Z.I.P.

Here's the season score: 29-2 Akron. Damn! That ruins our GAA.

The deadline is October 31st. And he's leaning toward Transylvania!

Now let's hope you're right.Seems like Akron is having an off night, statistically.One more goal will seal the deal.Well...with five minutes remaining, we have 10 shots -- 8 on goal, versus one of four of UIC's shots being on frame. This looks like a clear cut victory (knock on wood) versus a good club on the road.

Me gets a feeling, coach did not write this. Dis ain't coachspeak! He signed the paper he was handed by whoever sent this out. Hopefully he signed it!

And actor! Ask Billy Crystal.

What I am most pissed off about this year is I thought there were going to be changes after last season in terms of the style of defense and creativity in the offense. My opinion was if he committed to make changes he should stay...If not, he should go. There really haven't been any.I'll throw this out there and maybe I'm completely wrong. I think JD went into this year thinking that regardless of how the season went down, 2009 was going to be his last year at Akron. He would have said anything to stay one more year. If we had a good year, JD was going to leave. If we had a bad year, he would get his buyout and be on his way. Either way he was going to do what he wanted to do when he came here regardless of the outcome.Pardon me. But please illuminate us on exactly WHERE JD would leave Akron for after ONE good year -- out of six! Unless you're talking about either an NFL position coach, or back to a BCS coordinator position, this makes not sense. And frankly, if he wanted to leave Akron, he could have done that already. Why would he want to gain a reputation as a quitter? Nope, everybody's got to sit and take their medicine.

Yeah, he has been very deceptive in the past. I would call his bluff. I hope he has at least an inside straight or flush draw.I predict an inside draw, and flush straight.

Anyone who saw them draw with Louisville on FSC could see they're a talented group. They have arguably the top senior goalkeeper in the nation in Bubonja. This should be a low-scoring affair. Others to worry about are Ian Sarachan, son of former USA MNT (2002 World Cup) assistant Dave Sarachan who's still working with Bruce Arena at the LA Galaxy. Freshman F Josh Beard looked very capable vs UL, along with New Mex transfer Zach Tierney. Prediction: 2-1 Akron.

I wasn't sure whether to PM Rifle or send to the list, but I decided to give my 2c to the crew.First off, the substitution rule is the area where US college soccer diverges most radically from the game as ruled by FIFA. At all other levels of the sport that I am familiar with, once a player is subbed, he/she cannot return to the game. Exceptions being of course, in club youth leagues (and AYSO), and then, I think, only at the U-12 and younger age groups (anyone can say otherwise, please correct me) The reason for the rule variation in the NCAA is based on scholarship numbers. At least that's what I've read and understand. If relatively few subs are allowed, then there are fewer players needed on the team. In college sports, there is pressure to allow MORE rather than fewer players to play, kind of a version of AYSO! lol.Now, I suspect Rifle may be referring more sppecifically to our team -- is that right? It has struck me, in the two or three games I've followed on gamecasts this year, that Caleb subs less then most coaches. There are a lot of different ideas among coaches on how much you should sub. When I was a student, Jerry Yeagley would sub his Hoosiers' complete lineup -- bringing in 10 new players at a time. That was seen as the summit of arrogance by many in attendance, but when your second 10 is as good as most teams' starting 10, it may present an advantage in making the defense adapt to a new style frequently over the course of the game.The other side of the argument -- the one for NOT subbing, is that it could throw off the timing and consistency of the lines on the field. A team becomes stronger as it becomes accustomed to the individual patterns of one another, and keeping the same patterns across and between lines can also present an advantage. So, the struggle for coaches is to maintain the timing and consistency, while satisfying the needs of players to rest during the game, and give substitute players an opportunity to show what they are capable of.It takes years to gain a feel for the little strategic and coaching decisions that take place in football/soccer. Keep watching the Zips, and you too can become a futbol snob. Good luck!

I will respond to this (newly re-opened) thread through Zach's comment, since it is the one that makes the most sense, and the one I'm in agreement with -- with the exception of the first sentence of the final paragraph. Folks, you need to relax and enjoy this team's success! I know we are talking about AKRON BUT you need to realize soccer is a completely different animal. With the proper decisions and a relative modicum of resources, most any school can be a powerhouse. Do not underestimate the difference between Ken Lolla and Caleb Porter. Ken (who I like and admire) is an excellent coach who can make an unknown or just 'good' program into a top-20, and occasionally top-10 team. But, for him to create a team that could be a strong contender, let alone a favorite to win an NCAA title, is, IMHO, above his ceiling of potential. Caleb Porter, like his best players, deserves the honorific, of being a "special" type of coach. He is the type of personality and manager of people and the game who doesn't come along to ANY school very often. Akron's team will be the favorite to win NCAA titles for the next three years (unless we lose players to the pros, and don't replenish them, an unlikely event).As far as his being "predated" (gobbled up, Jurassic Park style by Velociraptor State), there are many very rich universities which would love to have someone of Caleb's caliber leading their programs. Big Ten schools are hardly the only ones who would offer more than Akron could. BUT, when we talk about soccer, we're again talking about a relatively low ceiling. These schools may be able to offer salaries in the 300k area. Yes, that's about double what he currently makes, but trust me, Caleb Porter LOVES being the coach of Akron, and he knows he can achieve at Akron anything he can achieve at any university in America. AND, everything I hear is, we ARE going to have the facilities deserving of a team as good as Akron and Caleb Porter require to keep the program at or near the top of the pyramid of college soccer. But, please keep up the pressure to ensure the administration commits to funding and building the stadium we have to have. Tom Wistercill seems to be quite aware of how important a sport like soccer can be to a school's overall athletics program. He's been at schools in Wisconsin and Minnesota where hockey is an integral part of the sports culture. Soccer inhabits that same space at Akron, so I'm confident we have a leader who understands its importance, and will do what's necessary to maintain our stature.Now, as to that comment of Zach's about it being "almost inevitable" that Caleb Porter will leave for "home" -- Indiana Hoosierland. Don't OVER-rate the attraction of Bloomington, Indiana. It is not a cultural capitol of anything. Caleb honors IU soccer for what is has been, and what it has enabled him to achieve himself. However, he also realizes anything he could do at IU (assuming they would somehow prefer to have him over his ex-boss Mike Freitag) he can do in Akron, Ohio. Caleb is creating a brand new soccer culture in Akron, and he must realize that while Indiana was the team in college soccer from 1975 to 2005, Akron could own the next thirty years. We all need to be part of making that a reality.

Have you seen them actually play? I see this team, since they play in the WAC. The way they played vs Col St., yesterday, they would have struggled against Akron or K-ent State. They're maybe in the top-90 this year, and I give you, that's their best performance in a decade. As far as Ohio and Bowling Green, Cap'n, Bee Gee looked like the favorites in the MAC East the first two weeks, playing a top-25 Missouri very close on the road. Somehow, they left their game in Huntington WVa. Ohio? What game indicates that they can claim to be a contender? Buffalo, even at 1-3 is still my pick in the East. Temple may be #2. We know who the bottom three are.

that made me think of this form homestarrunner:http://www.homestarrunner.com/senormortgage.swfI'm surprised that one didn't make Michael Moore's Capitalism, A Love Story!

He is not mentioned at all.Actually he is -- he's listed in the credits as an Executive Producer of the film. Another phat plum for the head of LeBron's Management Team (LMT).The film is playing here in two weeks as part of the Hawai'i International Film Festival. Another chance to wear my #23 Akron jersey.

Please! Northern lost last week to an awful Idaho Vandal club. Watching them struggle to beat CSU tonight at their cubby dome, I can see how they lost to EMU last season. While I've felt WMU is overrated all along, perhaps the Huskies can give as good an effort as UBuff, if that game's in DeKalb. But I think CMU will have their toughest contest vs Toledo. Where is that game at?It's nice to discuss the always exciting Mid American Conference! Is there a sarcastic/cynical version of I just wish my school were even competitive against these mediocre outfits. Ohio's surprise win @ BeeGee today might give them more momentum. Or it might make them overconfident. Let's hope its the latter!

3-0 zips win...finalWay to go, Ben! Is that career NCAA goal #1? Or did I miss one already?

Two words: Missouri State. (0-0 draw last season)

Do you have the source for that statement (i.e., publication?) I would love for it to be just between us and the Tobacco Pickers.

I'm interested in seeing how it portrays Maverick Carter, who has become a millionnaire, or near, as a result of his role as "leader of the posse". It was Maverick who reporters had to go to, before they could get an interview with The Chosen One.

To which I began the thread after the Indiana game, "Akron to Missouri Valley Conference". Seems it drew little interest except from the YSU lurker. Since Akron does not have the resources to "compete with the big diogs" (diogs apparently meaning BCS conference schools?) should we therefore abandon all intent on competing? That goes, in essence for every school in the MAC, Sun Belt and nearly all in the WAC and Mountain West. Those universities get less national interest than the Cleveland Indians and Pittsboig Pirates, therefore, they should fold the tent?

One more thing -- I really wondered about this when I read the article a couple days ago. I was SURE that the Nanchoffs emigrated from Hungary. Maybe I'm losing it, but I seem to remember reading (when the brothers were playing, in the 70s) about the family leaving during the 1956 Soviet takeover. Maybe they fled temporarily to Yugoslavia. Anyone know -- 72 Roo, you probably know this!

I would always sit in the stands with George and Louie. I would bring my radio on Sunday to listen to the Browns game, and they would have to have constant updates. Louie's favorite Brown -- the last non-soccer stylist, Don Cockroft. I think he dreamed of being an NFL placekicker. (Just like me!)

That's the difference between so-called "long ball" versus possession play. Often teams that are inferior from a skill standpoint opt for the "long ball".Thanks for bringing up this issue. Remember in the interview last year, where Ben Speas said he chose Akron in part because they play a more "short-pass-oriented" game? Back in the 1970's, about the only team who's GK distributed the ball forward through the defense was Jerry Yeagley's Hoosier team. I remember watching Ken Lolla's team in Portland, and in Seattle almost a decade ago, and they invariably played "boom ball", hoping to catch the defense asleep, and almost never working, as they failed to win a game as I recall in those two tournaments. Now, with the incredible talent on our club, we can dribble rings around our opponents. And I bet Akron is one of the paciest teams in the nation, if not the slickest. We outrun the defense with the ball now, no need to pass over the top and hope to trap the ball.1-0 at halftime? Well, in Caleb Porterology: That's All Folks!

I think Captain has already described his salad days at old McDonald High.

If you're interested in playing Firestone Country Club, this may be your (only) chance.

I think the features are improved a bit, but overall there are still problems. I still have to scroll side-to-side to see the pictures, as the whole page doesn't fit on the screen.