Soccer
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The enigmatic Gale Agbossoumonde talks about his soccer odyssey and why he joined the Carolina RailHawks
Even at his young age, Agbossoumonde has already enjoyed and endured enough experiences to fill a lifetime. From fleeing his war-torn native Togo, where his father died when Agbossoumonde was only 7, to settling in upstate New York with his mother and seven siblings (his oldest sister still lives in Africa) to a still-nascent professional soccer career that is already the stuff of lore, the man nicknamed “Boss” has garnered a cult status in the American soccer landscape.
My meeting with Gale Agbossoumonde (pronounced ga-LAY ag-BOOS-ooh-mon-day) comes on the advent of the latest chapter in his professional odyssey. Two days before interviewing him at WakeMed Soccer Park, Agbossoumonde arrived in Cary to begin a season-long loan to the Carolina RailHawks.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
UNC soccer star Billy Schuler speaks about opting for Sweden over Major League Soccer
The following is an excerpt from an upcoming article on the recent jump to the pros made by four standout players from the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s soccer team, which won the 2011 NCAA championship last month. Here, forward Billy Schuler speaks to an American reporter for the first time since forgoing Major League Soccer’s SuperDraft to sign with a club in Sweden.
- www.hammarbyfotboll.se / Andreas L Eriksson
- Billy Schuler
The majority of prospects for Major League Soccer’s SuperDraft, held each January, are college seniors who have exhausted their collegiate eligibility. The remaining choices are comprised predominantly by Generation Adidas signees and non-collegiate internationals. Schuler was eligible for inclusion in last week’s SuperDraft as a graduating junior and because he was offered a Generation Adidas contract. Considered the second-best forward prospect after Akron’s Darren Mattocks, Schuler was predicted in many mock drafts to be the third overall pick.
In mid-December, however, rumors were already swirling that several European clubs were taking a gander at the speedy striker. Finally, two weeks ago word broke that Schuler would decline MLS’ offer and instead sign for Hammarby IF, a Swedish second-division club based in Stockholm. Hammarby recently made news by hiring former U.S. international (and UNC-Chapel Hill player) Gregg Berhalter as their manager, only the second native American ever named the full-time coach of a European club.
Last Saturday, I spoke with Schuler from his hotel in Stockholm, the day he officially signed his contract with Hammarby and two days after setting foot in Sweden for the first time. Schuler says that his agent had made inquiries with overseas clubs “since [UNC’s] season ended,” but that the decision to play to Europe instead of MLS was made “literally a week or two ago.”
Monday, December 12, 2011
We were out of town and nowhere near a television or Internet connection when the UNC Tar Heels met the 49ers of UNC-Charlotte in Hoover, Ala. for the NCAA championship.
While I missed the game, I found myself in an unexpected conversation about it in Sylva, N.C., when I walked into City Lights Bookstore, the town's cozy downtown institution. The proprietor knows me as an occasional, avocational soccer journalist, and he and another store worker struck up a conversation about the upcoming championship game. It turned out that two players at the local high school were driving down to Alabama with their parents to see this game.
My first thought was that times have changed since I was a high school soccer player in Western North Carolina in the 1980s. Not all high schools had soccer teams then, especially in smaller communities where life revolved around football and the Friday night lights. But here in Sylva, the local soccer team is the big deal, the football team having fallen on hard times.
But my second thought was that in 1987, I was the high school soccer player making a road trip with a teammate to the NCAA final. My trip was much shorter, though: I lived in Asheville and the game was in Clemson, S.C., where the Tigers hosted San Diego State and its flashy, long-haired freshman forward, future U.S. international and current Fox Soccer Channel commentator Eric Wynalda. A big crowd turned out for that one, and all the fans in my vicinity taunted Wynalda and his golden locks for 90 minutes. Clemson won, by the way. (I recently had a brief Twitter exchange with Wynalda about this game. He wrote, "I thought I was a long haired punk who could dribble. Never forget that trip!")
Anyway, I missed yesterday's game, which UNC won 1-0. UNC junior transfer Ben Speas continues to enlarge his profile on a team that features such talents as Enzo Martinez and Billy Schuler. In the 65th minute, he made a dazzling run and finish. (His goal is at :28 in this video.)
UNC finishes 20-2-3, while UNC-Charlotte ends a fine season at 16-4-4.
Next month, eyes will be on the MLS SuperDraft. Both Schuler and Martinez are projected to go in the top five—if they opt to leave school a year early. The 19 Major League Soccer teams will select 38 players in two rounds, and the draft will be televised by ESPN at noon on Jan. 12.
If a mere two rounds seems like a small draft, it is. The reality is that there are few top unaffiliated prospects in college. Many teenage prospects opt out entirely, preferring to find professional work, either with an MLS team or abroad. Other college prospects, such as Duke defender Sebastien Ibeagha, have already had their rights claimed by an MLS team, perhaps because of a prior youth academy affiliation (as in Ibeagha's case). These players are not subject to the draft.
Saturday, December 10, 2011
UNC men's soccer team rally twice to advance to NCAA final behind Goodwin's heroics
But Scott Goodwin smothered the first two Bruin penalty kicks, and Kirk Urso, Drew McKinney and Ben Speas did the rest to send the Heels to Sunday's final.
And their opponent will be the unheralded in-state compatriots, the 49ers of UNC-Charlotte who beat highly regarded Creighton on penalties as well, but after a 0-0 stalemate.
It was a hard, physical game in Hoover, Ala. that nonetheless saw several moments of marvelous quality. Four goals were scored, and all were humdingers.
In the 17th minute, UCLA's Ryan Hollingshead launched a left-footed rocket from nowhere (actually, about 25 yards out) that sailed over the head of Goodwin, who was off his line, before dipping under the bar. UCLA 1-0 UNC
In the 56th minute, UNC's Speas charged to the byline and lofted a cross into the middle of the box, where Rob Lovejoy, hurtling in from the right, rose to meet the ball in a brave header. UCLA 1-1 UNC.
In the 74th minute, Bruin standout Kelyn Lowe broke into the box after receiving part 2 of a delightful give and go with Chandler Hoffman and flicked the ball over Goodwin's head again, in a top-class effort. 2-1.
In the 85th minute, UNC's superb midfielder Enzo Martinez—one of the brightest stars in college soccer—lashed a nasty, goal-bound jaw-dropper from at least 30 yards that UCLA keeper Brian Rowe pawed away, but only to the far post. The ball bounced invitingly across the face of the goal and Billy Schuler swooped in and put it away. 2-2.
The one-two combination of Martinez and Schuler must have impressed the numerous MLS scouts reportedly in attendance. Both juniors are projected to be drafted high in the first round in next month's MLS SuperDraft. Martinez's effort, in particular, was world-class.
Kirk Urso nearly won it at the end of regulation the second overtime period, but Rowe pawed it around the post, a marvelous save that sent the game into overtime.
After an (otherwise) uneventful 20 minutes, it was time for penalties. UNC coach Carlos Somoano was seen leaving the field for the dressing room, presumably too nervous to watch. But it was over quickly. Goodwin stopped the first two with ease while UNC converted their first two. A Bruin goal and a Schuler miss followed, before the fourth UCLA player missed the target completely. All that was left was for Speas to deliver the coup de grace.
UNC plays UNC-Charlotte on Sunday at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPNU and webcast on ESPN3. The 49ers play in the Atlantic 10 conference and are ranked No. 14 in the nation.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
When RailHawk eyes are smiling — Colin Clarke introduced as new head coach of Carolina RailHawks
- Neil Morris
- Team president Curt Johnson welcomes Colin Clarke as head coach of the Carolina RailHawks
This preview of the stadium’s future was mirrored across the way by the introduction of the newest chapter in the RailHawks' history. The 49-year-old Clarke comes to Carolina following the departure of Martin Rennie to become head coach of Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps. Clarke spent five celebrated seasons managing the Puerto Rico Islanders, leading them to the 2008 USL-1 regular season championship and the 2010 USSF D-2 Pro League Championship. The Islanders also reached the semifinals of the 2008-2009 CONCACAF Champions League. Clarke served as head coach of the Puerto Rico national team from 2008-2011 and managed FC Dallas of Major League Soccer from 2003-2006.
Prior to coaching, Clarke enjoyed a playing career that included time spent in England’s First Division with Southampton, Queens Park Rangers and Portsmouth. He earned 38 caps for the Northern Ireland National Team, recording a goal in the 1986 World Cup and finishing his career as the all-time leading goal scorer for Northern Ireland.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
- goduke.com
- Kelly Cobb celebrates a goal earlier this season. The Alaska native was profiled in The New York Times Thursday.
Durham native Mollie Pathman scored two second-half goals as the Blue Devils exploited woeful goalmouth defending to thrash the Demon Deacons 4-1 and move to Sunday's College Cup final.
The score was a little misleading—not because Duke didn't throughly deserve the win, but because only one goal was from open play. Two were from corners, and one was a penalty kick.
Playing in the lovely new soccer stadium—built for women, in fact—on the campus of Kennesaw State University, Wake Forest's defense stifled the Blue Devils attack for the better part of the first half, as playmaker Kaitlyn Kerr had difficulty finding the ball and her teammates repeatedly lost possession under Deacon pressure. Wake Forest, meanwhile, earned multiple corner kicks down the left but were unable to threaten Duke keeper Tara Campbell.
The breakthrough was somewhat against the run of play, then, as Duke coach Robbie Church pulled several attacking players near the end of the half. In the 43rd minute, an uncleared corner kick from Duke's Nicole Lipp fell to substitute Kim DeCesare, who poked the ball through some Wake Forest legs and arms to send the Blue Devils to the locker room with a 1-0 halftime lead.
The second half was mostly Duke most of the time. Kerr found more time on the ball, and freshman Kelly Cobb displayed an indefatigable work rate (see Thursday's New York Times profile on the Alaskan). Crucially, Duke's sophomore bruiser Natasha Anasi covered Wake's star forward Katie Stengel like a blanket (albeit a blanket that comes with lunging legs and expert shoulder checks).
Pathman scored her first goal from a Duke counter in the 51st minute, rewarded for her run into the box when Laura Weinberg knocked a cross from Cobb into Pathman's path as she flew in legs-first past her defender. 2-0.
Wake Forest threatened to make it interesting, though. In the 57th minute, Stengel was hacked to the ground by Duke's Maddy Haller at the top of the box. While Stengel waited to re-enter the game, Rachel Nuzzolese scored her 12th goal of the season on a 20-yard free kick, exploiting Duke's poorly set wall that left a clear channel to the far post.
But minutes later, a Wake defender knocked Kerr down in the box. Pathman coolly sent first-team All-ACC keeper Aubrey Bledsoe the wrong way, sidefooting the ball for a 3-1 cushion.
Kerr scored off another Lipp corner in the 75th minute to finish off Wake. It was Kerr's 11th goal of the season.
Duke (24-2-1) moves on to play West Coast powerhouse Stanford (24-0-1) in a battle of prestigious non-Ivy private schools. The undefeated Cardinals are the nation's top-ranked team (however, according to the RPI metric, Duke is ranked No. 1, Stanford No. 2 and Wake Forest No. 3). The match will take kick off at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPNU and ESPN3.com.
Meanwhile, the UNC Tar Heels men's team are also in the hunt for a cup. They're playing this afternoon at 5, hosting unheralded St. Mary's (10-6-5) in the round of eight. Should the third-ranked (but top-seeded) Tar Heels prevail as expected, they'll move to the College Cup next weekend in Hoover, Ala. This game's not on television, so you'll need to get on down to Fetzer Field.
By the way: Area soccer fans should note that this may well be the last live opportunity to see UNC stars Billy Schuler and Enzo Martinez. Both players are juniors, but are projected as top-five picks in next month's MLS SuperDraft.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The youthful blue machine of Duke women's soccer; Blue Devils advance to NCAA final 16 with 7 other ACC teams
- goduke.com
- Kelly Cobb and Kaitlyn Kerr (in background) celebrate a goal earlier this season.
Duke women's soccer? Wait, isn't Anson Dorrance's UNC juggernaut the only game in town?
Not likely. Duke is ranked third in the country (but No. 1 on the RPI) and the holder of the top seed in its 16-team bracket. Last night, the Blue Devils notched a convincing 3-1 second-round victory over a decent Georgia Bulldogs team from Athens, Ga.
The 11 women who started last night for Duke had a total of 101 points between them (two points for a goal, one for an assist). Four players are responsible for 82 of them. And those four are comprised of three sophomores and a freshman.
Against the Bulldogs, those four players again rose to the occasion: A goal for sophomore Laura Weinberg (19 pts now), a goal for sophomore Kaitlyn Kerr (23 points); an assist for sophomore Mollie Pathman (18 pts); and an assist for freshman Kelly Cobb (28 pts).
Duke's third goal was its first of the game, an own goal by Georgia's Bailey Powell, who turned a dangerous cross from the right by Molly Lester, subbing for Weinberg late in the half, into her team's goal (it was harsh outcome for Powell, who otherwise was a strong presence for her team). Georgia's Nicole Locandro grabbed a late consolation goal for the visitors, unleashing a 20-yarder strike from the semicircle that seemed to catch newly substituted players and goalkeeper Tara Campbell off-guard.
What was so pleasurable about Duke was their utter confidence in their 4-3-3 formation. The solid back four held its line, calmly moving the ball through the middle, which in turn found outlets in a dangerous trio of attackers.
Georgia had a couple of dangerous weapons, including Locandro and especially sophomore Alexis Newfield, who started the game as an undersized, isolated striker up top. When the long balls forward weren't reaching Newfield, she began drifting into deeper positions in search of the ball. Her talent was obvious, but Duke's defenders denied her space for 90 minutes.
Newfield and her teammates could not mount credible threats against a Blue Devil back line that's anchored by the formidable Natasha Anasi (a sophomore, of course). This Texan won every 50/ 50 ball, calmly backpassed long balls or turned on them and starting a new attack. She made driving runs from the back, forcing Georgia's winded forwards to track her. She's an impressive player, and it was obvious why she was named the ACC's defender of the year.
Equally influential was Kerr, an attacking midfielder with unerring possession and distribution skills. Despite laboring with a bulky brace on her left knee, her box-to-box work rate was impressive. The wide wingers, Weinberg and Pathman, are a dangerous duo. Weinberg is the speedy one who either races down the right flank with the ball, or makes a far post run when Pathman is in possession on the left. Pathman, a Durham native, isn't fast, but her crossing from her powerful left leg is exquisite. Duke's second goal came from just such a play, a menacing cross from Pathman that Weinberg met at the far post with her head.
The freshman Cobb, from Chugiak, Alaska, leads the team with 28 points on 10 goals and eight assists, including last night's. She's a classic No. 9, less technically flashy but a strong hold-up target woman who also makes aggressive runs with the ball.
This is the Duke squad that will face Ohio State in the round of 16 at 1 p.m. Sunday at Koskinen Stadium. The Buckeyes were 2-1 victors over University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and enter the game with a record of 12 wins, eight losses and two draws.
NOTES:
Of the 16 teams still standing in the 64-team field, eight are ACC schools. A ninth, Miami, lost yesterday to Long Beach State. In addition to Duke, the ACC survivors are:
1. UNC (5-0 victors over Baylor)
2. Wake Forest (2-0 over Boston University)
3. Boston College (0-0 shootout over Cal)
4. Maryland (1-0 over Auburn)
5. Virginia (3-0 over Washington St.)
6. Virginia Tech (3-1 over Texas A&M)
7. Florida State (3-1 over Portland)
Clearly, the ACC is the most competitive league for college soccer, probably for men as well as women. And the best team on the women's side is Duke. It remains to be seen if this squad of youngsters—there are no senior starters—can take the title Dec. 4 in Kennesaw, Ga.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
UNC men's soccer takes No. 1 seed in NCAA tourney; how good are they?
- David Fellerath
- UNC's defense repels another Boston College attack on Nov. 13, 2011
On Sunday, the Eagles of Boston College were unable to find a solution, falling 3-1 as UNC forward Ben Speas scored two goals—including a controversial one—and assisted on a third en route to being named tournament MVP.
On Monday, the Tar Heels received the top seed in the NCAA men's soccer tourney. In the 48-team field, they received a first-round bye and will play the winner of the contest between Elon and Coastal Carolina, on Sunday, Nov. 20 in Chapel Hill.
But before we dismiss UNC's opening game as a walkover in the works, let's pause to note that Coastal Carolina is 17-3, with no draws. They're the nation's highest scoring team, putting 3.0 balls in the net every time out (a stat helped along by an early-season, 10-1 thrashing of the hapless Spiders of Richmond). The Chanticleers also have the nation's leading scorer in the heretofore unheralded Ashton Bennett, a Jamaican who has netted 21 goals.
But the quality of Coastal Carolina's opposition in the Big South is suspect. They squeaked past Elon earlier this season, and their regular season losses came to UNC-Charlotte and Appalachian State. They also dropped a preseason exhibition game to UNC (but evidently before Bennett was cleared to play, pending visa issues). And last weekend, they crashed out in the semifinals of the Big South tournament, losing to that renowned soccer power, Liberty University (who are, in fact, in this year's NCAA tourney, as is UNC-Charlotte).
Still, if Coastal Carolina survives their opening game versus Elon, Sunday's contest in Chapel Hill will feature the first and third most prolific attacks in the nation. There will be goals.
If Coastal Carolina has Bennett, UNC plays a formidable array of talent in a 4-3-3. It's an attacking formation, but their defense, the nation's 11th best, keys a deadly counterattack. Sunday's game against Boston College was a case in point: Despite strong spells of possession in midfield for the Eagles, UNC's defense was strong and their counterattacking was explosive.
According to Boston College's veteran coach Ed Kelly (his former protegees include Alejandro Bedoya and Charlie Davies), UNC's strength is in the middle, starting with the midfield trio of senior Kirk Urso and, especially, junior Enzo Martinez and freshman Mikey Lopez.
"They're very good in the midfield. They don't do a tremendous amount of coming up with the fullbacks. Two guys stay home in the center, they're very good in the air and [Martinez] really slows things down and creates a rhythm for them. And Billy [Schuler], when he's healthy, he becomes the problem. When you have those two guys [Schuler and Martinez] playing for you, Billy does a tremendous job of connecting. And Lopez is excellent. Exceptional player. He's a freshman? He's got a future, he's very good with the ball. Him and Enzo, they complement each other really well—and Kirk does a very workmanlike job in there, a big strong kid—but those two [Martinez and Lopez] are special."
If the midfielders stay home, UNC has plenty of quality in their forwards. Junior striker Schuler is a strong, effective target man (14 goals), and speedy sophomore winger Rob Lovejoy is a constant menace down the right flank, although he's an erratic crosser. On the left, Ben Speas, a junior transfer from mighty Akron, plays like an attack-minded central midfielder, roaming at will in search of space and the ball.
The first goal was illustrative of UNC's attack: Lovejoy drove the ball down the right before slipping it to Speas, who had come across the field and entered the box. Speas drove the ball to the right byline and lifted a cross to the far post to the head of Carlos McCrary, who was playing in place of the ailing Schuler. McCrary, a big boy himself, hammer-headed it downward into the goal.
(The highlights are on this page, by the way, but rather maddeningly, there's no direct linking or embedding. Gotta protect that important copyright, one reckons.)
That was in the 38th minute, just six minutes after McCrary came on for an ineffective Martin Murphy (both players were filling in at the number 9 spot for Schuler, who is being played sparingly as he recovers from a thigh strain). Just five minutes later, UNC were gifted a goal when Speas sent a 40-yard free kick into the six-yard box. Boston College's keeper Justin Luthy went into the air, flapped at the wind and the ball sailed through and into the goal. There was considerable contact from Lovejoy and perhaps Martinez on the play; the outraged Eagles appealed for a foul but didn't get it. (They may have been hard done by, but Luthy's play was shaky in the two games I saw this weekend—on Friday night, his fumble of a routine corner led to a goal for Duke.)
In the second half, Boston College switched from the 4-2-3-1 that they'd begun the game with in favor of a 4-4-2. In the sense, it worked: They outshot the Heels 7-3 in the period. But the only goal came in the 62nd minute from a dead-ball kick from standout midfielder Kyle Bekker—and a beauty it was. (See the photo—I caught it from the stands with a little palm-sized camera.) Bekker's shot cleared the wall and slammed into the far post, bouncing back into the net. No chance for UNC keeper Scott Goodwin.
- David Fellerath
- Kyle Bekker (far left) pulled a goal back for Boston College with this free kick. The ball can be seen just to the right of UNC goalkeeper Scott Goodwin's head.
Unfortunately for the jubilant Eagles, the 2-1 deficit lasted only three minutes. UNC coach Carlos Somoano decided to break the emergency glass box holding Billy Schuler, sending in the junior along with Speas, who had been resting for a few minutes. Less than a minute later, Schuler was rampaging down the right. He crossed to Speas running to the far post. 3-1.
Boston College mustered a few more chances, but UNC's Goodwin smothered them. Otherwise, the BC midfield, increasingly worn down by UNC's muscular defense, started spraying routine passes out of bounds.
The 3-1 scoreline was a bit harsh for Boston College, which is ranked 13th in the NSCAA national coaches poll, and seventh according to the NCAA's RPI index. Not bad, but it's a measure of the ACC's dominance in soccer that Boston College finished the ACC regular season in a tie for sixth place with Clemson. (The ACC is a nine-team league in men's soccer: Miami, Florida State and Georgia Tech don't participate.)
- David Fellerath
- Carlos Somoano, Ben Speas and Enzo Martinez after the victory over Boston College
UNC's coach, Carlos Somoano, is in his first year as head coach. He's in his early 40s, quiet, self-effacing and perhaps still a little uncomfortable in the presence of a half-dozen reporters. Perhaps his caution is the result of the reaction to uncharitable comments he made about this Davidson player's world-class strike that defeated the Tar Heels on Oct. 17. (Note to UNC athletic department and ESPNU: See how much more fun and useful it is to make highlights freely available on YouTube?)
Last spring, Somoano stepped to the helm of the Tar Heels after being an assistant to longtime head coach Elmar Bolowich since 2002. Last winter, Bolowich made the surprising decision to walk away from his powerful program to take the coaching job at Creighton University. But the decision turned out to be entirely understandable: Despite the fact that UNC soccer has been far more successful than the football team, and more or less the equal of the basketball and baseball teams, men's soccer is always going to be overshadowed in Chapel Hill, by those sports and also the women's soccer team. (Creighton is ranked second in the nation in the coaches poll, and first on the RPI index.)
In UNC's press guide, Somoano is credited with recruiting UNC's top stars of the last decade, including Zach Loyd, Dax McCarty and Jamie Watson, and he deserves credit for pulling in the players on the current team (including Speas, who transferred over the summer after failing to find sufficient happiness in Akron).
It's an impressive array of talent at Somoano's disposal, with speed and strength taking precedence over finesse. But it's a combination that's been very difficult to beat.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Carolina RailHawks coaching search enters final stages; MLS friendly in the works
A month removed from the end of the Carolina RailHawks 2011 season, and with it the departure of manager Martin Rennie to become head coach for the Vancouver Whitecaps of Major League Soccer, the search for RailHawks’ new gaffer has reached its final stages.
When Vancouver announced Rennie’s hire in August, RailHawks’ management indicated at the time they hoped to tab his replacement by early November. That informal deadline has passed as speculation continues to churn.
Speaking to Triangle Offense, RailHawks’ president Curt Johnson says the club now anticipates making an official announcement within the next couple of weeks, most likely following the Thanksgiving holiday. Johnson says the interest level and sizable pool of eager applicants for the post was been robust, and the overall evaluation process and other contingencies have acted to delay finalizing any selection.
- uslsoccer.com
Clarke’s contract with the Islanders expired after the 2011 season, and according to various sources, he not reached terms to continue managing the Caribbean club. Clarke and Johnson share a relationship dating back to 1998 when Johnson, then general manager of the USL’s Richmond Kickers, hired Clarke to his first head coaching job.
Online reports have linked Clarke with interest in the vacant Northern Ireland manager’s position following the departure of Nigel Worthington. The RailHawks’ delay could well be tied to Clarke’s exploration of that plum position. The bookies’ favorites, however, continue to include Jim Magilton (late of Ipswich Town and Queens Park Rangers) and Martin O’Neill (Aston Villa, Celtic).
In other news, Johnson confirms to Triangle Offense that the RailHawks are in discussions with the Vancouver Whitecaps to stage a friendly between the teams next March at WakeMed Soccer Park. According to Johnson, there is strong interest in the match on the part of management for both clubs, including, naturally, former RailHawks’ and current Whitecaps’ manager Martin Rennie. However, no formal deal has yet been finalized.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Ugly result, beautiful game: Carolina RailHawks ousted from playoffs by NSC Minnesota Stars
- Rob Kinnan Photography
- Kupono Low laments after Carolina RailHawks semifinals loss to NSC Minnesota
While purists (often justifiably) deride the playoff system in American professional soccer, its survive-and-advance format has the ability to produce some of the finest renderings of the sport in this country, whether it be the USL PRO championship match between Orlando City and Harrisburg City last month or, now, NSC Minnesota’s 5-3 shootout win over the RailHawks to advance to the NASL Championship finals.
Farm and Garden now has Full Steam Growlers...yeee haww
by Fritx on At the gas station, biscuits, tortillas—and community (Food Feature)
Michael Pollan,
Amen, Amen, Amen!! Your comment was excellently put. Thanks so much for writing in! …
by jwaters on Carrboro Commune occupies CVS building (Orange County)