Local soccer team beats opponent 4-1

In a much anticipated game played in Washington DC, a local soccer team defeated their rivals by a score of 4-1.  The losing team is disappointed but still a champion.

No, I'm not talking about the DC United, who beat the LA Galaxy 4-1 at RFK on Sunday.  I'm talking about the Goleros, who were beaten 4-1 by Flirting with Sobriety at Wakefield HS.  

Buzz kill.  Our streak of 14 games without a loss is now over!  We're also 0-2 in championship matches.  But all is not lost.  We remain the winners of the regular season, a grueling campaign of 8 matches.  We are first to be considered for promotion.  We can start the fall season with a chip on our shoulder.

Given the heat and our modest numbers, we played well.  At the half, we were down 1-0 due to a well-placed shot by one of the Flirty women.  In the second half, there was a good chunk of time when we controlled the match, even though we never utilized the wings.  In the end, however, we lost our defensive form and yielded breakaway after breakaway.  The Flirts were able to sink 3 more goals by cruising through the midfield and defense, and beating the last man.  We had committed numbers up the field to try to win.  In the 88', we did finally sink a goal when Anna's free kick from the corner rebounded several times before Ermy buried it.  But it was too late.

Thanks to Anna, Ashley, and Ermy who joined us as alternates.  You were all critical to the match.

Good game, everyone.

Notes: 4-1 loss to Flirting with Sobriety in CCSL finals, 6/29/08, Wakefield HS.  Goal: Ermy (unassisted). GK: Liam.  Discipline: Ashley (yellow).

Time to cast your ballot

You know how this works.

After each season, we vote for MVPs. We typically choose one guy, one gal. You can use any criteria you want: best body, most likely to succeed, whatever.

Cast your ballot now by posting a comment.

I'm going to withhold my vote until I see some comments up there.

The best goal of the season is...

According to your votes, the best goal of the season was Adrian's header in the ClareAndDon's game.

Dude scored twice off his head this season

Let's go back to the goal. We found ourselves down 3-1 in the second half. From the bench, it appeared as if we would lose. No one gave up though. Jon, probably with a little pent up rage, received the ball deep in our end. He made a long run all the way down the right wing. He slowed down in the corner to draw players and then sent a perfect cross to the 8', which an unmarked Adrian finished beautifully. It was a display of power. At no time during the entire play did any defender so much as even threaten.

Bubbles runs like a Gazelle

It really motivated the team and turned the momentum in our favor. Definitely one of the most important goals of the season. My choice was the Deanna-Adrian combo in the Red Tape match, because it gave meaning to the "beautiful game." Let us not forget Chris' goal either - that was maybe the most technically difficult. The best goalies would have no chance against it.

It's time (don't forget your photo ID)

It's time to play our last game of the spring season. Thankfully, we went all the way and will play for the division championship.

Game is at 10:00 a.m. at Wakefield HS in South Arlington. Click here for a map and directions. Show up a half hour early for warm up. The field will be open. This is the same start time announced earlier. I wanted to clarify since there was some talk over email about moving the game up. It didn't happen. The game stays at 10:00 a.m.

Bring a photo ID. You can't play with out it. The league is doing roster checks.

I know we're all motivated to win. I know we can do it. It's important, though, that we go out on a high note, win or lose. Let's play to have fun.

Shootout!

Like the Spain-Italy game, our semi final match versus Quicksilver ended in a shootout. We won it in penalties and punched a ticket to the finals - for the second time in a year. We will face the Flirts , who are solid and sportsmanlike. The finals are their only path back to the 2nd division from whence they came. Yeah, they're motivated to win.

Let's remember how we got here. Our semi final win was a thriller. Some teammates helped me piece it together as follows...

It took a while to settle, since we had some new players. Luckily while we were still settling we got a penalty - there was no argument - Adrian got the ball just outside the box turned and went around their last defender so the goalie came out to try for the ball and Adrian just touched it by him before the goalie got there and the goalie took him out. time. Jon took the PK, slotting it in the right side netting with his right foot and making it look easy.

In the second half, we earned a corner almost directly off the kick. Nate sent the corner in, there was a scramble before Ashley redirected the ball in hard, which Katya deflected into the right/near post with the keeper diving to his left - the ball was just past his fingertips. Since Ashley is new, I will avoid the term I usually use to describe a situation where two women hook up for a goal! Let's just focus on the fact Ashley got a point in her first game and Katya got her first goal.

We gave up two goals after that, which must have been a bummer.

Then it was PKs. Jon, Ally, Adrian, Bri, and Mike got the call. Liam made two saves and saw one miss entirely. And so we won. It was the third time we went to PKs, and the second time we came out on top. I like that trend. Gimme a little credit for holding a practice session last week.

Time to get ready for the finals.

Notes: Semifinal playoff win versus Quicksilver coming off a first-round bye. 2-2 (3-2 in penalties). Goals by Jon (PK earned by Adrian), Katya (Ashley). Discipline: Jon (yellow for dissent). GK: Liam. PKs taken by Jon, Ally, Adrian (make), Bri (make), Mike (make). Liam had two saves and saw one missed penalty.

Olympics

You're an American, I'm sure you know that we qualified for the Olympics in both Men's and Women's soccer. Both teams are contenders for a medal, the women more so than the men of course.

The futblogosphere is buzzing because the olympic rosters are due soon. Who's in? Who's out?

The US women's roster was announced yesterday. It features the usual suspects, with some notable but unsurprising absences. GK Brianna Scurry, in her late thirties, is probably out of the national team picture for good now. Maybe a few more friendlies to end her stellar career. She is replaced by Nicole Barnhardt as the backup for Hope Solo. Two players - Cat Whitehill and Leslie Osbourne - are recuperating from ACL surgery and won't make the trip either.

Here's who's going to Beijing.

GOALKEEPERS: Nicole Barnhart (Gilbertsville, Pa.), Hope Solo (Richland,
Wash.).

DEFENDERS: Rachel Buehler (Del Mar, Calif.), Lori Chalupny (St. Louis,
Mo.), Stephanie Cox (Elk Grove, Calif.), Kate Markgraf (Bloomfield Hills,
Mich.), Heather Mitts (Cincinnati, Ohio), Christie Rampone (Point Pleasant,
N.J.).

MIDFIELDERS: Shannon Boxx (Redondo Beach, Calif.), Tobin Heath (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Angela Hucles (Virginia Beach, Va.), Carli Lloyd (Delran, N.J.), Heather O'Reilly (East Brunswick, N.J.), Lindsay Tarpley (Kalamazoo, Mich.), Aly Wagner (San Jose, Calif.).

FORWARDS: Natasha Kai (Kahuku, Hawaii), Amy Rodriguez
(Lake Forest, Calif.), Abby Wambach (Rochester, N.Y.).

Alternates: Scurry, defender Ali Krieger, midfielder Kacey White and
forward Lauren Cheney.

The men's roster isn't due until late July. Coach Peter Novak and his new assistant, Josh Gros, will have to choose carefully. The base roster will look something like this:

GOALKEEPERS (2): Dominic Cervi (out of contract), Chris Seitz (Real Salt
Lake)

DEFENDERS (7): Hunter Freeman (New York Red Bulls), Kamani Hill (Vfl
Wolfsburg), Patrick Ianni (Houston Dynamo), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Jonathan
Spector (West Ham United), Nathan Sturgis (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne
(Toronto FC)

MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (SL Benfica), Maurice Edu (Toronto FC), Eddie
Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas
USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Sal Zizzo (Hannover 96)

FORWARDS (4): Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bulls), Chad Barrett (Chicago Fire), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Robbie Findley (Real Salt Lake)

But expect surprises. The coaches have to take into account injuries, form, European pre-season, WC qualfying, and of course the roster rules, which require all players to be under the age of 23, with three exceptions.

So which three senior players will go to Beijing? What will the rest of the roster look like?

Schedule finalized - we play at 10:00 a.m.

The schedule is finalized. We play at 10:00 a.m. at Wakefield HS in South Arlington. We played there once last year, versus Celtic.

In talking to people, it looks like we could be short on numbers. Everyone do your best to make the game so we can close out the season and, as Griz said, "win the whole thing."

After the game, a few of us will rush to the DCU/Galaxy game to catch the second half. Then, in the afternoon, it's the Euro final.

Breaking news

We will play the Flirts on Sunday for the division championship. We played the Flirts in the first game of the season and won by a score of 1-0 (game report here). It was a critical and close game decided by a single late goal.

In the playoffs, the Flirts won by forfeit vs Two Left Feet on Saturday and defeated ClareAndDons on Sunday. $10 says the scout we saw at the field in the last regular season game was a Flirts player. I do recall him wearing one of those blue shirts.

No word on the kickoff time yet. We've requested a late game.

We'll get a game report up shortly for the semifinal thriller. People are welcome to send their comments. Must have been an awesome game!

Mark it on your calendar: soccer Sunday!

Get ready.  Soccer is going to rule your life this Sunday.  It's a rare triple-header:

* 12:00 p.m. DC United vs. LA Galaxy at RFK Stadium

* 2:45 p.m. Euro 2008 final

* The CCSL finals (no word on our game time yet - let's hope it's early evening so we can see all the games).

You're being watched

An alert teammate spotted a fellow at the game last week who didn't seem to be with either team.  Yet he was there taking notes, especially when we practiced PKs.  Perhaps he was assessing the referees or acting as a foreign spy, taking notes on local cultural activities and reporting to the Supreme Chancellor.  

More likely, he was a scout.  That's right, there are scouts among us, trying to figure out what makes the Goleros juggernaut work.  Good luck bud!

BTW, if individual players are being scouted, and subsequently given offer sheets from other clubs, you are required by contract to come to me first!  We just might give you a long-term deal with guaranteed compensation and incentives.

Buy this ball

This is the Euro 2008 match ball.  I love it.  It's got the new touch and stitching but a throw-back black-checkered look.  You should buy it and let us play with it.  $129.99.

Semis on Sunday 6/22 - RSVP here

Our semi-final game is Sunday June 22nd, 2:00 p.m. at George Mason HS in Falls Church - the "monsoon field." We play the winner of the first-round Tsunami (#4) vs. Quicksilver (#5) matchup.

RSVP now. We'll need bodies. I have the following people as out already: Griz, Chris, De, Kris, Jer, Jackie, Adrian. I won't be there either - in Colorado for a wedding.

Megan will be your captain. If she tells you to drop and give her 20, do it!

Goleros win division title!

We stampeded into first place on Sunday with a resounding 7-0 win over Red Tape. In doing so, we won the division title and earned promotion to the Second Division.

What did you think of the game? What was the best play?

It was a day of milestones: first title, first undefeated record (6-0-2), first top seed going into the playoffs. Congratulations to everyone! Finishing at the top of the table is a nice validation of our teamwork and skills. Quite a few people put heart and soul into the team - making it fun for everyone.

Happiness

The match itself was a wee bit lopsided. A struggling Red Tape side started with only 9 players, but did finish the game with a few subs. We scored and took control in the first minute of play. Fully 10 players got on the score sheet, including our goalie, who busted out a celebration dance that I guess we'll call the quickstep. It was kind of like running in place while twisting back and forth.

Do a little dance!

We are now 5-0 lifetime against Red Tape (read about past matches here, here and here). After the game, we took some PKs in preparation for a potential shootout in the playoffs. We ended the afternoon with a few drinks at Ramparts.

Let’s keep our edge in the playoffs. There are more games yet to play.

Scoring summary:

* In the 1', Bubbles took advantage of a fallen defender (unassisted).

* In the 10', Adrian poked one through off Ally's assist.

* In the 20', Chris (aka El Nino or Pants Guy) failed to finish Carolyn's cross. Filled with rage, he gathered up Ermy's pass with his back to goal, made a quick turn and released a scorcher to the Upper 90. Best ever goal by Chris?

* In the 30', from a midfield position, De stepped into a through ball on the left wing and sent in a perfect cross to Adrian's head. Beautiful.

* In the 50', Liam took De's pass and send a low shot beyond the keeper's reach.

* In the 60', El Nino scored off an assist from Bri.

* In the 75', Grizzy scored from the right wing off an assist from Katya.

Notes: 7-0 win versus Red Tape, 6/15/08, 5-0 record lifetime against Red Tape. Goals: Jon (unassisted), Adrian (Ally), Chris (Ermy), Adrian (De), Liam (De), Chris (Bri), Griz (Katya). GKs: Liam (1st), Adrian (2nd), Jon (2nd). Discipline: Jon (Yellow, 10’, dangerous play), Ally (Yellow, 70’, intentional foul/obstruction). Red Tape had a yellow as well.

Breaking news: playoff schedule released

Lou has released the initial playoff sked. Six teams from each division participate in a standard single elimination format, with byes for the top two seeds.

We play the winner of the first-round matchup between Quicksilver and Tsunami. The game will be Sunday June 22, 2:00 p.m. at George Mason HS, which is the "monsoon field."

If we win, we will advance to the finals, to be held between 1:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. on Sunday June 29th at George Mason HS. Kick off time TBA.

Daily briefing

Here's your news briefing for the day.

* Playoff schedule is being passed around. Will let you know ASAP.

* Summer social is being planned. See prior post.

* Check the regular season standings here. Check 'em soon though, because they wipe it clean for the playoffs.

* It was a weekend of blowouts. DCU crushed the Red Bulls (I was there). The US team made a mockery of the poor Barbados team, whipping them 8-0.

Coming soon: game report with pics. You didn't think I was going to skip that after yesterday's milestone, did you?????

TENTATIVE END OF THE SEASON TEAM SUMMER BBQ!!!

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22

 

LOCATION: ALLY'S HOUSE, SILVER SPRING MARYLAND

 

PLESE LET US KNOW IF THIS DATE WORKS WITHIN YOUR SUMMER SCHEDULE.

 

Thank you.

 

 

Best Goal So Far

Wesley Sneijder scored the best goal of Euro 2008 so far in my opinion.
Check out the replay at ESPN360.com. The Dutch are going to win the
whole shootin' match! Finally!
Nathan

Beautiful

Here's your photo of the day.

It's Moxie, the most beautiful girl in the world.

You can express your admiration in the comments section.

Did you know that she plays soccer?  She can dribble faster than you can, just not as straight.  She can turn the ball and bring it back too.  You'd best practice or else she might take your spot on the field.

J-N-F

J-N-F stands for “jerseys, nets, and flags.”

I’m out next week for the semi-final. I’ll need someone to take the jerseys, nets, and flags home this weekend – and bring them to the next game.

If we play the semi-final at the RFK Auxillary fields as planned, it won’t be necessary to actually unload the nets and flags from your car, but bring them along just in case. If the game is scheduled somewhere else, you’ll need to have them. Remember, you bring your set to the field and switch with one of the teams leaving the field. When it is time for you to leave the field, make sure to exchange again with another team. If the next team doesn’t have a set for you, you should take the ones on the field. We have to have our own set or we will have to buy new ones.

See Jackie Run

For your viewing pleasure, check out this photo progression of the Jackal after she scored her first goal of the season - and with her left foot!  Bubbles starts off in a celebratory mood.  By the last shot, you can see him just trying to get rid of her.  He's pushing her away!

Offside?

I'm sure you're watching the Euro.

Controversial no call in the Netherlands-Italy game this week. One of Italy's defenders was pushed off the field of play by his own goalie in a collision. On the ensuing rebound, a Dutch player sent a shot back into the area that Van Nistelroy deflected into the goal as pictured above. The goal was allowed.

But was it offside?

Italians everywhere think Van Nistelroy was off. The ESPN analysts, including the respectable Julie Foudy, also thought it was a blown call.  UEFA thinks the referee got it right. 

Whether the call was correct depends upon the interpretation of the offside rule.  Rule 11 of the Laws of the Game states simply that "A player is in an offside position if he is nearer to his opponents' goal line than the ball and the second last opponent." There's nothing about this unique situation in the rule itself.  UEFA says that the Italian defender got injured and left the field on his own momentum.  Therefore, he is still part of the game and taken into consideration for the offside rule.  It makes sense if you think about it.  Without this rule, a player could deliberately step off the field to put her opponent in an offside position.

What do you think?

We've had some controversy of our own about the offside rule. It's one of the great rules in sports. So simple but hard to officiate. The rule has a major impact on the way the game is played, emphasizing action in the midfield and rewarding the teams that can build an attack.

June 15th game - RSVP now!

RSVP for our last game of the season.  2:00 p.m. versus Red Tape at St. Stephens, which is in Alexandria.  It's where we played the championship game last year.  Key game, everyone needs to show up and keep the streak alive.

Don't know who's out, but we know that Adrian, Jon, and Mike are in.

Schedule update; at least two games to play

We're not done yet!

We have our last regular season game this Sunday. It's an important one, like all the others. Let's show up and do what we've been doing.

Then, we'll start the playoffs the following weekend. We have earned a bye in the first round on Saturday so expect us to begin the playoffs in the semi-final on Sunday June 22nd. The game will be at the RFK auxillary fields as a part of a CCSL Tailgate function before the DC United game that day [thanks Nate for catching that detail]. In the semi-final, we'll probably play the winner of the #3 vs #6 matchup, which I'm guessing will be Tsunami or Quicksilver. If we win that game, you have to think we'd face ClareAndDons or the Flirts in the final on Sunday June 29th.

I have no idea when game times will be. Expect to play in the morning for both games. I'll try to request a later start time for the opening playoff game since folks may be coming back into town from trips. I doubt they will field requests for the final game, since no team can say for sure that they'll be there. Unfortunately, the final is likely to conflict with the DCU vs LA Galaxy game - oh well.

Clean sheet

In her first appearance in goal, Kate led a resurgent defense to a tight 2-0 win over our friends on Tsunami Naranja. It was our fourth shut out of the season, not including the forfeit win over 2LF.

Teamwork!

I thought the game was close until the final whistle. Tsunami plays the coed game like it's meant to be played - with sportsmanship and reliance on all 11 players to get a result. They have a lot of good versatile, unselfish players. We probably had the better chances, but it wasn't until relatively late in the second half that we finally got the break we needed. In fact, after missing out on yet another PK opportunity versus Tsunami, and getting just a little lucky on some of Brian's shots and #12's moves, I think we showed resolve.


Offensive summary:


* In the 40', Chris earned a PK opportunity by shooting the ball directly at the last man.
* In the 65', Ermy muscled his way to a through ball from Chris and then beat the last two defenders for the score.
* In about the 70', Nate produced a screamer that bounced off, way off, the near post.
* In the 75', Ermy dribbled at the top of box and layed a nice pass off to Jackie, who first-timed a nice left footed shot for her first goal of the season.


Great job everyone.


Did I miss anything important in the game summary? What did you think about the game?


Notes: 6/8/08, 2-0 win versus Tsunami Naranja at Trinity. Goals by Ermy (Chris), Jackie (Ermy). PK opportunity (Mike). GK: Kate.

[Edited to reflect proper scoring summary].

Heat wave

We're in the midst of a heat wave.  Even though we have a morning game, it will be hot at the field.  Don't drink a lot the night before and come to the game hydrated.  We'll probably take little breaks during each half.  See you at the field.  It's going to be a fun game.

Results of the Poll - and some reminiscing about the old days

The most dramatic match we've played in is...the Spring '07 CCSL championship match, according to your votes. Dramatic? Yes. Uplifting? No. In case you didn't know, that's the match in which we hung tough with Team X but completely unraveled at the end. Our goalie got a red card. We lost a player to injury. The ref, seeking retribution for the red card, allowed the winning free kick to be taken, without another goalie in place. But we know that we hung in there. I'd like to think we would have won in penalties.

All the other matches got votes, except for the '06 Fallfest semi-final game. If you were there, you would definitely know it as one of our great wins. We had cleared our group straight away with 3 wins. In the semi-final, we played Soccer Bums, against whom we were evenly matched. It They had tied the game late, 1-1. As time expired, Mark won the ball at midfield and sent a very long pass into the area which Jer collected on his chest for an amazing two-touch finish (once off the chest, once into the net). The other team's bench went silent; it was incredible.

I voted for the '06 Coed Classic final game. You don't often go to FIFA-style penalties in a rec match. It's an amazing amount of pressure after you've played 5 matches over 2 days. You get to the top of the bracket, play a full game against a tough opponent, and settle everything with 5 shots a piece from the spot. Great experience (we lost unfortunately, but there weren't any hard feelings).

The Architect

Congratulations to our teammate, Deanna, who just received her masters in architecture from Catholic U.

While we were battling it out with Quicksilver, De was walking in the graduation ceremony. Her senior project in urban conservation was honored by the school, and, most interesting to me, it's going on display in Allentown, PA.

De, you're a great addition to the team. We love your strategic play on the wing. You know how to use space and advance the ball to safety.

Now we've got two architects on the team. You probably know that Grizzy, owner of Grizform Design, is also an architect.

.

June 8th 9:45 a.m. game - RSVP here

We are playing Tsunami at Trinity, which has special rules (no dogs, no peeing, etc). If we win, we secure second place and the chance to play our last game for first place and automatic promotion. Let's bring our game again.

Show up early and bring a white T-shirt.

We already know that Bri, Liam, and Pete are out.

Goleros erase a 3-goal deficit!

In dramatic fashion, we earned a point on Sunday versus ClareAndDons. The final result was 4-4. What a match!

From the sidelines, I saw intense concentration, unselfish play, hustle, creative attacking, people running off the ball, a willingness to engage in tackles, and a defense that supported the attack. Yes, we gave up 4 goals; we will have to fix that with a little tune up of our communication. But I don’t want anyone to second guess the result. Bottom line: we overcame a 3-goal deficit and scored 4 goals in a single half against what was, at the time, the best team in the division. Even when we were down, we were cohesive and dangerous. Appreciate, for the moment, what we have accomplished as a team.

In the first half, we got in the hole quickly by one, then two goals. We had scouted ClareAndDons and learned their M.O. They use two talented strikers to dribble up the middle of the field and beat the defense one-on-one. Somehow though, we weren't able to capitalize on that knowledge. We had about 5-6 miscues in the game, and they managed to capitalize on four of them, each goal looking remarkably like the others. We closed the half without a score, but we had controlled the run of play and created at least five scoring opportunities that were busted up by their goalie.


In the second half, we resolved to keep the same 3-5-2 formation but push more people up. Before we could turn the tide, however, we gave up another goal. Then it started:

Goal #1 (55') - Carolyn's well-timed short cross to Nate, who's always in the
right place.
Goal #2 (60')- Incredible long run by Jon to send the defense into a
panic. His perfectly-weighted cross to Adrian's diving header was an
all-time highlight for the team.
Goal #3 (75')- Karma. We had been unlucky on about 10
shots. Chris collected a deflection and finished it.
Goal #4 (86') - Inevitable b/c our sustained attack. Ermy wisely took some time to
possess the ball in the box. When he made an aggressive move towards the
center of the box, he was deliberately tripped. A clear PK, which Mike finished with confidence.

My game ball goes to Bri, who gave us a truly special performance in midfield. It was the classic midfield role - bridging the defense and the attack and disrupting the other team's flow.


The season ain't over. We have two critical games in which we need positive results in order to finish first.

Notes: 4-4 tie versus ClareAndDons, 6/1/08, George Mason HS. Goals by Nate (Carolyn), Adrian (Jon), Chris (rebound), Mike on PK (earned by Ermy). GK: Liam.

Standings: the race is on

Check the standings here. Once again, it’s tight in our division. It's a two-way race for first, with a bunch of teams scrambling for second. Take a look at the table:

1st – ClareAndDons, who are 5-1-2 with 17 points. They are done now, no
more games, no more points. They hold the tie-breaker over us due to their
+14 GDA versus our +9.

2nd – Goleros. We are 4-0-2 with 14 points. We have two games remaining against Tsunami and Red Tape. We have a good shot at first.

3rd – Flirts, who are 4-2-1 with 13 points. They have one game remaining versus Red Tape, which means they will almost certainly finish with 16 points. We hold the tie-breaker over them due to our head-to-head win.

4th – Quicksilver, who are 3-2-1 with 10 points. They have two games remaining against Tsunami and the Crew. Thankfully, they lost this past weekend so they can finish with a maximum of 16 points. We hold the tie-breaker over them due to our +9 GDA versus their +2.

5th – Tsunami, who are 3-3-0, with 9 points. Tsunami has two games left and can finish with as many as 15 points. We need to wait until this weekend to determine who has the tie-breaker.

What does all this mean for us? We have two games to play. If we get one more win, we are assured 2nd place. If we get a win and a tie, we are assured of 1st. If we fail to win a game, however, we could drop in the standings. Let us not forget about Tsunami, who always plays us well and can overtake us in the standings. We need to win that game. And then, we’ll have to close out strong versus Red Tape, who will be very hungry for a win.

What are the stakes? The first and second place finisher at the end of the regular season get a bye in the playoffs. The winner of the regular season and the winner of the playoffs are promoted to the next division.

The race is on. Let’s finish first!

DC United Needs a New Defender

This guy is available!

(Editorial note: posted by Nate)

The Ice Bucket

I'm in rehab - but not the kind in which celebrities and politicians enroll.  I'm in PT to get back out on the field with you all.  My PT recommended the "ice bucket," something I had seen but never done. 

It ain't like an ice pack.  Apparently, it's a more aggressive treatment to help speed up recovery. Let me tell you it's f-ing cold.  I have literally frozen my toes several times.

All in all, it's going well though.  A lot of progress in one week.

BTW, this is not a photo of me.  I don't do cut off jeans.