Zip_ME87

Ampai Starting tonight (root beer float night ) according to SJ Eartquakes tweet...SJEarthquakes San Jose Earthquakes#SJEarthquakes Lineup: Busch, Leitch, Hernandez, Burling, Corrales, Ampaipitakwong, Ring, Stephenson, Johnson, Dawkins, Wondolowski31 minutes ago

Apparently not. Hope it's nothing major.Something funny going on -- he's not listed as a sub, including DNP category for any of the (3) box scores I saw for this one. Assume he must have gone on IR, but it's not reported on SJEarthquakes.com (admittedly a poor site by a crummy administration) as having sustained an injury. I think he played 90 in the previous game vs NYRB played at Stanford U before >40,000. Anybody back there heard anything about our Tony?Ampai tweeted this on June 27th, but he never followed up...AnthonyAmpai Anthony AmpaiMRI today on my knee kind of nervous but it feels fine. Update coming soon ...27 JunEDIT: Not on this list, which is a good sign I think.

D is still winning and is now winning in Ohio...NICE!

Vote for Darlington Nagbe's goal vs Cirque du Soleil Click on Sportscenter: Best of the Best on the Left (D currently winning, but losing in Ohio...need to fix this!)

Nagbe's goal is #1 play of the top ten on ESPN Sports Center. Awesome goal!

I totally agree. It's so frustrating how the same mistakes are repeated over and over. We all love UA and our football program, and I want to support it (which I did by renewing my season ticket and donating), but I can't take it on faith that there is improvement for next season. I have to see it, and although it may have been just a 7 on 7, it's more indication of things not looking up. I'd prefer to read Patrick tweeting that they have to get their crap together than that he wished it [the 7 on 7] would go away. At least then I would know it mattered (competitively) to him.

Bury your heads in the sand and make fun of Zach, but I agree with him that this 7 on 7 debacle and how the Zips react to it provides an indication of attitude. Somehow folks think next season will magically be better, but that doesn't happen without dedication and hard work which I have yet to see. I agree it couldn't be much worse next year, but it could be 1 game worse. Those who think the Zips are going to walk into Ohio Stadium and steal one from the deflated Suckeyes are deluding themselves. From what I witnessed in Infocision Stadium last season, the Suckeyes 3rd string led by the equipment manager could win that game. I hope someone gives this team a proverbial kick in the @ss to get them going and stops making excuses for them.

Not sure what you mean by this. Speas is from Stow; so, he has spent a lot more than 2 years in the Akron area.

Thanks for the update, ZIP. I watched the game and wondered why Souders wasn't playing. Great outcome for the USA squad, but very disappointing that Souders was on the bench and saw no action. As far as the game tomorrow, according to the guide on my cable, Time Warner NEO, the game will not be televised tomorrow on ESPNU, but will be shown on Thursday...assumes the onscreen guide is correct. Disappointing.

Yes, but I doubt that it was determined that he wouldn't start. Just no guarantee that he would.

If true, then I feel really badly for Ben. There can't possibly be any guarantee at UNC of being a starter... not at any school playing to their/our level. I like Ben and want to see him become a pro soccer player someday. Jumping from Akron to UNC is more likely to hinder his prospects than to help them. Best wishes to him; I hope it's not a move that he comes to regret. I was looking for Ben Speas and Chad Barson to make me a Crew fan (when they become pro players for the Crew). Oh well, Chad will be reason enough, but it would be better with multiple Akron alumni. GO ZIPS!

Tar Heels Add Transfer For 2011 Campaign Tar Heels Add Transfer For 2011 Campaign Speas was a member of the 2010 NCAA Champion Akron Zips June 20, 2011 CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Head men's soccer coach Carlos Somoano announced the addition of Akron transfer Ben Speas for the 2011 season. Speas appeared in 50 games as a freshman and sophomore in the midfield for the Zips and will have two years of eligibility. Speas appeared in 25 games, with four starts, a year ago as he helped lead Akron to the 2011 NCAA Championship. The Stow, Ohio, native tallied a pair of goals on the season to go along with three assists. Speas netted the game-winner against Western Michigan Oct. 23. As a freshman during the 2009 season, Speas earned a cap in all 25 games earning College Cup All-Tournament Team honors. He made a pair of starts in the NCAA College Cup, including one against the Tar Heels in the semifinal contest logging 95 minutes in the scoreless draw. Speas earned College Soccer News Freshman Top 100 honors after being named the 11th-ranked prospect by Top Drawer Soccer coming out of high school. He was a two-time NSCAA prep All-America and was a member of the U20, U18 and U17 squads. Carolina opens the 2011 season on August 19 with an exhibition contest at Coastal Carolina before officially opening the season August 27 against in-state foe UNC Wilmington.

What sport does he play? He's listed as a guard haha Also, that says "Freshman", but he has played in college for 3 years?!

!La nacion de Akron esta' en la casa! I'm thinking of bringing that banner to HDC for the CD Chivas USA game on Oct 2. (and @UCSB 10/5) Who's with me? +1

+1 +1

Cool that you were actually at that game, and thanks for that summary. I watched that game on Direct Kick but wasn't rooting for either team...just wanted to see the Akron guys do well. However, I did hate seeing DC give up 4 goals with Korb and Kitchen on the back line. It's great seeing Ampai get all the minutes he's been getting lately. The Earthquakes have become one of my favorite teams to watch. A friend of mine who lives in San Jose tells me they love Ampai out there...San Jose definitely got a steal.

Z not playing and Blair Gavin being subbed for Ben Zemanski...NOT right. Blair & Ben should be on the pitch together; not one subbed out for the other. On a more positive note, Fox Soccer Channel's coverage of the Sounders vs Whitecaps on Saturday night included Steve-o in the booth for a few minutes during which, I believe Steve said, he is up and walking (bones healed). Still a long way to go, but very good progress.

Thanks, Johnny. I'll put that shot of 'Z-tine' next to the one of Blair Gavin -- both beating LandyCakes to the ball. Hey -- Chivas plays @Houston tomorrow. I haven't seen Kofie play yet this season -- and I think he has as much potential, skill-wise and athletically as any of the Class of Twenty-Ten. Chivas plays as well or better on the road than any team in MLS. Kofi's lack of minutes early in the season has been the most surprising to me. But it does look like he's been getting more opportunities lately. I agree 100% regarding his potential. Perhaps he's having a little trouble adjusting to playing a more traditional defender role as opposed to the freelancing he was permitted to do as a Zip (the Zip D was so consistent and solid, Kofi was frequently available to make deep runs without the risk of giving up a counter). On draft day, I remember the analysts saying they didn't understand Houston drafting Kofi because they were already loaded with defenders...which may be the issue.

I think Golic mentioned at the beginning that Keith is the current head coach at the University of Akron, and at the end Golic wished Dambrot [and UA] good luck next season. That was all I heard as far as UA.

Great article. I love watching and reading about our professional Zips. And, of course, I never get tired of reading "the college powerhouse" in reference to our Alma Mater! GO ZIPS!

I didn't realize that Michael had played. Thanks for that information...another team to watch. My DVR is limited to 2 recordings at once. SUCKS! I hadn't heard that, either. Thanks for the great info!

Saturday night saw the return, albeit only for a few minutes, of Blair Gavin to the Home Depot Center pitch in a match vs the Portland Timbers. Recap: Chivas USA vs. Portland Timbers When Blair entered the game (87th minute), he joined former Zips Zarek Valentin and Ben Zemanski also playing for Chivas as well as Darlington Nagbe who was on the pitch for the Portland Timbers. At the end of the game, there was a glimpse on the television of Blair wearing a red undershirt minus his Chivas jersey but holding a Timbers jersey. I couldn't see the number but am guessing that it was #6. At any rate, it was good to see Blair get back into the lineup, and it was great to see all 4 former Zips on the pitch at once. I hope Blair's return isn't premature like last season when he ended up missing the remainder of the season after trying to come back too early.

Pete Milich George Nanchoff Simon Spelling Shaun Docking Steve Zakuani Darlington Nagbe Some of the most talented played only one or two years. J. B. Amogua (sp)? And yes, I think Evan Bush was a better collegiate keeper than David Meves. Meves will need to be stellar this year for Zips to succeed. Thank you, Buflobo! JB Amangoa (sp?) . I was trying to remember that name just last weekend. As I recall he was from Ivory Coast, yes? Fantastic player, first team all-America I believe. Speaking of "played only one year" (for the Zips) ... Perry Kitchen

seriously GP1? someone lost their job today and this is how you're gonna act about it? Yes, he made a mistake, but for the most part he was a stand up individual. Why don't you set your OSU jealousy aside for a little bit and show some class. This is one giant jealousy circus and you sir are the ring leader. This is NOT all a "jealousy circus" as you call it. tOSU is a STATE university, supported by STATE tax dollars. Yet, to justify the Big 10 (11, 12, whatever) Network, they have the arrogance to say that watching tOSU football is not a right. Why not?...My taxes support that program. If they want to go private, fine, do so. I'll gladly let the other state universities split tOSU's portion of Ohio's tax dollars. I hate their SCUMBAG ARROGANCE! I used to respect Jim Tressel, but not now that I see he succumbed to the greater than so many other schools attitude.