Indoor is picking up steam

Things are looking up for a potential indoor season beginning Jan. 30th. It will depend upon (1) getting sufficient players; (2) whether there is room in the Springfield league. Costs will be about $77 per person. If you're interested in playing, send an email to golerosteam@gmail.com.

Join the team!

Elves!

Have you ever wanted to see what your teammates look like as dancing elves? Here's your chance. The idea is courtesy of two friends of mine on another team.

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1438055582

All hope lost - oh, and happy holidays!

All hope is lost for a Fallfest tournament. I see no updates on the website and Jason over at Columbia Soccer has nothin' for me. It's too bad, it was a nice Fall tradition. I would have been up for a December tournament to close the year.

While this blog won't be super busy in the coming months, I am planning plenty of posts and news announcements so please stay tuned. I know some of you check in regularly!

MLS news...DCU is close to signing Juan Veron, a top flight Argentine player who was once among the top FIFA-ranked players. The bad news is that this might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for Christian Gomez. Apparently, negotiations between the club and Christian aren't going well. That surprises me, he's the core of the team - can't we sign him to at least a 2-year deal? I will be getting a half-season ticket plan for next season. If you want to join me, let me know. Right now, we have a couple people.

CCSL news...We'll start in March, a little earlier this year. Be thinking of plugging some holes. We are in need of an expert central defender and some more women to round things out. We have lots of possibilities right now for women but in our experience, you can rarely have too many. Also, the league handed out some stiff suspensions yet again to Far Post and Red Devils. It's juicy. See below.

And lastly, happy holidays! I hope everyone has a safe holiday season!

Fw: Disciplinary Committee Recommendation - Far Post v. Red Devils 1

Posted by: "Sanjay Nayar" snayar@yahoo.com snayar

Tue Dec 4, 2007 12:49 pm (PST)

CCSL Captains,

Please see below for the Disciplinary Committee recommendations stemming from a straight Red Card incident in a playoff game this past season. In this incident, an aggressive violent action was taken by a Red Devils player against a Far Post player which, after booking, was followed by a provoked confrontation with another Far Post player which escalated an already tense situation.

Once again, I want to stress that we will not tolerate violent conduct by our players. The sanction for the Red Devils player that goes beyond the precedent of a three game suspension emphasizes that point. But perhaps more importantly, you will note that through the inquiries of the disciplinary committee, we have also handed down a one game suspension for the Far Post player for not showing the restraint we expect in our league and making a bad situation even worse.

I send these notes out to the entire league not to disparage the names of the individuals, but rather to remind all players that they will be held accountable to the standards of the league. Please make sure your teams are fully aware of this.

We had an inordinate amount of disciplinary activities this season, and we will be working over the off season to address ways of minimizing for the Spring.

Please let me know if anyone has any questions about this.

Sanjay
CCSL Commissioner


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Sanjay Nayar <snayar@yahoo.com>
To: TFARRI8084@aol.com; Jon DeNunzio <Jon.DeNunzio@wpni.com>
Cc: CCSL Execs <ccsl_execs@yahoogroups.com>; Carmella Alvaro <ccslref@yahoo.com>
Sent: Monday, December 3, 2007 3:05:04 PM
Subject: Disciplinary Committee Recommendation - Far Post v. Red Devils 11/11/07

Jon/Tad,

Please see below for the Disciplinary Committee recommendations stemming from the incident on 11/11/07. I have approved these recommendations in full.

Please pass along this message to Candace and Brooke as well as the other members of your respective teams

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Regards,

Sanjay
CCSL Commissioner

~~~~~~

Disciplinary Committee Recommendation:

Teams and Match Date: Red Devils v. Far Post - Playoff Match of November 11, 2007

Individual Players: Candace Key of Red Devils and Brooke Dutton of Far Post

Red Devils Player Candace Key, recipient of Red Card/Sending Off for Violent Conduct in the 77th minute against an opponent (in this case, Far Post’s Pam DeNunzio), shall receive a three (3) match suspension to begin next season (Spring 2008). This suspension is in addition to the automatic one-match suspension she served the following match, which happened to end the fall season (3rd Division Championship Game).

Based on the Official Referee and Assistant Referee Match Reports and in trying our best to interpret the multiple and differing statements submitted by players from both teams, including the two players directly involved in the “Violent Conduct” incident, it is concluded that Ms. Key acted in a deliberate manner, using excessive force, to push or strike the Far Post player to the ground. A Sending Off (Red Card) was certainly appropriate.

Further, each account describes Ms. Key delaying leaving the field in a timely manner and that she further delayed the restart of the match by not leaving the playing area in a timely manner. Of deepest concern to the Disciplinary Committee, Ms. Key entered into a verbal confrontation (including physical contact) with a Far Post player, Brooke Dutton, while leaving the field.

The CCSL does not tolerate Violent Conduct by its players. The League views any Sending Off for Violent Conduct as a very serious offense and one which must be reviewed and acted upon by a Disciplinary Committee, made up of experienced and neutral volunteers, for the purpose of determining any additional sanction against said player and/or team. Past League precedent has established that a Sending Off for Violent Conduct is punishable by a three-match suspension and, usually, probationary status for said player and/or team.

However, in this specific situation, Ms. Key also exhibited behavior, following her Sending Off, which is viewed by the Disciplinary Committee as bringing the game into disrepute. This included:

A) Failure to leave the field of play in a timely manner;
B) Entering into a confrontation with another opposing team player while leaving the field of play; and
C) Failure to leave the playing area in a timely manner, which further delayed the restart of the match.

It is for these reasons, each serious in their own right, the Disciplinary Committee recommends that Ms. Key serve her three-match (3) suspension, in full, beginning with the Spring 2008 Season. Finally, as this is a Violent Conduct offense, Ms. Key is placed on probation for one full season (in this case, Spring 2008), meaning another Sending Off offense involving either Violent Conduct, Serious Foul Play, or Foul and Abusive Language (as defined in Law 12 of the Laws of the Game) during that time will result in further sanction, even up to expulsion from the League.

Again, regardless of first offense or not, the CCSL will not tolerate acts of Violent Conduct, Serious Foul Play, or Foul and Abusive Language by its players. Further, the League will act in a proactive manner [by placing said player(s) on probation] to ensure that any such behavior proves to be a “one off” and is not indicative of any type of negative pattern on the part of the players involved.

Far Post Player, Brooke Dutton, the player involved in on-field confrontation with Red Devils Player Candace Key following Ms. Key’s Sending Off shall receive a one-match (1) suspension for failure to control herself and entering into a verbal and physical confrontation with an opposing player who had been Sent Off the field. This type of behavior also brings the game into disrepute and will not be tolerated by the League. By allowing herself to enter into said confrontation, Ms. Dutton’s actions only escalated an already tense situation, leading to Red Devils substitutes entering the field of play (regardless of it being done in an effort to stop a serious confrontation from arising) and requiring the near-by Assistant Referee to also enter the field of play in an effort to separate the players and substitutes involved.

The Disciplinary Committee isn’t placing blame on who may have initiated or provoked this confrontation. In fact, the exact words which were said and the instigator can not be independently verified, as none of the three match officials were close enough to the initial events to hear what was said by and between the two players. However, by all accounts, Ms. Dutton, got involved in said confrontation (with an opposing player who had just been Sent Off) and is guilty of not showing the appropriate and necessary restraint which the League expects its players to display during even the most competitive matches. Therefore, we recommend Ms. Dutton serve a one-match (1) suspension to begin next season (Spring 2008).

Red Devils and Far Post Teams

These two sides were involved in a highly competitive match during the regular season, with a Red Devils player being Sent Off (for a second Cautionable Offense) and additional players, from both teams, receiving Cautions related to Unsporting Behavior. The events of this earlier match were then elevated to the Commissioner as Red Devils chose to appeal at least one of the Cautions which led to their player’s Sending Off – which, after review by members of the Disciplinary Committee, and other neutral parties with experience in reviewing such cases, was denied by the Commissioner. It is most unfortunate that these two sides have again, during the same season, contested a match which included events and behavior requiring review and action on the part of the Disciplinary Committee and Commissioner.

Taking into account the level of cooperation by both Team Captains during these inquiries, and in the hope that both teams appreciate the seriousness of the offenses involved and have now put these incidents behind them, the Disciplinary Committee is not recommending any formal sanction for either team. However, we do call upon the League Commissioner to formally reprimand both teams and include this as part of the final record involving these events.

Far Post and Red Devils, their Captains and every one of their players, are reminded that they have a responsibility to the League, their teammates, their fellow competitors, match officials and themselves to compete in a manner which honors and respects the Game and everyone involved in playing it. Finally, both teams are advised that should there be any actions or incidents, involving their teams or individual players, during the Spring 2008 Season which elevate to formal review by the Disciplinary Committee, that the entire team may face possible sanctions, in addition to any sanctions placed on specific players.

Faithfully submitted, December 3, 2007,


CCSL Disciplinary Committee
Dave Tyahla – acting Chair
Eric Kriebel
Nicolas Macri
Jim Sadowski

NOTE: Jon DeNunzio, normally of the Disciplinary Committee, was excused from acting upon this situation as he serves as Captain of the Far Post Team. Mr. DeNunzio’s involvement was limited to his role as Team Captain for the purposes of collecting comments from his players on the specific events in question and then reporting them to the Commissioner and Disciplinary Committee as is standard CCSL procedure.

Be a better sports nut! Let your teams follow you with Yahoo Mobile. Try it now.

Great soccer-related blog for a laugh

Ray Hudson is just about the best soccer commentator in the USA right now, and if you don’t have GolTV, you wouldn’t know it.  Regardless, with gem quotes like this “This ball's played in, it's a good ball. He's got it all to do. He rides Marcelo, and this hit is hotter than a black leather skirt on Sophia Loren.”, you can see why he has a following.

 

Here’s a blog that chronicles his most memorable quotes during every weekend of La Liga action on GolTV.

http://hudsonia.blogspot.com/

There are even audio clips to enhance the experience.

 

I say move over ESPN commentators (Tommy Smythe, Eric Wynalda and crew).  No one matches Ray Hudson’s mixture of zaniness and enthusiasm.  A true original in the American soccer landscape (even if he is actually from England)

 

My favorite quote from him came last year during the Real Madrid-Mallorca match to end the season.  Tom Cruise was in attendance and the television kept showing him, as well as Spanish tennis champion Rafael Nadal.  Here’s what Ray had to say (Phil Schoen is the play-by-play man).

 

“And that's why you see those beautiful tears of a man whose heart is bursting, Iker Casillas...(other announcer) 'Tom Cruise?' WILL YOU STOP TALKING ABOUT TENNIS PLAYERS AND STUPID HOLLYWOOD ACTORS, PHIL!! IT'S THE GLADIATORS OUT THERE MAN, NOT TENNIS PLAYERS! Tom Cruise! Prick...If he smelt a soccer jockstrap he'd faint dead away”

 

- Jer

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Revs and Dynamo will play for MLS Championship

There's a second championship match on the line: the MLS Cup. It's this Saturday night at RFK. If you don't have your tickets, get them. It's a rematch of last year: New England Revolution versus Houston Dynamo. Kind of like the CCSL 3rd Division, it features the two best teams, other than the DC United. Chivas, which I liken to Far Post, had a great season but didn't yet have the playoff acumen to get to the championship.

Houston is an amazing team. A DC United/Houston match is what should have been. With DeRosario, Davis, Ching (questionable for the final), Clark and others, they are really stacked. They won last year in PKs. We'll have to see what happens. Despite the Revs' repeat appearances deep in the playoffs, they have no MLS Cups to their name.

Red Devils and Celtic to play for 3rd division championship

This Saturday, November 17th, Red Devils and Celtic will play each other for the 3rd Division title. I think they are the two best teams, other than us, of course. Far Post, which did well in points, lost this weekend and will not have a chance for the double-double (first in points, first in playoffs). See the 3rd division playoff bracket here.

Tonight...

Hey, everybody,

I just got the details on a soccer party tonight in Adams Morgan. (I
believe Bourbon is near Tom Tom and Roxanne/Peyote.) I used to play
with one of the hosts in Arlington. If you are looking for a little
action tonight and are in town, here are the details:



Host: Amaryllis Seabrooks, Lauren Perusse, Sarah Pickens, Matt
Deskiewicz and Courtney Sindelar
Location: Bourbon in Adams Morgan
2321 18th St., NW, Washington, DC 20009 US
View Map | Find a Hotel |
When: Saturday, November 10, 10:00PM

http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?event=SPHVHSLUFLXEXJNLGBZU&inviteId=OOWAWFGEKDHHKYQRIRSY&showResponse=&sortOrder=&responseToExpand=not+yet+replied



The theme is "Teammates' Teammates," and other non-soccer friends are
welcome as well. There are too many invited people now to add more
e-mail addresses. This invite is going to people and teams from
several leagues in the area, so you have a chance to meet all kinds of
soccer people. Hope ta see ya!


Liam

Meet your MVPs

You voted for the MVPs and here they are. Meet Mike and Jackie.

This ain't no surprise. They are outstanding players and we love 'em.

Mike's 1-season resume includes the following bullet points: high-percentage passer, natural leader, versatile defender and midfielder, three assists. Mike, I agree with your teammates - you were solid out there. What accolades in your first season! We can thank Jon for the referral.

Jackie's resume goes on for miles - just this season she notched two assists and played numerous minutes as a key defensive midfielder. We all know how she can take over her space, use excellent vision to move the ball around, execute hard and efficient tackles, and disrupt anyone with the bad judgment to come her way. She's a gamer, she shows up to play and steps up to the competition. What's my favorite memory of Jackie? The completely legit steamroller tackles in the semi final of the 2006 Coed Classic. She went right through about 3 of the other team's best male strikers! It's no secret that your captain is in "soccer love" with this special player. She has an addictive personality, we all know that.

Let's not forget our honorable mentions: Griz, Ally, Chris, Jon, Liam, Heather, and Kara.

Gros is probably done

According to this story, one of my favorite soccer players is seriously considering retirement. Yep, it's Josh Gros, my look-alike on DC United.

After a string of troublesome migraines and head injuries, Gros may hang 'em up. It's sad in many ways, but he accomplished so much in just four years. He started nearly every game with United and earned all-star honors for his playmaking abilities on the wing. He played opposite David Beckham. He earned one cap on the U.S. team versus Mexico (Feb. 19, 2007). He became known in DC as the energizer bunny that can outlast everyone and even fill in at right or left defensive back.

Indoor is dead

We had a dream to form a men's or coed indoor team this Winter - but that dream is dead. We missed the deadline, couldn't find enough interested people, and now the league is creating a new division on Saturday nights, which doesn't work either. Oh well, maybe later this winter or next year.

Charitable program successful

The second go-round of our charitable program was successful! We set a team goal to exceed the $180 contribution we made in the spring. We managed to reach $250.00 this time, with some matching by your captains. We had a modest participation rate of 50%. If we can get that to 75% in the future, we're set. In any case, thanks everyone for giving. We're giving a little back and, in the meantime, establishing a good relationship with the DC United.

Here is the letter to United to DC from the team:

November 6, 2007

Ms. Sara Rabe
Program Manager
United for D.C.
c/o RFK Stadium
2400 East Capitol Street S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003

Dear Sara,

On behalf of 20 recreational soccer players and fans of DC United, I would like to present our second contribution to United for DC. Although it is a modest contribution of $250.00, it represents an increase over our contribution this past spring.

As you may know, the Goleros are an adult, co-ed, recreational soccer team based in Washington, D.C. Founded seven years ago, we play on Sundays in the Capital Coed Soccer League (CCSL – http://theccsl.com). We have nominated United for DC as a designated charity for which we reserve a portion of our bi-annual dues. We hope to continue making periodic donations to support your organization’s mission of promoting literacy and healthy living for local children.

On a personal note, thank you for email acknowledgment of our last contribution. I posted it on our blog, which I think helped generate some additional interest in contributing to the charitable program this year. In the future, please feel free to keep us apprised of your organization’s activities by email or snail mail. I hope that the annual charitable dinner was successful; next year, we hope to send some representatives.

Best regards,



Pete & Megan
Captains

cc: Zach Walker

Fall 2007 Outdoor results

The purpose of this post is just to record our record.

Here are the results from our Fall 2007 outdoor campaign in CCSL. Read our season review here. We voted on MVPs here.


Fall 2007 Record: 3-2-3 (.600)
_______________________
Aug. 26th - 3-0 win vs Quicksilver FC
Sept. 9th - 4-0 shorthanded loss to Far Post
Sept. 16th - 5-2 loss versus Red Devils
Sept. 23rd - 2-2 tie vs Capital Crew
Oct. 7th - 2-2 shorthanded tie versus Celtic
Oct. 14th - 2-0 win vs Red Tape
Oct. 21st - 4-2 win vs 2LFeet
Oct. 28th - 1-1 tie versus Tsunami

Green merger

Last week, the innovative car sharing company, Zipcar, announced its plans to acquire its Washington, DC-based rival, Flexcar. These two companies offer flexible, hourly car rentals that are designed for folks living in urban areas who don't have cars.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed, but its strategic purpose is clear: to form a single, more competitive company that can compete with the big rental car companies that may seek to offer the same product.

Why did I put this on the blog? Lots of reasons. First, I work in the antitrust and transportation fields, so I find such things interesting, sadly. Second, Megan and other teammates use Flexcar to get to some games when they are not metro accessible. Let's hope that the merger's promise of creating more options for consumers means that Megan won't be late!

Go back in time to check out these goals

This is a great youtube video of the great goals of the 2006 World Cup. The two candidates from Argentina are impressive. Cambiaso's finish to a 25-pass rally is something to watch, and Maxi Rodriguez's trap is awesome.

The best goal was...? You tell me.

We've surpassed 200 posts

This blog is on the verge of going worldwide. Well, that's not exactly true, but we've exceeded 200 posts. This is the 211th post. In the 9 months that we've run this thing, we've had 408 comments!

DC United and Goleros are brothers in arms

Our outing to the DCU game was a smashing success! And by that I mean a few people got smashed, plus it was really a good time.

DC United suffered the same fate as the Goleros. Their season was ended by a questionable call at the end of the game that resulted in a goal being called back. They're out, we're out.

More later!

Dues

Remember, we still have several folks who haven't paid up. I sent out emails. I've been covering the cost of the team all season so help me out!

Also, dues were high this year. I can never promise that they won't go up. But if the league keeps the fee the same (likely), we keep our new recruits, and add a precious few as needed, I think we can make good progress next year. I hereby announce a goal of $85 or less per person, which would be a significant reduction. Keep your fingers crossed!

Fall 2007

Fall 2007 is behind us. It wasn't impressive statistically, but it was fun. We finished 3-2-3, which is one game over .500 and in 7th place in the division - out of the playoffs. There's a lot behind those numbers though.

First, let's start with the fact that we had to rebuild, despite an extremely successful spring season. We bounced back and added an impressive list of people: Liam, Heather, Ally, Mike, Kate, and Katya. We reinforced the team with help from lots of people - that's why I find it hard to be too disappointed by missing the playoffs. Not me. I'm proud that we came as far as we did. Despite a handicapping forfeit loss and having to integrate new bodies, we almost got 2nd place.

Second, we started off slow. Game 1: forfeit win. Game 2: forfeit loss with only 7 players. Game 3: meltdown versus Red Devils (that was the low point). It was only a 2-game losing streak, but it seemed like an eternity. We tied Capital Crew in Game 4, but since we yielded a goal at the end, it didn't feel like a reason to celebrate. In Game 5, we nearly shot ourselves in the foot by fielding only 10 players, but we got it done anyway versus Celtic and took home a tie. We played really well - an obvious turning point in the season. In Game 6, we finally scored a win versus Red Tape. We followed up with another win versus Two Left Feet in Game 7. We know about Game 8: we tied Tsunami and yet again, that team got off easy. They had a lot of help from the refs, let's put it that way.

Third, despite some turnover, we still have the best roster of women in the league. Jackie, Kristin, Megan, Ally, Kate, Heather, Katya - you guys are awesome. Jen, Kara, Leslie, Julia, Kay, Courtney, Anna, you too. We have some good leads to make this an even more impressive female side in the spring.

Here's my usual bullet points for the season:

• We were 3-2-3, which is a .600 winning percentage. Not bad. We usually tie at least once, but not three times.
• We finished 7th due to tie-breakers (we were tied for 4th in points). If we would have won our last match, we would have finished an impressive 2nd. That's one goal that made the difference.
• We closed the season on a 5-game no-loss streak (tie, tie, win, win, tie). It's not dominant, but it's impressive.
  
• We dealt with the whole probation thing - something that even I will view humorously from this point forward.
• We scored 16 goals, which is low but fair. We left a lot of goals on the table so this is bound to catch back up to us.
  
• 9 players tallied points (2 points for a goal, 1 point for an assist), which is decent. We like to spread the wealth. The list included 2 women, which is good but not our best.
• The points leaders are: Jon (9 with 4 goals), Chris (6 with 3 goals), Adrian (4 with 2 goals), Ally (3 with 1 goal), Jer (3 with 1 goal), Mike (3), Griz (2 with 1 goal), Chip (2 with 1 goal), Jackie (2). This comes with the usual caveat: points don't tell the full story. Certain players - let's use Kristin as an example - play out of their mind and don't get the points.
  
• We only had 1 shut-out. We were in transition for much of the season.
• We have beaten everyone in the division, except Celtic. We have tied them twice by a score of 2-2 each time.
• Liam played in every game - and did an outstanding job. Well done my friend!
• Props to Chris, a legendary Goleros players who treks from Baltimore to run his butt off for the team.
• Thanks to our alternates for coming out. Kara, you saved us $200 by helping us avoid a forfeit (and you played well). Others contributed - Carlos, Jen, Leslie, Kay, Nick, Dianne.
  

The team is in great shape. I love playing with you folks.

We're on for Thursday

The DC United playoff match is this Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Let's meet at Capitol Lounge at 5:00 for some drinkin'. If you don't already have your ticket in hand, I'll give it to you there. Let's avoid what happened last time where I had to go in and out of the stadium passing people their tix during the match. We'll probably head to the stadium about 6:30.

DCU plays the Chicago Fire, who routinely kick our butt in the playoffs. DCU is coming fresh off a 1-0 loss in the first game of this round. That means that they must win the game. If they win by 1 goal, there will be a 30-minute overtime followed by PKs if necessary. If they win by 2 or more goals, they'll advance directly on aggregate goals.

The last match was testy. Cuatemoc Blanco is at his best, feigning injury and fouls. DC has several players recovering from injury (Emilio and Moreno). It ain't gonna be easy.

See you at Cap Lounge!

Vote for MVPs!

Team, now that the season is over, it's time to vote for Fall season MVPs. We've got some great players and people on this team. It's time to recognize them! Ideally, I'd like folks to vote on 1 man and 1 woman - and it's all in fun of course. Use whatever criteria you'd like. I believe I was nominated in an earlier post for most prolific blogger that no one reads.

Put your nominations here.

Lost shin guards

Laura from Backdraft sent this note to us. She found some shin guards at Trinity. Did you lose yours?

One of my players found a pair of white and blue adidas shin guards at Trinity yesterday. They are size small. If they belong to you or anyone on your team, please get in touch with me.

Offseason begins!

It is improbable but true. Our offseason begins now because we didn't make the playoffs. In failing to pick up 3 points this week, we left ourselves open to losing out on tie-breakers. Unfortunately, we did. Celtic lost its match versus Quicksilver (improbable, forced us to look to next match), and Two Left Feet lost to Red Devils (probable but disappointing!).

The final standings are:

1. Far Post - 17

2. Quicksilver - 13 (head to head over Celtic)

3. Celtic - 13

4. Red Devils - 12 (goal differential over Cap Crew)

5. Capital Crew - 12 (head to head over Tsunami)

6. Tsunami - 12 (goal differential over Goleros)

7. Goleros - 12

8. Two Left Feet - 4

9. Red Tape - 3


Far Post wins the division. Five teams battled for second place - and their fates were decided on the last day. Four teams finished with 12 points - we lose the first or second tie-breaker to each (loss to Red Devils, worse GD than Capital Crew and Tsunami). A few points and a few goals here and there made the difference.

There's plenty to be proud of this season! More on that later.

Oops, a tie

We played hard and well this morning, seemingly doing enough to get the win. But it was not to be. Instead, we ended with a 1-1 tie against Tsunami Naranja. Hey, cheers, the result keeps our playoffs hope alive (for now) and extends our no-loss streak to 5 games.

The decisive moment of the match came in the 80' on a controversial and late offside call. Jon had received a through ball down the right wing, which he dribbled to the goal line and crossed back for Nathan. Nathan received the ball at the 5 yard line and finished nicely for what should have been our second goal. The line judge raised the flag after the play and the center ref accepted the call. No goal. The diagram above depicts the situation as it should have been viewed by the refs. Oh, well, there's no use crying over spilt milk!

We picked up an early goal when Chris threaded the defense and shot from 15 yards in the 5'. We'll credit Ally for the assist despite what I viewed as a possible deflection before the ball came to Chris' feet. Our initial assaults on goal showed strength and tactical awareness because Tsunami started the game shorthanded. For most of the first half, we controlled the pace.

In the second half, we yielded control for a few minutes, but made satisfactory adjustments. Eventually, though, Tsunami did well to finish a relatively low percentage opportunity in the 87'. The ball bounced to Brian at the top of the box, and he put just enough on the ball to roll it to goal before Mike could retrieve it on the goal line. It's a frustrating goal, but nothing to fret about because we can't stop everything.

We were good in all phases of the game. We should be happy with the game actually. The defense was outstanding, right to left, top to bottom, and especially Liam who broke up a one-on-one well outside the box! Midfielders made the adjustments they needed to in order regain control of the match and impede counterattacks. Yes, finishing was an issue, but the forwards did put the ball in the net twice in the second half, it's just that the goals were called back (foul on Jon; offside). The forwards played well!

Good game everyone! Congratulations to Tsunami on their sportsmanship and performance today.

Notes: 1-1 tie versus Tsunami Naranja, Oct. 28, 2007, Trinity. Goals: Chris (Ally). GK: Liam. Yellow: Jon. Two goals called back!

The waiting...

Here's your real-time CCSL 3rd division playoff update. We must wait to learn our fate. After our tie today, we remain in 5th place (we are tied for third in points, but Cap Crew and Tsunami have us on the second tiebreaker - GD).

Today's other games are Far Post (1) vs Red Tape (9), Celtic (2) vs Quicksilver (6), and Red Devils (7) vs Two Left Feet (8). The key match is Celtic vs. Quicksilver, which was played at 8:00 a.m. If Celtic won or tied, we make the playoffs, because we will finish in 5th or 6th depending on the Red Devils game. The good news is that Celtic should have been motivated. They have a chance to win the Division today if Far Post ties or loses.

Oh Celtic - tell us the result!

If Celtic lost, we have a problem. We will then have to look to the Red Devils/Two Left Feet game (8:30 pm). If Red Devils tie, we're fine. But if they win, they will take the 6th spot and we will drop to 7th. I think it's likely that they'll win.

Weather report

Our game this weekend is looking iffy. Check it out here. It's supposed to stop raining some time on Saturday. It could be the afternoon before that happens. If we don't get some serious sun, Trinity won't be playable. Although we want to play, it would be a shame to tear up the field, as Jer commented.

Make sure to call the inclement weather line before you leave. And don't assume the match is canceled. You gotta get word of the cancelation on the line.

703.229.6997

*** Another update: Game at Trinity at 8:00 a.m. ***

The scheduling and rescheduling continues. The latest, hopefully final, information is:

8:00 a.m. game at Trinity College.

Be there early.

No dogs. No peeing. No speeding on Michigan avenue or you'll get a ticket.

Golero-gram to Far Post

Dear Far Post,

Congratulations, you are undefeated thus far! Apparently, you have two games left including possibly a make-up game. Did you play that game, and if so, what was the result? We must know. Going into the last game of the season, there could be a lot of movement in the standings.

More questions. How did your game against Red Devils go? Did our scounting report help? Did any of their women who play up top score? How did Tsunami look? They are the last thing standing in our way of the playoffs. We need a win on Sunday.

Regards and good luck in the final match(es) and the playoffs. We hope to meet you again.

The big game

I put the details of the big game into my last email:

Sorry folks, our game is going to be at 8:00 a.m. No excuses, we need a full crew for our last regular season match. If we win, we're in. Right now, I am expecting decent numbers but not a lot of subs, so there isn't room for people to miss. See you there at 7:45! Remember a couple of things:

- There are lots of road closures because of the marathon, which starts at the same time. Allow extra time to get there. You can take metro or consult this link for traffic closures: http://www.marinemarathon.com/race_info/course.htm#streetclosings (scroll down).

- Bring a white T-shirt

- Bring your dues (and why don't you just use paypal?)

- Apparently, you can't bring dogs to the field.

See you there!

Now, what does the game mean?

A lot. It's our last regular season game and we don't want to go into our long offseason without a fight. We are facing Tsunami Naranja, a solid team - and one that can surprise. Remember our regular season match at the Marina last Spring? We lost that baby 1-0 on a deflection and a missed PK. I'm sure Tsunami is looking for payback after our playoff victory in the semis.

The path to the playoffs couldn't be more simple. It's win and we're in. According to the standings, we're sitting in 5th place due to goal differential. Our 4-game unbeaten streak has paid dividends. If and when we win, we would leapfrog Tsunami and the Crew to take 3rd place with 14 points. If Quicksilver beats Celtic, that would take us to 2nd since Celtic would only have 13 points. We could even tie for 1st in points if Far Post fails to collect any points in two games (both scheduled this week). But if that occurred, we would finish officially in 2nd on goal differential and head-to-head. We really want that 2nd place finish, in the event that the weather curtails the playoff schedule. In a truncated playoff system, only the 1st and 2nd place teams get to vie for the title.

If we lose this weekend, it gets dicey in terms of making the playoffs. No guarantees. We're not going to focus on that 'cause we want to control our own fate. What I love about this league is that it's competitive. Every game matters. Each week, you have a chance to climb back into the thick of things.

All of this is in fun. Let's go out and have a nice Sunday.

Injury report

We only have two entries on the injury report.

Courtney - IR (calf)
Pete - out (bruised knee).

I'm out for this weekend and doubtful for the week after. If we can keep our season alive into the semis or the finals (depending on how we're seeded), I am eyeing a return this season. I'm going to the doctor this week, so I'll know more then.

If you haven't noticed, this "injury report" was just an excuse to give you an update on me!

Fallfest is postponed...maybe December

Jason over at Columbia Soccer tells me that the Fallfest is definitely canceled for Nov. 17th. He can't get enough fields. He is trying to set a December date. That's bound to be quite chilly, but imagine the holiday cheer! I'm still planning to register a team so stay tuned.

Pay your dues; support the kids

Paying your dues - only a few days left to pay up. About half the team has paid. Per the email, please send me the money immediately if you haven't already.

Supporting the kids - we are making progress. Our goal is to contribute more than $180 to United for DC. Our participation rate is about 60% right now. That needs to go up a little bit to reach the goal. It's just $13 if you can swing it.

To that end, your captains will match your contributions again this season - subject to a total limit.

Thanks!

Bubbles keeps playoff hopes alive with hat trick

Last night, we kept our playoff hopes alive with a 4-2 win over the division's new entrant, Two Left Feet. We did it on the back of three goals by Bubbles. It's a nice personal accomplishment that really helps the team.

It seemed all too easy when we scored in the first minute. Jon picked up his first tally by taking a great through ball by Jackie, dribbled to space, and launched a shot on a rope - I think he uses his toe sometimes! We had dealt an early blow to our opponent, but we played lazy into well into the second half and could have paid a price. In about the 20' minute, we gave up a score on a miscued pass, and went into the half tied. How would we respond?

Gradually, by creating more opportunities in the midfield. Midfielders supported each other and restarted the passing game. Jon scored two more goals with good service by Mike and Jer, and "Grizzy" added a nice open field goal. We were actually tied (2-2) for a period when 2LF scored on a dual effort by two good strikers. Three of our defenders bit on one of the striker's moves, and he simply passed to his uncovered teammate who put a shot in the upper 90 past Liam. That was a little scary!

While we weren't very disciplined in the match, at least we were having fun and not taking ourselves too seriously. Carlos - who was called up from the reserves - set a nice tone with some merengue moves. Of course, he's Cuban, we expect him to have rhythm.

Thanks to Carlos and Allie for joining us.
Statistically, this game was quite important. Look at our accomplishments as of Sunday:

• We kept our playoff hopes alive
• We extended our no-loss streak to 4 games
  
• We evened our goal differential to 0 (15:15). That's impressive since we lost games by 4-0 (with 7 players) and 5-2.
  

We are starting to look like ourselves again - and just in time. Later this week, I'll do a post on playoff scenarios. You can get a headstart by reading Nate's comments here.

I want YOUR comments on this post. Who deserves kudos for their play? Who assisted on Grizzy's goal? How awesome are our women? I like what I saw at the end of the game - the women did the hard labor of moving the goal posts. We could get used to that.

Notes: 4-2 win versus Two Left Feet at George Mason High School on 10/21/2007. Goals: Jon (Jackie), Jon (Mike), Jon (Jer), Griz (NK). GK: Liam.

Tom chooses Red Sox over Goleros

Hey, Tom, where are your priorities?

Griz reported to us that you chose the Red Sox game over the Goleros game! The Goleros were fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive and the Red Sox were playing a garden variety game.

Actually, it was Game 7 of the ALCS! We can't believe you got tickets! And the Red Sox took control in the late innnings? Was it awesome? Did you sit atop the Green Monster?

The bottom line is that Rocktober continues (that's what Coloradans call post-season baseball that involves the Rockies). The World Series starts Wednesday. It's Rox vs. Sox.

Go Rockies!

1 DCU ticket available

Katya has an extra ticket available for the DCU playoff versus the Chicago Fire on Thursday Nov. 1st at 7:30 pm. If you don't have a ticket yet, the question is, why not?

Price is probably $31 (but contact Katya)

MLS Cup Tickets Selling Fast

Yesterday, when I bought our team's tickets to the playoff opener, the DC United ticket rep told me that the MLS Cup tickets are selling fast. They are already selling seats in the 500 section at the top of the upper bowl. They may sell out the game.

Get your tickets now!

We'll probably tailgate for the game. It will be a nice follow up to the Fallfest tournament, which is the day before.

Buy your tickets from Zach, the CCSL ticket representative, at 202-587-5000.

Playoff picture coming into focus

Wow, it appears as if the entire roster will show for this weekend's match. It's a good thing, because we're in a must win situation versus a team we haven't faced before: Two Left Feet.

In an earlier post, Nate layed out the playoff picture when he commented that,

Actually, if Celtic won their game against 2LFeet then they would be in 3rd place. If they tied, they would be in 6th behind Tsunami because Tsunami beat Celtic.

It looks like the 6th and last playoff spot is going to come down to the last game between us and Tsunami....whoever wins goes...if there is a tie then goal differential matters.

Dude speaks the truth. With two games to play, we need to win out. We may not control our fate, even if we do that. While we have missed opportunities to pick up points, Far Post and Capital Crew haven't. Far Post has lit it up the division, going undefeated thus far.

Realistically, we are gunning for the 6th and final playoff spot. Additionally, we have to hope the weather cooperates so there is sufficient time on the calendar for the league to schedule a proper playoff bracket that unfolds over 3 weekends (opening round with 2 byes for the top seeds, semis, and final). Otherwise, we're looking at a compacted 1 weekend playoff where it's 1 vs 2 for the title, and two "exhibition" games of 3 vs 4 and 5 vs 6. We want our shot at the title, because as I wrote earlier, we have favorable odds to beat anyone in the division.

Summary: we've got our work cut out for us. So let's get to it!

For your reference, the standings are as follows:

Team GP Points
Far Post 6 14
Cap Crew 7 12
Quicksilver 6 9
Red Devils 6 8Tsunami 6 8
Goleros 6 8
Celtic 5 7
Red Tape 6 3
2LFeet 4 1

See the full table here. And remember, there are some missing game scores that haven't been reported. Our best guess is that Celtic beat 2LFeet earlier this season, putting Celtic in 3rd. Additionally, it looks like 2LFeet is missing a scheduled game in October (?). I don't know what that's about or how it affects the standings.

See you Sunday!

Last chance for DCU tickets

I am going to buy our group seats this afternoon (Friday). We have quite a group right now. I think we've made 20, but I'm not sure without looking more closely at our count.

Fallfest is coming...

It's mid November, the regular season is over, and you're feeling blue. Whatcha gonna do?

Play the Fallfest.

This year's tournament will take place on Saturday Nov. 17th. Some will choose to make it a Goleros Weekend by joining us at the MLS Cup that Sunday.

Fallfest is a good time. Last year, we finished second after a commanding performance in our group, a thrilling semifinal win, and a darn good effort in the finals. When the final whistle blew, man were we exhausted. And cold. Remember, this is where we were introduced to Pants Guy. Read about it in this rough sketch of a post.

We need to register a team soon. We'll do it by email.

In the meantime, got any memories to share? Put 'em here.

POTD

Flasback to July. Here's the official team photo from the 2007 Coed Classic. I pulled it off the tournament website. Relive the memories from this post.

Bad news: I need your money

It's time to pay up. As previously reported here, they are on the high side. Unfortunately, we have to pass on the increased fees charged by the league plus try to offset the fact that we had a smaller roster when we started the season. Let me repeat that the team's finances are open to everyone, 'cause I know you work hard for your money.

We're going to keep the charity program rolling as well. Let's try to beat the $180 mark that we set last season. It's just a few extra bucks. Remember, the donation is optional. For newbies, you can read about our charity program here.

Without further ado...

Dues $92
Donation $13

TOTAL $105

Please send the money within 1 week. I will send payment instructions by email.

League-sponsored happy hour tomorrow

The league is sponsoring a happy hour tomorrow at McFadden's in Foggy Bottom (2401 Penn), beginning at 4:00 p.m. Enjoy!

Here's a link to the evite: http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=WZFIGAIYQWNLNUXMSQIH&li=iq&src=email&trk=aer2

Back in form

At last, we are back in form.



We struggled out of the gate this season, but last night, it was back to the good ole days in a 2-0 win versus Red Tape. The score does not tell the full story, because we controlled the match from the kickoff. We were strong in all aspects of the game - except perhaps shooting away from the keeper (their keeper played well, notching about 20 saves on the night).



We scored one goal in each half. In the first half, Red Tape had several impressive goal-line saves until Adrian received a pass from Jon in the penalty area and converted. The Goleros D was rarely tested but was able to disrupt a very few troublesome breakaways - Hans, a Red Tape striker is quite capable of scoring. In the second half, Chris and Jer found each other, allowing Chris to score at relatively close range. In the meantime, we had taken lots of shots.

Liam earned himself the shut-out by making a charging, one-handed save in the last 15 minutes. It was particularly impressive because he hadn't been involved in the game a lot.

Congratulations everyone, good game. It puts at 4-0 lifetime against Red Tape. It's noteworthy for other reasons too:

• It's our first legitimate win of the season (!)


• We have battled back to .500 with a 2-2-2 record


• We improved in the standings, but it's not clear by how much. The website is currently showing us as tied for 3rd, but that's not correct because several games have not been accounted for among the contenders.

• I thought our women played very well and were quite physical. Our new recruits are making a difference!

• We used a lot of different combinations on defense, with similar and consistent results.
  

Congratulations to Red Tape too - good sports and good players.

Notes: 2-0 win versus Red Tape on October 14, 2007 at George Mason High School. Goals by Adrian (Jon) and Chris (Jer). GK: Liam. Shutout.

A friendly in Switzerland

The U.S. men will play a friendly against Switzerland Wednesday in Basel. The match is on Fox Soccer Channel at 2:30 p.m. EDT. Read about the match here.

We haven't seen much of the MNT since July. Recall that we won the Gold Cup (the CONCACAF North and Central American tournament) but sent our C team to the prestigious Copa America (CONMOBEL South American tournament) to get whipped.

This friendly is typical in that it will showcase future talent. The roster is mostly stocked with young American exports who are in development by European clubs. Headlining the bunch is former DCU midfielder Freddy Adu, who was signed to Portuguese powerhouse Benfica, but who has yet to break into the first team there. Other notable youngsters include Danny Szetela, Michael Bradley, Heath Pearce, and Benny Feilhaber. We've got some well-known veterans too, starting with Marcus Hahnemann, Eddie Lewis, Oguchi Onyewu, Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo, Carlos Bocanegra, and DaMarcus Beasley.

There's a lot of talent there.

USMNT Switzerland Camp Roster

Goalkeepers

Hahnemann, Marcus Reading (England)
Hall, Tally Esbjerg (Denmark)
Seitz, Chris Salt Lake (MLS)

Defenders

Bocanegra, Carlos Fulham (England)
Cherundolo, Steve Hannover 96 (Germany)
Califf, Danny Aalborg BK (Denmark)
DeMerit, Jay Watford (England)
Onyewu, Oguchi Standard Liege (Belgium)
Pearce, Heath Hansa Rostock (Germany)
Purdy, Steve 1860 Munich II (Germany)

Midfielders

Adu, Freddy Benfica (Portugal)
Beasley, DaMarcus Rangers (Scotland)
Bradley, Michael Heerenveen (Holland)
Edu, Maurice Toronto FC (MLS)
Feilhaber, Benny Derby County (England)
Lewis, Eddie Derby County (England)
Szetela, Danny Racing Santander (Spain)

Forwards

Dempsey, Clint Fulham (England)
Findley, Robbie Salt Lake (MLS)
Zimmerman, Preston Hamburg SV II (Germany)
Zizzo, Sal Hannover 96 (Germany)

MLS playoffs - are you in?

Hey, following up on the earlier email traffic, we're goin' to the DCU playoff game that will be announced shortly. Time and date are expected to be Thursday, Nov. 1st at 7:30 p.m. We'll buy tickets this week. $30 for premium seats (if we get the group rate).

Pos a comment here if you're in (or by email).

DCU Update

Our favorite pro team is closing yet another outstanding season, maintaining their reputation as MLS' leading and most classy franchise. DCU is just a few points short of the Supporter's Shield, which is given to the team with the most points after the 30-game regular season. DCU has a 2-point lead over Chivas USA going into the final two games. Meanwhile, they sit firmly atop the Eastern Division and the league overall. They have made the playoffs.

Over the course of the season, they've shown remarkable depth. Keep your eye on a few of the players. First, there's Emilio, a leading candidate for league MVP with an incredible (league leading) 20 goals. Then you have the usual standouts - Christian Gomez, Ben Olsen, and Clyde Simms, all of whom are playing really well. But also watch for Fred, a talented winger, and Marc Burch, a college forward-turned-defender who has Beckham-like vision and can play a long ball and really get involved in the offense. One of my favorites, Josh Gros, is probably out for the rest of the season as doctors examine his recurring headaches. DCU's stellar league play have coach Tom Soehn likely to take a coach-of-the-year award.

First up for DCU is a home and home series versus an opponent to be named later. The team will play its first game away, and then return to RFK for the Nov. 1st game. If they advance beyond that series, they'll play in the Eastern Conference Finals, which I think would be at RFK. If the team advances beyond that, it's all the way to the MLS Cup to try for a fifth title - that game is at RFK for sure. Some of us already have tickets.

See you at the game!

Disciplinary committee has been busy

The league has been emailing captains more frequently about what it believes are increased episodes of dissent and unsportsmanlike conduct. Last week, the league suspended a player for 3 games and put a team on probation until the end of Spring '08 for an incident in which a player threatened to throw down with a ref following a red card (the player admitted the error, apologized, and accepted the sanction). This week, the league issued an unprecedented indefinite suspension and team probation for another red card incident in which a player allegedly head-butted another player. See the commissioner's email below.

I'm glad we play fair and don't get into this kind of mess. Thankfully, we've experienced very little of it in our games.

Diplomats Captains,

I am writing in reference to the booking incident that happened during your game last weekend (October 7th) where one of your players (Travis Sheldon) head-butted one of the Prism players according to the referee reports. Aggressive actions such as these are absolutely unacceptable in our league and our Disciplinary Committee is in the process of gathering information to investigate the incident. In the interim while the committee goes through their process, in addition to the mandatory one game suspension for the red card, I am suspending Mr. Sheldon indefinitely. In situations like this, we want to ensure that we get all the accurate details of what happened, but have to err on the side of safety for our players. A violent head-butt is not only punishable by
the league, but it even verges on criminal conduct. In addition to Mr. Sheldon¢s indefinite suspension, the Diplomats will be placed on temporary probation. Any further disruptive incidents of any nature by any member of the team will result in further disciplinary action. If we find that the alleged actions have been somehow over-exaggerated or misconstrued, these additional interim sanctions will be lifted. As said, the disciplinary committee is in the process of gathering information and we hope to reach a punishment recommendation prior to the 10/21 games. Let me know if you have any questions about this
decision.

SanjayCCSL Commissioner

Next 2 games are at night

We are now entering a stretch where we play two night games in a row (kickoff: 8:30 p.m. Sundays). This is pretty rare, as we've only played one previous night game before (last season's opener, 2-0 win versus Far Post).

These games will be at George Mason High School in Falls Church. This is right by the West Falls Church metro on the Orange Line. This is another first for us - we've never played out there. I'm not even sure whether it's turf or grass.

Night games are more fun.

Standings

Check out the standings. The division has turned upside down from last season. In my opinion, the best teams in the league are in 7th, 6th, and 5th position respectively. It's a competitive division, yes, but I think consistency and attendance have played a major role. You have to credit Far Post. They have played 5 games with no losses, which in the past two seasons, I have only seen Team X do. They have probably locked down the playoffs already.

This offers us a golden opportunity. If we can win out, we will be able to catch many of the teams, make the playoffs, and hopefully earn the chance to play again in the division championship, as I give us good odds to beat anyone.

Goleros/Celtic play to a draw

After two meetings, nothing has been decided in this great rivalry (actually, there's no rivalry). Last season, we tied Celtic 2-2 and today we reached the same result.

For our team, it was a fine result. We were shorthanded due to many players being out for holiday travel. We played the entire second half with 10.

In the first half, no team had much of an advantage. Our defense began to weaken as we couldn't clear or distribute to the midfield effectively. We yielded a goal by a Celtic Woman who placed a nice rebound shot away from Liam.

After the half, Celtic beat us pretty good on one of their six-man, second-half runs. A solo effort through the defense resulted in a one-on-one goal in which Liam was forced to come well off his line. It's here that we settled. We pulled a goal back nearly immediately on a long throw-in (Jon, assist by Mike). Then, several minutes later, Jer headed in Mike's corner kick. These goals mark the first set piece scores that I can remember in years (about time!). After that, our defense dug in and was good, but not perfect. In fighting what seemed like about 4 male midfieders and some talented women, we could not stop Celtic from several shots and runs. Liam made a crucial sliding save to preserve the tie.

Fun game. It was really something to build on as we try to make a run to the playoffs. Congrats to Mike who gets his first points since joining us this summer. Great sportsmanship by Celtic, as we have come to expect.

What were your impressions of the game?

Notes: 2-2 tie versus Celtic at Wakefield HS, Oct. 7, 2007, goals by Jon (Mike), Jer (Mike), GK: Liam.

Greg on the move

A legendary Goleros player is on the move. Greg - known as Greg the Goon for his physical presence and uncanny ability to break up a play with strong tackles - is taking a new position with Oxfam.

Greg is a great guy and a do-gooder. That's why we love him (and the fact that he always gave 110% on the pitch). He was a recruiting boon. He recruited Megan, now our co-captain. He also recruited Chandra, who recruited Jackie and Kristin, who themselves have recruited folks such as Ally and Kate. That's six degrees to Greg.

We celebrated Greg's move at Cap Lounge on Friday. Megan and I represented the team. Things are going well for him. Greg and his awesome wife have a nice house in Southwest and a bright future.

Cheers and congratulations!

Photo 1: Chandra, Pete, Greg, and Megan at Greg and Michelle''s wedding in 2005
Photo 2: Megan and Greg dancin' the night away. Megan rarely checks this blog (bad girl!) so she may never be embarrassed!

Rocktober is here

For only the second time in franchise history, the Colorado Rockies are playing in October. Last night, they completed a 3-0 sweep of the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Division Series. Now they are going to chase the pennant in the NLCS versus the Arizona Diamonbacks.

This coming NLCS is not only something special for Colorado, it's one of the great runs in baseball history. The Rox have won 17 out of the last 18 games, and are undisputedly the hottest team in the league, leading back weeks or months. They made the post-season in a rare one-game play-in versus San Diego, with no room to spare for losses.

This was worth a post!

Traffic alert: Army 10 miler

The Army 10-miler runs up against our Sunday game, so watch out for traffic advisories. Looks like Fox Hall and the Memorial Bridge are going to be trouble spots. See the WP traffic blog:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/getthere/?hpid=traffic

RE: Busted!

Ah Peter, you should know better than to speed in DC…  But I don’t think you’re going to find much sympathy among your teammates.  My first thought was something like this…

Busted!

On Saturday, I was having a peaceful lunch when the mailman delivered a little surprise: a citation from the Metro PD (no, not from Reno 911). I got busted by the Invisible Man for going 37 in a 25. My first ever encounter with automated traffic enforcement.

Where and when was it?

Michigan Avenue and North Capitol Street, 7:30 a.m. on Sunday. Yes, I was rushing to a Goleros game.

The lesson is don't speed around Trinity. When you turn right onto Michigan Avenue off of North Capitol, the camera appears to be right there. I got a $50 fine but no points.

Sunday's game has been moved to a new location

Our Sunday game (11:00 a.m.) has been moved to Wakefield High School in Arlington. This is a nice turf field. See you there!

Pick-up this weekend?

Are we getting together for a little pick-up action this weekend? A
little four-on-four, better yet a little five-on-five or even perhaps a
six-on-six?

n

Solo out, Scurry in!

Wow, it's one of those shocking coaching moves in sports. In the penultimate round of the WWC, US coach Greg Ryan has decided to start Briana Scurry for the Brazil match, which will be aired in the US on Thursday morning. Read about it here and apparently in tomorrow's sports pages. Scurry has precious few starts in the past few years but is admired for her quickness, athleticism, and experience versus Brazil. Solo is the starting keeper, the only US keeper to play in this WWC, and she has performed well, although not amazingly. She has recorded three shut-outs, however!

Is this a good idea?

U.S. vs Brazil

Hey, is anyone watching the WWC?

The US women steamrolled England last weekend by a score of 3-0. This puts them in the semifinals tomorrow against Brazil. There are only 4 teams left in the tournament: USA, Brazil, Norway, and Germany. Each are playing really well so there are no automatic wins. The US women have raised their game from the average performances they turned in the opening round. Coach Ryan showed some coaching acumen in taking England's outstanding player, Kelly Smith, out of the mix. But Marta (pictured above) is on fire, and will be hard to mark. The Brazilians - who get precious little support at home - play with heart, if not structure. If they are able to maintain possession of the ball, watch out.

What are your thoughts on the US team this year?

The game is at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow on ESPN2. Here's to a win and yet another chance to take the WWC title.

Bye week

As you guys can see from the website, we have a bye this week so no game. The next game is at 11:00 Sunday Oct. 7th. After that, we'll have two night games in a row.

We picked up a point

Today, at Trinity, we picked up a point versus Capital Crew in a 2-2 tie.

Since we gave up a goal in the final minutes to concede a tie, it feels like a loss to many of us. But Your Captain is satisfied. We have to settle the ship somehow. Let's take the point and build upon it in October. Also, I think we had a better performance than last week, which isn't saying much but is still satisfying (remember, we integrated two more new players today). There were some positives: we possessed the ball almost half the time versus like 25% in our game against the Red Devils. Also, we had some nice build ups in the attack, and a more communicative defense (at times).

In the first half, we started off shaky, yielding some shots in the first few minutes. We eventually settled the game down and slowly began to play more in the attacking end of the field. Finally, Jackie made a great pass to Adrian, who possessed in the box and picked his shot to the far post. It was a very good goal. Not too long later, however, we gave up a goal on a cross.

In the second half, things got a little rough. The Crew's goalkeeper made an illegal slide into Katya, who I must say rebounded pretty nicely from a vicious hit. From my vantage point on defense, the slide was an excessive attempt to clear the ball. Later the same goalie would literally grab Kristin's ankle on the 3' and prevent her from making an assist. It was a PK that was not to be and an unsportmanlike play. But the game continued without incident. We kept our cool. As the half wore on, we applied good pressure in the box and got our second goal when Ally recovered an errant clearance and punched in a shot from the 5'. From here, the defense changed formation a few times and failed to lock down. We gave up a goal in the final minutes, but it was a good goal off a bad bounce. No big deal.

Good game everyone, it's something to build on.

Notes: 2-2 tie versus Capital Crew, Trinity, Sept. 23, 2007. Goals: Adrian (Jackie), Ally (unnassisted). GK: Liam.

Be good

I don't know about you, but I feel rehabilitated and ready to re-join society.

This weekend's game is our last on "probation." If we can get through this game with Capital Crew without incident, that whole affair in the league finals will be over. Incidents would include forfeits, dissent, red cards, etc., etc. And don't forget the special rules at Trinity - no peeing at the field or swearing!

This will be a test. Our games versus the Crew are usually uppity and tense. Everyone should be on their best behavior. We will exhibit our usual sportsmanship towards the Crew, and also towards the refs, whose calls and non-calls shouldn't concern us much. As DCU Coach Tom Soehn likes to say, it all evens out over the season anyway, so don't sweat it.

However, this is not a special game. It's just one of our regular season games. We have always been sportsmanlike and we will continue to be well after this game.

Let's have fun and try to get a win!

DC United tickets available

DCU/MLS Cup Tickets (another message from the league)

CCSL has established a partnership with DC United to obtain discounted tickets for members of our league. Instead of going through ticketmaster with the other riff-raff, please use the link below to purchase tickets for any remaining DC United Regular Season games and you’ll be hooked up with some pretty solid discounts.

https://secure.mlsnet.com/t103 /tickets/2007/groups/season /index.jsp?code=ccsl SectionMezzanine (Covered Box Seating)Discounted Price$35 (Reg. $45)VIP (Midfield)$27 (Reg. $35) Premium (Sidelines)$20 (Reg. $26) Spectator (Corners)$15 (Reg. $18)

Also, be on the lookout for an imminent email from our DCU liaison regarding newly available tickets to the MLS cup in November. As you may or may not know, the MLS championship is in DC this year and its looking pretty solid for United to make a run to be there. The email will have a direct link to order tickets in a special CCSL section they have set aside for us. Should be fun to have a big section to ourselves. Its not often to be able to attend a Championship game like this, so I urge you all to forward to your teams and to take full advantage of the opportunity. Its likely to be a sold out event, so act quickly, quantities are limited. Operators are standing by…

Message from the league, brought to you by me

From Commissioner Sanjay Nayar:

Show up on time

We’re all adults here, but I want to reiterate to you all to make sure you arrive to the field and are ready to roll by the scheduled start times per the official season schedule. For a number of the fields, we have very tight schedules, and our referees will be starting the game clock on time – ready or not. Otherwise, we find ourselves with a domino effect of pushing start times back all day which not only is unfair to the late game teams, but also we push against dusk time and risk running out of light. Its your time that’s potentially being wasted, so please urge your teams to arrive and be ready to go by planned kick-off time.

Superwoman goes it alone

The U.S. women are into the elimination rounds of the WWC. They face England tomorrow at 7:55 a.m. on ESPN2. Watch it!

The U.S. team is looking good, but not the unstoppable machine that it was a few years ago. There are lots of good players, but the team survives on the dominance of Abby Wambach. God forbid she get hurt. Wambach is physical and strong. She rips shots like crazy!

Commentary: it's annoying to see this WWC receive so little attention. The overall interest level around the country could not be closer to zero. It's a fraction of the interest in the men's tournament, which is already low enough. The Washington Post keeps printing things daily probably because their main soccer reporter is over there and they've already made the investment! It's not even leading the soccer news on many websites. Where did everyone go? What happened to support the team and the female athletes? This is the biggest event in the women's game. It's kind of hard to believe in equal opportunity if no one is willing to walk the walk.

The devils wear prada

We dropped a game to Red Devils last weekend.

It was a sad comeback to our 3-0 shutout of them last season. It was clearly more of a loss on our part than it was a win by the Devils. Goal 1 - own goal. Goal 2 - essentially own goal on defensive miscue. Goal 3 - PK on a questionable call. The rest of the match was a competitive 2-2 result. But oh well. It was nice to see Chris sink a goal in the first half, and for Chip to finish a deflection in the second.

The story of the game is the Red Devil women, or at least the three that play up top. Each contributed to the offense in a major way, and each was underestimated by our team. That won't happen again, so Red Devils, enjoy your victory! We hope to see you in the playoffs.

Note: 5-2 loss to Red Devils, Sept 16, 2007, St. John's HS, Goals by Chris (NK), Chip (deflection). GK: Liam.

POTDs 2

Here's a few more. These are a few shots of Xinjiang. We stayed in the capital of Urumqi, which is interesting but mainly Han (the majority ethnicity of China). The rest of the region is largely Uighur, who are mostly muslim. It's the largest province-level region in China, and it's incredibly geographically diverse. There are large deserts, tall mountains, and to my surprise, lush valleys. The infamous Karakoram range is on the southern border. We traveled for a day to the Uighur traditional areas. They were at once desertified but also fertile. It's a large wine producing area.

Photo 1 - Me and my friend Sandeep at Heaven Lake in Xinjiang

Photo 2 - Me, my colleague Kamal, and some Uighur folks making mutton shish-ka-bobs. I had many during my time there!

Photo 3 - A Uighur girl at a little tourist show place. I ended up being the guy who had to dance with her. Apparently we got married in a little traditional ceremony. She's very pretty, possibly a little young, but I don't have her contact information so this marriage is going nowhere.

Photo 4 - A stopping place in the desert. There were lots of camels there. If you pay your 10 RMB, you can ride one. China is very touristy, even in the middle of nowhere.

POTDs 1

Hey, did you wonder why I was out of touch for the month of August? Well, I had a marathon business trip to China. With a few of my colleagues, I visited 3 regions in 2 weeks: Beijing, Xinjiang Autonomous Region in the far Northwest of China bordering Kazahkstan, Russia, and Mongolia, and Shanghai. I did a brief extension on my personal time to the town of Wuzhen in Zhejiang Province, which is close to Shanghai. Our days in Xinjiang were special, because it is not easily reached and because it represents a minority region of China. It was incredible opportunity and a fascinating and productive visit.

Here's a few photos - I'm sharing in case anyone is interested.

Photo 1 - Gate to the Forbidden City in Beijing. This giant structure separates giant Tiananment Square from the Forbidden City.

Photo 2 - Boy flying a kite in Tiananmen Square

Photo 3 - Shanghai skyline from the Jinmao Tower (in the Grand Hyatt lounge). You can see the initial blocks of Pudong before the river. On the other side is the older part of Shanghai - it's skyscrapers as far as the eye can see.

Photo 4 - Wuzhen, which is a preserved city in Zhejiang Province near Shanghai.