AC St Louis And Athletica In Trouble?

Posted on May 21, 2010 by Ole

Website MLS Talk is reporting that there is financial trouble within the AC St Louis family that may lead to the NASL men’s team and WPS women’s team folding. From their story:

Athletic Club of Saint Louis is on the verge of folding its North American Soccer League and Women’s Professional Soccer clubs, sources have confirmed. The club’s weakened cash reserves may not allow them to make their next payroll obligations, and despite ongoing conversations amongst the United States Soccer Federation, NASL, and WPS, no plan is currently in place which will allow the teams to complete their 2010 seasons.

The situation came to light when AC St. Louis failed to make a regular payment to the NASL league office. Each club within NASL periodically sends money to the league office to cover the owner-operated league’s operating costs. Upon investigation, the NASL learned the Jeff Cooper-led group did not have the cash reserves to meet the obligation or its future operating expenses.

This would be a blow to St Louis soccer should the pro teams fold. It may have an impact on the St Louis Scott Gallagher programs in Missouri and Illinois as well.

The Post-Dispatch dug into the details a bit further in their story Athletica, AC St. Louis rumors

But something is going on. WPS has released a statement that says:

“We’re aware of the situation in St. Louis. The League’s Owners continue to review and monitor the situation in conjunction with the US Soccer Federation.”

Asked what the situation is, the response was that there would be no further comment. U.S. Soccer says pretty much the same thing, that they “are aware of some challenges that are currently going on and we are diligently working through the situation.” The NASL is referring all inquiries to U.S. Soccer, since they run the league.

So there’s “a situation” of some sort. The team has had no comment, and all most people over there know seem to know are the rumors that they’ve read online.

Finally, Inside Minnesota Soccer, which has distinguished itself in it’s coverage of the NASL/USSF 2nd Division soccer including the season preview I pointed to last month, offers some additional information on both AC St Louis and Crystal Palace Baltimore:

Several sources are saying that Cooper has indeed left his post of the two troubled teams and “has distanced himself from the club.” One source believed that operating expenses of the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, which was given to Cooper’s group last summer, was the main culprit of cost overruns.

Champions League Final Viewing at Farmer’s Gastropub Downtown Saturday

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Ole

Bayern Munich Celebrate League Title, 2010

The big game is Saturday afternoon on Fox, meaning there’s no baseball

Start time is 1:30 pm and I’ll be getting some lunch and enjoying the game at Farmer’s Gastropub for anyone interested in joining me.

Here are a couple of stories previewing the game, including US Today who talked to Munich’s star, Arjen Robben.

MADRID (AP) — Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben expects Inter Milan coach Jose Mourinho to employ defensive tactics in the Champions League final, he said Thursday.
Robben said Mourinho is only concerned about winning matches while Bayern, under coach Louis van Gaal, aims to attack.

“It’s a little bit maybe defense against attack. (Van Gaal) is a coach who wants to play football, he wants to play nice football,” Robben told a news conference. “Mourinho is a purer winning coach. He has his tactics always ready. He doesn’t think too much about playing nice football.”

And the Champion’s League website can probably answer any question you might have.

Farmer’s Gastropub is located downtown in the building directly South of the YMCA on Jefferson. Parking is available in the lot North of the Catholic elementary school on Elm and Jefferson with an entrance and excellent outdoor seating area directly below the parking lot. From the Farmer’s Gastropub website:

Pubs are meant to be places where anyone from the neighborhood can stop in to have a bite and a pint. A regular pub is sought more for its liquid fare than its fine cuisine. However, a gastropub, like ours, ups the ante on the food side. So, basically, we’re a friendly, unpretentious, neighborhood pub that serves good food.

Really good food, in fact.

It also means we added a talented mixologist behind the bar for signature cocktails. We have ales and lagers with real pedigree and wines that pay attention to the taste from the land where the grapes were grown. For Bill, the Brit, and Christina, the Springfield native, the one thing that drives the creation of Farmers Gastropub is their absolute and passionate resolve that good food is not rocket science and that it does not have to cost the earth.

I’m headed that way because the food is very good and with a Brit for an owner, you know there will be a nice international crowd already in attendance. Come out, enjoy the game and discover an excellent new option downtown if you haven’t already.

Red Bull NY Host Columbus For First – ESPN2 7:00 pm

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Ole

It’s the battle for first in the Eastern Conference tonight. At least an early version.

What’s at stake?
With a win, Columbus can dethrone New York and claim the top spot in the East. With two games in hand, three points at Red Bull Arena would be huge for the Crew in their attempt at a third straight conference championship. They face a stretch without several key stars due to the World Cup, so they need a win here.

Last meeting
New York beat then-defending champs Columbus by the minimum differential when Dane Richards scored in the 63rd minute last August at Giants Stadium. The rivals played an ugly one, with three yellow cards shown to each team. A week earlier, New York had beaten FC Dallas for their first win in more than three months. The win over the Crew marked the first time the Red Bulls had won consecutive games in league play since August of 2008.

Class 2 District 5 – Harrisonville To Final, 2nd Game Moved

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Ole

At Bolivar High School

Jennifer McArthur (MHS 2011) and Anisa Alexander (HHS 2013) battle

#1 Harrisonville Wildcats – 2
#5 Marshfield Blue Jays – 0
Alex Erickson and Nikki Woodfin. Shutout by Sara Clarke.

I caught the second half, after the score was already 2-0. What I saw was two teams who ignored the conditions (the field was already muddy with areas of standing water) and played strong games indicative of the importance of the game. Harrisonville looks to have several weapons and a strong defense that were able to throw up a wall around their goal. Warrensburg or Bolivar will have a significant challenge to move past the Wildcats on Saturday.

The Marshfield players were a joy to watch. While losing Alex Cantrell limited how far the Blue Jays might have advanced, her 2011 class will offer the Jay’s another strong core to build on, with forwards Kylea Ryser and Jennifer McArthur reliable scoring options, Shelbie Porter and Morgan Blackstock back to lead the defense. Add current sophomores Danielle Coffman and Gabriayle Lowe and Coach Lewis has the tools to return next year.

Goalkeeper will be the most critical position to replace as Morgan Horman turned in her finest games of the season when it mattered most this week, roaming widely in her box to limit the Wildcat’s opportunities and beating West Plains. The tandem of Allison Martin on defense with Ashley Burgner (hurt this week) with Ashley Honeycutt in the midfield worked well together and Honeycutt is my pick for most valuable Jay this season in the four games I saw. I understand she may be headed for Northeast Oklahoma A&M to play in college (Miami, OK) which is good news.

The game between the #2 Bolivar Liberators and #3 Warrensburg Tigers has been moved to tomorrow evening at 6:00 pm due to unplayable conditions following 30 minutes of heavy rain. The final will be played Saturday at a time to be determined.

As Coach Jeff Edge notes in the Bolivar Herald-Free Press: “We beat Warrensburg 3-1 earlier in the year at Warrensburg, but the Lady Tigers had several starters out due to injury and illness. This will be a much different club than we faced earlier in the season. They also have a sour taste in their mouth after losing the district final to us 3-0 last year.”

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Class 3 District 10 – Rolla Will Face Rock Bridge

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Ole

Adrian Pogue, Rolla Bulldogs (2010)

Tonight’s game between rolla and jc has been moved to columbia hickman’s field. the game will begin at 6:30

From the Rolla Daily News – “They’ve beat us four times in a row — all three 1-0 last year and 2-1 this year,” Rolla Head Coach Mike Howard said. “They’ve had our number. They’re solid in goal and solid in the back. And they have an all-star midfielder, Kara Steiner, who is a phenomenal player.”

#1 Jefferson City Jays – 0
#2 Rolla Bulldogs - 1 (PK’s)

In District 9 action
#1 Rock Bridge Bruins – 1
#3 Troy Buchanan – 0

Rolla will face the Rock Bridge Bruins next Tuesday, May 25th, at 6:00 pm at 179 Soccer Park in Jefferson City.

US Women To Play Sweden In Omaha on July 13th

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Ole

UPDATE – thanks for stopping by, sorry its not more current. Check out ESPN’s coverage for current reports from the 2011 World Cup in Germany. If you have website, use this as a lesson in the power of Google image search – name those photo files properly before uploading!

CHICAGO (May 19, 2010) – The U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team will face Sweden on July 13 at Creighton University’s Morrison Stadium in Omaha, Neb. The match in Omaha, which will be broadcast live on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. CT, will mark the first-ever visit for the U.S. Women to Nebraska.

Among the stars expected to be named to the USA’s roster are high-scoring forward Abby Wambach and goalkeeper Hope Solo. The USA is currently the top-ranked women’s national team in the world and the reigning Olympic gold medal winner, having topped Brazil at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Tickets for the game start at $18 and go on sale to the public Friday, May 21, at 10 a.m. CT through ussoccer.com, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 and at all Ticketmaster ticket centers throughout the greater Omaha area. Groups of 20 or more can obtain an order form at ussoccer.com or call 312-528-1290.

As a sponsor of U.S. Soccer, Visa® is pleased to offer all Visa cardholders access to an advance ticket sale for this match before the sale to the general public. This advance sale starts Thursday, May 20, at 1 p.m. CT and runs until Friday, May 21, at 8 a.m. CT at ussoccer.com. Visa will be the only payment method accepted through the Visa presale and is the preferred card of U.S. Soccer. Terms and conditions apply.

The USA has won two and tied one of the previous three matches with Sweden. The most recent meeting came in group play at the 2010 Algarve Cup in Portugal on March 1, a 2-0 U.S. victory on two goals from Lauren Cheney.

Sweden is widely regarded as one of the top women’s national teams in the world and one of several favorites to lift the trophy at the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The Swedes, who are fourth in the last FIFA Women’s World Rankings, should have sealed first place in their qualifying group by the time they come to the U.S. for the two matches. That first place finish will earn Sweden a place in a two-leg playoff that will produce one of the four European qualifiers for the Women’s World Cup.

Many of the Swedish players will not have to travel far for the matches as five are currently playing in Women’s Professional Soccer: Midfielder Caroline Seger and defender Sara Larsson of the Philadelphia Independence, midfielder Kosovare Asllani of the Chicago Red Stars, forward Jessica Landström of Sky Blue FC, and forward Madelaine Edlund of St. Louis Athletica.

Following the game in Omaha, the two teams will travel to East Hartford, Conn., to face each other on Saturday, July 17, at Rentschler Field in the second match of Sweden’s two-game American tour.

The U.S. Women have played official international matches in 30 of the 50 U.S. states, plus the District of Columbia. Nebraska will become the 31st state to host the WNT.

It’s unfortunate that the announcement comes on the same day that this stunt occurred in Lincoln.

Middle School Semifinal – Nixa Will Face Catholic In Final

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Ole

Tonight, weather permitting, at Lake Country Soccer

#1 Nixa Eagles – 5
#4 Pershing Generals – 4
Played in the rain, the two teams battled until the end as Pershing had several late opportunities they were unable to convert. Peyton ? scored four for Nixa to help them reach the final again.

Moved from Wednesday due to weather. The winner advances to the Final against Catholic, scheduled for 7:00 pm Friday May 21st at Lake Country Soccer.

Law 14 Changed In Advance of World Cup 2010

Posted on May 20, 2010 by Ole

From Sports Illustrated comes word of changes to Law 14 for the World Cup!

Penalty-takers at the World Cup will not be able to feint as they are about to kick the ball after a change in rules was announced on Tuesday, just three weeks before the start of the sport’s biggest event. The International Football Association Board (IFAB), soccer’s rule-making body, said the decision followed a growing trend in Brazil.

In the move known as the Paradinha (Little Stop), players stop as they are about to take the penalty, send the goalkeeper the wrong way with a dummy and cheekily chip the ball into the empty part of the goal.

As the Wall Street Journal noted in an article in March about Paradinha

The term was coined when Pelé used the maneuver—albeit with more subtlety than today’s players—during the World Cup in 1970, though the 69-year-old star has since admitted he simply copied the move from the late Didi, one of Brazilian soccer’s most creative minds, who famously disdained physical contact and believed the ball should do the work, not the player.

The paradinha only began its recent surge in popularity after an international rule change in 1997 that allowed goalkeepers to move laterally along the goal line before the penalty kick is taken, which is from 12 yards away. With goalies suddenly more jumpy, Pelé’s old trick became far more effective and helped kickers to use the goalies’ new freedom of movement to their own advantage.

Class 3 District 11 Semifinals Moved To Friday

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Ole

At JFK Stadium

#1 Parkview Vikings – 0
#5 Nixa Eagles – 1
At halftime when the game was called for the first of several lightning delays. The goal was scored by Lauren Moats in the 25th minute when Jo Pavlowsky won a 50/50 ball at midfield, found her attacker who deked a defender and fired a shot from 27 yards out that slipped underneath the goalkeeper who got in front of the wet ball but not down in front of it.

Friday May 21st Semifinal Games

5:00 pm – Parkview vs Nixa,
For now the plan is to play, beginning with the 2nd half and a 1-0 score.

6:30 pm – #2 Glendale vs. #3 Kickapoo

Winners advance to Final on Saturday May 22nd, 6:30 pm start at JFK Stadium

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Class 1 District 6 – Catholic Advances To Quarterfinals

Posted on May 19, 2010 by Ole

Springfield Catholic Fightin' Irish, 2010 District 6 Champions

At Springfield Catholic HS
#1 Springfield Catholic – 4
#2 Greenwood Blue Jays – 0
The Fightin’ Irish turned up their offensive engines early as the Jay’s opened with their most important field player in goal this evening. The rivalry always leads to a hard fought game and while Shelby Hatz slotted home what would turn out to be the game-winner in the 5th minute when Maddie Esther was caught out of the goal, it would be another 65 minutes before Catholic would get three more in the final 10 minutes.

Bekah Bade created the first goal, breaking past her defender on the right side before sliding a square ball to Hatz after pulling the goalie out. Hatz confidently slotted the ball between the two defenders who converged on her. Sr Rachel Herron would set up sr defender Ronnie Renner for the second goal in the 70th, Natalie Smid would score in the 77th and Emily Loethen would complete the scoring in stoppage time.

Catholic now advances to the Class 1 Quarterfinal on Thursday May 27th at Waynesville High School. Game starts at 6:30 pm and they will play the winner of the game between Southern Boone Co and Dixon which is being played tomorrow.