Today the Rapids announced the rumored signing of Honduran midfielder Hendry Thomas. Thomas is 27
years old and has played for Olympia in Honduras and Wigan in the EPL. He spent the last 3 seasons
in England getting 55 appearances before falling out of favor with the current coaching staff.
Looking at descriptions from Wigan fans Hendry appears to be a player in the same mold as Pablo
Mastroeni.
In their first season in existence, the Sounders U23s won the toughest division in the PDL, won
their first ever playoff match, and defeated 2009 PDL Champion Ventura County Fusion in the
conference finals. That took them to the national semifinals yesterday in London, Ontario, where
they faced Forest City London, who are on a bit of a cinderella run with the fewest regular season
points of any playoff team.
After defeating FC Tucson in last night's semifinal the Sounders taken on 2009 PDL champions
Ventura County Fusion tonight. There's theoretically a livestream at
http://www.kadytv.com/sports/ventura-county-fusion though it doesn't seem to be running yet.
If the Sounders win tonight they'll face the other conference champions in a national final 4 in
a location yet to be determined.
The Sounders U23s have advanced along with the Timbers U23s out of the Northwest Division of the
PDL and tonight play in the Western Conference Semifinals against FC Tucson. With video! And Nate
Jaqua!
The Timbers lost in the early match, so if Seattle advances they'd face the Ventura County
Fusion in the conference final.
The Rapids played their first friendly of the preseason today against the Ventura County Fusion at
Oxnard College in California. The game was a scoreless draw and with no coverage its hard to draw
much of anything from the result, but here are the starting lineups for each half (* denotes
trialist):
1st Half:
Cascio - Amarikwa - AkpanThompson - Nane - LaBauexFreeman - Marshall - Palguta - Zapata*Ceus
2nd Half:
Angulo* - Archer* - ArmstrongThompson - Nane - Guido*Huazo* - Marshall - Palguta - AbabioJoyce
Obviously this was a game for some of the reserves to try to make their mark in competing for a
starting spot.
It was announced this week that midfielder Danny Barrera will be joining Serbian Super Liga club FK
Spartak Zlatibor Voda on a transfer from the Ventura County Fusion of the PDL.
4 Trialists featured, Darryl Roberts, a T&T striker with decent pedigree (Dutch league)
currently plying his trade in Turkey whose been in camp this week, Koffi Chrysostome, a CB, played
a year at Metz in Ligue 1 (France) and Benin's captain, also plying his trade in Turkey (same club
as Roberts), Dillon Barna, another CB, currently playing with Ventura County Fusion in the PDL, but
played last year with FC St.
West Bromwich Albion have announced their third preseason friendly of their 2011 US summer tour. On
July 17, they'll play Ventura County Fusion at Oxnard College Stadium in California. Kick-off time
is 3pm PT. "It's great to have an English Premier...
Charlie Davies talks with reporters earlier this month in Florida; D.C. United announced
today that the former U.S. international will join the club on loan (AP Photo).
The striker will be formally introduced by the team at an 11 a.m. news conference today before
flying to D.C. United's training camp at Oxnard College.
PORTLAND, Ore. Portland Timbers striker Bright Dike is set to miss a significant amount of the
upcoming season after suffering a torn Achilles tendon in an exhibition match. Dike underwent
successful surgery Monday. Dike sustained the injury in the 20th minute of a preseason exhibition
against the Ventura County Fusion on Friday.
In the days leading up to the Development Academy Finals Week, the 16 participating teams (eight
in each age group) were featured on ussoccer.com:
U-17/18 Academy Finals Week Field:
Group 1: North Carolina Fusion | Vancouver Whitecaps FC | De Anza Force | Colorado
Rapids
Group 2: FC Dallas | Chivas USA | Solar Chelsea SC | Baltimore Bays Chelsea
U-15/16 Academy Finals Week Field:
Group 1: New York Red Bulls | Pateadores | Charlotte Soccer Academy | Chicago
Fire
Group 2: Crew Soccer Academy Wolves | D.
The 2011-12 Development Academy Playoffs are officially in the books as the U-15/16 age group
completed play today at FC Dallas Stadium Complex in Frisco, Texas, sending eight teams to Finals
Week in Houston.
The U-17/18 age group finished play on Thursday with several down-to-the-wire matches.
The U-17/18 Development Academy teams kicked off play in the 2011-12 Development Academy Playoffs
on Monday at the FC Dallas Stadium Complex in Frisco, Texas. Here are the results as they are being
tabulated:
Monday's results:
Group 1
Shattuck-Saint Mary's Soccer Academy 0, Crossfire Premier 0
FC DELCO 1, North Carolina Fusion 1
Group 2
Pateadores 3, Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2
Weston FC 3, Texans SC Houston 2
Group 4
Colorado Rapids 4, South Carolina United Battery 1
Empire United 1, Dallas Texans 1
The 2011-12 Development Academy Playoffs schedule kicks off with 16 games in the U-17/18 age
group on Monday, June 25, in Frisco, Texas.
The Academy Showcase games open the day at 4 p.m. CT, and the Academy Playoffs kick off at 6
p.m. CT on Monday. The first matches feature Shattuck-Saint Mary's Soccer Academy against Crossfire
Premier, FC DELCO against the North Carolina Fusion, Vancouver Whitecaps FC against the defending
U-17/18 champion Pateadores and Texans SC Houston against Weston FC.
The older age group has kicked off and now it's the younger group's turn. All eight U-15/16
Development Academy Finals Week participants have checked in at Marquette University and are ready
to go on their own quest for a championship. Get the lowdown on each team at ussoccer.com.
The U-17/18 age group wrap up their Development Academy Playoff games today, sending the top team
from each of the eight groups to Milwaukee, Wis., for Finals Week.Below are the possible
advancement scenarios for the eight groups:
Group 1
· Pateadores advances with a win OR draw against Empire United
· Winner of North Carolina Fusion/D.
The Academy players are excited to watch tonight's Gold Cup final between the USA and Mexico. We
asked some teams who they thought would win and while most agreed that Mexico would put up a good
fight, the consensus was that the USA would win the title. The majority of players predicted a
score of 2-1 in favor of the U.
Diego Fagundez and Fabio Machado, Jr. each clocked in three-goal efforts for the Revolution
Youth Acamedy during this weekend's U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase in Phoenix,
Arizona.
Fagundez struck once against Minnesota Thunder Academy on Sunday in a 2-1 loss, then followed up
with a brace against Sporting Juniors on Monday during a 2-0 victory for the Revolution U-16s.
Central FC Select Strikers lost to New York's Capital United Blue Fusion 3-1 Sunday morning in
the consolation match of the girls Under-16 competition at the U.S. Youth Soccer National
Presidents Cup in Sacramento, Calif.
The Stevens Point-area side finished 0-2-2 at the tournament - both losses came against Capital
United, which posted a 5-1 victory in Thursday's opener.
The Central FC Select Under-15 girls team scored 18 goals in its four matches at the U.S. Youth
Soccer Region II Presidents Cup over the weekend in South Bend, Ind., but just missed out on
advancing to nationals.
The Stevens Point-area team won all three of its group matches, then lost to KC Fusion Cummings
4-3 in the final Sunday.
The North Shore United Under-17 girls team closed the Disney Soccer Showcase in winning
form.
The Cedarburg-based club doubled up North Carolina's NC Fusion Elite 4-2 on Monday in Orlando,
Fla., to finish 1-2-0 in the Showcase Red Division of the elite tournament.
As the U-15/16 teams conclude group play on Thursday, here is a look at how teams can seal a place
in Saturday's championship matches. The LA Galaxy play Seattle Sounders FC at 3 p.m. CT in a
winner-take all affair. In group 2, PA Classics and North Carolina Fusion are in control of thier
own destinies when they meet at 6 p.
The Portland Timbers participated in their first competitive match of the 2011 season as part of
their training camp in Ventura, CA. Taking on the Ventura County Fusion, the Timbers planned on
using two complete 11 player squads per half until forward Bright Dike suffered a right leg inury
which could be a torn Achilles tendon that could keep him out of competition this season.
VENTURA CAMP SCHEDULE
Monday, Feb. 7 vs. Chivas USA, 2 p.m. at The Home Depot Center (Field 6)
Tuesday, Feb. 8 Training at Oxnard Community College
Wednesday, Feb. 9 Training at Oxnard Community College
Thursday, Feb.
So we've enjoyed the first week of MLS regular season football. There were some surprises -- oh
who am I kidding? To be honest, this is pretty much exactly how I expected it to go. I could've
posted this last week and the rankings wouldn't change one bit. And yes, I'm totally serious. Okay,
maybe not.
Move over The Wanted, One Direction and, erm, The Osmonds. There's a new boyband in town. Sort of.
Lionel Messi, Didier Drogba, Fernando Torres, Frank Lampard, Jack Wilshere and Sergio Aguero have
joined forces with DJ Calvin Harris for a fusion of football and music as part of a new Pepsi MAX
advertising campaign.
The Under-19 United States National Team will be participating in the Stuttgart Junior Cup, the US
Soccer Federation announced on Tuesday. The format is an indoor six-a-side tournament similar to
futsal. With that format in mind, the United States is opting for Futsal National Team assistant
coach Mark Litton.
Here's a video from the latest Union U18 training session from YSC Sports. Players that I can
pick out in the video include Jimmy McLaughlin (FC Delco), Ryan Dodds (FC Delco), Melvin Snoh (Penn
Fusion), Benji Kennel (Penn Fusion), Connor Ryan (FC Delco), and Joe Raymond (Penn Fusion). (Via
YSC Sports)
En la MLS siempre pasan cosas raras... El salvadoreño Andrés Flores se fue a probar al Portland
Timbers, que está haciendo la pretemporada en California. Anoche el equipo donde también juega
Steve Purdy hizo un amistoso con el Ventura County Fusion... Lo curioso es que El Ruso no jugó
para el Timbers sino para el [.
Oh to be a modern-day MLS expansion club. You get to build on the back of the achievements of the
teams who came before you and you get to keep your original name -no weird "Your name is
Toby"-period a la the San Jose Clash. You also get fresh-to-death temporary stadiums built for you
to tide you over until the renovations on your downtown enormodome are completed.
