yazan07

Hopefully we'll see Bush get bumped up to the MLS next year with Montreal.

He should help the team GPA Maybe. I haven't heard enough to figure out whether he's from the Ivy league or South America. Both are possibilities at this point. I'd have to think Colombia. I feel like if you make the choice to go to Columbia to play soccer you are more interested in the education/NYC aspect of it than being a great soccer player. That's not what Anthony Ponikvar said when he transferred from Cornell

I would still love to know what the full story is behind this transfer, it just does not make sense to me. I am also really curious as to what soccer fans down in Chapel Hill are saying about this.

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?! I thought that meant goalkeeper. Did we have a BB teammate of his a few yrs ago (Wauwatosa East HS)? Or was that West? I thought he was a goalkeeper for a minute too, then I remembered we had three returning GKs plus supposedly another new one coming in. I still think it's crazy how many new transfers we are getting. Are they all going to get to play? It seems silly to transfer if you're not going to play

What sport does he play? He's listed as a guard haha

He should just get something with a sun roof so he can stick his head through the top

I don't mind whoring out our stadium's name if it means a better stadium!

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. Since we're talking about last week's games, I was at the DC-San Jose game. I wore my Akron #10 jersey and got the attention of all three former Zips before the game. I think Ampai especially appreciated it (bet he didn't know I was rooting for United) cause he gave me a a big two thumbs up. About the actual game...like I said, I was rooting for DCU, and of course I was rooting for my former Zips, which made the game especially painful. As much as it pains me to say it, the DC defense is very leaky. Steven Lenhart kinda made fools out of them with three goals and an assist. After the game a few of the DC rookie players went around signing autographs, and Perry looked very angry. I can't expect too much from these guys though, three of the four starting on the backline are rookies, and their GK is only in his second season. Ampai did have a good game though, and it's really nice to see him in the starting XI. I still cannot believe 17 other teams passed him up in the draft. Now he is starting at SJ, what a steal he was for them. It was interesting to see the interaction between former teammates. There were a few head-to-heads between Ampai and Perry, I would have to imagine that would be weird playing against a former teammate, but I guess with all the trading around it happens frequently. Also, Ampai and Korb were standing next to each other coming out of the tunnel and traded jerseys after the game. Overall I enjoyed the game despite the result. I'm planning on rounding up a bunch of my intern colleagues to go to the college ID night in two weeks at RFK. They have discounted tickets for students and some other deals going on too. DC will be playing Houston that night, so hopefully Kofi will get some minutes.

I watched the game at a bar in DC with the American Outlaws here, as I will be here all Summer doing an internship. A few of the guys had jerseys with the name of their state and the number it was joining the union, I want to send my jersey back and get Ohio 17 printed on it!

CJ Kaufman Jr.

Maybe you are thinking of David Murrow or David Meves...that's kinda confusing with the names so similar

Interestingly enough, he didn't play yesterday. I'm guessing he was happy to see his former teammate score but upset to see it against his current team. Yesterday was also the first time Portland lost at home this season.

Tough call. I'm forever grateful to transfer Humpty for saving our bacon and draining the 3 to beat Toledo in 2009. But he left for a team that wasn't really a competitor to the Zips. If he'd have transferred to another MAC school, he'd have become "Bubba." While UNC isn't a direct competitor, like a MAC program, it is definitely a program we compete against for championships. Speas will be trying to score on Meves at some point, so I hate him. Athletically only, of course. I agree that if the Zips face UNC again, I will be supporting the Zips. But, otherwise, I'm happy that Ben came to Akron and helped the Zips in both 2009 and 2010. I hope he does well and that I see him in a Columbus Crew (or other MLS) uniform someday. Glad he's going to an ACC school and not another MAC school or even a Big 11 school (especially that one in Columbus). I'd rather he went to another MAC school. At UNC he could have a real impact on our title hopes. At Cleveland St. he could have a real impact trying to end our undefeated season. One matters, the other is just window dressing. Your example especially favors him going to another MAC school since Cleveland State isn't in the MAC

Bunbury disappointed, pragmatic about missed US chance

And for anyone who is interested or has lost track of all the new players, this is what our incoming class looks like, according to ESPN rise: AKRON Name/ Pos./ Hometown/ High School/ Club Kayvon Afsarifard/ D/ Cleveland, Ohio/ transfer/ Loyola University Dominic Bonilla/ MF/ Ga./ Collins Hill/ GSA Andy Chiu/ F/ El Paso, Texas/ Coronado/ Real Salt Lake-Ariz. Kyle Culbertson/ MF/D/ Olentangy, Ohio/ Olentangy/ Crew Soccer Academy Jake Fenlason/ GK/ San Diego, Calif./ Rancho Bernardo/ FC San Diego Bryan Gallego/ D/ Kinnelon, N.J./ St. Benedict's Prep/ N.Y. Red Bulls Academy Luke Holmes/ F/ Oldham, England/ transfer/ Notre Dame College David Mayer/ D/ England/ Wigan Youth Academy David Murrow/ MF/ Parma, Ohio/ Strongsville/ Internationals Academy Diego Navarrete/ F/ Santiage, Chile/ SSCC Manquehue/ Universidad Catolica Aodhan Quinn/ MF/ San Diego, Calif./ transfer/ Bradley William Trapp/ MF/ Gahanna, Ohio/ Lincoln/ Crew Soccer Academy DeAndre Yedlin/ MF/D/ Seattle, Wash./ O'Dea/ Sounders FC Academy That's a lot of new guys

Another name to add to this list is Jake Fenlason, a keeper from FC San Diego. He has committed according to ESPNRise. His coach is Aodhan Quinn's father. Coincidence? What are we going to do with another GK? Meves is probably never going be taken out unless we are way ahead or he gets hurt. Poni is our backup. Andrian McAdams will probably never play as it is, why a fourth keeper?

With Teal Bunbury and Steve Zakuani, I don't think it will be an issue. Nagbe hasn't looked too bad. I think Siniša Ubiparipović is a free agent right now, wonder if his playing career is done. Speaking of Steve-o and Teal...

Well it is good to hear Speas will keep playing. As for future pro signings. Trapp and Souders will at least play one year at Akron. I know for a fact that Barson will be at Akron this year. He was offered a Pro Contract with the Crew right after the National Championship game and he turned it down. I believe he wants to get his degree from Akron, or the majority of his classes (isnt the kid a 4.0 pre med student?). None of these guys are going to turn pro until at least 1 year at Akron. If you look at the payscale of HGP's vs. GenAdidas kids, it makes zero financial sense for someone to take the HGP contract if they think they can get a GenAd deal. Trapp and possibly others are definitely GenAd candidates. Jack McInerney I think they can get signed to a GA contract without even doing a year of college. Looking back on previous GA contract recipients, not all of them even made it to college. Yeah but that is saved for incredibly special cases...Jack McInerny, Luis Gil, Omar Salgado and Zach Herold were the only ones signed in the last two years and prior to that everyone has been in Residency. If they aren't signed to a GA by now they won't be signed until after a year of college. Oh ok I gotcha.

Well it is good to hear Speas will keep playing. As for future pro signings. Trapp and Souders will at least play one year at Akron. I know for a fact that Barson will be at Akron this year. He was offered a Pro Contract with the Crew right after the National Championship game and he turned it down. I believe he wants to get his degree from Akron, or the majority of his classes (isnt the kid a 4.0 pre med student?). None of these guys are going to turn pro until at least 1 year at Akron. If you look at the payscale of HGP's vs. GenAdidas kids, it makes zero financial sense for someone to take the HGP contract if they think they can get a GenAd deal. Trapp and possibly others are definitely GenAd candidates. I think they can get signed to a GA contract without even doing a year of college. Looking back on previous GA contract recipients, not all of them even made it to college.

"With talented young players like Wil Trapp, Chad Barson and Andrew Souders coming through the ranks, there’s little doubt another signing might happen sooner rather than later" Uh I hope none of those players sign any time soon, we need each of them

I know that Quinn plays MF what about Bonilla? No matter what it will be sorted out by the beginning of August I think Bonilla is also a midfielder, and yeah Balogun spent most of him time in the midfield but he plays as a holding mid and that should not have impacted Speas' playing time

It was a relatively easy game for Meves, he has definitely had tougher games. Schmitty had a few good looks and was really working out there, and it looked to me like Balogun was really hauling out there too which I don't always feel like he does. I didn't notice anything particularly outstanding about the two defenders. Matt Dagilis still doesn't impress me, and while he has been in the program at least two years longer than any other member of the team, I don't see him starting in the Fall if we have a top 10 centerback coming in. He was the captain for the team though, so that's good for him. The player who I would have liked to study the most was Quinn, and I was unfortunately unable to identify him on the field.

I was there with the ROWDIES and we had a good time heckling Meves. It was a lot of fun but something I hope I never have to do again haha. The best (and most vicious) comment made was when one of our guys yelled out "Hey Meves it's going to be rough out there without Chad Barson to save you."

Hopefully this class pans out better than last years' recruiting class. That group looked to be really good, but now look what we have left from them: Reinaldo Brenes - hopefully can produce a lot this year Richard Diaz, Jr. - gone Gabriel Genovesi - gone Perry Kitchen - got a great year out of him, but gone Darren Mattocks - kinda concerned how he'll perform without the service around him he had last year Andrian McAdams - I understand the desire for three GKs on the roster, but surprised he's not gone, he's not going to play Martin Ontiveros - gone McKauly Tulloch - gone Maybe Porter knew that class didn't need to be good because of how many returners he had. I'm expecting a lot from Trapp, Gallego, and Yedlin though. Here's a little fun fact: There was a point (not sure if it was when he graduated, or maybe earlier) that Ben Speas was ranked as Top Drawer Soccer's #1 player in his graduating class. Still shocked that he is leaving. It wasn't even a month ago that I was pieing him in the face

True. If the other team isn't winning anything, it ain't much of a "rivalry." It's a ton of fun to beating Ohio State, don't get me wrong. But they haven't stepped up to the plate and made it a "rivalry." I think next year's CSU match could be equally as intriguing/heated/crazy as Ohio State. Only because CSU manned-up and beat the Zips. Ohio State wants to be our rival. But they aren't. They're Robin. We're Batman. Yes, CSU beat us, but I wouldn't say they "manned-up". More like they played better than normal and we over looked the game and played down to them. It was a total fluke. A single game does not justify a rivalry. CSU is not our strongest rival, OSU is! I think OSU may be our strongest in-state opponent. But with an all time series record of something like 6-24-3 (off the top of my head, but I believe that's close) they just don't seem like a rival to me. It's giving their program too much credit. I think Penn State/UA is a better rivalry. But that's just me. I enjoy whipping both. If we're gonna go with an out of state rival, I'd say Indiana