Monthly Archives: May 2010

Watch USA vs Turkey Saturday At Farmers Gastropub

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Watch World Cup 2010 Games at Farmers GastroPub downtown!Join us on Saturday to cheer on the USA as they face off against Turkey as part of the Send-Off Series. With the 2010 World Cup roster now named, this is the team that will represent us in South Africa.

Date: Saturday, May 29, 2010
Time: Game starts at 1:00 pm, the Pub opens at 11:00 am
Location: Farmers Gastropub
In the Wilhoit Plaza at 431 South Jefferson, Suite 160
Springfield, MO 65806
417-864-6994

Farmers Gastropub is owned by Bill Griffiths, a UK native who is looking forward to providing a community location for enjoying the world’s greatest sporting event locally. There are several TV’s and full audio will be available throughout the World Cup. You don’t have to worry about baseball, hockey or MMA interfering with your opportunity to view the games and cheer on your favorite teams with your friends.

Free parking is available on Elm Street, just West of Jefferson Avenue. The entrance to the restaurant is on the South side of the Wilhoit Building which also is the home to the Moxie Cinema (whose entrance is on the North side of the building). There is a large shaded outdoor patio as well so come down frequently in the coming six weeks as we work to offer a great place for enjoying the games! Here’s a link to a map for finding the restaurant.

2010 World Cup Roster Named

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DaMarcus Beasley

DaMarcus Beasley

CHICAGO (May 26, 2010) — U.S. Men’s National Team head coach Bob Bradley has named the 23-man roster that will travel to South Africa for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The team departs for South Africa on May 30, and will play its opening match of the tournament against England on June 12 in Rustenburg live on ABC at 2 p.m. ET.

U.S. ROSTER BY POSITION (All-Time World Cup Roster Appearances)
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (2010), Marcus Hahnemann (2006, 2010), Tim Howard (2006, 2010)
DEFENDERS (7): Carlos Bocanegra (2006, 2010), Jonathan Bornstein (2010), Steve Cherundolo (2002, 2006, 2010), Jay DeMerit (2010), Clarence Goodson (2010), Oguchi Onyewu (2006, 2010), Jonathan Spector (2010)
MIDFIELDERS (9): DaMarcus Beasley (2002, 2006, 2010), Michael Bradley (2010), Ricardo Clark (2010), Clint Dempsey (2006, 2010), Landon Donovan (2002, 2006, 2010), Maurice Edu (2010), Benny Feilhaber (2010), Stuart Holden (2010), José Torres (2010)
FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (2010), Edson Buddle (2010), Robbie Findley (2010), Herculez Gomez (2010)
Detailed Roster

“We have been working for almost four years to reach this point, and we are grateful to all the players who have been part of the process. There is a tremendous amount of respect for the efforts and professionalism that everyone has put into building this team,” said Bradley. “It’s important in any team building process to get to the final 23, and clearly there were some tough decisions to make. We are confident that this is a group of players that will work together and be committed to doing whatever it takes to be successful. We feel the roster has a good balance of players who have been a part of previous World Cups, those who have gained great experience in qualifying and Confederations Cup and some newer faces that have proved they belong. We are extremely excited to play the final Send-Off match in Philadelphia and then begin the great challenge of playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.”

The U.S. squad carries a variety of World Cup experience into South Africa, as fifteen players have been named to their first World Cup roster. Meantime, six players have played in a World Cup game, with midfielder Landon Donovan leading the team with eight appearances – all as a starter – while DaMarcus Beasley has six World Cup caps to his credit. That duo and Steve Cherundolo are earning a place in their third World Cup.

Read more on the US Soccer website

Class 3 Girls Soccer – Nixa Eagles Will Face Rock Bridge Saturday

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Kelsey Bartell, Nixa tumbles in front of Brittany Dunn, Willard goalkeeper

Kelsey Bartell, Nixa tumbles in front of Brittany Dunn, Willard goalkeeper

Nixa Eagles (18-5) – 3
Willard Tigers (13-12) – 0
In a season that matched the TV series “Lost” for twist and turns, a pair of Central Ozark Conference squads met this evening to battle for a chance to reach the Quarterfinals. Both teams were coming off emotional wins, having earned their first ever District titles and now faced the opportunity of being one game away from the State Final 4.

The Tiger’s came out disciplined and fronted the Eagle’s in an organized fashion but were unable to match the Eagle’s attacking prowess. In the first minute of the match, junior Kelsey Bartell streaked into the area but the Tiger’s fine goalkeeper, Brittany Dunn was there to meet her and pull in the ball as Bartell tumbled (pictured). That set the tone for the game however as the teams worked to break through.

Nixa got what turned out the be the game-winner eleven minutes in when a ball came from the far right side to the left where junior Kelsey Haist was waiting. As she turned to goal, she cut the ball back and stepped free of her defender just long enough to get off a shot that slid just inside the left upright while never leaving the surface from about 16 yards out.

Bartell scored the final two goals for the Eagles as the diminutive striker, who is willing to run full speed into the tightest spots, scored in the 33rd and 67th minutes for the final margin. Her first came as sophomore Lauren Moats got to the endline and sent a ball into the six yard box. Bartell charged in and somehow got it between the upright and a charging Dunn, staying upright the entire time this time around.

Bartell and Moats hooked up again for the final goal. Moats came all the way back into the defensive third to pick up a ball along the sideline. After controlling the ball and sprinting down the line, Moats threaded a diagonal ball to split a pair of defenders and send Bartell into the box unmarked. Patience and a simple ball to the far post beat Dunn’s best efforts.

The Tiger’s will be well prepared to defend their title next season, returning 8 starters including Dunn. With Rebekah Mann (#17) and Deshann Rexroat (#16) graduating, it’s imperative that this young squad find central midfielders with the intelligence and work ethic both exhibited this season but there are several candidates including three freshman – Regan Textor, Macie Cotter and Miriam Dashtipour. The key will be be scoring. That responsibility will fall to a new coach as Coach Geoff Meiss has stepped down from his position, after setting new records for the program, including the District title. A new coach has been identified and an announcement is expected once the Board approves it. Congratulations to Coach Meiss and the girls on their success!

Rolla Bulldogs (13-9-2) – 0
Columbia Rock Bridge Bruins (11-11-2) – 4
Final

The Eagles will now face the Bruins in the Quarterfinal on Saturday May 29th at 1:00 pm. The game will be played at the Waynesville Middle School (former HS) on the turf. The winner will move onto the Final 4 Friday June 4th at 7:00 pm. The opponent will come from the four teams listed below.

Jackson Indians - 1
Pattonville Pirates – 2

Francis Howell – 1 (2 OT)
Ursuline Academy – 0

The Winner’s – Pattonville and Francis Howell – play on Saturday at 7:00 pm at the AB Center in Fenton.

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Bob Bradley And The Development Of A Coaching Philosophy

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Bob Bradley, US Men's Team Head Coach

Bob Bradley, US Men's Team Head Coach

Grant Wahl has a new World Cup blog on the Sports Illustrated website and an early story is about US Men’s National Team Head Coach Bob Bradley, who is wrapping up the US Men’s team preliminary training camp at his college alma mater, Princeton University. Wahl notes early that “Bradley is not the emotive type, but you could tell that spending a week before the World Cup at his alma mater was a special moment for him in his career”.

He goes on to describe the relationship Bradley established with Pete Carril, the Hall of Fame basketball coach that became a mentor for Bradley who began his coaching career at Princeton. There’s a unique opportunity to learn more about Coach Bradley’s experience because it turns out Princeton requires each senior to complete a Senior Thesis. Bradley’s was “The History of Intercollegiate Athletics at Princeton”.

On page 56, one of Bradley’s paragraphs from 30 years ago stood out: “Carril is not able to recruit the top-notch city talent. In fact, many of his players are barely recruited by other schools. But Carril is able to take these players and teach them his patient, intelligent style. Carril’s teams are noted for their tough defense, patient, often deliberate offense, taking only the good shot, and team play. To me, there is nothing better than to watch a Princeton basketball team frustrate and beat a ‘bigger and better’ team. Yes, the coaching staff is definitely very important.”

Keep these ideas in mind as we get our last look at the 30 players in camp during tonight’s match against the Czech Republic. Bradley will be announcing the Final Roster tomorrow at noon, live on ESPN Sportscenter.

Denis Irwin Coaching Clinic Wednesday In KC

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Denis Irwin, Manchester United

Denis Irwin, Manchester United

The Wizards have a clinic scheduled tomorrow morning (Wednesday May 26th) at 10:30 am at their training facility at Swope Park, 6310 Lewis Road, Kansas City, MO. Featured will be former Manchester United great Denis Irwin. It is open to all coaches in the area.

For those who don’t recognize the name, Irwin was a key player for Manchester United in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, scoring 22 goals in 368 appearances with the club. He also was capped 56 teams for the Ireland National Team, scoring four goals in those matches. He currently is a commentator for Manchester United’s TV network, MUTV.

The Clinic is part of an effort to promote the Manchester United game that will be played in Kansas City on July 25th. Tickets can be purchased here.

And for the Ireland fans in my reading community, here are Denis’ thoughts on Thierry Henry.

I can’t find any information on the event on the KC Wizards website unfortunately. I received this information from Coach Ryan Swan at Drury University who forwarded a message about the event. Here is the KC Wizard’s contact info if you need more info.

Southern Boone Eagles Advance In Class 1

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Chris Miller, Jeff City Jays (May 2007)

Chris Miller, Jeff City Jays (May 2007)

The Springfield Catholic Fightin’ Irish finally know their opponent for Thursday’s Class 1 Quarterfinal game. It’s a familiar foe, the Southern Boone County Eagles, who defeated Dixon 2-0 last night in the District 5 final.

The Eagles beat Fatima 3-0 last year before running into the Fightin’ Irish in the 2009 Quarterfinal. That game finished 2-1 in Catholic’s favor on a pair of first half goals. The Eagles are led by Tillie Bill, last year’s Class 1 Offensive Player of the Year and had 52 goals as of May 19th according to this article that also discussed Goalkeeper Rebekah Dowd’s 14 shutouts and Katie Curtis’ effort in midfield. All three were All-State players in 2009 along with Hannah Schlitz Schiltz. Dowd and Bill are seniors.

Coach Miller was chosen the 2009 Class 1 Public School Coach of the Year for the team’s run to the Quarterfinals when they were the only public school remaining in the Final 8. This year Barstow joins them in this elite list. UPDATE – as pointed out in the comments (and via email) the Barstow Lady Knights are in fact a private school in KC. The SoBoCo Lady Eagles are the unofficial Class 1 Public School champions.

Bob Warming Leaves Creighton For Penn State

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Bob Warming, Creighton Bluejays (October 2006)

Bob Warming, Creighton Bluejays (October 2006)

From the Penn State Daily Collegian:
Penn State has hired Bob Warming, formerly of Creighton University, as its new head men’s soccer coach, Penn State announced in a press release Monday morning.

Warming, a six-time finalist for national coach of the year and 2008 winner of the award, ranks sixth among active Division I head coaches and 15th in Division I history with 383 victories.

“Penn State is very fortunate to have secured the services of a coach with such impeccable credentials,” athletic director Tim Curley said in the press release. “Bob’s success has placed him among elite company in the history of NCAA men’s soccer. He is an outstanding coach and recruiter who has a proven track record of developing accomplished student-athletes, on and off the field.”

Warming will become the 11th coach in Nittany Lion history, replacing Barry Gorman, who resigned last month after heading the program for 22 years. Gorman, who compiled a 266-158-42 record with the Lions — leading them to 13 NCAA tournament appearances — has since taken a job as technical director of Major League Soccer franchise FC Dallas.

Warming, meanwhile, has seen his fair share of success at Creighton, where he served 14 total years as the team’s head coach in two different stints (1990-94, 2001-09). He guided the Bluejays to 11 NCAA Championship appearances, including a runner-up finish in the 2002 College Cup.

In the press release, Warming said it would take a special situation for him to pick up his family and leave Omaha. He believed Penn State — which he called one of the top academic institutions in America– presented that opportunity.

“I look forward to working with the talented current players,” Warming said in the press release. “I feel that the administration has put all of the pieces in place for this program to be highly successful and challenge for championships on an annual basis.”

World Cup Friendlies Begin Today!

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Don't TreadThere are a large number of pre-World Cup friendlies scheduled this week, including England’s clash with Mexico today at 2:00 pm. The USA faces the Czech Republic tomorrow and also has a game against Turkey on Saturday. I’ve added all of the games that are being shown on ESPN/ESPN2 or Fox Soccer Channel to my calendar which you can see on the right. Get your calendar updated so you don’t miss any of the action!.

MONDAY, May 24
International Friendly, ENGLAND vs MEXICO, 2 pm on FSC

TUESDAY, May 25
International Friendly, USA vs CZECH REPUBLIC, 7 pm on ESPN

WEDNESDAY, May 26
International Friendly, SEATTLE vs BOCA JUNIORS, 9:30 pm on FSC

THURSDAY, May 27
MLS, CHICAGO vs FC DALLAS, 7 pm on ESPN2

SATURDAY, May 29
International Friendly, USA vs TURKEY, 1 pm on ESPN2
MLS, NEW ENGLAND vs NEW YORK, 7:00 pm on ESPN2
MLS, HOUSTON vs PHILADELPHIA, 7:30 pm on FSC

SUNDAY, May 30
International Friendly, ENGLAND vs JAPAN, 7 am on FSC
WPS, WASHINGTON vs PHILADELPHIA, 5 pm on FSC
International Friendly, CHICAGO vs AC MILAN, 7:30 pm on FSC

Missouri High School Girls Soccer – Playoff Schedule

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soccer celebration
We’ve reached the Final 8 or Final 16, depending on Class. Here’s who remains from the Southwest Region and their opportunities:

Springfield Catholic (17-4-1) will face either Southern Boone Co or Dixon this Thursday in a Class 1 Quarterfinal. The District 6 finalist will be determined tonight in a game being played at Stover. The Quarterfinal game on Thursday is being played at 6:00 pm in Waynesville.

The winner will move to the State Final 4, opening play on Friday June 4th at noon against the winner of the Quarterfinal between defending champion St Vincent (21-2) or St Elizabeth Academy (10-7).

With Bolivar’s loss in the District final to Harrisonville, the Wildcat’s now have to get past two of the three Notre Dame program’s in the state to reach the Final in Class 2. They play Notre Dame de Sion (KC) Thursday and the semifinal game will be against the winner of Cape Notre Dame and Notre Dame (STL).

Closer to home, the Jeff City Helias Crusaders, now known as Helias Catholic (12-8-1) in a name change this year, advanced to the Quarterfinal and will face Platte County (25-2) Thursday. The winner advances to the Final 4 to play either Visitation (16-6-1) or Rosati-Kain (20-6-1). I might have to add that one to my calendar – Visitation is coached by Dick Westbrook and Rosati-Kain is an all-girls program located in the Central West End, next to the St Louis Basilica. That’s Friday June 4th at 1:00 pm for the chance to play in the final.

Finally, the large schools, Class 3. In a season of surprises, it is the Nixa Eagle’s who will play tomorrow in a Sectional game against the Willard Tiger’s. The game will be played at 6:30 pm at Harrison Stadium and will feature a pair of teams with their first ever District titles, each hoping to take the next step.

The Quarterfinal game will be played Saturday May 29th at 1:00 pm, at Waynesville. The opponent will be either Columbia Rock Bridge Bruins (11-11-2) or the Rolla Bulldogs (13-9-2) who got past Jeff City in District 10.

The winner Saturday moves to the Final 4 and a 7:00 pm game Friday June 4th. Possible opponents are Jackson (17-4, near Cape) or Pattonville (18-6 and 3rd place finishers last year) who play each other Tuesday, the winner facing off against the winner of the Ursuline (17-4) vs Francis Howell (17-8) match.

On a related note, Smith-Cotton has also reached the Sectionals, knocking off #1 seed Lee’s Summit West. They face Lee’s Summit North now, with the winner going up against nationally-ranked Liberty or Truman.

Find A Way To Win: Management Insights from Terry Michler

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Book Cover for Find a Way to Win by Dan CoughlinDescription for Find a Way to Win: Management Insights from Terry Michler, America’s All-Time Winningest Soccer Coach by Dan Coughlin, with a foreword by world-renowned executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith, author of MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.

Find a Way to Win is about achieving team excellence in business and in soccer.

In business, organizations don’t achieve results and neither do individuals. All business results are accomplished through group performances.

Business consultant Dan Coughlin spent four months studying the coaching approaches of Terry Michler, America’s all-time winningest soccer coach. He wanted to uncover Michler’s methods for creating extraordinary group performances year after year. In 39 seasons Terry Michler’s CBC High School soccer team has won over 800 games, six state championships, and six state runner-up trophies. He has been named National Coach of the Year by the NSCAA. Coughlin interviewed Terry Michler’s former players, opposing coaches, assistant coach, mentors, and protégés to increase his understanding of Michler’s proven approach to building championship teams. Coughlin then converted Terry Michler’s ideas into management insights for improving group performances inside businesses.

If you are a business manager who coaches youth soccer, played soccer in high school, or enjoy learning from someone who has achieved the pinnacle of success, Find a Way to Win is the book for you. Key concepts for improving group performance include:

* Never stop learning how to be a better leader of the team.
* Consistently evaluate individual and group performance.
* Find “paired opposites” within the group to work alongside each other.
* Understand the psychological make-up of each member of the group.
* Invest far more time in observing than in directing.
* Develop problem-solvers throughout the team.
* Continually work to simplify the performance in order to improve it.
* Build relationships with team members for the long term.
* Prepare completely for success.
* Increase the purposeful efficiency of the group.
* Understand the competition in great detail.
* Develop the heart of a champion.

Find a Way to Win provides you with a practical blueprint to create extraordinary teamwork in any industry. Use the practical ideas in this book to win in the marketplace and on the soccer pitch.

“Find a Way to Win provides great insights, practical methods, and wonderfully useful ideas that business managers and coaches alike can use in all different sorts of situations to build great teams. Read it and you’ll know all the secrets to building an extraordinary team!”

Marshall Goldsmith, executive coach and million-selling author of the New York Times best sellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.

“Find a Way to Win is a great read for both the soccer enthusiast and business leader! Dan Coughlin captures the essence of Terry Michler’s coaching philosophy in this book. Terry’s experience and vision for the game resonate well beyond the lines of a soccer pitch.”

Dan Flynn, CEO/Secretary General, United States Soccer Federation

“The Dutch National Team made ‘Total Soccer’ the most powerful soccer strategy in the world. Terry Michler, a devotee of Dutch soccer, won the most soccer games in U.S. history using ‘Attacking Soccer,’ and we sold more beer than any other brewer in the world using our business version of it called, ‘Total Marketing.’ ”

Denny Long, former President, Anheuser-Busch, Inc.

“Dan Coughlin did a masterful job of converting Terry Michler’s soccer coaching wisdom into practical ideas business managers can use right away to improve results. Buy it, read it, and apply the ideas immediately!”

Jerry Yeagley, former Indiana University Head Soccer Coach, winner of six NCAA Division I National Championships

“Find a Way to Win is packed with winning strategies that have worked for Terry Michler in soccer and will serve as a compass for business managers who dream of building first-class businesses. I know Terry well, and I know this book will give every reader value in which way to go. Study it carefully!”

Jan Pruijn, Head of Technical, AJAX Capetown, Director, Soccer Active

“Find a Way To Win provides a blueprint for all organizations looking to go to the next level. As a former CBC soccer player in the early ‘80’s, the thing that still impresses me today is Terry’s passionate desire to always get better. There is always another level he aspires to for his teams to reach.”

Mike England, President, CBC High School