Warning: This post is devoid of politics

Congratulations!

You've managed to find a post, published on November 4th, 2008 - Election Day - that contains no scent of politics, polls, or partisanship. In fact, the only spin here will be the one your head will dizzy itself into after reading this post.

Some bloggers are compelled to reference politics on such a day. A fashion blogger may endorse a candidate because said candidate prefers Armani suits over Jean-Paul Gaultier. Another candidate may get the thumbs up from a llama farmer's blog because of his pro-llama stance. Such is the vast blogger universe. It's all good.

In any event, I must say that I will not be publicly endorsing any canididate. I will say, however, that you should get out and vote. Trust me, you'll feel good about yourself afterward. And you're eligible for a free coffee at Starbucks.

Now that I've extracted thirty seconds of your life that you'll never get back...

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Shout out to RIC midfielder Christina Tavana, who was awarded Little East Conference Offensive Player of the Week.

Speaking of shout outs...I had to give radio props to a certain college soccer team during my recent appearance on Revolution Recap. Check the final minute of the podcast to discover which team it was, as if you didn't know already.

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I heart UEFA Champions League. There, I said it. Although it begins play in August, I always associate it with the holidays. I don't know why, exactly. The small, rational part of my brain thinks it's a rare opportunity for me to watch Man U, Chelsea, Real, Barca.* The other 95% thinks it's because of the large glowing soccer ball structure that floats onto an empty pitch. Whatever the exact reason, I love it, even after Christmas. **

(*Have I mentioned that I still haven't upgraded to digital cable? Granted, I can watch any of these football powerhouses on my laptop, but it just isn't the same as watching it on the telly. Just agree with me. Thank you.)

(**I was going through some of my recordings of last year's UCL matches, and there seems to be an abundance of clubs who wear red kits. Liverpool, ManU, Benfica, half-Barca, and Arsenal all come to mind. Perhaps my subconscious was picking up on a theme. Red kits, green pitch, silver bells, er, balls. Merry Christmas, anyone? Egh? Eghhhhhh...)

So you can imagine my excitement when I flipped through today's TV listings to read "(ESPN2) UEFA Champions League Groupstage - Matchday 4." It didn't mention which particular match*, but as long as Derek Rae and Tommy Smyth are behind the mikes, I'll surely enjoy it. Heck, have them call the local Bunnyhoppers-Squirrels U-8 match, and I'll plan my day around it.

(*Please, oh please, let it be Roma-Chelsea. EDIT: It's Liverpool-Atletico...still good!)

The match also affords me the opportunity to simultaneously continue crafting this 20-page paper I may have mentioned. Rae and Smyth breathe so many vivid details that much of their in-match analysis could be considered prose. In fact, I've already taken to reviewing my drafts while watching recorded UCL matches. Why? Because I hope to infuse the same descriptive lanaguage in my paper. If my paper contains 1/16th the vocabulary of Rae and Smyth, I will be a thrilled prospective grad student.

Plus, it'll keep me away from the army of talking heads tonight.

NESHOF Induction Ceremonies

To wrap up one of the best days of soccer ever in my life - yes, life* - my busy Saturday (which opened in the early afternoon with Anchorwomen soccer) concluded with partaking in the New England Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Ceremonies. And what a night it was.


(*This should not be construed as an indictment on my social life, or lack thereof.)

It began by catching up with my good friend and former Revsnet.com publisher Tony Biscaia. Those of you who follow the Revolution have surely visited his site at least once during the past, oh, 11 years it's been on the interweb. In fact, you may have even read a certain author there who tried to pass himself as a third-person journalist there. What can I say? The Sunday Morning Striker was a byproduct of an overactive imagination and a malnourished brain.

But anyway, Tony is really one of the good guys in soccer. He gave me my first shot at soccer journalism. His love for the sport is contagious. And it's because of him that I became involved in with the NESHOF committee, and was nominated to the committee as director of media relations/publicity.

Once the ceremony began, I was seated with Ben Brewster, the former Brown University star who went on to play in NASL and ASL before undertaking coaching position at Boston College. He claimed that he was the "Forrest Gump" of American soccer. He played with Pele (and later met him at a bank in Brazil with some of his teammates), Giorgio Chinaglia, Franz Beckenbauer. Wherever he went, he serendipitously crossed paths with soccer dignitaries.

The remarkable thing about Brewster's career is that he didn't play soccer before attending Brown. He was a hockey player. In fact, he told Tony and I that he tried out for the Brown soccer team just to keep himself in shape to play hockey in the winter. Funny how soccer careers get started, don't they?

All of the inductees had great stories to tell as well. Henry McCully spoke dearly of his late brother and fellow inductee Charles. As did Charles' widow, Rebecca. Luis Reis, the head coach for Wheaton's women's team, told us of his first coaching position at 19 years old. Jeff Causey quipped that when he played under the tempermental Walter Zenga in the late-90s, he had to be ready. Always. Frank Scarsella and Pasquale Puleo told us of their refereeing adventures. A kilt-clad Derek Rae* explained that while some of us may not be cut out to play soccer professionally, contributions to the beautiful game still exist, whether through broadcasting or other types of media.

(*So while I was talking to Tony before everything got started, this guy in a kilt catches my eye. I tried to contain my laughter. What, did he forget his bagpipes or something? Then I catch a glimpse of his face to discover that it's Derek Rae himself. The same Derek Rae that calls Champions League, The Euros, The World Cup, and other high profile international matches. Here. In a kilt. Priceless.)

It was an eventful evening, to say the least. My only sorrow was that it ended much too soon.* I could've stayed well into the early-morning hours listening to all of the colorful stories. I hate to resort to cliche', but it was living history. I was eating dinner with a man who played with legends. I spoke with another who broadcasted the highest profile matches in the world. It was a wild combination of dream and fantasy.

(*Okay, it was over at 10:30pm, which may be late for some. But STILL...)

Luckily for me, the history, the stories, and the memories didn't conclude on Saturday night. They'll continue at our next meeting. We'll begin looking at candidates for next year. I'm priviliged to be associated with an organization that honors and promotes the game's roots right here in New England.

There are so many over the years that have greatly contributed to the colorful palette that is region's soccer scene. And I'm proud to offer whatever I can to ensure they get their proper due.

The ongoing soccer history project

One thing I failed to mention during my previous post is how utterly lost I became in searching for Sam Mark's Stadium. The Mapquest directions anticipated a 25-minute trip from East Providence. I managed to double that time, and in the process, undertake a scenic tour of Fall River's rustic underpasses, all before arriving at the scene just before 4:00pm.

Anywho, I realized well ahead of time that some reading was required to give the appearance of an educated and insightful piece worthy of your attention. If you'd like to follow the exciting research along with me, I recommend the following resources:

American Soccer History Archives

Soccer in a Football World

Rangers, Rovers and Spindles: Soccer, Immigration and Textiles in New England and New Jersey

U.S. Soccer vs. the World



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Speaking of soccer history, I attended tonight's NESHOF meeting, and the full roster of this year's inductees were announced. This year's induction ceremony is scheduled for November 1, 2008 at The Riviera Inn in East Providence, RI. The ceremonies commence at 6:00pm.

Here are this year's deserving recipients:

Benjamin Brewster (US Men's National Team, NASL & ASL, 1973-78)

Jeff Causey (D.C. United and New England Revolution goalkeeper, 1996-2001)

Charles McCully (US Men's National Team, NASL player 1968-76)

Henry McCully (US Men's National Team, NASL, ASL player 1973-80)

Pasquale Puleo (Head coach, Cambridge City Soccer Club, 1983-present)

Derek Rae (ESPN Soccer broadcaster, 1994-present)

Luis Reis (Wheaton College women's soccer coach, 1997-present)

Frank Scarsella (former player, coach and referee, 1963-2000)

NESHOF News and The U.S. Open Cup

I have breaking news for you. No, I do not know what happened to the Cheesy Gordita Crunch. I am still working my sources on that one.

Anyway, I figured I'd pass along this update after attending last night's New England Soccer Hall of Fame meeting.

The induction ceremony is slated for November 1st at the Riviera Inn in East Providence. Among the nominees are Derek Rae (ESPN soccer broadcaster) and Jeff Causey (New England Revolution 1997-2001). A press release will be issued very soon. I'm sure it will be an exciting evening for all involved.

Now, Causey, from what I've seen, was pretty solid keeper who had to man the net with some pretty suspect defending in front of him during a time when the Revolution were, on the whole, a pretty mediocre/sub-average bunch. But, I, for one, cannot wait to meet Derek Rae. He is my all-time favorite soccer TV announcer. He delivers the game with remarkable degree of professionalism, insight and energy without a hint of pompousness, which is no easy task. He sticks to the game in front of him, and is never prone to carry on with unrelated subjects or topics. In my humble opinion, he is the epitome of his profession.

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Did you pregame the Republican National Convention (or The Office) with a view of the U.S. Open Cup Final on FSC last night? I did. It was a great game, and through the miracle of the internets, I was lucky enough to chat with Josh Hakala, the founder of USOpenCup.com, throughout the match.

Of course, an upset would have been desirable. The USL-1 Charleston Battery put up quite a fight against the formidable MLS side, DC United. It was 1-1 until the 51st minute when Fred swept a magnificent shot that ultimately sealed the deal for DC. It was a dogfight of a match - there was no question Charleston belonged there, which is why the tournament is so great. Normally, these clubs would never play each other, save for a pre-season exhibition, perhaps. But on a late-summer Wednesday night in the heart of our nation's capitol, there was something on the line that brought these two different clubs together. It was the U.S. Open Cup, a trophy that's been awarded to the best soccer club in America since the Wilson administration.

Before MLS, this was THE trophy (and I can make an argument that it still is, but I digress...for now) that determined the best of the best in the U.S. No flashy silver balls, no halftime concerts, no elaborate pre-game festivities*. Just two battle-tested clubs playing for the same handsome silver trophy that's been awarded to the victor for the past 94 years.

(*I'm not against these things, mind you. It caters to the TV audience, which is a good thing because that's where the money comes in. So long as soccer remains on the tube, I can stomach some of the nonsensical, non-soccer potpurri at MLS Cup. However, there's something to be said about a championship game that is simply just about twenty-two guys on the pitch, a conglomeration of fans, and a blind referee rather than a multi-media onslaught on the senses.)

If you like underdogs and upsets, you have to love the U.S. Open Cup. It's really soccer's version of the NCAA's, except with a richer tradition...and far fewer TV timeouts.