No rule change on slide tackles: they still are not allowed

It seems like every captains' meeting, we debate slide tackles. This year, the referee assignor tried to change the rule again - to make it more simple to adminster for the referees. The effort wasn't successful. The rule did not change.

The rule is simple - no slide tackles. They are punished automatically wtih an indirect kick, or if there is a foul as well, a direct free kick. A slide tackle in the box will usually result in a yellow card and a PK. Even though it's a matter of discretion for the ref, it's likely to happen that way so avoid it.

Here's my post from last season, which contains the actual text of the rule.

I also figured I'd share some thoughts I collected from Jer and Nate, who know a lot about the game. It's interesting to see their perspectives as referees.

Nate:

It's one of those things. I know it when I see it. Like porn.Anyway,
it took me a long time to figure out the difference between Jesse's language and
the existing. In fact, I think if we had an English professor analyze the
language there would be no difference in meaning.I actually don't see in the
current language where a slide tackle is not punished with an indirect free
kick.It's late though and I'm not reading very well.It seams like the definition
of slide tackle was not in debate last night.From what I learned from Tom,
Jesse, and Ramon is that a slide tackle has to have two parts: a slide and a
tackle.Sliding to kick the ball out of bounds if it is not playable by an
opponent is not a slide tackle...it's just a slide (this doesn't happen too
often). Tackling the ball away from another player and then falling down
is not a slide tackle. This happens all the time and is often punished as a
slide tackle - if it's questionable the ref can just say you lunged in too hard
and that's why he called a foul.Anyway, I guess were the rule gets trampled on
is that there are very few people in our league that can slide tackle without
fouling the opponent. So more often than not the call should be a direct
free kick - and if the ref chooses not to give a yellow card then the slide can
seem to go unpunished. The ref should, in this case definitely have words
with the player to tell s/he to cut it out - or give the card.Every game is
called differently by referees. I don't think we can hope to eliminate
that in CCSL. I see some teams that adjust to the ref very quickly and
take advantage. The Brazilian national team does this beautifully and gets
more favorable calls.

Jer:

I've always thought the biggest problem is that it isn't a rule that is
consistently applied by the referees, so none of the players really know what to
expect. Regardless of what should result from a slide tackle infraction
(PK in the box, etc...) the bigger problem is that some refs know how to call it
properly and some don't. I think the thing that needs to be emphasized to
the Goleros is that we need to gauge our play this year based on how good the
referee is. Sometimes, you just know that the ref isn't good and we aren't
going to get a well-reffed match, so we shouldn't spend our energy worrying
about the calls that don't go our way.

One thing that hasn't been done that should be, the CCSL needs to have a mandatory referee meeting, so that people can get on the same page and someone like Jim Sadowski can establish some baseline consistency. They have all the captains dealing with this issue, and I see it more as an issue that needs to be dealt with directly with the referees.

Cantina Marina to re-open its deck on April 3rd

We'll have to get another happy hour going soon now that the weather is improving. It's a great spot.

Stay tuned.

Charitable contributions low - pls give

There's good news and bad news. The good news is that people are paying their dues on time, which is awesome. The bad news is that charitable contributions are dropping off. Of course, these days you have to watch over your money so it's understandable. But let's do our best to keep the program alive. Contribute if you can!

Thanks for considering it!

Report from Captains' Meeting

Ally and I attended the Spring 2010 Captains' Meeting and had a grand old time. Here are some notes, with a few of my thoughts thrown in. It's always interesting to see how the league works and how dedicated the volunteers are.



1. General notes



There was talk about how well organized the league is. Many people with a lot of experience in rec soccer think that CCSL is one of the premier leagues in the whole country. We have competitive teams, we play on great fields, and we're quite large - 37 teams with about 1000 total players, some sponsors, a functioning referee pool, a growing social scene, and a healthy promotion/ relegation system. There are many teams on the waitlist. Few ever get in. In fact, the Goleros were one of the last teams to be admitted, in 2006 I believe, when I had developed a relationship with the Scheduler, who I played with on another team. He vouched for us and moved us to the top of the list, ahead of probably 20 teams. Thanks again Lou! Anyway, one team is likely folding this year, and another will take its place, probably in the 3rd Division. Folding rarely happens because the spot is so valuable, people find a way to reconstitute the team, regardless of who's running the ship. I hope that is the case with our team someday.



2. Promotion/relegation



The Commish reminded teams that promotion is not guaranteed. The Executive Board must determine whether there is space in the next division, and that may be dictated by whether teams are being added to a particular division.



Each season, two teams are eligible for promotion (first, the winner of the regular season, and second, the winner of the playoffs) and two teams are eligible for relegation (the bottom two teams in the regular season). At the meeting, all of the eligible teams were promoted, except for Hoover FC out of the First Division, which declined, and thus the second-to-last place team in Premier avoided relegation.



3. Schedule and fields



Games start March 28th. We're on a lot of turf fields in VA and DC. Trinity, still my favorite field because it is level grass, is our "worst field" so people are pretty happy about the state of things. The Commish and the Field Guru have worked hard to build relationships. It's always fluid though. Just because you have a great reputation and find an "in" doesn't mean you will keep your spot. Field spots can be yanked for any reason - if we litter too much or whatever. I remember when CCSL got significant time on the GW fields in Georgetown. Suddenly, the next season, we were told they were full. Rumor has it the commissioner of another league - a for-profit league - had struck up a cosy relationship wtih the field manager that may have included a fancy lunch. We ain't like that. We have to do things the old-fashioned way. That's why the league constantly impresses upon captains how important our behavior is on the fields. We want to be invited back to the fields we've secured. Many of you are new to adult coed and may not realize how bad it can get for playing conditions. When you're stuck on a small bumpy baseball diamond 10 miles outside of Rockville, the game isn't quite the same. The Goleros did that for many years. This is our third league in 10 years - and it's by far the best.



By the way, before each season, the Scheduler accepts scheduling requests. If ever you know of weekends that don't work or you have suggestions, send them to me before the season starts. This season, I made two late requests -for a bye on April 11th and a late start on March 28th. We'll see if they are accommodated.



4. State and National Association news

Two former league officers are now part of the national and state associations. They are working to implement an automatic registration system (the players register and pay directly with the league) and also a reduction in the amount of insurance we pay. Since we are an accredited league, the insurance is mandatory. Currently, I believe we pay close to $18 per player per season . This is supplemental insurance, over an above your base policy, that covers some injuries sustained in the course of play. So, if you get hurt, which you won't, you may be able to get some of your costs covered. But, like I said, we're trying to reduce the cost of insurance, because right now, it's not really worth it.

5. Scheduling rules

The Scheduler reminded teams that forfeits are a pain for everyone. There is a new policy, which was passed at the meeting. Scheduling requests may be made before the season. If, during the season, a team cannot make a scheduled game, they may request accommodation. The league doesn't have to accommodate, however. And, if you do not notify the league of an impending forfeit before Wednesday COB, there is a $200 fine. $100 of the fine will go to league coffers and $100 will be used as a credit to the opposing team as compensation for being shorted a game.

6. Referee Report

The Ref assignor attempted to change the slide tackle rule to something more simple. Because the new proposal would result in an automatic penalty kick if the tackle was made in the box, the captains didn't like it and it failed. We'll cover the existing slide tackle rule in a subsequent post.

New designation on rosters - this season, all game rosters handed to the refs before kickoff must designate the team captain. So, if Ally or I aren't playing in the game, we will need to designate another captain. This person is responsible for keeping team behavior in check. While most refereees prefer only to discuss calls with captains, there is no special right of captains to object to calls or to be belligerent.

Remember, each team must supply a referee(s) that works five CCSL games each season. Our sole ref at this time is Jeremy. Without him, our dues would increase by $500.

7. Registration

Rosters are due to the league before the 4th week.

8. Fields

We are always looking for newer or better fields, or relationships that we can strike up for long-term gain. Everyone should think to see whether we can leverage connections to get our league good fields. We would benefit from this - all scheduling requests on that field and others would likely be honored, among other things.

9. Social committee

More events are planned this season.

10. Fees

We paid our $1650 dues. There was no increase versus last season.

Answer to poll: cost per game often in excess of $400

Last week's poll asked, 'What's the cost to the league of the average game on a premium field?' The choices were $600, $150, $225, and $425.

The answer is $425.

That's a good rule of thumb, but it's not the whole truth.

For the turf fields we use, our higher-end fees are $150/hr. We pay ref crews $55 for the center and $40 each for the ARs. Thus, if you calculate a 2-hour rental ($300) plus refs ($135), you actually get $435.

There are more factors. Some fields are cheaper. We have a discount price of $40/hr at DC's Ridge field right now, so we've booked it as much as possible through the summer before the District gets wise and raises the price. Some fields are even free, such as the Mall or the Marina. Wilson HS in the District costs $150/hr. The other turf fields average between $90-125/hr. Some prices are more than $150/hr, and don't forget, all prices will inevitably go up.

Of course, a soccer game is only 90 minutes plus a 5-10 minute half. So a clever scheduler can fit in a range of games throughout the day so that each game doesn't take up the full 2-hour allocation.

Still more factors. Reffing costs may have gone up - I was using costs from last year. And none of the calculations include the fixed, indirect, and in-kind costs such as the cost of nets/flags, the $1500 fee we pay the ref assignor each season, and the time contributed by volunteers.

So that's why you pay $80 per season. For eight games on premium fields, with insurance and a three-person certified reffing crew, it's a good value.

Your official announcement on dues

This is your official announcement to pay dues. The deadline is game time on March 28th.

The bill comes to $80 per player. Don't forget about our charity program. Throw in your optional donation of $20.

Please use paypal to my personal address.

Email to follow.

Starting XI

The Shin Guardian, a good blog about soccer and particularly the US men's natonal team, is putting 5-to-1 odds on this starting lineup versus England on June 12th.

What do you think?



G: Howard; DEF: Spector DeMerit, Gooch, Boca; MID: Dempsey, Bradley, Edu, Donovan; STR: Casey, Altidore

New league disciplinary policy

At last night's captains' meeting, the Executive Board successfully added (without objection) a more formal disciplinary process to the league's by-laws. Instead of emails and squabbling with an informal judgment by the Disciplinary Committee, we will now have a set process to adjudicate problems.

Highlights, or I should say, lowlights, of the policy include:

• The Disciplinary Committee will notify captains of an incident that will be reviewed.
• Team captains have 3 days to respond in writing, not to exceed 5 pages.
• Decisions will be made within 14 days.
• Captains are expected to exhibit the highest standards of good behavior and must make all efforts to limit incidents and misconduct.
• Sanctions include suspension, fines, probation, banning fans, missng playoffs, reprimand, and requiring written apologies.
• There is a right to appeal major suspensions for a $100 fee - but not of 2 games or less.
• The league will keep a record of decisions and post a Hall of Shame on the league website (my least favorite aspect of the policy).

In truth, we support many aspects of the policy. There has been a spike of misconduct and it's taking a lot of the board's time. However, certain aspects are perhaps too formal or rigid. If you have any specific concerns, we will have the option to modify the policy going forward.

The full text of the policy will be available on the CCSL website and I am pasting the current draft here:

CCSL Disciplinary and Appeal Policy
The purpose of this policy is to provide a fair, transparent and efficient procedure for investigating and, where appropriate, punishing misconduct by persons involved with the CCSL. This Policy also outlines the procedures for an appeal of a disciplinary decision.
For purposes of this Policy, the term “participant” shall be used in its broadest sense to include, without limitation, any player, coach, captain, team representative, fan, spectator, or other person that is in any way involved with a CCSL team at a CCSL match or tournament.
By participating in the CCSL, all participants are placed on notice that their conduct is subject to the authority of the CCSL, the Disciplinary Committee,[1] the Commissioner, and this Policy.
Part I. General Disciplinary Procedures and Authority.
A. General Authority of the Committee. Upon receipt of a report of misconduct, the Discipline Committee has the authority to investigate the matter and to make a disciplinary recommendation to the CCSL Commissioner. The Disciplinary Committee also has the authority to request a written statement from any person as it deems relevant to its investigation.
B. Notice of Misconduct. The Committee shall notify, in writing, the captains of the teams involved with the misconduct by sending written notice (“Notice”) by e-mail to the e-mail addresses of record for the captains of the team or teams that were involved in the incident.
C. Minimum Content of the Notice. The Notice must contain: (1) the date, time and location of the match; (2) the name of the referee(s) or other person(s) that reported the misconduct; (3) the referee or other written report containing the allegation of misconduct; and (4) a brief summary of the incident under investigation. The Committee may exclude from the Notice personal information that is not relevant to the investigation (for example, the e-mail address and phone number of the match official).
D. Response, Duty of Team Captain, and Timeline. As part of the Notice, the Committee may request that the team captain(s) submit a written response (“Response”) outlining the team’s recollection of the incident, the circumstances surrounding it, and the team’s position on any recommended punishment, if any. The Committee may also request that the Response include a statement from the participant(s) involved in the misconduct. A team captain has an affirmative duty to respond to the Notice within three (3) calendar days of receipt of the Notice and to assist all disciplinary (or other CCSL) representatives during the entire disciplinary process.
E. Content of Response. A team may include in its Response written statements from team mates, supporters, or other witnesses. The Response shall not exceed five (5) pages. The Response should be fact laden (who, what, where, when and why) and should be brief and to the point. The Response should be civil and professional. Personal attacks of any kind are inappropriate, will be viewed with disfavor, and may be redacted from any public decision.
F. Untimely Response; Failure to Respond. A Response that is not submitted by the deadline need not be considered by the Committee. If a team or participant involved in an investigation fails to provide a Response or a written statement, the Committee may consider that failure as evidence of consciousness of guilt.
G. Notice, Responses and Statements Public to the CCSL. The Notice, Response, statement, and any other material included in those documents will be a matter of record in the disciplinary process, so submitters are encouraged to include in those documents only that information that is relevant to the incident and the investigation, and to exclude any personal information.
H. Further Information May Be Requested. The Committee may, in exercising its discretion, request further clarification, in writing, of an incident or a submission. A referee, team captain or participant shall respond to any request for clarification in writing within two (2) days.
I. Other Authority of the Committee. During any investigation of misconduct, the Committee has the authority to investigate and make findings concerning any conduct that is considered inappropriate to the interests of the CCSL irrespective of whether that conduct was reported by a match official and irrespective of whether that conduct was punished by the center referee.
Part II. Committee’s Decision:
A. Timeline for Decision. The Committee shall issue its findings and recommended punishment or sanctions (“Decision”) in writing to the Commissioner within a reasonable period of time, with the goal being having a Decision issued not later than fourteen (14) days after the last set of written submissions was received.
B. Content of the Decision. The Decision must include all written materials that the Committee considered in making its Decision and a summary of the basis for the decision, except that the Committee will exclude from the report the personal email address of the captain(s) that submitted a Response.
C. Goal of Consistency in Punishment. The goal of a Decision is to recommend a punishment that will prevent further misconduct and that is consistent with prior punishments for similar incidents. Notwithstanding this goal, teams and participants recognize that all incidents must be viewed on the facts and that the “cause” of an incident may be complex. There is no requirement that all punishments be the same as those for prior incidents or that teams or participants must be punished on equal terms.
Part III Captain Duties; Types of Sanctions/Punishments.
A. Team Captain Responsibility. A Team Captain is expected to exhibit the highest standards of good behavior (whether playing in a match or not). A Team Captain has an affirmative duty at all times to be proactive, to prevent misconduct by any team player, to be in control of his/her team, fans, and anyone in the vicinity of the team’s bench area, and to take reasonable measures to gain control and prevent escalation when misconduct occurs.[2] The conduct of a team and of a Team Captain will always be considered as part of the Committee investigation. In every match the Team Captain and an Alternative Team captain shall participate in the coin toss and must be identified in the CCSL match report prior to kick off.
B. Sanctions and/or punishments for misconduct may include, without limitation:
(1) suspending a participant or participants from a subsequent match (or matches) or for a set period of time;
(2) a fine to a team and/or a participant;
(3) banning a team from having fans or supporters at a match or for a set period of time;
(4) a reduction in standing points;
(5) prohibiting a team from participating in the playoffs;
(6) public reprimand;
(7) requiring that a participant and/or a team issue a written apology;
(8) placing a participant and/or a team on probation; and/or
(9) conditioning reinstatement on a participant taking a referee training course.
C. Probation, Fines and Bond.
(1) “Probation” means that the participant and/or team may be subject to further, immediate punishment or sanction (including, without limitation, suspension or removal) should the person or team commit an offence of like nature (or of a more serious nature), during the probationary period.
(2) A fine may not exceed $200.
D. Unknown Participant. In the event that a participant found to have engaged in misconduct cannot be identified, but that participant’s conduct can be clearly traceable to a team, the team and the team captain may be disciplined for the unidentified person’s conduct to be consistent with the longstanding policy that a team captain is responsible for the conduct of his/her team and its supporters.
Part IV. The Commissioner’s Role and Decision:
A. Commissioner’s Decision. The Commissioner has the authority to adopt or modify the Decision within three (3) days of receipt. A Commissioner shall ordinarily accept the Decision unless extenuating circumstances exist or the Commissioner is firmly convinced that the findings or punishment in the Decision are clearly in error. The Commissioner will report his decision and, if the Decision is modified, the reasons for the modification (“Comm. Decision”) by written notice to the affected team(s) (“Comm. Decision”), the CCSL Captains, and the Executive Committee by e-mail through the CCSL e-mail lists.
B. Finality of Comm. Decision. The Comm. Decision shall be final and shall be effective immediately, but will be subject to an appeal as outlined in Part VI of this Policy.
Part V. Transparency of Sanctions/Punishments.
A. Record of Disciplinary Decisions. The CCSL webmaster and the Recording Secretary shall jointly be responsible for maintaining a record of disciplinary decisions that will be publicly available to the CCSL Team captains via a password protected website page.
B. Seasonal Hall of Shame. During the course of each season, the CCSL Webmaster shall publish on the CCSL web site, on a week-to-week basis (by Fridays), a list of all misconduct reported by referees that will be entitled the “Hall of Shame” and that will include: (a) the name of the person and team name; (b) the date of the misconduct; (c) the category of misconduct (caution - yellow card; ejection - red card); (d) the type of misconduct as outlined in the FIFA Laws of the Game; and (e) the terms of any participant or team suspension or probation. Once the season is over, the Hall of Shame for that season will be taken down and archived to a password protected web page. The Recording Secretary shall maintain a master list of each season’s Hall of Shame.
Part VI. Appeal Procedure for Disciplinary Decisions
This Part outlines the procedures for an appeal of a Commissioner’s Decision on misconduct.
A. Who May Appeal. An Appeal may only be lodged by a Team Captain. There can be no appeal of a suspension of two (2) matches or less.
B. Appeal Requirements. The appellant must submit the appeal, in writing, to the Commissioner and Chief Justice within three (3) days of the Comm. Decision. The appellant must submit a $100 appeal fee (money order or cashier’s check only). The appeal fee must be sent so that it is postmarked within the three (3) day period and sent to the Treasurer at the league PO Box. A copy of the appeal and all correspondence that the appellant wants the Appeal Panel to consider must be included. The Commissioner shall forward the Appeal to the past Commissioners by e-mail within three (3) days of receipt. The appeal may not exceed three (3) pages.
C. The Appeal Panel: An appeal will be considered by a board consisting of two or more of the past CCSL Commissioners. If a past Commissioner was involved with the Decision or the Comm. Decision, then that person should recuse himself/herself from participating on the Appeal Panel unless the appellant consents in writing to that person participating on the Appeal Panel. If an Appeal Panel of past Commissioners cannot be convened, the Appeal panel may include a former CCSL officer or Chief Justice, with preference being considered to having an Appeal Panel that contains someone with prior experience in the CCSL disciplinary process (such as a former Chief Justice or Committee member).
D. Appeal Panel Discretion. The Appeal Panel may affirm (uphold) or reduce the sanctions in the Comm. Decision, but may not increase those sanctions unless in the Comm. Decision the Commissioner reduced the sanctions from those contained in the Decision. The Appeal Panel shall issue its decision in writing, which will include a summary of the grounds for the decision, to the appellant and to the Executive Committee. The Commissioner shall send any Appeal Panel decision to the Team Captains by e-mail within three (3) days after receipt. The Hall of Shame will be promptly updated in conformance with the disposition of the Appeal.
E. Appeal Panel Decision Timeline and Finality. The Appeal Panel shall use reasonable efforts to decide the Appeal within fourteen (14) days. The Appeal Panel’s decision shall be final with no right of further appeal or challenge.
F. Refund Limitation. Because the CCSL is comprised of volunteers, appeals are strongly discouraged. The appeal fee will only be refunded if the relief sought by the appellant is granted by the Appeal Panel in its entirety. There will be no partial refund of the appeal fee.
Part VII. Additional Considerations.
A. Calculating Time. For purposes of calculating time, the day that the Notice or other request was sent will not be counted and weekends and federal holidays will not be counted.
B. Page Limits. A page will be measured as 8 ½ x 11 in size, with one inch margins, and the minimum type face will be 12 point type.
C. Time of the Essence. Time is of the essence with respect to a Team Captain, referee, participant or appellant’s responsibility to comply with the deadlines in this Policy. No extensions of the time shall be granted unless a force majeure prevented a timely response.
D. Effect of Failure to Comply. In no event will the failure of the Committee, the Commissioner, the Appeal Panel, or a referee to strictly comply with any time limitation or guideline in this Policy be considered as a grounds for failing to honor, or for overturning, a disciplinary decision. Nothing in this policy shall be interpreted to prevent the Commissioner from exercising the plenary power to temporarily suspend a team and/or a player as provided in the Constitution and Bylaws.
E. Matters Not Provided For. If any matter arises that is not expressly or impliedly addressed in this Policy, the Chief Justice, Commissioner, or Appeal Panel may take such reasonable measures as are appropriate under the circumstances. In the event that there is a dispute between any of these persons regarding a matter not provided for, the Executive Committee shall, on an expedited basis, decide the dispute.
[1] All further references to the “Committee” refer to the Disciplinary Committee.
[2] Note that under the FIFA Laws of the Game, neither a team captain nor an alternate team captain has any special right to question or challenge a referee’s decision.

The money is pouring in...(dues)

There's a new sheriff in town, and her name is The Alligator. She organized our Cherry Blossom tournament team and threatened bodily harm to those who didn't pay the dues on time. It has worked. Most people have paid, with just a few outstanding.

As the principal of our finance and investment division (in other words, I write most of the checks), I am quite pleased!

I will formally announce the dues for the spring season in a separate post, but please feel free to pay them ahead of the March 28th due date. Several people have already! These everyday heroes include De, Ally, Anna, and George.

Ally & Pete headed to captains' meeting tonight

We'll put a full report up soon. We should have all the key information for the spring season.

Remember: start date March 28th!

Read about Mike's vacation camping in the arctic

Last season, you may remember this post about Mike heading off to Alaska for Arctic Survival Training for his official duties as a reporter for the Air Force Times. It's awesome, what a great experience. I'm not sure I'd call it a vacation, but it's cool.

Read Mike's story here. It's good stuff. Nice job, Mike.

Team to open new chapter with Cherry Blossom Tournament

Ally and George have put together a great tournament squad for the Cherry Blossom Tournament.

I'm really psyched that we're fielding a team. I've heard it's a VERY competitive tournament, even though it's 7 v 7 on crappy mall fields. So we're going to give it a try.

We'll do our best to post the schedule here so you can come out to support the team.

We'll have a league game on that Sunday too, so it will be another all-Goleros weekend.

Check out the tourney details:

Goleros Team (as of 3.2.10)

Men = 7

1. George
2. Carlos
3. Chris D.
4. Adrian
5. Ermy
6. Josh (Tracy's brother)
7. Daniel (friend of Adrian, thus immediately suspect)

Women = 5

1. Ally
2. De
3. Heather
4. Cat
5. Tracy

Tournament Details

• Games are 40 minutes long
• 7 v 7 (including keeper)
• 3 girls on the pitch at all times
• Smaller goals; turn 3 regular fields on the mall into 4

Happy Birthday, Heather!

I noticed on facebook that it's your birthday. I hope you do something fun.

Make sure to stop by the gym and do some cardio to train for your midfield position.

Enjoy the day!

Season to start March 28th

The Commish just confirmed to me that the season will start March 28th.

Plan on it.

The Goleros may have split duty that day, if our tournament squad advances to the knock-out rounds.

Stay tuned for more information. I will share it as soon as it's available.

Heads up on dues

Hi everyone, I haven't done final calculations on dues yet. But we know league fees will be the same and our team will be approximately the same size. So, using last season's numbers, expect to pay $80 + $20 optional donation. Please plan to pay by the first game on March 21st or 28th.

Few roster changes expected

We made a lot of additions last season to our roster. Though we didn't have a lot of wins, I think we made some major improvements to the team. We are looking good as always.

We captains don't expect major changes to the roster. We may perhaps add a few women to fill some empty spots.

If you're not returning or will have significantly reduced availability, make sure to let the captains know immediately. We will otherwise count on your full participation!

Games start at the end of March.

Goleros to play in Cherry Blossom tournament

Thanks to the initiative of George, Carlos, and our lovely lady captain, we are fielding a team in the annual Cherryblossom soccer tournament. I'm really glad this came together.

The tournament is 7 v 7, held Saturday and Sunday March 27-28th on the mall. Check out the website. It's not bad. There's even a page for the Goleros. There's not much there yet, just Ally's name!

Our roster is taking shape and hopefully we'll be competitive. We know it will be fun though.

As part of registration, we get 10 DCU tickets so we'll have something like a team outing on the designated game day. Stay tuned for that.

An early look at DCU's roster

From Behind the Badge, the DCU blog:

Roster updates
01/20/2010 9:23 AM by Kyle Sheldon
As pre-season approaches, United fans are certainly beginning to wonder which players will make up the 2010 squad. We sat down with General Manager Dave Kasper to get some updates.
Goalkeepers:
Troy Perkins: Recently re-acquired from Norway and under contract.
Bill Hamid: Signed from the D.C. United Academy last year and under contract.
Milos Kocic: Under contract.
Josh Wicks: Recovering from shoulder and knee surgery and under contract.

Defenders:
Avery John: Not under contract in 2010 and not in the team's plans for 2010.
Julius James: Acquired midway through 2009 and under contract.
David Habarugira: Not under contract and not in the team's plans for 2010.
Lawson Vaughn: Not under contract, but will be invited to pre-season.
Marc Burch: Under contract.
Jordan Graye: Recently drafted UNC/DCU Academy product is not under contract, but will hope to earn a roster spot.
Dejan Jakovic: Under contract.
Devon McTavish: Under contract.
Bryan Namoff: Still recovering from post-concussion issues, but under contract.
Rodney Wallace: Under contract.

Midfielders:
John DiRaimondo: Under contract.
Tiyi Shipalane: Under contract.
Christian Castillo: Salvadoran midfielder acquired on loan is under contract.
Danny Szetela: Acquired via allocation midway through 2009 and under contract.
Brandon Barklage: Year was cut short by ACL injury, but under contract in 2010.
Christian Gomez: Not under contract, but still under consideration.
Santino Quaranta: Under contract.
Clyde Simms: The team's MVP is under contract.

Forwards:
Boyzzz Khumalo: Under contract.
Jaime Moreno: Out of contract, but in discussions to re-sign.
Ange N'Silu: Out of contract and not in the team's plans for 2010.
Chris Pontius: A Rookie of the Year finalist currently with the U.S. Men is under contract.
Danny Allsopp: Recently acquired Aussie is under contract for two years.

By my count, that's 20 players under contract for 2010 and a few others still under consideration. With additional acquisitions likely in the coming weeks, what do you make of how the team is shaping up? Where does the team need to add some depth?

Early start date

Please be advised that the Spring season will start either March 21st or March 28th in order to fit in at least one game before the early Easter break this year.

Early start, team. We'll be getting organized early.

Fwd: [ccsl_teams] Referee Recertification and Training Opportunities - JAN-FEB 2010

Take a look at these referee training opportunities. We will need someone else to step up to be a ref at some point. It's a great way to help out, learn about the game, make some money, and help achieve world peace.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Jesse Rosenthal
Date: Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 12:35 PM
Subject: [ccsl_teams] Referee Recertification and Training Opportunities - JAN-FEB 2010

All:

Happy New Year.

I wanted to alert you all to fast-approaching referee training and upcoming recertification/development opportunities in the next 2 months.

1) VIRGINIA YOUTH SOCCER ASSOCIATION CONVENTION - JAN 22-23, 2010

The VYSA Soccer Convention will take place Friday, January 22 and Saturday, January 23, 2010 at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. This convention will feature coaching lectures and demonstrations, lectures on a variety of topics to include Risk Management, Administration, Registration, etc as well as Referee lectures and the VYSA Annual Awards Luncheon. FRI is a reception; SAT training sessions, including referee programming with FIFA AR Kermit Quisenberry, start at 8:30 AM.

Sign up here: https://www.youthleaguesusa.com/vysa/2009/Workshop.html

2) STATE REFEREE PROGRAM - ADVANCED REFEREE TRAINING SESSION - JAN 24, 2010 in Fredericksburg

Start time: 10:00 AM; No COST

Kermit has worked many World Cup Qualifying matches in his career in addition to being an active AR in the MLS. At this clinic, Kermit will discuss such topics as dealing with coaches and spectators, proper positioning, and game management. This is a great opportunity to hear first-hand how referees at higher levels handle some of the same situations that all referees will encounter at some point in their officiating careers. It will also be a way to get additional training and instruction on referee topics from a well-known soccer official at no cost to you.

Please register for this event by accessing your profile in the youthleaguesusa system at https://www.youthleaguesusa.com/mdcva/2009/Profile.html and adding your name to the roster for the "Advanced Clinic" on January 24 in Fredericksburg.

3) If your USSF referee badge doesn't say 2010 on it, you need to re-certify in order to referee this spring! A full list of referee recertification clinics are accessible at the following path, for which you need to register via the online registration system at vadcsoccerref.com. Class list is located here: https://www.youthleaguesusa.com/mdcva/2009/cgi-bin/webclasses2.cgi (select TYPE=Referee Re-certification and AREA = NORTH).

Highlighting:

Arlington, JAN 19-20 (Williamsburg Middle School)

Stafford, JAN 23

Springfield, JAN 23

Springfield, JAN 26 AND JAN 27

Arlington, FEB 8-9 (Williamsburg Middle School)

Springfield, FEB 17-18

Reston, FEB 17-18

Springfield, FEB 23

In addition, we are in the process of scheduling 2 clinics in co-sponsorship with CCSL and WAWSL in Washington DC. First clinic will require attendance on BOTH weeknights of FEB 2 and 4; the second clinic will be an all-day clinic on SAT, FEB 13th at the Jellef Boys and Girls Club near Georgetown.

4) If you do not have a 2009 or 2010 referee badge and want to become a referee, step right up! A full list of NEW Referee certification clinics are accessible at the following path, for which you need to register via the online registration system at vadcsoccerref.com. Class list is located here: https://www.youthleaguesusa.com/mdcva/2009/cgi-bin/webclasses2.cgi (select TYPE=NEW Referee and AREA = NORTH). Cautionary note - PLEASE pick a clinic for Grade 8 referees.

*Arlington - Wednesday nights, Jan 27 to Mar 10

*Alexandria-Mt. Vernon (Sat(s) Feb 20 & 27, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM; Sun(s) Feb 21 & 28, 1:00 - 5:00 PM)

*Springfield (Feb 2, 3, 8, 9, 6:00 - 9:00 PM; Feb 6, 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM

*Reston (Mar 10 & 11, 7:30 - 10:00 PM; Mar 12, 7:00 - 10:00 PM; Mar 13, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM; Mar 14, 12:00 - 4:00 PM)

In addition, CCSL and WAWSL are in the process of scheduling a 4 weeknight clinic in Washington DC in March.

Thank you for your consideration.

Best regards,

Jesse Rosenthal

USSF Assignor

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Fwd: Meet D.C. United's New Coach - Curt Onalfo

There's a happy hour tomorrow night in which you can meet DC United's new coach.  Check out the link below.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Walker, Zach
Date: Mon, Jan 4, 2010 at 3:34 PM
Subject: Meet D.C. United's New Coach - Curt Onalfo

In case you or anyone you know are interested

 

http://www.behindthebadge.com/2010/01/meet-curt.php

 

Zach Walker
Account Executive, D.C. United
RFK Stadium
2400 East Capitol Street, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Direct: 202-587-5469

2010 Winter 4-Pack
https://www.dcunited.com/winter-4-pack?r=ZW
2010 Season Tickets
https://secure.dcunited.com/2010-season-tickets?r=ZW

PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING THIS EMAIL

The hype

Enjoy this World Cup trailer geared to the US team. It's not at all over-hyped.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxBlpzVSOCQ&feature=player_embedded

US V England

From Nathan:
Here's a good site to see the World Cup Brackets.
Just like 2006 we start out with the hardest team in the group,
and end with the easiest.
US v England June 12 2:30PM
US v Slovenia June 18 10:AM
US v Algeria June 23 10:AM
I think Cat already has tickets.

Fwd: A quarter million

Don't forget to sign the petition.  It's so important that Landycakes sent me a personal email on the matter!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Landon Donovan Date: Wed, Dec 2, 2009 at 3:41 PM
Subject: A quarter million
To: Peter

Hey Peter-- I just heard something pretty incredible. As of today, more than 250,000 people have signed the petition supporting our bid to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 or 2022. That's a quarter million people showing that Americans are just as crazy about soccer as fans anywhere else. And we reached this mark in just three months! But we can't let up now. A quarter million is a huge number, but we can go even bigger. If anyone you know -- friends, family, teammates -- hasn't signed the petition yet, ask them to join more than 250,000 fellow soccer fans and sign it today. Click here to send them an email: http://gousabid.com/quartermillion Or, use these links to spread the word on Facebook or Twitter: http://gousabid.com/facebook250K http://gousabid.com/twitter250K The FIFA World Cup™ is by far soccer's biggest stage. Nothing else comes close. I'm thrilled so many fans like you have signed on to help us win the honor of hosting this tournament. If this movement keeps growing like it has over the past three months, we'll be able to send FIFA a powerful message in support of our bid. Thanks, and keep up the good work. -- Landon   Click Here to Unsubscribe

Fwd: FW: Petition Email for Washington, D.C. World Cup Bid

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Walker, Zach
Date: Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Subject: FW: Petition Email for Washington, D.C. World Cup Bid

 

 

Zach Walker
Account Executive, D.C. United
RFK Stadium
2400 East Capitol Street, S.E.
Washington, D.C. 20003
Direct: 202-587-5469

PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT BEFORE PRINTING THIS EMAIL

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Sweeney, President - Greater Washington Sports Alliance On Behalf Of Robert Sweeney, President - Greater Washington Sports Alliance
Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2009 10:10 AM
To: Walker, Zach
Subject: Petition Email for Washington, D.C. World Cup Bid

Do you want to help bring the FIFA World Cup™ to Washington, DC?

Right now, FIFA, the international governing body of soccer, is deciding which nations will host the 2018 and 2022 tournaments. Eleven countries are in the process of completing their bids -- including the United States.

Before FIFA makes its decision, we need to show them just how strongly Americans want to host the World Cup. The USA Bid Committee has created a huge petition campaign and they need your help to spread the word. By signing the petition you're helping the United States' bid, adding your voice to millions of other soccer fans, and increasing the chance of a World Cup game being played right here in Washington, DC!

Click here to sign the petition now:

http://gousabid.com/DCbid

You've heard it a thousand times: Americans don't care about soccer and we don't play the Game. Nothing could be further from the truth.

From our youth leagues to our victory over Spain -- the world's #1-ranked team -- in the FIFA Confederations Cup last summer, US soccer just keeps getting stronger. And no one can question our passion for the Game after the 51-day "Summer of Soccer" showcase, with more than 2 million American soccer fans attending top-flight matches with some of the most-recognized clubs in the world.

Today, the United States has more than 24.4 million active soccer players -- that's the second-most in the world. We also rank first in the world with 3.9 million registered youth soccer players and 1.9 million registered female players -- numbers that continue to grow every year. Major League Soccer is thriving and expanding, and the U.S. Men's National Team has qualified for its sixth-straight FIFA World Cup™, a feat only matched by nine other countries in FIFA's history.

The Game is in DC and soccer is alive and well in the United States, but I don't need to tell you that.

Sign the petition and help bring the FIFA World Cup™ back to the USA:

http://gousabid.com/DCbid

Soccer is the world's Game, but no nation embodies the spirit of the FIFA World Cup™ like the United States. We are the world's melting pot, a uniquely globalized nation that thrives on its diversity and respect for different cultures. The USA bid allows all fans of the Game to come together behind a common cause, setting aside their loyalties to club or country.

It's a Game where individuals shine through talent and creativity -- but team success comes from hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. This is precisely the American spirit.

Across the United States -- from our schoolyards to our stadiums, our church parking lots to our cornfields, our city streets to our beaches -- soccer pulses through this nation and inspires new Americans every day.

Help show FIFA that we would be honored to host the World Cup in 2018 or 2022. Sign the petition today:

http://gousabid.com/DCbid

This is our chance to show the world that The Game Is In DC and bring the greatest event on earth back to our country and our city.

Thanks for your support.


Sincerely,

The Greater Washington Sports Alliance