The Carolina Dynamo continued their unbeaten streak to start the 2006 PDL season by thrashing the Raleigh Elite 5-1 tonight at SAS Soccer Park. Things looked bleak for Raleigh from the first kickoff as the Dynamo attacked early and often, amassing 5 corner kicks inside the first 5 minutes of the match.

But it was Raleigh that drew first blood when Duke's Stephen Wadsworth gave the Elite a lead in the 8th minute against the early run of play. The rest of the first half was hotly contested between the opponents who knew each other well -- no fewer than 20 players from North Carolina ACC schools were on the matchday roster for the two squads. Although the Dynamo controlled the majority of the possession in the first half, it looked as if Raleigh would make it to interval with the odd goal but on 39 mintues UNC's Ben Hunter fed Darryl Roberts who leveled the game for Carolina.

Looks like Premier Soccer is cleaning out their stores to make room for new inventory. They are offering up to 75% discounts at both the Raleigh and Cary locations June 2 - 4.

I stopped by today to see what kind of deals they had. If you're in need of any winter gear, don't miss this one. I saw Adidas track suits regularly marked $100 selling for 25 bucks! I ended up with a pair of Adidas ClimaCool Samba training pants regularly $35 for less than $9.

Here's a breakdown of how everything is priced:

• Shorts - 10% off
  
• Soccer Balls - 25% off
  
• Winter Gear - 75% off
  
• Outerwear - 10% off
  
• Bags - 25% off
  
• Keeper apparel and gloves- 25% off
  
• Accessories - 25% off
  
• Referee gear - 25% off
  
• Socks and Shinguards - 10% off
  
• Replica jerseys - 10% off
  
• Footwear - various discounts, priced as marked.
  

Visit their website for more info.

Raleigh Elite v. Carolina Dynamo Wednesday, May 31, 2006 - 7:00pm SAS Soccer Park, Field 2

Palm Beach Pumas 2 - 1 Raleigh Elite
May 29, 2006
Palm Beach, FL

Just days after being added to the USA World Cup squad, former Tar Heel Greg Berhalter has signed a 2 year contract with 1860 Munich of the German 2nd Division. Berhalter most recently captained his Energie Cottbus side to a third-place and promotion spot in the Zweite Bundesliga. Berhalter, who was out of contract with Cottbus, chose to stay in the 2nd division with the move to Munich. He moves to 1860 on a free transfer and is under contract through June 2008.

Sarah Kirkley kicked in a short shot with 1:22 left to give Broughton a 1-0 victory over Charlotte Providence in the N.C. High School Athletic Association 4-A girls soccer championship.

Broughton, which won the same title last year, finished 26-0-1 after tying Durham Riverside 0-0 in its opener. The Caps have been in the championship game 12 of the past 13 seasons and have won nine state titles since 1992. Caps coach Izzy Hernandez now has a 375-27-23 career girls soccer coaching record.

>> Full story in today' News & Observer.

The University of North Carolina now has two former standouts on the United States' roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as Gregg Berhalter was added to the 23-man squad after Cory Gibbs suffered a right knee injury. Berhalter joins fellow Tar Heel Eddie Pope on the U.S. Men's National Team, which opens the World Cup June 12 against the Czech Republic.

A central defender, Berhalter has 44 caps across a career that spans 13 years with the national team. He was a member of the 2002 World Cup roster. At the club level, Berhalter recently helped Energie Cottbus of the second division in Germany earn promotion to the Bundesliga for the 2006-07 season. He has served as captain for Cottbus for the last two years. His professional career in Europe dates back to 1994 and includes stints with a number of different clubs in Holland, England and Germany.

At Carolina, Berhalter was a two-time All-America and All-Atlantic Coast Conference choice at sweeper. He scored 13 goals and tallied 10 assists in three seasons with the Tar Heels before bypassing his senior season to play professionally in Europe. Berhalter was named one of the top 50 players in ACC history in 2002.

The Raleigh Elite bounced back from 2 early season losses to get a win Friday night at the Cocoa Beach Expo Center as they defeated the Expos 3-1.

Tar Heel Andre Sherard gave Raleigh the early lead in the 10th minute but Gabriel-Marin Shibly equalized for Cocoa Beach before halftime. Campbell's Guillermo Guadarrama gave Raleigh the lead for good in the first minute of the second half and Duke's Spencer Wadsworth added the insurance goal late after Raleigh were down to 10 men when Appalachian State's Michael Walter's was sent off in the 68th minute.

Raleigh continues their Florida swing tonight when then take on the Palm Beach Pumas at 7pm.

She's 5-foot-4 and has 192 feet of soccer field to cover. Senior goalkeeper Megan Connors may be small in stature, but it hasn't stopped her from being a big presence as the Wolfpack's final line of defense.

A native of Westfield, N.J., Connors does have the attitude associated with the New Jersey population. It is common within the soccer community for goalkeepers to carry with them a certain distinction, a special something that no field player could ever portray. But that special distinction is what allows a goalkeeper to handle the unique pressure associated with being situated in between the posts. It is one that is felt for 90 minutes of action while guarding the goalmouth. Connors is responsible for protecting a six-yard box and a frame that measures 24 feet by 8 feet. If the ball gets between her and the back of the net, her team is down a goal. So what she lacks in height, she must be stronger in other areas. She doesn't let her stature give her any disadvantage, but embraces the challenge of being her team's go-to-woman.

>> Read the rest at CSTV.com

Augusta kept their US Open Cup hopes alive with a 2-1 win against the Raleigh Elite. The loss eliminates the Elite from US Open qualification. Like most of the Southern Conference, the Fireball need to win their final game (Saturday, at Nashville) and hope that Laredo stumbles at the DFW Tornados on Sunday in order to secure the second place in the Southern Conference behind the Carolina Dynamo.

With Carolina Dynamo already completing a 4-0-0 qualifying campaign in the PDL Southern Conference, the Raleigh Elite need 3 straight wins, and a little help from the DFW Tornados who must hold Laredo to at least a draw Saturday in order to keep Raleigh's qualification hopes alive.

But before they await other teams' results, Raleigh will have to focus on winning three matches in four days. The Elite host the Augusta Fireball Wednesday, May 24 at SAS Soccer Park with kickoff at 7pm. They then travel to Florida for games away on Friday to Cocoa Beach Expors and Saturday to the Palm Beach Pumas.

Rochester remains unbeaten through six straight away matches after a 0-0 draw Monday with fellow unbeaten USL-1 side Vancouver. Rochester also chalked up a 1-0 win at Portland on Friday through a second half Matthew Delicate goal set up by former Timber Aaron Lines. With only one more week of their early season road marathon remaining, the Rhinos stretched their lead at the top of the USL-1 table to 5 points over second place Vancouver.

Robert Ssejjemba struck for his USL Second Division leading fifth goal to give Richmond a 1-0 win over the Riverhounds Saturday and first place in the USL-2 table. New Hampshire dropped Long Island 3-1 with Tom McNeil setting up a pair of goals. Anthony Maher came off the bench to score two in the final minutes for Wilmington in a 3-3 tie against Charlotte. Puerto Rico nabbed a 1- 0 win at the 'Baud despite being outshot 21-3 in the game. Seattle got its first win, downing Toronto 2-0.

Virginia Beach picked up a narrow 1-0 win on a Jakob Fenger goal at Miami Sunday while the Impact rolled over the Thunder by a 4-0 scoreline. Out west, Portland picked up an easy 2-1 win over Toronto.

Carlos Llamosa began his professional soccer career in 1986 with Colombian third division club Colmena. In 1990, he moved to Colombian first division side Huila. In 1991, Llamosa emigrated to the United States to join the rest of his family, which was at the time living in Queens, New York City. Llamosa found a job at the World Trade Center, where he was working during the terrorist attack in 1993.

In 1995, Llamosa reignited his professional career, playing a season with the New York Centaurs of the A-League. In his second season with the club, renamed the Fever, Llamosa was named to the All A-League first team.

>> Click here for the 2006 FIFA World Cup TV Schedule

Triangle Soccer Fanatics has teamed up with Carlsberg and several local pubs to make sure you don't miss a moment of this summer's soccer action. Bars throughout the Triangle area will be staging special events throughout the months of June and July as fans in the Raleigh-Durham-Cary-Chapel Hill area share their passion for the Beautiful Game and hang on every kick, cross, save, and corner in hopes that their favorite country will be crowned world champions.

TSF will be providing a directory here of local area pubs who are inviting soccer fans to come out an enjoy the matches, participate in special prize drawings and in-match fantasy football games, and of course enjoy drink specials on Carlsberg beer.

Below you will find details on Triangle Soccer Fanatics and Carlsberg partner pubs in the Triangle area. As match day approaches, check back here for the latest details.

There's usually a lot of crap on BigSoccer, but once in a blue moon there's a thread that is really good or gets you chuckling. Right now there is a running thread remixing movie lines from the Princess Bride, one of my favorite films of all time, as spoken by members of the US National Team.

Here's a few of my favorites so far:

John O'Brien: Why won't my legs move?

USMNT Trainer: You've been mostly dead all season.

UNC Tar Heel Corey Ashe continues to shine for his PDL team as he scored 2 as the Virginia Beach Submariners defeated Ocean City 3-0.

Ashe scored just before halftime off an assist from Clint Loughner and then scored unassisted in the 83rd minute. Ashe also received his second yellow card in the 83rd minute and was sent off. Ocean City's Ryan Heins had already been sent off for two yellow cards in the 37th and 71st minutes, so both teams finished the match with 10 men.

For Ashe, he has now scored four goals in three matches for the Submariners (3-0-0), all wins.

This weekend our local youth sides were competing all over North Carolina in a variety of State Cup finals.

Congratulations to the local clubs who were crowned state champions this weekend.

State Cup

• U-13 Boys: 92 CASL Elite
  
• U-14 Boys: 91 CASL Elite
  
• U-15 Boys: 90 CASL Elite
  
• U-16 Boys: 89 CASL Elite
  

Kepner Cup

• U-13 Boys: 92 Triangle FC White
  
• U-14 Boys: 91 FVAA Flash Red
  
• U-16 Boys: 89 CASL United Black
  
• U-17 Boys: 88 Triangle FC White
  

Challenge Cup

• U-11 Boys: U-10 Triangle United Chelsea
  
• U-14 Girls: U-14 CASL Explosion
  
• U-16 Boys: U-15 CASL Shakers
  
• U-16 Boys: U-16 CASL Strikers
  
• U-17 Boys: CASL WF United
  
• U-18 Boys: U-18 CASL Sting
  

For full State Cup finals results, please visit NC-Soccer.net.

In 2004, Green Bay, Wisconsin native Jay Demerit left his PDL team and moved to England with $1800 in his pocket hoping to catch on with a professional team in Great Britain. After earning $40 a week playing Sunday League football, Jay found a place with semi-professional Northwood FC. In his second match with Northwood, they played a pre-season friendly against Coca-Cola Championship side Watford. Demerit so impressed Watford manager Ray Lewington that the Hornets manager immediately signed Jay to a pro contract.

2 seasons later, Jay Demerit's first half header was all Watford needed to beat Leeds United in the English Premier League promotion final. It was a bittersweet day for Yanks Abroad fans as Eddie Lewis came oh-so-close to promotion a second year in a row, but American soccer fans' disappointment had to be buoyed by the fact that Jay Demerit was named SkySports' Man of the Match for the header that was worth over 30 million pounds to his Watford side.

NCSU Women 2006 Schedule

NC State women's soccer announced its 2006 fall schedule on Friday, May 19. The Wolfpack has 19 regular season games on tap for next season, beginning with the home opener on Friday, Aug. 25, against Western Carolina. The Catamounts won the Southern Conference Tournament last season and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The docket also features six-straight home games to begin the year, including the annual Summitt Hospitality Invitational, set for Sept. 8 and 10. The Atlantic Coast Conference season opens with Miami at home on Thursday, Sept. 21.

The Pack will also travel to William and Mary for a second non-conference tournament. NC State will kick-off against Virginia Commonwealth on Sept. 15, a team that advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament last season. The second match will pit the Wolfpack against host William and Mary on Sept. 17.

All told, NC State will have 13 of its 19 matches at home en route to working towards the ACC Tournament slated for Nov. 1, 3, 5, at the SAS Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. The Wolfpack will host non-conference foes Western Carolina, UNC Wilmington, Wyoming, Elon, American and Georgia State in the Summitt Hospitality Invite, and High Point, while also welcoming ACC opponents, Miami, Florida State, Wake Forest, Maryland, North Carolina and Virginia. In ACC action, NC State travels to Duke, Virginia Tech, Boston College and Clemson. The season closes out with a home match against the Cavaliers on Saturday, Oct. 28.

Triangle Professional Soccer continues to give fans the chance to name the area’s new USL expansion soccer team. Submissions for the naming contest will be accepted via the Team Name Suggestion Form, starting today and ending June 9. The fan who submits the winning entry will receive two lifetime season tickets and will be invited to the USL All-Star game as a guest of Triangle Professional Soccer.

Fans who have already submitted suggestions for the team name do not need to enter those names again. Suggestions already received will remain under consideration.

The winning team name, logo and colors will be unveiled July 19 at halftime of the United Soccer League’s All-Star game against four-time English league champions Sheffield Wednesday of the Coca-Cola Championship League.

The United States Men’s National Team defeated the USL’s Charleston Battery 5–0 in a scrimmage at SAS Soccer Park on Thursday. Bruce Arena’s squad has been training at the Park for the past week.

Landon Donovan scored twice and DaMarcus Beasley and Eddie Johnson added goals for the national squad in the first half. Midfielder John O’Brien scored off a free kick in the second half to add to the United States’ tally.

Video highlights are available via US Soccer. The U.S. will wrap up training in Cary on Saturday, May 20. Training camp remains closed to the public.

Report via Triangle Professional Soccer

Coming off a trip to the quarterfinals of the 2005 NCAA Championship, the University of North Carolina will add 11 prep standouts and St. John's transfer Garry Lewis (pictured at right) to its 2006 roster, head coach Elmar Bolowich announced Thursday. Newcomers Bradley Brown and Chad Dalton joined the program in January and trained with the Tar Heels this spring, while the remaining 10 signees will be in Chapel Hill in the fall.

One of the two early enrollees, Brown graduated in January from Raleigh's Millbrook High School and led CASL Elite to five state titles and a Super Y-League national crown. He played five years with the North Carolina Olympic Development Program (ODP) team and has been a member of regional ODP and Y-League regional pools.

In addition to Brown, the Tar Heels have added three more in-state standouts in defender John Black (Charlotte), forward Willie Griffin (Raleigh) and goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty (Cary). Black was a four-year starter at Charlotte Country Day and earned all-region honors as a senior, while Griffin earned NSCAA adidas All-South honors and all-state accolades at Broughton High School. Griffin has won five state titles with CASL Elite.

Haggerty was an all-state selection in goal at Cary High School and earned academic All-America honors. He is a four-year member of the Region III ODP team and has played six years with CASL Elite.

>> Click here for the full list of incoming players.

The Duke men’s soccer team will travel to Germany and Austria next month from June 5-15 and will play a combined three games in the two countries. The trip will be capped off with the team going to the United State’s first game of the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” said Head Coach John Rennie. “It is the first time we have had a chance to take one of our teams overseas and we thought this was the perfect opportunity. It will be a big help for our players to establish themselves heading into the fall season. We have received a lot of positive support from our alumni and the varsity club in order to make this trip possible.”

At the bar today watching the Champions League match, the hot topic of discussion was whether or not Lehman should have been sent off for denying an obvious goal scoring opportunity OR whether the advantage should have been played, the goal allowed, and Lehman only cautioned.

I can't answer the question for this particular match because it took place in Europe, but had the match taken place in a USSF sanctioned tournament, the USSF Advice to Referees is very clear about this matter:

12.39 APPLYING THE ADVANTAGE
Even if the referee makes use of the advantage clause during an obvious goalscoring opportunity, he can still punish the offender after the fact. If a goal is scored directly despite the attempted intervention by a defender handling the ball, fouling an opponent, or committing misconduct, the offender cannot be sent off for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity, but he can still be cautioned for unsporting behavior or sent off for serious foul play if the foul involved excessive force. However, if in these circumstances the goal was scored following a second or immediately subsequent play of the ball, the offender must nevertheless be sent off because his action prevented a goal or an obvious goalscoring opportunity during the first play when the infringement occurred.

So in the US, the right call would have been "Advantage", "Goal", "Red Card to Lehman".

Thanks to all that turned out for the match viewing today. I hope you had as good a time as I did. It was great to meet all the new faces and see some old ones again. We had a total of 24 folks show up today which I believe is a new record for TSF.

Hopefully we'll shatter that attendance record again in a few weeks during the World Cup.

The News & Observer's Edward G. Robinson III has a great profile on North Carolina native and former Tar Heel Eddie Pope today on the front page of the sports section. The thing I've always admired most about Pope is the work he has done through the Eddie Pope Foundation. The EPF in a non-profit organization which uses soccer to help develop the mind, body and spirit of underserved youth.

When we founded the Triangle Soccer Fanatics supporters club, I made it clear that I wanted there to be a strong community involvement by our club. My goal is to tap the passion for soccer in this area and funnel it back into the community. The Eddie Pope Foundation is at the top of my list of organizations I would like to see TSF get involved with.

Back before the USA v. Jamaica match, I had an opportunity to participate in an interview with Pope after a training session. The other interviewers asked him the standard assortment of questions and he ran off the genuine but well-rehearsed answers that you tend to hear at a player interview. As the interview broke up, I stopped Eddie and told him about TSF's interest in getting involved with the EPF. At that moment his manner changed from that of a tried-and-true elder professional to one of a wide-eyed excited kid. Eddie couldn't contain himself when talking about how excited he was about Foundation's work and how eager he is to get even more involved in the community. I almost got the impression that the World Cup and the MLS season were just a big distraction for him and that he couldn't wait for them to be over so he could focus on working with the EPF.

In the N&O profile, Pope indicates that he hopes to return to the local area after he retires. I hope TSF can get involved with Pope's Foundation down the road, possibly even starting an EPF-sponsored program in the Triangle. In the meantime, I encourage all of our members and TSF readers to consider supporting the Eddie Pope Foundation.

It looks like we're going to have a pretty good group at the Fox and Hound tomorrow. On the eve of the Champions League final, I thought it would be fun to look back to that magical night in Barcelona 7 years ago.

On that fateful evening in Camp Nou, Bayern Munich jumped out to an early lead from a Basler free kick in the 6th minute. Manchester United attacked the rest of the match but somehow Munich's defense held tight until the 90th minute when the world witnessed perhaps the most dramatic 3 minutes of European club football in half a century of European Cup and Champions League competition.

For those that didn't see it or those that want to relive it again, click on the video below to see the finish.

Duke men’s soccer head coach John Rennie announced the addition of Justin Serpone to the coaching staff on Monday. Serpone takes over as an assistant coach in charge of goalies for the defending ACC champions.

“Justin comes here after being the top assistant at Northwestern” said Head Coach John Rennie. “He helped build that program to a top-20 level team and will be an asset to our goalkeepers and brings a background in recruiting, scouting and video analysis.”

When the World Cup begins in Germany next month, fans from England will be faced with the task of not being too rude to the host country. Part of the problem: a lingering bitterness about World War II.

Years ago, comic actor and writer John Cleese transformed that hatred of all things German into humor on the TV show Fawlty Towers. Now Cleese has created a song called "Don't Mention the War" -- to instruct his countrymen how to behave when in the Fatherland.

via NPR's All Things Considered

In 2007, Cary won't be the only new face in USL-1. USL President Francisco Marcos Tuesday announced Dmitry Piterman, President of Spanish League club Deportivo Alaves from Vitoria, the capital city of the province of Alava in the Basque country of Spain, has signed a letter of intent to operate a USL First Division franchise beginning in the 2007 season.

If all goes according to the terms of the letter of intent, the final franchise acquisition agreement will be completed by the first of July, by which time the exact location of the teams base, name, office location, and preliminary staff will have been completed. Charged with those details will be longtime soccer executive and coach Terry Fisher, who spent the past week in Vitoria with Marcos and Piterman. He will serve as the franchise’s executive management consultant in the start-up phase. Fisher is expected to concentrate the next 45 days in securing a playing location in the San Francisco Bay Area.

When I started the USL Alumni series a few weeks ago to highlight some of the marquee MLS and International players that started in USL, I had no idea how many big names I would turn up in my search. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. This week the series rolls on with one of the most influential players in MLS over the past few years -- Dwayne De Rosario.

De Rosario began his professional career in 1997, signing with the Toronto Lynx of the A-League, where Paul Stalteri had also just signed. Halfway through the season, however, De Rosario opted to change clubs, signing with FSV Zwickau of Germany. After two seasons with Zwickau, de Rosario opted to return to North America, signing with the Richmond Kickers in 1999. After a slow 1999 season, in which he scored registered a goal and five assists, DeRosario exploded in 2000, scoring 15 goals and five assists while leading the team to a 20-6-1 record.

Henry v. Ronaldinho
Perhaps the two most exciting players in the game. This finale has all the potential for some spectacular fireworks.

A few of us will be getting together at the Fox and Hound in Cary to watch this one on the Big Screens. Please come join us. (driving directions)

2006 UEFA Champions League Final
Stade de France, Paris
Arsenal v. Barcelona
Kickoff 2:45pm EST

Miami FC picked up its first win of the season Friday with a 3-2 victory over Portland behind a two-goal performance from Brazilian World Cup star Romario, who tallied the game-winner in the 89th minute. Richmond dropped Charlotte 4-2 on a pair of Robert Ssejjemba goals.

The Charleston Battery downed visiting Montreal 3-1 Saturday while John Ball scored his third of the season to lead Rochester to a 2-0 win in Toronto. Both USL Second Division games finished tied with Pittsburgh and Cincinnati scoreless and Wilmington and New Hamphire each scoring in the 90th for a 1-1 tie.

Behind two goals from Caleb Norkus, Puerto Rico went up 3-0 22 minutes in and never looked back Sunday in a 3-1 win over visiting Portland. A stoppage time goal from Oscar Gil gave Miami its second win of the weekend, edging Atlanta 1-0. Vancouver blanked Minnesota 3-0 while Montreal at Virginia Beach was postponed. For the second time in three games, Richmond tallied five, downing Harrisburg 5-2.

Between work, this site, and my personal inbox, I get literally hundreds of emails a day. But for the past two weeks, the most common question has been "Is there anyway I can watch the USMNT practice while they are in Cary?"

I have consistently re-iterated the "party line" that practices are closed to the public, only open to the press. Cleary, the team would prefer you not try to attend. "We want to concentrate on practice," Arena said. "That's the biggest reason. We're not trying to be rude to anybody that wants to watch us, but this is about getting our team ready for the World Cup."

However, as Rachel Carter points out in her latest piece for the News & Observer, Although the practices are not open to the public, small groups of fans have been permitted to stay behind a barrier in the parking lot. On Saturday, star midfielder Landon Donovan stopped the van he was riding in to sign autographs.

But don't try that today, since the team is taking a much deserved rest. According to Carter's article, the next practice is Tuesday at 10am.

Local area soccer fans may be interested to know that UNC Tar Heel and Raleigh Elite keeper Justin Hughes spent the morning training alongside Tim Howard and Marcus Hahnemann at the USMNT Training Camp. Hughes, a Wake Forest, NC native, is no stranger to the national team setup having represented the USA as part of the U20 squad at the FIFA World Youth Championships in Holland in 2005. It's wonderful that Hughes can get an opportunity to train with this quality of coaches and peers while the National Team is in town.

Practice continued today with an 11 v. 11 intrasquad scrimmage. A long-time TSF reader sent in this description of practice from his vantage point in the parking lot.

Day 3 for the US Men's National Team training camp was particularly grueling for the players. It started bright and early Saturday morning with a trip to the doctor's office for a thorough medical examination and stress test. Apparently Chris Albright threw down the gauntlet and Jimmy Conrad bested him on the treadmill. US Soccer has posted a podcast of the players talking about the experience.

Due to the stress testing, the players didn't practice until later in the day today. Video from some 6 v. 6 training today is available on US soccer's website as well as a full series of photos.

After the long day, Bruce Arena as well as a few of his staff and players could be found at our local soccer pub taking in some of the night's MLS matches. Practice continues tomorrow before the players get a much deserved day of rest on Monday.

Ben Hunter's 5 point performance against Nashville last week earned him the first PDL Player of the Week honors for 2006 as he scored a natural hat trick and then added 2 assists as the Carolina Dynamo romped in their first match last week. Hunter is joined on the PDL Team of the Week by fellow Tar Heel Andre Sherard for his play in the Raleigh Elite's 0-0 draw with Nashville. Rounding out the strong week for Tar Heels playing in PDL, Corey Ashe added two goals as the Virginia Beach Submariners overcame the torrential downpour to defeat the Albany Admirals 3-1 at Frank Bailey Field in Schenectady, New York.

Looks like someone woke up the News & Observer that there was a soccer story in town. For the third day in a row we get soccer coverage. This time a nice profile of Landon Donovan from Rachel Carter.

Also, US Soccer has added photos from yesterday's practice to their website.

I couldn't be at camp today (darn real job) but Andy Mead was there and has some great photos up over at YCJ Photo Service.

US Soccer has also added a video of Bruce Arena talking to the press dated May 12th but considering that I'm in the clip, I can tell you it was actually shot yesterday! Here is the interview that was taped today with Arena, Albright and Mastroeni talking to the press.

And speaking of US Soccer's website, here's their official press release covering the first two days of practice with tons of info.

The World Cup Express, the completely unofficial USA Supporters party bus, will be passing through the Triangle this weekend and to celebrate we are having an MLS watching party Saturday night where the WCX crew will be our guests of honor.

Come join us at the Fox and Hound on Saturday, May 13th at 7pm. As always, TSF members get 50% off appetizers plus we'll be giving away two free tickets to the DC United v. Charleston Battery match on June 14th. RSVP your intention to join us using the form below and triple your chances of winning!

Duke University Head Women's Soccer Coach Robbie Church announced on Friday the hiring of Nathan Kipp from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG) as assistant coach in charge of the goalkeepers.

"We are excited about having Nathan join our program," said Church. "I think he will bring a wealth of experience as he has worked with two very successful programs in the past and spends a lot of time during the summer months working with SoccerPlus goalkeeper camps. He will really help our goalkeepers continue to improve."

TSF has learned that Triangle Futbol Club are set to announce that they are adding former US National Team player, Major League Soccer All-Star, Olympian, NCSU All-American, and Raleigh native Dario Brose to their staff. Brose will join TFC as the new Director of Youth Development.

Dario finished his pro career, which saw playing time in France with St. Brieuc and Germany with FC Saarbrücken, with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. In 2000, he represented the West division in the MLS All-Star game. Brose earned four caps with the US National Team and scored one goal for his country. In 1992, Brose represented the United States at the Summer Olympics in Barcelona. During his collegiate career at North Carolina State, Dario earned All-American honors in 1990.

The addition of Brose as the Director of Youth Development follows the recent return of Triangle FC's youth development program for U6 and U8 players, further strengthening the options our local youth players have to develop their game.

UPDATE (5/14): TFC has now officially announced Brose's joining the club.

US Soccer has posted some pictures and video from Day 1 of camp, including the team getting together for dinner the first night and the six-minute run endurance test.

I'm the one in the olive golf shirt and black jeans (back to camera) interviewing Eddie Lewis. (Well, Stephen Goff of the Washington Post is actually doing most of the work).

There is also a story in today's News & Observer as well as a photo gallery there.

Just when I found something that I think I'm good at, here comes another blogger thinking he has more interesting things to say about soccer than I do.

Of course, I guess I should admit that Kasey Keller probably is a much more compelling read than I am. In his new World Cup Blog over at CBS SportsLine, Keller talks about the difference in striker's and keepers:

Speaking of results, have you noticed that when strikers score, even if it's a simple tap in that a child couldn't miss, they always run around celebrating as if it was the greatest goal of all time? People often ask me goalkeepers experience similar thrills when we produce a spectacular acrobatic save, or parry some thunderbolt of a penalty kick from the likes of Alan Shearer. The answer to that question, for me at least, is definitely no. Even when I do make a world class save, I have to scramble right back up again and regain my concentration immediately. There's no room for feeling warm and fuzzy or patting your own back while the ball is still in the danger area. A good goalkeeper must be alert for the whole ninety-minutes. My sweet spot gets hit at the final whistle when the game is over and I've either kept another clean sheet or haven't made any mistakes that have hurt my team. Goalies must often seem like loners standing on our lines while all the action is happening at the other end of the park, and perhaps that's what makes us such quality team players.

It was a windy day in Cary but if you listen closely, you can hear me question Eddie Lewis about the big goal he scored against Preston last Friday (big surprise coming from this Leeds supporter right?) and Arena about the seriousness of any injuries in camp.

• Eddie Lewis discusses Leeds promotion bid and camp
  
• Bruce Arena and Eddie Pope meet the media after the first practice
  

Courtesy of US Soccer Sights & Sounds podcasts

Also, here are some more pictures courtesy of the guys at YCJ Photo Service.

The US Men's National Team has returned to Cary just a month after drawing with Jamaica 1-1 in an international friendly here at SAS Soccer Park. With only Keller & Cherundolo (who are finishing their league season this weekend) and Albright & Donovan (who played last night against FC Dallas) absent, Bruce Arena assembled his squad for the 2006 World Cup Thursday.

Practice started with some light jogging and stretches followed by a 6-minute endurance test where the players' heart rates and distance run were measured. Clint Dempsey and guest player Michael Bradley won the prize for distance, followed by Ching, Convey, and McBride. Keepers Howard and Hahnemann brought up the rear.

I walked into the offices of Triangle Professional Soccer today and what to my wandering eyes did appear?... The Lamar Hunt US Open Cup!

For those that don't know, in 1999, the Rochester Rhinos became the only USL team to win the US Open Cup since MLS began entering the competition. To win the trophy, the Rhinos had to slay some giants along the way:

• 2nd Round defeated New York Freedom 2-1 (aet)
  
• 3rd Round defeated Chicago Fire 1-0
  
• Quarterfinals defeated Dallas Burn 2-1
  
• Semifinals defeated Columbus Crew 3-2
  
• Finals defeated Colorado Rapids 2-0
  

Apparently, Chris Economides must have packed the Cup when he moved down here. I wonder if anyone in Rochester has noticed it missing from the trophy cabinet?

Let's hope one day we have a similar Cup of our very own here in the Triangle!

Goal! The Dream Begins opens Friday and you'll have plenty of options to catch the film around the Triangle.

Here are your options starting May 12th:

• Carmike Park Place 16 (Morrisville)
  
• Raleigh Grand Cinema 18 (Raleigh)
  
• Regal Brier Creek Stadium 14 (Raleigh)
  
• Regal North Hills Stadium 14 (Raleigh)
  
• Carmike Wynnsong 15 (Durham)
  

There may be other showings, check your local listings!

A lot of people have wondered why coach Bruce Arena chose Cary once again for his World Cup training camp. Obviously the quality facilities at SAS Soccer Park and the privacy his team enjoys practicing in the midst of a Carolina pine forest are huge benefits. But in today's Washington Post, Arena comes clean with the real reason he chose Cary...

"We enjoy the golf."

"We have a group of guys who have worked very hard for the last nine months [with their European clubs] and need an opportunity to relax," Arena explained. "They also need an opportunity to get reacquainted and get into the right frame of mind for what awaits us."

It's been a big week for Brian Ching. Last Tuesday, Bruce Arena named the in form striker to his World Cup squad. A few days later, MLS named Ching player of the month for April. But did you know that the MLS striker who has netted 7 goals and 2 assists in 6 games so far this season honed his skills in both the USL's PDL and A-League before his breakout with the San Jose Earthquakes?

Ching played his college soccer at Gonzaga University, where he scored 34 goals and had 23 assists. Between 1998 and 1999, he played for the Spokane Shadow of the USL Premier Development League where he was rookie of the year in 1998. In 2001, Ching was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy as the 16th pick in the MLS SuperDraft. That year for the Galaxy, he appeared in 8 games and scored one goal. In 2002, Brian was released by the Galaxy and signed by the Seattle Sounders of the A-League for whom he had played several games with in 2001, on loan from Los Angeles. Playing for the Sounders, he was ranked second in the A-League in scoring and was selected as a member of the A-League All-League team.

The kickoff of the USL All-star game on Wednesday July 19th has been moved back a half hour to accomodate a national TV audience. The USL-1 Select XI will now square off against Sheffield Wednesday at 8pm.

The Rochester Ragin' Rhinos opened their long early season roadtrip while they await the opening of PaeTec park impressively with a 0-3 drubbing of Miami on Friday followed by a hard fought 0-1 win away to Puerto Rico on Sunday.

Greg Simmonds scored his third of the season to give Virginia Beach a 1-0 win over Atlanta while Miami FC played Charleston to a 1-1 draw at Blackbaud Stadium. Out west, Vancouver and Portland also played to a 1-1 stalemate Friday night at PGE Park before the Timbers turned around Saturday to to edge Minnesota 2-1.

Meanwhile in the USL Second Division, the Cincinnati Kings continue to roll with a 1-0 win over 2005 finalist Western Mass while Harrisburg and Pittsburgh played to a 2-2 draw and Wilmington and Charlotte shared the spoils 1-1. The Richmond Kickers rolled past visiting Long Island 5-0 and the Riverhounds handed Western Mass their second loss of the weekend 2-1.

The Duke, NCSU and UNC Men's soccer teams have all posted their 2006 season schedules at their respective websites. As usual, I've added the schedules to Google Calendar and here are the XML/iCal links to the shared calendars:

Duke Men 2006 Schedule

NCSU Men 2006 Schedule

UNC Men 2006 Schedule

Current Duke women's assistant coach and former UNC Tar Heel, Carolina Courage, and US National Team standout Carla Overbeck has been elected into the National Soccer Hall of Fame along with current LA Galaxy President and GM Alexi Lalas.

Overbeck’s illustrious career includes two FIFA World Championships, an Olympic Gold Medal, and four NCAA Division I Women’s National Championships. Most famously, she was captain of the 1999 U.S. Women’s National Team which defeated China in the FIFA Women’s World Cup Final at the Rose Bowl in front of 90,000+ people and millions on international television in the largest women’s sporting event in history. It was Overbeck who took and scored the first goal for the American team that day in the penalty kick tiebreaker following the 0 – 0 result of 120 minutes of play.

She was a central defender on the 1991 U. S. Women’s Team that won the first FIFA World Championship for Women’s Football, as the tournament was called then. In 1996 Overbeck won an Olympic Gold Medal in the Atlanta Olympic Games, captaining the team to the Gold Medal victory over China. She was a founding player of the Women’s United Soccer Association, leading the Carolina Courage to the 2002 WUSA Championship. As a collegian she attended the University of North Carolina and won four NCAA Division I Women’s National Championships there. She is currently an assistant coach on the Duke Women’s Soccer Team.

In a frustrating affair at SAS Soccer Park on Saturday evening, the Raleigh Elite kicked off their 2006 PDL campaign and US Open Cup qualifying with a 0-0 draw against the the Nashville Metros.

The game started promisingly enough with Raleigh attacking both wide and centrally. In the 13th minute the Elite had an excellent 2 v. 1 break nullfied by what by all appearances was a horribly blown offside call by the assistant referee. Raleigh's best two chances of the first half came through Duke's Michael Videira who fired over twice in rapid succession -- once from about twenty-five yards out and then again just five minutes later when UNC's Stephen Bickford split the Metros defense and left Videira all alone 10 yards out with a clever backheel.

In a letter to their members Friday, the Dream Camps management outlined a broader relationship with Triangle Futbol Club which they hope will provide more training opportunities and skill development for their players.

As part of this relationship, Dream Camps is launching a pilot program for their U7 and U8 players in the fall. Chris Barefoot and John Dell’Omo will run free training sessions for this age group four times during the season. These sessions will occur on Sunday afternoons at Green Hope Elementary School. This will be an opportunity for the younger players in the Dream Camps league to experience additional coaching and additional opportunities for skill development prior to reaching the competitive soccer age groups, at which point they would transition into the Triangle Futbol Club challenge program.

After a defensive lapse early in the second half left Leeds trailing to Preston North End at home in the first leg of their Coca-Cola Championship promotion playoff, American Eddie Lewis, who had earlier had shouts for a penalty denied by the referee, bent a superb free kick over the wall from 23 yards out just beating Preston's Alexander at the near post to level the score.

>> Click here to watch a video of Lewis' goal

With the playoff knotted at 1-1, the second leg is scheduled for Monday, May 8th at 2:45pm EDT. We'll be meeting at Woody's in Cary again to watch to match.

Quite a few of us caught the sneak preview of Goal! The Dream Begins last night at the Carmike 15. The movie comes out in wide release in the USA next Friday. The film is the first in a trilogy and the second film, The Journey Continues comes out in Europe this fall. Here's the trailer for the second film.

The Raleigh Elite of the USL's Premier Development League launches their 2006 campaign on Saturday, May 6th against the Nashville Metros. The match, the first of 4 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup qualifiers for the Elite, is set to kickoff at 7pm Saturday evening on Field 2 at SAS Soccer Park in Cary.

PDL teams are traditionally made up of some of our finest local collegiate talent and this year's edition of the Raleigh Elite is no exception. With the NCAA restrictions on the number of players from any given college playing together over the summer, the Elite's roster looks a lot like an all-star team culled from our local university sides.

When the US Soccer team visited Cary a few weeks ago, the players couldn't stop raving about the lush, thick green pitches they practiced and played on at SAS Soccer Park. Unfortunately, for area youth and adult players, the premier fields at SAS are the exception, not the rule, for fields in our area.

With drought conditions prevaling and fields all across the Triangle in constant use, local soccer fields are in desperate need of some TLC. Although the situation may not be as desperate as portrayed in this recent News 14 story about TASL's poor field situation, it is concerning that WRAL Soccer Center will be hosting the one of the State Cup competitions this weekend with our fields in these conditions.

Bruce Arena announced his 23 man roster for Germany today and I must admit there were a few surprises. I've highlighted the names that took me a bit by surprise.

1. Kasey Keller
   
2. Tim Howard
   
3. Marcus Hahnemann
   
4. Steve Cherundolo
   
5. Cory Gibbs
   
6. Carlos Bocanegra
   
7. Oguchi Onyewu
   
8. Jimmy Conrad
   
9. Eddie Pope
   
10. Eddie Lewis
    
11. Frankie Hedjuk
    
12. Pablo Mastroeni
    
13. Clint Dempsey
    
14. Landon Donovan
    
15. John O'Brien
    
16. Claudio Reyna
    
17. Bobby Convey
    
18. DeMarcus Beasley
    
19. Ben Olsen
    
20. Brian Ching
    
21. Eddie Johnson
    
22. Josh Wolff
    
23. Brian McBride
    

The team will begin their pre-World Cup training camp May 10 here in Cary when 20 players are expected to report. Both Steve Cherundolo and Kasey Keller will join camp after the German Bundesliga season ends on May 13. Additionally, Eddie Lewis may still be competing in the promotion playoffs in the English League Championship

Congratulations to our two local alumni (Pope - UNC, Mastroeni - NCSU) who made the roster!

The following is a list of upcoming European matches which will be shown during normal business hours for sports bars in the local area along with the location I plan to head to in order to watch the match. Please come join us if you can.

If you can't make it to the location listed here, but think you might head to another local spot to watch the match, post in the comments section where you'll be so perhaps others can join you!

With Bruce Arena's World Cup selection looming later today, I thought it would be appropriate to focus our USL Alumni series on two players who will surely be named in Arena's 23-man roster for Germany.

Alice Gordon, the incumbent candidate for Orange County Commissioner, has been endorsed by the Orange County Soccer Alliance. (OCSA). She is committed to supporting the development of more soccer fields in Orange County. Keep this in mind as you go to the polls on Tuesday, May 2nd.

The OCSA represents an umbrella group of all interested parties toward the promotion of soccer in Orange County and adjoining areas. The Alliance’s long-term goals are to:

• Advocate for adequate facilities (fields) for soccer in Orange County (and adjoining counties where appropriate) for all ages, genders and races.
  
• Form a long-standing group that is inclusive of representatives from all existing soccer organizations and remain open to all future groups.
  
• Foster harmony and cooperation between these groups.
  
• Reach out to minority and underprivileged kids to aid in their inclusion in soccer.
  
• Secure funds from private entities to help finance soccer needs.
  
• Work with local governments and universities to garner support for soccer needs.
  
• Aid in the scheduling and programming of soccer at public soccer fields (and private fields, with permission).
  
• Promote the philosophy of school-park partnerships to aid in the sharing of facilities.
  
• Ensure that fields are properly maintained and used so as to prevent any deterioration.
  

Four time English League champions and three time FA Cup winners Sheffield Wednesday will visit SAS Soccer Park this summer to square off against a select side of USL All-Stars which could include Brazilian World Cup heros Romario and Zinho.

The all-star game, slated for Wednesday, July 19th will be preceded by a USL Skills Competition on Tuesday, July 18th. The match is one of the highlights of Triangle Professional Soccer's summer exhibition schedule which was officially released today. As previously reported here, the summer schedule will include a friendly between DC United and the Charleston Battery as well as a rematch of the WUSA Founder's Cup 2003 final between Washington and Atlanta of the USL's W-League.

Let's hope American U20 National Team player and former Arsenal defender Frank Simek has recovered from his knee surgery in time to join his Wednesday side when they visit SAS Soccer Park.

TSF has negotiated special rates on a "mini-pack" of tickets to the following 3 matches being promoted by Triangle Professional Soccer at SAS Soccer Park this summer. Our seats are in the Supporters Section (204 in the South Stand).

DC United v. Charleston Battery (Friendly)
Wed, June 14, 2006 - 7:30pm

Washington Freedom v. Atlanta Silverbacks (W-League Friendly)
Thu, June 29, 2006 - 7:30pm

USL 1st Division All-Stars v. Sheffield Wednesday
Wed, July 19, 2006 - 8:00pm

When purchased as part of the special supporters "mini-pack", tickets to the three matches total $30 for TSF members. Individual game tickets would cost $40 plus TicketMaster fees. Non-TSF members may also buy "mini-pack" tickets in the supporters section for $40 (no convenience charges!).

TSF Members: $30

Non-Members: $40

These special rates have been extended one extra week and are only available through May 19, 2006!

The Charlotte Eagles hosted the Western Mass Pioneers Friday night in the Eagles' second match of the 2006 season, a rematch of the 2005 USL Second Division Championship match. Charlotte and Western Mass finished in a 0-0 draw.

The Vancouver Whitecaps picked up their second win, 2-0, over Toronto and the Charleston Battery opened their 2006 season Saturday night with a 3-0 victory over Virginia Beach on a pair of goals from Gavin Glinton... The Harrisburg City Islanders' season opener went the opposite way with visiting Cincinnati recording a 2-0 win. Also winning on the road were New Hampshire at Long Island and Western Mass in Wilmington, both 1-0.

Mauricio Salles scored the lone goal for Montreal to down his former side 1-0 in Bayamon Sunday afternoon. Salles score came in the 12th minute of the match, which also saw three players ejected.

After 2 weeks of play, the Vancouver Whitecaps sit all alone atop the First Division while the Cincinnati Kings lead Division Two.