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!