World Cup countdown -- Fight for final spots begins

The battle to be part of the United States’ World Cup final roster heading to South Africa began in earnest yesterday as the preliminary 30 man squad gathered in Princeton, New Jersey.

It makes for an interesting two weeks, with seven players having to be cut when the final 23 names are handed in to FIFA by the June 1 deadline, and certain starting spots are still very much up for grabs.

Other than Tim Howard playing in goal, Michael Bradley taking his place in central midfield, and Jozy Altidore up front, it’s still unclear how exactly the U.S will line up for its opening encounter against England on June 12.

Of course, Landon Donovan, Carlos Bocanegra and Clint Dempsey can be added to the definite starters list, although where they will play is anyone’s guess.

So as we speak, there is plenty for coach Bob Bradley and his staff to ponder over, and still time for players to make a final impression.

Gaining a lot of media attention is the battle for forward positions.

Charlie Davies unfortunately lost his race against time to be part of the set-up, following his multiple injuries suffered in a car accident last October. Bradley may opt to partner Altidore with Dempsey, but others are throwing their hats into the ring just at the right time.


Hercules Gomez: camp inclusion

On fire for their respective clubs are Edson Buddle (LA Galaxy) and Herculez Gomez (Mexican side Puebla). Buddle’s recent prowess at Galaxy, where he is teaming up well with Donovan, works in his favor.

Others forward at the camp include Brian Ching, Eddie Johnson and Robbie Findlay.

Ching would probably be considered likely to earn a spot, but hamstring and calf injuries have cast a cloud over his participation, while hamstring trouble could also scupper the chances of Johnson, who may miss some of the camp.

Real Salt Lake’s Robbie Findley is considered a longshot, but impressive displays at camp, helped by his speed, could see him as a surprise selection.

Only two to three of these five will make the final roster, and if Bradley is inclined to use Dempsey in attack with Altidore, then it could be just two, leaving an extra spot available in midfield.

Speaking of the middle, Michael Bradley should be joined by Maurice Edu, who’s played well at Glasgow Rangers this season, or Houston Dynamo’s Ricardo Clark. With Donovan expected to play on the left wing barring a reshuffle, the door could open for Stuart Holden on the right if Dempsey is deployed in attack.

In defense, Bocanegra could partner Jay DeMerit in the center, or he could be moved to the problem left-back position to allow Onyewu partner DeMerit. Others that could play on the left are Heath Pearce, Jonathan Bornstein and West Ham’s Jonathan Spector, while Spector could also play at right back, a position Steve Cherundolo will also have his eye on.

More will be known after USA plays its two friendlies against Czech Republic in Connecticut next Tuesday (May 25) and Turkey in Philadelphia on May 29. The selected squad will then play a warm up against Australia in South Africa on June 5.

Preliminary Squad: Goalkeepers -- Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolves). Defenders -- Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jay DeMerit (Watford), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (AC Milan), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham). Midfielders -- DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers), Alejandro Bedoya (Orebro), Michael Bradley (Borussia Monchengladbach), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy), Maurice Edu (Rangers), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Stuart Holden (Bolton), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), Jose Torres (Pachuca). Forwards -- Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Edson Buddle (Los Angeles Galaxy), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake), Herculez Gomez (Puebla), Eddie Johnson (Aris Thessaloniki).

SIU win State Cup games

There was improvement this year for Southern Indiana United’s U16 Mavericks and U17 Rampage at the 2010 Indiana State Cup preliminary round stage, held in Fort Wayne, Westfield and Evansville at the weekend.

Last year, both teams found the going tough, neither registering a win. However, this time round, both were more competitive, each securing a victory.

Rampage, Indiana Challenge Cup winners in 2007, beat Indianapolis Premier 2-0 in its final game at Westfield.

In their other games, Rampage lost narrowly to Evansville ESC in its first game last Friday in Evansville, but found group winners Westside United too good on Saturday in Westfield (5-0).

Mavericks, meanwhile, Challenge Cup finalists in 2008, beat Zionsville Eagles 3-0 in Fort Wayne. It lost a tight game to Carmel United 3-2 and went down to group winners Millennium SA Armory (8-0).

The finals weekend will be held in Lawrence on June 12-13, with the winners representing Indiana at the US Youth Soccer Midwest Region II Championships in Beaver Creek, Ohio from June 25-30. This year’s national finals will be held at Overland Park, Kansas from July 20-25.

Meanwhile, the Indiana State Challenge Cup, featuring many of the area’s teams, takes place this weekend. More on that next week.

SuperClubs success for United

Providence’s Brett Bass and Henryville Gabe Stewart were part of United ‘94 Internationals’ success at the SuperClubs U17 boys’ tournament in Memphis, Tenn. last week.

Playing an age group higher than usual, the team beat New Orleans SA NOSA ‘93 (3-1), JPFC Cougars of Kentucky (3-1), and MS/JFC 93 Red of Mississippi (1-0).

In the final, it overcame NOSA ’93-’94, with yet another 3-1 victory.

Academies helping to increase ODP selections

A number of the area’s players have been selected on this year’s Indiana Olympic Development Program teams.

The full list has now been revealed and there is representation from both Southern Indiana United and Net-Surfers, as well as local players with Louisville teams.

From SIU, Zach Yagle has been selected on the U13 younger boys’ team, while Logan Rauck, Alex Duckworth and Matthew Jerrell are alternates on the U13 older boys’ team. Chase Gosman, meanwhile, is an alternate on the U14 older boys’ team.

Jordan Vejar, formerly of SIU (now Javanon) is on the U16 team, while Vincent Straight and Cray Trimble are alternates.

Net-Surfers has also had a number of players chosen in various age groups.

Alyssa Jones made the U13 younger team, while Jordan Reger is an alternate on the U13 older team.

At U12 level, Amy Leffler, Brittany Albert and Vonda Smith, who played at Net-Surfers last fall, will join the developmental campers in the summer.

Twin sisters Selena and Stephanie Iglesias have been selected as alternates for the U15s, while New Albany’s Taylor Little, who plays with Mockingbird, is an alternate with the U17 girls.

The players will represent Indiana and compete at regional ODP camp against teams from 12 other states in the region.

Net-Surfers U10 coach Jiandong Dai, who will be involved as an assistant coach for the Indiana ODP ‘97 girls, said playing at the state’s highest level will give its players significant experience.

“As far as I know, this is the first time Net-Surfers has had so many players picked for state ODP teams,” he said. “It tells us that we have many talented soccer players in Southern Indiana.”

Dai, who was part of China’s U20 national men’s team coaching staff at one time, said he believes the club has gained a lot of benefit from its academy soccer program. SIU also has such a program, and players who have benefited from the academies are now starting to hit the younger ODP teams.

“Right now, our U9 and U10 teams have around 50 kids,” he said. “There are so many talented players in these groups that could become decent soccer players in the future, and we plan to extend our academy to U12s.

“It gives our talented kids more free space for them play creatively without too much pressure. I believe it will have a huge impact on this area in the future.”

World Cup countdown – songs trying to hit the right notes

There have been some pretty cringeworthy World Cup songs down the years, so there have.

How about this, for example: “Let the rhythm of the ball, take us to the final goal … USA!” Yuck. That, by the way, was a USA 2006 World Cup song for Germany. Probably explains why the tournament was such a disappointment for Bruce Arena’s boys.

The tradition of an official song dates back to the 1966 World Cup in England with a song for ‘World Cup Willie,’ the friendly lion mascot who we featured a couple of weeks back.

Those of note through the years include New Order and ‘World in Motion,’ in 1990, and The Lightning Seeds’ ‘Three Lions’ with Baddeil and Skinner in 1998, both considered high up the list of best World Cup songs of all time.

When Ireland qualified for its first ever World Cup 20 years ago, the music chart of said country was literally infested with theme songs for Italia ’90. The hysteria that hit the nation was responsible for some downright dreadful ditties.

Among them was the humorous ‘Give it a Lash Jack,’ which practically became the soundtrack of the summer. Liam Harrison and The Goal Celebrities suggested that if coach Jack Charlton and the Irish squad returned victorious from Italy, they should all be stuffed and mounted by a taxidermist for show. Luckily for the players, they departed the tournament in the quarter-finals.

However, that wasn’t half as embarrassing as the ‘Far Away in America,’ featuring kings of camp, the Village People, and the German national team in 1994. ‘YMCA’ it wasn’t.

If you’re the type who can’t get enough of World Cup songs to get you in the mood, there is now a website called WorldCupSong.com, where anyone who has a song about the 2010 tournament can enter their tune for free.

At the time of writing, there were 219 songs, and the most listened to by the time of the final will win a $1,480 prize.

In the lead at the moment is Gerry Asmus’s ‘It’s Our Game’ for England, while the highest American song is the 58th ranked ‘The Surface’ by Cooper.

While not the worst (it is fairly catchy), I just can’t picture U.S. fans singing, in the stadiums of South Africa, the lines, “We have barely reached the surface/We have so much to learn ...Someday this page will turn.”

Two class soccer -- step in the right direction?

Two class soccer -- step in the right direction?

The IHSAA’s announcement that high school boys’ and girls soccer is to be divided into two classes in the fall of 2011 appears to be a step in the right direction.

However, many in the game will reserve judgment until further plans for the revamped tournaments – to be based on school enrollment -- are announced next spring, following the next classification realignment. The cutoff point will be of paramount importance.

At present, there are 282 boys’ and 251 girls’ programs playing in Indiana, with more expected to join the fold over the next few years.

As stated before in this column – when advocating a flexible divisional set-up based on team strength as opposed to a two-class system – Kick It for one doesn’t get too much of a thrill seeing certain schools getting trounced in sectional championship games.

Nor, it seems, does the Indiana Soccer Coaches’ Association, which proposed the switch after conducting surveys of its members in recent years.

While maybe not all the trouncings will disappear, we should at least see more newly crowned state champions. Of the IHSAA 16 state soccer tournaments to date, there have been nine different boys’ victors and six different girls’ winners. Only 11 schools in the whole of Indiana have actually won these titles.

With the exception of Evansville Memorial (enrollment 791) and Castle (enrollment 1,853), you won’t find too many of them from down south.

Of these, six are public and five are private, with enrollments ranging from 780 students to over 4,000. They’ve either been large public schools or relatively small private establishments.

Where the cutoff for two class soccer will be exactly is unclear, but there has been talk in the past week that it will around the 750 mark.

If this is indeed the case, then you’re looking at a new second-tier championship featuring teams that have never won state. If it’s slightly higher, then you could have a situation where the likes of Evansville Memorial could dominate the lower class level to the point that it could border on the farcical.

The general consensus seems to be that Providence, enrollment of 451, will benefit most locally. Regular further runs past regional into semi-state and state look a possibility for both boys and girls.

Dave Smith, head coach of the Lady Pioneers – four-time sectional winners under the current one class system -- said it will certainly help smaller sized schools which would never achieve state success under the current format.

“Consider the case of the Austin girls' basketball team this winter, winning the state championship,” he said. “Is it realistic to think that they would have had a legitimate chance of defeating the 4A schools from this area, and from Indianapolis?

“I doubt the people of Austin would recommend going back to an open-class system for the postseason, as this was an experience made possible solely through the multi-class system.”

He added it will be interesting to see where the split occurs among teams, and believes there will be more changes down the line.

“As more schools add soccer, I believe we will see more than two classes adopted for the tournament,” said Smith. “If it works for football, baseball, volleyball and basketball, why wouldn't IHSAA do the same thing for soccer?”

Smith added the Pioneers still have every intention of continuing their local rivalry games, regardless of the enrollment numbers of their opponents.

“These are the highlights of the season for the fans and players alike, and make for friendly, high level competition,” he said.

The question is, however, will the bigger schools want to continue these rival games? It’s hard to see the likes of Floyd Central, New Albany and Jeffersonville omitting such a game with Providence from their schedules, but it could affect the progress of, say, Christian Academy of Indiana’s boys’ team, for example.

CAI has only recently been added to the schedules of Providence and Jeffersonville because of its improving team and the fact it plays in the same sectional. Coach Will Lorigan said he believes it might now be harder to "entice" teams like Jeff, New Albany and Floyd Central to play them since there is no benefit for them to want to.

“At the moment, Jeff plays us because we are in the same sectional, so it helps them -- and us -- to see a team's potential during the season,” said Lorigan. “When bigger schools don't need to play us, why would they? They have the history and connections to play other big -- but not necessarily better -- schools, so we end up playing smaller schools which don't force us to develop and play good soccer.”

Lorigan added that the part that really hurts CAI is that Providence will be in its sectional but has the connections and history to play bigger schools, get better and develop.

“It's not that we can't or won't develop a good program, it will just be harder and may take longer.”

Whatever about regular season, some of the area’s competitive local rivalry games will disappear post-season. I will let you decide amongst yourselves whether, for example, you feel the disappearance of Jeffersonville-Providence boys’ sectional finals are to be mourned following last year’s controversial encounter.

The move will, on the other hand, result in some interesting sectional matchups at both class levels, with teams from further afield being added to what will become a fresh – and hopefully competitive -- mix.



Enrollment numbers of local schools with soccer programs involved in area sectionals (source IHSAA)

New Albany 2,119
Jeffersonville 2,108
Floyd Central 1,657
Corydon Central 778
North Harrison 697
Charlestown 692
Silver Creek 680
Providence 451
Christian Academy of Indiana 174