From tragedy to triumph

Outside the entrance of Indiana University's Armstrong Stadium, numerous names are etched into bricks leading up to the gates.

One of said bricks features the name of Floyds Knobs’ Brad Snook. It's accompanied by the names of his dad Bob - a well known referee in the area - mother and teacher Peggy; and sister Meredith, also a referee and soccer coach.

With the exception of Brad, all attended IU. Buying a brick was a token of the family's appreciation for time spent there, you could say.

After viewing the brick late last Wednesday night, junior Brad thought it pretty ironic that his Bradley University from central Illinois had just caused the wall of No. 4 Hoosiers to come tumbling down after booting them out of the NCAA Division 1 Men's Soccer Tournament following a thrilling penalty shoot-out.

Three days later, in the Sweet 16, the Braves took on 2005 winners Maryland in their own backyard and found themselves 2-0 down at the interval.

Reflecting over the likes of coffee and hot chocolate on a cool, crisp evening, the fans agreed the run had exceeded expectations. Reaching round three was a triumph in itself.

Firstly, because the school's program had never gone this far before - in fact, it had never won an NCAA game before 2007. And secondly, because of the adversity the squad has endured this season, which has already made this one of the most poignant sports stories of 2007.

The death of 19-year-old sophomore to be, Sheridan "Danny" Dahlquist, following a house fire on August 12 is a tragedy that has already been chronicled in these pages.
Four friends - three of them Bradley team mates - have been charged with aggravated arson in what amounted to a prank with Roman candles which went wrong. Their trial is scheduled for January.

"Spirited" is a word that has oft been used to describe Bradley's soccer team this season but it doesn't tell the whole tale. The way it has responded to tragedy in a sport that has witnessed recent match fixing scandals and is awash with overpaid prima donnas the world over is already one to warm the cockles of the heart and renew our faith in the beautiful game.

Coach Jim DeRose described it best when saying the players have not stopped mourning, but have found a refuge in soccer which brings them together.

They don't go out and tritely "do it for Danny." They play together in his memory and use the strength Danny's family has shown as inspiration, adding it to their own. Dad Craig is a senior associate athletic director at Bradley and is a familiar face at games, always offering encouragement to the squad. There wasn't a dry eye in the house in when he received Danny's medal after their first Missouri Valley Conference Tournament success, a 1-0 victory over Creighton.

That win, added to a share of its third consecutive MVC championship, ensured an automatic NCAA berth and saw the appropriately named Braves end with a regular season record of 14-5-3.

Following a comprehensive 2-0 victory over De Paul in round one of the NCAA tournament, it was handed the unenviable task of taking on seven times winners and No. 4 ranked Indiana in round two last Wednesday. One goal down after just 97 seconds, it fought back with a second half Stephen Brust effort to tie the game and force it into overtime.

After two scoreless halves of overtime, the game went to a penalty shootout, with Bradley converting all five of its attempts. Standing at 5-4, Indiana freshman Michael Roach's effort smashed off the crossbar. Bradley were off to Maryland.

And so back to Ludwig Field. Despite an improved second-half effort by Bradley, it remained 2-0 to the Terrapins with the scoreboard showing just three minutes left on the clock. Then, Drew DeGurian blasted home a rebound at the edge of the box to offer the Braves a glimmer of hope.

With the momentum shifting in Bradley's direction, and with 37 seconds left of regulation, Chris Cutshaw of Carmel headed home to complete an improbable comeback to tie the game at 2-2, sending fans delirious.

If you believe in fate, in the romance that is sometimes thrown up by cup competition, this was only going one way. And so it proved. With 75 seconds remaining in the second overtime and the game heading towards penalty kicks, Cutshaw netted a golden goal, which he believes glanced off his shoulder. Maryland screamed for handball but their pleas were in vain. Bradley was on its way to the Elite Eight.

Following a late night return flight back to Peoria, a police escort took the team back to campus. Arriving at the Field House at 12.40am, the band and cheerleaders - who all stayed on after a basketball game - were joined by students and community members to welcome them home.

Brad Snook described the trip back as just the latest journey in what has been a "heck of a ride" - one they don't want to end.

"From the worst thing that could possibly happen right before preseason, to now, the whole story has been pretty incredible," said the Floyd Central graduate.. "More than any other team I've been a part of, this team plays for the guys next to them, and we never stop battling and fighting."

The defender, who has witnessed playing time in defense this season but still awaits NCAA action, said he has never been a part of a soccer game quite like the one now dubbed in some quarters as the “Miracle in Maryland.”

"We said at half time that once we got a goal - whether it be in the 46th minute or the 88th minute - that we had a chance," he said. "So once that first one went it, you could feel Maryland getting nervous. The crowd quieted down, and the players' attitudes changed. When that second one went it with only 37 seconds on the clock it was complete pandemonium."

And so this amazing story continues, with next stop Sunday at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus (1 p.m.). Standing in the way of a place in the 2007 College Cup in North Carolina will be No.5 seeds Ohio State. The Buckeyes made it to the quarter-finals in exciting fashion too, coming from 3-1 down against last year's winners Santa Barbara to tie the game at 3-3 before snatching the winner in overtime.

"We know now that we can beat anyone in the country," said Snook. "We're just soaking it all in and enjoying every minute of it because we know how lucky we are to be able to experience it."

Describing it as a "phenomenal year" for Bradley - one that's gone "from tragedy to great triumph” - Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski compared Cutshaw's winner to the "Hand of God" incident during the Argentina-England 1986 World Cup quarter-final. That was when Diego Maradona fisted the ball into the net and proceeded to tell the world that supernatural forces were at work. Argentina went on to win the tournament.

DeRose, I am sure, wouldn't for one second entertain the idea of "magical" or "alternative" forces at play: It's hard toil, perseverance, heart, team work and talent that gets you this far.

But there were many in Maryland and Peoria late Saturday night that just wondered if there was an added ingredient.

Knowing the rules - and the game

The great Bill Shankly, Liverpool manager of the '60s and '70s, once said that the trouble with referees is that they know the rules, but they do not know the game.
In today's world of politics, officialdom and red-tape, the comment is one that seems to ring more true off the field than on it.

Take the rule makers in sports organizations, for example. Be it committees or boards full of directors, they make the rules and ensure that these rules are kept or amended when the time calls for it. Indeed, they usually do a very good job of it. In fact, you could say they know the rules very well. But how well do they know "the game?"

One of the most popular discussions the soccer people of southern Indiana had with me when I arrived here last year involved the "six player rule." This is where a club team cannot comprise six players from the same high school team. So, for example, Southern Indiana United's U16s cannot not field seven players from, say, New Albany High School.

It was introduced by the IHSAA, I am told, to prevent a club from monopolizing talent from a particular high school. This could happen in larger, more populated areas like Indianapolis, where top teams could hog the top talent.

So it was introduced with good intentions, you could say. The problem is, however, that it is having an adverse affect on Southern Indiana United, just a hop over the river from a state whose teams do not have to contend with such a rule.
Southern Indiana United U17 coach DJ Barksdale said the rule has had a knock-on effect on his team for three years now.

"Since my guys are juniors, this six player rule has affected me." he said. "The past two years, it was New Albany and Providence filling six spots each. I've had to make several difficult decisions regarding how to choose the fifth or sixth roster spots for these schools. Many times, the result is a weaker team from top to bottom than if the rule were not in place.

"Perhaps the intent is there, but the rule is ineffective. Kentucky does not have this rule and I've not seen any consequences from their clubs that make me think Indiana's rule is justified or rational."
And looking to the future, U14 coach Mike Vejar said it will affect him in the Spring of 2010.

"At the moment, I have six - possibly seven - hitting Floyd Central in the Fall of 2008 and seven hitting Jeff High in the Fall of 2008-2009," he said.
However, there seems to be no desire to change the rule - not even to make some areas affected adversely by it an exception.

IHSAA assistant commissioner Theresia Wynns said the six-player rule is in place to prevent teams from playing year round.

"There is the same kind of limitation for every team sport," she said. "There is no movement to make a change so every school and its student-athletes are required to abide by this rule or suffer the consequences. Every principal whose school is a member of IHSAA has the right to submit a proposal for change."

Now, just a second. Does that not sound like the IHSAA has given itself permission to decide what people do in the world of soccer, or indeed the world of sport?

To me, it smacks of superiorism, where the IHSAA is of the opinion that it is "Mr Big Cheese," so to speak. It might be in the worlds of football, basketball and baseball, and the likes - there are scribes featured in these pages with vastly more knowledge in those great American sports to pass comment on that - but if you want to see a better standard of youth soccer, I suggest you go to a club game. Or visit the regional and national club championships in the spring.

In fact, in most parts of the world, more importance is put on youth club - not high school - soccer. As a result, it is hard for me to fathom why clubs actually allow high school authorities tell them what they can and cannot do - especially when many high school coaches are also involved in club set-ups.

But that’s another story for another day. Today, the six player rule is affecting the game here and needs to be amended. And all it may take is for someone who knows the rules to also know the game.

World Cup journey begins

The preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was made to great fanfare on Sunday and it was quite kind to the USA.

Bob Bradley’s charges will await the winner of the Bermuda/Dominica game, and the winner of that will enter one of three four-team groups. Assuming that is the US, likely opponents could be Cuba, Trinidad and Tobago and Guatemala.

The top two teams from each of the three groups will play off against each other in a six team group and the top three will go to the World Cup, with the fourth placed team playing off against a South American team for a spot in South Africa.
The United States has appeared in eight World Cup finals since the tournament began in 1930. Its best performance was reaching the quarter-finals in the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea.
For further information on the CONCACAF region draw - and the rest of the groups from other parts of the world, check out: www.fifa.com.

Fantasy futbol for real

I am now the proud owner of a professional soccer club.

Well, almost. It should be all wrapped up, complete with pretty bow, just in time to put under the Christmas tree.

Having the ability to pick English outfit Ebbsfleet United's team each week from the comfort of my New Albany abode is a pretty exciting prospect. And I'll also have a say in other key decisions, like signing players and whether to add a McDonald's concession stand to our stadium. That kind of stuff.

My new team (www.ebbsfleetunited.co.uk) plays in the Blue Square Premier, which is just outside the league set up. You've got the Premiership, the Championship, League One and League Two - and then us. However, we are very much in with a shout of getting into League Two next season, lying 10th right now and within six points of a play-off position. Who knows, we could even play in the Champions’ League one day.

Did I mention that there's over 53,000 of us? We are spread out all over the world. While most are from Britain and Ireland, there's 1,400 of us in the States, and a gang of others from as far afield as Australia, Japan, China, Vietnam, Tonga, Qatar, Malawi and Panama.

We are members of MyFootballClub, a groundbreaking internet-based project with the stated aim of buying a soccer club and transforming its fortunes. Launched in April of this year by former journalist Will Brooks, our philosophy is that members who pay $71.35 get to vote on every key decision - from picking the side, to signing players, to ground improvements.

The media hailed it this week as the 21st century model of club control. I like to call it fantasy futbol for real.

To start off with, we voted on which club we’d like to buy. Most leading choices - Leeds, Nottingham Forest, Cambridge United, Accrington Stanley, Manchester United and Arsenal - were discounted. They were either not for sale, too expensive, had too much debt, or just didn't have the potential.

When word got out, clubs actually began approaching us. Nine were considered, from League One down, all wanting to be taken over. Last week, we chose Ebbsfleet United, formerly known as Gravesend & Northfleet.

Our lawyers and accountants are currently in the process of carrying out what’s known as due diligence, a process not too dissimilar to what goes on after you’ve agreed a price on a property. Buying a club is a tad more complicated, however, so there are a lot of things to check. We need to make sure there are no hidden debts and no big roads planned through the center of the field.

Once sorted, the Kent-based club will become the focus of the most extraordinary - and controversial - ownership experiment in the game's history.

We already have a kitty of around $1.5 million. It is thought that somewhere around $500,000 will be used initially to secure the controlling interest (through debt clearance) and pay legal fees, with more due later.

Liam Daish, currently the manager but soon to become our “head coach,” will implement our decisions, derived from weekly polls on the website. He will have around $500,000 to spend in the January transfer window on fees or wage commitments, which is huge for a division where transfer fees are rare and a player's pay is typically $600 to $700 a week.

I like Liam. Being old school, he's probably not what you would consider ideal material for such an innovative and forward thinking project, but he said he likes our idea. And not only was he born in Hampshire, like me, but he played for the Republic of Ireland, like I would have if I had made it that far.

And the great Barry Fry, who managed Daish throughout his spell at Birmingham City as a player, once said that if a squadron of F-111s attacked the team's penalty area, Liamo would attempt to head them away. That's my type of coach.

I can keep an eye on his and the team's progress via an online streaming service of games on our website, so I don't have to worry about hopping on the plane to make the long trans-Atlantic journey to Stonebridge Road every Saturday.

And if we do well, I'll be happy in the knowledge that I helped changed Ebbsfleet United’s fortunes around, but it won't make me rich. Any money made gets ploughed back into the team.

If this works, it has the potential to change the face of soccer ownership all over the world, with fans deciding how to run clubs. It may even spread to other sports. Imagine having a say in the lineup for the Louisville Bats, or even whether Peyton Manning should be dropped as quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts.

The idea is spreading. You can still become a member of MyFootballClub (www.myfootballclub.co.uk) but if you want to own a club a little bit closer to home, there is also an American version of the MyFC ownership plan, called MySoccerClubUSA (www.mysoccerclubusa.com), in which fans who join the website will start a soccer team from scratch to play in either the United Soccer Leagues or the National Premier Soccer League. The cost of membership is $50.

So what are you waiting for? Take over the world. Oh, and wish us luck. Our next game's at home against Stafford Rangers on Saturday. We’re expecting a big crowd.

Up the Fleet!

Louisville makes first NCAA tourney

The draw for the NCAA Division I men's tournament was made last night and University of Louisville, which makes the 48-team field for the first time in its history, will host Duke (11-7-1) on Friday at 7. The winner of that match will take on Ohio State at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28.

Bradley University of Peoria (14-5-3),featuring Floyd Central graduate Brad Snook, will open against in-state rival DePaul (12-7-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

The Braves guaranteed themselves an NCAA berth after winning their first Missouri Valley Conference tournament on Sunday when beating No. 7-ranked Creighton 1-0. The goal was scored by Stephen Brust with just 86 seconds left on the clock.

The winner of Bradley and DePaul will advance to face Indiana University in the second round on Nov. 28.

For the full bracket, check out www.ncaasports.com/soccer/mens

Not so "Sweet 16" for Transy - but best finish ever

The NCAA Division III dream of Transylvania and New Albany's Matt Karaffa ended on Saturday after a 1-0 defeat to Washington University of St. Louis in the last 16.

John Hengel scored the game-winning goal for the Bears at 54:21 when he took a pass from senior Marshall Plow and fired a shot to the far corner for the lone goal of the game.

Transylvania, which ends its season with a 15-3-3 overall record, had beaten Ohio Wesleyan and John Carroll University — both by penalty kicks — in the tournament’s first and second rounds last week. It was the Lexington school’s best performance in the tournament to date.


Washington themselves lost to No. 1-ranked Trinity University, Texas, on Sunday, which now progress to the final four at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Florida this weekend. The other finalists are Middlebury (Vermont), Loras (Iowa) and Messiah (Pennsylvania).

Thunder in storming form

Spare a thought for Southern Indiana United's U9 Thunder team, which stormed through the Veterans' Invitational Tournament in Evansville over the weekend, only to be edged out by a strange goal differential rule.


The boys won all four of their games in a nine-team group, scoring a whopping 36 goals and conceding only three, which is a goal difference of 33.

Evansville Elite's White team also won its four games, scoring 21 goals and conceding two, which is a difference of 19.

So a convincing tournament victory for SIU, to add to its KSSL West Division and Bluegrass Cup triumphs?

Well, not exactly.

A tournament rule states that each team can only gain a maximum goal differential of plus-four for each game. So despite SIU's 7-1 win against Evansville Elite Blue; a 19-1 thrashing of South West Indiana Soccer Academy (SWISA); a 2-1 victory over Oldham County’s Thoroughbreds Blue and an 8-0 thumping of the Thoroughbreds Green team, they still came home empty handed.

Because of the rule, SIU was adjudged to have a goal differential of 13, with Evansville ending up at 15.

SIU’s other participants, the U11 terriers, lost their first game 4-2 to Jasper Firestrikers, tied with Evansville Elite, and lost to eventual winners Southern Illinois Force in their third game.

Meanwhile, the U16 Classic competition went to Mockingbird, which features Providence's Zev Crawley, Floyd Central's Max Orwick and Jeffersonville's Spencer Whiteman.

Saturday saw the boys win their opener 1-0 against SWISA Magic, with an Orwick strike, before tying with Cincinnati's Star Magic 0-0. That was enough to see them through to Sunday’s semifinal against Thoroughbreds, which they won 2-0 with help of a goal and an assist from Crawley.

The final saw them pitted against Sycamore Arsenal of Ohio, with Crawley heading the winner in a 2-1 victory.