Refs' national dream

It was not just the players who were aiming for glory when the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Region II Championships took place last week in Dayton, Ohio.

The best boys’ and girls’ teams from 13 states battled it out at Ankeney Park and Beavercreek in a bid to move on to the national championships in Overland Park, Kan., on July 20.

However, they were not the only ones.

There were more than 200 referees from all over Region II hoping to go all the way, too. They included two Southern Indiana officials, who were part of a Kentucky delegation.



Bob Snook of Floyds Knobs was head of the delegation, while New Albany’s Heinz Pedolzky traveled as an assessor and referee.

“Going into regionals, all referees aspire to — and expect to — work final matches and go to nationals,” said Snook. “There were roughly 212 referees at this tourney with 24 working the finals. You do the math, but someone is going to be disappointed.”

Kentucky has a strong history of sending referees — sometimes up to six of Region II’s possible 12 — to the national championships.

This year they’re hoping for more of the same, boosted by the fact that 12 referees worked the semifinal stages in Dayton and five worked championship matches.

As a group, referees and assessors have long days.

For example, take Day 1 of the five-day long tournament, which started just after 5 a.m. with games starting at 8 a.m.

“After games and dinner, we have a series of meetings to go over the day’s ups and downs and what to correct or expect for Day 2, along with assignments for the following day,” said Snook. “It all ends up after midnight.”

As the competition progresses and stakes for teams are raised, so too is the pressure, responsibilities and expectations of referees. Day 3 is generally when most of the problems occur, as places in the semifinals are determined.

In contrast, Snook said the semifinal matches are “a breath of air,” with the levels of play generally pretty good.

“There are not as many problems, but expectations are pretty keen,” he said.

Fatigue plays a big part in the semifinals and the championship encounters, with teams playing their fourth and fifth games in as many days.

However, from a referee’s standpoint, the pressures are greater on them than on any of the teams.

“Every game is assessed,” revealed Snook. “Kentucky sent three assessors and one mentor, who works with the various referees, giving them specific breakdown and instructions.”

Assessors will work two to three games a day. After watching each game, they will hold a debriefing assessment meeting with the set of officials working that particular matchup and go over their performance, offering suggestions for corrections and improvements.

“At the end of the day, we have to execute written reports for each match and each official — that’s 12 individual reports,” said Snook. “These are used to help judge the officials and help determine who is selected to work semifinal and championship matches.

“From a head of delegation perspective, it is a very rewarding position. Since we had so many new/young referees, we worked to coach and direct these young guys and girls on what they need to improve on. They also learn the politics — what it takes to put themselves into position to be selected for nationals.

“Overall, it is a very rigorous procedure, requiring commitment, hard work and sacrifice. It is earned and deserved based on performance. Sometimes teams can get lucky and win a game. Working region final matches and going to nationals is an earned award.”

As well as assessing, Snook and Pedolzky worked a semifinal and a championship match last week, which means they were judged for their performance and awarded to work the games.

However, for Snook, the true joy of assessing and being part of the competition comes in the relationship building.

“It’s like guiding your own kids, seeing them mature and performing to earn an achievement,” he said. “It’s almost like a fraternity or sorority initiation. Your group goes through a lot of pain, tears and accomplishments together, and those relationships are special and last your lifetime.”

Pictured above: The Kentucky delegation of referees and assessors at the US Youth Soccer Midwest Region II Championships last week.

Real prospect of deep run shot down

In the end, it can only be described as a disappointment.

Yes, the United States had done what had been expected of it at the 2010 World Cup: Get out of the group stages and into the last 16.

And the games produced some memorable moments too, such as the rousing comeback against Slovenia; Maurice Edu’s controversial disallowed goal in the same game; Landon Donovan’s last gasp winner against Algeria; and Robert Green’s gift to the Americans in the England opener.

Public interest in the Bob Bradley’s boys rose and the nation’s imagination was captured for a brief time.

However, every U.S. fan knows a golden opportunity to progress deep into the tournament went sadly a begging.

Having earned themselves top spot in Group C with five points and more goals scored than England, the promising path that opened up for the U.S. as a result was closed off just as quick due to imperfect defending and a couple of questionable selections (Clark/Findley) by Bradley against Ghana.

In the end, it seems there was simply too many negatives preventing the team from exploiting a favorable bracket.

The squad depth wasn’t there, while the team showed how desperate it is for a top notch striker. Not one of the five goals was scored by a forward.

Defense was also a major concern, with no real strength in cover, while the fact that Michael Bradley had four different partners in the middle tells its own story.
And, as we said last week, there are only so many times you can stage a comeback, no matter how great your determination. Slow starts and the concession of early goals became too much of a habit, and this needs to be seriously addressed going forward.

But will it be tackled by Bradley or a new coach? Although he has done well in the main, producing a spirited team greater than the sum of its parts, it remains to be seen if U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati offers a contract extension to Bradley, or allows his current deal to run out in December.

Whoever it is will benefit from talent coming up through the ranks (such as Andy Najar of DC United, and L.A. Galaxy’s Omar Gonzalez to name just two), while quite a few of the current team is young enough to be involved in Brazil in 2014.

These include Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber, Robbie Findley, Stuart Holden, Jose Torres, Jozy Altidore, Jonathan Bornstein, Michael Bradley, Brad Guzan and Jonathan Spector, who will all still be under 30.

Some fringe players who didn’t make this squad, like Sacha Kljesten, Robbie Rodgers and Chad Marshall, should also be vying for places.

And there will be one or two we haven’t even heard of yet. So here’s to 2014 – the journey starts now.

Close Encounter of the Ghanaian Kind

Landon Donovan did more than score a goal which sent the USA through to the last 16 of the 2010 World Cup.
Not only was it huge in terms of what it could do for the game here (the chapter’s not closed on that one), but it also effectively signed England’s death warrant in this particular tournament.
As much as the British media and players tried to hide their disappointment in failing to qualify as Group C winners – and thus earn Capello’s boys an arguably easier path towards the final -- the fact is they now have to beat a young and improving German team, and then possibly knock out Maradona’s Argentina. Get past those two hurdles and Spain could await in the semifinals.
Looking forward to Saturday, the oddsmakers have the Unites States as very slight favorites to beat Ghana for a place in the quarterfinals. While many will cite Ghana’s 3-2 victory against the USA at the 2006 World Cup, there are a couple of differences which swing the advantage in America’s favor.
Firstly, the US squad is stronger, led by a better coach. Secondly, Ghana, while dangerous, does not seem to have made much progress in that time, mirroring the notable stunted development in other African nations at this World Cup. Michael Essein’s absence will be especially felt in this game.
In saying that, I still expect a very close encounter: the African factor should not be underestimated. Remember, at least three games on average in the knockout stages go to penalty kicks. Just saying so you’re prepared!

Midwest schedule now online

The schedule for the US Youth Soccer Midwest Region II Championships in Dayton, Ohio (June 26-30) is now online. To keep abreast of how Louisville teams and southern Indiana players are doing, check out http://tournaments.usyouthsoccer.org/events/2010-US-Youth-Soccer-Region-II-Championships/

Koman and the soccer gods

Just when we were waxing lyrical about the high standard of refereeing at the World Cup, along come two poor performances back to back, like when you’re waiting for a bus.

First on Friday was Spanish ref Alberto Undiano, who controversially ejected Miroslav Klose for a seemingly innocuous challenge and handed out 10 cards in Germany’s 1-0 loss to Serbia.

And then comes Koman Coulibaly.

While perplexed U.S. fans were still wearing out the rewind button Friday afternoon to see exactly why the Mali official chalked off Maurice Edu’s effort against Slovenia, passionless England was creating its own headlines with an abysmal 0-0 tie against a gritty Algeria.

The latter performance was enough for the Three Lions’ disgruntled players to hold a clear-the-air crisis meeting with management Sunday following huge criticism from fans and the media.

So, considering, a 2-2 deadlock after a 2-0 half-time deficit doesn’t look too bad now for Bob Bradley’s boys, and victory against the Algerians tomorrow morning (10 a.m.) will see the U.S. through to the last 16.

Easier said than done, however. Bradley has a lot think about, none more so than shoring up a less than adequate defense. You can only come back from behind so many times, and chasing the game against a well organized Algeria is not recommended.

Will he consider dropping Onyewu, who was shaky ( played Zlatan Ljubijankic onside for Slovenia’s second goal) and still has question marks over his fitness? It’s probably too late for a reshuffle, which would probably involve moving Bocanegra to partner DeMerit in central defense.

There was also the huge gaping hole in front of the back four which resulted in an unchallenged Birsa scoring their opener.

Maurice Edu, who had a good second half, is likely start and hopefully plug some gaps, while Dempsey may be deployed up front to partner Altidore for the suspended Robbie Findley.

On the plus side, the teamwork and tenacity shown in the second half was very encouraging, and the U.S. goes into the game in good mental shape, despite the disallowed effort.

Speaking of which, the “goal that wasn’t” seems to have sparked a lot of interest nationally, so maybe the controversy isn’t so bad overall -- perhaps helping the sport in terms of awareness -- if no real harm is done (like getting eliminated) in the process.


The French squad: Well, what's left of it.

Whatever the interest, the incident was quickly replaced as global headline news this weekend by the French camp shambles. Nicolas Anelka’s early departure due to his refusal to apologize to coach Raymond Domenech for using naughty words during the half-time break against Mexico is eerily similar to Roy Keane’s exit from the Irish team in Saipan back in 2002.

That particular incident spawned several books and a musical comedy. A show on this would surely be funnier. Domenech did, after all, contemplate wearing a Mickey Mouse tie to the interview for the French coaching post six years ago, and has admitted his team selections are influenced by astrology.

The opening scene could be the Henry ‘Hand of Gaul’ goal in the World Cup play-off game against Ireland last November. Then, of course, the ensuing outrage. Cut to South Africa and a tie against Uruguay; then disaster against the Mexicans. Nicolas is sent home after his outburst, which was leaked to the press; Les Bleus refuse to train in protest; the fitness coach goes nuts; players get on the bus; team director resigns in disgust.

With the squad in total turmoil, it goes into today’s third, and last, group game against South Africa seeking a minor miracle to progress. The finale, perhaps?
Sochaux coach Francis Gillot, who branded the players’ attitude as both “pathetic and disgraceful,” said, “France is the laughing stock of the world. Today I am thinking of the Irish – they should have been there in our place.”
Maybe the soccer gods felt that way too.

Players hopeful of big Midwest showing

There will be a number of the area’s players in action at the US Youth Soccer Midwest Region II Championships in Dayton, Ohio at the weekend.

The tournament will see the top 212 boys’ and girls’ teams from 14 state associations in the U13 through to U19 age groups battle it out at Ankeney Park, Beavercreek.

The round robin games will be played from June 26-28, with the semi-finals being played on June 29, and the championship games taking place on June 30.



Southern Indiana pair Kady O’Farrell (Floyd Central) and Leah Mattingly (Providence) said they are hopeful of a good showing with their Javanon ’95 team.

The girls beat Commonwealth SC of Lexington 3-0 in the Kentucky State Open Cup championship decider, to add to its two titles won in 2007 and 2008.

Mattingly has played with Javanon for seven years and is one of two original members from the U9 team.

"This year is a very good opportunity for our team,” she said. “If we play well, we should have a chance to advance and make a good showing in the (later stages of) tournament."

O’Farrell has been with the team since last year, although she has been with the club for five years.

"There are going to be some tough, competitive teams that we are going to be playing against, but I am ready to kick some butt," she said. “Our team has really improved from last year, with new players and a new coach coming to the team.”

Meanwhile, Daniel Wilburn (Providence), Matt Kelecy (Floyd Central), Nick Blackwell (New Albany) and Jordan Vejar (Jeffersonville) are part of Javanon’s U16 team, which fancies itself to go well.

The team not only won the Kentucky State Open Cup, but also the Midwest Regional League Premier Division (Red), and hopes it can emulate the achievements of the club’s ’92 and ’91 teams, which both won regional titles last year and progressed to the national championship.

Javanon beat United 1996 -- a team featuring two more locals in the shape of Providence’s Brett Bass and Henryville’s Gabe Stewart -- by a 2-0 scoreline in the final, but the pair will also travel to the tournament as United earned a wildcard spot.

Javanon ’92, which has Trevor Bruner from Jeffersonville in its ranks, will be aiming for its third consecutive regional crown. It won its fourth consecutive state title – and sixth overall -- with a 1-0 final victory against Mockingbird.

State associations represented at the tournament are Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio North, Ohio South, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

Regional winners of the Under-14 through Under-19 brackets earn a berth to the 2010 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Overland Park, Kansas from July 20-25.


Above: Southern Indiana duo Kady O’Farrell and Leah Mattingly pictured with their medals after winning the U15 Kentucky State Open Cup title with Javanon ’95. The girls play at the US Youth Soccer Region II Championships at Dayton, Ohio, this weekend.

Goalies, refs, balls and vuvuzelas

There’s no doubting what the big stories of the opening weekend of the World Cup were -- goalkeeping, outstanding refereeing, the ball and vuvuzelas.

The Jabulani ball, we all knew, was going to be in the spotlight, and it did do some rather strange dippy-do stuff at times, but nothing too outrageous when you factor in the altitude some of the games are being played at.

The U.S. got the draw it knew it was well capable of achieving against hot group favorites England, albeit due to a howler by keeper Robert Green. Poor Bob was, of course, savaged by the English media (“The Hand of Clod” etc), although he did have a decent second half, and he reacted admirably in the way he faced the music after the game. Nor did he blame the ball.

Now the focus turns very much to Friday morning’s crunch clash against Slovenia, which secured three points against Algeria thanks in the main to another goalkeeping error, arguably worse than Green’s blooper.

This time, Bob Bradley’s men will go in as the favored team, and will have to play a more attacking game. That will probably also require a change or two in personnel (Jose Torres/Edu for Clark and Buddle for Findley in from start maybe?).
While a tie wouldn’t be the end of the world, defeat would be, so patience and caution will be the order of the day.

The one certainty about Friday’s game is that you’ll be deafened, once again, by vuvuzelas, those noisy ear splitting plastic horns which sound akin to an enormous swarm of bees.



This World Cup is set to become the most cacophonous in history thanks to one note instrument, but if you watched last year’s Confederations Cup, you can’t say you didn’t receive timely warning to get yourself a pair of earplugs (There’s always the mute button too.)

Not surprisingly, there have been calls by various football associations, players and broadcasting companies to have them banned.

As long as they are not used as weapons, or blown during national anthems, world governing body FIFA said it’s happy to have them at the World Cup. However, they did plead with fans to maybe try singing.

Refereeing was top notch, and close decisions were called right time after time. The one most in the news was Mexico’s first half effort which was disallowed against South Africa.

ESPN commentator (Efan Ekoku, former pro player) was lambasted after the game for his take on it (“What an awful decision”) and his seeming ignorance of the offside rule (two opposing players behind the ball, usually including the goalie - - the goalie was not behind the ball, which is rare).

However, the crime was not that the former Nigerian international got it wrong initially, but that neither he nor his experienced co-commentator, Martin Tyler, made any attempt to correct it thereafter despite the luxury of replays, thus missing a great opportunity to explain the law to those who maybe aren’t too au fait with the game.

The station’s decision to use a whole pile of British-based pundits for their “experience” was, right then, looking a tad foolish.

Maybe those vuvuzelas aren’t such a bad idea after all!