Four time MLS Cup champion defender Eddie Robinson, one of the last remaining original Dynamo,
announced his from professional soccer today. Robinson came with the team in 2006 when they moved
from San Jose and was a key part of the team's two championships. Injuries have limited Robinson
the last couple seasons, but his retirement from the game does not mean we'll be seeing any less of
E-Rob around Houston.
Photo by Chris Putman/ISIphotos.com
Another young American attacking talent appears to be taking his game overseas.
According to a report out of Sweden, University of North Carolina forward Billy Schuler will
sign with top-flight club Hammarby -- the team coached by former U.
With the 2012 MLS Draft just two weeks away, the 2012 MLS Generation adidas class took a step
closer to being completed after the signing of the highest-rated unsigned underclassman.
UCLA playmaker Kelyn Rowe has signed a Generation adidas deal, sources told SBI on Wednesday.
Rowe is the fifth player to sign a Generation adidas deal, joining Andrew Wenger, Darren Mattocks,
UCLA teammate Chandler Hoffman and Sam Garza.
On the USA's day off from training on Friday, U.S. defender Meghan Klingenberg spent several hours
at the The Home Depot Center offices taking the final exam of her college career. The test was
proctored by U.S. GM Tim Ryder, and Kling made short work of the Business Analytical Applications
exam. Not.
Perhaps only in the nonrevenue-producing universe of collegiate men's soccer would Creighton
University, a small Jesuit college in Nebraska, be considered a more desirable destination than the
University of North Carolina.
But that is essentially what the highly regarded Elmar Bolowich said when he stunned the soccer
community last February with his decision to leave Chapel Hill after 22 years as coach and with the
Tar Heels building toward a potential second N.
Featured image courtesy of UNC/Jeffrey A. Camarati
NCAA College Cup
University of North Carolina defeated UNC Charlotte 1–0 on Sunday to win the College Cup. Ben
Spea's goal was a cracker.
Soccer America's Paul Gardner has an interesting take on the final.
Philadelphia Union
UNC's win prompted a funny Twitter exchange that began with a tweet from UNC product Sheanon
Williams:
Williams: "Want to congratulate @UNCmenssoccer.
Just a week after Stanford University captured the women's soccer title, four teams gather in
Hoover, Ala., for the College Cup to decide the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Champion for 2011.
Today, top-seeded University of North Carolina will meet the UCLA in one semifinal, while
UNC-Charlotte will square off against Creighton in the other.
Who knows more about success than University of North Carolina women's coach Anson Dorrance. A
resume that includes 20 NCAA championships in 28 years, a winning percentage of over 93 percent of
the team's games and 20 National Players of the Year tend to speak for itself.
Success in sport is often emulated in the business world, and Karl Moore of Forbes Magazine wrote a
great article outlining lessons that can be learned from the blueprint of Dorrance.
After pounding ACC tournament champion Florida State 3-0 on Friday night in the first
semifinal of the College Cup, Stanford has a chance to play once again for the national title.
The Cardinal advanced to soccer's version of the Final Four by completing its third straight
unbeaten season, a feat that parallels the great University of North Carolina teams with Mia Hamm
in the early 1990s.
In her soccer career, Mia Hamm became the most prolific scorer the sport has ever seen. That is
saying a lot for a woman who began life with a club foot and corrective shoes. Hamm began playing
soccer at a young age and made the United States National Team at the age of 15. She is the
youngest ever to make the squad.
By ADAM SERRANO
Hector Jimenez has been living life under the radar in his rookie season, but when the
midfielder from the University of California has had his chance to see action, he's grabbed a hold
of it.
Jimenez was instrumental in the Galaxy's 2-1 victory over Morelia in the CONCACAF Champions
League, helping to create the winning goal.
The Philadelphia Union jumped out to an early 2-0 lead on the back on Sebastien Le Toux's two
first half goals. The Frenchman put the team on his back - a reference to a Youtube video about
Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings - for the first 15 minutes of the match, then
proceeded to be dangerous for the rest of the game.
Photo courtesy of University of North Carolina
By JOHN BOSCHINI
For all the success enjoyed by the University of North Carolina last season, there was one
player who found it hard to enjoy.
Redshirt junior forward Billy Schuler was one of the most potent attacking threats the Tar Heels
possessed during his first two years in Chapel Hill and was set to be a focal point last
season.
Graham Hays of ESPN writes of the great rivalry in women's soccer between Duke University and the
University of North Carolina, which is led by two of the finest coaches in the United States in
Anson Dorrance of UNC and Robbie Church at Duke.
If you don't know what you're looking for, the soccer practice field is easy to miss as you
drive along the far edge of Duke's campus.
Photo courtesy of Creighton Sports Information
By FRANCO PANIZO
After spending nearly a quarter of a century with the University of North Carolina, Elmar
Bolowich longed for a new challenge.
He found that challenge this past spring in the form of Creighton University, a solid soccer
program that was looking to make the jump to proverbial powerhouse after a 13-5-2 season that ended
with a heart-breaking penalty kick loss to SMU in the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
The impact of Homegrown Players in MLS has been gradual but significant, and last week the
Houston Dynamo saw the frst major contribution from one of their own homegrown players as Alex
Dixon stepped up and delivered a clutch game-winning goal against Real Salt Lake.
Dixon's goal, arguably the biggest goal of the past week, earned him SBI MLS Rookie of the Week
honors.
Michael Harrington has had some impressive moments in his young career. The standout defender for
Sporting Kansas City is young and dynamic, but has shown himself to be very qualified since he
began his Major League Soccer career back in 2007.
Harrington's story though dates back, like so many professionals, to a hard working family
supporting his youth travels and endeavors.
Fire rookie defender Jalil Anibaba -- ISI PhotosThe Chicago Fire defense went through a complete
makeover following last season, with a new scheme and a new cast of characters.
Veteran Cory Gibbs, Josip Mikulic and rookie Jalil Anibaba are the projected defensive starters
from left to right within this year's new three-back system.
Chris Trotman - Getty Images
Zach Loyd (right) is the latest example of how claims of need for specialization at young age
are wrongheaded.
View full size photo »
Also file under: Making youth soccer better
I recently read a Q&A on Zach Loyd, the FC Dallas defender who just made a successful U.
The Houston Dynamo have signed a pair of Academy products - Alex Dixon and Josue Soto - as the
club's third and fourth Homegrown Players to professional contracts on Wednesday.
Soto, a 22-year-old senior at Southern Methodist, became the first player to sign a Homegrown
contract after completing his college eligibility.
During the January camp, ussoccer.com - with the help of all the fans on twitter - has been
asking questions of the newest fraternity of eight players making their first appearance in a full
national team camp. Today's contestant is Zach Loyd from FC Dallas. The native of Verdigis, Okla.,
is coming off a solid rookie season highlighted by his team's appearance in the 2010 MLS cup final
and his first opportunity with the red, white and blue .
Don't know what it is about college students, music, and video cameras, but the University of North
Carolina's soccer team is the latest group to bring their "musical" talents to YouTube with this
parody of Black & Yellow:
The Fire landed University of North Carolina defender Jalil Anibaba with the ninth pick in today's
MLS SuperDraft. Anibaba, the MVP of the MLS Combine, was ranked by many as a top five pick and the
Fire were understandably surprised to find him available at number nine. According to Technical
Director Frank Klopas, Anibaba can play both central defense and right back equally well.
An MLS Cup title left the Rapids in the worst of draft positions, and the team used its two
selections on Thursday to grab a couple of young defenders.
Defender was the spot most in need of depth going into the draft, and the Colorado Rapids used
the 18th and 36th picks to grab two college defenders.
It was a career that any footballer, male or female, would be envious of. And perhaps it's
because of that that many of us are still struggling to grasp the fact that it's actually over.
Twenty-four seasons of soccer at the highest level. Five World Cups. Four NCAA Championships.
Two World Cup Championships.
