American Soccer Weblog

A Blog That Chuck Hasn't Found...Until Now

Bill Fetty over at A-League.com, part of the MatchNight network, recently has started a blog all about the league and has gotten off to a good start. He's crunching some interesting numbers, talking about Utah and Minnesota Thunder GK Joe Warren and introducing himself. Best of luck, Bill... Can't believe Chuck hasn't spotted it ... until now.

Weekend Attendance

Attendance updated to include Monday's numbers . . .

Attendance figures this weekend for A-League matches (listed high to low):
Fri. Toronto @ Montreal: 6,831
Sat. Atlanta @ Charleston: 5,022
Sat. Milwaukee @ Portland: 4,067
Sat. Rochester @ Puerto Rico: 3,190
Thu. Rochester @ Puerto Rico: 3,000
Sat. Virginia Beach @ Richmond: 2,440
Sun. Minnesota @ Edmonton: 1,913
Fri. Milwaukee @ Seattle: 1,875
Sat. Montreal @ Toronto: 1,826
Mon. Richmond @ Virginia Beach: 1,365
Fri. Edmonton @ Calgary: 1,012

Other notable attendance figures in the lower divisions:
Sat. St. Louis @ Des Moines (PDL): 3,440
Sat. N. Virginia @ Long Island (PSL): 2,629
Sun. W. Michigan @ Pittsburgh (PSL): 1,157
Sun. Reading @ Harrisburg City (PSL): 1,032

Notable women's attendance figures:
Sun. Arizona @ Edmonton (W-League): 1,512
May 22 Maryland @ Steel City (WPSL): 1,250
Sat. Sudbury @ Montreal (W-League): 1,170

MLS Attendance:
Sat. DC United @ NE: 19,314
Sat. Dallas @ LA: 18,460
Sat. San Jose @ Columbus: 14,555
Sat. Colorado @ Chicago: 9,688
Sun. KC Wizards @ MetroStars: 9,101

Saturday A-League Review

Montreal and Portland remain undefeated . . . Swinehart loans Richmond a win and James River Cup . . . Atlanta continues upswing with win over Charleston . . . Rochester gets second 1 goal win in Puerto Rico . . .

Montreal defeated Toronto on back-to-back nights, taking Friday's match at home 4-1 and then last night won 2-0 away, staying undefeated at 5-0-1. Freddy Commodore scored both goals for the Impact last night--his fourth and fifth on the season--in what was described by Rob Lynch as a less-than-inspired match by Toronto, turning in a worse performance, he says, than the one they had in the three-goal loss the night before, even with early sustained pressure. Two Lynx players describe the team as "struggling." Can't argue with that one.

"We had a strong start and Fred (Commodore) scored two great goals," said Montreal coach Nick DeSantis after last night's win. "There was a little bit of fatigue in the second half, but we never really let them get any good scoring chances.

"We used all of our subs, so everyone truly contributed, all the players can come out of this game with a sense of accomplishment."

Portland also stayed undefeated at 5-0-0, coming from a two-goal deficit at home against Milwaukee Wave United to win 3-2 in OT behind a hat-trick by Alan Gordon.

Dustin Swinehart, on loan from the Pro Soccer League's Charlotte Eagles, scored Richmond's lone goal in the 97th minute for a 1-0 OT win against Virginia Beach, taking the James River Cup once more. Swinehart will play Monday night for Richmond at Virginia Beach, and may make odd appearances throughout the season for the Kickers. Should the Kickers make the A-League playoffs, he'll be made available then as well.

Rochester won again in Puerto Rico, this time 2-1 after winning Thursday 1-0, despite the Islanders playing perhaps their best match of the season. Corey Woofolk, ex-Pittsburgh player, scored the lone goal of the first match after Islanders' defenders paused for what they may have thought was a whistle. It wasn't. Woofolk scored the decisive goal in last night's win as well. Soren Johnson made his first A-League start in goal for the Rhinos.

Charleston continue to languish in the middle of the A-League standings, while Atlanta have begun a bit of a surge after winning 4-2 away. From the Post & Courier:

Missing central defender Mark Watson, who was called up by Canada to face Wales in an international friendly, didn't help much either.

In Watson's absence, Charleston's Ezra Hendrickson and Michael Green struggled in the middle of the Battery defense, failing to rein in the speedy and skilled Silverbacks front line.

Charleston surrendered three of the four Atlanta (3-3-1, 10 points) goals with little more than a cursory stab at the ball, as Silverbacks attackers ran through the mistake-prone Battery defense like the incoming tide.

Former DC United defender Ivan McKinley made his first start of the season, and noted mental lapses by the Battery in the loss. Alex-Pineda Chacon scored for the Silverbacks in the win. Wolde Harris scored his first for the Battery in the loss.

"It was a bit of an embarrassing debacle," said Battery head coach Chris Ramsey. "The players know in their hearts, individually who made mistakes and who didn't. . . . It's my fault in the end," he said. "They make the mistakes, but I pick the team."

Minnesota plays in Edmonton this evening, while Richmond travels to Virginia Beach tomorrow for a Memorial Day match.

More match reports from the weekend's action (Thurs.-Mon.)
Milwaukee @ Seattle (Fri): Seattle Pitch, Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Bremerton Sun

Allie Gets An Interesting Welcome In Montreal

While it sounds like Montreal has a rabid fan base for soccer (unlike baseball, at least), at least one fan made a fool of himself by insisting--nose to nose--that A-League.com match reporter Allison Andrews take a hike. She hasn't yet told the full story from the match, a 4-1 win by Montreal over Toronto, but read her travelogue for more on that, and her 2nd consecutive east coast tour.

In a battle of winless Canadian teams, Edmonton (0-1-3) and Calgary (0-5-2) stayed that way in a 1-1 draw. The Aviators gave up a 2nd half stoppage-time goal to snatch a tie from the jaws of victory. Calgary's Nick Zuniga--an Edmonton native, by the way--was looking forward to the budding rivalry. Zuniga is more or less a role player off the bench now, and Mustangs coach Thomas Niendorf says he's got work to do to get better:

Niendorf knows what the 5-ft. 10-in. forward brings to the team but would like Zuniga to be more consistent with his transitional play and defensive responsibilities.

"The bottom line with Nick is we all recognize his talent but he needs to make a more consistent jump into the professional level of the A-League," said Niendorf. "We still see too many times just the flashes of his potential. He has to become more consistent with the responsibility of the assignments he has to look after on the field.

In the only other action last night, Seattle defeated Milwaukee Wave United 2-1 with a 2nd half stoppage time goal by Welton. But the bigger news out of Seattle is that they're one of four finalists for an MLS franchise. Seattle Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer was at MLS offices in New York meeting with commissioner Don Garber on Thursday. Hanauer is described by the Seattle Times as that city's "point man" for a top-flight team.

"We're no closer to having a franchise," Hanauer said after the meeting with Garber. "We're trying to figure out under what structure something might be able to work." The MLS hopes to expand by an additional two teams in 2006; Borg said Seattle automatically would be put on the 2006 expansion list if the city is not awarded a franchise this year.

The article pokes holes in Salt Lake City's bid, and notes that the Field Turf surface at Seahawks Stadium wouldn't be an issue.

While the current A-League Sounders team would cease to exist, the Sounders' name, logo and colors would more than likely continue with the new team, since there is 30 years of Sounders history in the city. But Hanauer said there may be some benefits to starting over with a new brand because he would want to make a big first impression on the city if it gets an MLS team.

The Chivas USA franchise set for play in 2005 will play in either Los Angeles or Chicago. Either city would have a stadium share with the existing MLS franchise in the respective cities.

The Portland Timbers, ranked #11 in the OnTheSidelines MLS Top 11, are taking experience and talent to the top of the A-League.

Clyde Simms has gone from a tryout camp just hoping for a shot with the Richmond Kickers, to a starting role with the team as they prepare for their James River Cup match tonight at home against Virginia Beach.

Richie Williams, who will sit out tonight's match against the Mariners, had a rare thing happen to him with a straight red card for dissent in their most recent match, a 1-0 OT loss to Atlanta.

Beau Dure has a good rundown of the US lower divisions.

The Quick Clicker

It's been a busy week for us here, with no less than six different people making contributions, but we do have time to give props to those linking back and not thinking us idiots for wanting Freddy to play. At least it was a reasoned request by our own Craig Stouffer. Actually, I want to see more of Josh Gros on the field.

I guess it's not just me, but I also thought that the US MNT against Mexico looked a lot like the DC United team we've seen this season. Heavy pressure from the forwards on back, hard fouling early and often, and overall, a disrupting, dominating menace except when it comes to finding the goal. At least the US shouldn't have to worry as much about El Salvador, as Ian Plenderleith writes.

It's a triple-threat this weekend along the I-64 corridor, as Virginia Beach opens their season with a home-and-home series against Richmond. Why triple threat? The matches count in the A-League standings, James River Cup and US Open Cup qualifying, but perhaps more importantly, the match tonight is a fundraiser for the Jamie Hess Memorial Fund, which holds a lot of meaning to Kickers defender Chris Fox. After taking a trip with the team last year for a feature that didn't quite pan out, Fox asked me after a 2-0 loss to Pittsburgh if I didn't have anything better to do with my Memorial Day weekend. Sadly, even after the loss, I didn't.

The Kickers, meanwhile, are off to a 0-1-1 start, barely getting a result in Charleston last week after losing to the Battery at home to start their season. Look for Mike Field and the Mariners to set up their tailgate on enemy turf in the parking lot at U of Richmond Stadium tonight.

After all that, if they're not fired up to play this weekend.

Beau Dure notes why relegation/promotion won't work between MLS and the A-League. In a word: stadiums. But in reality, even if you got every MLS team with their own reasonably-sized soccer-specific stadium, you'd still have the problem in the A-League. Rochester and Atlanta are building facilities, but Rochester is a likely MLS franchise in the near future, so they don't really count. Atlanta's building a place in the 5-7K range, and with a handful of exceptions, no A-League team is going to draw more than 5K on a regular basis. Blue Sky Soccer, in an interview with USL CEO Dave Askinas, he thinks teams can have their own SSS within the next decade:

We want to be the best league we can be. The ideal , and we can get there faster than you think, is to have all of our teams in 5-10,000 seat soccer specific stadiums where tickets are in demand. I don't think this is an idle dream but one achievable through 5-10 years hard work. We know what we have to do and we have to continue to aggressively market our product and increase our profile in order to make that kind of progress.

In an article about Olympic spending, it notes that US Soccer spent $31.5 million in 2000, the year the US women won the silver medal. The article does note, though, that the Olympics aren't the only--or main--goal for a lot of sports, including soccer.

Nebraska Says Goodbye To Cooper

On a much sadder note, perhaps by now you've heard about Nebraska's Jenna Cooper, slain at a party last weekend. Lucky Iromuanya, the man who shot her is is being charged with second-degree murder. He allegedly wanted to kill someone else over a shot glass, and fired a bullet that hit Cooper, who was standing nearby. Iromuanya's bail, originally $1 million, was cut in half.

She was laid to rest today. Let's hope the US WNT will use their upcoming match in Louisville, where Cooper was from, as a tribute match to her.

Gearing For The Start: Charleston @ Richmond

Before I start searching far and wide for A-League previews (we'll have one tomorrow if Mark Bushman's computer doesn't crash), check out Gerald Barnhart's Pardon This Imitation version of an A-League preview. After you've had a good chuckle at that, check out the official league site's straight preview.

Josh Henderson has fallen off the planet again. After "retiring" from the Richmond Kickers and then joining the Charleston Battery last season, he's left that club too. Says Battery coach Chris Ramsey:

"Henderson is currently making a life-decision. We have Greg Simmonds, so we don't feel like we've lost any firepower. It's always a blow to lose players you consider to be talented. But we don't want to look back."

I don't know if Ramsey's been enjoying the resources available in Blackbaud's pub, but having seen Simmonds play regularly in Richmond last season, I seem to recall a first touch that goes 10 yards and an uncanny ability to miss the goal, but then again, Charleston did win the A-League title last season, so maybe . . .

As for Henderson, he's a proven goal scorer and will find a place on an A-League-level team if he wants one, but it could be his chameleon demeanor that's kept him from reaching MLS.

In any case, the Battery travel to Richmond to face the Kickers in the league opener Saturday night. The Kickers added a couple of former players--David Hayes and Richie Williams--while losing David Testo to Columbus. Caleb Norkus, Matthew Delicate and McColm Cephas, along with former Riverhounds defender/midfielder Joey Worthen will need to blend in with the team that remains. The Battery have added a few players of their own, including former DC United defender Ivan McKinley. You can listen live to the match on the Battery's webcast Saturday night beginning around 7 pm ET.

Both the Battery and Richmond will also have something else in common this year--hosting English teams in exhibitions. Richmond gets Nottingham Forest, making a tour of the Mid-Atlantic, while the Battery get Sunderland.

In case you didn't hear, Portland has a home this season. The Portland City Council has approved a new operating agreement for the Pacific Coast League (baseball) to assume the lease on PGE Park for this season. Scott Benedetti, at 37, continues to perform well enough to be in the midfield for the Timbers.

Vancouver is building a new, $3 million (Canadian) training facility that would house both the Whitecaps and the Canadian national team.

Richard Snowden is calling for a new and improved Pro 40 Select team that would play in St. Louis and provide quality training for MLS reserves.

Lastly:

Former A-Leaguer Michael Coll (1999-Hershey) is now the Penn State assistant women's soccer coach. ... The Edmonton Aviators have lost a player even before their first-ever match--Todd Rattee. The Aviators are looking to be around for the long haul. ... The Montreal Impact have added three players. ... In this item about Rochester signing Yari Allnut, it notes Amanda Miller's move to the USL as associate director of PR.

Surprise, Surprise

Rochester must think they're going to be an MLS team next season, since they continue to try and sign recent cuts among teams that exist now in the American top-flight. Wolde Harris is the latest target--recently cut from Kansas City. Harris is deciding between Rochester and options overseas. If Harris--the 1996 A-League MVP--joins, he'll join the 1997 MVP, Doug Miller up front along with recent signee Chris Carrieri.

Roy Lassiter has been let go by Va. Beach--notified by conference call--and is playing now with the Austin Posse--an independent team in Texas.

The Posse already have Chad Deering, Ezra Hendrickson, Ted Eck and Chad Prince on the roster, who have various levels of MLS and/or A-League experience. The latest headline on their home page notes that the team has "taken the next step toward joining Mexican league," which, they say, would be cheaper for them in travel and more beneficial from a sponsor standpoint than joining the A-League or MLS.

From the Posse website:

Posse may set precedent and join Mexican League: The Austin Posse are currently looking at their third option, to join the Mexican soccer federation. According to General Manager Jonathan Langer, "The Mexican Teams have been very supportive of our program and joining either the Mexican 2nd Division or 1st Division would create a precedent for American soccer. There are teams in southern Texas that this would open the door to as well." In additon, Vice President Carlos da Fonte states, "Financially this would be the less expensive way to go. Our travel costs would be less than if we were to go into the MLS or the A-League. Our Sponsership markets would open themselves up to the many Mexican products and services which would increase our clubs revenues. In addition, we have been warmly received by many of the teams and officials in Mexico. Granted, we are only in the initial stages of talks it is my opinion that things could acclearate very quickly."

Va. Beach was mentioned in the article as a possible destination for Harris.

Charleston, the other free spender in the A-League, plays their final tuneup today against former A-League side Charlotte at Blackbaud Stadium. They've just signed MLS veteran defender Ivan McKinley and rookie midfielder Jason Getz. McKinley sat out 2003 with an injury and was most recently with DC United in 2002.

Going north of the border . . . In an article discussing the costs of running a pro sports franchise, it notes that a dozen owners are sharing the $250,000 franchise fee paid to put A-League and W-League soccer in Edmonton. Certainly, it won't be a profit-making experience, says the operator of one A-League team.

The Aviators had problems just securing dates to play at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton, and just now finalized their schedule, opening up with their first five matches on the road. The Aviators have a goal of beating the all-time A-League attendance record--set by Seattle--for their home opener. While the A-League season begins April 17, the Aviators won't start until April 30, with their home opener not coming until May 30.

"Anybody who gets involved thinking it will be a money-making proposition from Day 1, it won't be early on," said Bob Lenarduzzi, the director of operations for the A-League's Vancouver Whitecaps. He's been in the pro soccer business on the left coast for 17 years, dating back to the CSL and NASL.

"We made money the first year. About $550. Every year after that we had to infuse capital. But it was never in the millions," Lenarduzzi said.

A new "soccer dome" has opened in Montreal. It doesn't note any involvement by the Impact, but the words Montreal and "soccer mad" are used in the same article, so it gets attention here. Montreal's W-League team begins training next week.

Martin Nash, part of the Impact, made a return to the indoor game and scored 26 goals with Dallas this season. Dallas has used a mix of soccer vagabonds to create an indoor playoff team.

Staying indoors for a second, Andy Guastaferro, who most recently played in Charlotte (2000-2003), is having a decent season (low in article) with the Philadelphia Kixx in the MISL and is earning consideration for rookie of the year in the indoor league. The Toronto Lynx's Marcello Vincello (2000-2003) is also doing well indoors in Philly.

Midfielder Geert Brusselers, described as a 15-year veteran of European soccer, has signed with the Calgary Mustangs and will be the team captain.

David Hayes apparently spurned a more-lucrative offer to play in Milwaukee, and instead has returned to play in Richmond after a tryout with the MetroStars that had him playing at left back, rather than in midfield. Said Hayes:

I just felt I tried the money thing over the years, and it doesn't bring what you're looking for - happiness.

In the same article, it notes that Richie Williams will take on a role as an assistant coach at UVa, and that Richmond plucked Joey Worthen off the self-relegated Pittsburgh Riverhouds with the idea of playing the former midfielder at left back. Tony Williams is getting a look at right back.

Roger Levesque, a former Richmond draft pick (not that A-League draft picks have ever meant anything) and current with San Jose in MLS, is likely to be loaned to Seattle for at least a few weeks after tearing up his contract and re-signed as a roster-exempt senior developmental player. This comes after the Earthquakes traded for Chris Brown. The Revs needed to move salary so it can acquire a defender for injured Carlos Llamosa, likely out for the season.

Amos Magee, a 14-year veteran of the Minnesota Thunder, has re-signed with the team.

Portland's Jake Sagare, who spent the A-League offseason at Halifax Town in England's Nationwide Conference, says he plans to return to the English club again. The Portland Timbers lost in their 2nd preseason match, though McKinley Tennyson scored.

Former Atlanta Silverbacks coach Pete Peterson (2000-2001) has been named coach of Clayton College & State University.

Wishing Otero Well; Ukrop Birthday Bash

We want to start by offering up our thoughts and prayers to Antonio Otero and his family following an accident about a week ago that left him in a coma for a few days:

Former United player Antonio Otero was involved in a car accident near Fort Meyers a little over a week ago. He was in a coma for about five days but has recently opened his eyes. Otero played for United in 1999 and 2000. In those two years, he played in 25 games, starting 18. The midfielder had three assists. He scored a goal in a 1999 US Open Cup match and also in the third-place match in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, a 2-2 draw with Chicago. After high school in Tampa, Antonio attended American University from where he joined United as a Project-40 player. He was traded to Miami Fusion in 2001 for a 3rd round pick (which United used on Craig Ziadie). He made one appearance with Miami. I know the thoughts and prayers of the United family will be with Antonio in these trying times.

In another note--more positive--on a former MLS player, and the one who scored the first two goals in New England Revolution history, #19 in your programs . . .

The Richmond Kickers' Rob Ukrop celebrated his 34th birthday with his 8th annual birthday bash at Chuck-E-Cheese. in which everyone got free food, drinks and tokens, and donations were taken for the Richmond Police Athletic League. Damage done: 2500 people. 198 pizzas. 5 sheetcakes. 58,000 tokens. 180,000 tickets won in 7 hours.

As it turned out, Ukrop only stayed in NE for part of the 1996 season before returning to Richmond.

Carrieri Finds A Home

The paper of his youth catches up to Chris Carrieri as he starts to get acclimated to Rochester. Colorado GM Dan Counce says "it's really not very personal" when it comes to salary cap casualties. He's getting a new start (I wonder if we didn't hear that when he was traded from San Jose to Colorado).

About his public feuding over playing time and with Colorado coach Tim Hankinson:

It’s past me. He gave me a great opportunity. I don’t know what went wrong. There were times when I did speak out, and I’ve tried to learn my lesson, bite my tongue. Yes, I was frustrated at times, but I had a great time in MLS.

While Carrieri was frustrated in Colorado, defender Scott Schweitzer was frustrated in Rochester and thus was traded to Syracuse. The former A-League defender of the year was traded to the Salty Dogs in exchange for defender Carlos Semedo and Noah Delgado. The Rhinos have 14 newcomers among the 27 players they have in camp.

Excavation work is expected to begin in April on Rochester's new stadium.

Portland GM Jim Taylor says there will be no excuse for a slow start this season. While the team has the likes of Josh Saunders and McKinley Tennyson on the roster, they're still awaiting word on several more players and if they'll return--midfielders Jake Sagare and Hugo Alcaraz-Cuellar among them. Timbers coach Bobby Howe weighs in on the PGE Park mess, saying:

We think we will have a season, but you never know.

More details about the Portland mess here and here.

David Hayes returns to Richmond after a year's absence. His offseason tryout with the MetroStars ended without him being signed there.

Tim Holt, who manages the A-League, wants to see pro soccer return to Philly, his hometown.

Robin Fraser of Columbus, in an article about the younger players flooding MLS, waxes poetic about the A-League:

In the A-League, we did things that the younger guys can't even imagine — sitting around in airports, waiting for coaches to get vans.

Hybrid Minnesota and Milwaukee Wave United squads made appearances at the University of Wisconsin this past weekend.

Vancouver signed a couple of Canadian internationals to contracts--Martin Nash and Davide Xausa. Interesting how a guy with the last 3 letters of his last name (usa) is Canadian.

A Long Beach Press-Telegram columnist calls for relegation/promotion between A-League and MLS. Without going into a lot of detail now, seems that neither league is ready for that now or in the near future, however ideal the idea may sound.

Portland Looking For New Home?

It's an A-League Saturday here at the American Soccer Weblog, so let's get right to it.

The Portland Timbers may be looking for a new home for this season. PGE Park, their normal home is being operated by the city after owners Portland Family Entertainment fell behind on payments. The Timbers, along with their minor-league baseball counterparts, issued a statement:

Like the city, the Pacific Coast League and the A-League, the Beavers and Timbers are hoping for a resolution prior to the beginning of the season. It is management’s responsibility — in the interest of everyone involved — to continue preparations for the upcoming season at PGE Park.

Josh Saunders, though, is happy to be defending the nets in Portland rather than sitting on San Jose--or another team's--bench in MLS. Forward McKinley Tennyson is also returning, signing a 2-year contract after leading the Timbers in scoring the last 2 seasons (2002: 18 goals, 6 assists; 2003: 11 goals, 4 assists).

Rochester looks to snag just-released MLS-cap casualty Chris Carrieri, late of Colorado. He has to clear MLS waivers before Rochester can sign him. Last season, Carrieri had 3 goals and 8 assists in 30 matches. Said Rhinos coach Pat Ercoli:

According to all I’ve heard, Chris plays a lot like Doug Miller (the all-time Rhinos’ scorer). He’s quick and fast and a natural goal scorer. I also like that he can play midfield as well as forward.

Rochester will host DC United in a June 23 friendly.

Toronto veteran defender/midfielder Joe Mattacchione has re-signed. The Lynx have also signed defender Aaron Steele, son of assistant Billy Steele.

Staying in Canada, the new Edmonton Aviators have signed Christopher Lemire.

Byron Carmichael is plying his trade indoors in Philly while unsure whether he'll hook up with an A-League team this season. He briefly played for the Cincinnati Riverhawks in the A-League before dropping down to the PSL (Pro Soccer League) and helping Wilmington to a championship.

Syracuse defeated the LA Galaxy 2-1 last night at SAS Stadium in Cary, NC. Michel Millwood tallied a 3rd minute goal while Gary Brooks nailed a 30-yarder past the Galaxy's Dan Popik to put the Salty Dogs 2-goals up before LA closed the gap for the final tally.

The McClain Center at the University of Wisconsin will host a 9-a-side round-robin soccer tournament that will involve both the Minnesota Thunder and Milwaukee Wave United.

Among other A-League friendly action this weekend, Richmond played Kansas City's reserves last night, and will take on Charlotte (now in the Pro Soccer League) Saturday. Syracuse take on Va. Beach today and the UNC men tomorrow.

Charleston improved in play despite losing 3-1 to Columbus, which coach Chris Ramsey said was better than their performance against DC United. Said Ramsey:

We got punished for being sloppy. We did play better than we did Saturday, but those are the breaks. When you're playing an MLS team, that little bit of quality comes out. They get a good chance and they score and we had two or three chances and we didn't score. So, that's where you get punished. A 3-1 result looks like you were overwrought, but we weren't.

In a few odds and ends before I head down to see LA, KC, Richmond, Va. Beach, Syracuse and Charlotte at SAS Stadium in Cary, NC, who'd have thought that the New Hampshire Phantoms of the Pro Soccer League would be part of a Manchester Mecca of Minor League action? . . . South Montgomery County outside of Houston, Texas is interested in landing an MLS franchise. Houston Texans Senior VP Jamey Rootes (previously worked for the Columbus Crew), said the city is lacking an appropriate facility and an ownership group, but said the city would support a team there. . . .

Soccer PSL style has returned to Three Mile Island (Harrisburg). Let's hope for no meltdowns there. . . .

And if you're down in New Orleans tonight, catch Ian Bishop and the New Orleans Shell Shockers of the PDL (Premier Development League) as they play New England. Otherwise, you can also catch a DH down in Charleston: Wilmington (PSL) vs. Charleston (A-League) and then MLS's DC United and Columbus take part in the inaugural Carolina Challenge Cup. . . .

One more thing, I can see why Bruce Arena would replace Landon Donovan from the 19-man squad that's facing Poland. On the MLS conference call to hype the opener, he could barely be heard as he was suffering from an intestinal virus, but he stood through nearly a half-hour of questioning by the national media. Donovan is being replaced by Chris Klein, and Tony Sanneh will make another appearance in favor of Chris Armas.

Also good to see Nick Rimando recovering well from his knee injury. He says he's about 90% for the opener.

One last note--really--before I head down to SAS Stadium this morning: thanks to MatchNight and Dr. Chuck Pearson for noticing our little corner of the world. We've been doing this blog since late summer 2003 over at OnTheSidelines (Archives found here), and we're going into our 4th season of soccer coverage here. While it had been focusing primarily on Americans abroad, we wanted to bring more light to soccer played on this continent as well. Check out Dr. Chuck over there, and the American Soccer Weblog here. We like the name too!