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.
Showing posts with label Real Maryland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Real Maryland. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
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.
Friday, July 6, 2012
European Tour
Congratulations are in order for Real Maryland alum Joe Funicello, now back with the Icelandic second team of Thor Akureyri:
Thor traveled to Dalymount Park yesterday for the first leg of its first round Europa League tie against Bohemians. Joe started at left back, played until the final whistle, and will head back to Iceland with a clean sheet after a scoreless tie. The second leg will be played in Akureyri (a town in north Iceland of less than twenty thousand, even smaller than the Aland Islands) next Thursday on July 12th.
At the same time as Bohemians failed to press its advantage over its Icelandic opponent, elsewhere in Dublin, St. Patrick's Athletic pulled out a one goal lead in Richmond Park over IBV before heading to south Iceland for its second leg match in Vestmannaeyjar (population = 4,000).
It has been another miserable year for the League of Ireland, with Galway United folding before the start of the season and Monaghan United collapsing fourteen games into this year, announcing their withdrawal from the League on twitter.
The Bohs had just come off a four-nil thrashing of Shamrock at Dalymount before yesterday's disappointment. The club seems to continue to suffer through financial turmoil, but has at least weathered Pat Fenlon's departure with the appointment of Aaron Callaghan, who describes himself as an admirer of Tony Dungy.
Thor traveled to Dalymount Park yesterday for the first leg of its first round Europa League tie against Bohemians. Joe started at left back, played until the final whistle, and will head back to Iceland with a clean sheet after a scoreless tie. The second leg will be played in Akureyri (a town in north Iceland of less than twenty thousand, even smaller than the Aland Islands) next Thursday on July 12th.
At the same time as Bohemians failed to press its advantage over its Icelandic opponent, elsewhere in Dublin, St. Patrick's Athletic pulled out a one goal lead in Richmond Park over IBV before heading to south Iceland for its second leg match in Vestmannaeyjar (population = 4,000).
It has been another miserable year for the League of Ireland, with Galway United folding before the start of the season and Monaghan United collapsing fourteen games into this year, announcing their withdrawal from the League on twitter.
The Bohs had just come off a four-nil thrashing of Shamrock at Dalymount before yesterday's disappointment. The club seems to continue to suffer through financial turmoil, but has at least weathered Pat Fenlon's departure with the appointment of Aaron Callaghan, who describes himself as an admirer of Tony Dungy.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Natty Light
Last night, I let my eldest stay up to watch Rico Clark score the gamewinner against Venezuelan reserves in a friendly that seems to have impressed no one outside of my home. But within these four walls, we were thrilled to see A.J. DeLaGarza and Graham Zusi start the game for the U.S. Men's National Team. I was particularly taken with DeLaGarza's play, who seemed nonplussed by the gravity of the event.
DeLaGarza and Zusi were the fourth and fifth Terps, respectively, selected in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. The first Terp selected, A.J.'s L.A. Galaxy teammate Omar Gonzalez, hit what is hopefully only a speed bump in his ascendant career with an ACL injury suffered in his first practice with Nuremberg. The second Terp selected in that draft, Rodney Wallace, has scored twice as a Costa Rican international in friendlies against the United States and Venezuela. And the third Terp selected in the draft, Jeremy Hall, will begin this year in the MLS on his fourth team, Toronto FC, after FC Dallas unloaded Hall for a second-round pick in the 2013 draft.
Of the Maryland kids coming out of that draft, I think I would have pegged Hall as the most likely to excel early on as a professional. I'd imagine that however happy Jeremy is seeing A.J., Graham, Rodney, and Omar in the limelight, it is tinged with regret at not joining them.
But at least Hall still has a shot at rebuilding his career in Toronto. I'd missed that Jason Herrick (the Chicago Fire's third-round draft pick in 2011) announced his retirement from professional soccer back in November due to a concussion injury that cut short his rookie year with Harrisburg last season. Herrick must of been one of the hardest-working players Coach Cirovski's ever been blessed with and he will, no doubt, take that same ethic to a professional career in finance or accounting.
Herrick's strike partner, Casey Townsend, seems to have landed in a good spot at Chivas USA after being selected fifth overall in this year's draft. Even more encouraging to see Alex Lee's talent recognized as a (what is effectively a third-round) pick in the Supplemental Draft for FC Dallas.
Two other recent Maryland grads, Will Swaim and Matt Oduran, were on trial with D.C. United. I'd guess that both are the longest of shots to break camp with the squad. While Willz got Skillz keeps the dream alive with the Black & Red, some of his former teammates at Real Maryland will vie for a contract with a USL Pro team in Bradenton later this week, including George Mason's Draymond Washington, John Hopkins' Sean Coleman, and Aboucarim Ndaw.
Most of these guys deserve shots as professional soccer players and a lot of talent is simply wasted by the limited opportunities available to our young athletes. That's probably what makes Billy Schuler's decision to forego a Generation Adidas contract and play in Sweden important. For good collegiate American players -- whether drafted or undrafted -- Scandinavia should increasingly become a destination to further player development.
In that vein, it is nice to Jide Ogunbiyi make some effort to describe his experience thus far in Denmark with Viborg. Long may it continue.
DeLaGarza and Zusi were the fourth and fifth Terps, respectively, selected in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. The first Terp selected, A.J.'s L.A. Galaxy teammate Omar Gonzalez, hit what is hopefully only a speed bump in his ascendant career with an ACL injury suffered in his first practice with Nuremberg. The second Terp selected in that draft, Rodney Wallace, has scored twice as a Costa Rican international in friendlies against the United States and Venezuela. And the third Terp selected in the draft, Jeremy Hall, will begin this year in the MLS on his fourth team, Toronto FC, after FC Dallas unloaded Hall for a second-round pick in the 2013 draft.
Of the Maryland kids coming out of that draft, I think I would have pegged Hall as the most likely to excel early on as a professional. I'd imagine that however happy Jeremy is seeing A.J., Graham, Rodney, and Omar in the limelight, it is tinged with regret at not joining them.
But at least Hall still has a shot at rebuilding his career in Toronto. I'd missed that Jason Herrick (the Chicago Fire's third-round draft pick in 2011) announced his retirement from professional soccer back in November due to a concussion injury that cut short his rookie year with Harrisburg last season. Herrick must of been one of the hardest-working players Coach Cirovski's ever been blessed with and he will, no doubt, take that same ethic to a professional career in finance or accounting.
Herrick's strike partner, Casey Townsend, seems to have landed in a good spot at Chivas USA after being selected fifth overall in this year's draft. Even more encouraging to see Alex Lee's talent recognized as a (what is effectively a third-round) pick in the Supplemental Draft for FC Dallas.
Two other recent Maryland grads, Will Swaim and Matt Oduran, were on trial with D.C. United. I'd guess that both are the longest of shots to break camp with the squad. While Willz got Skillz keeps the dream alive with the Black & Red, some of his former teammates at Real Maryland will vie for a contract with a USL Pro team in Bradenton later this week, including George Mason's Draymond Washington, John Hopkins' Sean Coleman, and Aboucarim Ndaw.
Most of these guys deserve shots as professional soccer players and a lot of talent is simply wasted by the limited opportunities available to our young athletes. That's probably what makes Billy Schuler's decision to forego a Generation Adidas contract and play in Sweden important. For good collegiate American players -- whether drafted or undrafted -- Scandinavia should increasingly become a destination to further player development.
In that vein, it is nice to Jide Ogunbiyi make some effort to describe his experience thus far in Denmark with Viborg. Long may it continue.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Terps 2.011
Two very pleasant trips to campus today.
An early morning constitutional following the Arsenal and Liverpool tie (nice to see Carl Jenkinson getting a full run out in major games -- he looks like he will be able to hold his own in the EPL) took us to the football stadium shortly after the end of the open practice, but still in time for the three-year old to get autographs from Coach Edsall, Coach Crowton, Kenny Tate, and Danny O'Brien.
The university does a terrific job with these events. The relaxed atmosphere was perfect for introducing my daughter to the stadium, showing her where our seats would be, and planting the idea of adding football games to the portfolio of sporting events the she will accompany me to. It is also nice to see how much a small community of Terps football supporters genuinely appreciate the access to and time spent by the team's staff and players.
We were back on campus seven hours later for the men's soccer team's exhibition against Georgetown. The event marked the first live soccer game attended by our youngest and we could not have asked for a nicer night as the backdrop for the match.
Maryland's starting eleven featured many familiar faces -- including three players that spent time with Real Maryland this summer (Will Swaim, Karou Forbess, and Alex Lee) -- and one unfamiliar face, as Marquez Fernandez paired up with Lee in the back.
While the game ended in defeat and had long stretches of sloppy play, I walked away impressed with Sasho Cirovski's team. Maryland started the game with two solid fullbacks, London Woodberry and Taylor Kemp, have a very strong holding midfielder in Helge Leikvang, a clever, entertaining wide player in Sunny Jane, and a strong, talented attacker in Patrick Mullins. Alex Shinsky got a run out as a substitute -- the team is certainly not hurting on depth.
But the principal takeaway from the game (for me at least) had to be Kyle Roach.
Brian Wiese's men came to Ludwig with aggression in their minds and hearts. Maryland players were punished in the midfield, with Georgetown's number 7 (I believe Gabe Padilla) rocking some clattering challenges against the Terps. Maryland is an extremely skilled and well-coached team (really liked the design of an early corner -- Forbess short to Kemp, curled past the back post to Mullins/Stertzer, with the ball headed back into the middle and the defense thoroughly unsettled), but they can be bullied and thrown off their game. When the referee allowed hard challenges (fouls), Maryland seemed unsettled.
Enter Mr. Roach as a substitute for Taylor Kemp at left back. Although a freshman, Roach is clearly the most physically imposing player on Maryland's roster and he left his mark on several Hoyas. Late in the game, Roach put in a poor corner and, in subsequently trying to win the ball back, blew up a Georgetown player to draw a caution (a straight red might also have been appropriate). Although not particularly tall (5'10"), Roach is big and fast and he gives Maryland an element of ferocity that, in the absence of Matt Kassel, Jason Herrick, and Ethan White, would otherwise be sorely missed.
An early morning constitutional following the Arsenal and Liverpool tie (nice to see Carl Jenkinson getting a full run out in major games -- he looks like he will be able to hold his own in the EPL) took us to the football stadium shortly after the end of the open practice, but still in time for the three-year old to get autographs from Coach Edsall, Coach Crowton, Kenny Tate, and Danny O'Brien.
The university does a terrific job with these events. The relaxed atmosphere was perfect for introducing my daughter to the stadium, showing her where our seats would be, and planting the idea of adding football games to the portfolio of sporting events the she will accompany me to. It is also nice to see how much a small community of Terps football supporters genuinely appreciate the access to and time spent by the team's staff and players.
We were back on campus seven hours later for the men's soccer team's exhibition against Georgetown. The event marked the first live soccer game attended by our youngest and we could not have asked for a nicer night as the backdrop for the match.
Maryland's starting eleven featured many familiar faces -- including three players that spent time with Real Maryland this summer (Will Swaim, Karou Forbess, and Alex Lee) -- and one unfamiliar face, as Marquez Fernandez paired up with Lee in the back.
While the game ended in defeat and had long stretches of sloppy play, I walked away impressed with Sasho Cirovski's team. Maryland started the game with two solid fullbacks, London Woodberry and Taylor Kemp, have a very strong holding midfielder in Helge Leikvang, a clever, entertaining wide player in Sunny Jane, and a strong, talented attacker in Patrick Mullins. Alex Shinsky got a run out as a substitute -- the team is certainly not hurting on depth.
But the principal takeaway from the game (for me at least) had to be Kyle Roach.
Brian Wiese's men came to Ludwig with aggression in their minds and hearts. Maryland players were punished in the midfield, with Georgetown's number 7 (I believe Gabe Padilla) rocking some clattering challenges against the Terps. Maryland is an extremely skilled and well-coached team (really liked the design of an early corner -- Forbess short to Kemp, curled past the back post to Mullins/Stertzer, with the ball headed back into the middle and the defense thoroughly unsettled), but they can be bullied and thrown off their game. When the referee allowed hard challenges (fouls), Maryland seemed unsettled.
Enter Mr. Roach as a substitute for Taylor Kemp at left back. Although a freshman, Roach is clearly the most physically imposing player on Maryland's roster and he left his mark on several Hoyas. Late in the game, Roach put in a poor corner and, in subsequently trying to win the ball back, blew up a Georgetown player to draw a caution (a straight red might also have been appropriate). Although not particularly tall (5'10"), Roach is big and fast and he gives Maryland an element of ferocity that, in the absence of Matt Kassel, Jason Herrick, and Ethan White, would otherwise be sorely missed.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
No Hope
It has been coming for a while now, but this weekend signaled the final, swift closure on a false period where my little girl joined me for soccer outings in the region.
"I don't like soccer, daddy."
No Everton-D.C. United Saturday night, in spite of how excited I was about the scheduling of the friendly.
No Real Maryland - Fredericksburg Hotspur PDL season finale this evening. I'd planned to head to the game on my own, but being told by the little one that all she wanted to do is stay home with daddy isn't that bad an outcome.
Unfortunately, my change in personal fortune is due to baseball. The tide turned with an innocent trip to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs' Regency Furniture Stadium. One evening at the stadium -- and its playground, inflatable slide, bounce house, sand pits, and bumper boats -- combined with regular trips to the playground and Build-A-Bear at Nationals Stadium and the carousel and bounce house at the Bowie Baysox's Prince George's Stadium was enough to paint soccer in sharp contrast.
I grew up at Wrigley. Perhaps because of that I failed to fully appreciate the threat posed by these stadiums. These parks concede that baseball is boring (at least for long stretches of the three to four hours spent at the stadium).
The long, dull stretches of baseball games was something I appreciated as it was conducive to conversation or fixation on details about players that might otherwise have been missed or pondering important/spurious concepts under a beautiful sun. I disliked Comiskey, in part, because it tried to draw attention away from the competition on the field.
But William Louis Veeck has unquestionably won the war for baseball's soul.
The last soccer game I was able to take my daughter to was a Real Maryland match shortly after the birth of her little sister. My wife needed a break, so the trip was over my eldest's strongest objections. On the way into the stadium she looked up and said "I don't like soccer. Baseball has bouncies. Baseball is more better."
In almost any other year, this would not bother me terribly -- in point of fact, she asks to go to baseball games and this, in and of itself, is great. But it had to be this season.
When the Cubs were in town at the beginning of July, my daughter was asking to go to baseball games and I refused, holding out until the Thursday finale. We bought tickets outside the stadium and immediately went to the playground. It took a while to get to our seats, but shortly after sitting down I wanted to get back to the playground.
The Cubs won the game eventually (following the Nationals' epic collapse), but what we saw was horribly depressing baseball. I'm happy to say it was the most I've seen of this awful Cubs team in several months.
And when they are blowing plays or cut down trying to stretch singles into doubles while down seven runs, the thought I cannot evade is what Jim Hendry did to Ryne Sandberg. Hendry's done many remarkable things for the franchise at the helm, but the decision to go with Quade over Sandberg was pure ego -- there was no legitimate baseball justification for the choice -- and it is, finally, an offense that merits relieving him of his position.
Removing Hendy won't fix the Cubs problems. But for the reasons that Phil Rogers outlined in an inspired column in the Chicago Tribune on Friday, hiring Pat Gillick would not only restore competence to the front office, it might also facilitate the correction of the grave error made this last offseason.
"I don't like soccer, daddy."
No Everton-D.C. United Saturday night, in spite of how excited I was about the scheduling of the friendly.
No Real Maryland - Fredericksburg Hotspur PDL season finale this evening. I'd planned to head to the game on my own, but being told by the little one that all she wanted to do is stay home with daddy isn't that bad an outcome.
Unfortunately, my change in personal fortune is due to baseball. The tide turned with an innocent trip to the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs' Regency Furniture Stadium. One evening at the stadium -- and its playground, inflatable slide, bounce house, sand pits, and bumper boats -- combined with regular trips to the playground and Build-A-Bear at Nationals Stadium and the carousel and bounce house at the Bowie Baysox's Prince George's Stadium was enough to paint soccer in sharp contrast.
I grew up at Wrigley. Perhaps because of that I failed to fully appreciate the threat posed by these stadiums. These parks concede that baseball is boring (at least for long stretches of the three to four hours spent at the stadium).
The long, dull stretches of baseball games was something I appreciated as it was conducive to conversation or fixation on details about players that might otherwise have been missed or pondering important/spurious concepts under a beautiful sun. I disliked Comiskey, in part, because it tried to draw attention away from the competition on the field.
But William Louis Veeck has unquestionably won the war for baseball's soul.
The last soccer game I was able to take my daughter to was a Real Maryland match shortly after the birth of her little sister. My wife needed a break, so the trip was over my eldest's strongest objections. On the way into the stadium she looked up and said "I don't like soccer. Baseball has bouncies. Baseball is more better."
In almost any other year, this would not bother me terribly -- in point of fact, she asks to go to baseball games and this, in and of itself, is great. But it had to be this season.
When the Cubs were in town at the beginning of July, my daughter was asking to go to baseball games and I refused, holding out until the Thursday finale. We bought tickets outside the stadium and immediately went to the playground. It took a while to get to our seats, but shortly after sitting down I wanted to get back to the playground.
The Cubs won the game eventually (following the Nationals' epic collapse), but what we saw was horribly depressing baseball. I'm happy to say it was the most I've seen of this awful Cubs team in several months.
And when they are blowing plays or cut down trying to stretch singles into doubles while down seven runs, the thought I cannot evade is what Jim Hendry did to Ryne Sandberg. Hendry's done many remarkable things for the franchise at the helm, but the decision to go with Quade over Sandberg was pure ego -- there was no legitimate baseball justification for the choice -- and it is, finally, an offense that merits relieving him of his position.
Removing Hendy won't fix the Cubs problems. But for the reasons that Phil Rogers outlined in an inspired column in the Chicago Tribune on Friday, hiring Pat Gillick would not only restore competence to the front office, it might also facilitate the correction of the grave error made this last offseason.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Dropping Like Flies
I took a late lunch today and dropped by the Elephant and Castle to watch the Barcelona-Arsenal Champions League tie. I walked out of the restaurant two hours later elated -- it was a game I plan on trying to watch with my daughter again this weekend, just to try and give her a sense of why I love the game.
Although it is a pale vestige of today's spectacle at Emirates, the match got me excited for the seasons of local soccer to come. I finalized an expansion of our season tickets to DC United so that our toddler would have her own seat. I tried to figure out how to increase my support for Real Maryland FC for its inaugural season in the PDL (while, at the same time, getting a little excited about the prospect of seeing Julia Arjona and others at Richard Montgomery). And I am trying to temper my expectations of what seems to be another strong recruiting class for Coach Cirovski -- including three products from the NY Red Bull Academy and U-17 phenom Alex Shinsky.
But that will likely be the extent of our opportunities to follow the sport in the region. Freed of his contract by the collapse of Crystal Palace Baltimore, the gem of the squad, Korey Veeder, has now joined the Columbus Crew for the upcoming MLS season. Howard County's Maryland Red Devils, which had played their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League (4th Division) last year were not amongst the teams announced today by the NPSL as populating the league in 2011. The club has announced that:
And so much for my hopes of taking my daughter to see women's professional soccer. Our Game Magazine confirms what everyone who is not an idiot could have foreseen (I, being an idiot, did not) -- Washington Freedom is no more and the team will be playing all of its home games in Boca Raton this season. I hope that Dan Borislow is able to make his vision work down there, because the women's professional game is going to need a lot of help to survive, but it is a shame that the WPS will proceed without a DC-area presence this year.
What does that leave? It is now absolutely imperative to support those teams that are here -- DC United, Real Maryland, and the Northern Virginia Royals. United's signing of Charlie Davies makes the team immediately more interesting. The folks at Real Maryland are doing a great deal to try and make the club relevant to the local soccer scene. Whether the club will be able to draw people and get support remains to be seen, but they are trying. Whether I can convince anyone to trek out with me to Manassas also remains to be seen.
Although it is a pale vestige of today's spectacle at Emirates, the match got me excited for the seasons of local soccer to come. I finalized an expansion of our season tickets to DC United so that our toddler would have her own seat. I tried to figure out how to increase my support for Real Maryland FC for its inaugural season in the PDL (while, at the same time, getting a little excited about the prospect of seeing Julia Arjona and others at Richard Montgomery). And I am trying to temper my expectations of what seems to be another strong recruiting class for Coach Cirovski -- including three products from the NY Red Bull Academy and U-17 phenom Alex Shinsky.
But that will likely be the extent of our opportunities to follow the sport in the region. Freed of his contract by the collapse of Crystal Palace Baltimore, the gem of the squad, Korey Veeder, has now joined the Columbus Crew for the upcoming MLS season. Howard County's Maryland Red Devils, which had played their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League (4th Division) last year were not amongst the teams announced today by the NPSL as populating the league in 2011. The club has announced that:
The TSC MD Red Devils be sitting out for the 2011 season and are planning to be back in 2012.
And so much for my hopes of taking my daughter to see women's professional soccer. Our Game Magazine confirms what everyone who is not an idiot could have foreseen (I, being an idiot, did not) -- Washington Freedom is no more and the team will be playing all of its home games in Boca Raton this season. I hope that Dan Borislow is able to make his vision work down there, because the women's professional game is going to need a lot of help to survive, but it is a shame that the WPS will proceed without a DC-area presence this year.
What does that leave? It is now absolutely imperative to support those teams that are here -- DC United, Real Maryland, and the Northern Virginia Royals. United's signing of Charlie Davies makes the team immediately more interesting. The folks at Real Maryland are doing a great deal to try and make the club relevant to the local soccer scene. Whether the club will be able to draw people and get support remains to be seen, but they are trying. Whether I can convince anyone to trek out with me to Manassas also remains to be seen.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Imparted Wisdom
Real Maryland FC may have self-relegated from the ranks of the senior professional game in the U.S., but the heritage of the club will live on in the Aland Islands. Joe Funicello appears to have put ink to paper today and will join Mason Trafford and honorary Real Marylander Josh Wicks at IFK Mariehamn for the full 2011 campaign.
There are all kinds of objective reasons to root for Funicello's success in the Veikkausliiga. At 23, Funicello has played in the first division of Finnish football, the second division of Icelandic football, the third division of American football, and in the seventh and eighth divisions of English football. Joe's shown a willingness to chase his football dreams wherever opportunity presents itself and an extended shot with Mariehamn is a nice payoff for his efforts thus far.
I have dumber reasons for caring. I love that Joe's personal soccer website also doubles as the internet presence of the Funicello family's restaurant in Westport. More importantly, on a personal basis, Joe was one of the first athletes that my daughter got an autograph from. As a one year old, she held out a soccer ball for Joe to sign after a game at Richard Montgomery and he was kind enough to indulge the farce of a middle-aged man asking for an autograph through a baby.
I am not much of an autograph hound, although I've not missed any opportunity to collect signatures from D.C. United's squad at the club's "Meet the Team Day" and have gone a wee bit crazy at our two trips to Mesa for spring training. But among the sports memorabilia I have collected, the soccer ball with Joe's signature (which also includes an autograph my daughter got later in the year from Josh Wicks at Ludwig Field), is particularly special.
My daughter's early pleasant interactions with players -- Joe and Josh included -- have, I am convinced, played a seminal role in how much she seems to enjoy going to games. She's always excited to head to a soccer stadium and moments like watching Taylor Kemp's game winner on Sunday are massively enhanced by having her in my arms grinning and cheering.
I don't know how much longer her interest in watching soccer will last, but I'll cherish it for as long as she does.
There are all kinds of objective reasons to root for Funicello's success in the Veikkausliiga. At 23, Funicello has played in the first division of Finnish football, the second division of Icelandic football, the third division of American football, and in the seventh and eighth divisions of English football. Joe's shown a willingness to chase his football dreams wherever opportunity presents itself and an extended shot with Mariehamn is a nice payoff for his efforts thus far.
I have dumber reasons for caring. I love that Joe's personal soccer website also doubles as the internet presence of the Funicello family's restaurant in Westport. More importantly, on a personal basis, Joe was one of the first athletes that my daughter got an autograph from. As a one year old, she held out a soccer ball for Joe to sign after a game at Richard Montgomery and he was kind enough to indulge the farce of a middle-aged man asking for an autograph through a baby.
I am not much of an autograph hound, although I've not missed any opportunity to collect signatures from D.C. United's squad at the club's "Meet the Team Day" and have gone a wee bit crazy at our two trips to Mesa for spring training. But among the sports memorabilia I have collected, the soccer ball with Joe's signature (which also includes an autograph my daughter got later in the year from Josh Wicks at Ludwig Field), is particularly special.
My daughter's early pleasant interactions with players -- Joe and Josh included -- have, I am convinced, played a seminal role in how much she seems to enjoy going to games. She's always excited to head to a soccer stadium and moments like watching Taylor Kemp's game winner on Sunday are massively enhanced by having her in my arms grinning and cheering.
I don't know how much longer her interest in watching soccer will last, but I'll cherish it for as long as she does.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
This Week in the Veikkausliiga
The last time we saw Josh Wicks, he was sitting with a friend in the stands at Richard Montgomery High School this past summer watching Mason Trafford and Real Maryland play in a USL2 league fixture.
Two reasons that will not happen again: a week and a half ago, Real Maryland announced that it was self-relegating to the fourth division and will play in the USL Premier Development League in 2011 and, on Wednesday, IFK Mariehamn's addition of Josh Wicks was formally announced to a roster that already included Mr. Trafford.
My initial thoughts about Real Maryland's move to the PDL have evolved from disappointment that we will no longer be able to see third or second division soccer locally, to gratitude that Real Maryland will continue in some form and that we'll have the chance to see local PDL squads by just hopping on the metro up to Rockville.
I know more about IFK Mariehamn than I do about any PDL team, yet the DC metropolitan area is blessed by a relative abundance of PDL sides. Real Maryland will join another local new entrant, the Fredericksburg Hotspur (an hour and a half's drive away), in the mid-Atlantic Division. And both clubs will compete against a well-established side in the Northern Virginia Royals (an hour's drive away in Manassas).
It will take a little more work to get out to see Josh Wicks play. Wicks' signing was announced at the same time as IFK Mariehamn reported that the club had successfully negotiated a two-year extension of Mason Trafford's contract. Negotiations with another former Real Maryland player, Joe Funicello, are reported to be ongoing.
We're thrilled that Wicks has secured a spot at Mariehamn. He remains one of our favorites to have ever donned a DC United shirt. Wicks plays with passion and, when away from the field, showed as much enthusiasm for the game as a fan as he does as a player. He has been unfairly slated for a red card in a US Open Cup Final that he should, admittedly, not have put himself in a position to earn. But, like Louis Crayton before him, there was never any question that Wicks enjoyed playing for United and he never shied away from United's supporters.
The Aland Islands are set to welcome a heck of a player.
And, in the meantime, if anyone knows how we can kit the family out in IFK Mariehamn gear, please drop us a line.
Two reasons that will not happen again: a week and a half ago, Real Maryland announced that it was self-relegating to the fourth division and will play in the USL Premier Development League in 2011 and, on Wednesday, IFK Mariehamn's addition of Josh Wicks was formally announced to a roster that already included Mr. Trafford.
My initial thoughts about Real Maryland's move to the PDL have evolved from disappointment that we will no longer be able to see third or second division soccer locally, to gratitude that Real Maryland will continue in some form and that we'll have the chance to see local PDL squads by just hopping on the metro up to Rockville.
I know more about IFK Mariehamn than I do about any PDL team, yet the DC metropolitan area is blessed by a relative abundance of PDL sides. Real Maryland will join another local new entrant, the Fredericksburg Hotspur (an hour and a half's drive away), in the mid-Atlantic Division. And both clubs will compete against a well-established side in the Northern Virginia Royals (an hour's drive away in Manassas).
It will take a little more work to get out to see Josh Wicks play. Wicks' signing was announced at the same time as IFK Mariehamn reported that the club had successfully negotiated a two-year extension of Mason Trafford's contract. Negotiations with another former Real Maryland player, Joe Funicello, are reported to be ongoing.
We're thrilled that Wicks has secured a spot at Mariehamn. He remains one of our favorites to have ever donned a DC United shirt. Wicks plays with passion and, when away from the field, showed as much enthusiasm for the game as a fan as he does as a player. He has been unfairly slated for a red card in a US Open Cup Final that he should, admittedly, not have put himself in a position to earn. But, like Louis Crayton before him, there was never any question that Wicks enjoyed playing for United and he never shied away from United's supporters.
The Aland Islands are set to welcome a heck of a player.
And, in the meantime, if anyone knows how we can kit the family out in IFK Mariehamn gear, please drop us a line.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
IFK Mariehamn
Two pieces of good news today to help break up the workday.
First, Maryland won its quarterfinal ACC tournament tie against Clemson. London Woodberry was once again absent from Maryland's squad, although Ethan White returned to the starting lineup. The Terps' backline continued to be a bit makeshift as Alex Lee was only able to put in twenty minutes, with Greg Young relieving him for the balance of the game.
The story of the match would appear to be Billy Cortes' continued star turn at right back in Woodberry's absence. Cortes' goal and assist accounted for both of Maryland's goals and put the Terps through to the semifinals to face Virginia.
Second, Goff reports that Josh Wicks will sign a contract to join IFK Mariehamn. If true, Wicks should be in the mix to replace Willis Ochieng.
If Wicks goes to Mariehamn, he'll be the third player with Real Maryland ties to join the team, following Giuseppe Funicello and Mason Trafford.
IFK Mariehamn presents a great opportunity for Josh. For reasons that still elude me, Wicks has drawn the ire of a number of DC United supporters. We were at the US Open Cup final against the Seattle Sounders. We saw the "stomp" on Montero. We were disappointed, but that is not my lasting memory of Josh Wicks as a member of the team. Much like Louis Crayton, Wicks played for the club's supporters and went out onto the pitch with enthusiasm every time he suited up.
The most endearing thing about Josh is how much his love for the sport is apparent. We've seen Josh in the stands at Ludwig, where he happily signed autographs for young kids at a college game, and in the stands at Richard Montgomery, taking in a Real Maryland game along with a sparse group of other supporters.
I hope that Wicks ends up at Mariehamn and I hope that he's been able to work through those things that have stood in the way of his success in the sport. We're rooting for him and, obviously, Real Maryland east.
First, Maryland won its quarterfinal ACC tournament tie against Clemson. London Woodberry was once again absent from Maryland's squad, although Ethan White returned to the starting lineup. The Terps' backline continued to be a bit makeshift as Alex Lee was only able to put in twenty minutes, with Greg Young relieving him for the balance of the game.
The story of the match would appear to be Billy Cortes' continued star turn at right back in Woodberry's absence. Cortes' goal and assist accounted for both of Maryland's goals and put the Terps through to the semifinals to face Virginia.
Second, Goff reports that Josh Wicks will sign a contract to join IFK Mariehamn. If true, Wicks should be in the mix to replace Willis Ochieng.
If Wicks goes to Mariehamn, he'll be the third player with Real Maryland ties to join the team, following Giuseppe Funicello and Mason Trafford.
IFK Mariehamn presents a great opportunity for Josh. For reasons that still elude me, Wicks has drawn the ire of a number of DC United supporters. We were at the US Open Cup final against the Seattle Sounders. We saw the "stomp" on Montero. We were disappointed, but that is not my lasting memory of Josh Wicks as a member of the team. Much like Louis Crayton, Wicks played for the club's supporters and went out onto the pitch with enthusiasm every time he suited up.
The most endearing thing about Josh is how much his love for the sport is apparent. We've seen Josh in the stands at Ludwig, where he happily signed autographs for young kids at a college game, and in the stands at Richard Montgomery, taking in a Real Maryland game along with a sparse group of other supporters.
I hope that Wicks ends up at Mariehamn and I hope that he's been able to work through those things that have stood in the way of his success in the sport. We're rooting for him and, obviously, Real Maryland east.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Three Nights of Soccer
I was able to enjoy all three local men's professional soccer clubs over the last week: Wednesday night, D.C. United vs. FC Dallas at RFK; Friday night, Crystal Palace Baltimore vs. Bermuda Hogges at UMBC; and Saturday night, Real Maryland vs. Bermuda Hogges at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville.
Before pulling off a great escape tonight in Jersey, United put on an impressive display in a U.S. Open qualifier against what would appear to be a poor (or perhaps disinterested) FC Dallas squad. Stouffer's thoughts adequately summarize the match, and what made the game so enjoyable were the contributions from Pontius, Barklage, Jacobson, Khumalo, Janicki, and Kocic. There is far more talent on this United roster than there was last year and it is going to be interesting to see if they'll be enough playing time for everyone. I liked Jacobson a lot at the center defensive mid and loved the way that Barklage converted a nice ball/play from Santino Quaranta. I also was surprised by the low rating that Goff gave Khumalo for his effort on the wing and up front on Wednesday (perhaps because Steven had him slotted for the chopping block with Avery John's arrival?) -- Boyzzz worked very hard in the midfield, got himself into space, and won an inordinate number of fifty-fifty balls for a guy of limited size.
I'd not been enjoying going to United games of late, but after Wednesday and tonight, I'll be counting down the days this week for the next home game.
On Friday night, the nice weather convinced me to ditch out on my family and head up to UMBC to catch my first Crystal Palace match of the season -- because every game is a night game this season, I doubt I'll be able to see many more as my daughter is not happy to be in a car seat after nine pm. But I was pleased to see how well Crystal Palace played, a quality likely attributable to having many of the same players from last year's squad back. Shin Harada (below) is joined by Val Teixeira, Paul Robson, Mateus dos Anjos, Brian Rowland and Pat Healey as familiar faces in the starting XI. dos Anjos merits special mention: the first few times we watched him play after coming back to CP Baltimore from Real Maryland, he seemed to struggle and displayed some questionable decision making. Now, he looks great, and at 25 (shortly 26), looks like someone who should have the opportunity to play fullback at higher levels. In the absence of Mathew Mbuta, now sitting on the bench with the Red Bulls, dos Anjos' athleticism stands out.
The Hogges, on the other hand, struggled. The 2-0 final scoreline belied how much CP dominated the match. We've seen the Hogges play a few times and are conflicted about celebrating wins over the team: the players from Bermuda work hard, are scrappy, and show flashes of speed and skill that might eventually make them competitive. But, in the interim, they face difficult circumstances and must overcome non-sports related obstacles to even compete in the third-division league.
A case in point would be that after having lost their starting goalie on the field in UMBC and being run ragged the night before, the Hogges had to suit up again (in red uniforms this time) to take on Real Maryland on Saturday night. We did not go to any Real Maryland home matches last year, so this was a first, but a six pm start time meant that our ten-month old could join us for the festivities. Real Maryland, unlike Crystal Palace, has undergone an amazing turnover. Former DC United players Jeff Carroll and Ryan Cordeiro were in the starting lineup, along with former Crystal Palace Baltimore's forward Gary Brooks, Cuban defector Yendry Diaz, former Wrexham FC midfielder Tom Taylor, and Charleston Battery's former forward Jamie Holmes. And they, unfortunately, did not play terribly well together. The photo below is representative of the effort for the match and prompted Real Maryland's general manager David Noyes to scream "why are three guys making the same run?" (which caught the attention of all Real Maryland's reserves that were warming up on the sideline, who turned in unison to the stands, forcing Noyes to recover quickly with: "but I like it, I love the effort"). Playing a weakened Hogges squad that also saw its backup keeper get tossed after taking Brooks down, Real Maryland managed a narrow 3-2 victory. The talent level on the Real Maryland side is certainly more than adequate to be competitive in the third division, but they'll need to learn to play as a team and I'll be curious to see when and if that happens.
Otherwise, despite having to play on a football field, Richard Montgomery is a decent venue for a soccer match and is a reasonable ride from College Park. We may find ourselves at more Real Maryland matches this season than CP Baltimore games because of the scheduling, so we've got a vested interest in their improvement.
Before pulling off a great escape tonight in Jersey, United put on an impressive display in a U.S. Open qualifier against what would appear to be a poor (or perhaps disinterested) FC Dallas squad. Stouffer's thoughts adequately summarize the match, and what made the game so enjoyable were the contributions from Pontius, Barklage, Jacobson, Khumalo, Janicki, and Kocic. There is far more talent on this United roster than there was last year and it is going to be interesting to see if they'll be enough playing time for everyone. I liked Jacobson a lot at the center defensive mid and loved the way that Barklage converted a nice ball/play from Santino Quaranta. I also was surprised by the low rating that Goff gave Khumalo for his effort on the wing and up front on Wednesday (perhaps because Steven had him slotted for the chopping block with Avery John's arrival?) -- Boyzzz worked very hard in the midfield, got himself into space, and won an inordinate number of fifty-fifty balls for a guy of limited size.
I'd not been enjoying going to United games of late, but after Wednesday and tonight, I'll be counting down the days this week for the next home game.
On Friday night, the nice weather convinced me to ditch out on my family and head up to UMBC to catch my first Crystal Palace match of the season -- because every game is a night game this season, I doubt I'll be able to see many more as my daughter is not happy to be in a car seat after nine pm. But I was pleased to see how well Crystal Palace played, a quality likely attributable to having many of the same players from last year's squad back. Shin Harada (below) is joined by Val Teixeira, Paul Robson, Mateus dos Anjos, Brian Rowland and Pat Healey as familiar faces in the starting XI. dos Anjos merits special mention: the first few times we watched him play after coming back to CP Baltimore from Real Maryland, he seemed to struggle and displayed some questionable decision making. Now, he looks great, and at 25 (shortly 26), looks like someone who should have the opportunity to play fullback at higher levels. In the absence of Mathew Mbuta, now sitting on the bench with the Red Bulls, dos Anjos' athleticism stands out.
The Hogges, on the other hand, struggled. The 2-0 final scoreline belied how much CP dominated the match. We've seen the Hogges play a few times and are conflicted about celebrating wins over the team: the players from Bermuda work hard, are scrappy, and show flashes of speed and skill that might eventually make them competitive. But, in the interim, they face difficult circumstances and must overcome non-sports related obstacles to even compete in the third-division league.
A case in point would be that after having lost their starting goalie on the field in UMBC and being run ragged the night before, the Hogges had to suit up again (in red uniforms this time) to take on Real Maryland on Saturday night. We did not go to any Real Maryland home matches last year, so this was a first, but a six pm start time meant that our ten-month old could join us for the festivities. Real Maryland, unlike Crystal Palace, has undergone an amazing turnover. Former DC United players Jeff Carroll and Ryan Cordeiro were in the starting lineup, along with former Crystal Palace Baltimore's forward Gary Brooks, Cuban defector Yendry Diaz, former Wrexham FC midfielder Tom Taylor, and Charleston Battery's former forward Jamie Holmes. And they, unfortunately, did not play terribly well together. The photo below is representative of the effort for the match and prompted Real Maryland's general manager David Noyes to scream "why are three guys making the same run?" (which caught the attention of all Real Maryland's reserves that were warming up on the sideline, who turned in unison to the stands, forcing Noyes to recover quickly with: "but I like it, I love the effort"). Playing a weakened Hogges squad that also saw its backup keeper get tossed after taking Brooks down, Real Maryland managed a narrow 3-2 victory. The talent level on the Real Maryland side is certainly more than adequate to be competitive in the third division, but they'll need to learn to play as a team and I'll be curious to see when and if that happens.
Otherwise, despite having to play on a football field, Richard Montgomery is a decent venue for a soccer match and is a reasonable ride from College Park. We may find ourselves at more Real Maryland matches this season than CP Baltimore games because of the scheduling, so we've got a vested interest in their improvement.
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