Zip_ME87

I also confirmed that admission is free. I believe that the website I linked sometime back may be old because I cannot find it from the Buckeyes' main page. I found it through a google search.

Loved that call, too. Too bad our receivers can't catch...he was wide open.

I woke up at about 4 am this morning, in time to watch the entire 2nd half on the Fox Soccer Channel replay (started at 3 am). The broadcast was awesome and everything looked great on tv, but still couldn't compare with being there. Kudos to Fox Soccer Channel for all of the accolades they showered upon Caleb Porter, our renovated pitch, the game atmosphere, the AK Rowdies (whom they mentioned and panned numerous times...can't even imagine what they were saying in the 1st half), and the especially the team/players. Nice interview with George Nanchoff. Just overall, a very well-done broadcast from what I saw. EDIT: Speaking of the AK Rowdies, I loved when they mentioned how happy Ray Clark (Tulsa GK) must be to be at the opposite end of the pitch.

Personally, I think soccer should be played on real grass even though FIFA allows artificial surface and a number of teams play on it. I don't like the way the game plays on artificial surface, even the "rubberized" type such as that in the Info. Krenzler Field at Cleveland State, for example, has the same surface as Infocision Stadium. Anyway, last night, I think they said that our pitch is 77 yards wide (I think minimum is 70 x 110 yds, but preferred, I believe is 80x120). To meet the minimum, we would have to have 10 yds on each side of the football field. To me, that appears tight in the end zones at Infocision, where the stands curve back toward the field.

I LOVE Akron Zips soccer, and I watch MLS and other soccer, as well, but I'm with you Skip-Zip. Can't we just enjoy Zips soccer for what it is without comparing it to our other sports? What is the point?

Nice pre-game write-up of this game at ncaa.com http://www.ncaa.com/blog/mens-soccer/2010/...-weekend-1.html NCAA.com Men's Soccer Blog What A Weekend! By Drew Simon on September 24, 2010 5:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) It is anything but a quiet weekend on the D-I Men's Soccer front and this blogger has decided to use his Friday to give you a preview of the two matches this weekend that will have every soccer fan salivating. And if this blog leaves you drooling, please, leave a remark in the comments section. And then clean up your chin. The Main Event(s) If there was any weekend that could be considered a mid-season playoffs, it would be this one. Two Friday night games are sure to peak any soccer fans interest and while there importance can be listed as 1A and 1B, the blog will start with No. 2 Tulsa at No. 1 Akron. And before we get into the game, can we please give a round of applause to Mid-Major schools. Tulsa, coming from Conference USA, and Akron, from the Mid-America Conference, have been in great form this season, both posting undefeated records. Tonight's game will surely be a classic and the 3,000 seat Lee Jackson Field in Akron has already sold out in preparation for the game. For those of you who will not be in attendance, the match can be seen on Fox Soccer Channel at 8:00 PM ET. Alternatively, you can click here to see the match through the Akron Zips website. Akron has certainly been a team on a mission ever since there dramatic loss in last years National Championship. Five consecutive victories has certainly been a way to displace those terrible memories, especially when you are yet to concede while scoring 11 goals against your opponents. Did I mention that they beat UNC behind a three goal performance and then defeated Wake Forest two days later? Well I did now. This is a squad that has come together over the offseason, lost a shock exhibition match to South Florida, realized that the talent was there, and have dominated opponents. Boy do they look good! Tulsa saw there season end in a 1-0 loss to Akron at Lee Jackson Field in the NCAA quarterfinals last year. They were also defeated by the Zips last year at Tulsa behind an Anthony Ampaipitakwong strike in the 10th minute during the regular season. But this is a new season for the Golden Hurricane (no, not pluralized) who have jumped out to a school best 6-0-0 record. There offense is led by junior Forward, Austin Neil, who is tied for the nation's lead with seven goals but the playmaker resides in the midfield through senior Ashley McInnes. Through six games, he has four goals and three assists and will be a handful for a stout Akron defense. Speaking of offense and defense, this isn't just a matchup of the two best teams, but also a matchup of the nation's best offense (Tulsa) against the nation's best defense (Akron). Tulsa come into this match with a 3.0 goals/game average while Akron is hoping to keep another shutout in an effort to tie an NCAA record for 11 consecutive clean sheets. That adds up to 1,020 minutes and 59 seconds since Akron has allowed a goal. Other things that take 17 hours: 1) A flight to South Africa 2) A work day on Wall Street 3) Watch all three parts of The Godfather...three times. The winner of this match is more than likely to take the No. 1 ranking in next weeks poll so there is clearly more than pride on the line tonight. Will the cliché hold that a good defense beats a good offense? Luckily, we are only a few hours away before game time. Enjoy this classic.

Great job getting that on the air!

WOIO 19 reporting it looks like the front will come through "dry". When last I checked weather.com, they were showing Friday night as cloudy, but no rain. It's not the rain, but the wind. Predicted 20 mph sustained with gusts of 40 mph. You're right...I saw that.

WOIO 19 reporting it looks like the front will come through "dry". When last I checked weather.com, they were showing Friday night as cloudy, but no rain.

You can also watch from the Student Union. I watched part of the UIC vs Cal St Northridge game from there...not too bad. EDIT: BTW, this just posted by Caleb a few minutes ago on twitter: "Tickets are almost gone for Friday's match...don't miss #1 Akron vs. #2 Tulsa tomorrow night at 8 PM at Lee Jackson Field." http://twitter.com/UACoachPorter

+1

OT is "golden goal", which means sudden death. Tulsa wins. Good result for Friday. Actually, it's called "sudden victory" in soccer.

I believe the Crew are actually in the middle of the pack attendance-wise, averaging about 12-14k per game, last I checked. Seattle is far and above all of the other MLS teams averaging above 30k per game. My point about Columbus fans was that which you noted...a certain core following that is very vocal. I find MLS fans to be much more organized than any other fans in professional sports. The few MLS games that I've been to are the closest to college-type atmosphere of any pro sporting event I've attended. I would love to go to a Sounders game at Qwest Field. EDIT: Ok, the Crew is 11th out of 16 at $13k+. Seattle is #1 at 36k+. Source

Yeah, the Crew fans are awesome, and I felt bad for my nephew that the Crew didn't score...but great game (for a Sounders fan)! Especially, those moves that Steve Zakuani put on right in front of me to set up the 4th goal in the 75th minute. Beautiful! EDIT: Also had 2 Sounders fans next to me from Mentor who became Seattle fans when the wife attended a game while in Seattle. I told them that if they like great soccer/soccer experience, they should make the trip to Akron to see the #1 Zips. Of course, thanks to NEO media, they had no idea how good the Zips are. Perhaps we'll get 2 more fans to already packed LRJ Field. GO ZIPS!

Thanks for the pic UAZipsMan. Looks awesome!

See you there, if you make it. I hope you do...it's a fun time. I was there earlier this year to see Chivas (Blair Gavin & Ben Zemanski). My nephew and I are in Section 109, I believe (I don't have the tix in front of me), row 1. I'll be wearing Akron gear and Sounders scarf.

Absolutely, Dr. Z! I wish all of our coaches had Caleb's attitude/approach. Winning begins with a winning approach/attitude. Caleb Porter

Do you mean tOSU? According to this, tOSU Mens Soccer requires a ticket. tOSWho

You forgot Northwestern. (Payback for STEALING home field advantage in 2008)

Can we please stop with the soccer vs football discussions? They're pointless and the attendance will be it will be. You're not going to improve Zips' football by comparing it to Zips' soccer. As far as football attendance, I sent the AD a suggestion yesterday that he should increase the Roo-wards points for football to 20 pts/game (more than any other sport) for the remaining games. Bribing the students to attend is probably the best hope at this point.

I don't really understand what you mean by "attended alone". I drive/travel to Zips games, more often than not, by myself. I arrive alone, and I leave alone. But, I attend all of the games with other Zips fans. I always find someone to talk to, hang out with, etc., whether they're family (i.e., a niece who is a current student), long time friends (alumni with whom I graduated), or other Zips fans I've met at other games or just met. I never feel alone...I'm always with other Zips fans...GREAT PEOPLE/FANS! A couple of examples... Flew from Akron/Canton to N.C. alone on morning of September 5th; met up with 50+ AWESOME Zips fans in the stands of Spry Stadium at WF that evening...also shook hands with several players of the #1 D-1 Mens Soccer Team in the country before and after the game...players who made sure I knew they were happy I was there. NOT ALONE; would not have been happier to be anywhere else that day. Met CK and Mike Rasor at Akron/Canton airport when I was flying "alone" to Portland to see our Zips in the NCAA Mens Bball Tourney. Knew I wouldn't be alone in the arena in Portland, before I left home. Made GREAT friends in both Rasor & CK; Checked out the micro-breweries with CK. (Rasor was actually on a different flight; headed to Louisiana, if I remember correctly.) I'm not sure what the point of this poll is, but my point is Zips' athletes/coaches/staff/etc are awesome people, Zips' fans are awesome people. I may arrive at a game alone; I may go home alone. But, I'm never alone at any of the Zips' sporting events, and I never let "not having anyone to go with" keep me away. My glass is half full, and I've found life to be much more fun that way. GO ZIPS!

Yes, I dedicated hours of my life to watch Zips tournament soccer (vs UNC & Virginia) last year on tv and never saw the Zips score one goal. As a matter of fact, NOBODY scored a goal. I enjoy my weekends too much to suffer through that ever again. Go Zips Soccer! Win it all, if they win and score a goal this time I will watch it on youtube. Thanks. Now, I understand your perspective. I might have found that boring on tv. However, it was not boring (cold & wet, but not boring) inside Wakemed Soccer Park (Cary, NC). Go Zips (all Zips)!

A number of non-Akron fans at the Wake Forest game said they came to the game to see Akron. Go Zips!

Just one question for you Dr. Z...have you watched the Akron Mens Soccer team last year or this year? I find that there is plenty of boring soccer being played throughout the world, but not by our Zips Mens team nor by the top teams in the World. Enough said...I'm not trying to convert you to being a soccer fan; just curious.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tickets for the College Cup went on sale last week. However, there is no need to buy now -- even if you are, like me, going regardless of which four teams play. I'm betting my favorite team WILL be playing, but I found this out -- the best seats, behind the team benches (no more than 2-3000 seats, I think) are reserved for UCSB season ticket holders and the four teams' ticket distribution. Therefore, I can't even get these tix yet, if I wanted. It guarantees that those buying tix through the school will have a perfect viewpoint. I was wondering, where were the teams' tickets located at Cary last December? Not as good as this year, I don't think. Rowdies, better start saving your $$$. All of our tickets were GA in Cary. We were able to sit behind the Zips' bench...no problem. I think there were some high priced seats across from the benches, but I much preferred being behind our bench. GO ZIPS!