2006 TriSoccerFan Calendar

New Year's seems like an appropriate time to bring to your attention the 2006 TriSoccerFan Calendar. I've added the local soccer events that are already scheduled for 2006 as well as major national/international events that we know about. I will do my best to keep this updated throughout the year. You will find links to the calendar from both the blog and the mailing list home pages. I am thinking about moving this to to an iCal application server in the future so stay tuned for further updates. For now, those of you that use Yahoo! Calendar can have this calendar displayed in your personal calendar by checking the "trisoccerfan" box under the "Options | Time Guides" link. It may not have as pretty pictures as the US Men's National Team 2006 Calendar but hopefully it will be more useful to local soccer fans.

-- Jarrett @ 12/31/2005 10:44:00 PM

Rhinos to Hold Combine / Pre-Season Training in Cary

The Rochester Rhinos must have liked what they saw last summer when they visited SAS Soccer Park in Cary because they're planning to hold their annual player combine and spring training here in late March and early April 2006. The combine will begin March 22nd and successful combine players will be invited to stay on for two weeks as the Rhinos players report to Cary for pre-season training beginning, Sunday March 26. During that two week period, games versus various MLS, USL, and Division I college teams have been scheduled.

-- Jarrett @ 12/31/2005 12:05:00 AM

Czech-Mate

American striker Brian McBride took the opportunity this week to fire a warning shot across the bow of 2006 World Cup opponents the Czech Republic. In the Boxing Day fixture vs. Chelsea, McBride pounced on a sloppy fumble by Czech national team keeper Petr Cech to score Fulham's first goal and then was brought down in the area for a penalty which lead to Fulham's second. Two days later when facing off against the Czech Republic's premier striker Milan Baros, McBride scored twice while Baros did not find the back of the net. Brian's brace takes him to 7th in the race for the EPL scoring lead...Van Nistlerooy, Lampard, Rooney, Henry, etc. is pretty heady company. In other Yanks Abroad news, Eddie Lewis scored the game winner as Leeds bested Stoke away 0-1 and moved into 3rd in the Championship (the first promotion playoff position).

-- Jarrett @ 12/28/2005 06:45:00 PM

He Shoots, He Scores...

DeMarcus Beasley scores in PSV's 2-0 win over NEC Nijmegen on Boxing Day. Update: Not to be outdoned by their fellow National Team-mate, Bobby Convey scored the second for Reading as they climb to 9 points above second place in the Championship and extend their league unbeaten streak to 24 games. And Brian McBride, who took an elbow to face and had to leave temporarily with blood running down his cheek, returned patched up and scored Fulham's first and drew the penalty that lead to the Cottagers' second but it still wasn't enough to best Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

-- Jarrett @ 12/26/2005 12:08:00 PM

Mike Jeffries Returns to Duke

Mike Jeffries, a former standout soccer player at Duke, will return to his alma mater to accept the associate head coaching position with the men’s soccer team. Jeffries comes to Duke after spending the 2005 season as the Head Coach of the University of the Incarnate Word. He guided the Cardinals to a share of the Southwest Conference title, a berth in the NCAA Tournament, a 14-4-3 overall record and a 11-1-2 mark in the conference. Prior to coaching for Incarnate Word, Jeffries spent a year as a volunteer coach at Southern Methodist University. He entered the collegiate coaching ranks after coaching in the MLS from 1998-2003. He began as an assistant coach for the Chicago Fire, coaching the goalkeepers. He guided Zach Thornton to the 1998 Goalkeeper of the Year award and helped the Fire win two US Open Championships. He then became the Head Coach of the Dallas Burn in 2001, leading the squad to the playoffs in the 2001 and 2002 seasons. In 2002 he was nominated for MLS Coach of the Year.

-- Jarrett @ 12/22/2005 11:31:00 AM

'Tis the Season to TiVo

If you're like me, you're going to find yourself with some "down time" over the holidays. Once you've programmed your DVR for all the live soccer you could possibly watch, you may want to check out a few other soccer-related programs this holiday season that you won't find on Fox Soccer Channel or GolTV. Using TiVo's nifty Search by Keyword feature, I was able to set my DVR to catch these five footy-related features:

• Remarkable People - The episode Prodigies profiles teen soccer phenom Freddy Adu among other youthful wonders (Biography Channel, Thu. 12/22 - 8pm)
• Dare to Dream - A repeat screening of the HBO Documentary about the US Women's National Team's rise to fame with the 1999 World Cup (HBO, Thu. 12/22 - 9pm)
• The Other Final - This documentary details the preparations of Bhutan (FIFA ranking 202) and Montserrat (FIFA 203) as they prepare for a friendly between the lowest ranked international teams in international football on the same day as Germany met Brazil in the 2002 World Cup Final. (Sundance, Fri. 12/23 - 2:45pm)
• The Game of Their Lives - Not the story of the USA's 1950 win over England but a documentary on the equally as improbable team of North Koreans who knocked Italy out of the 1966 World Cup finals. (Sundance, Sat. 12/24 - 10:30am)
• History Traveler - The episode World Soccer: Height of Passion details the rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona. (History International, Sun. 12/25 - 2pm)

-- Jarrett @ 12/21/2005 08:55:00 PM

Arena Names Roster for January Camp and Friendlies

U.S. Men’s National Team manager Bruce Arena has named 30 players to the training camp roster that will begin workouts Jan. 4 at the National Training Center in Carson, Calif. Heath Pearce, who will be on winter break from his club FC Norjælland of the Danish Super League joins 29 off-season MLS players in preparation for a series of friendlies in late January & early February. The U.S. will open 2006 action against Canada on Jan. 22 in San Diego (8 p.m. EST), then host Norway on Jan. 29 at The Home Depot Center (5 p.m. EST, ESPN2). The U.S. will play Japan for only the second time in history when they meet at SBC Park on Feb. 10 in San Francisco. The USA’s first match in the city in 26 years kicks off at 11 p.m. EST and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. In addition to the notable presence of Freddy Adu at his first senior National Team training camp, the roster also includes first time campers Brad Guzan, Todd Dunivant, Ugo Ihemelu and Nate Jaqua.

-- Jarrett @ 12/20/2005 01:29:00 PM

Where Are You?

Frappr is an interesting little site that uses the Google Maps engine to create custom maps to easily illustrate the location of various members of a group. I have created a Trisoccerfan Frappr Map and would appreciate it if you guys could take a second to add your name and zip code to the database. I'm very interested to see the distribution of readers for the mailing list and blog.

-- Jarrett @ 12/19/2005 11:27:00 PM

Done Deal

That whooosing sound you just heard was a huge sigh of relief from American soccer fans everwhere! U.S. Soccer announced today in conjunction with the U.S. National Soccer Team Players’ Association (USNSTPA) that the sides have ratified a new collective bargaining agreement through 2010.

Statement from U.S. Soccer President Dr. S. Robert Contiguglia: "We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the U.S. National Soccer Players' Association on a collective bargaining agreement through the 2010 FIFA World Cup. We have been confident throughout this process that an amicable agreement would be reached that would positively address the desires of both parties, and that is what we have accomplished together. Our focus now, as it has always been, is to move forward and continue our preparation for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany."

Statement from U.S. National Soccer Team Players Executive Director Mark Levinstein:

“The Players are pleased that they will continue to prepare for the 2006 World Cup with an agreement in place that benefits both sides. We hope this agreement will be the first step in bringing together the millions of individuals and many organizations that support soccer in the United States to work to advance our sport."

-- Jarrett @ 12/19/2005 01:10:00 PM

US Men to Return to Cary in Prep For World Cup

Steven Goff of the Washington Post is reporting that Bruce Arena will bring the US Men's National Team back to Cary in early May in preparation for the 2006 World Cup. SAS Soccer Park was the site of the USMNT's May training camp during the run-up the 2002 World Cup as well. I think this also bodes well for the chances of the late May friendlies being somewhere along the East Coast. More on this story as it gets confirmed by US Soccer.

-- Jarrett @ 12/18/2005 11:26:00 AM

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Soccer...

Lisa was mentioning the other day that she had quite a few pairs of old soccer shoes lying around the house. If you're in the same boat and interested in donating them to the US Soccer Foundation, you should check out their Passback program which collects used soccer merchandise and donates it to players in need of equipment both in the United States and all over the world. And since Eurosport is one of the partners in the Passpack program, you can drop your used equipment off in Hillsborough rather than shipping it if that's more convenient. You may not be able to donate 10, 000 pairs of boots as FIFA just did for the tsunami-ravaged population of Aceh, but I'm sure even small donations will be appreciated.

-- Jarrett @ 12/15/2005 04:00:00 PM

World Cup analysis

After a few days, I've finally written my analysis (all 2000+ words worth) of the World Cup draw. Instead of posting such a lengthy document here, I just put it on my personal blog. I was pleased with the draw. I think the US has a very real chance to build on the success of 2002, and do it against some of the better teams in the world. A group win is not out of the question. I've also written about the other seven groups. Generally, groups with teams that I care about got a somewhat lengthy treatment, while others may have only merited a few pithy comments or smart-ass remarks. But on the whole, I'm fairly pleased with it and would welcome your comments, as always. If you want to go directly to it, you can just click here.

-- Jonathan @ RGB Cards @ 12/14/2005 05:38:00 PM

15,500+ Turn Out for Terps Title Triumph

Crowds of 8,645 and 6,922 turned out Friday and Sunday, respectively, to see Maryland win the NCAA Men's College Cup at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. This was Maryland's fourth straight trip to the final four of men's soccer but the first time they were able to seal the deal. The Terps found victory on the back of Marc Burch's deflected free kick goal in the first half and Chris Seitz' penalty save in the second half en route to a 1-0 victory. SAS Soccer Park has become a favorite destination of the NCAA for its consistent crowds and cozy environment. The women's College Cup returns to Cary in 2006 and then the men again in 2007. "It's our expectation to have at least one here every year," said Charlie Slagle, the CASL president who runs the event with N.C. State and Cary. Terry Gawlik, the chair of the NCAA Committee for men's soccer, isn't ready to make an annual commitment. "We'd like to move it around the country because you want to market your sport," Gawlik said. "But this was a great environment and the crowds came." Slagle said CASL, N.C. State and Cary will put in a bid in February 2007 for future championships.

-- Jarrett @ 12/12/2005 03:13:00 PM

Local Collegiates Make All-America List

Continuing the trend set earlier this week when no fewer than 5 local high school players made various All-America teams, 8 players who ply their skills at Triangle area colleges have been honored in the NSCAA's All-America teams. The big 3 each placed a player on the Men's Division I All-America team with Blake Camp (Duke), Aaron King (NCSU), and Dax McCarty (UNC) each being named along with Campbell's Willy Guadarrama. On the women's side, Lori Chalupny (UNC) and Heather O'Reilly (UNC) join Carolyn Ford (Duke) on the Women's Division I team. Two Brits, Tom Wallard and Gary Muir, represent Louisburg College on the Division I Junior College team. And while Catawba is more properly categorized as Triad area school, McKenzie Burman, a Rolesville native, has made the Women's Division II team.

-- Jarrett @ 12/10/2005 08:44:00 PM

Clemson comes up inches short, Maryland keeps rolling

A Randy Albright header that struck the crossbar in the final twenty seconds of play Friday night was the difference between the end of Clemson's dream run to the final four and keeping their national title hopes alive for another 20 minutes of extra time. In a game that saw New Mexico's backline dominate, Clemson still found a way to get a goal from Dane Richards in a penalty area scrap just before halftime but their last ditch efforts weren't enough to get the 2nd goal they needed to push New Mexico into overtime. The Lobos advance to the final on the back of their 2-1 win. In the day's first game, what started as a tight affair between Maryland and SMU was blown wide open in the first two minutes of the second half when Hermann tropy finalist Jason Garey ripped apart the Mustangs defense with two goals in a span of 15 seconds. From there, Maryland cruised their way to a 4-1 win and into the title match where they will face New Mexico at SAS Soccer Park on Sunday at 2pm. Tickets still remain and are $15. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.

-- Jarrett @ 12/10/2005 08:17:00 AM

N&O's College Cup Preview

Friday's News & Observer does a fantastic job of prepping the College Cup devoting almost 3 full pages and over half a dozen color photos to today's College Cup semi-final round. The print edition includes scouting reports and rosters for all four teams. Unfortunately, only Lorenzo Perez's piece on the Tigers, which basically covers the same ground as yesterday's AP wire story, and Rachel Carter's Terrapins feature are available in the online edition. The N&O also notes that tickets still remain and will go on-sale today at 10am at the stadium box office. Single day tickets are now available at $15 and full weekend tickets are $30.

-- Jarrett @ 12/09/2005 08:25:00 AM

WC Draw Play-At-Home Edition

Grab a pen and download the Official TriSoccerFan Interactive World Cup Draw Tracking Form so you can follow along at home (or at Woody's along with what is looking like it's going to be a sizable crew). The form, which I lovingly ripped off from We Call It Soccer and adapted for my own purposes, includes a cross-off list of the draw pots, a table of the 8 groups for you to fill-in, and a handy match date and venue chart so you can plan your summer vacation right there on the spot!

-- Jarrett @ 12/08/2005 04:35:00 PM

Do You Raleigh?

I want to welcome readers to TriSoccerFan that found there way here via the Raleighing blog, where our little corner of the blogosphere was the featured story yesterday. For TriSoccerFan readers not familiar with Raleighing you might want to check out this local blog. Much like TriSoccerFan, it focuses on news and information relevant to the Triangle area -- but instead of simply focusing on soccer, their purview is anything that impacts or is interesting to local area residents. These guys have gone so far as to coin their own word:

Ra·leigh (rô'lē, rä'-) - n. The capital of North Carolina, United States of America. v. To completely engage one's self in the events, changes, development, direction, and excitement of Raleigh, NC, one of the most desired places to live in the US. Let's Raleigh tonight down on Glenwood South, dude! or Did you hear that Jane completely Raleighed the other night? and Oh man, you are such a Raleigher!

And if you find you really like to Raleigh, Chris and Dana, the site's maintainers, have their own line of merchandise. Don't you want a Raleighing thong?

-- Jarrett @ 12/08/2005 08:37:00 AM

N&O's Thursday Soccer Coverage

The News & Observer previews the College Cup and few other soccer stories this morning. Staff writer J.P. Giglio devotes a dozen column inches to the ACC flavor of the College Cup while the Briefs section covers Freddy Adu's reconciliation with DC United, Jeff Agoos' retirement, and Manchester United's dark night at the Stadium of Light. In a story that didn't make the N&O, AP writer Jacob Jordan writes about Clemson coach Trevor Adair losing his father during the playoff run as the overachieving Tigers, who finished 7th in the ACC during regular season, have made a special run to the final four.

-- Jarrett @ 12/08/2005 08:11:00 AM

Triangle Preps Earn All-American Honors

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America has recently announced a series of All-America teams on which several Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area high schoolers have been honored. Betsy Frederick of Broughton and Justin Wyatt of Sanderson were named to the Girls and Boys All-America Teams, respectively. Zach Schilawski of Cary High also earns All-America team honors and joins his classmate Brooks Haggerty on the Boys High School Scholar All-America Team. Morven Ross of East Chapel Hill rounds out the local nominees with her place on the Girls Scholar All-America Team.

-- Jarrett @ 12/07/2005 03:21:00 PM

Most Brilliant USA goal ever?

Set your TiVos for Fox Soccer Channel, 11pm EDT on Tuesday December 20th and tape the delayed coverage of the U17 Men's National Team playing the U18 Dallas Texans from this past week's Nike Friendlies. Not only will you see incoming Duke freshman Preston Zimmerman (assuming he doesn't turn pro first) figure heavily in the match, you'll also witness what may be the most brilliant goal I've ever seen scored by a player wearing a USA kit. U17 forward David Arvizu does an amazing job of creating space for himself with a deft flick over his own shoulder, spins 180 degrees and then bicycles a goal between the Texans keeper's outstretched hand and the crossbar. Had US Soccer not already named their nominees for goal of the year, there's little doubt in my mind that this goal would win hands down. If you can't wait two weeks to see this thing of beauty, you're in luck. Visit the All Access Video section of the USSoccer website and click on Dec 1: Thursday's Action and David Arvizu's Bicycle Kick. You'll have to watch a couple of minutes of discussion about the Nike Friendlies but Arvizu's goal at the end of the clip is a climax worth waiting for!

-- Jarrett @ 12/07/2005 01:35:00 PM

Standing Room Only for College Cup

Through Monday, over 7000 tickets have been sold for the Men's College Cup at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. The stadium only seats about 7000 but has been expanded in the past to 10,000 for previous College Cups. However, the temporary seating is not being brought in for this tournament and the organizing committee expects to sell as many as 2000 standing room tickets for Friday and Sunday's games. I guess the Clemson fans should be used to sitting on The Hill watching football anyway, right?

-- Jarrett @ 12/06/2005 09:37:00 AM

Pirates' Men's Team Forced to Walk the Plank

East Carolina has announced that they will discontinue men's soccer as an intercollegiate sport effective immediately. Including the Pirates' 0-15-1 overall record in 2005, East Carolina has posted just one winning season in 41 years of competition dating back to 1965. Furthermore, ECU has produced a 17-151-5 league mark while a member of the CAA and Conference USA. Since joining C-USA, the Pirates have registered a 7-37-3 record and have won just two conference games during the past three seasons. One bright note in the history of ECU men's soccer, rising DC United star and US National team player Clyde Simms played for the Pirates from 2000-2003. The ECU women's team is unaffected by this announcement.

-- Jarrett @ 12/06/2005 09:15:00 AM

The World Cup Draw - my best guess

Since everyone else has been speculating on what's going to happen in the World Cup draw on Friday, I thought it would be fun to add my two cents to the discussion. Because as you all know, I am nothing if not opinionated. The more I think about things, the more convinced I am that there will be six European No. 1 seeds and two South American No. 1 seeds. The reason is two-fold: The World Cup is being held in Europe, so why not pander to the "hometown" fans. Also, it will make the math surrounding the rest of the teams fairly easy, as you will see. Plus, FIFA really doesn't care about Mexico (not like they deserve a No. 1 seed anyway). So, with that said, my predictions on the top seeds are: Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy and Spain. I'm sure that FIFA would dearly love to have the Czech Republic as a top seed, given its seeming fascination with the team based on the world rankings (not to mention what that would mean to Eastern Europe) but not even Sepp Blatter and Co. can justify seeding Czech ahead of Holland when Holland beat them in the qualifying group. So that's eight down, six from UEFA and two from CONMEBOL. Which means that the other three, geographically-balanced pots, might look like this: Pot B: Remaining eight UEFA teams (Croatia, Czech Republic, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine) Pot C: Four CONCACAF teams, four AFC teams (Costa Rica, Mexico, Trinidad, USA, Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea) Pot D: Five CAF teams, remaining two CONMEBOL teams, one OFC team (Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Togo, Tunisia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Australia) So that's my thoughts on the subject. Yours? Jonathan

-- Jonathan @ RGB Cards @ 12/05/2005 01:56:00 PM

Not Quite Smart Enough

FIFA trialed so-called smartball technology, which uses RFID to precisely pinpoint whether the soccer ball has completely crossed the goaline, at the FIFA U-17 World Championship Peru 2005 and had also planned to trial the technology at the FIFA World Club Championship TOYOTA Cup Japan 2005. Now Adidas confirms that the technology will not debut at the 2006 FIFA World Cup™. It will also not be tested at the FIFA Club World Championship™ in Tokyo this December.

In consultation with the international football federation FIFA, and in close cooperation with development partner Cairos Technologies AG in Karlsbad, Germany, it has been decided to focus on the further development and testing of the system before using it at tournaments on the highest professional level.

The adidas Match-Ball for the 2006 FIFA World Cup™ that will be unveiled at the Draw in Leipzig on December 9th will be the technologically most advanced football ever made. It features a revolutionary new panel shape allowing players significant improvements in accuracy and control.

-- Jarrett @ 12/05/2005 11:27:00 AM

2006 World Cup Draw Watching Party

Come join us at Woody's Tavern at 8322 Chapel Hill Road in Cary to watch the draw for the 2006 World Cup. Draw coverage on ESPN2 starts at 3pm but a few of us will definitely be there early watching the Stoke v. Leicester City match on Setanta (kickoff at 2:45pm). For those heading over to the College Cup, Woody's is only 1.8 miles from SAS soccer park which should allow you to see at least some of the draw before having to head over to the ground. Look for us on the 2nd floor. Please RSVP in the comments section so we'll know how many to expect!

-- Jarrett @ 12/04/2005 11:53:00 AM

Zimmerman Set to Forsake Duke for a Hamburger?

There's a rumour coming out of Hamburg that US U-17 national team standout and rising 2006 Duke freshman Preston Zimmerman has recently impressed on trial at Hamburg SV and is set to join youth national teammate Benny Feilhaber in the Hamburg Reserves. HSV youth development director Stephan Hildebrandt and Zimmerman are both in Bradenton, Florida this week for the Nike Friendlies. Yanks-Abroad.com is following this story as it develops. Update: HSV has confirmed interest in signing Zimmerman. Hamburg head of scouting Bernd Legien said "...because he was very impressive we invited him [to Hamburg] to train and to get to know him. We would like to sign him, that is no secret, but we are presently trying to overcome the problems concerning transfers [of players who are] under 18 - there are a lot of complicated rules."

-- Jarrett @ 12/04/2005 11:05:00 AM

The Road Less Travelled

Tarheel junior forward Ben Hunter didn't follow most of his football playing schoolmates in Doncaster, England into the professional ranks in Britain when he was given the opportunity, instead he followed his desire to get a university degree -- a quest which first brought him to the University of Rio Grande where he was the top scorer in NAIA soccer. When Tarheel's coach Elmar Bolowich received an unexpected email from the ambitious Englishman wanting to ply his skills in the ACC, it laid the basis for Hunter's transfer which saw him contribute significantly to the Tarheel's season and playoff runs. Hunter scored 7 of the 9 goals UNC netted in the ACC and NCAA tournaments this year.

-- Jarrett @ 12/04/2005 08:56:00 AM

Tarheels Ousted in a Heartbreaker

After valiantly fighting back from a 2 goal, 2nd half deficit, the UNC men's soccer team was eliminated from NCAA tournament when SMU's Michael Uremovich nailed a brilliant 30 yard strike into the upper 90 in the 14th minute of overtime on Saturday. Trailing at the half for just the second time this season, the Tar Heels got second half goals from juniors Blake Beach and Ted Odgers to send the match into overtime, where the Tar Heels lost for the first time this season. The defeat also snapped a 10-match unbeaten streak for Carolina, which advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2001. I've posted some pictures from the match on my flickr stream. SMU advances to play Maryland in the College Cup here in Cary on Friday. In the other semi-final match Friday, Clemson will face New Mexico.

-- Jarrett @ 12/03/2005 05:20:00 PM

Jon Stewart, All-American

Now Jon Stewart can add an All-American award to his trophy-case stocked with Emmys and Peabodys (Even Colbert doesn't have one of those!). The National Soccer Coaches Association of America has named Jon Stewart its recepient of the 2005 Honorary All-America award. Stewart will receive the award at the NSCAA convention in Philadelphia at the All-America luncheon on Saturday, Jan. 21. Before Stewart launched his comedy career, he played intercollegiate soccer at William and Mary. As a member of The Tribe’s team from 1981 to 1983, he scored 10 goals and was credited with 12 assists for 32 points. As a senior, he scored William and Mary’s lone goal in a 1-0 victory over Connecticut, which helped propel The Tribe to the ECAC title and the school’s second appearance in the NCAA Division I men's tournament. I had heard a rumor that Jon Stewart had played collegiate soccer and still follows the US National team regularly. When I was in NYC a few weeks ago we attended a taping of the Daily Show and during the audience questions portion of the pre-show I was going to ask him about it, but alas I didn't get a chance as he only took a couple of questions and there were plenty of folks there eager to quiz him.

-- Jarrett @ 12/01/2005 11:18:00 PM

UNC v. SMU pre-game lunch

For those headed to Chapel Hill saturday for the UNC v. SMU game, we are planning to get together at Carburritos (Jonathan, you were outvoted...but mainly I want to check out the Art*0*Mat machine). We'll convene at 711 W. Rosemary St. in downtown Carrboro at 11:30am for a quick bite before heading over to the game for the 1pm kickoff. I hope to see you there or at Fetzer Field.

-- Jarrett @ 12/01/2005 11:58:00 AM

Free YES Clinic - December 10th @ SAS

This free clinic will be put on by the NCAA for 10-18 year old soccer players, male and female, as part of the College Cup weekend at SAS Soccer Park in Cary. The clinic will be run by the NCAA with the help of Division I College Coaches and players from that coach's institution. The Youth Education through Sports program is the NCAA's premier outreach program to youth across the country. Partcipants can connect with other young athletes and receive fundamental sports instruction from collegiate coaches and student-athletes representing some of the NCAA's most successful sports programs. Email Meghan Brown at yes_clinic@yahoo.com for the Brochure and Registration Form.

-- Jarrett @ 12/01/2005 08:41:00 AM

Dare to Dream

Six years after the winning penalty kick and Brandi Chastain's famous shirtless celebration, the aftershock hit Raleigh on Wednesday night.

It came in a wave of hundreds of girls soccer players from the Capital Area Soccer League. They descended on the Progress Energy Center to see the victory again as part of preview showing of a new HBO sports documentary, "Dare to Dream."

The documentary, which will premiere on HBO on Dec. 11 at 8 p.m., tells the story of five women at the heart of the U.S. team that beat China to win the 1999 World Cup. The game was played before a Rose Bowl crowd of more than 90,000 and a U.S television audience of 30 million, the largest to ever watch a women's team sporting event.

Anson Dorrance, women's soccer coach at North Carolina and a key figure in the development of the sport in the United States, attended the showing. He called the 1999 victory "probably the seminal moment for women's athletics in the world, and to have our sport basically leading the charge for the credibility of women's athletics was wonderful."

-- Jarrett @ 12/01/2005 08:26:00 AM