Monthly Archives: February 2011

Fair Grove Soccer Academy Spring 2011 Registration Now Open

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Fair Grove Soccer AcademyFAIR GROVE, MO – The Fair Grove Soccer Academy is pleased to announce that registration for their 2011 Spring Recreational Soccer Academy is now open.

Registration for the spring league, which is open to all girls and boys age 3-18, will run through Sunday, March 6, with practices and games starting the week of March 20 and running through May 7. All practices and games will take place in Fair Grove District Park.

Registration forms can be picked up at Fair Grove City Hall, or registration can be completed online at www.fairgrovesoccer.com. The league costs $25 to register, and all players are guaranteed 6 games, 6 practices with the FGSA coaching staff, and end-ofseason awards. Scholarships are available to those who qualify.

This spring also marks the Fair Grove Soccer Academy’s fifth year of operation, and the club is excited to celebrate the growth it has seen. Established in 2007 as a project of the Fair Grove Park Board, The FGSA takes a unique approach to teaching the game by bringing in coaches and players from Drury University to coach the players in an academy setting where they are exposed to the game’s core fundamentals in a highly personalized setting. What started as 65 kids playing soccer in a hay field in 2007 has now become the only club serving Northern Green County and all of Dallas County to be recognized by the Missouri Youth Soccer Association (MYSA), with over 140 kids playing in the recreational academy and another 30 playing for the FGSA’s competitive travel teams.

Along the way a lot of memories have been made. 2008 saw the renovation of Fair Grove District Park and the construction of the first fullsized soccer ever to be built in the town. 2009, the FGSA U11 Boys Premier become the club’s first competitive team, and in the U14 boys were the first team to ever represent Fair Grove Middle School in the Lake Country Middle School League. The clubs motto for 2011: Continue to provide the best environment for our players to learn and succeed.

For more information, please visit www.fairgrovesoccer.com, or contact Logan Hoffman at 303-921-1726 or lhoffman@fairgrovesoccer.com.

Missouri State Bears Soccer Signs Four

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State men’s soccer head coach Jon Leamy has announced four players are set to join the program for the 2011 season.

“We are excited that these four players are joining our program,” said head coach Jon Leamy. “They all bring different strengths that should help our team this season.”

2011 Men’s Soccer Commitments:

Brandon Besong, Cedar Rapids, Iowa (George Washington High)
Besong enters his fourth season on the pitch for head coach J. P. Graham at George Washington High in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. His junior season, he led the Warriors to a 13-5 record while tallying a single season school record with 13 assists. For his efforts, he earned first-team all-state, all-conference and all-metro honors. He also moved into fourth on the school’s all-time list in goals, assists and points. In his sophomore year, he earned all-conference and all-metro second team accolades. Besong helped his team to a fourth-place finish in the state tournament his freshman season. His club team won the State Cup in 2006, 2007, 2009 and in 2010. Besong also played football two seasons at GWHS.

Emmerich “Ricky” Hoegg, Crestview, Fla. (Choctawhatchee High)
Hoegg starred for head coach Chris McDaniel at Choctawhatchee High. He scored a school-record 145 goals in his four seasons with the Indians. His senior year, he led his team to a District 4-1A title as a team captain. As a junior and a sophomore, he was named the Northwest Florida All Sports Association Men’s High School Player of the Year, as well as, the team MVP and Offensive Player of the Year. He set a school record with 50 goals scored his sophomore season. As a freshman, he was also named the Offensive Player of the Year.

Ryan Navarre, Peachtree City, Ga. (McIntosh High)
Navarre is beginning his fourth season for head coach Bunky Colvin at McIntosh High and second as a team captain. As a junior, Navarre helped the Chiefs to a conference championship and the state finals. He was named the Impact Player of the Year and an all-region first teamer. His team has gone 43-3 over the past two seasons. His sophomore season saw his team make the state championship finals and a No. 7 national ranking. His club team, Alpharetta Ambush, ranked No. 1 in the country and were the R3PL champions.

Chris Roth, Ballwin, Mo. (Parkway South High)
Roth started all four years for head coach Al Trost at Parkway South High. He was named the Suburban West Conference Player of the Year his senior season. Roth was a team captain and the team MVP while being named a first-team all-conference and third-team all-metro selection as a senior. He led his team to the Parkway Tournament, Suburban West Conference and District 2 championships in 2010. The Patriots won the Parkway Tournament all four years of Roth’s career. He was an all-conference first teamer in his junior and sophomore campaigns as well. His mother, Debbie, attended Missouri State.

Are Penalty Kicks Unfair?

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Levi Millsap, PK save at Final 4

Levi Millsap, PK save at Final 4

From Yahoo Sports come this story Penalty shoot-outs ‘unfair’ say researchers by Julian Guyer

LONDON (AFP) – Football penalty shoot-outs give an unfair psychological advantage to the team that shoots first according to new research from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) published Thursday.

They found that the team that takes the first kick wins 60 percent of the time and the team that takes the second 40 percent of the time.

“Most TV channels cut to the commercial break when the coin is being tossed to decide which team takes the first penalty—but our findings show that this could be the deciding moment after a drawn match,” Palacios-Huerta said.

It’s a pretty interesting story that even includes a twist from the 2008 European Championship when the Italians won the coin toss – and chose to shoot second – and lost to Spain! It mimics the advice I got from my long-term golf instructor who played briefly in the PGA and for a longer time in the Senior PGA. When we talked strategy regarding match play, he always wants to shoot first. Hat tip to Glendale Soccer webmaster Bob Jordan for the link.

Kuse and Payton Sign With Missouri State Lady Bears Soccer

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SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Missouri State women’s soccer head coach Rob Brewer announced today that he has six commitments from players to join the program for the 2011 season.

“We have some very athletic players with unique skill sets joining our team this season,” said Brewer. “The diversity in their abilities and the balance of attackers and defenders make these players fantastic additions to our program.”

2011 Women’s Soccer Commitments:

McKenzie Payton, Parkview Vikings (2011)

McKenzie Payton, Parkview Vikings (2011)

McKenzi Payton, Springfield, Mo. (Parkview High)
Payton begins her senior season for head coach Clint Nurnberg at Parkview High as a three-year letterwinner. She led her team to a 9-0 record and an Ozark Conference Championship her junior year. She was an all-district first team and all-conference second team selection and was named to the 2010 Springfield News-Leader All-Ozarks Girls team as a team captain. Payton was named the Defensive Player of the Year her sophomore season and earned all-district second team and all-conference honorable mention accolades. Her freshman season, she was named to the all-conference second team and an all-district honorable mention honoree. She also played volleyball at Parkview.

Kaitlyn “Katie” Davis, Lee’s Summit, Mo. (Lee’s Summit West)
Davis enters her senior season as a three-year letter winner for head coach Todd Krey at Lee’s Summit West. She led her team to three straight conference championships while earning all-conference accolades each season. She was named to the all-district first team three-straight years. After just three seasons, she holds the school record for assists and is just four goals shy of the school record. Davis was the Missouri Suburban Mid Six Offensive Player of the Year her junior season and was the team offensive player of the year her freshman campaign. While playing for club team KCFC Intensity, she won the Kansas State Cup Championship six times and the regional league championship three times. KCFC Intensity is currently ranked No. 3 in the country.

Kelsey Fouch, St. Charles, Mo. (Francis Howell North)
Fouch has been a three-year starter for head coach Dan Hogan at Francis Howell North. She earned all-conference second team accolades her junior and sophomore seasons. The Knights have been conference champions all three years of her career. During her freshman season, she helped her team to district and regional titles. Her club team, Scott Gallagher, were State Champs her junior and freshman seasons. She also played basketball at Francis Howell North. Her father, Tom, won the 1976 National Championship in soccer for Meramac Community College before finishing his career at South Carolina.

Kalie Kuse, Camdenton Lakers (2011) in purple

Kalie Kuse, Camdenton Lakers (2011) in purple

Kali Kuse, Camdenton, Mo. (Camdenton High)
Kuse has been a three-year starter for head coach JD Hunter at Camdenton High. She was a team captain her junior season as her team won the Camdenton Invitational and Moberly Lady Spartan Tournaments. She was named a second-team all-conference and all-district honoree as a junior and as a sophomore. In her three seasons at Camdenton, she has started 67 of the 68 matches she has played. Kuse also played volleyball at CHS. Her cousins, Jennifer and Jason Kuse, also attended Missouri State.

Brooke Oostendorp, St. Charles, Mo. (Francis Howell North)
Oostendorp is a three-year letterwinner at Francis Howell North entering her senior season on the pitch. She led her team to three-straight conference titles and the district finals the past two seasons. Her team won districts and regionals her freshman season. She was an all-conference selection her sophomore year. She was a Missouri State Cup Champion with her club team, Scott Gallagher, her junior and freshman seasons. Oostendorp also played basketball for four years and was a single champion at conference in tennis her junior year.

Bethany Smith, Overland Park, Kan. (St. James Academy)
Smith has been a standout performer in her first three seasons for head coach Rick Enna at St. James Academy. She led her team to the Kansas State Championship in her sophomore and freshman seasons. She was an all-state first teamer her junior year and an all-state second teamer her freshman campaign. Her junior year, she scored 18 goals for the Thunder as a team captain. Smith won the Kansas State Cup Championship with her club team, KCFC Intensity, six times and won the Midwest Regional League title three times. KCFC Intensity are currently ranked third in the nation. She also played basketball all four years at St. James Academy. Her father, Steve, played and coached football at the University of Kansas.

Brazil vs Argentina – Sunday 7pm on ESPN3.com

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Neymar in Brazilian debut against USA, Aug 2010

Neymar in Brazilian debut against USA, Aug 2010

The U20 Tournament in South America has reached the final group stage, meaning six teams who will now play against the other five teams. Those games began on Monday and continue Sunday on ESPN3.com. The top four finishing teams earn trips to both the U-20 World Cup and the Pan American Games, and the top two teams also get spots in the 2012 Olympics.

Why should you care what’s happening 5000 miles away in Peru? One word – Neymar. The 18 year old made his debut for Brazil last August, scoring against the USA Now he’s tearing up the U20 tournament with 7 goals. You can see two of them in the video below!

Or as Tim Vickery of Sports Illustrated notes Future stars on display in the South American U-20 Championships

Here’s a date for your diary. On Sunday Feb. 6 I can’t believe there’s anything more fascinating taking place in the world of soccer than the clash between Argentina and Brazil in the South American U-20 Championships.

If you want more, check out the World Cup Blog. They’ve got highlights from the other two games as well.

Jamie Clark Leaves Creighton After One Year

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jamie clark, creighton blue jays

jamie clark, creighton blue jays

After one season as head coach at Creighton, Jamie Clark is on the move again. He has accepted the heading coaching position at the University of Washington.

SEATTLE – Former Stanford All-American Jamie Clark will take over the reins of the Husky men’s soccer program as its new head coach, athletic director Scott Woodward announced today.

Clark comes to Seattle after a very successful season at Creighton. The Blue Jays went 13-5-2 in 2010, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. In one season in Omaha, Clark coached five all-region players, two All-Americans and a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy while leading the team into the national rankings.

OMAHA, Neb. – After a successful season with the Bluejays in 2010, Creighton men’s soccer head coach Jamie Clark has resigned.

This is obviously a bittersweet time for many of us,” said Rasmussen. “When we hired Jamie this past summer we believed he was one of the outstanding soccer coaches in the country, and during his time here, Jamie exceeded our expectations in every way. While we are disappointed to lose him, we thank him for his influence and commitment to our men’s soccer program, and wish him the best of luck at Washington.”

Clark spent just one season in Omaha, leading the Bluejays to a Missouri Valley Conference regular-season championship in 2010. The Bluejays posted a 5-1-1 record in conference play, earning Clark and his staff MVC Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Creighton earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament, defeating New Mexico 4-1 in the first round before being eliminated in penalty kicks following a 2-2 draw at seventh-ranked SMU in the second round.

Chelsea vs Liverpool Sunday, 10am

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Kenny-Dalglish-celebrates

Kenny Dalglish celebrates the winning goal at Stamford Bridge in 1986 as Liverpool won the First Division title. Photograph: PA/Empics

OK, I could have put a picture of the Spaniard Torres up here but I got to watch Kenny Dalglish play and I’m rooting for him and Liverpool, in this game and going forward.

If you want some history on this rivalry, the Guardian does their usual excellent work with The Joy of Six: great Chelsea v Liverpool moments and matches

In recent years, Chelsea and Liverpool have enjoyed some cavalier exchanges in cup competitions. Chelsea’s first trophy under José Mourinho was secured in the 2005 Carling Cup final, Steven Gerrard’s ludicrous long-range own goal 11 minutes from time the pivotal moment of a match won in extra-time by the long-forgotten Mateja Kezman. Liverpool, meanwhile, won the 2006 FA Cup semi-final, Luis García’s exquisite chip settling that one for Rafael Benítez’s men.

But it’s been in the Champions League where the fireworks have really gone off. And you can take your pick from four knockout rumbles

And there’s the 2005 semi, perhaps the greatest of them all. It had pretty much everything: Luís García’s phantom goal, which gave Liverpool a dubious lead, though it did ensure Petr Cech didn’t get sent off; a second-half barrage from Chelsea; staunch defending from the home side; an astonishing last-gasp miss at close range from Eidur Gudjohnsen; and a febrile atmosphere agreed by most who experienced it as being the most intense in English football for many a year. There’s unlikely to be a rumpus quite like it again any time soon. Unless Fernando Torres manages to rattle in a hat-trick on Sunday, perhaps.

Do a search for chelsea vs liverpool 2005 champions league for plenty of alternate views!

Missouri State Bears Sign Ricky Hoegg

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Ricky Hoegg by VarsitySportsWest.com

Ricky Hoegg by VarsitySportsWest.com

From the Crestview News Bulletin – Choctaw’s Hoegg bound for Missouri State

FORT WALTON BEACH — Choctawhatchee boys soccer coach Chris McDaniel read off Ricky Hoegg’s scoring output during his prolific career with the Indians and came to the only reasonable conclusion:

“These are some unbelievable stats that he put up,” McDaniel said.

Hoegg will look to put up some staggering numbers at the college level as well, as the Indians star signed his letter of intent Wednesday with Division I Missouri State University of the Missouri Valley Conference.

“I visited a month ago,” Hoegg said. “I met some of the guys and they liked me and I liked them. I liked the school and just decided I wanted to go there.”

Hoegg is a two-time Daily News boys soccer Player of the Year, winning after both his sophomore and junior campaigns. He totaled 50 goals as a sophomore and racked up 40 more as a junior. He’s registered 35 so far this season.

Some other stories about the young man:

Choctaw’s Hoegg named Boys Soccer Player of the Year

Hoegg repeats as boys soccer Player of the Year (with All-Area team)

His Club Team was Emerald Coast United which pointed to his ODP success

Republic Parks Youth Soccer Registration

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Republic parks_logo_bannerThe Republic Parks & Recreation Department offers Youth Soccer Leagues in the spring and the fall. All games are played at Garoutte Field located at 210 E. Hines.

Spring
Leagues: 4 – 12 Year Old Boys & Girls
Registration: January 31 – February 18, 2011
Season: Begins March 16, 2010
League Fee: $275 – 8 Games ($25 Discount for Resident Teams)

Visit the Republic Parks website for more information. There is another page with information on the Leagues & Conduct Rules.