Sep 29, 2011

Chesterfield United FC Parents return from life changing trip to Kenya

Chesterfield United FC parents David and Sarah Glass have recently returned to the country after a life changing trip to Kenya, Africa. They went to Africa in coalition with the Start With One Kenya project that is a non-profit organization that believes in individuals taking the step to join forces with other people to create the lasting change the world needs.
Director/Co-Founder Henry Kalungi

Henry Kalungi, a member of the Richmond Kickers since the 2009 championship season, is Director and Co-Founder of the Uganda Youth Soccer Academy (UYSA), a community-based soccer academy established to offer opportunities to the disadvantaged youth of Uganda through soccer and education.
You can follow the amazing work of David and Saray Glass on their blog: Second Touch and to learn more about the group they are supporting in Africa go to: http://www.uysocceracademy.com/


Sep 28, 2011

UVA player Morgan Brian named to U-23 WNT Training Camp roster

Morgan Brian - Gatorade National
Girls' Soccer Player of the Year
University of Virginia Midfielder Morgan Brian has been named to the roster for the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team training camp being held from Oct. 2-7.

Brian will be battling other top college and WPS players hoping to receive a call-up to the U.S. Women’s National Team camps ahead of Olympic Qualifying.

The October camp will run for six days and takes place at the Home Depot Center in Carson,CA.

EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 12 Takeover Tour coming to D.C.

You surely have by now seen the newest commercial for promoting the upcoming release of the ever-popular FIFA Soccer video game franchise. The commercial features athletes Landon Donovan, Hope Solo, Steve Nash, and Tim Lincecum.


 

Electronic Arts Inc., (NASDAQ: ERTS) today announced the launch of the “EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 12 Takeover Tour,” a nationwide, 40-city, six-week long program that showcases FIFA Soccer 12, the number one selling sports videogame franchise on the planet, and PlayStation®3 (PS3™) computer entertainment systems. 

The tour is scheduled to arrive in Washington, D.C. on October 14th.

Throughout six weeks, two vehicles outfitted with 15 TVs along with 15 PS3™ systems, plus a full-time crew, will travel the East Coast while another team will visit West Coast cities.  At each Tour stop, fans will have the opportunity to play FIFA Soccer 12, as well as receive free prizes courtesy of EA SPORTS and PlayStation®, including Adidas-branded FIFA Soccer 12 T-shirts and the chance to win a PS3™ system.



The EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 12 Takeover Tour will be supported by an integrated marketing campaign, including live Twitter feeds, Facebook fan page updates, PlayStation.com and more, that will drive game and tour awareness, in addition to driving attendance at Tour stops.

FIFA Soccer 12 will be available in stores September 27 in North America and September 30 worldwide for the PlayStation®3, Xbox 360®, PC, Mac, Wii™, PC, PlayStation®2 computer entertainment system, Nintendo 3DS™, PSP® (PlayStation®Portable) system, iPhone®, iPad™, and iPod® touch. The game will also be available for digital download on PC at origin.com.

For more information about the EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 12 Takeover Tour, including specific Tour stop details, visit http://www.EA.com/soccer/news/FIFA-12-Takeover-Tour-1 or via the Tour’s Twitter Feed at http://twitter.com/EAFIFA12Tour.  Visit the official FIFA Soccer 12 game page at http://www.fifa.easports.com/

Sep 27, 2011

Virginia College Programs make National Top 25 lists


Soccer America Top 25
Top 25


Soccer America Men's Top 25 (Sep. 27)
TEAM (2011 RECORD) LAST WEEK

18. George Mason (4-2-2) NR
20. Old Dominion (4-1-1) 11

Soccer America Women's Top 25 (Sep. 26)
TEAM (2011 RECORD) LAST WEEK

7. Virginia (8-2-1) 14






NSCAA Top 25
Top 25


NSCAA National Rankings Men's Top 25 (Sep. 27)
TEAM (2011 RECORD) LAST WEEK

20. Old Dominion  prev. 15

*Also receiving votes: GMU, William & Mary

NSCAA National Rankings Women's Top 25 (Sep. 26)
TEAM (2011 RECORD) LAST WEEK

13. Virginia  prev. 16

*Also receiving votes: William & Mary, Virginia Tech

Wambach keeps scoring, leads USWNT over Canada

The leader of the U.S. Womens team, Abby Wambach has continued her dominant play (at the age of 31) on the field during a recent "Celebration Series" which included two friendlies with our northern neighbors, Canada.

Wambach has scored three goals in the two games and is playing some of the best soccer of her international career. Hungry and focused on winning a Gold Medal at the upcoming 2012 London Olympics, Wambach and the rest of the USWNT are surely going to head into that competition with a mindset that this team has something to prove to its fans and the rest of the soccer world - they are deserving of their FIFA #1 ranking.


 

I for one would not feel comfortable betting against this motivated group. Up next for the U.S. is a six week long break for the player (with exception of GK Hope Solo, currently participating on ABC's dancing with the stars) followed by another friendly Nov. 19 against Sweden at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Click Here to Vote for Hope Solo on Dancing With the Stars

Sep 25, 2011

Does D.C. United need to make playoffs for Olsen's job security?


Following a loss on the road to Seattle 0-3 and settling for a draw with Chivas USA despite a 2-0 halftime lead VASoccerNews asked via Twitter if Ben Olsen's job as Head Coach might be in jeopardy should United not manage to make the playoffs for the 2011 MLS Season.

For the sake of a fair debate VASocerNews enlisted the help of a guest blogger,Ryan Keefer,  to argue 'for' Olsen remaining as Head Coach for the Black and Red.


Part I: Ben Olsen stays at DCU, for a myriad of reasons

Sure, the DC United loss, er, tie, with Chivas USA on Wednesday night stings on a couple of different levels, but in seeing the question posed about Coach Ben Olsen’s job being on the line if the team miss the MLS playoffs, allow me to start my retort with two words: Child, please.

In fact, let’s look at things a little bit further here and take Olsen’s importance and value to the franchise for a second. We are, after all, talking about a guy with no previous coaching experience (unless you want to count his bench attendance during an injury-riddled 2008 campaign) who took over the reins of the club during a dysfunctional 2010 season.  His role was on an interim basis, with no expectation of him being made permanent, an expectation that surprisingly changed in the off season when he was made manager for the team in the 2011 campaign. And so far, with eight wins, eight losses, eleven ties at 35 points, DCU is flirting with its first postseason appearance. Good, but apparently not good enough? Well, let’s play a game at this point, you’ve got two coaches that have coached 39 games, one has an 11-16-12 career record, the other has a 10-18-11 record, which would do you pick?  If you picked the former, that would be Ben Olsen’s coaching record (the latter belongs to similar former player turned coach Jason Kreis).

The assertion would appear to be that Olsen’s squad should make it, because of who is on the roster. Care to remember the 2010 DC United roster and all of the scoring glory Danny Allsopp and Pablo Hernandez brought to it? Well since that point, some moves Olsen’s engineered have been good (Charlie Davies) and others, not so much (Dax McCarty).  Regardless of the moves made, this is still a team that has yet to fully ripen on the vine in more aspects than one.  The team’s current goal scoring leader (Davies) and assist leader (Pontius) both were coming off of previous seasons of respective injuries. While Pontius came back with a vengeance this year before unfortunately being shelved with another knock, Davies has been struggling to both regain his health and playing first team competition consistently. He’s played 21 games this year, not bad, though consider he’s played in 25 first team matches TOTAL since the end of his 2008 year with Hammersby.

Then there’s the youth factor. While Rookie of the Year Andy Najar has been quietly playing well for most of the year, fellow Academy graduate Bill Hamid has been groomed under Tim Howard as a presumed National Team goalkeeper in waiting. However, Hamid missed the first 3 games of the year due to injury, and has recently been battling recurring hamstring issues. The first half of the year saw fellow Academy product Ethan White get a large number of starts this year, with the rookie defender handling himself well in stretches, with other stretches showing that he’s…still a rookie. And speaking of rookies, now that Pontius is gone for the year, the team leader in minutes played will likely be Perry Kitchen, who juggled two positions before settling in for his first year at right back where he managed to keep current USMNT darling Brek Shea quiet during a road game in Dallas earlier this year. Kitchen, it should be noted, settled into the role after replacing fellow rookie (and Akron teammate) Chris Korb. Kitchen and White have seen larger roles largely due to recurring injuries of center back Dejan Jakovic. While mid season acquisition Brandon McDonald has helped shore up the back, with Jakovic going down again, this very young group of defenders has been called into action once more in trial by fire circumstances.

Speaking of McDonald and fellow acquisition Dwayne DeRosario, let’s not forget that they have been here for all of two and a half months and while they are professionals, they do require time to gel with their teammates like other players in similar circumstance do, with DeRosario in particular seeing Pontius, Santino Quaranta, fellow NYRB escapee refugee Austin da Luz and even Marc Burch spend various minutes to DeRo’s left in the 11 games he’s dressed in the Black and Red (putting things in perspective, DeRo and BMac’s 22 combined DCU starts is the same number of starts that Kitchen has).

Ultimately, Olsen needs a fresh reign because after several years of starting and restarting, the team appears to finally be on the same page when it comes to acquisitions and direction, and Olsen is the last real decision that Dave Kasper and Kevin Payne could have made without screwing things up. If Olsen is impatiently jettisoned, the front office better have Pep Guardiola on speed dial, because anything less than a man with a proven record of success not only potentially alienates the supporters this team has, but a regression could signal a possible death knell for MLS in DC.

Sep 22, 2011

Unable to slow down JPA, United settle for draw

As predicted yesterday D.C. United struggled to contain Juan Pablo Angel in last evenings important match against Chivas USA.

VASoccerNews: "Keep an eye out for Juan Pablo Angel who finally snapped his scoring drought with a goal against Chicago...Goal scorers like JPA often score in bunches, just ask Davies."

With a seemingly strong 2-0 lead at halftime D.C United just could not handle JPA and allowed the Chivas Striker to single handily bring his team even with a pair of goals in the second half. The goals would highlight what has been the biggest problem for United Head Coach Ben Olsen all season - the inconsistent back line and again as we predicted the inability of United rookie Perry Kitchen to shut down top players in the league. Kitchen was beat in the air by JPA for the first Chivas goal and was saved the embarrassment of allowing another goal because of a great save by United goalkeeper Bill Hamid when he was easily beat at midfield by French midfielder Laurent Courtois.

On somewhat of a side note the question should be asked, is Kitchen failing to develop at a sufficient pace this season? It seems as if every other game Kitchen commits at least one meaningful error or misjudgement on the back line allowing for big plays by the opponents (usually resulting in goals).

Unfortunately United goal scorer Dwayne De Rosario, who put D.C. up 1-0 in the first half, was unable to convert on possibly the most important penalty kick of the season for the Black and Red.

With a halftime lead and a late penalty kick opportunity D.C. United had plenty of opportunities to put the game away and lock up the much needed 3 points in their push to the playoffs but where left with a single point instead. Last nights game was the type of match that a true playoff team finishes out, it is looking like United are not quite at the caliber of the top MLS teams and will more than likely miss out on the playoffs yet again. Their last appearance in the playoffs was 2007!

If you don't agree have a look at what Olsen had to say following the match:

"It’s absolutely going to stop – it has to stop, or we will not make the playoffs, it’s that simple. The way we fade in and out of games as a group, the way we take breaks, is the reason why we haven’t had two games in a row."

Sep 21, 2011

Our Starting XI for tonights D.C. United vs. Chivas match

Needing every point the team can muster from hear on out we are hopeful that goalkeeper Bill Hamid will be in net for tonights match agians Chivas USA.

We elected to have Charlie Davies as the lone striker and put the always danderous playmaker, Dwayne De Rosario directly behind Davies in the hope that the two can find some much needed offensive spark working together.

Keep an eye out for Juan Pablo Angel who finally snaped his scoring drought with a goal against Chicago. He may spell trouble for the unpredictable Perry Kitchen on free kicks and corners. Goal scorers like JPA often score in bunches, just ask Davies.

Prediction: D.C. United pull off the win ONLY if Hamid gets the start in goal and has no more issues with his hamstring.


Sep 20, 2011

United on the outisde looking in

With eight regular season matches left in the current MLS season, D.C. United will have to make the most of every game and can not afford to lose any more ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

D.C. United currently are two points behind New York who sits in the final wild card playoff spot and a distant five points behind the last playoff team in the East, Philadelphia. United will finish the season with five home games and 3 road matches. Needing to be as consistent as possible (a problem this season) the Black and Red seemingly can not afford to miss out on any points for the rest of the season if they are to make their way into the final teams advancing to the MLS post season.

Should United at least tie each of their remaining games they could collect 5 points but with games against Philadelphia, Columbus, Real Salt Lake, and Kansas City  - all of whom would make the playoffs if the season where to end today - D.C. must find a consistency they have lacked most of the season.

Head Coach Ben Olsen will surely be looking at the remaining eight games as a true measure of what this team has become since trading for Dwayne De Rosario (6 goals/11 games).  The injuries are mounting at the wrong time for United who are currently without Pontious - tibia fracture, Zayner - knee sprain, Hamid - hamstring, Jakovic - hamstring, Quaranta - quad, Cronin - shoulder, Boskovic -season with ACL.

Luckily for D.C. they are facing Chivas USA who they just beat 3-0 on the road in L.A. ten days ago. The toughest test for United may be when they travel to Philadelphia to face the Union. The playoff picture should be much clearer as October begins and if United can win two of its next three and collect at least 6 points they may be in a good position to finish out the season. A little luck on the injury front and a return of Bill Hamid would be a great boost as well.

Our prediction: United go 2-4-2 and miss the playoffs this season.

VYSA Accepting Awards Nominations

Each year the Virginia Youth Soccer Association (VYSA) selects special individuals for awards that are presented at the annual convention.  It is time for those of you who have special people in your clubs, on your teams, and in general have done exceptional things for soccer in the past year to be nominated and recognized for their service. 

Please nominate your coach, assistant coach, team manager, volunteer, club representative and young referees for their contribution to your organization.

Go to the Awards Nomination page of the VYSA web site and send your nomination for that person before October 12th. 

Virginia College Soccer weekly Re-cap 9/20

A quick re-cap from the past week in the world of college soccer in Virginia:

Tribe Men’s Soccer Opens CAA Play with 1-0 Win at UNCW

The William and Mary Tribe men's soccer team opened up CAA conference play on Saturday night, winning on the road at UNC Wilmington, 1-0.  With the victory, the College evens its record on the season at 3-3 overall, while UNCW falls to 2-4 on the year and to 0-1 in league action.


Tribe’s Katherine Yount Earns National Honor

After helping the William and Mary Tribe women's soccer team post an impressive, 2-0 win over Princeton on September 15, Tribe junior goalkeeper Katherine Yount was named to Top Drawer Soccer's National Team of the Week.  The honor is the first in the career for the Fairfax Station, Virginia, native.

Tribe Women’s Soccer Defeats Princeton, 2-0

The William and Mary Tribe women's soccer team got back to its winning ways on Friday night at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field, defeating the Princeton Tigers, 2-0.  With the victory, the Tribe improves to 5-1-2 on the season, while Princeton falls to 1-4 on the year.

John Daly Post Game Interview



No. 10 UVA Men fall to No. 19 Charlotte, 2-1

No. 19 Charlotte scored on a penalty kick with 25 seconds remaining in regulation, then struck again in the first minute of overtime to pull out a stunning 2-1 win over the No. 10 Virginia men's soccer team Friday evening at Klöckner Stadium.

No. 14 UVA Women fall to No. 18. Boston College
The No. 14 Virginia women's soccer team suffered a 2-0 loss to No. 18 Boston College in its road opener Sunday at the Newton Soccer Field. The Eagles used a pair of second half goals to improve to 6-0-2 overall (1-0 ACC), while the Cavaliers fell to 7-2-1 (1-1 ACC).



UMW Men's Soccer Tops #20 Salisbury, 2-1

The University of Mary Washington men's soccer team scored a pair of goals to open the second half and held on for a 2-1 victory over 20th-ranked Salisbury University on Saturday at the Battleground. The Eagles improve to 3-3 on the season, and 1-0 in Capital Athletic Conference action, while the Gulls fall to 4-1-1 and 0-1.

UMW Women's Soccer Falls at Frostburg, 1-0

The University of Mary Washington women's soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision at Frostburg State University on Sunday afternoon in Capital Athletic Conference action. The Eagles fall to 4-1-1 on the season.



Liberty Scorches Howard, 4-0

Using a relentless, pressuring attack, the Liberty Flames defeated the Howard Bison, 4-0, Friday afternoon at Osborne Stadium. Midfielder Phillip Aseweh netted two goals in the contest, while Timothy Bullock and Uriah Bentick each added a score for the Flames. After Liberty defeated No. 10 Virginia, 2-0, on Tuesday, the Flames have held their opponents without a goal for the second consecutive match.

Liberty Women Tie Elon, Sunday

Looking for its second win of the season on Sunday, the Liberty women's soccer team (1-3-2) instead garnered its second stalemate, playing Elon (2-4-2) to a scoreless tie at Osborne Stadium.



Hokies rally, but fall at 11th-ranked Boston College, 4-3, in overtime
Playing its first road game of the 2011 season, the Virginia Tech men’s soccer team rallied from a two goal halftime deficit to force overtime, but fell to No.11-ranked Boston College, 4-3, tonight at Newton Campus Field. The three goals were a season-high for Tech and were scored by sophomore midfielder David Clemens, sophomore midfielder Jed Prater and freshman midfielder Ben Strong.

Hokies fall to No. 6 Maryland, 2-1, in ACC opener
The Virginia Tech women’s soccer team fell to the No. 6 Maryland Terps, 2-1, in its ACC-opener at Ludwig Field Sunday evening. Sophomore Jazmine Reeves connected on her second goal of the season for the Hokies, as Kelsey Loupee recorded the assist.

Sep 16, 2011

Office Joe is at it again, see his predictions for D.C. United vs. Seattle

Last week VASoccerNews introduced you to Office Joe as he made his predictions for the D.C. United vs. Chivas USA match. He correctly predicted that Charlie Davies would somehow be named 'Man of the Match'. He also predicted United would win the game, which they did. The only thing Joe was wrong about was the score but 2 our of 3 is not to shabby!

Will Office Joe be able to match last weeks predictions or was it simply beginners luck? Have a look and feel free to leave your predictions in the comments section, it is the best way to prove to your office mates that YOU, just like Joe, "know a thing or two 'bout a thing or two.



Office Joe at it again. by VASoccerNews

Must see video of the day: C.J. Sapong Raps for Hope

In case you somehow missed this yesterday, former JMU Mens Soccer stand-out and current Sporting KC rookie C.J. Sapong made the most of his introduction to Americas latest womens soccer sweetheart, Hope Solo.


You've got to love his reaction after receiving a kiss from the Gold Medal winning Solo. See how the entire thing went down in the video:



Former Richmond Kicker and Winchester, VA native aiming for final NASL Playoff spot

John Gilkerson is looking to help his team the NSC Minnesota Stars grab the final playoff spot in the North American Soccer League (NASL) as the regualar season wraps up.

Gilkerson is a former Richmond Kicker and a native of Winchester, VA.  who began his professional career in 2008, when the New York Red Bulls selected him in the Major League Soccer Supplemental Draft.

Currently the NSC Minnesota Stars face a difficult two-game road trip to try to clinch the final available spot. The team finishes its season series Saturday night at 6 p.m. CDT against FC Tampa Bay at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

The Stars can finish anywhere from fourth to seventh place in the eight-team NASL

Best of luck to John and his team!

NVSC 2011 Battlefield Tournament anounces accepted teams

Battlefield Tournament

The 2011 version of the NVSC Battlefield Tournament will take place October 8th and 9th. The official list of accepted teams was released yesterday and can be seen on their tournament website.

VASoccerNews will be providing updates both days on our Twitter page: @VASoccerNews. Be sure to follow along as well as share your own updates, stories, and pictures or videos with us from your teams experiences at this years Battlefield Tournament in Manassas, VA.

Tournament features:
  • U9-U19 boys & girls club teams
  • Top competition at all skill levels
  • Championship quality fields--both turf and natural grass
  • Competitively priced entry fees
  • Saturday AM on-site Check-in
  • 3 games guaranteed
  • Experienced management ensures a smoothly run tourney
  • Conveniently located in Prince William County, VA, just 30 miles from the nation’s capital
The tournament is putting interested teams on a waiting list, so if you are interested in putting your team on the waiting list contact them at: battlefield@novasc.org


LIST OF PREVIOUS YEARS WINNERS





Best of luck to all the teams participating!


Sep 15, 2011

3 Virginia men's programs named to Fox Soccer NCAA Top 25

NCAA MEN'S SOCCER TOP 25

19. (11) Virginia (4-2)
20. (NR) Old Dominion (3-0)
24. (19) Virginia Commonwealth (4-1)

Full Mens rankings: CLICK HERE
 
 

No. 10 UVA Men to face No. 19 Charlotte

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - The Virginia men's soccer team battles its third ranked opponent of the 2011 season on Friday when No. 19 Charlotte visits Klöckner Stadium for a 7 p.m. clash.

Live video of this match will be streamed online at VirginiaSports.com as part of the ‘Cavaliers Live' streaming offering. Several subscription packages are available. The annual audio and video pass is $79.95 while an annual audio pass is $44.95. A four-month audio and video pass is $29.95 and a monthly audio and video pass is $9.95. Live statistics also will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

Tickets are $9 for adults and $7 for youth, seniors and faculty/staff and can be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone at (800) 542-8821 or in person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall during regular business hours, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Advance ticket sales end three hours prior to the game.
Tickets are also available on game day at the Klöckner Stadium ticket windows beginning one hour prior to the match.

Virginia (4-2-0) is ranked as high as 10th nationally by Top Drawer Soccer this week. UVa also is ranked 12th in the NSCAA poll and 17th in the Soccer America rankings.

The preseason Atlantic 10 Conference favorite, Charlotte is ranked as high as 19th nationally by the NSCAA and enters the game with a 4-1 record. This marks the third ranked opponent UVa has faced this year (then-No. 17 West Virginia, then-No. 25 Duke).

UVa had its four-match winning streak snapped at the hands of Liberty on Tuesday evening, as the Flames captured a 2-0 win at Klöckner Stadium. The teams played 71 scoreless minutes before Liberty scored a pair of goals in a three-minute span to earn the victory.

Junior forward Will Bates leads the team and is tied for second in the conference with 11 points this season. He is tied for fourth in the league in goals (four) and third in assists (three). Bates ranked 10th nationally in total points entering the week.

Freshman goalkeeper Spencer LaCivita ranks fifth in the ACC with a 1.01 goals against average. He also ranks third in the conference with a .793 save percentage as well as 23 saves. LaCivita made a career-best six saves Tuesday night against Liberty.

Charlotte is a veteran side which returns nine starters and 20 letterwinners off the 2010 team that posted a 13-5-1 record. Jennings Rex leads the team with three goals and six points, while Donnie Smith and James Evans each have a pair of goals. Goalkeeper Klay Davis spearheads a stout 49er defense which has surrendered only three goals in five games.

The programs have met just twice previously, with UVa winning matchups in 1989 and 2005, both by 2-0 counts in Charlottesville.

Virginia continues its four-match homestand at 7 p.m. Tuesday when it faces Radford. UVa returns to ACC play Friday, Sept. 23 against No. 5 North Carolina.

Sep 14, 2011

Virginia College Soccer update - 9/14

Here is an abbreviated update from the world of college soccer in Virginia:

No. 14 Tribe Falls to No. 13 Monmouth, 1-0, at ODU/Stihl Soccer Classic

The No. 14-ranked William and Mary Tribe men's soccer team dropped a hard-fought match to the No. 13-ranked Monmouth Hawks on Friday at the ODU/Stihl Soccer Classic, 1-0.  With the loss, the College falls to 2-2 on the season, while Monmouth improves to 3-0 on the year.


No. 12 Virginia Men's Soccer Grinds Out 1-0 Win at No. 25 Duke

Brian Span scored in the second minute and Spencer LaCivita made a clutch save on a penalty kick in the waning minutes as the No. 12 Virginia men's soccer team held on to post a 1-0 win at No. 25 Duke Friday evening in the ACC opener at Koskinen Stadium. With the victory, UVa earned its first win at Duke since Oct. 20, 2001.


Women’s Soccer Opens ACC Play Thursday Against Maryland

The No. 14 Virginia women’s soccer team opens ACC play Thursday when it hosts No. 6 Maryland. Game time at Klöckner Stadium is 7 p.m., and the game will be webcast on VirginiaSports.com.



UMW Men's Soccer Falls at Lynchburg, 2-0

The University of Mary Washington men's soccer team dropped a 2-0 decision at Lynchburg College on Sunday afternoon at the Shellenberger Classic. The Eagles, who fall to 2-2 on the season, saw sophomore Tommy Sangbouasy (Manassas, Va., Osbourn) and freshman Jake Doyle (Stafford, Va., Mountain View) named to the all-tournament team.






Liberty Notches 2-0 Win over No. 10 Virginia Men's Soccer

Liberty scored a pair of goals in a three-minute span during the second half to break a scoreless deadlock in winning 2-0 against the No. 10 Virginia men's soccer team Tuesday evening at Klöckner Stadium. It marked the Flames' first win in 20 tries against Virginia (18-1-1).



Hokies top Longwood, 1-0, for third straight win

The Virginia Tech men’s soccer team won its third straight game as the Hokies defeated Longwood, 1-0, tonight at Thompson Field. Redshirt freshman defender Drew Ranahan scored the game-winner in the 47th minute with a header from a corner kick by freshman midfielder Ben Strong.

Rescheduled Latin Festival to take place Sept. 24 at R.F.K.

United and Spanish-language radio partner La Nueva announced plans to celebrate the sixth annual Latin Festival presented by TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank ®. The festival will take place on Saturday, September 24, from 3:00-7:00 p.m. ET on the D.C. Armory Lawn. Immediately following the event, D.C. United will take on Real Salt Lake at 7:30 p.m. ET at RFK Stadium. The event was originally scheduled for August 27 but was postponed due to Hurricane Irene.

The Latin Festival is a great opportunity for fans to celebrate the culture, music, cuisine, and sport of Latin America. The event is free and open to the public and will feature musical performances by the group Nando and Solja Kingz, led by 2006 Grammy Award winner and Platinum Recording artist Fernando “Nando” Dominguez, the former lead vocalist of Kumbia Kings. Other music acts scheduled to perfrom include Loisaidas, Rene Alonso, and El Sheriff.

In addition, Univision’s “Senadoras” models from the popular televison show “República Deportiva” will be onsite from 5:00-7:00 p.m. signing autographs and taking photos with fans.

Associate sponsors of the sixth annual Latin Festival include Verizon Wireless, DC Lottery, State Farm, and Volkswagen - the proud presenting partner of D.C. United. For more information or to purchase tickets for the game against Real Salt Lake, please call 202-587-5000 or visit www.dcunited.com

Sep 12, 2011

United win game but lose Pontius

Apparently Office Joe is some sort of soothsayer as he predicted D.C. United would win (although he had the score wrong) and he somehow new that United forward Charlie Davies would return to his early season goal scoring form, predicting Davies would have a "break out game".

The hat-trick from Davies and the much needed 3 points where obvious positives from Saturday night in L.A. verses the "other" MLS franchise in the City of Angels. All-in-all the recent stretch of time off was not only great for the Black and Red but exactly what Davies needed to get back to his hot pace of the showed at the beginning of the 2011 MLS season.



 

 The bad news however was that late in the match Chris Pontius who assisted on all three of Davies' goals was lost to a broken leg on an odd tackle.

Pontius Injury update

United Head Coach Ben Olsen:

On whether he saw “malice” in the tackle:
“Not really, no. Although, I will say, that wasn’t the first time Lopes was in the mix on some hard challenges. I don’t want to comment on it because it was on the other side from our benches.”

Up next  United travel to Century Link Field to face Seattle Sept. 17 as they try to wrap up the seaon and make it into the playoffs.

Sep 9, 2011

Office Joe's D.C. United Match Predictions


Office Joe's D.C. United Prediction versus Chivas. by Chris

Saves for Malia


Yesterday a good friend of VASoccerNews and former D.C. United Goalkeeper, Mike Ammann of 24/7 GK, asked us to help spread the word for this very important program.

Please join us in our Saves for Malia program to support our friend and teammate, Malia Juszcyk in her fight against stage 4 Neuroblastoma.
Your support of our goalkeepers will go directly to the Malia Crushes Cancer fund to off-set her growing medical costs and show her that she has a world of fans supporting her fight.  Together we can all make a difference.  Malia continues to inspire many people with her courage and strength and it is our turn to return the favor.
 
Pledge a dollar amount for every save your goalkeeper makes this fall season or even a flat fee that will go directly to Malia’s fund.  Our goalkeepers will have an added incentive for keeping the ball out of the back of their net as they know each save counts for Malia.  Additional prizes and scholarships are being offered from 247GK to our goalkeepers that are involved in this program.
 
247GK and Malia Crushes Cancer will also be hosting an online auction with several memorabilia items to bid on.  100% of the proceeds go to Malia Crushes Cancer.  Let’s show Malia that the soccer community is behind her and together we can crush this disease.
 
For more information about Malia and her fight please visit www.maliacrushescancer.com and see why she continues to inspire those around her.  In addition you can call Mike Ammann at 571.233.5853.  www.247GK.com

Sep 8, 2011

Looking back, Richmond Kickers 2011 Season Review

The 2011 Richmond Kickers had quite a year to remember with a run to the final four in the U.S. Open Cup (only non-MLS team) and a trip to the USL PRO Championship Game in the American Division Final.

Two members of the Kickers where also recognized by the USL for their great seasons as Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw was a finalist for Coach of the Year and defender William Yomby was a finalist for Defender of the Year.



Sep 7, 2011

John Harkes next U.S. U-20 coach?

Soccer By Ives Creator and Editor Ives Galarcep has mentioned today via his Twitter page @SoccerByIves that Virginia native and ESPN annalyst John Harkes has interviewed for the open postion of Under-20 head coach within U.S. Soccer.

Harkes is a former USMNT captain, D.C. United player, and former University of Virginia player and currently resides in Virginia with his wife Cindi Harkes who herself was an assitant coach on the D.C. United Women staff this past season.

Galarcep wrote on Twitter:

Ives Galarcep

Former UVA Star Krzysik named 2011 WPS Top XI


Courtesy: Matt Riley / UVa Media Relations
Former University of Virgina player, Nikki Krzysik, was selected to the 2011 WPS Top XI.

Krzysik is a member of the Philadelphia Independence with other former UVA players,Sinead Farrelly and Lori Lindsey. The Indipendence fell to the New York Flash on penalty kicks in the 2011 WPS Championship match.

See ther rest of the list:

2011 WPS TOP XI
GK - Ashlyn Harris, Western New York Flash
D - Whitney Engen, Western New York Flash
D - Kia McNeill, Philadelphia Independence
D - Nikki Krzysik, Philadelphia Independence
D - Ali Riley, Western New York Flash
M - Veronica Boquete, Philadelphia Independence
M - Caroline Seger, Western New York Flash
M - Jen Buczkowski, Philadelphia Independence
F - Christine Sinclair, Western New York Flash
F - Marta, Western New York Flash
F - Abby Wambach, magicJack

Futbolr Clothing Presents: East Coast Indoor Soccer Tournament

Our friends at Futbolr Clothing have announced an Indoor Soccer Tournament on the East Coast! Be sure to get your team registered and check out the cool t-shirts from Futblr Clothing.


Sep 6, 2011

Virginia Colleges named in NSCAA Rankings

Multiple Virginia colleges showed up in todays NSCAA College Soccer Rankings. Take a look to see if your favorite school made the cut.

2011 NCAA National Rankings

Men's (D-I)

No. 14 - William & Mary (2-1-0)
No. 16 - Virginia Commonwealth (4-0-0)
No. 24 - University of Virginia (3-1-0)

Men's (D-III)

No. 3  - Christopher Newport (2-0-0)
No. 13 - Roanoke (2-0-0-)


Women's (D-I)

No. 7 - University of Virginia (6-0-0)
No. 25 - Virginia Tech (6-0-0)

Virginia College Soccer Wrap-up (9/6)

Here is a quick wrap up of most Virginia College soccer programs from the past week:




No. 16 Virginia Men's Soccer Defeats Cincinnati, 1-0

Will Bates' goal in the 60th minute lifted the No. 16 Virginia men's soccer team to a 1-0 victory over Cincinnati Friday at the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational, hosted at Thompson Field in Blacksburg by Virginia Tech. The match twice was delayed because of lightning; the second delay came in the 86th minute and after an hour delay, the game was called.

Cavalier Women’s Soccer Downs Arizona State 3-0

The No. 4 Virginia women’s soccer team improved to 5-0-0, its best start to a season since 2004, with a 3-0 victory over Arizona State Friday night in front of 1,242 fans at Klöckner Stadium. Julia Roberts (Frederick, Md.) had two goals and Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.) had three assists to lead the Cavaliers.

Cavalier Women’s Soccer Rolls to 4-0 Win Over Drexel

The No. 4 Virginia women’s soccer team remained unbeaten this season, downing Drexel 4-0 Sunday afternoon in front of 1,151 fans at Klöckner Stadium. The Cavaliers had four different goal scorers in the game as they improved to 6-0-0 on the season. The Dragons fell to 2-2-1 with the loss.



Tribe Women’s Soccer Upsets No. 13 Georgetown​, 3-1

The William and Mary Tribe women's soccer team improved its record to 4-0 on the season Friday night with a 3-1, upset win over No. 13-ranked Georgetown at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.  The win marked the third-consecutive season that the College defeated a nationally ranked team.  With the loss, Georgetown's record falls to 3-2 on the year.

Tribe Women’s Soccer Claims Tournament Title with 2-2 Tie Against Villanova

The William and Mary Tribe women's soccer team extended its season-opening unbeaten streak to five matches, tying the Villanova Wildcats on Sunday afternoon, 2-2.  With the tie, the Tribe wins the 2011 Nike Tribe Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Invitational by goal differential.  With the draw, W&M's record on the season moves to 4-0-1, while Villanova goes to 4-0-2.

No. 8 Tribe Men¹s Soccer Takes Down Loyola, 1-0

The No. 8-ranked William and Mary Tribe men’s soccer team defeated the visiting Loyola (MD) Greyhounds on Saturday night, 1-0, at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.  With the win, the College improves its record to 2-1 on the year, while Loyola falls to 1-1 on the season.



UMW Men's Soccer Opens Kilby Era with 3-1 Win Over Greensboro

Freshman forward Nick Shepherd (Palmyra, Va., Fluvanna County) scored a pair of second half goals to propel the University of Mary Washington men's soccer team to a 3-1 win over Greensboro College on Saturday at the Battleground in the first game for new head coach Jason Kilby. The Eagles improve to 1-0 on the season.

UMW Men's Soccer Falls to Bridgewater, 2-1

The University of Mary Washington men's soccer team dropped a 2-1 decision to Bridgewater College on Sunday at the Battleground. The Eagles fall to 1-1 on the season.

Rader's Four Second Half Goals Lead UMW Women's Soccer Past EMU

Sophomore midfielder Tina Rader (Springfield, Va., West Springfield) scored four second half goals, including three in the last 2:35, to lead the University of Mary Washington women's soccer team to a 6-0 victory over Eastern Mennonite University on Monday at the Battleground. The Eagles improve to 2-0 on the season.



Longwood Falls To Visiting North Florida 1-0

The Longwood University men’s soccer team dropped a 1-0 decision to the visiting University of North Florida of the Atlantic Sun Conference on Saturday evening at the Athletics Complex in Farmville. The Ospreys (1-1) scored the only goal of the closely contested match in the 88th minute against the Lancers (1-2). Longwood returns to action on Saturday, September 10, when it hosts James Madison University of the Colonial Athletic Association at 2:30 p.m. at the Athletics Complex in Farmville.



Hokies match best season start as they shut out Connecticut, 1-0
The Hokies finished the Wake Forest Tournament undefeated as they shutout Connecticut 1-0 on Sunday afternoon. Freshman Kelsey Loupee recorded her second career goal in the 79th minute to secure the victory. Tech hasn’t started a season 6-0-0 since 1994. The Huskies fell to 2-2-0 on the year.
Tech Men net first win of the season over Cincinnati, 2-1
Junior midfielder Robert Alberti converted a penalty kick in the 82nd minute to give the Virginia Tech men’s soccer its first win of the season today over Cincinnati, 2-1, in the final game of the Hilton Garden Hokie Invitational at Thompson Field.

2011 FPYC Patriot Cup a Success

2011 FPYC Patriot CupThis past weekend my U9 girls team participated in their first ever travel soccer tournament, the 2011 FPYC Patriot Cup.

The Patriot Cup was touted as a great pre-season warm-up tournament due to several features:
  • All teams played four games.
  • No Monday games.
  • Full refunds where offered in the event of cancellation due to weather or field conditions.
  • Artificial turf fields at many of the FFX City and County parks.
From my experience with my U9 girls the tournament lived up to its billing. The turf fields where a great plus, especially on Saturday as a storm came through and caused some games to be delayed until it passed. Although a few games where shortened the tournament was able to proceed and we were able to get our games in as planned.

As is often the case with the weather in Virginia, Sunday saw the opposite of rain as the temperature rose to above 90 degrees and our players had to contend with the heat in our early afternoon match. My four year old son also filled in as my "Assistant Coach" on Sunday and had a great time cheering on his new "friends".

I was a very proud coach as my team finished up a great first tournament with a second place overall finish against some great competition and recieved the first of hopefully many well deserved trophies.

FPYC Patriot Cup
2011 FPYC Patriot Cup FINALISTS!

Thanks to the FPYC Patriot Cup and the many volunteers who provided an excellent experience for our teams, coaches, and parents.

Sep 1, 2011

De Rosario recognized yet again, named MLS Player of the Month

Dwayne De Rosario has done it agian. Capping off an amazing month for the Canadian National forward that saw De Rosario win consecutive MLS Player of the Week awards as well as earning another call up for his national side to for World Cup qualifying, De Rosario has now been named the MLS Player of the Month.

Unstoppable De Rosario earns MLS Player of the Week Again

De Rosario, Jakovic to represent Canada in WC Qualifying

De Rosario red hot with two goals agianst former team




Virginia teams set to compete in Nike Tribe Fairfield Inn & Suites By Marriott Invitational

W&M Women’s Soccer to Host Nike Tribe Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Invitational

Courtesy TribeAthletics.com
Thu, September 01, 2011

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - The William and Mary Tribe women's soccer team will host the Nike Tribe Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Invitational this weekend at Martin Family Stadium at Albert-Daly Field.  Live stats will be available for all matches and fans can listen to live audio for the two W&M matches at TribeAthletics.com.

Tournament Schedule

Friday, September 2
VCU vs. Villanova - 4 PM
William and Mary vs. #13 Georgetown - 7 PM

Sunday, September 4VCU vs. #13 Georgetown - 12 PM
William and Mary vs. Villanova - 3 PM
 
 

Sinead Farelly, WPS Rookie Season Wrap-up


Linda Cuttone/Sports Vue Images
Sinead Farrelly is a former UVA standout and was selected No. 2 in the 2011 WPS Draft by her hometown Philadelphia Independence.

VASoccerNews did a Q&A with Sinead earlier this year when she was in camp with the U.S. Women's National team in Florida. Sinead was also kind enough to do her first guest post for VASoccerNews while preparing for her rookie season with the Independence.

Having had a succesfull season, the Independence and Farrelly made it to the WPS Championship game where the winner was decided in a penalty kick shoot out. Unfortunately the Independence did not win but Farrelly is already looking ahead to the 2012 WPS season and provided our readers with her thoughts (below) as she looked back at her amazing rookie season.










Sinead Farrelly
Philadelphia Independence

I had an incredible first season in the WPS. I couldn’t have been thrown into a better situation than the one I had. I got to live at home, be around my family and friends, and play at my old stomping ground at USTC in Downingtown.

The coaching staff was amazing, the girls on the team became my best friends, and the club as a whole made it to the WPS Championship Game. Winning the title would have made it that much better, but at the end of the day, I was so lucky to be a part of the Philadelphia Independence this season.

I feel like at the beginning of the season we were just coming into our own and it took us a little bit to gain that momentum we needed, but once we sparked, no one could stop us. Once we started our winning streak, every single game was a highlight and a challenge. Everyone in the league wanted to beat us, and every week we have to overcome them.

It’s hard to pinpoint even a couple of times where I can look back and say “that was the highlight of my season” because every practice and every game was such a joy. I was always in good company and I feel that Paul and the rest of the coaching staff made practice fun and competitive. I can honestly say I never met a whole group of girls that I enjoyed as much as this last Philadelphia Independence team. Once we got to know each other on and off the field, we came together so well as a team that I felt like no one could stop us. And the best thing about soccer is that it is such a team sport and that’s why I think we were so successful. We were all there for the right reasons and all so focused on the things we needed to get done to be the best. We put in all the right steps to prepare for every game and that gave us the confidence to just relax and play well when it came time for games.

I feel very privileged to have experienced such a wonderful first season as a professional because I’m sure a lot of people have a hard time adapting or fitting into a team’s style and a coaches values. But I can honestly say that Philly was the perfect fit for me and I can’t wait for next season. I can also say that you can be sure we will be coming for that trophy again next year!