STATE CUP FEVER

Ten teams from around the state will be competing for the title of Men's Division 1 State Cup Champions. And of course, my team will be represented by a strong, capable lineup come Saturday. We are going in to win. Anything less will be disappointing. Hopefully we will come home with the title.

Positive Mentality and Living 2-Seconds Ahead

One thing I learned from a very good coach I had once a long time ago...he said that in order to play good soccer, you must maintain a positive attitude. Some times when stuff goes wrong in a game...like a bad trap or pass, missing a wide open net, or any other mishap that can have you second guessing yourself or worse, drawing the criticism of your mates. I learned that you have to let that negative moment go. Let it leave your mind. And make sure that you exercise positive self-talk and that your next touch is a better one. Because if you focus on the mistake, your next touch will be poor, and most likely the one after that...which may send you into a downward spiral and will ultimately lead to your butt getting pulled from the game.

So you say that it's tough sometimes to get past a blunder. Sure, that's true sometimes. But Coach had that answer for that as well. He said to "split your focus in game situations into two parts. It will be an 80/20 split. The 20% will be "living in the moment", allowing you to be aware of your surroundings and remembering to breathe and all that simple stuff." Coach stated that the 20% was comprised of the things that you worked on in practice. "In practice you develop your fitness, ball skills, passing ability, technique, and the muscle memory that will carry you through the match. These things are embedded within your subconscience.", Coach would say.

"The most important 80% is what is going to make you a winning member of a winning team. This portion of your focus is going to allow you to be the machine out there on the pitch. It is going to keep you from getting too emotional when times get tough." What he said next was that "Your mind has to be aware. You must be 2-Seconds ahead of the match at all times. You have to be alert to your options for ball distribution. You must know where your opponent's weaknesses are and exploit them. You need to be living in the future. And the future was always changing. You have to adapt constantly."

"Coach, I sorta get what your saying. But how does this all tie-in to the positive mentality thing you started talking about?"

"Well, when you make a mistake, your gut reaction is to feel bad. If you dwell on that moment, you are living in the past. If you are living in the past, the game runs away from you for a little bit. You will have to play catch-up. If you linger too long in the past, the game will run away from you entirely. So it is simple. You always live 2-seconds ahead of the game. If you do so, you will stay mentally strong. Your body will do what it has practiced. It is okay for it to not work correctly sometimes, it is human. But your mind must work like a machine: Constantly working by always analyzing the field and opponent.  And just to be clear, I don't mind at all (in fact I do encourage this) if you feel like a little bit of time travel is necessary in order to acknowledge your teammates' good plays or even their mistakes, as long as you are positive in doing so."

So as the no-see-ums and mosquitos descended upon our team during Coach's lecture, we got up to play our game. 11 machines on the field. Working hard together to win the game. Staying positive. Doing our best to heed his advice.

And I think his speech is WAAAAAAYYYYYY better than this guys speech. But who's judging?

A Team On The Skid.......

Our team has got to rise up and take a new form to find success this season.  With two losses and a tie from our first three games, we find ourselves asking many questions of each other and of our own ability. I read somewhere, some time ago, that smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. In other words, when facing adversity, remember that a kite rises against the wind. And in even better words, "You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you." -Walt Disney

With only minor changes to the team, which consist of three new players on the roster, it seems very odd to be experiencing such a negative slide in the standings. It seems like we have forgotten how to play smart soccer. With players running the same routes, therefore occupying the same space and others getting pulled out of position...it is easy for our opponents to take advantage of our weaknesses.

Last night, we had a very good turnout for a scrimmage against a local High School team. The team we played against was not a challenge at all, and we knew that going in. It was intended to be  "coaching-game" set up to help out the kids and coach before their season started. But what the night turned out to be was a great time to kick the ball around with the boys and just have some fun. No pressure. Just solid hard work.
We tried out a new formation that everyone saw great promise in. I have referred to it in a previous post, the 3-6-1.  With the focus shared between flooding the midfield with options and encouraging strong wing-play, the 3-6-1 enhances our strengths and forces us to play a style of soccer that you just don't see within our league very much. However, our last defeat came to a team that utilized that wings extremely well. And that got me thinking about imposing this style again. I had mentioned it once or twice to the guys and received glazed over looks and mutterings about 4-4-2's and this and that in grumbled tones. But after 3 games without a system. We have to do something more composed and organized to achieve our desired 3 pts.

Most importantly, we have to stay positive. Much too often I have seen great teams fall to pieces in the tougher times. With the frustration building, it gets easy to point fingers. The blame game gets revved up and can easily dismantle a good solid team quicker than Greased Lightning. And I am not talking about the fixer-upper turned sick ride from my first grade girlfriend's favorite movie that I was forced to watch about 100 times (and sing along to as well...I still know all the words...stop laughing now).

Liverpool bites it and Arsenal blows it. My men's team can't hack it. Not in the mood for creative writing

Successful showing by Kuyt today. Wish that Joey Cole would have gotten his goal too. He really needs on bad. Its a cryin shame he doesn't play more often

Not going to be writing for a while. Having issues with time management.

Overjoyed

Charlie Davies to DC United for a year-long loan. A match made in heaven. I am so proud of all the positive moves my beloved United have made in the last few months. I believe that the DCU Front Office has proven to its fans that it is serious about winning some trophies this year. Just amazing. After such a poor season, we have a great chance to go from bottom of the table all the way up to the top. Vamos United!

Rooney - Goal of the Year!

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=c8a41e32-5995-47a4-aeb0-75279ec6bbbb" target="_new" title="">Wayne Rooney's goal on Fox Soccer</a>

Who's Got Two Thumbs And Can't Wait For The Carolina Challenge Cup? (And C'mon Charlie! C'mon!)

THIS GUY! Sorry for that...

As the Charleston Battery are making their preseason shaking and moving, my beloved DC United are doing the same. But before I get to DC news and comment, a huge congrats goes to the Battery front office for coming to terms with Colin Falvey, Zach Prince, and Keith Wiggans, who were all members of last years USL 2 Championship Battery team. Pending the red tape, we would be for the better with these guys on the field. Which does take me back to 2003...when we won the A league and then just about every great player on the team left for other teams. I boycotted the Battery for the entire month of February 2004. I understand how contracts work, people get paid, and how players don't really have loyalty when it comes to a bigger paycheck...so....i got over it. But some of the guys that took me out for my 21st birthday left the team that year and left me holding on to memories instead of making new ones....and it also sucked that I no longer got free tix and passes to the 3 Lion's.  That 2003 team was amazing to watch. It was a shame that we couldn't have seen a legacy begin. You know, they did this to us at DC after we won the Cup a few times. They have this horrible mindset in US Soccer that freaks them out when teams win multiple consecutive championships. Something to do with blaming the collapse of the NASL on the NY Cosmos winning the championship every year. And of course that is a myth. Yeah, for sure the Cosmos was the face of the NASL, but there was other talent and other winners over the 17 seasons the league was in existence.

But on to the Charlie Davies news and DC United. Dunno for sure if its gonna happen, but if he gets signed... the fans coming out to Battery Park for the Challenge Cup better get started on the #9 signs and be ready to cheer on the boy. He needs all the support we can give.  This is what welomed the US players as they came onto the field vs Costa Rica days after Charlie's accident. A match in which Charlie Davies was sure to delight USMNT fans with another display of his ability, his speed, his finishing, and his charm.  With DC picking up some very experienced veteran players to come in up top and score some goals as well as impart a bit of wisdom to the younger recruits of Olsen's Army...the team would do well to bring on board a player such as Davies.

RFK being just a short distance from the site of the fatal car crash where Davies career was buried. The home of DC United could, and I believe  it absolutely should, very well be the site of his career's resurrection. Having played with Davies in the 2007 Copa America, Head Coach Ben Olsen know exactly what Charlie is capable of when he is 100%. "I love Charlie..." Olsen says, " It’s no different than any other trialist..", "We’ll evaluate him physically, mentally, tactically and all the things we look for in players. We’ll see."  With a decision to come as early as tomorrow, I am one soccer fan who has recently bitten off all my fingernails with the end of the transfer window last week and is currently widdling his fingers down to nubs over this news to come.

With the Barra Brava and the Screaming Eagles already singin' songs to Charlie, this seems like its a done deal............but its not. So, for now, lets just sing a while and hope that good things keep coming our way.

His leg is fine,
His play's sublime.
He's Charlie Davies,
United's #9!

The Spring Season Is Upon Us

As some hit the gyms, some others hit the fields, and a lot of the rest keep putting off their preseason work outs...one thing is certain:  We are all counting down the days to the beginning of the Charleston Soccer League's Spring season. We are 5 days out. Just enough time to run a few miles and touch the ball a bit.

 For my team, the Wolves, we are pitted against a team I have previously lamented about (previous post). A team that has seen us beat the last two times we've met on the pitch in the preseason. So...the Plague Rats...we meet again and so soon....

I am completely looking forward to this match up. Having seen what they have to offer and making the necessary adjustments to our game, I believe that we will have a great chance to beat them come Sunday.  Unfortunately for us, we have had the least productive preseason in the last couple of years. Usually we have quite a few games, but things did not work out in our favor. And to top it off, there is a bit of a difference of opinion on how best to go line-up on the field this season. The team is quite heavy on midfielders and defense, and a bit light in attacking options. I our semifinal against Madra Rua last season, we started in a 3-2-3-2. The idea was focused on the strength of a double-stopper system. However, the system seemed to stagnate our attack. A lot of balls were played forward to our strikers, who were left with a ton of space between themselves and any help. We looked disorganized and unimaginative in the first half. At halftime, we went back to 4-4-2 and finished the game as winners. Some of the team would like to work on the 3-2-3-2 and some would rather see their own eyes poked out.

 I am hoping that we could give a try to another formation altogether. I would like to see the same sort of lineup used by Liverpool in their last 4 games. They play to their strengths, which is their midfield and defense. And with 4 clean sheets in a row, I think the formation carries merit. This is the 3-6-1, and I like it. 

Here is a snippet from  The Offside's Liverpool Blog regarding the formation , how it was used against Stoke, and how well it can work overall:

By Noel: February 3rd, 2011


Everything is connected. Everything is related. The system works because it is the perfect system for the opponent and the players are effective in their roles, not because any one player grabs the game by the scruff of the neck and carries the team to victory.

i.

In defense, three central defenders comprehensively negate Stoke’s solitary target. Carew is the outlet, the bullseye for long balls, and they are a largely agrarian side lacking guile. They lack the pace on the wings, the touch in the center, the skill to play football from the back. Hoof, hold, attack. Look for onrushing midfielders sprinting ahead on the counter. Look for an opposition defense stretched by their own increasingly frustrated attempts to break through. Stay tight and counter.  It seems somehow familiar.

Still, Stoke, though simple, is generally an effective side. They’re good at what they do: Rugged, direct attacks launched over the middle without the benefit of natural width, hoping for the best. Hoping that if Plan A doesn’t work a grafted free kick or long throw will salvage a point here and there over the course of a long season.

Setting out with three in the back, then, with the tall Kyrgiakos tightly man-marking Stoke striker Carew while Agger and Skrtel provide immediate support as needed and Lucas and Aurelio interchange in front of them, both aware of their defensive responsibilities, gives Stoke no outlet for their natural game. They are grossly out-manned at their only possible point of attack, and must hope for a lucky break that leads to a throw, leads to a set-piece. Leads to something. They never get that lucky break.

ii.

A central box of four midfielders, supplemented by wingbacks in the wide areas, heavily outnumber Stoke’s midfield. If the five men so commonly credited with providing a man advantage in the myriad 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 variant systems can outnumber their less astute 4-4-2 brethren, here there is no match in a possession game based around a minimum of six players passing and moving in midfield. Liverpool use their advantage to hit 61% possession while putting Stoke under exceptional pressure any time they get the ball and attempt anything more creative than pumping long-balls to the heavily outnumbered Carew.

Still, it is a plan in large part reliant on Stoke. Or at least on Stoke’s shortcomings and their inability to compensate for them within the course of the match. For if there was a skilled, speedy winger to dink the ball to wide over the top, it might well stretch Liverpool’s three narrow defenders and open up room for Stoke’s lonesome striker. But Stoke don’t have that player, or if they do they have not prepared to use him in such a manner.

So Liverpool is free to ping the ball around at will, building their attack, and all Stoke can do on the occasions they do reclaim possession is pump it over the top. To a tightly marked Carew. Whence it comes right back at them.

iii.The attack relies on those six men in midfield–in a single striker system, most of those who will join the attack are necessarily part of the collective bossing possession–as well as quality hold up play from an industrious Dirk Kuyt, looking as good as he has at any time this season. It is even supplemented by the outside central defenders, Skrtel on the right and Agger on the left, both willing to provide an emergency outlet as Liverpool builds their way into the attacking zone. Beyond simply providing an outlet, though, they also often move up the pitch, forming a portion of the base of midfield and allowing one of Lucas or Aurelio to push fully into the attacking third while maintaining a defensively solid quartet in the middle of the field. It is an efficient accordion–or domino–action, with one of the three central defenders moving forward into a temporary defensive midfield role as the ball enters the final third, allowing one of Lucas or Aurelio to join the attack without worrying about a hole being left if Stoke breaks quickly.

The defense shifts from a central back three to a quintessentially South American defensive quartet, a pair of center backs with a pair of volantes camped in front of them, and suddenly at the back Liverpool looks much like a modern 4-2-3-1 defending the most dangerous central areas of the pitch against fast breaks. The six man midfield, meanwhile, has given the wingbacks enough time to advance through their possession, and with the ball then sent out to the left or right, as many as five Liverpool attackers are able to flood the box and hunt for crosses.

In the course of the match, if for example Skrtel and Kyrgiakos have stayed at home behind Lucas and an advancing Agger, then in front of that you will have, at the end of a well built move, Kelly delivering the ball from wide on the right while Kuyt, Gerrard, Meireles, Aurelio, and Johnson all attack the box. Or Johnson will deliver from wide while Kelly runs for the far post from the opposite side. In fact, on a number of occasions towards the end of the first half and early in the second Liverpool’s attacks manage to look exactly like this, and while the Liverpool players settle in their roles and push ahead, Stoke appears completely overrun by the attackers flooding their box after long stretches of build-up play have worked Liverpool en masse into the final third.


iv.
Once Suarez and Shelvey come on, and with Liverpool having gone up 2-0, the team clearly takes to a much more defensive 5-3-2, but until then it is a masterful example of just how useful a formation with three defenders can still be on occasion in the modern game. It makes it exceptionally difficult to break down for a team with a single central target and little natural width; it allows six men in midfield and an even greater numerical advantage in possession; and it encourages wing play and whipped in crosses more than most other modern systems whose wide men–the fullbacks–start from deeper.



It is, however, still a system with weaknesses. Against a team that themselves play with width one will be faced with the risk of pinned back wingbacks and a resulting de facto five man back line, making for an exceptionally defensive side. That in turn will lead to an outnumbered midfield likely to lose the possession battle while the single striker becomes increasingly isolated. Conversely, insisting on pushing the wingbacks forward in such circumstance, attempting to dominate the midfield battle no matter the consequences, will only leave the central three increasingly in danger of being pulled apart as they attempt to cover vacant wide areas.



With the proliferation of single striker systems the problem more often than not with three center backs became that you either had too many defenders committed to protecting against that single central man, or you had too few defending against a side that could effectively use the wings to deliver crosses to that central man. The issue has never been that a central three is too many men committed to defense on the whole, since most systems commit at least four players almost exclusively to defense as part of either a flat back line or some form of stacked defensive quartet of center backs and holding midfielders while the fullbacks rush forward. The problem is that as sides look to exploit three central defenders it inevitably leads to the need for the wingbacks to defend to a greater degree, and so sooner or later one decides that a four man back line can do the job just as well as what has suddenly become a five man back line, and then a central defender is swapped for a player pushed forward somewhere else. But against a side unable–or simply unprepared–to properly exploit a three center back system, it can actually be quite advantageous, contributing to an even stronger position in the midfield battle.



It certainly worked a charm against Stoke, a side unable to cope with a striker man marked by Kyrgiakos, supported as he was by two additional center backs while the wingbacks stayed high up the pitch to support both possession and defensive pressure from midfield. It worked against a side that wasn’t set up to effectively stretch the wings and force Liverpool into a catch-22 where they either defended with three and got picked apart, or defended with five and lost that advantage in midfield. It worked against the agrarian lumpers of Stoke–it worked wonders. But it’s probably not the long term answer.


v.
Even assuming that every side faced had the same deficiencies as Stoke, one imagines the eventual goal for Liverpool is to have both Suarez and Carroll in the starting lineup. The problem then becomes that you either have to drop Suarez into an attacking midfield role in place of Gerrard or Meireles, or switch to a two man front as Liverpool did towards the end of the match. In the latter case, despite the braying of clueless pundits the world over, an extra striker doesn’t always make things more attacking–it certainly didn’t make Liverpool more attacking against Stoke, and with good reason. The system Liverpool used to such great effect for the bulk of the match was a system that thrived on possession, on pass and move and overloading the midfield while slowly shifting the entire team forward and looking to overwhelm an opposition defending in numbers with numbers of their own. With one man up top, it meant there could be six men in midfield, and the time afforded by that allowed Liverpool to move forward as a unit and flood the box with attackers once Stoke was pushed back against their own goal line. On the other hand, two up top would have meant–did mean, towards the end–that Liverpool would lose the time provided by that midfield advantage and be forced to play a more direct game through the two strikers, a tactic more suited to a counter-attacking underdog than a dominant home side. Perhaps two strikers sounds more attacking on the surface, but the match against Stoke saw one striker and four or five players attacking the box to start, and then two strikers but only two or three players able to attack the box to end, which just goes to show it’s about finding the proper balance for your side’s players and the opponent, and not about how many strikers are on the pitch. It also goes to show that the most effective attacks can come from first effectively controlling areas other than the final third.



In the end it seems that it’s always about balance and team, and the way that the defense supports the transition and possession informs the attack. Yesterday, then, Liverpool–whether it was down to Kenny Dalglish or Steve Clarke’s specific tactics on the day–got it absolutely, brilliantly right. It won’t work against everybody–in fact, it likely wouldn’t work against Chelsea, though the self-evidently more defensive 5-3-2 Liverpool finished the match with and that could be used while looking to hit them on the counter might actually have some merit on Sunday, even if the resulting concession of midfield would mean nervy moments and a lot of long balls. It probably isn’t best suited to Liverpool’s best eleven at present in any case, either. But sometimes, something like what was seen yesterday will be the right formation to get the job done due to the opponent and available players.



Nobody knew this Liverpool had it in them to approach a match like that, and it was an absolute tactical master-class. A perfectly balanced, perfectly modern twist on the 3-4-2-1 with a focus on dominating midfield possession, one that completely nullified Stoke’s ability to do anything at all. In the glow of such victory, it’s hard not to wonder if with the right personnel in defense–perhaps with a ball playing center back on the right to match Agger on the left, and with a new Sami Hyypia in the middle to clean things up–such a formation might, with enough practice, have the flexibility to be more generally useful in modern football. Especially with the way the defensive side of the team transitioned to a very Brazilian stacked quartet once the ball reached the final third. Still, the personnel probably isn’t there to make it work week in and week out right now, both in that there’s an absence of a second Daniel Agger at the back, as well as the presence of a certain Luis Suarez at the front. But for at least one night it was a thing of beauty, and once it started clicking, Stoke didn’t know hit them.



This is the same system that the Red's played against Chelsea as they thouroughly outplayed the Blue's on Sunday. They swamped Chelsea for most of the match and found options time and time again all over the pitch.


I think that this formation would be most beneficial for our team to adapt to. Now the problem is getting the rest of the guys on board. Wish me luck.

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Enough With The Transfers Already...I Have To Focus On My Anniversary

Ten years. This February 5th, it will be ten years since I married my beautiful, amazing wife. When I sit and think about the past ten years...I think at first that it has simply blown by way to fast. But then my memories start to really take hold and time starts to slow down in my mind. And I mean SLOW DOWN...like a Heinz ketchup bottle leisurely dripping its delicious sauce from atop a tall apartment building and onto my hot dog. Which randomly reminds me of this commercial...


Omigosh! That's Matt Leblanc!  But I digress...

My wife started out as my friend. And after some long nights sitting and talking at Waterfront Park, and walking and more talking through Downtown Charleston, she became my best friend. We had a lot in common, so naturally we had quite a bit to talk about. One great gold nugget of knowledge that I found out about her was that she was a soccer player. Not only did she play, but she was a champion. And I saw the plaques on the wall to prove it. This was a serious turn-on. I was starting to have quite a bit of trouble containing my emotions around her (and about her).  I was seriously falling in love with her. And I came to a point where I simply couldn't hide it any more. Things were moving along swiflty. Shortly after we started hanging out, I had moved in with her. And the really cool stuff started happening. (Mind out of the gutter, please) 

One day I came home and I had a moment. Kind of like when you have that moment of realization.... like when the lightbulb pops on over your head, or when the heavens shine down on you to light your path forward...and at that moment, I knew that I wanted nothing more than to marry this absolutely gift of a human being. 

You ask, what was this moment? Well to be truthful, it was a series of moments that had been building to a crescendo culminating in a harmonious moment of true symphonic exhilaration. I came home one day and my future wife was watching soccer on tv. Not only was she watching the match, but she gave me the play-by-play, catching me up to speed to the 65th minute of Liverpool vs Everton. I loved Liverpool. And I loved her. Oh...how I loved her.  Even though she supports Man Utd. (yeah, haha, have a laugh won't you)

So this may not be a completely forthcoming history of all the ins and outs of our love life and marriage (again, get out of the gutter). In fact, it is nowhere near the large body of work that our love's history would require me to honestly chronicle in whole.  But it is an insight into what got us off on such the right foot. Soccer. It's the passion that we started out sharing and continue to embrace together today. And we share our love with our friends and our family. We now have two little ballin' rugrats that are sure to carry on our futbol legacy of love for a long time to come.

So it's our ten year anniversary. Over the past decade together we've seen Liverpool win the European Cup the Super Cup and the Champion's League among other great moments.  And yes, I guess that we've seen Manchester Utd win a few games here and there too...its really not important. Thankfully, I have been blessed to have her share my intense love for DC United. I don't think I could have been able to deal with the past couple of MLS seasons without being able to have her shoulder to cry on.

I truly cannot and do not want to imagine what my life would be like if I did not meet her at a bar, in an ally, off of John Street one spring night in Charleston. I am blessed. And for the next ten years, I am going to do my best to make sure that she know how much she means to me. She certainly has shown me over the past ten years how much I mean to her. I get to go play footie whenever I like. She lets my life revolve around the beautiful game just as much as it revolves around her and our family. Love and Soccer, two amazing gifts that my wife has given me for ten years. Add in the babes, and my last decade has been a dream. So again, for the next ten years to come, I have a mission to fulfill. My duty is to honor her by being the best that I can be for her, for our kids, and for the game.

So here you go babe. I love you. I tried to be more romantic by finding you something to do with Man Utd...but alas, there is nothing out there even remotely romantic in regards to those blokes. But these fellas should do just fine. They happen to be Tottenham Supporters, but hey...at least they aren't Chelsea or Arsenal fans...

Ahhhhhh.....the modern state of Football and the $$$$$ that corrupts it's players

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Michael Bradley going to Galatasaray...Pros-Champions League Soccer; Cons-.....I guess not any I can think of. But I am disappointed that he still isn't in EPL

Pre-Season Has Begun

With the Spring 11v11 season bearing down upon us, teams are fielding friendly matches to knock some of the rust off and fine tune their instruments of soccer ability.  Our Wolves took on the up and coming Plague Rats this past weekend. A preseason fixture, that has seen the steady rise of the Plague Rats' development as a strong, competitive soccer team in the Lowcountry, came and went without much of a change in result from our last meeting. Having more of our team present for this most recent game then the latter, I felt we would have done a bit better. But with the Wolves trying out a few new players, experiencing some definite rustiness, add bit of miscommunication, and working with a new goalie...the Rats came up with the win. Now...reading that back makes us sound as if we had a ton of excuses for our off-performance...but if you know anything about soccer...all of these issues stated do come into play.  To the Plague Rats, we seem to be easy pickings for them each preseason. The past 2 matches, they come on to the pitch very organized.  They move the ball and find space with efficiency. They play a very direct game that exploits their attacking talents.  Their dedication to fitness and training as a team are very evident. I hope that we meet in the Division this Spring season.

Our team is a second half team that is desperately wanting to change for the better. The better, in this case, would mean controlling from minute one and imposing our style and strength throughout the 90 minutes. We have very good players on our team, and we always do well in the season. For a team that talks very little about gameplan, our history proves that we play with a silent understanding of each other, and most often come out victorious as league season winners and playoff champs.  Instead of a lot of teams in the league that showcase three or four stars, our team is comprised of many good players that believe in each others ability and work hard for each other to ensure the win. And if not a win, at least a good showing. 

With one more preseason match coming up against Madra Rua Irish Pub, the Wolves hope to continue our dominance over the "Boys in Black".  I honestly cannot remember ever losing to Madra Rua. But every game has been entertaining and fast paced. And to make sure credit is given where it is certainly due....Madra are no push-overs. These are the types of contests that we, as soccer players, live for.  Just this last season, we played them to a 2-1 finish in the first meeting. A couple of weeks later, and with the return of Paul Schrafft to the lineup...the Wolves turned a 2 goal deficit at halftime into a 4-2 win with an amazing show by the whole squad. Special work done by Brent Wood (an assist and an "almost" diving header for a goal), Tarus Little with a goal, and Paul with a brace. Paul even saw the goalkeeper sent off after a blatant foul resulting in the denial of a goal scoring opportunity. The third meeting of the season was in the Division 1 semifinals. This match lived up to its predecessors as an amazingly fast paced, dramatic, and nail-biting performance by both teams. This semi ended 3-2 with the Wolves on top (of course).  We tried a new formation that no one seemed to like right from the start. We played a 3-2-3-2, with the double stopper (or holding mids for some of you), and it did clog the middle up as intended. But with the lack of practice with this formation, we reverted to the tried and true 4-4-2 at halftime. Again, the match was back and forth throughout the first half. But once we hit that second half, it was time to coast through, get our goals, and finish the game like we have been doing for the past couple of seasons.  Over all three matches, and this past season as a whole...we would be nothing if it wasn't for our defense (comprised most always of Nate Pearson, Alan Dix, Brent Wood, and Joey Gorman) and goalkeeper (Anthony Jones).

Looking forward to our next match and the Spring season, I don't know what it's going to take to get the Wolves to be in command from the first minute of every match. Sometimes we play well and we are consistent, but other times its a hard fought battle all the way to the end. Dunno...

But I guess that's why we play this game. And another reason why we all love it so much. Football, or soccer, is a game that can go any which way, on any day, no matter who is on the pitch to play.  That is why we play the game. To put our own personal mark on it. To share our abilities with others to make something beautiful together. To find joy in the strike of a shot for a goal; in the last chance clearance of the ball off the goal line; in the threading-of-the-needle sort of pass to find your mate running through, unmarked; the stringing together of pass after pass after pass sending your opponent into the woes of misery; and most importantly, in the fraternal bonding of the team. 

But with the quest for joy comes the bitter agony of pain and defeat...but this too, is how you grow as a player and how we grow as a team. The hunger for another chance at glory. The desire to prove to yourself and to your opponents that you can do better. The constant replays in your head as you lay down to sleep, as you work out intensely in mid-week, and the night before gameday. All of these things are necessary to feed the beast that is your love for the game.


But in the end, the ball may bounce your way and it may not.

Why Liverpool Should Sell Fernando Torres To Pave New Future For Reds

Interesting article from EPL Talk. I have to say that it makes great sense...but didn't we just get new owners with a boatload of cash? I say keep Torres, and buy the other 3 so we have the sickest strike force in the EPL!!!!

Why Liverpool Should Sell Fernando Torres To Pave New Future For Reds

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Charity Event To Support Local Men's Squad and AVFAL

This January 29th @ 8pm located at Mueller's Pub (formerly known as Ten Seventeen) there will be a charity event for the South Charleston FC - Wolves Men's Soccer Team. In addition to supporting the local boys, the night is meant to raise money for a soccer based charity organization doing good work over in Sierra Leone and Cameroon.  We hope to raise awareness of this charity and money for both associations.

AVFAL - African Volunteer Football Academy For the Less (Privileged)

(from their site)

AVFAL's major objective is to provide soccer training to less privilege African Children.

The African Volunteer Football Academy for the Less Privileged (AVFAL) plays a vital role in the economic and social well being of our communities, state and nation. AVFAL provide a means for people to contribute time, resources and expertise for a greater good of our society.

OUR POSITION

 The African Volunteer Football Academy for the Less Privileged (AVFAL) is in a position to work in partnership with foundations, football clubs, churches and community development organisation worldwide to meet brand as well as corporate social responsibility and objectives. Young people and sport is a powerful combination, and we all need to work together to develop and nurture healthy active lifestyles amongst all young people. We recognize that sport can create a spirit of adventure and creativity that's why we aims to inspire 8 to 22 year old youth while helping schools meet their behaviour improvement targets through a structured programme of activities

THE CENTRE

 The centres are situated in the sea site towns of Limbe, Cameroon and Freetown in Sierra Leone. We have students from every corner of Cameroon and Sierra Leone and neighbouring countries like Nigeria, Senegal, Chad, Benin, Central Africa Republic and Gabon. For the past years, we have been involved in the training and formation of young footballers. Currently, our players are playing with second and third division clubs in Cameroon.

So if you are in Charleston on January 29th, please stop by Mueller's Pub (Formerly known as Ten-Seventeen) and have some drinks. There will be 3 kegs tapped and it's $20 for a cup.  There will be free Pool, Ping Pong, and Fifa 11 will be set up for a winner stays on tournament. This event is open to everyone!

It would be very nice for you to bring a gently used or new piece of soccer equipment to donate to AVFAL. 

Items such as balls, cleats, jerseys, shinguards, training equipment, shorts, etc. are all welcome.

The other benefactor of the night will be the local Division 1 Champions, the SCFC Wolves. The South Charleston Futbol Club has been around for a 6 years now.  Once a club made up of 4 squads, the strongest talent was pooled and filtered to the Wolves. Some teams dissolved, while others broke away, and currently the Wolves are the only team representing South Charleston FC.  The Wolves have been to many league and tournament "finals". Coming away as runner-ups more than a few times. But with the positive growth and even more positive attitudes, the team has hit their stride and are starting to pull away from the pack more and more. With absolutely remarkable performances in all of 2009, and the second half of 2010; they have come away as 3 times CSL Division 1 League Winners, twice the CSL D1 Cup Winners, Copa Charleston winners, and the CSL 6v6 D1 Champs.  With their eye on the 2011 state title, the team is hungry for more success.  With a strong core, the team is poised to climb to the tip-top of the Charleston Soccer League, and hope to become the champions in the next edition of the CSL's Premier Division in Spring 2011. 

 

The team is currently looking for sponsorship of their 2011 campaign.  This fundraiser will definitely help to cover some of their administrative costs.  The league and tournament costs rise from year to year, and currently total around $5k for the year. Any help is welcome.

If you are interested in sponsoring the team, please contact Alex Voelker @ asmv1423@aol.com

Done and Done...

I can't take it anymore.  Out with Hodgson.  "Dejection, bitter disappointment, frustration." He just took over a few months ago. It's us that are feeling those three words as if they were cold steel piercing our hearts.  It's days like this when I think back to a quote delivered by Alan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham in a Kevin Costner version of Robin Hood...

Sheriff - "I'll cut his (Robin's) heart out with a spoon!"
Guy of Gisborne - "Why a spoon, cousin? Why not an axe?"
Sheriff - "Because it's DULL, you twit. It'll hurt more."

So um...yeah...That seems more appropriate. Not so much a piercing of the heart, but a slow and painful ladling of our tormented, dying hearts and souls...

Its time for him to go. Cannot wait any damn longer. I was able to watch the first 20 minutes and I thought we looked a little off the mark with our chances. But I mean, come on...it's Blackburn. We're Liverpool. Damn, I guess that the problem now. What does it mean to be Liverpool anymore, anyway...

With Glennie "Juventus" Johnson turning in a disastrous performance at RB (dare I say "again"), and The Greek getting turned as if he were a pretty little daisy in the middle of a tornado (once more, a common occurrence)...our defense is floundering in a sea of shite.  Glen just looks like he needs to be a winger. He seems to care much more and show greater focus when he's attacking than when he's guarding his own end. I think he may very well be on his way. I don't want to see him go, but his performances are akin to a schoolboy looking out the window and counting the clouds in the sky while the lecture is going on.

Come on January...Come on Transfer window. I am rooting for you now.

I Am Really Looking Forward To The 3v3 Tournament This Weekend!

Coaching and playing this weekend in the local edition of 3v3 World Tour.  Needles to say, I am very excited to be doing both.  Having hosted, played, and coached before...I know that it will be a great day. Win or lose, the touches on the ball and the tournament atmosphere are something to look forward to.

The benefits from 3v3 are easy to figure out. The small field of play and small amount of players forces the indiviual to be much more mobile.  There are no assigned positions to the game. In order to be successful, the team must work together to defend and attack. The constant movement, changing of direction and "Take-on" moves become a natural part of the game and are emphasized greatly in 3v3.  Unlike in a full-sided match, you cannot hide on the sideline go through a game with minimal touches. 3v3 can help make a complete soccer player in regards to quick decision making, accurate passing, and reading the game.  Much like Futsal, you will find the benefits of 3v3 to be invaluable to the development of good soccer players.

So What Is 3v3?
(Taken from Wikipedia)

3v3 Soccer is a variety of soccer (association football) played between two teams. Each team may only have 3 players on the field at a time (hence providing the name, "3 v 3", "3 versus 3", or "3 on 3"). This style of soccer is more commonly referred to as a "small-sided" game, as compared to a full game with larger teams. The field used is smaller than a regulation soccer pitch, instead typically 30 yards wide by 40 yards long, although these dimensions vary quite a bit when the game is played indoors due to the varied styles and sizes of indoor pitches. It uses a much smaller goal than fullsided soccer. In most 3v3 there is no keeper, although one variant, 3v3 Micro Soccer, does use a keeper.
"3v3 Soccer" is claimed to be the fastest growing form of soccer in the World. Its greatest popularity is in the United States, where hundreds, and perhaps thousands of Tournaments take place each year, however it is also now begun to catch on in many other countries. Nike helped to popularize it with its international Joga3 Joga Bonito Tour back in 2006, in which teams qualified at local events around the World, culminating in a big 3v3 World Cup played in Brazil.^[It is a much faster paced, and higher scoring game than traditional full sided soccer. The speed of the attack, the use of triangulation, and the strategies bring aspects of Hockey into the game. The quick shift from one end of the field to the other after a goal is scored, or upon loss of possession is reminiscent of Basketball. It requires the blending of individual skills with teamwork.
Its gain in popularity is largely because every member of the team gets equal playing time, and equal touches on the ball. All players on the field are a part of the play. Because of the speed of the game, and the fact that players are constantly in motion, there are frequent substitutions. A typical player may be rotated on six times or more in one game. There are no permanently assigned positions as there are in full sided soccer, giving each team member equal status and equal importance. This helps to develop individual skills.
Currently there are Four major tours in the United States, Colorado based Kick-it 3v3 (used to be called Got Milk 3v3), Utah based 3v3 Live, Florida based Challenge3v3 and 3v3 World Tour, a 3v3 soccer tour that offers a 3v3 ranking system. There is also a new California based US 3v3 Soccer is promoting 3v3 soccer throughout California and the West. Canada also finally has its own home grown tour attempting to promote 3v3 there. Ontario based Ultimate 3 on 3 Soccer is the first Canadian based 3v3 Soccer Tour.

So Happy!

What a WONDERFUL way to ring in the New Year!  Thanks to Joey Cole, Stevie G, and Nando for making it an extra special day in my household! Well more so just for me...you see, the Mrs. is a Man Utd fan and my son is leaning towards Chelsea. (While I do encourage his independent thinking, he is still young and one can hope that he may see the light soon enough!)

If you missed the game, it was a return to joy for the boys in Red.  I loved to see the combo of Lucas and Meireles in the middle. They have had good communication and coverage in prior games. I am not sure why Roy hasn't played them together more often.  It was a shame that Raul had to leave the match, but was very happy that Gerrard came in to do some hard work and touched the gaem once again with his class and ability. What a day.... 

But first things first...what an absolute gutted feeling I had when Bolton scored that goal. I mean, jeeeeesh...what a downer.  Just before halftime and during a stretch that had you just feeling that Liverpool were going to break through at any moment.  But when that ball was sent in with such pace and determination, it was hard to imagine a good outcome.  And once you saw Glen Johnson getting beat to the ball...it was all over.  At that moment I was so very tempted to dismiss the whole season as a complete loss. I was done.  And along with me, it seemed that Anfield was done too. It was so quiet in the stadium when that ball hit the back of the net. With the defense standing there scratching their heads. The look on faces of the coaching staff said it all, "Holy Hell. What in the world are we going to do?" It was almost one of those moments right before you really throw up, and you do just a little in your mouth. And you get that nasty stomach acid taste in your mouth that just makes you yearn for an apple juice or some whiskey to wash it away.

But just as quickly as Davies scored for Bolton, Lucas had a sitter and just pushed it wide of the goal.  Maybe some more playing time would help his in-game form. Dunno.  What I do know is that I need to move the couch back from directly under my ceiling fan. It has become a danger as I have found myself jumping so high when I get excited, that I almost knock it loose and crashing to the floor on top of me.  It has become a common occurrence when I am watching footie. So best bet would be to move the couch prior to matchtime.

But then it all became beautiful after halftime. The skies grew bright blue and the sun shone down upon my living room with such heat and warmth. I suspect that a million other Liverpool fans shared that exact moment with me.  What a moment! What an amazing service! With what any Stevie G fan would measure as definitely a classic pass, Torres found himself on the end of it, taking the volley and blasting it to the top shelf.  But lets back up a second. This was not just a famous Stevie to Nando connection. This was a great team effort starting with Glennie Johnson lobbing the ball forward to Ngog; Ngog chests the ball into the path of Gerrard; and the one time swerving beauty of a ball into the box for Torres to bang it home from a full volley. This was a goal that I, nor any Liverpool fan will forget for a long, long time.  Torres' finish was so perfect. I watched the replay about 30 times with my son. Absolutely clinical strike technique from Fernando.  As of publishing this blog tonight, I have now watched the goal 38 times. Obsessed much? Yes.

What struck me so was a quick camera cut to some of the the Reds that were away from Torres and his celebration.  What I saw was a group of players that looked so unbelievably happy and relieved.  But more importantly, I could feel the confidence exuding from the Reds. I could feel what they were feelign right then and there. It was that knowledge that, hey...we can play some ball. This game is different everytime we play it. You never know for sure which way that the ball will bounce on any given day. I felt that Liverpool felt that they were going to be okay. And at that moment right then, I didn't feel worried.  Whether or not this was brought on by the rush of adrenaline and/or endorphines pumping through my already alcohol infused bloodstream. I don't know. I mentioned that the skies went blue and the sun shone down as well...but my wife informed me that it was very overcast at gametime. Maybe its all in my head. So what?!? It's my head, and I like what I am feeling.

So as the game continued on, it looked as thought the best we were going to get out of the day was a draw. You know what? I believed that something was going to happen. I just knew that we were going to come out on top. And aside from my dog, kids, and wife...no one else knew what I knew. I really wished I had a line to a local bookie. 'Cause you know what? I would have bet the farm on the 'Pool.  And I would've won big.

With another sensational cross from Mr. Gerrard - 

(break for our favorite Stevie G song...) 

"Steve Gerrard, Gerrard

He'll Pass the ball 40 yards

He's Big and He's F***ing Hard

Steve Gerrard, Gerrard"

and throw in

my favorite Nando song to boot-

"His armband proved he was a red, Torres, Torres
you'll never walk alone it said, Torres, Torres
we bought the lad from sunny Spain
he gets the ball and he scores again
Fernando Torres, Liverpools number nine"

So....back to the finish that sent me into the heights of ecstacy that carried me trhough the rest of the day on a high only equal to my experience of roving the Appalachian Trail with a band of hippies surviving on trail mix, MDMA, and mushrooms. Wait...that wasn't me.  (I have an image to uphold...or do I...)  But anyway...

JOEY COLE WITH THE WINNER!!!!  JOEY COLE WITH THE WINNER!!!!

In my mind, I did a double front flip with a twist. I couldn't believe it. And I could care less about the offside. God Blessed us with a momentary no-call from the referee and we got the win! I loved it. 

Now lets see what happens this week. Roy's got a long way to go. But for now, I am living in the moments of Liverpool vs Bolton on Jan 1, 2011. I know those guys on the Reds are living it over and over as well. 

Check out the highlights at Fox Soccer