Big Story
Your editor is behind today, as I spent last night meeting with Chicago Fire owner and chairman Andrew Hauptman, discussing many of the issues I raised in my open letter to Fire ownership last month.

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Mahtomedi 2 0 Hermantown

The boys 1A final featured two teams that were not expected to make it to the final. Mahtomedi section 4A champs came in to this game with a record of 16-3-3 having knocked off the #1 seeded team and #1 ranked team in the state, Totino-Grace by a score of 1-0 in a shootout.

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Mahtomedi 2 0 Hermantown

The boys 1A final featured two teams that were not expected to make it to the final. Mahtomedi section 4A champs came in to this game with a record of 16-3-3 having knocked off the #1 seeded team and #1 ranked team in the state, Totino-Grace by a score of 1-0 in a shootout.

Click to continue reading...

Mahtomedi 2 0 Hermantown

The boys 1A final featured two teams that were not expected to make it to the final. Mahtomedi section 4A champs came in to this game with a record of 16-3-3 having knocked off the #1 seeded team and #1 ranked team in the state, Totino-Grace, by a score of 1-0 in a shootout.

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Reid Harbach (Catholic sophomore) and Austin Hart (Glendale sophomore) have both been selected to attend the USYS ODP Interregionals in Orlando, FL December 26-30, 2009. They will participate with the 1994 Region II ODP Team. The team will face competition from the other three regions over the five day event.

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For a long while there, Stephen Appiah was an international footballer only. The midfielder has not played a kick of club soccer since late 2007, but still managed to captain Ghana through a successful World Cup 2010 qualification campaign. Which is ridiculously impressive when you think about it.

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There are different ways to manage players and teach and educate - no one style is the right way, as it has to fit each coach's personality.
Alan Black of Goal.com writes about the parenting style of Sir Alex Ferguson, and how that context of teaching and coaching appears to be a dying breed. Click to continue reading...

Total Demize U17 Prodigy by Joe George III

Total Demize Soccer Club U-17 Prodigy participated in the Missouri Mule tournament in Blue Springs, Missouri over the weekend. Prodigy played against normal adversaries FC Springfield along with tournament juggernauts Kansas Rush-Swoosh.

FC Springfield provided the opening game, and Total Prodigy proved to be worthy opponents.

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Total Demize U17 Prodigy by Joe George III

Total Demize Soccer Club U-17 Prodigy participated in the Missouri Mule tournament in Blue Springs, Missouri over the weekend. Prodigy played against normal adversaries FC Springfield along with tournament juggernauts Kansas Rush-Swoosh.

FC Springfield provided the opening game, and Total Prodigy proved to be worthy opponents.

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Pink Panthers U14, Missouri Mule's 2009 Tournament Champions

This weekend we played the Missouri Mule tournament hosted by the Summitt Soccer Club in Blue Springs, MO (outside of KC). The Panthers played incredible soccer resulting in three consecutive shut-out matches in the Black Molly Division. Click to continue reading...

Pink Panthers U14, Missouri Mule's 2009 Tournament Champions

This weekend we played the Missouri Mule tournament hosted by the Summitt Soccer Club in Blue Springs, MO (outside of KC). The Panthers played incredible soccer resulting in three consecutive shut-out matches in the Black Molly Division. Click to continue reading...

Springfield SC, U14 Champions at Fall Classic

The Springfield Soccer Club once again made its' presence known at a local tournament with several convincing tournament championships this past weekend. The tournament started out on a brisk Saturday morning with the familiar red and black uniforms active on many fields. Click to continue reading...

MO Elite FC 2000 Girls

The Elite teams made quite the bang in the Fall Classic tournament this weekend!
The 96 girls battled a tough bracket with key players out with the dreaded flu and still walked away with a tie and two close losses.

The 92 girls outscored their opponents in bracket play 12-2 and coasted to the finals on a team high.

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MO Elite FC 2000 Girls

The Elite teams made quite the bang in the Fall Classic tournament this weekend!
The 96 girls battled a tough bracket with key players out with the dreaded flu and still walked away with a tie and two close losses.

The 92 girls outscored their opponents in bracket play 12-2 and coasted to the finals on a team high.

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And we're back. Is it just me or did the internationals break feel a lot longer than two weeks? Anyway, club soccer was back in action this weekend, with several surprising results. How did that affect our rankings? Let's take a look:
1. Barcelona
Last ranking: 1
Record (wins-losses-ties, in all competition; two-leg match-ups count as one): 9-0-2
Results of note: Beat Shakhtar Donetsk (at the time ranked 14th) in overtime in the UEFA SuperCup, Aug. Click to continue reading...

Springfield SC 1
St Louis Scott Gallagher Netherlands 0
Lydia Holtmann scores for SSC as they capture the U14 title

Springfield SC - 3
Missouri Elite FC 1
Elite opened the game with a 1st minute goal by Kelsey Bartell, who ran onto a through ball from Lori Schrier and shot, grabbed the rebound and slipped the ball past the defense, to give the ladies in blue an early lead they held to halftime.

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Springfield SC 1
St Louis Scott Gallagher Netherlands 0
Lydia Holtmann scores for SSC as they capture the U14 title

Springfield SC - 3
Missouri Elite FC 1
Elite opened the game with a 1st minute goal by Kelsey Bartell, who ran onto a through ball from Lori Schrier and shot, grabbed the rebound and slipped the ball past the defense, to give the ladies in blue an early lead they held to halftime.

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MO Elite FC, Kelsey Bartell (in blue)

Took in several High School girls matches late this afternoon. Wasn't it 70 degrees at this tournament last year? Regardless, the ladies came to play today as all three games were winning.

In the High School Girls Gold group
SPRINGFIELD 91/92 is 2-0 and at the top of their bracket, followed by MAMBAS who are 1-1.

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MO Elite FC, Kelsey Bartell (in blue)

Took in several High School girls matches late this afternoon. Wasn't it 70 degrees at this tournament last year? Regardless, the ladies came to play today as all three local teams I took in were winning during the half I attended.
In the High School Girls Gold group
SPRINGFIELD 91/92 (PHOTOS)is 2-0 and at the top of their bracket, followed by MAMBAS who are 1-1. Click to continue reading...

122 teams from Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas will participate in this 25th annual event. There were a couple of games this evening, including a U12 match at Cooper 2. My 4th game of the day, the batteries died with the sunlight but I got a few shots in (SSC) (Magic). I'll be out during the course of the day Saturday and Sunday to catch the High School girls and some of the youth games.

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122 teams from Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Arkansas will participate in this 25th annual event. There were a couple of games this evening, including a U12 match at Cooper 2. My 4th game of the day, the batteries died with the sunlight but I got a few shots in (SSC) (Magic). I'll be out during the course of the day Saturday and Sunday to catch the High School girls and some of the youth games.

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With a thrilling week of World Cup qualifying action behind us, international club soccer will once again take center stage this weekend as players change their focus from national teams to club teams.

There is no shortage of marquee match-ups, whether in England, Spain or MLS, which is winding up its regular season with some crucial playoff-impacting tilts.

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Praise the Lord. Praise Jesus. I am blessed (uncomfortably ubiquitous North Carolina saying...)
After what seemed like an interminable amount of time, the latest slate of internationals is finally over and we can now get back to business. Don't get me wrong -- international soccer is fine. Click to continue reading...

Springfield Catholic, Reid Harbach

Glendale Falcons, Austin Hart

Two players from the Springfield S.C. 93/94 Boys team were selected for the USYS Region II 1994 ODP Camp held in Rockford, IL this summer. Reid Harbach (Catholic) and Austin Hart (Glendale) both competed in the Regional Camp held for players born in 1994 from the Midwest 14 State Associations. Click to continue reading...

Springfield Catholic, Reid Harbach

Glendale Falcons, Austin Hart

Two players from the Springfield S.C. 93/94 Boys team were selected for the USYS Region II 1994 ODP Camp held in Rockford, IL this summer. Reid Harbach (Catholic) and Austin Hart (Glendale) both competed in the Regional Camp held for players born in 1994 from the Midwest 14 State Associations. Click to continue reading...

Springfield SC will hold their tryouts for their Boy's High School 2009-2010 teams on:

Sunday, November 22, 2009
Under 15 & 16 3:00-4:30 pm
Under 17& 18 4:00-5:30 pm

Monday, November 23, 2009
Under 15&16 5:30-7:00 pm
Under 17&18 6:30-8:00 pm

at Lake Country Soccer Cooper Fields, 2334 East Pythian, Springfield, MO 65802

Please see the FLYER (below) for complete information and feel free to share with others!

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The 25th Annual Fall Classic Tournament, with new name sponsor Incredible Pizza, opens Saturday October 17th. The event hosts Club teams from the 4 State area and age groups from U9 to High School for Girls while the Boys are limited to U9 up to U14 during the Boys High School season.

Tournament information can be found on the Lake Country Soccer website.

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The 25th Annual Fall Classic Tournament, with new name sponsor Incredible Pizza, opens Saturday October 17th. The event hosts Club teams from the 4 State area and age groups from U9 to High School for Girls while the Boys are limited to U9 up to U14 during the Boys High School season.

Tournament information can be found on the Lake Country Soccer website.

Click to continue reading...

The 25th Annual Fall Classic Tournament, with new name sponsor Incredible Pizza, opens Saturday October 17th. The event hosts Club teams from the 4 State area and age groups from U9 to High School for Girls while the Boys are limited to U9 up to U14 during the Boys High School season.

Tournament information can be found on the Lake Country Soccer website.

Click to continue reading...

TORONTO - One of the beauties of working at Pistolas FC is setting goals and records; then breaking them.
Rob Pikula set the Rookie Scoring record while at the same time setting the Season Record for goals with 10 in one season.
Captain Charles bounced back in the final game to pot two and send him clear of Wardo, and back into the All-Time Leading Scorer with 12. Click to continue reading...

PRESS RELEASE

Over the weekend of September 12-13 in Bentonville, Arkansas the Springfield Soccer Club sent six teams to the Clorox Cup hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Lightning Soccer Club. Held at Sugar Creek Park and Memorial Park the tournament annually brings in competition from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

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PRESS RELEASE

Over the weekend of September 12-13 in Bentonville, Arkansas the Springfield Soccer Club sent six teams to the Clorox Cup hosted by the Northwest Arkansas Lightning Soccer Club. Held at Sugar Creek Park and Memorial Park the tournament annually brings in competition from Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas.

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There is a scene in an otherwise exceptional documentary, The History of Football, that discusses the formation of Major League Soccer following the 1994 World Cup. A smug Clive Toye pops up to tell us how MLS "may never be as successful as the NASL, because they didn't have the money we had," but in the very next sentence bemoans MLS's "tremendous advantage" wrought from a generation of kids grew up watching the North American Soccer League. Click to continue reading...

I see some light at the end of the tunnel and feel like I've got the high school beat under control. I've uploaded schedules for about half of the teams, I've covered games featuring over 20 different teams in the region since Labor Day (with hundreds of photos and dozens of videos) I'm behind on uploading photos to the commercial site, where you can purchase photos and related items featuring your favorite players but I'll keep you updated.

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I see some light at the end of the tunnel and feel like I've got the high school beat under control. I've uploaded schedules for about half of the teams, I've covered games featuring over 20 different teams in the region since Labor Day (with hundreds of photos and dozens of videos) I'm behind on uploading photos to the commercial site, where you can purchase photos and related items featuring your favorite players but I'll keep you updated.

Click to continue reading...