April 13, 2008 | 08:43
ESPN's Soccernet published a USL season preview earlier this week and reporter Anne Ramzy has concluded that the RailHawks, who finished 8th out of 12 teams in their inaugural season last year, will do no better than 10th (out of 11 teams) this season.
With the amount of turnover in a league like USL from year-to-year, I find it interesting that anyone would even attempt to pick the places of the teams until results start to come in at the beginning of the season. In addition, it appears that Ramzy is fairly new to covering USL, as the only other article I can find she has written on the league for ESPN is dated the day before her predictions were posted.
The only other reference I can find to Miss Ramzy's expertise on USL is a short bio on the blog The Offisde stating that she writes about the now defunct California Victory. There I found a reference to Joel Bailey as Carolina's "Super Striker" from her article on the RailHaws v. Vics match last August. (not sure she watched many of our games last year!)
I applaud Anne's efforts as a freelance writer to get some attention for the USL on ESPN's Soccernet. But I'm not sure I'm going to put a lot of stock in her predictions until I see her writing a lot more about the league and some of her predictions coming true. If she had gone more in depth into the large number of changes in the RailHawks offense (Coggins, Nuñez, Curfman, Watson) instead of banking our whole season on the addition of Antoniuk, I give more credence to her prediction.
There's no doubt the league is going to be very tough this season, but I believe the RailHawks' front office has really improved our side in the offseason. Based on what I've seen in camp so far, what I'm expecting from Watson & Antoniuk, and the rumors I'm hearing about one more BIG signing of a USL veteran, all-league defender before the season starts next weekend, I fancy our chances of not only defending our Southern Derby title but finishing in the top half of the table (5th) in 2008.
With the amount of turnover in a league like USL from year-to-year, I find it interesting that anyone would even attempt to pick the places of the teams until results start to come in at the beginning of the season. In addition, it appears that Ramzy is fairly new to covering USL, as the only other article I can find she has written on the league for ESPN is dated the day before her predictions were posted.
The only other reference I can find to Miss Ramzy's expertise on USL is a short bio on the blog The Offisde stating that she writes about the now defunct California Victory. There I found a reference to Joel Bailey as Carolina's "Super Striker" from her article on the RailHaws v. Vics match last August. (not sure she watched many of our games last year!)
I applaud Anne's efforts as a freelance writer to get some attention for the USL on ESPN's Soccernet. But I'm not sure I'm going to put a lot of stock in her predictions until I see her writing a lot more about the league and some of her predictions coming true. If she had gone more in depth into the large number of changes in the RailHawks offense (Coggins, Nuñez, Curfman, Watson) instead of banking our whole season on the addition of Antoniuk, I give more credence to her prediction.
There's no doubt the league is going to be very tough this season, but I believe the RailHawks' front office has really improved our side in the offseason. Based on what I've seen in camp so far, what I'm expecting from Watson & Antoniuk, and the rumors I'm hearing about one more BIG signing of a USL veteran, all-league defender before the season starts next weekend, I fancy our chances of not only defending our Southern Derby title but finishing in the top half of the table (5th) in 2008.
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