Great News,
The Vardar 01', Boys U-12 finished with a perfect record, winning 5 games
on their way to claiming the Mead Cusa Cup 5-Star U-12 11v11 Championship.
The team scored 24 goals, while giving up only 1.
Thanks ,
Karen Read
P.S. Keep the good News coming for my Newsletter.
Azteca win another boost for American psyche
By Ridge Mahoney Friday, Aug. 17, 2012
If there’s been a common theme to responses supplied by American players regarding the last year under the tutelage of Jurgen Klinsmann, aside from universal admiration of his playing career, the younger contingent all come back with variations on the same theme: “He’s giving guys like me a chance.”
In this context, “chance” is not the odd invitation to training camp and maybe playing a few minutes, if that, before being shuffled back down the depth chart. Rightly or wrongly, those who were on the outside looking in believed that predecessor Bob Bradley was “locked into his guys,” as one player put it, and reluctant if not adverse to giving extended runs to others.
This topic would have to be examined on a case-by-case basis, and those Bradley critics may forget that Charlie Davies, then just 20, debuted for the USA in a pre-Gold Cup 2007 friendly against China before he had scored a professional goal, and Jozy Altidore debuted for the senior team aged 18 years, 11 days. The stigma applied to Bradley, of course, is that he handed undeserved starts to his son, Michael, at the expense of other players and didn’t always adhere to his decree that a player needed to be playing regularly to get starts.
This is the sentiment of some fans and reporters, and hasn’t been expressed by any national team players, per se. Yet regardless of whether or not Klinsmann can transform the national team into something more pleasing and stylish, he’s been able to inspire younger players who may have been discouraged by the previous regime as well as retain a spirit of resilience.
The Bradley Era included an upset of Spain in the 2009 Confederations Cup semifinal, winning the Concacaf Hexagonal for the first time, and also topping a World Cup group for the first time. Since Klinsmann has coached the team in just two competitive matches, there can’t be any reasonable comparison in this regard, but as friendlies go, beating Italy in Genoa and Mexico in Azteca Stadium are difficult to downplay regardless of the circumstances.
Of the two games, beating Italy might have been a better performance from a soccer standpoint, though in both matches, the home team didn’t seem terribly motivated until it fell behind. More importantly, the Americans melded poise with intensity, and managed to absorb the pressure they couldn’t always alleviate by keeping the ball. They didn’t allow an unfamiliar environment or talented opponents to faze them, and in the case of Mexico, when its fans started to get antsy and the players started to sputter, the USA took advantage. A couple of excellent saves from Tim Howard, some vital defensive plays by Geoff Cameron and Graham Zusi, and a scything run by Brek Shea to set up the only goal did the trick.
Regardless of tactics or systems, or even personnel, teams that make plays at critical times win a lot of soccer games, but one can never be sure when that moment will arrive, or who will be called upon. For Mexico, Javier Hernandez had numerous chances to score the goal that might have won the game, but failed to do so. The Americans got their winner when three subs — Shea, Terrence Boyd and Michael Orozco Fiscal — seized the moment.
Maybe Klinsmann had contributed to a sense of Mexican smugness by acknowledging the “gap” that had opened up between the rivals at the youth levels as well as the senior team. Maybe all of Mexico had been distracted by the gold-medal-winning Olympic team, which was presented and honored at halftime. Playing at night instead of under a broiling midday sun helped the Americans, too. In any case, Mexico showed little if any of the fire and passion with which it had roared past the USA, 4-2, in the 2011 Gold Cup final after falling behind, 2-0. If the gap didn’t close by the USA beating Mexico on its home soil for the first time it certainly narrowed.
There were defensive heroics, of course, and a lot of lung-busting work as well. All such elements will be needed in the 14 qualifiers — four in the current semifinal phase, 10 in the Hexagonal — that lead up to the 2014 World Cup.
After a year in charge, debate rages over whether Klinsmann has, or ever will, transform the national team into something more pleasing and stylish. Glimpses of that have been seen, yet to date, his greatest accomplishment is convincing another class of players they cannot only do the job but conjure up methods to master the moment of truth.
The Role Model Coach: Pia Sundhage
By Mike Woitalla
The sideline shots of coaches during TV broadcasts tend not show them in the best light.
The ranting and raving at the refs. The futile screaming when unsatisfied with their teams. The sad, stressed-out grimaces that surely can’t instill confidence in their players should they glance toward the bench.
Then there’s Pia Sundhage. When the camera points to her, we see someone who looks like she’s enjoying watching her team. Her body language conveys confidence – something that very likely contributes to her team’s knack for incredible comeback wins, such as over Canada and France during its 2012 Olympic gold-medal run.
“What she exudes is a wonderful kind of optimism and positivity and I think she has a tremendous calm manner that I think is conveyed very effectively to her players,” says Anson Dorrance, who coached the U.S. women to their first world championship at the inaugural Women’s World Cup in 1991 and is the USA’s most successful women’s college coach with 21 national titles.
“It’s absolutely vital that even if you’re feeling stressed, your players should absolutely never see it. In fact, as often as possible they should see the opposite.”
U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati hired Sundhage after the U.S. women were routed by Brazil in the semifinals of the 2007 World Cup. Nine months later, Sundhage’s Americans won the gold medal despite losing key players Abby Wambach and Cat Whitehill to pre-tournament injuries.
In Sundhage’s next championship, the USA lost the final to Japan on penalty kicks after a 2-2 tie in which the Americans played some brilliant attacking soccer.
At the 2012 Olympics, Sundhage’s team scored 16 goals in six games. At all three world championships with Sundhage at the helm, the USA was highest-scoring team. And her teams have played some entertaining soccer, which is what happens when players are enjoying themselves.
Hope Solo has said Sundhage’s coaching style “brings the joy back to us, back to the time when we were kids.” Midfielder Heather O’Reillydescribed Sundhage’s approach to life as “glass half-full to the max.”
“Even at the highest level, it should be fun,” Sundhage says. “Soccer is the best sport in the world and if it’s not fun it’s not worthwhile to coach. … It comes back to where I come from. My mother and father said, “You know, you have to behave. But it’s important to have fun.”
No doubt Sundhage — in an era when the USA’s competition has vastly improved — must be good on player selection, tactics and training methods. But her demeanor is undoubtedly a big contributor to the USA’s success.
“I try to use my body language to emphasize what is good,” Sundhage said in an interview late last year. “I’m really happy to hear that when you watch the women’s team play you think I’m calm, because that’s what I want my players to believe – because I have faith in the way we play and in our players. I emphasize the good things. I’m looking for good things, instead of doing the opposite and try constantly to adjust mistakes.”
Sometimes the grumpy, sideline-stomping, ref-bashing coaches win. But since she proves that a positive, dignified approach works, why wouldn’t coaches strive to do it the Sundhage way?
Good Memories (Q&A Part 1)
Interview by Mike Woitalla
Kristine Lilly, the world record holder for national team appearances with 352, debuted for the USA at age 16 in 1987 and retired in 2010 at age 39. We checked in with the veteran of five World Cups and three Olympic Games for her insights on American youth soccer, past and present.
SOCCER AMERICA: What have you been up to since hanging up your cleats?
KRISTINE LILLY: Raising two kids … I’m assistant coach of the Boston Breakers [WPSL]. I coach at my camps and give private lessons [Kristine Lilly Soccer Academy]. … I’ve built some partnerships. One is with Korrio. … I give speeches, promoting the game. …
SOCCER AMERICA: Is there anything you remember about the coaching you got during your youth days that you think was especially important to your success?
KRISTINE LILLY: I can tell you that most of what I remember was oranges at halftime. Sodas or drinks after the game [laughs]. And having fun. I have good memories. That means people were doing the right things.
A lot of the coaches I had back then were just fathers. Some didn’t know the game and some did. I was fortunate to have some good people around me all the time.
SA: Was there a point during your youth soccer that you realized you had the potential to play at the high levels?
KRISTINE LILLY: I didn’t because when I was young there was no higher level. There wasn’t a national team until 1985. There was no Olympics, no World Cup for [women’s] soccer. College wasn’t really in my mindset when I was little. I didn’t know a lot about it.
I loved playing. I had fun. I competed in soccer. I played hard-ball baseball when I was younger. I played basketball. I tried gymnastics. I tried tennis. Sports were just the basis of what I did.
SA: And growing up in Connecticut you played on boys teams because they didn’t have girls soccer yet?
KRISTINE LILLY: I played on boys teams growing up. They were just starting to have some girls teams, but I played with boys until high school.
SA: What influence did your parents have on your success in soccer?
KRISTINE LILLY: They opened the doors for us. We were a very sports-oriented family. On weekends, sports were on TV. Football, any sport … bowling, baseball. We’d always have sports on.
And they’d let us try everything. They were very encouraging. If we wanted to try something, they’d say “OK.” The only thing was they’d say is, “You have to finish it. You can’t quit.”
If we didn’t like something, we had to finish it out. But they opened the doors for us.
SA: How different do you imagine your soccer experience was from today’s youth soccer environment?
KRISTINE LILLY: If you’re talking 8, 9 to 12, I hope it’s not much different but I have a feeling it might be. Because I hear so much about clubs that are recruiting 10-year-olds and that’s really not what was going on when I was younger.
You played for your town team. Maybe if you were good you made the A team and they had a B team. So you represented your community and played within your area and for your state and moved on from there.
Nowadays I think it’s a little more consuming for the kids, which I think is a little bit unfortunate. What I hear is that kids are getting burned out early and that’s sad, because you shouldn’t be burned out at 12 years old.
SA: Do you think parents approach youth soccer differently now?
KRISTINE LILLY: Parents now are probably a little more involved than mine were. Mine were involved but I didn’t realize it and they didn’t tell me to do something. Now parents are worried about whether their children are playing premier, or for this club or that club. I don’t really care. Is your kid having fun?
There’s only a handful of kids who are going to make it to the national level. There are a lot more doors open for college scholarships, which has created different avenues, and that’s a positive, but I think we shouldn’t lose sight on the kids and just make sure they’re having fun.
SA: What’s your coaching philosophy?
KRISTINE LILLY: I believe in the basics. Passing, dribbling, shooting, heading. The proper technique. I teach that to young kids and to high school kids, and even with Breakers it’s a big part of the training I do.
(Kristine Lilly scored 130 goals in 352 games for the USA in 1987-2010 and was a member of two World Cup and two Olympic championship teams. She played pro club ball in Sweden, the WUSA and WPS. Lilly won four national championships with the University of North Carolina. She’s assistant coach of the WPSL Eite’s Boston Breakers, runs the Kristine Lilly Soccer Academy and is the soccer ambassador for Korrio, an integrated sports automation platform developer.)
Hi Everyone.
Please check the MYSL Website if Your team is in
The Michigan Impact U13 Boys White team coached by Dave Heinemann were runners up in the U13 Boys Silver division of the Pacesetter Invitational Soccer Tournament this Memorial Day weekend in Sylvania, Ohio.
The Impact team defeated their opponents with 17 aggregate goals while only giving up 4 goals thru the semifinals, losing to HFC U13 boys 3-0 in the Final game.
The Michigan Impact 99 White,an MYSL team currently plays in the Premier 2 Division of the Michigan Premier Soccer League.
U-13 Impact99 Team
The Michigan Impact U8 boys White team coached by Anthony (Scully) McGreevy were runners up in the Pacesetter Invitational Soccer tournament over the Memorial Weekend. The boys defeated Dublin(Ohio) United 6-2 in their opening game and went on to defeat Pacesetters 5-0, Perrysburg, Ohio 5-2, and then lost in the final to Dublin 2-1.
The Impact U8 boys are currently in second place in the Red division of MYSL U8 boys.
U-8 Impact Team
Fifteen boys from the Vardar Soccer Club will be making a special trip to China this summer representing the United States in the 2012 World Final of the Manchester United Premier Cup. The MUPC is the largest international youth football tournament in the world involving over 6,000 teams from over 40 countries.
To qualify for the world tournament, the Vardar squad won six games and tied one over the course of the MUPC U.S. event held May 26-28 at the Nike headquarters in Beaverton, OR. In the championship game, Vardar faced Real So Cal and came away with a 1-0 win on a goal scored by Clarkston resident Jimmy Todd. In addition to winning the tournament trophy, the Vardar boys earned the all-expenses paid trip to China for the World Final to be held July 20-23 in Shanghai.
Vardar started the U.S. event with a 2-1 win over San Diego Surf on goals scored by Travis Harrington of Macomb Twp. In a second qualifying game Vardar outscored St. Louis Scott Gallagher 3-0 with two goals by Nash Popovic of Rochester Hills and one by Todd. Game three pitted Vardar against Sockers FC with a 0-0 outcome. A fourth qualifying game had Vardar come out ahead of the Clearwater Chargers 2-0 with goals scored Popovic and AJ Shaw of Lake Orion. Then in the Quarterfinal, Vardar faced the Nomads from Southern California and came out ahead with a 2-0 win from goals scored by Jake Rosen of Livonia and Tommy Dokho of Royal Oak. In the semi-final Popovic scored two more goals to give Vardar the edge over the Fullerton Rangers 2-1. For his prolific scoring, Popovic won the MUPC Golden Boot Award (six goals total). This is the second year in a row that Popovic has earned the Golden Boot.
On the defensive end, Jake Townsley of Sterling Heights started in goal and earned four shut-outs giving up only one goal in five games. Following a minor injury to Townsley, Pearce Skinner of Grand Blanc, came into goal and played the semi-final and final giving up only one goal and earning the final shut-out.
“We had solid goal-keeping for sure,” said Morris Lupenec, Vardar Director of Coaching, “but our overall defensive effort was great too. Before the tournament even started I had a good feeling with this core of kids. They have great team chemistry and worked hard throughout . I couldn’t be prouder of them.”
The Vardar squad also included: Connor McDevitt of Rochester Hills, Giuseppe Vitale of Washington, Michael Wetungu of Rochester Hills, Willie Maddox of Troy, Zack Castle of Pleasant Ridge, Duncan Holman of Bay City and Mitch Guitar of Troy. Lupenec of Rochester Hills and Eric Pogue of Royal Oak coached the team.
