at the beginning of the year meant that Gracia was not going to be given an opportunity to play professional soccer. Not true. Having found nothing to his liking here, Gracia went off to Scandinavia, trialed with the Swedish fourth division side Bodens BK and earned himself a contract in February. Gracia's rookie year went well enough that he was able to parlay the experience into a contract with Nykoping BIS to play in the Swedish third division in 2013.
I get that playing in Iceland or the Aland Islands or in the Swedish third division is not something that captures the hearts and minds of American soccer fans, but the fact that these opportunities are available and that American (and Canadian) players are seizing them is quite remarkable. Gracia is 22 years old. While conventional wisdom dismisses the ceiling of collegiate players, the best American outfield player played college ball until he was 20. Over the next few years, Gracia can, if he so chooses, chase a dream that eluded virtually every American that has ever shown competence with a soccer ball at his feet.
That's pretty cool. So is the fact that little Real Maryland played a part in making that pursuit possible.
I am going to have to get used to the idea of getting up to Bel Air on a consistent basis in 2013.
In the summer of 2011, we went to Richard Montgomery largely to check out how a number of players with connections to the University of Maryland's program were doing. We ended up seeing impressive individual play by a group of players attached to George Mason University, including Dray. The kid that most captured attention was a crafty, diminutive winger just finishing his college career. Ryan Gracia had scored 15 goals in four years for George Mason, but seemed to score at will for Real Maryland.
I completely underestimated Gracia and trained my eyes on him in a vain effort to discern the flaws that would prove that he was not as good as the Terrapins who were not getting many opportunities on the team. Yet, in every match that Gracia played and we attended, he continued to impress.
Until yesterday, I had assumed that a failure to land a contract with a USL Pro squad at the beginning of the year meant that Gracia was not going to be given an opportunity to play professional soccer. Not true. Having found nothing to his liking here, Gracia went off to Scandinavia, trialed with the Swedish fourth division side Bodens BK and earned himself a contract in February. Gracia's rookie year went well enough that he was able to parlay the experience into a contract with Nykoping BIS to play in the Swedish third division in 2013.
I get that playing in Iceland or the Aland Islands or in the Swedish third division is not something that captures the hearts and minds of American soccer fans, but the fact that these opportunities are available and that American (and Canadian) players are seizing them is quite remarkable. Gracia is 22 years old. While conventional wisdom dismisses the ceiling of collegiate players, the best American outfield player played college ball until he was 20. Over the next few years, Gracia can, if he so chooses, chase a dream that eluded virtually every American that has ever shown competence with a soccer ball at his feet.
That's pretty cool. So is the fact that little Real Maryland played a part in making that pursuit possible.
I am going to have to get used to the idea of getting up to Bel Air on a consistent basis in 2013.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Impeccable Timing
Nothing like extolling the praises of an entity that ceased to exist the previous day. Having missed every game last season, attending a Real Maryland match next year will not be an option:
With Real Maryland alum Mason Trafford again anchoring the back line, IFK Mariehamn recorded the club's best ever position in the Veikkausliiga table -- fourth on 51 points in 33 matches. Trafford is out of contract, with some hope he will return to the club, and has had a remarkable run in Finland regardless.
Iceland's Thor Akureyri also had a terrific season, including continental competition in the Europa League and a return to the top flight after topping the second division table. Real Maryland alum (and IFK Mariehamn dissident) Joe Funicello played a big part in the club's run and the team recently announced an agreement for his return next year. Joe will be joined -- again -- by someone we saw in the stands at Richard Montgomery, as Josh Wicks has also signed up for another year with the club.
And more recent Real Maryland alum Jake Pace headed home the winning goal yesterday that sent the Terrapins back to the College Cup as Maryland avenged Louisville's win at Ludwig in the tournament last season.
Four players: NASL Champions, fourth in Finland's Veikkausliiga, first in Iceland's First Division, and in the NCAA men's college soccer final four. Although Real Maryland may not have been a success as a financial operation, it had an impact and will be missed.
Whatever else might be said about the club, Real Maryland afforded a platform by which soccer players -- including Draymond Washington -- could either launch or sustain their professional careers.
With Real Maryland alum Mason Trafford again anchoring the back line, IFK Mariehamn recorded the club's best ever position in the Veikkausliiga table -- fourth on 51 points in 33 matches. Trafford is out of contract, with some hope he will return to the club, and has had a remarkable run in Finland regardless.
Iceland's Thor Akureyri also had a terrific season, including continental competition in the Europa League and a return to the top flight after topping the second division table. Real Maryland alum (and IFK Mariehamn dissident) Joe Funicello played a big part in the club's run and the team recently announced an agreement for his return next year. Joe will be joined -- again -- by someone we saw in the stands at Richard Montgomery, as Josh Wicks has also signed up for another year with the club.
And more recent Real Maryland alum Jake Pace headed home the winning goal yesterday that sent the Terrapins back to the College Cup as Maryland avenged Louisville's win at Ludwig in the tournament last season.
Four players: NASL Champions, fourth in Finland's Veikkausliiga, first in Iceland's First Division, and in the NCAA men's college soccer final four. Although Real Maryland may not have been a success as a financial operation, it had an impact and will be missed.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Premier Development
Due to scheduling conflicts and uncooperative weather, we failed to make a Real Maryland match this past summer. I didn't try very hard, having also soured a bit on the United Soccer League's model in the face of the USL's repeated attacks aimed at the NASL.
Wednesday's announcement by the Tampa Bay Rowdies -- the NASL champions -- of Draymond Washington's new two-year deal (likely one year guaranteed and the second a club option) is a reminder of the value of Real Maryland and the USL Premier Development League.
We attended quite a few of Real Maryland's games in 2011 and Draymond, the team's captain, stood out as one of the most consistent, competent performers on the squad. He was not, however, targeted by any MLS squads after graduating from George Mason University. Instead, Draymond made the most of a trial with Tampa Bay earlier this year and earned his first professional contract.
Washington made his professional debut in May with four starts in a week and a half: first in a win over the Atlanta Silverbacks in Atlanta, then three days later in Tampa's second round U.S. Open Cup victory over Jacksonville United, then again three days later in a scoreless draw against the Minnesota Stars, concluding with the remarkable chance to go toe to toe with MLS players in the Rowdies' third-round Open Cup loss to the Colorado Rapids on May 29th.
Draymond started two more games for Tampa Bay in June before an injury to his knee, requiring surgery, cut short his season. Now, with a new contract, Washington will have another great opportunity at establishing a career in professional soccer.
It was one season -- 15 games -- but the time with Real Maryland afforded Washington an opportunity to further hone his skills as a defender (after starting as a forward with George Mason) against talented opponents in a competitive atmosphere. And for those outside of the MLS academy system, it is something that absent the USL PDL would be difficult to obtain.
Wednesday's announcement by the Tampa Bay Rowdies -- the NASL champions -- of Draymond Washington's new two-year deal (likely one year guaranteed and the second a club option) is a reminder of the value of Real Maryland and the USL Premier Development League.
We attended quite a few of Real Maryland's games in 2011 and Draymond, the team's captain, stood out as one of the most consistent, competent performers on the squad. He was not, however, targeted by any MLS squads after graduating from George Mason University. Instead, Draymond made the most of a trial with Tampa Bay earlier this year and earned his first professional contract.
Washington made his professional debut in May with four starts in a week and a half: first in a win over the Atlanta Silverbacks in Atlanta, then three days later in Tampa's second round U.S. Open Cup victory over Jacksonville United, then again three days later in a scoreless draw against the Minnesota Stars, concluding with the remarkable chance to go toe to toe with MLS players in the Rowdies' third-round Open Cup loss to the Colorado Rapids on May 29th.
Draymond started two more games for Tampa Bay in June before an injury to his knee, requiring surgery, cut short his season. Now, with a new contract, Washington will have another great opportunity at establishing a career in professional soccer.
It was one season -- 15 games -- but the time with Real Maryland afforded Washington an opportunity to further hone his skills as a defender (after starting as a forward with George Mason) against talented opponents in a competitive atmosphere. And for those outside of the MLS academy system, it is something that absent the USL PDL would be difficult to obtain.
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