TennZip

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/09/08/why-robin-fraser-believes-colorado-rapids-jonathan-lewis-has-plenty-offer-usmnt

https://www.beaconjournal.com/sports/20200904/copley-senior-sam-harter-excited-about-opportunity-to-play-on-university-of-akron-menrsquos-soccer-team Sam Harter of Copley (yes, he has a very talented left footed brother ? ).....will be playing soccer for the zips in the fall of 2021. Welcome, Sam !!! Go, Zips

Ok, here is the roster.....that currently shows on the website.... 28 players https://gozips.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster On February 3rd, Akron did this news release...when 4 new players joined the team (Hazem Sobhy, Ryan Combe, Jordan Seaman and Gabriel Ramos) https://gozips.com/news/2020/2/3/akron-adds-four-newcomers-to-2020-mens-soccer-roster.aspx there is a PDF you can click in in the article to see that roster ......here are the differences that I can see Gabriel Ramos not on fall Roster Kai Wagner not on fall roster Peter Zecca not on fall Roster New players Transfer - #1 Wil Meyer New Freshman #8 Jason Shokalook #23 Damon Williams #27 Paul Jones #28 Nick Scott #29 Josue Hangi Number changes Colin Biros was #8 in spring... he is #10 in fall Natnael McDonald was #33 in spring #20 in fall Hazem Sobhy #23 in Spring #22 in fall at the end of April, this is what Top Drawer Soccer showed as the zip recruiting class I have highlighted in bold...the players that have made it to campus....Remi Smith changed his commitment from Akron to Air Force. I do not know what happened with Dyson Clapier. 11. Akron Commitments: F Jason Shokalook (Internationals SC – No. 52), M Remi Smith (Atlanta United – No. 177), GK Josue Hangi (Atlanta United – No. 178), D M Ryan Combe (Black Rock FC – No. 188), F Damon Williams (South Carolina United FC – No. 197), Paul Jones (South Carolina United FC), M Nick Scott (Internationals SC), D Jordan Seaman (Internationals SC), M Dyson Clapier (Portland Timbers) Transfers: GK Will Meyer (Louisville), M Hazem Sobhy (Ottawa – AZ) The reclassification of Shokalook is a big boost for Akron’s class, which features five players from the Top 200 player rankings.

Akron soccer posted this tweet today...so I figured that I would start a topic. Hopefully, these fine group of young men will get to play some meaningful games in the spring.

https://www.massivereport.com/2020/8/21/21396597/darlington-nagbes-world-class-goal-proves-what-the-columbus-crew-midfielder-can-do

drop the hammer, Richie

so proud of Richie Laryea https://www.torontofc.ca/post/2020/08/22/richie-laryea-credits-teammates-hot-start-toronto-fc-success

mac sports acknowledging Joao

https://www.beaconjournal.com/sports/20200808/university-of-akron-soccer-hungry-for-bounce-back-season-disappointed-zips-face-uncertainty

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/29621025/source-mac-cancels-fall-football-season-eyes-move-spring all fall sports cancelled

fantastic article on Joao https://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orlando-city-soccer/os-sp-orlando-city-joao-moutinho-20200805-idmnel5vm5egpbyrynhmjz3obq-story.html But his most important contribution during tournament matches doesn’t show up on the stat sheet. Moutinho has become a constant, physical nuisance for attackers, breaking up passes and creating a smothering presence that presses all the way up into the attacking third. Against LAFC, that meant shutting down Diego Rossi, quieting a striker who had scored six times in four games before facing the Lions. Moutinho’s bullish presence on the ball has earned the respect of teammates across the pitch.

https://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/story/2020-07-31/joao-moutinho-helps-orlando-city-eliminate-lafc-from-mls-is-back-tournament “It all comes down to our game plan,” Moutinho said. “We were trying to make a statement there, trying to show the other team that we came out here to play and impose our game on them. “It was a very good defensive performance by us. We’ve been showing it throughout the tournament.”

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/07/31/joao-moutinho-has-extra-special-feeling-after-scoring-against-ex-team-lafc He (Joao ) conceded that the goal was “extra special,” despite the subdued celebration, as Orlando continue their remarkable run into the semifinals. “I still have a lot of friends and a lot of people that I respect back there at LAFC,” said Moutinho, who was traded to Orlando in December 2018. “I spent a good year there so I made some friendships and yeah, I guess it might have that extra special feeling. But honestly I just feel so happy that I was able to help the team in the situation that we needed, and happy I got the goal and that we won penalties."

Fknbuflobo....thank you for giving credit to Reinaldo Brenes. Good student.....and he did one heck of a job as the main scorer in 2013.

Clayton quoted and is lead picture in this article https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/07/25/colleges-dropping-non-revenue-sports-jeopardizes-us-olympic-model/?utm_campaign=wp_post_most&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&wpisrc=nl_most

Akron soccer made 3 final fours from 2015 to 2018 and was in the NCAA final in 2018. NCAA finalist in 2009...NCAA champion in 2010. The athletic department has not done a good job of marketing the tremendous value of having an elite top 5 team ...almost every year. Akron soccer is the shining star of the Zips athletic department.

The Crew with Darlington and Caleb...are fun to watch

Joao Moutinho (criminally underrated???) - not by Zips fans https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/07/20/armchair-analyst-good-bad-every-team-mls-back-tournament-thus-far Pareja's actively helping young players like Chris Mueller and Joao Moutinho (a criminally underrated attacking LB) level up into something more than just names on the roster, Good Takeaway: The reclamation process for Jonathan Lewis — scoring that goal above — and Kellyn Acosta continues apace. The Rapids bet big on unlocking productivity from these two obviously talented players, and there is mounting evidence that both bets were good. I'm going to assume Lewis will start the final Group Stage match, for what it's worth. He offers a directness that none of the other winger options manages, and at some point you have to let him play through the "young player" mistakes and just get him out there because he gets you goals. 10g/8a in ~1700 MLS minutes is a statement, and Robin Fraser should listen.

Richmond Laryea is kicking butt in Toronto

about the fall schedule https://www.beaconjournal.com/sports/20200716/mid-american-conference-delays-start-of-some-fall-sports The Mid-American Conference announced Thursday the league will delay the start of fall Olympic sports. According to a news release those sports include men’s and women’s soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, volleyball and cross country and encompass exhibition and non-conference matchups. Those sports will begin Sept. 3, allowing MAC member institutions to better prepare safety protocols as guided by the conference’s COVID-19 Medical Advisory Panel, Council of Presidents and the NCAA’s Resocialization of College Sports Guidelines

Steve Z.....tweeting about his former coach and D-Nag

https://www.espn.com/college-sports/story/_/id/29399268/how-olympic-sports-fighting-survival-collegiate-level this article just infuriated me...... soccer is a strength....because it won the regular season conference title in three of the past 5 seasons???? how about making the final four (college cup) in three of the past 5 seasons...and being an NCAA champ and three time NCAA runner up.... Take Akron, for instance. AD Larry Williams was already looking at three- and five-year plans to address budget shortfalls due to a projected dip in enrollment. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic, which he said "carpet-bombed our runway" and led to the school eliminating three programs: men's cross country, men's golf and women's tennis. It was "heart-wrenching" to make those calls to the coaches and athletes involved, Williams said, but facing hard truths was necessary to move forward. That meant getting leaner and focusing on their strengths, like men's soccer, which has won its regular-season conference title in three of the past five seasons.