How odd....

...that post number 208 is the first post of...2008!

Anyway, Happy belated New Year to all five of my readers!

Welcome back...my apologies for the prolonged absence. Things at work have been quite chaotic lately, which, to my amazement, has not led me to the precipice of any local bridge or high rise building.

Anyway, if you're like me, (God help you) and you like to read, I recommend "The Ball is Round". I discovered this little 982 page book while perusing the sports section at the local Barnes and Noble just before the New Year, and after whisking the book away to the nearest reading chair and reading the first chapter, I was quite enthralled. But as a smart consumer, I did not purchase the book on the spot. Instead, I made a mental note to do some price comparisons, and found it on Amazon.com 30% off the retail price.

But with a large sum of post-Christmas bills to pay, I decided that I would return to the bookstore, locate the book once again, and read chapter 2. Then, the following week, read chapter three...and so on, and so on, until I finished sometime in November 2009. In the back of my mind, I was hoping to actually read a 900+ page book, averaging one chapter per week, and never have to pay for it. Alas, my intricate plot was ruined when I failed to locate said book this past weekend, and was thus relegated to reading the latest issue of World Soccer at the cafe.

So the Official 2007 MLS Cup DVD has been released, and with a few copies of it on the demi-god known as eBay, I placed a bid on it before bedtime last night. Yet, as is typical of many a eBay bids, I was outbid in the AM, and thought better than to place another bid on an item that promises the action from kickoff to celebration (or if you are a Revs fan, devastation).

You may ask yourself - "why would you want an account of the Revs latest tragedy?" I don't know. Honestly, maybe in the deep recesses of my mind, I secretly hope that if I watch it enough times, the Andy Dorman actually ends up scoring in the 82nd, drawing the teams even, and then, just before stoppage expires, Michael Parkhurst comes up, completely unmarked and launches a rocket from just outside the box and affixes it top shelf for the game-winner. Revs win! Revs win! Parkhurst, with the electrifying goal! Can you believe it !?! (For some reason, I have Joe Castiglione making the radio call, rather than Brad Feldman).

Ok, so maybe that won't happen...but it's fun to imaginize, isn't it?

With my limited access to global soccer, I've been feasting on Portuguese Liga matches telecast on Radio Television Portugal (RTP). While it's difficult to understand the play by play man (when the ball is passed from Ricardo Quaresma to Bruno Alves, it's funny hear "Quaresmsa...Brunoalves"), the telecast is helping me improve my hold on the language, which I have resolved to learn this year.

It's Almost 2008 Rant

So I was at the local supermarket today, and while waiting in line for the requested deli meats at the delicatessen, I sampled what appeared to be a Nilla Wafer topped with a mocha-chocolate chip dip. It was delicious.

With the ball dropping just over 24 hours, I suppose it's time to lean back in the rocking chair, bind my hands together, and reflect upon the soon-to-expire 2007.

*Of all of my undertakings this year, my most rewarding one was unquestionably my Soccer Odyssey, and I knew it would be. As a soccer junkie, I lovingly embraced the idea of scouting new places to watch, breathe, and ultimately, finding myself in my element. Although I didn't make to all of the venues I had originally planned on, I was able to rest my weary bones and recline at the following locations:

India Point Park (Providence, RI)
Gano Street Park (Providence, RI)
Stevenson Field (Providence, RI)
National Soccer Hall of Fame (Oneonta, NY)
Pierce Field (East Providence, RI)
RIC Soccer Field (Providence, RI)
Gillette Stadium (Foxboro, MA)
Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Annapolis, MD)
Westside Athletic Complex (Danbury, CT)
RFK Stadium (Washington, DC)
Bryant University Track and Turf Complex (Lincoln, RI)
Rentscheler Field (Hartford, CT)


The typical mortal would say "egads, I'm exhausted." Not at all. If there were a match going on right now, in the dead of a punishing New England winter, I would bring a cannister of hot cocoa, and take my place at the top rung of the brutally cold metal bleachers for the entire ninety while my extremities endure the accompanying frostbite. I'm crazier about this game than Tom Cruise is about Scientology.

*Most memorable match: Little to no inner debate on this one. Hands down, it had to have been the WestConn-RIC Little East semi-final women's soccer match at Western Connecticut State University. Aside from the emotional attachment to my alma mater, the fourth-seeded Anchorwomen provided their own "Rudy" story when they stepped out onto the pitch with only two subs available against the perennial Little East powerhouse. Overmatched? Not on this night.

Although WestConn had beaten them to the scoreboard in the first half, the Anchorwomen responded with two goals of their own going into the 85th minute with victory in their sights. But a questionable call on the right channel of RIC territory led to WestConn's equalizer off the ensuring CK, tying the proceedings at two apiece. An exhausted RIC side braved through nearly 14 minutes of OT before they watched WestConn clinch the game-winner after 104 total minutes, with RIC giving it their absolute all to upset their opponents.

*Toughest match to watch: Revolution-DC on August 5th. I don't know if it was because of the heat, or partying like rock stars the night before, but the Revs were flatter than Paris Hilton. Nothing was working, and when it wasn't working, DC's Luciano Emilio made them pay, with two goals en route to his club's 3-0 victory. Perhaps the most disheartening aspect of the loss was the fact that the Revs, who had stood atop the Eastern Conference pinnacle for most of the season, we simply outclassed for the first time all summer. It was not pretty.

*Most impressive players: Jeffrey Gonsalves (Rhode Island Stingrays) and Kerry Donahue (Rhode Island College).

After a disappointing spring in which he was drafted by his hometown Toronto FC side, the former Rhody Ram was soon out of a job when injuries limited him in preseason training. So when he returned to RI to finish off his studies at URI, he also came back to his former PDL side and dominated. Ten goals, five assists in 14 games for the 'Rays left little doubt that Gonsalves has got the stuff to play professionally.

Donahue, a senior defender at RIC, was already known for her stellar play in the back with an all-conference selection in 2006. But she turned her game up another notch by scoring three goals, including a start at forward. Yet, her best match yet came when during the final match of her collegiate career against WestConn, where she absolutely shut down the lethal WestConn attack. It's said that the best players save their best when the stakes are at their highest, and Donahue proved this saying true, as she finished off her career with an exemplary performance in CT.

You're probably wondering why I started off this piece with my supermarket experience. Well, the Nilla Wafer is a metaphor (literally and figuratively) for this year. Like many of the matches I attended, they were new to me, there for the taking, completely free. After tasting the cookies with its delicate topping, I came away from it wanting more, much like all of the soccer I saw this year.

Hey, what where you throw those tomatoes!

Happy New Year everybody!

Deck the Halls with MLS teamgeist match balls

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the hall, not a creature was stirring, not even a mini MLS Teamgeist replica ball.

It’s now Christmas Eve. But, unlike many merry holiday seasons past, I must shamefully admit that the holiday cheer has largely escaped me this year.

Why? In an elongated thirty-two word answer: it is because of my insatiable desire to keep the oxygen I breathe sufficiently saturated with soccer, which is no easy task without the live-action variety to speak of ‘til spring.

To compensate for said soccer deficiency, I’ve gone to the ends of the earth (figuratively, of course) via the internet and television to devour any form of soccer I can transfix my eyes and ears upon. A recorded Champions League match here, an indecipherable Portuguese Liga radio telecast there, it makes little difference to me, as long as it’s still soccer. Calling me "preoccupied" would be kind - the most accurate assessment could be "obsessed." Thus, with the holidays firmly upon us, I must confess that much of the holiday merriment in recent weeks has been lost due to this unquenchable devotion.

Now, I know how the Christmas carols go, and for the bulk of the globe’s football-loving continents, it is indeed The Most Wonderful Time of the Year. After all, Spain has its La Liga, England its Premier League, and Germany its Bundesliga, and lucky for their fans, all are in the midst of their seasons. But here in the States, the last signs of soccer flickered away last Sunday with the NCAA Men’s College Cup Final. After Wake Forest triumphed over Ohio State with obvious glee, the door on the country’s soccer season was effectively slammed shut for many American soccer fans.

Thus, the blustery winter gusts doth wrap its chilly grasp around thee,

Alas there’s no more soccer to be seen, save for that on the telly.

And this, ladies and gentlemen, is a small sample of what I have been tragically reduced to: a horrible infusion of Christmas carols and my woeful tale of how I miss football. Egads…

I beg your pardon if I sound like a Scrooge, cursing the decorated pine trees and the mischievous mistletoe in an overt attempt to keep the coals stoked throughout an unforgiving offseason. But while Scrooge was consumed with the supernatural, he never had, to the best of my knowledge, a local side to cope without in the months following the winter solstice.

It may not seem like it based on the above, but I really do love Christmas and New Year’s. It really is a wonderful excuse to mingle with the non-annoying family members and friends. I truly enjoy all of the festivities and family traditions that the season brings about - decorating house, drinking hot cocoa…and dreaming of carefully-wrapped Dempsey, Dorman and Figo jerseys under the tree.

Contrary to society’s definition of the holiday, Christmas (aside from the obvious and equally important religious connotations) is much more than just a twenty-four hour block devoted to gift giving, eggnog drinking, and shoulder slapping.

To me, Christmas is a full slate of matches that bookend my spring and summer weekends. It’s full-throttle action from the moonrise on Friday night through sunset on Sunday evening. It’s a mild and sunny Saturday afternoon on Fox Point that promises a virtual soccer marathon comprising of back to back to back…to back matches that all feature amateur clubs duking it out on balding neighborhood pitches. Christmas isn’t waking up in the morning to approach the pine tree in the living room corner; it’s finding myself on the other side of the Seekonk River to watch the Mexican Soccer League sides monopolize an entire Sunday afternoon at India Point Park. Christmas is taking a thirty-minute drive to watch an all-important televised match at a dear friend’s house. It’s playing a little game of kickabout with my young cousins, and teaching them about the game I love so dearly. In fact, with the region’s recent snowfall depriving me of ample footing to at very least kick the ball around, it definitely does not feel like Christmas to me.

In essence, soccer is Christmas - at least within the parameters of my own little universe. Lucky for me, Christmas comes more than once a year.

It's the busiest time of the year

Devoted readers,

I apologize for not staying current with this little blog o' mine, but with numerous work-related deadlines, Christmas shopping, birthdays, and numerous holiday surveys to fill out in my spare time, I've found myself straying. So, for your pleasure, I promise this entry, along with at least one more before Christmas.

*The more I apprise myself of international football, the more I pair it with the holidays. Just this past week, I was reminded of the upcoming El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona on Sunday. Oh, Santa, how I wish you'd bring me a flat screen hi-def TV so that I could watch it in crisp, vibrant colors. But in the meantime, I'll settle for any kind soul with GolTV to graciously welcome me into his/her home for the match.

*On the topic of classic football rivalries, I was reading up on the Boca Juniors and River Plate rivalry down in Argentinia and came to the realization that before my soul departs this earth, I must see it for myself in person. From every account I've read thus far, it is the most passionate of rivalries, and a sight to behold for any soccer fan on the planet. My only question: are Argentinean chicks as hot as Brazilian chicks? If so, my flight will definitely be booked within the hour.

*Lastly, I would just like to comment on one of my favorite football announcers, Tommy Smyth. In his assessment of Fabio Capello's hiring by England, he passionately stated that Cappello "is probably the most STUFFING coach in the world. He STUFFS the game down. He doesn't let the players play." Oh ho ho ho (wipes the tear), that was classic. I love Tommy Smyth, and I love him even more for that hilarious criticism of Capello.

Holiday Cheer in New England

Taken aback by all the holiday cheer, the Revolution has apparently adopted its own ho-ho-ho holiday attitude during this snowy offseason. After all, what other explanation can there be for all of the gift-wrapped giveaways of both experienced and rookie players alike in the past month alone?

Yes, Jolly Old St. Nicol and his front office elves have taken to giving away presents to MLS, USL, and maybe even sides abroad this holiday season. Consider this: since walking off the RFK Stadium pitch as MLS's second best yet again, the club has already lost five players, along with two more who may be waving goodbye come New Year’s.

The gift giving commenced shortly before the Thanksgiving holiday when the versatile James Riley was plucked by San Jose in the expansion draft a mere three days after MLS Cup. But the merry cheer didn’t end there - it continued when the club gift-wrapped Marshall Leonard, Miguel Gonzalez, Chris Loftus, and Bryan Byrne via the holiday waivers.

Granted, the loss of Riley through the expansion draft was out of the hands of the Revolution, as team could only protect a limited amount of players. Thus, Riley was a casualty of a cruel numbers game. There's no question that the midfielder/defender’s versatility was valued, and would have been gladly welcomed back next season. His ability to provide help in the back or on the wing was a key reason why the Revs were able to ascend to the top of the Eastern Conference yet again in 2007.

In contrast, the departures of Loftus, Gonzalez, and Byrne can be chalked up to the annual attrition rate of many MLS rookies at the conclusion of their inaugural seasons, and their exits were not unexpected. All three earned the bulk of their minutes in the reserve league; Byrne earned first team minutes late in the June 2nd Real Salt Lake match. At the time, it appeared as if the Kilkenny (Ireland) Kid would become a prime candidate for further action with the first team while Steve Ralston was busy fulfilling US Men’s National Team obligations for the Gold Cup. However, the Irishman failed to accompany the first team lads again, and remained with the reserves for the duration of the season. Similarly, Gonzalez also gave the team greater depth in the midfield, but never lived up to the expectations that accompanied him after starring with the US MNT U-20s in 2006. Loftus, a tall target with good speed for player of his size, was simply stacked up against a clogged forward line that included Taylor Twellman, Pat Noonan, Adam Cristman, and Willie Sims.

Leonard's departure was somewhat expected since the capable veteran, once a steady performer prior to his Achilles injury in 2006, spend the entire 2007 season relegated to the reserves. Like Riley, he provided the club added depth in both the back and in the middle. However, with Riley’s quick departure, it appeared that Leonard would have been a solid in-house solution to fill the void.

Of course, the list of former players doesn’t take into account the seemingly imminent departures of Andy Dorman and Avery John, both of whom are rumored to be heading overseas shortly after the holidays. If both players were to leave, then the Revs will have lost a quarter of their 2007 roster come New Year’s Day. And this doesn’t even touch upon the uncertainty surrounding Joe Franchino’s return. There have been many whispers that the former skipper may not be returning next season in light if his season-ending ankle injury last May.

So what can the club do? Surely, the club’s heartwarming charity opens up roster space before the MLS SuperDraft in January, and some of it must be devoted to clearing room for SuperDraft selections. Yet, the open spots could also be used to add experienced players from other clubs.

The great thing about an offseason prior to expansion is the list of players left unprotected by their respective clubs for the expansion draft. A cursory glance at this year’s list of players left unprotected by their clubs for the expansion draft indicates that there is a great deal of talent available for little in return. What other exercise forces each club to show its hand on its view of its own talent? After all, these are the very players that each team was willing to part with for absolutely nothing back in November. Francis Doe (New York), Ricardo Virtuoso (Colorado) and Abe Thompson (FC Dallas) are all young players that play with a great deal of tenacity and fearlessness that the Revs attack could certainly use - with the caveat that Nicol would be willing to cut ties with certain players that have not played up to expectation.

Then again, why not add a veteran like Jose Burciaga (Kansas City) at left back? How about a guy like Jovan Kirovski (Colorado), a seasoned (and well-traveled) player who would certainly give the club some veteran depth up front? Again, these are the types of players to which the asking price would be presumably low given their availability during last month’s expansion draft.

There's no question that Nicol already faces a considerable task by trying to keep the Revolution ship afloat for yet another run at the MLS Cup next season. The recent departures make the gaffer's job that much tougher. But without any off-season trade buzz on the radar, the red-cheeked Revolution is apparently content with its own philanthropy until the MLS SuperDraft.