Z.I.P.

Sorry, I meant to link to this article about Buriram United. I might invest in a new jersey (not Gov Christie's). And -- please, please don't use the 'C' word around me or any other Gunners fan.

Welcome, Ampai, to the Thunder Castle! That is Buriram United's 24,00 seat home stadium. They appear to be well healed operationally. Won the Thai Treble. Can we call them the Barca of SE Asia?

Thanks for the credit -- but I just logged onto this thread. Apparently it was MDZip, the Baltimore Oriole who advocated that crazy softball-like concept. Me, I like 8-overtime finals! As long as Indiana isn't involved!

I happened across some salary figures released by the MLSPA this week. This only shows the Galaxy and Chivas USA, but that includes our two Akron Goats. I'm sure someone can find the rest of the league salaries. I imagine Zakuani still leads all ex-Zips by a decent margin.

Pardon me if I'm just a little more self-centered. Here's hoping that Rico and Melo can maintain possession with intent to distribute! If so, I predict at least a 2-0 series with the Golden Parolees.

E.J. Thomas is not unique among the university’s auxiliary enterprises. UA also provides $19 million of the athletic department’s $24 million budget and $3.8 million of InfoCision Stadium’s $5.4 million budget, said David Cummins, UA’s chief financial officer An interesting fact I noticed in last week's University of Hawaii hiring of former U. of Delaware Provost as their new President is that Delaware sponsors 21 sports (vs UA's 17) and has an athletic budget of $31M, higher than probably any MAC school. Yet they play football in the FCS. Hmmmmm.

Thanks for the news Bobby. But, as much as I hate the Galaxy, they were one of only two teams (Chivas the other) available on Fox West/Prime Ticket -- and even though Time Warner is the ONLY cable provider in Hawaii, the CA TW broadcasts are not available here. So why am I paying over $100 a month for this system???

I'm not sure if this topic deserves its own thread, but I'm returning to the subject of MLS television coverage in 2012. It appears (now that I'm back on "American" soil), that not only has Fox lost MLS coverage on its premier soccer vehicle (the one called "Fox SOCCER Network"), but also on it's regional networks. This is clearly more than just a loss for Fox, but a huge loss for MLS! For example, Fox West and Prime Ticket were the regional broadcasters of both Los Angeles franchises, but now, best as I can make out both the LA Galaxy and Chivas USA have NO local TV coverage any longer. How can that possibly be a good thing for Major League Soccer? Are the Columbus Crew still having their games broadcast by Fox, or some other regional TV Net? Whether or not Fox gave MLS the respect it may have deserved is now reduced to the quest for any day-to-day coverage whatever. Rather than competing with Premier League, Serie A, and whatever other stuff FSC had on it's lineup, MLS must now compete against the NHL, cycling, all kinds of outdoor stuff, and gets probably less than 2% of the NBCSN's time whereby they were a daily feature at least on Fox Soccer with highlights, rebroadcasts and regular ads/teasers for upcoming games. All this (the changeover) seemed to happen with no foremention to fans. Yes -- they Foxed up again -- but the real losers seem to be US soccer fans (again!). edit/addendum: Looking at the Galaxy and Chivas TV schedules, I see that Chivas is still having SOME of their games (about 1/2) broadcast by Fox West or Prime Ticket, while the Galaxy has gone exclusively to a local L.A. station for local broadcast. I wonder if Becks, Keane and Donovan no longer sell outside LA County.

Here's a nice bit of trivia: Who was Ohio University's men's soccer coach in the late 70s? Bob Bradley! I suspect it was a club team however. Back in those days club teams played against varsity opponents during the regular season, but couldn't participate in the post-season. Two schools which played very good club soccer at that time (and were capable of holding their own vs UA) were Notre Dame and Oakland. Their soccer programs went varsity only in the 90s I believe. Anyone know the dates for sure?

Zip-_87, Edwardsville was a true power in collegiate soccer in my time at Akron (late seventies, early eighties). However, I could swear that Akron defeated SIUE at Lee Jackson early in the season in which they won the NCAA tiitle, about 1977 or '78. That was the year in which their coach suffered a heart attack midway through the season, and I believe they went undefeated the rest of the way through October to the end of the season (which I think ended in November back then). Is SIUE playing in D-1 again? they downgraded their whole athletic program in the 80s.

Skip, I respect your desire to continue with this simplistic (and simply wrong) statement. however this is the second time I have had to correct you on it, so please read this clearly: ANY youth sports league can be referred to in the terms you use -- if you have no experience as a player or parent in recent years. I believe any kid can play little league baseball or pee wee football (etc.) for relatively little money -- the cost of uniforms, travel to games...I'm not sure what else. But unlike youth soccer clubs, to my knowledge other sports do not require large membership fees for merely belonging to the club, and coaching fees that normally reach into the thousands of dollars per year. As I mentioned earlier, these expenses required to merely step on the field of a competitiive youth league (as contrasted with AYSO, where indeed, "Everyone Plays", but no one reaches the level of play necessary to achieve the parents' goal of a college scholarship, or pro career) are similar to those which upwardly mobile families are required to pay to get their children into the best private schools in their communities. And this economic reality is one of the main reasons why American soccer has been held back, in contrast to the Euroean and Latin American countries where kids can indeed just step onto a dirt field and somehow be noticed by club scouts, because in those countries every adult basically is a 'scout" and when a youngster is noticed with outstanding skill, he is sure to be given an opportunity to show his skills to local clubs, which is the entry door to professional play. Think of a Canadian youth who is good at hockey -- he'll be seen, "discovered", and the junior hockey scouts connected to pro teams will beat a path to his door. This system does not yet exist in American soccer, and so those with the $$$ to bet on their kid's future must put up, or appear willing to pay the big bucks for professional coaching and career progression (this is why the highest salaries in US soccer coaching do not go to college or sometimes pro coaches, but rather to youth soccer club Coaching Directors). Ask any family which belongs to a soccer/football club how it effects their expenses. You're sure to get an earful!

Just returned to Hawaii, and found the Globetrotters are in town this weekend. I want to see Qua(d)ke, but the website shows something like 29 players on the roster. Is there any way to find out if Milum is going to be on this particular tour? edit: Found an email form for the team and phone#. Will let you know what I found out. Hope I get to see him. How'bout help out the Z.I.P. with some ducats, Quake, Baby!

As I shouted to their coach when they last played @Hawaii: "Put in Cornbread!"

He plays on the same back line with the Crew Juni's as Drew Souders. Here's an article I took from MLS Soccer.whatever (it doesn't say what HS class Ranalli is in, but he's playing with Crew U-18, So I presume he's a 2012 grad.: Chicago Fire sweeps preseason tournament Wed, 02/29/2012 - 7:44am The Development Academy Carolina Challenge Cup is quickly becoming a favorite for several east coast professional academies in late February. Held in conjunction with the pro tournament of the same name, six Development Academy teams descended on Charleston, South Carolina over the weekend with an eye on the resumption of the USSF DA slate in March. D.C. United, Chicago Fire, Indiana United Fire, South Carolina United Battery, Columbus Crew and New York Red Bulls sent their respective U16 and U18 sides to contest the tournament that wrapped up on Monday night. Kyle Dal SantoAfter three group games, the Chicago Fire emerged victorious at both age levels, going 5-0-1 in six games, outscoring their opponents 11-1 in the process. More importantly for the Fire was getting back into action after a lengthy break. "It was a long winter for us, long grind," head coach Larry Sunderland told TopDrawerSoccer.com. "To get some games that meant something was good. We haven't played a game that has meant something since December." Despite last playing competitively at the Winter Showcase, both Chicago's U16 and U18 teams excelled down in Charleston. Behind the play of goalkeeper Kyle Dal Santo, Louis Bennett and Marcus Epps, Chicago defeated New York, D.C. United and South Carolina Battery to claim the U16 crown. With the variety of different teams on display, Sunderland was particularly happy for his younger charges. "The nice thing about the tournament is that we played teams and every team played a different style, which was really good for us to see," he said. "It's one thing when we talk about the 18s, but it was really good for the 16s to see, maybe mature them a little bit, to get them to understand how they have to adapt sometimes to the course of the game and the way the opponent is playing." Meanwhile, the Fire's U18 group clinched the title thanks to a 2-0 win on Monday over South Carolina, with Joseph Calistri's long distance goal putting the game away. Drew Conner and homegrown professional signing Kellen Gulley put in solid shifts for the victorious U18 side. Making the achievement even more significant was the firepower at that level, including New York, Columbus and D.C. United, with the latter featuring Patrick Foss and Jalen Robinson - although stalwart Collin Martin was absent because of U.S. U20 obligations. "Overall I think we were really pleased," D.C. U18 coach Nolan Sheldon told TopDrawerSoccer.com. "We definitely got a lot out of the three matches that each team was able to play. I would say that there were some moments throughout each of the three games where things were really, really good, maybe the best they've been all year in terms of the level of play." The Crew used the event as a chance to bring down not just their two Development Academy sides to compete in the Challenge Cup, but to also take three of their pre-Academy teams on the road to play in friendlies against CASL Chelsea and South Carolina United. "It was pretty special," Crew Soccer Academy Director Andrew Arthurs told TopDrawerSoccer.com. "We have a lot of interaction with our first team players and coaches here in Columbus, but that was the first time we'd been on the road with the first team. To have all of those levels in one hotel and connecting over the course of four or five days was a great experience." According to Arthurs, Akron-bound center back Andrew Souders was one of the standouts for the U18s, as well as defender Alex Ranalli, forward Brett Elder, and midfielder Zach Mason as the Crew finished fourth place at that age level, and fifth at the U16.One of the unique features of the tournament was the chance to pit MLS Academy sides against each other, as D.C. squared off against the Fire and Crew. It's a unique element to the Development Academy that adds a bit more motivation to those sorts of games. "We get up for them - we're definitely excited," Sheldon said. "If you're going to look at the schedule and you're going to get New York Red Bull, Fire or Crew, they definitely jump off the page a little bit more than some other teams may." And while the Fire emerged from this particular competition on top, it's clear that every team involved in South Carolina has a lot of potential as the Development Academy season continues in full force this spring. Final Standings U16 W L T GF GA PTS Chicago Fire 3 0 0 6 1 9 D.C. United 1 1 1 4 3 4 Indiana Fire 1 1 1 5 5 4 SCU Battery 1 1 1 2 3 4 Columbus Crew 0 1 2 0 2 2 New York Red Bulls 0 2 1 2 5 1 U18 W L T GF GA PTS Chicgo Fire 2 0 1 5 0 7 New York Red Bulls 2 1 0 5 3 6 D.C. United 1 0 2 5 4 5 Columbus Crew 1 2 0 5 7 3 SCU Battery 1 2 0 4 3 3 Indiana Fire 0 2 1 3 7 1

"Joining NU and the Zips in Evanston this time around will be Notre Dame and Hawaii. The two winners from Friday will play one another on Saturday. NU and UA will meet for the first time on the tennis court." I'm sure it would also be the first meeting between Akron and Hawaii -- if by some miracle they were to defeat their first round opponents in essentially "visiting team" mode. Good luck Zips (and Wahine Warriors)! Maybe the coaches will meet and schedule a match in Manoa next year (anything's possible!).

Please explain. Are we talking about Columbus, Akron or Lodi?

Thank you Bobby! I've been wanting to do that for a few years, believe me. My fear was that either it would take numbers away from the Zn.o, or it might have fewer followers than say the hated Whosers' Bigsoccer thread!

Hilarious! "We've got soccer tennis and cornhole". Wow! Just like Wake island.

US U-18 player, and only ranked #55. What's up with that? Maybe Ampai can put a bug in his ear.

Thanks for blowing my day with this thread! You're likely to get crumby weather anywhere East of the Mississippi, except South Fla. in Dec. Akron will be a favorite pre-and post season for a while, but I like to think sunny Southern California is lucky for the squad.

I've said it before, if KD leaves UA, and it won't be soon, eventually Bron could be his ticket to a coaching spot in The League (assistant, I mean).

Lance, In response to your statement regarding the Mt West/CUSA Alliance that,: If Hawaii join, it would be a cool trip Since Hawaii is a football-only member of the Mt West Conference (beginning in 2012), they would be considered part of the "Alliance". However, all the self-declared "experts" in the islands are saying that with so many teams, there would be geographic divisions whereby Hawaii would rarely have to travel East of the Mississippi. And the AD has declared the school will NOT subsidize travel expenses for any new members, as they are required to currently.

Ryan Bain played for the Zips?? Sorry, guess I blinked on that play. Or my eyes were obscured by the rain, so I could not see Ryan Bain.

As followers should know, I have been a true believer in Tommy's ability since the start (actually since seeing him in Development League Finals). Any holdout non-believers still out there?

Can those of you who are Major MLS fans give us a review of this season's national television coverage? I have been able to watch only one game this season (Philly Union v DC United on the NBCS Net) and was forced to overcome the play-by-play accent of another limey in American soccer. I have nothing specific against the English or British islanders, I just wish US television execs didn't have the belief that so many British accents made the game more "authentic". So, don't ask me about the PA announcer in Seattle! Is it true that MLS is no longer broadcast on FSN? If so, that's a real tragedy.