Zip_ME87

Without knowing the names, how do you "know for a fact"?

That's too bad. I really like Fred and was hoping he would settle in and have a great year for us. However, I understand that he may need the family support, and feel the need to be closer to home (especially given his unfortunate situation last Fall).

Feature: Perry Kitchen

Congratulations on Shaka staying put at VCU.

+1 Absolutely Jodi deserves the commitment from UA.

I love that picture of Darlington and DeAndre "battling". Before that game started, I saw DeAndre and Darlington and Darlington and Steve embrace each other in the tunnel before walking out onto the pitch at Century Link. It's so cool to see our professional players together even if they are competing against each other.

Well deserved call up. Seattle Sounders' DeAndre Yedlin says he's been called to US Under-20 camp

Complaining about specifics is still complaining.

Why do you believe that's more productive? Who is going to listen to specifics from a bunch of "Monday morning wanna be coaches"? I personally don't think that it's more productive to start blaming any one or anything. It is, however, our right --- as season ticket holders, casual fans, alumni, students, and donors --- to let the powers that be know that we're not satisfied with just getting to the NCAA Tournament. We can all Think Bigger, but It is their job to find a way to make more happen. That is what they get paid to do (regardless of amount). When I was younger, it was easier to say "wait 'til next year". As I've gotten older, "next year" has come and gone a lot without additional results. I'd like to see more in my lifetime. Am I happy for us to get to the NCAA Mens Basketball Tournament? Yes. Is it unfair of me to want more for my Alma Mater? No. I think most of us know how great it felt when the soccer team won the 2010 National Championship. I'd love to have that same feeling for basketball with a run to the Sweet 16 or Elite 8 or further. [before anybody goes off on my mentioning soccer, I'm not comparing sports or teams. I just want a similar "high" for Akron basketball.] PS: I sympathize with you Dr. Z.

Disappointment. You can try to guild this season any way you want, but it was a disappointment. I think most of us expected this to be the year that we would take the next step, and win at least 1 game in the NCAA Tournament. Instead, we lost by the largest margin of any of our NCAA Tournament appearances. We were in the game for about 6.5 minutes. We looked completely unprepared for a team that we knew. As has been noted numerous times on this board, we are in a "crappy" conference. I just can't use a MAC Championship (actually 2) to say we did well. Yes, we had player issues, but part of being a good team is to not have those issues. Sickness is different, but that was really only 1 player. The other 2 don't get significant minutes anyway. You can say I'm being negative, but in my opinion, I'm just stating reality.

Sounders releasing Johannson.

I am so proud of our Zips and how they handled so much adversity. I couldn't be happier for them. These Zips are a special group. I know someone posted the article about Jake Kretzer's heart issue in another thread, but I missed this article on March 13th on Ohio.com. I apologize if it was posted elsewhere, but I hadn't realized what Jake has had to deal with over this season. GO ZIPS!

The U20 WC takes place in July 2013. I've forgotten the cut off birth date, but I'm almost certain DeAndre is eligible. He should have been in the qualifying, IMHO. However, I think it's better that he's been with the Sounders. He's certainly making great contributions. Perhaps he'll be noticed by Jurgen Klinsman.

It was an absolutely AWESOME goal , and the Sounders make it through to the semi-finals with 3-1 victory. Aggregate 3-2. Edit: DeAndre's goal between 3:00 - 3:05

DeAndre Yedlin scores Sounders' first goal in 2013 vs Tigres.

74 yards x 110 yards according to this article. If I remember correctly, that's approximately 4 yards narrower than our Cub Cadet Field.

If you're also going to the Tigres match on March 12th at the "Clink", you might run into Caleb in the stands. The announcers stated during last night's Timbers match that he had attended the Sounders-Impact match on March 2nd (one week prior to playing the Impact).

Yes. One thing about that dome at Krenzler Field is that the sound carries well across the field. Quite easy to make out Jared giving direction.

I agree with your takeaways. Robbie and Aodhan were both there, but not dressed. I talked with Robbie following the match. He said he would be ready in April. I remember reading (on twitter, I think) that he had surgery during winter break. I said "hi" to Aodhan, but didn't get to ask him how he was doing as he was talking with others.

My point was that if you really want the recruiting class information released, you should go to the folks who can do so. Griping about it on Bigsoccer won't help you get what you want. I've already e-mailed one of the folks I listed (a few days before I saw your post on ZN.o). Perhaps if more people did so, we would see something. Krenzler Field does have an inflatable dome which I believe will be on the field for Friday's match. See you there.

As far as tailgates, joining up with "Team Nanchoff" might be the way to go, if possible. Weren't there several hundred Michael Nanchoff supporters tailgating and sitting in the stands when Vancouver came through last season?

Whether or not we know who's been recruited, we should start getting a feel for how our team looks under the new coach this Friday at CSU. Perhaps instead of posting on BigSoccer, you might try contacting the AD, the SID (aka Associate Director for Athletics Communications), or the new Head Coach. E-mail addresses are available on GoZips.com.

I heard that, too, from Caleb at the end of the match, but then... Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri inspire Portland Timbers comeback Porter fires up Nagbe; Ryan Johnson praises Valeri's play ... "Sometimes with Darlington you have to give him a kick in the ass,” Porter said after his Portland Timbers rallied from a two-goal deficit to draw the New York Red Bulls 3-3 on Sunday at JELD-WEN Field, “in a positive way, you know, pump him up." And with the Timbers facing a 3-1 halftime deficit, Porter had just such a talk with the young midfielder/forward – who he coached at the University of Akron before Nagbe became the Timbers’ first pick of the 2011 SuperDraft. Nagbe responded by kick starting the Timbers rally with a 56th-minute goal, then teaming up with new his new attacking partners to inspire the equalizer just seven minutes from full time. “He’s been telling me the same thing since I was 17,” Nagbe said of his coach’s motivational tactics. “He’s a great coach, a great guy and he knows how to motivate every single player, which is what I think is great about him.” ... “Part of it is just telling Darlington, instead of a midfielder, he needed to play more like a striker and get at their right back and go after him,” Porter said of Nagbe’s matchup with Kosuke Kimura. “We knew that was perhaps a matchup we could win. The light bulb went on. And he was a handful in that second half. I felt he was a big part of us turning the game around.” ... Timbers Army:

3-3 final. What a FUN second half. PORTERLAND http://www.portlandtimbers.com/news/2013/0...rs-vs-red-bulls

Porter begins MLS campaign with points on the line After building powerhouse program at Akron, new head coach leads Timbers in opener