Beckham’s french fry could be yours

Wonder what kind of bid Pepsi will put in for Becks' Coca Cola bottle

Are you having a hard time trying to figure out what to buy your soccer-mad loved one for Christmas?

How about some leftover food from the plate of LA Galaxy’s David Beckham?

During his recent visit to New Zealand, Becks dropped in to Nandos restaurant in Wellington for a quick bite to eat and he had barely walked out the door before people started to swoop his leftover food.

"I've never seen anything like it," waitress Jody said, wondering why they felt the need to help themselves.

It became clear the next day when the nosh appeared for sale on Trade Me, New Zealand's answer to eBay.

Among the items up for auction were a half-chewed corn on the cob, a near-empty Coca-Cola bottle (will go down well with his Pepsi sponsors, no doubt) and a single chip (french fry), which Becks carelessly dropped on the floor.

One interested party wants to know how much cola is left. "There's about 2/8 left in it, mostly backwash I would imagine," responds the seller.

"How do I know this is for real and that you haven't made it up?" asks someone else. "You can get a DNA test or something," says the proud David Beckham Coca-Cola owner.

The French fry is doing well. Last night, the top bid stood at $66, but someone has other ideas for it.

“I reckon you should pull this chip from the auction and give it to Posh. She could do with the extra 200g,” he says.

And if you think I’m making this up, check out www.trademe.co.nz.

Bradley's amazing journey ends

The amazing journey of Bradley University and Floyds Knobs native Brad Snook ended against No. 5 Ohio State on a wet and cold day at Jesse Owens Stadium in Columbus Sunday.

After a fairly even and scoreless first half, the wheels began to come off the Peoria Braves’ wagon one by one after a penalty was awarded against them in the 58th minute. Buckeyes senior Xavier Balc made no mistake converting the spot kick and 12 minutes later a visibly tiring Bradley found itself 4-0 the worse following goals by Geoff Marsh, Balc and Andrew Magill.

The 600 plus traveling support may have known the game was up - even considering the
The Braves’ miraculous comeback last week against Maryland when 2-0 down with 157 seconds left on the clock - but it didn’t dampen their enthusiasm.

Eight busloads left Peoria for the 400 mile trip but only seven made it as one had its journey aborted by dodgy windshield wipers.

Those on the wiper-injured bus reloaded onto the fully functioning coaches to join a few hundred other fans who made their own way just minutes before kick-off.

With the game lost, they sang and chanted as if they had just won the World Cup. “Everywhere we Go” and “Mighty Might Braves” were among the repertoire. This may have been the end of an amazing journey on the field, but it is not the end of the story.

Redshirt freshman Danny Dahlquist died just before the season started on August 12 in a house fire that resulted from a prank that went wrong. Three teammates and another friend were charged and are scheduled to stand trial in January.

Despite adversity and encouraged by Danny's parents and six brothers and sisters, the Braves showed indomitable spirit to go on and win the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, share in its third consecutive MVC championship, and - despite never winning an NCAA game before this season - make it to the Elite Eight following wins over DePaul, Indiana University and Maryland.

“It's been a heck of a ride this season,” said Snook, who will return as senior next year. “From the worst thing that could possibly happen right before preseason, to now, the whole story has been pretty incredible.”

Meanwhile, Big Ten champion Ohio State, a program which will next year feature another of the area’s products in New Albany’s Nathan Driggers, take on unseeded Massachusetts - who beat Illinois-Chicago - in the College Cup semifinal at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina Friday evening (7 p.m.).

The other semifinal will see No. 11 Virginia Tech take on No. 2 Wake Forest (5 p.m.), after they recorded wins against Connecticut and Notre Dame respectively.

The final is down for decision on Sunday, with the kick-off at 3 p.m. You can follow all the action this weekend on ESPN.

Early Christmas for youth soccer

Youth soccer here has received an early Christmas present with the news that four of the area's teams have been chosen to participate in next spring's Indiana Soccer League (ISL).

Southern Indiana United's U14, U15 and U17 boys, and NetSurfers U14 girls have been given the green light to play in the league, considered the state's best, and a precursor to the Midwest Regional League.

Amongst their opponents will be such power houses as Carmel United, Indy Burn, Center Grove and Evansville.

Mike Vejar, coach of SIU's U14 Mavericks and the Indiana Youth Soccer's district commissioner for the area, said being selected for the ISL is no mean achievement.
"It's a great deal for our local clubs to get four teams in the league," said Vejar. "It is far more balanced and tougher than the Kentucky Select Soccer League, where most of our clubs have been playing."

It is not a league you just apply to get into. The Evaluation Committee, which comprises 11 members from across the state - including Vejar himself - has to vote teams in based on their credentials.

"To join the ISL you must provide a team resume, which is scrutinized greatly to ensure only the top teams in the state gain entry," said Vejar.

In the fall there are only U13 and U14 divisions with each having a 1st Division and Premier Division, which the Mavericks played in this year. In the spring, once the high school players return to their clubs, the league expands greatly, from U13 up to U18 for both boys and girls.

Each division allows a minimum of five teams and a maximum of nine, depending on the quality of the teams applying.

College Cup one step away...

The Division I NCAA Men's Soccer quarter-finals are down for decision this Saturday and Sunday with four high stakes matchups.

As well as the aforementioned Ohio State and Bradley clash (see below),Notre Dame will take on Wake Forest (Saturday, 7pm) in what could prove to be one of the ties of the round, while Connecticut host Virginia Tech (Saturday, 1pm) and Massachusetts entertain Ill-Chicago (Sunday, noon)

The winners will play in the College Cup in Cary, North Carolina next week, December 14 & 16.

For full information on the tournament, log onto www.ncaasports.com/soccer/mens

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.