Month: February 2013

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Sporting KC Opens MLS Season Saturday

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It’s Opening Weekend as Major League Soccer’s 2013 season kicks off with nine games. The opener features Sporting Kansas City at 3 p.m. CT on Saturday at PPL Park in Philadelphia. The match will be available as a live stream via MLS Live. You can also take advantage of the Free Preview being offered by Direct Kick. Details below along with the full list of games.

Sporting KC and the Union met three times last year, twice in regular season play and once in Open Cup play. Sporting defeated the Union 2-0 in July to advance to the final of the U.S. Open Cup.

Here are a few season previews to consider as you prepare for the games:
NBC Sports looks at Sporting KC
The NY Times looks at the Eastern Conference
Grant Wahl at Sports Illustrated looks at the League

Sporting Kansas City unveiled the team’s new primary jersey for the 2013 and 2014 seasons on Wednesday. Can you name the players modeling the new look in the photo above?

MLS is giving you the chance to catch every match in 2013. The MLS Direct Kick TV package is returning and broadcasting matches that are not covered by MLS national TV partners. The package includes up to 236 regular season games and select playoff matches. MLS Direct Kick is available at $79 for residential customers and $100 for commercial establishments.

If you want to try it before you buy it, the Direct Kick package will be offered as a free preview during the first 2013 MLS weekends (March 2-3 and March 9-10). Subscription info:

DirecTV: 1-800-GET-SPORTS, www.directv.com/mls
Dish: 1-877-DISH-PPV or www.mydish.com/soccer
iN Demand (major US cable systems):1-888-SPORTS-IN or www.indemand.com

MLS LIVE is also available as an online/mobile version of Direct Kick. MLS LIVE offers total access to MLS including high quality HD streams and highlights. Sporting Kansas City season ticket members will receive a discount on MLS LIVE subscriptions. Contact client services for more information.

I purchased MLS Live last year and it was much improved over the previous year and my primary means of keeping up with games regardless of my location which was nice. There were some issues with the quality of stream as the season went on but I’ve renewed this year. Last year I used the iPhone/iPad version and I’m looking forward to using the Android version this year on my Google Nexus 7. I recommend both!

Saturday
Sporting K.C. at Philadelphia, 3 p.m.
Toronto at Vancouver, 5:30 p.m.
D.C. United at Houston, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)
Colorado at Dallas, 7:30 p.m.
Montreal at Seattle, 9:30 p.m.
Columbus at Chivas U.S.A., 9:30 p.m.
Sunday
Chicago at Los Angeles, 4 p.m.
Red Bulls at Portland, 6:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Real Salt Lake at San Jose, 9 p.m.

Mizzou Soccer Opens Spring Play March 2nd

The Mizzou soccer team has announced its spring schedule, which features home games against Iowa (March 9) and SLU (April 20) and a contest with the new National Women’s Soccer League’s FC Kansas City squad (March 20). The Tigers will also face Oklahoma State (March 2) and Nebraska (April 13) in Kansas City.

Mizzou Tiger logoMissouri opens spring play on Saturday, March 2 when the squad faces Oklahoma State at Noon at Swope Park in Kansas City, Mo. The Cowgirls are coming off an 11-6-3 season in 2012 but lost senior All-American goalkeeper Adrianna Franch to graduation.

On Saturday, March 9, the Tigers welcome Iowa to Walton Stadium for a 10 a.m. contest. In 2012, the Hawkeyes boasted a 12-6-3 overall record and a 3-5-3 mark in Big Ten Conference action.

The Tigers face FC Kansas City of the new National Women’s Soccer League on Wednesday, March 20 at Shawnee Mission North High School at a time to be determined. FC Kansas City roster includes players such as U.S. National Team member Lauren Cheney and 2012 SEC Offensive Player of the Year Erika Tymrak.

melanie-donaldson-iwa-red-knightsOn Saturday, April 13 Mizzou returns to the pitch for a game against former conference foe Nebraska at St. Teresa’s Academy in Kansas City, Mo., at Noon. In 2012, the Huskers went 7-12-1 overall and 4-7 in Big Ten play.

Missouri concludes spring action on Saturday, April 20 with a 10 a.m. contest against SLU at Walton Stadium. The Billikens went 5-9-4 overall in 2012 and allowed just 1.17 goals per game.

The team also announced a 2013 signing class of five, including Melanie Donaldson from Incarnate Word in St Louis. Donaldson plays for Lou Fusz Wipke, U18 Champions at the Missouri State Cup in October. The team has also qualified for the USYSA Nationals via the National League.

Melanie’s #10 for IWA in the video below, and a captain. She’s pictured above following her golden goal game-winner captured below in the Sectional’s last Spring against Eureka. The GK she beat, Ali Wallner, is her club teammate on LF Wipke. It was an emotional scene last May.

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U20 US MNT Face Canada for World Cup Spot

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The U.S. Under-20 Men’s National Team is getting set for the biggest game of the players’ international careers. The USA faces Canada in the quarterfinals of the 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship on Tuesday, Feb. 26, at Estadio Olímpico Universitario Lobos BUAP in Puebla, Mexico with the winner advancing to the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey later this year. Tuesday’s game kicks off at 5 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on FOX Soccer and Univision Deportes. Fans can follow the match on ussoccer.com’s MatchTracker and via Twitter @ussoccer_ynt.

The U.S. won Group A of the CONCACAF tournament following a 2-1 victory against Haiti on Feb. 18 and a 1-0 win against Costa Rica on Feb. 22. Canada took second place in Group B behind Cuba, dropping its opener 2-1 but easily moving past Nicaragua 5-1 to secure the runner-up spot and advance to the quarterfinals. Read more at US Soccer.

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Hendricks, Marcotte and Pittser Recognized by MYSA

sara-marcotte-republic-tigersThe winners for the 2013 MYSA AGM Awards have been announced. Please join us in congratulating the following individuals:

Administrator of the Year – Sandi Hendricks, Lake Country Soccer
Coach of the Year, Girls Competitive – Hank Pernicka, Rolla Knights SC
Young Female Referee of the Year – Sara Marcotte
Sara’s a junior at Republic HS, she’s pictured at right as a freshman during the Tiger’s inaugural season
Save of the Year – Josh Pittser, Missouri Youth Soccer At-Large
The Nixa Eagle’s GK won for a save against Carthage, here’s his 2012 Highlight reel

Coach of the Year, Boys Competitive – Abdullah Parker, Billy Goat FC
Coach of the Year, Boys Recreational – No Nominations Submitted
Coach of the Year, Girls Recreational – Jackie Saul, Gower SC
Goal of the Year – No Nominations Submitted
Volunteer of the Year – Shirley McBroom, SPENSA
Young Male Referee of the Year – Brad Meister

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Goal Line Technology Planned For World Cup 2014

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Via Soccerex = Goal-line technology (GLT) will be used at this year’s Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup after FIFA on Tuesday launched a tender process for proposals from companies interested in fulfilling the contract for its showpiece competitions.

Tuesday’s announcement comes after the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in July gave the green light to the introduction of GLT by approving the Hawk-Eye and GoalRef systems, which were subsequently given their most high-profile tests to date at the 2012 Club World Cup venues in Toyota and Yokohama. FIFA said the systems were “successfully” implemented at December’s tournament, but added an additional two companies are close to joining Hawk-Eye and GoalRef in securing FIFA licences. A third system, developed in Germany, has already passed the necessary tests with the providers in licensing discussions, while another German system has also been tested with the results due this week. Read more.

The two currently approved systems work using completely different technology. GoalRef creates the radio equivalent of a light curtain. Low magnetic fields are produced around the goal, and as soon as the ball, which is fitted with a compact electronic device, fully crosses the line, a minor change in the magnetic field is detected, thus allowing the exact position of the ball to be established. Hawk-Eye uses six to eight high-speed cameras set up at different angles at each end of the pitch to calculate the exact position of the ball. The data from the cameras is then transferred to video software creating a 3D graphic image of the ball’s trajectory.

JP Thompson, who writes for SoccerSTL.net, took a look at GLT last Summer when it was first approved. I’m not a fan, how about you?