Ex-Card faces old team mates

A former University of Louisville star will feature as part of the Republic of Ireland women's soccer team when it takes on her alma mater at Cardinal Park this Saturday, August 8 (7 p.m.).

Shannon Smyth has already played two 45 minute halves for the Girls in Green, who are on a 10 week training camp in the United States preparing for its important upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

So far, the trip has gone exceptionally well for Ireland, which has beaten Women's Professional League outfit Chicago Reds Stars, FC Indiana of the W-League, and Chicago Breeze. After the Louisville game, Ireland will finish out against Notre Dame on August 11.

Smyth, whose father was born and raised in the southside Dublin town of Dun Laoghaire, said she is greatly looking forward to taking on her old team mates. That includes senior Lindsay Boling who has been helping Smyth with coaching duties at Net-Surfers.

"I'm very excited to be back and playing at Cardinal Park," said the diminutive 5'3" forward. "U of L has treated me like family and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to be back here with my Irish team mates."

She added that Karen Ferguson-Dayes, entering her 10th season as Cardinal coach, has been a major support in her aspirations to play for Ireland.

“Karen has prepared me well over the past four years to progress to the international, and hopefully professional, level,” she said.

"I'm currently exploring the best option to sign a professional contract in Europe. I'm not ready to hang up the boots yet, so we'll see what transpires for me over the next year as I have been blessed with the opportunity and support from my family and coaches to continue to play."

Ireland’s goal is to be in tip-top shape for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Switzerland, Kazakhstan and Russia in September and October, and Smyth’s objective is to be part of the 18 strong squad which will face them. The roster currently stands at 25 plus.

"All players here are quality and bring different strengths, so at the end of the day it is a matter of the right combination of players,” said Smyth. “I'm honored to be here training for my country alongside the best team mates and coaches Ireland offers. I'm learning a lot and couldn't ask for better teammates to train with everyday.”



Shannon Smyth (left) and Lindsay Boling spent the spring season coaching southern Indiana’s Net-Surfers while team mates at University of Louisville. This Saturday, the pair will be on opposing teams when Smyth kits out for Ireland, who will be taking on Boling and the Cardinals in Louisville.

As well as playing out her final year at Louisville, Smyth has spent 2009 coaching Net-Surfers’ U17 girls, along with U of L's Lindsay Boling.

"The girls and their parents were always supportive of their daughters and my development plan for them," she said. "I hope they learned as much from me as I did from them."

Also helping her development as a player has been her time with FC Indiana (11-1-2), one of the top women’s soccer teams in the country, which recently fell 2-1 Ottawa Fury in the W-League Central Conference Championship game.

“FC Indiana was a great experience for me,” she said. “I came in toward the end of their season and couldn't have asked for a better training environment. Shek Borkowski and his coaching staff are second to none and the variety of players from such diverse backgrounds offered so much creativity and inspiration.”

Bulldogs in cyberspace

Many school sports teams are now starting to create their own websites to keep fans and players alike abreast of all the up to the minute news.

One of the latest to join the soccer information superhighway is New Albany High School’s girls’ team (freeteams.net/NAHSGirlsSoccer).

The site has many sections, including previous years statistics, the latest news and schedules for varsity and junior varsity, an archive section and a links page.

Web administrator Judy Hoke said there will be constant updates to news and photos as the imminent fall season begins to unfold.

“Fans can also leave good luck messages on the forum on the website,” she said.
New Albany kicks off its season at the Floyd Central jamboree on August 15, which we will have more on next week.

Javanon '91 -- national finalists

There was heartbreak for Javanon '91 at the US Youth Soccer National Championships in Lancaster, Massachusetts at the weekend after South Carolina's Discoveries SC Green foiled Louisville's finest not just once, but twice.

Having got off to a flyer with a 3-1 victory in its opener against New York's East Fishkill Thunder, and then securing a point in a 1-1 tie against Westside Metros Internationals of Oregon, Javanon found Discoveries too good in the final group game, losing 4-2.

However, Graham Merryweather's boys had accumulated enough points in the round-robin to earn themselves a final berth and a rematch against the number one ranked team in the nation.

The championship decider didn't start well for Javanon, with Enzo Marinez putting Discoveries up after seven minutes. Then the promising Juan Velasquez, Golden Boot recipient with five goals, doubled the lead with a 44th minute strike.

Javanon fought back with goal six minutes later from Vinny Paiva, and piled on the pressure in the dying minutes without any reward.

There was some consolation for the team, as it received the U18 Fair Play Award.


Jacob Kemper celebrates his goal against Discoveries in the group stages with Kyle Shickel

Assistant coach Lee Weyland said the boys completed a phenomenal season, culminating in a "heartbreaking" loss.

"We are only the third team from Kentucky to ever play in the national championship final and I am proud of every player and how they represented our state by earning the Fair Play Award," he said. “This is a memorable experience for the players, who have achieved something that most youth soccer players only get to dream about.”

Vinny Paiva, scorer in the championship game, said it was a great experience he was privileged to have been a part of.

"I got to spend a week with 18 of the best soccer players I know. And to have been able to make it to the finals and compete for a national championship was great," he said. "It saddened many of the players to lose but when you look back on it, second in the nation isn't bad at all. I'm just glad I got to be a part of it."

This was the first time that Louisville, or indeed Kentucky, had two teams at the national championships in the same year. It produced national champions in 1997 (U16 boys) and 2006 (U19 boys).

The second team at the championships was Javanon '92, returning to the big stage after defending its Midwest regional crown with a penalty shootout victory against Chicago Fire Juniors.

The U17 section was tough to say the least, with six of the best teams in the US challenging for the title.

In its first game, Tim Chastonay's charges faced Lower Merion Velez of Pennsylvania, a team it beat 2-1 at last year's competition in Little Rock, Arkansas. Despite going 1-0 up with a 29th minute goal from South Oldham HS's Will Vitalis – who also scored when the teams last met -- Javanon conceded four without reply.

Unfortunately, it didn't get any better, as the boys lost to CZ Elite of California South 4-0, and rounded out its tournament with a close 1-0 defeat to Triangle United of North Carolina. CZ Elite won the title, beating Triangle 3-2 in the championship decider.

The US Youth Soccer series began with over 10,000 teams and 185,000 players competing for 55 state association titles. Twelve national champions were crowned in Massachusetts from U14 to U19, both boys and girls.

High School changes boost regional hopes

High School changes boost regional hopes

With the 2009 spring travel soccer season now a memory, thoughts are turning to the fall high school campaign.

There will be some 288 member schools offering boys' soccer in Indiana and this year's alignment will see just one minor change in the sectional championship.

However, the most significant change as far as teams in Floyd and Clark county are concerned is the fact that the regional championships will not feature reigning champion Columbus North, even if it does win its sectional again. That’s because the Bulldogs will now host a sectional in which its winner will move forward to the East Central regional instead of the one hosted here by Floyd Central.

Sectional 60 will feature Floyd Central, New Albany, North Harrison, Corydon Central and Silver Creek. Salem, which reached last year's final against champion New Albany, will now be in Sectional 57 with Seymour, Trinity Lutheran, Austin and Brown County.

Sectional 59, which includes Jeffersonville, Rock Creek Academy, Providence, Charlestown and Christian Academy of Indiana, doesn't change.

The sectional tournament will take place on October 8 and 10, with the regional competition being played on October 14 and 17.

Meanwhile, the area's girls' teams will play in the eight team Sectional 28, which will include defending champion Floyd Central, New Albany, Providence, Jeffersonville, North Harrison, Corydon, Silver Creek and newcomers Charlestown. Games will be played on October 12, 13, 15, and 17.

A record 249 member schools look like offering women's soccer this fall (245 entered the state tournament last year). It is just seven short of the 256 schools needed to consider class soccer.

Javanon teams head to nationals -- though you wouldn't know it!

(Published Evening News & Tribune, June 30 '09)


Javanon 91


Last Wednesday was important for United States soccer.

Beating Spain -- the number one ranked team in the world -- in the FIFA Confederations Cup by a 2-0 scoreline brought with it publicity not normally associated with the sport in this country. Spain had not lost a game in its last 35, so it was a big deal. Really.

And it became water cooler talk. Or toilet talk, depending on where you like to have your work conversations.

Then Team USA almost beat Brazil -- sure to become the new No. 1 nation in FIFA rankings -- in the final. Finding itself up 2-0 at the half, Bob Bradley’s boys succumbed to the mass yellow wave in the second 45 minutes, conceding three.

For those that don't know, the competition --- the eighth time it's been held -- is a dress rehearsal to the World Cup, held one year before the main event. It takes place in the World Cup host city -- in this case South Africa -- in preparation for the biggest and most widely viewed sports event on the planet (Yes, it is has more viewers than the Olympics.)

It comprises the current champion from each continent (or confederation), the hosts, and the current World Cup champion. Participating nations also welcome the opportunity to play in stadia being used in a year's time, not to mention acclimatizing to what will be unusual weather for this event, as it will take place during South Africa's winter.

So while the performances brought a timely boost to the squad and attracted attention from those normally oblivious to all matters soccer, it is getting a little ahead of ourselves to believe the US will be winning the 2010 World Cup.

What it has done, though, is give a confidence to the US, as well as show the world that the team is a force to be reckoned with.

On the same day, Javanon Soccer Club from Louisville won two US Youth Soccer Region II titles in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Altogether, some 212 teams from 13 states battled for a place at the national championships in Lancaster, Massachusetts from July 21-26.

You wouldn't have known it in the immediate aftermath, however, if you had been depending on the Derby City's broadcast and print media to provide you information on it.

While it had no problem jumping on the US/Confederations Cup bandwagon, it practically ignored the achievements of local youth soccer players. But the irony is that if the USA's performances get more people interested in the game -- and playing it -- then more people might want to know about achievements like Javanon's.

Both teams feature players from southern Indiana. Javanon '92, winning its second consecutive regional title, has amongst its ranks defender Trevor Bruner from Jeffersonville, while Javanon '91 includes Nathan Driggers, a graduate of New Albany High School and now playing college soccer with Ohio State.



Javanon 92

Javanon '92s final victory was a thriller. Facing the mighty Chicago Fire Juniors, the game remained scoreless for 90 minutes, but Javanon exploded in the fourth minute of overtime with a Dimitri DeChurch-Silva goal. However, Juniors equalized to take the game to penalties.

With the Illinois champion missing one early, and with Javanon’s first four spot kick takers all hitting the net, the stage was set for keeper Taylor Hafling to make himself a hero and he duly obliged when saving Chicago Fire’s final penalty.

On a nearby field, Javanon '91 was going for its first ever Midwest regional title in a final showdown with last year's finalist Scott Gallagher from St Louis, Missouri.

The game was scoreless after regulation time in a tight encounter, but the deadlock was broken by a 94th minute effort from Vincius Paiva and coach Graham Merryweather’s boys held on to make it a historic double for Javanon.

The squad, sicx time state champion, features a core of eight players who have been together since U-11. Driggers, normally deployed as a striker, has stepped in as Javanon's central attacking midfielder, a move which seems to have worked well.

Meanwhile, Javanon is appealing for donations to help with the huge expense that will be incurred traveling to Lancaster. If anyone can help, they can contact the club's development director, Kay Maum, at 502-299-3865.

New Balls Please!

Children in Kenya are replacing soccer balls made out of garbage bags for the real deal thanks to local generosity.

Southern Indiana's Net-Surfers are among those helping the Hearts4Kenya charity, and the all-girls' team recently donated 20 balls, which made it to Africa with volunteer Sara Dickman, former varsity girls' soccer coach with New Albany HS.

Also helping the cause are Kraatz Sporting Goods, which has donated 25 balls, and The Quest Class of Trinity Methodist Church, giving 10 balls and 10 hand pumps. Uniform sets were also donated by various local schools.

Dickman said children of all ages play the game in Kenya, usually with a group of discarded garbage bags that are wound with any available string.

"These balls have an amazing bounce but are not close to the touch of a regulation size leather ball," she said.

She added that the regulation balls are a "gift from heaven" to the schools and orphanages in the rural communities of Oyugis and Amani, while the uniforms help the children play in tournaments.

"There will be young men and women who will have qualified to participate in a tournament, but thought they could not as they didn't have the required shirts," said Dickman.

"It is amazing that we put our players in shin guards, long socks, arch supports and braces, and a good pair of cleats. In this area of Kenya, in order to participate in tournaments the teams must have one game ball per team, and matching uniform shirts. Every other part of the uniform may be mis-matched or missing. Most of the players we have watched play barefooted.

“Every year at least one boys' team and one girls' team is able to advance due to the generosity of this community."

Net-Surfers' secretary Jamie Fischer said that this is the second time the club has donated balls to the cause.

"As a club, we feel this a worthwhile endeavor to help kids in a less fortunate situation enjoy the game of soccer," said Fischer. "We want to thank Southern Indiana United U16 coach Bruce Rigsby for helping us obtain the soccer balls at a very reasonable rate and providing them to us for the donation."

Hearts4Kenya, a charity based in Louisville, helps combat poverty, hunger and disease in small, agrarian communities in the Nyanza province of Kenya. Now in its 11th year, it has successfully completed a wide range of projects, including the construction or repair of several churches, clinics, orphanages, playgrounds and a tree nursery.

In recent years, hybrid seed, fertilizer and the instruction of irrigation and planting techniques have been introduced, enabling the people to become self-sufficient.

For more information on the charity, log on to : www.heartsforkenya.org

Pictured above: Children in Oyugis, Kenya play with one of locally donated soccer balls.

Charity soccer auction in Molly's

While we are on the subject of charity work, autographed team jerseys from Tim Howard and Freddy Adu will be among the items you can bid on during a fundraising soccer memorabilia auction being held at Molly Malone's Bar on Baxter Avenue (8 p.m.)

There will also be a World Cup trivia contest and juggling contest, while we are told there will also be soccer celebrities from around the world.

The evening will benefit the Derby City Kicks Back charity, which supports other charities such as Soccer For Kids' Sake, which provides inner city soccer programs, and the Adam Bender Foundation, which brings sports awareness and opportunity to physically challenged children.

Tickets are $50 at the door, or $25 in advance. And if you mention the password 'Man City' the night of the event, you can get in for half price. For more information, call Molly Malone's at (502) 473-1222.