Presidential trip for local teams!

With the spring soccer select season about to kick off, we take a look a new state competition which will feature two local teams in its inaugural year.



In recent years, the Indiana State Cup has been the premier tournament for select soccer clubs, while the Challenge Cup has catered for second tier squads.

Now comes the addition of the Indiana Presidents Cup, a middle tier competition between the State and Challenge Cups, which is expected to result in better parity at all three levels of play.

The tournament will feature boys’ and girls’ teams from U11 to U17, with champions from U14-U17 getting the chance to represent Indiana at regional and possibly national level.

Two of the area’s squads – Southern Indiana United’s U14 Strikers and U16 Net-Surfers – will take a trip to the inaugural Indiana Presidents Cup competition, with the preliminary round taking place in Evansville and Fort Wayne from May 13-15. The finals weekend will be held from June 3-5.


Strikers prepared

SIU Strikers have been invited to play in the competition thanks to their success last year when they made it to the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.

“We were originally going to do the Challenge Cup again with hopes of winning, but once we got the invite, it was hard to say no,” said Strikers’ coach Paul Duckworth. “IYSA decided to cut the State Cup participants a little, and didn't want to overwhelm the Challenge Cup, so they created a second tier tournament, the Presidents Cup.”

There are 10 teams divided into four brackets, and Strikers find themselves in a grouping with Zionsville and Westfield Select.

“It is more of a sterner test for us than the Challenge Cup for sure, but not the stretch that it would have been participating in the State Cup,” said Duckworth.

He added that the team has been very active over the winter months, training twice a week, with one session working on speed and agility, and the other on technical skills.

“On the weekends, we participated in the Louisville Futsal League, and won both the league and the tournament for our age division,” said Duckworth. “The fast pace and quick feet needed to play futsal should serve us well this spring.”

Strikers are hoping to win their ISL division and gain promotion, while it has just kicked off its campaign in the Kentucky Select Soccer League (Div 1).

“We are looking forward to taking the next step up,” said Duckworth. “The Presidents Cup at the end of the season will be a healthy test of how far we have progressed this last year.”


Net-Surfers U16s

Net-Surfers’ U16 team, meanwhile, achieved some success last year, including the capturing of the Queen City Tournament in Cincinnati.

In the Presidents Cup, it has been drawn in a group with Fort Wayne, Jr. Irish and Indiana Invaders Blue.

The girls will this year be coached by Lindsey Wilkerson and will play in the Kentucky Select Soccer League Gold Division.

“This team has lots of potential with good talent,” says assistant coach Walter Iglesias. “Most of the girls have played together for years and know each other well. This should make for a good opportunity to do well in the Presidents Cup. There will be lots of good competition and I believe in the spirit of these girls determination to win.”

The Presidents Cup winners will represent Indiana at the Region II Midwest championships, and this year it is being held in South Bend, Indiana in June, while the national championships will take place in Des Moines, Iowa in July.

This is the fourth year of the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup competition on a national level, but Indiana Soccer previously selected ISL Premier Division leaders who hadn’t advanced to the Indiana State Cup finals.

Indiana Soccer’s Director of Competition, Angel Hall, said she expects that by adding the Presidents Cup format, the Challenge Cup event –- which will feature some of the area’s teams -- will become more attractive. It is open to travel and recreational plus teams, but Midwest Regional League and ISL Premier teams are not eligible for it.

“The previous State and Challenge Cup results reflect that over 21 per cent of the preliminary round games are played to a goal differential of five or more,” she said.

The introduction of the Presidents Cup will also necessitate changes to the current State Cup format, which will be limited to 12 teams instead of the previous 16 team per age division format. The Challenge Cup will not have a limit to the number of teams accepted.

U.S. Youth Soccer workshop comes to town

Have you ever wondered what it requires to manage a superstar like Cristiano Ronaldo or prepare a goalkeeper such as Eduardo for the World Cup?

You’ll be able to find out when the annual US Youth Soccer adidas Workshop takes place in Louisville this week from February 24-26.

The three day event at the Kentucky International Convention Center is expected to attract over 2,000 soccer coaches, administrators, referees and enthusiasts.

The largest event of its kind for youth sports in the United States, it will feature education sessions for those involved in the game, field demonstrations and an exhibit hall. A highlight of the weekend will be the US Youth Soccer Awards Gala, which will showcase successes of the past year and over a lifetime.



Dan Gaspar (left) will talk about Ronaldo (right) and Portugal's 2010 World Cup journey at the US Youth Soccer Workshop in Louisville this week.

One of the more interesting workshop sessions will feature Portugal’s national team goalkeeper coach Dan Gaspar, who will speak on Friday (3 p.m.) about what impacted the country’s performance in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He will discuss how they prepared for opponents, including eventual winners Spain, who knocked them out in the round of 16.

Meanwhile, two local players -- Jeffersonville’s Brian Fischer and Skyler Davis -- will be involved in a 9v9 demonstration on the principles of attacking soccer.

Both play for Mockingbird ’95 and were recently invited to the Kentucky State ODP team pool. They have been asked to participate in the demonstration, which takes place at the Fourth Street venue on Saturday (3 p.m.), as part of the pool.

The latest soccer equipment, technology, apparel and fundraising ideas will be on display at the exhibit hall, which will be open on Thursday (6-8 p.m.), Friday (9-5 p.m.) and Saturday (9- 4 p.m.).

The Kick Zone, meanwhile, will provide an area for kids of all ages and will feature interactive soccer activities and games on Saturday. The Kick Zone and exhibit hall are free and open to the public.

Tim Turney, president of Kentucky Youth Soccer, said the state is thrilled to be hosting the entire youth soccer community from all over the country.

"We will showcase Louisville's southern hospitality while providing an excellent venue to network and learn from some of the best presenters this country has to offer,” he said.

In addition to learning from leading clinicians in the areas of coaching and player development, the event will include topics from the challenges and realities of international travel, risk management and organizing and financing field development.

Registrants will also hear the latest in marketing techniques and tactics, sports medicine topics, referee technology and additional areas of interest regarding recreational, elite and disabled players.

Online registration for the workshops is now closed but you can register onsite, while day passes are also available. For further information, check out: usyouthsoccer.org/workshop.

Indiana high school records sought

An official record book for Indiana high school soccer is currently being compiled and your help is sought.

Todd Murphy, the owner of the HoosierFutbol.com website, has been tasked by the Indiana Soccer Coaches’ Association to collect the data.

“I am already having some luck in getting quite a few records,” he said. “There will be a top 25 list for each category and in some cases we will have more than a top 25 based on number of submissions.

“The records we collect will be posted on our site, the Indiana Soccer Coaches’ Association website and will be sent to the NSCAA to be included in the national database.”

Murphy is looking for team, coaching and individual player records from over the years, including record victories, goals, shutouts, assists and championships won.

If you can help, contact Murphy at webmaster@hoosierfutbol.com. You can also find more information on the categories on which information is sought by checking out the HoosierFutbol.com website.

Almost a fairytale ending at Disney

Disney Showcase runner-up Javanon '94

There wasn’t a whole lot of festive relaxation for a many of the area’s players who traveled to Orlando, Fla. for the prestigious Chelsea FC sponsored Disney Soccer Showcase.

And they put up some fine performances too, with a number just missing out on fairytale endings.

The Showcase for boys’ and girls’ teams ranging from U15 to U19 is now considered one of the biggest stages for youth soccer in the U.S. and attracts numerous college coaches, including representatives from Louisville, Indiana, UK, Notre Dame, Evansville, Butler and NCAA Division II champs, Northern Kentucky.

The four days of boys’ competition from December 27-30 featured games between region ODP teams, top academy clubs (including Chelsea) and the best travel soccer outfits in the nation and Canada – that’s 294 teams in total.

Among those to shine was Javanon ’94, featuring Jordan Vejar (Jeffersonville), Matt Kelecy (Floyd Central) and Nick Blackwell (New Albany). The team earned a runner-up in the top U17 Showcase Division.

In its first game, it defeated New Mexico Rush Nike Argonauts 4-1 (ranked 9th nationally by gotsoccer.com), then tied last year’s national runner-up RSL Florida 0-0, before beating Carolina Elite SA ’93 4-1 to clinch the bracket and earn a spot in the
championship decider against Florida Rush Nike.

Despite the absence of valuable players such as star striker John Manga and Lindo Mfeka, the team put in a creditable performance, only to lose 5-4 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie in regulation.

The team is next scheduled to attend the FC Alliance Tournament in Knoxville, Tennessee later this month.

Meanwhile, in the Predator Division, United 1996 -- featuring Providence’s Brett Bass and Gabe Stewart from the Henryville area -- also made the championship game but lost 3-2 to HYS Verndon of Virginia, ranked 26th in the nation.

In its group games, United beat CAP FC United of Canada 1-0 and lost to Massapequa SC Rough Riders of New York 2-0, before bouncing back to win the bracket with a 1-0 victory over Texans of Houston.

Elsewhere, Javanon U16 Black reached the final of the Copa Division, where it lost 2-1 to Pachuca Dragons of Maryland. On its way there, it beat NE Aztecs (MA) 1-0 and tied with CD Independiente of Texas to make the decider.

This past weekend, the girls took center stage with 268 teams from the United States and Canada competing.

Javanon ’95, featuring Providence’s Leah Mattingly and Floyd Central’s Kady O’Farrell, were in action in the U16 Predator Division. The girls narrowly lost its first game 1-0 against Carmel United of Indiana, but bounced back to beat SJ Elite Barons Force of New Jersey 2-0, before finishing the tournament out with a scoreless tie against bracket winner Eclipse of Texas.

In the girls’ U17 Copa Division, Mockingbird Valley ’94 -- featuring Floyd Central’s Taylor Patty, Lauren Haley and Rebekah Burgan, as well as Providence’s record goalscorer Casey Marlin – tied with Canada’s Newmarket United (2-2) and Patriots of New York (1-1), while losing to Lakeland FC of Florida.

Next up for the four girls are spring tournaments at Ohio Elite (February 25-27) and Richmond, Va. (Jefferson Cup, March 18-20).

Sign on for recreational soccer

The bells may have only just chimed to welcome 2011 but registrations are already being accepted for spring recreational soccer at Southern Indiana United.

The program for children ages 4-17 provides the opportunity for all children of any skill level to learn and play soccer. The focus is on fun as players learn about good sportsmanship and teamwork, while also getting some great exercise.

All team members play at least half of every game and there are no cuts or tryouts. Each child receives a uniform, but players are expected to turn up with their own shin guards, a ball and a water bottle.

You have until February 11 to register, and can do so at www.siusoccer.com.

Want to be a Rover?

River City Rovers, the newly formed United Soccer League team for Kentuckiana, will be holding an open combine next week for interested players.

Rovers, who will play in the USL’s Premier Development League, will be made up of approximately 26 male players, ages 17-30, and will showcase the best and brightest local talent.

It also provides elite college players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their NCAA eligibility.

The PDL is seen as a shop window for Major League Soccer clubs looking to discover and identify aspiring pros.

Many of the players currently playing in the MLS began their careers there, while notable US internationals with PDL experience include Charlie Davies, Brad Guzan, Jonathan Spector, Clarence Goodson and Jay DeMerit.

The open combine will be held from January 7-9 and the registration fee is $95.

The weekend will include testing at Velocity, 11470 Bluegrass Parkway on Friday, January 7 (10 a.m.), and continues with sessions at Oldham County YMCA Indoor Sports Arena in Buckner on January 8 and 9 (starting at 2 p.m.).

All players should bring indoor and outdoor shoes. Two combine t-shirts will also be distributed the day of the tryouts.

Players can complete an online application at www.roverssoccer.com. The website is under construction, but registering online is active through January 5.

Muhamed Fazlagic, who will serve as head coach and technical director, said he is excited to be part of creating this opportunity for local players.

“Now they'll be able to play at the highest level in front of their friends and family,” said the founder of United 1996. “River City Rovers is certainly a new and positive chapter in Louisville’s soccer history."

Unofficially, the PDL is considered to be the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid, behind the MLS, the USSF Division 2 and the USL Second Division.
It had 67 teams competing in four conferences -- split into eight regional divisions across the US and Canada -- in 2010. So far, three new franchises have been announced to participate in 2011 season.

The season comprises 16 regular season matches for each team -- eight home and eight away -- and runs from May to August.

Dale Helfrich, general manager of Oldham Thoroughbreds Soccer Club, has just appointed as operations manager of River City Rovers. For further information, you can contact him at 502-445-3482.

Lolla named Coach of the Year

Soccer America magazine has named University of Louisville’s Ken Lolla the Men’s Coach of the Year.

Lolla, who led Louisville to the Men's College Cup for the first time, also won the award in 2005, his last season at Akron before leaving for the Cardinals.

Louisville's 1-0 loss to Akron in the championship decider was its only defeat of the 2010 season, following a remarkable NCAA tournament run.

Despite freezing temperatures and snow, 5,467 fans packed Cardinal Park for the quarterfinal match against UCLA, a 5-4 victory for Louisville that will go down as one of the epic matches in the history of the NCAA tournament.

Such was the madness that police had to shoo cars along as drivers stopped to get a peak of the action.

Lolla has taken Louisville (20-1-3), a program with no previous winning tradition, and made it into a national contender, said Soccer America.

Others to have won the award in past years include Indiana’s Jerry Yeagley (2003), and Jim DeRose of the 2007 Bradley team that included Floyd Knobs’ defender Brad Snook.

Meanwhile, Cards’ junior forward Colin Rolfe was named on the magazine’s MVP first team, along with Indiana’s Will Bruin. Louisville defender Austin Berry was named on the second team. The awards honor the players who have the biggest impact on their team’s success, regardless of position.