In case you're just getting around to the news, the referendum has just been called and the British public have voted to leave the EU. This is a momentous day for all of us that study politics (for the obvious reasons), and it is also an important day for US soccer, as the path of least resistance for an American to play in Europe has officially closed for those without a British parent according to UK citizenship law. This means that for all future contracts and player signings, an American like Matt Mizaga, who does not have a British parent, would require a work permit to play for Chelsea. This would apply to all Americans who play for a professional club in the UK, which effectively closes out the door for Americans with EU passports access to British clubs. The knock-on effects will be outstanding, and I will list the approximate effects below:
- More US kids will be turned off by soccer. Yes, you read that right. They will turn away from soccer mostly because they (or their parents) do not have the time or money to pay for a tutor in another language, which would be a de facto requirement of the American soccer player in Europe... that is, if they possess that elusive EU eligibility.
- Those players that have been playing for British clubs (Zelalem, Cropper, et al) may have to move back to the US to salvage their careers as UK clubs will find Americans with EU passports less attractive due to the work permit issues. Zelalem may be an exception to this.
- More kids that do play soccer will be encouraged by pretty much everyone to learn Spanish, French, or German if they posses an EU passport to assimilate easier into a foreign country that does not speak their language, leading to more bi-lingual soccer players
I cannot stress enough how much of a blow this is for US soccer as a whole. Not only has a key development path been taken away from Americans who do not have the patience to learn a second language but possess an EU (not UK) eligible parent, this will only put more talented Americans in the hands of less-than-qualified coaches whose goals are to win State Cups and not to develop professional-grade players.
Thursday, June 23, 2016
Sunday, June 19, 2016
Teston Scores First Goal in Kings History in 1-0 Win
Joel Teston etched his name in the history books of Baltimore pro soccer as he scored the first goal in Baltimore Kings history in a 1-0 win over the South Central PA Lions at John Carroll. The visitors were down to 10 men as one of their players was injured after some contact to his knee as he slid in to recover a ball and they had no substitutes available to them. There was a lot to analyze from this game, both positives and a large negative. The first mention I would like to make is that John Carroll did not have any extra water dispensers available to the team when they ran out of water, but that is a venue issue, not an on-the-field issue. The first on-field comment from me today was the amount of passing done and the improvements made within the span of a week to address some key possession issues. The Kings played the ball very well and made that small field theirs from the start. There wasn’t a single thing South Central could have done to stop them, with the exception of reacting quicker to Baltimore’s possession.
The second take away from me with regard to this game was the amount of chances created by turnovers for the Kings, which was lacking last week because SAC never let go of the ball. They were very incisive with their passing, which led to some goal-scoring opportunities. This could have (and should have) been a wider score margin with the amount of chances the Kings got throughout the game.
There can also be an argument made that South Central deserved something out of this game due to the amount of pressure they put the Kings under from about the 75th minute on. It looked like South Central, a team with just the 11 players required to play a game, was fitter than the Kings, who had a whole 18 players with them, and that is flat out unacceptable. It seemed that they collectively got a second wind at the same time to mount a continuous attack for the last 15 minutes of the game, and it looked like South Central were the ones with 18 players. It also must be said that the Kings were just waiting out the time at that point, but if those players wish to move up to the professional ranks, they have to take every minute as seriously as any other -- in other words, do not let up when you are up late because that lead can disappear in a flash. That is the most important thing the Kings need to work on in practice: fitness. They closed this one out… barely. Had that game gone on for another 5 minutes, I could see South Central scoring due to the momentum shift that occurred.
Next Sunday, the Kings travel to Lancaster, PA to play the same team. Time and venue to be confirmed.
The second take away from me with regard to this game was the amount of chances created by turnovers for the Kings, which was lacking last week because SAC never let go of the ball. They were very incisive with their passing, which led to some goal-scoring opportunities. This could have (and should have) been a wider score margin with the amount of chances the Kings got throughout the game.
There can also be an argument made that South Central deserved something out of this game due to the amount of pressure they put the Kings under from about the 75th minute on. It looked like South Central, a team with just the 11 players required to play a game, was fitter than the Kings, who had a whole 18 players with them, and that is flat out unacceptable. It seemed that they collectively got a second wind at the same time to mount a continuous attack for the last 15 minutes of the game, and it looked like South Central were the ones with 18 players. It also must be said that the Kings were just waiting out the time at that point, but if those players wish to move up to the professional ranks, they have to take every minute as seriously as any other -- in other words, do not let up when you are up late because that lead can disappear in a flash. That is the most important thing the Kings need to work on in practice: fitness. They closed this one out… barely. Had that game gone on for another 5 minutes, I could see South Central scoring due to the momentum shift that occurred.
Next Sunday, the Kings travel to Lancaster, PA to play the same team. Time and venue to be confirmed.
Sunday, June 12, 2016
Kings Fall in Club Debut to SAC Premier 1-0
The Baltimore Kings U23 men’s team lost to SAC Premier 1-0 in a closely-contested affair at Covenant Park in Howard County, MD. The Kings showed some positives, with Carlos Caro picking up some key saves toward the end to keep the boys in the game. Some other observations are that they had most of the ball throughout the game, but they could not capitalize on that possession with a goal. Another key factor in determining the outcome of this game was the turnovers in the defensive part of midfield. One of those led to their goal, scored on a quick counterattack. The game started off with a bang, as the Kings played their style and did not let SAC have much possession of the ball as the Kings knocked the ball in and penned SAC deep. The problem was that they could not maintain that style of play for the whole 90 minutes, but that can be addressed with practice playing together. Another observation was that they did not use the width of the pitch to full effect. In one play in the second half, the left winger had the ball at his feet and there was no supporting run down the left side, so he cut into the middle and gave the ball away. The wind was swirling today, so it is sort of understandable that the winger did not go out to the sideline to attempt a cross into the penalty area, but that should be the goal of that play. That was just one example of how playing together can fix an issue that can be resolved before their next game. Another more tactical flaw is the lack of a “fulcrum” in the midfield to connect the forwards with the midfielders, as the midfielders had a lot of ground to cover to get to the forwards, also causing some turnovers and negative play.
Also apparent to me watching that game was that there was more talking on the bench than on the field, and that is a major issue with a team that has just started playing together. Communication is key not just in soccer but in life, as with just a simple phrase or wording from teammates out there, balls can be played better than what were played. Also important is that the team act as one when communicating, as when people talked to one another on the field, they were telling the player on the ball to do different things. While it is OK to disagree with what a player should do in any given situation, the player has to have the intelligence to look up and assess the situation for himself, especially if that player wants to move up to the professional level, so that he can make his own decisions.
Overall, I think the Kings played well in the defensive third of the pitch, marking well enough for this level but not for a professional level. Their wingers were open all day long if SAC wanted to use them, and use them they did, as their tactical strategy was to go toward the outside of the penalty area and lob in crosses. That is generally the play style of every team that the Kings will face, so they will have to practice defending that, which they clearly have done.
The next game is next Sunday at home to South Central PA Lions. The venue and time are to be determined.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Bohs Draw 1-1 with Evergreen FC
In a repeat of last Friday's encounter at Cedar Lane Park in Bel Air, the Baltimore Bohemians drew with Shantilly, VA-based Evergreen FC, who has an "affiliation" with West Ham United. The attendance was (by my own way of counting) around 200. There were no "hardcore supporters" at the game, and the renters of Bonvegna Field charged the Bohs $3,000 for the season, which they could not pay. Evergreen scored the first goal due to a Bohs player missing his hair tie when it fell out during play. When the equipment manager attempted to hand the tie over to him, he did not realize that coach Mike Marciano, who is an assistant coach at Loyola, had the wingers swap. The Bohs got the game-tying goal in the 2nd half, and they had more chances, but did not convert.
Overall, I think the biggest problem with the Bohs is their shape. If the equipment manager (who has been with the team since day one) cannot name the tactic the coach is playing with, this is a bad sign. (Not for the equipment guy, but for the coach.) Their number 5 (no one got a roster sheet) was running up and down the left wing all night, and did not receive any passes until the 2nd half late. This is a bad sign if they continue to play this way. Their next home game is June 5.
Overall, I think the biggest problem with the Bohs is their shape. If the equipment manager (who has been with the team since day one) cannot name the tactic the coach is playing with, this is a bad sign. (Not for the equipment guy, but for the coach.) Their number 5 (no one got a roster sheet) was running up and down the left wing all night, and did not receive any passes until the 2nd half late. This is a bad sign if they continue to play this way. Their next home game is June 5.
Sunday, April 24, 2016
10-Man Minn United Beats Cosmos 1-0; Strikers Attendance Unacceptable
The New York Cosmos are slowly turning into Everton with their late goals allowed, as they allowed a 90th-minute goal to Minnesota United's Christian Ramirez, who has given United's most important win in their season. This is not the first time that the Cosmos have allowed a late goal, as they did so against Indy and Ottawa earlier on this season.
However, from the Minnesota perspective, this game will be remembered fondly for years to come, as Ramirez gave them a win against the biggest club in the NASL. Ramirez will be key to United's success this season and moving forward when MLS will grant them a place.
The main headline for this week, however, was even more attendance issues for the Strikers. An official attendance of 1,097. This is not a typo. There were reports of lightning in the South Florida area that affected Miami's attendance tonight, as most people left during the 90-minute lightning delay. I am fully convinced now that the Strikers must pull all money spent on marketing in Brazil and reinvest it into marketing for their area. I think it is highly unacceptable that 1,000 people show up for a professional soccer game in South Florida, and the Strikers (and Miami) need to figure out that formula quickly. Regional rivals Jacksonville and Tampa Bay have figured it out somewhat.
Here are the results from this week of NASL play:
Strikers 1-1 Armada (Strikers down to 10)
Tampa Bay 1-3 Carolina
Minnesota 1-0 Cosmos
Miami 2-3 OKC
However, from the Minnesota perspective, this game will be remembered fondly for years to come, as Ramirez gave them a win against the biggest club in the NASL. Ramirez will be key to United's success this season and moving forward when MLS will grant them a place.
The main headline for this week, however, was even more attendance issues for the Strikers. An official attendance of 1,097. This is not a typo. There were reports of lightning in the South Florida area that affected Miami's attendance tonight, as most people left during the 90-minute lightning delay. I am fully convinced now that the Strikers must pull all money spent on marketing in Brazil and reinvest it into marketing for their area. I think it is highly unacceptable that 1,000 people show up for a professional soccer game in South Florida, and the Strikers (and Miami) need to figure out that formula quickly. Regional rivals Jacksonville and Tampa Bay have figured it out somewhat.
Here are the results from this week of NASL play:
Strikers 1-1 Armada (Strikers down to 10)
Tampa Bay 1-3 Carolina
Minnesota 1-0 Cosmos
Miami 2-3 OKC
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
NASL Week 1 Recap
The first week back with the NASL saw Rayo OKC sell out Miller Stadium, with an attendance of 6,416, and a local derby that showed all the signs of becoming a true derby. Here are the results from the games I selected to be features for this week:
Carolina and Minnesota were the curtain raiser at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. They played to an announced attendance of 4,159, which I find to be incredibly generous given all the empty seats I saw on my ESPN3 feed. However, those people were treated to 2 world-class goals that I'd put down as Goal of the Year contenders. The first was a screamer from Christian Ramirez from about 20-30 yards out that was calmly placed into the net. The second great goal was from Tiyi Shipalane who chipped the ball past Sammy Nojock, the United goalkeeper. The game winner was scored by Austin da Luz. All 3 goals were scored in the first half.
Next up was the South Florida Derby between the Strikers and Miami, who played to an announced attendance of 2,129. More on that later. Those people saw an intense derby with a referee named Jose Carlos Rivero who was very inconsistent with his calls. He awarded a penalty to Miami FC that was absolutely perfectly taken by Dario Cvitanich, who placed it into the bottom corner out of the reach of the 6'5" Strikers keeper Bruno. While watching it live, I thought the penalty was undeserved and that the Miami player went down very easily. Jorge Luis Corrales was booked twice in that game, earning him a suspension and earning the Strikers a one-player advantage. However, their last-minute goal was not from the run of play, either. That was another penalty awarded (this time I did not think it was dubious), and the penalty was converted by Maicon Santos. The referee called a total of 44 fouls in that game, some of which were extremely dubious.
Before I get into the Cosmos game, let me address the Strikers attendance (or lack thereof) for a few minutes. Several Strikers fans who posted in the Reddit matchday thread have said that the Strikers did not put an ounce of effort into their local advertising, instead their focus is on their international marketin to Brazil and China. To me, that is inexcusable. How will you be able to afford all of these trips to those places when you can't even get 4000 to show up to your stadium? If those posters are to be believed, and I have no reason not to believe them, the Strikers are really dropping the ball on their local advertisement, virtually conceding their market to Miami FC without making an effort to reach out to their local community. That kind of approach in this league is unacceptable and wrong. I will be looking very closely at the Strikers' attendance over their home games throughout the first half of the season, and I will see if they improve. However, some blame must also be placed on Flight 19's shoulders for not getting the word out to their members and their friends that this is the biggest game of their season because this is their derby. I would expect an absolute sellout with lines demanding tickets for a derby, especially on opening day. Just a brief message for them: if your club is not putting any marketing dollars into South Florida, you have to pick up the slack somehow. Call people, make posters and hang them up in businesses around the city, have rallies on gamedays, etc.
Now, onto the Cosmos game. The Cosmos and Ottawa played to an announced attendance of 5,094. The Cosmos scored 3 past their Soccer Bowl opponents. Newcomer Juan Arango scored 2 past the Fury, while Adam Moffat came off the bench and scored the other one. That game was a beautiful display of what the Cosmos can bring, and even with all the problems with Hofstra and the lack of public ransit, they should be getting more than 5000, especially since they are the defending Soccer Bowl champions. Hopefully someone (hint, hint, Albany) makes a ruling on the Cosmos stadium proposal as soon as humanly possible and approves it so they can get out of that dump. The fact that it was a Sunday night game is no excuse for who is in my opinion the biggest club in American soccer.
The 2 games I did not choose to write features on (Indy-TB; Rayo-Edmonton) both finished 0-0. Indy and Tampa played to an announced attendance of 5,740 at Al Lang Stadium in Tampa, which isn't ideal, and Rayo sold out Miller Staium, with an announced attendance of 6,416.
Carolina and Minnesota were the curtain raiser at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. They played to an announced attendance of 4,159, which I find to be incredibly generous given all the empty seats I saw on my ESPN3 feed. However, those people were treated to 2 world-class goals that I'd put down as Goal of the Year contenders. The first was a screamer from Christian Ramirez from about 20-30 yards out that was calmly placed into the net. The second great goal was from Tiyi Shipalane who chipped the ball past Sammy Nojock, the United goalkeeper. The game winner was scored by Austin da Luz. All 3 goals were scored in the first half.
Next up was the South Florida Derby between the Strikers and Miami, who played to an announced attendance of 2,129. More on that later. Those people saw an intense derby with a referee named Jose Carlos Rivero who was very inconsistent with his calls. He awarded a penalty to Miami FC that was absolutely perfectly taken by Dario Cvitanich, who placed it into the bottom corner out of the reach of the 6'5" Strikers keeper Bruno. While watching it live, I thought the penalty was undeserved and that the Miami player went down very easily. Jorge Luis Corrales was booked twice in that game, earning him a suspension and earning the Strikers a one-player advantage. However, their last-minute goal was not from the run of play, either. That was another penalty awarded (this time I did not think it was dubious), and the penalty was converted by Maicon Santos. The referee called a total of 44 fouls in that game, some of which were extremely dubious.
Before I get into the Cosmos game, let me address the Strikers attendance (or lack thereof) for a few minutes. Several Strikers fans who posted in the Reddit matchday thread have said that the Strikers did not put an ounce of effort into their local advertising, instead their focus is on their international marketin to Brazil and China. To me, that is inexcusable. How will you be able to afford all of these trips to those places when you can't even get 4000 to show up to your stadium? If those posters are to be believed, and I have no reason not to believe them, the Strikers are really dropping the ball on their local advertisement, virtually conceding their market to Miami FC without making an effort to reach out to their local community. That kind of approach in this league is unacceptable and wrong. I will be looking very closely at the Strikers' attendance over their home games throughout the first half of the season, and I will see if they improve. However, some blame must also be placed on Flight 19's shoulders for not getting the word out to their members and their friends that this is the biggest game of their season because this is their derby. I would expect an absolute sellout with lines demanding tickets for a derby, especially on opening day. Just a brief message for them: if your club is not putting any marketing dollars into South Florida, you have to pick up the slack somehow. Call people, make posters and hang them up in businesses around the city, have rallies on gamedays, etc.
Now, onto the Cosmos game. The Cosmos and Ottawa played to an announced attendance of 5,094. The Cosmos scored 3 past their Soccer Bowl opponents. Newcomer Juan Arango scored 2 past the Fury, while Adam Moffat came off the bench and scored the other one. That game was a beautiful display of what the Cosmos can bring, and even with all the problems with Hofstra and the lack of public ransit, they should be getting more than 5000, especially since they are the defending Soccer Bowl champions. Hopefully someone (hint, hint, Albany) makes a ruling on the Cosmos stadium proposal as soon as humanly possible and approves it so they can get out of that dump. The fact that it was a Sunday night game is no excuse for who is in my opinion the biggest club in American soccer.
The 2 games I did not choose to write features on (Indy-TB; Rayo-Edmonton) both finished 0-0. Indy and Tampa played to an announced attendance of 5,740 at Al Lang Stadium in Tampa, which isn't ideal, and Rayo sold out Miller Staium, with an announced attendance of 6,416.
Thursday, March 31, 2016
Offseason NASL News, and a Week 1 Preview
Major news has been released about the NASL this week, including 2 TV announcements, first with Bein Sports and second with CBS Sports Network, plus an extension of the ONE World Sports and ESPN3 deals. There is also a team announcement to get to.
The deal with Bein Sports will carry at least one game each playing week. Bein is available on Comcast, Dish, DirecTV, Fios, and many more providers. Here is a list of the games that will be broadcast on Bein.
For the first time since the demise of the league back in the 1980s, the NASL is back on CBS (Sports Network). They will broadcast select games throughout the second half of the season, and a list is available here. The important part: games on CBS Sports Network supersede local broadcasts, so the game will not be available to you locally if you do not get the channel. Channel Finder
The Cosmos games will all be available on OWS and will not be given air time on CBS Sports Network. All NASL games not on national TV will be available on ESPN3; Bein games will be available to local markets.
Lastly in the offseason news, I would like to welcome the San Francisco Deltas to the NASL. I laid out an expansion plan earlier in my blog, and it seems they are following it... for now. We must wait and see if they target more West Coast markets (as they should be doing).
The TV deal with CBS is a big one because not only could this be a ratings boost for the league, it could get so big that CBS decides to shift it back to CBS and put a domestic soccer league back on over-the-air TV for the first time since the original MLS TV deal with ABC/ESPN. I understand that its reach is about the same as Bein's, but this brings more marketing opportunities. I pray that CBS advertises the NASL during the Final Four and the National Championship game for college basketball.
Now, here are my score predictions for the Week 1 games to start this weekend: The game(s) in bold are the games I will be going into detail about next week.
Carolina 1-2 Minnesota
Ft. Lauderdale 1-1 Miami (Bein)
Tampa Bay 0-1 Indy
Rayo OKC 1-0 Edmonton
New York 2-1 Ottawa (OWS)
(Sorry, Rayo fans, but the first South Florida Derby takes precedence over your first home game ever. Your time will come, I promise.)
The deal with Bein Sports will carry at least one game each playing week. Bein is available on Comcast, Dish, DirecTV, Fios, and many more providers. Here is a list of the games that will be broadcast on Bein.
For the first time since the demise of the league back in the 1980s, the NASL is back on CBS (Sports Network). They will broadcast select games throughout the second half of the season, and a list is available here. The important part: games on CBS Sports Network supersede local broadcasts, so the game will not be available to you locally if you do not get the channel. Channel Finder
The Cosmos games will all be available on OWS and will not be given air time on CBS Sports Network. All NASL games not on national TV will be available on ESPN3; Bein games will be available to local markets.
Lastly in the offseason news, I would like to welcome the San Francisco Deltas to the NASL. I laid out an expansion plan earlier in my blog, and it seems they are following it... for now. We must wait and see if they target more West Coast markets (as they should be doing).
The TV deal with CBS is a big one because not only could this be a ratings boost for the league, it could get so big that CBS decides to shift it back to CBS and put a domestic soccer league back on over-the-air TV for the first time since the original MLS TV deal with ABC/ESPN. I understand that its reach is about the same as Bein's, but this brings more marketing opportunities. I pray that CBS advertises the NASL during the Final Four and the National Championship game for college basketball.
Now, here are my score predictions for the Week 1 games to start this weekend: The game(s) in bold are the games I will be going into detail about next week.
Carolina 1-2 Minnesota
Ft. Lauderdale 1-1 Miami (Bein)
Tampa Bay 0-1 Indy
Rayo OKC 1-0 Edmonton
New York 2-1 Ottawa (OWS)
(Sorry, Rayo fans, but the first South Florida Derby takes precedence over your first home game ever. Your time will come, I promise.)
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