Zips-Cal Weird Exit and Other Thoughts

[72 Roo]

Like many of you who attended the Akron-Cal soccer match, I couldn't understand why the AR (Assistant Referee) was escorted out of the game. I checked with a few people and here's what I got. After Akron scored to knot the game at 1-1 the AR called the referee over and said Caleb had been riding him constantly after Cal scored its first goal, which Caleb contended the Cal player was offsides. The AT said either He (Caleb) goes or I go. The referee said he was not going to throw out a head caoch in the quarterfinals of the NCAA championships. The AR then said "I quit".

The fourth official took his place and Akron found a sufficiently certified referee in the stands to be the fourth ref. I've never seen this in decades of watching soccer. Caleb was asked about the incident in his press conference and he wisely pleaded ignorance. My bet is this AR will spend years getting back to having any highly respected game assignments.

Other thoughts:

1) Meves was below par during the game and way above in the shootout. He came up big when needed.

2) The Cal goalie was the best to play on L.J. Field in years. He will be in MLS or Europe.

3) Cal was the best team to visit us in the last two years. They were flat out good and better that Michigan. They were very well coached.

4) Cal was a class act. After the game their captain came back out onto the field to congratulate Akron and wish them well.

5) 6 scouts were there from MLS. I saw Jeff Agoos, former USMNT captain scouting again. The first time I saw him was at the OSU game but he may have been to many more games.

6) Ampai was ineffective this game. He played predictably and never was a threat. He never penetrated and Cal was content to let him play laterally. They funneled him into the central D where he lost space and opportunity to shoot.

7) the weather slowed Akron's possession game and gave Cal's bigger and more physical forwards a chance to bang around in the box.

8) In my opinion the crowd was a disappointment. I know the weather was bad but how often do you have a chance to see the last game before the final four on our campus. Thank God the Rowdies didn't fail us. They have been loyal and steady all year. They are worth a goal a game. The rest of the Akron following let us down. We should have set a record for attendence.

9) We present matchup problems for Michigan that haven't been solved since we last played (7-1) despite their vast improvement. We also are in their heads and Caleb will masterfully exploit that. We will go on to the finals.

10) A final between us and Louisville is a toss-up. They are that good. But I believe we will find a way to win.

Go Zips!

[Z.I.P.]

Like many of you who attended the Akron-Cal soccer match, I couldn't understand why the AR (Assistant Referee) was escorted out of the game. I checked with a few people and here's what I got. After Akron scored to knot the game at 1-1 the AR called the referee over and said Caleb had been riding him constantly after Cal scored its first goal, which Caleb contended the Cal player was offsides. The AT said either He (Caleb) goes or I go. The referee said he was not going to throw out a head caoch in the quarterfinals of the NCAA championships. The AR then said "I quit".

The fourth official took his place and Akron found a sufficiently certified referee in the stands to be the fourth ref. I've never seen this in decades of watching soccer. Caleb was asked about the incident in his press conference and he wisely pleaded ignorance. My bet is this AR will spend years getting back to having any highly respected game assignments.

The NCAA assigns a Site Manager, usually a rep from the host university or their conference. The SM's job is to ensure the field is set-up properly, teams are attended to, and the assigned referees and alternates are there, all have appropriate uniforms, etc. etc. Do we know who the Site Manager for this game was? I hope they didn't have to go looking for an alternate AR in the stands. That eventuality, in case of injury or other event, is supposed to be taken care of days in advance.

BTW -- one more question, after attending a D-2 Regional tourney here in Hawaii -- Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine, and the AD of the host school tapped me on the shoulder and told me no noisemakes are allowed at the venue. I'll probably leave mine home IAC, but I wondered if D-1 worked the same.

[tbozeglav]

BTW -- one more question, after attending a D-2 Regional tourney here in Hawaii -- Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine, and the AD of the host school tapped me on the shoulder and told me no noisemakes are allowed at the venue. I'll probably leave mine home IAC, but I wondered if D-1 worked the same.

Noisemakers and signs arent permitted because its an NCAA tournament. I would expect the rule to apply to all divisions of the NCAA. They are allowed at all other games since they are regular season games.

[RootforRoo44]

BTW -- one more question, after attending a D-2 Regional tourney here in Hawaii -- Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine, and the AD of the host school tapped me on the shoulder and told me no noisemakes are allowed at the venue. I'll probably leave mine home IAC, but I wondered if D-1 worked the same.

Noisemakers and signs arent permitted because its an NCAA tournament. I would expect the rule to apply to all divisions of the NCAA. They are allowed at all other games since they are regular season games.

Yes, the NCAA would hate to make soccer fun for the fans. Therefore all signs/noisemakers are banned.

[ZachTheZip]

BTW -- one more question, after attending a D-2 Regional tourney here in Hawaii -- Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine, and the AD of the host school tapped me on the shoulder and told me no noisemakes are allowed at the venue. I'll probably leave mine home IAC, but I wondered if D-1 worked the same.

Noisemakers and signs arent permitted because its an NCAA tournament. I would expect the rule to apply to all divisions of the NCAA. They are allowed at all other games since they are regular season games.

Yes, the NCAA would hate to make soccer fun for the fans. Therefore all signs/noisemakers are banned.

A couple Cal fans found a neat loophole in the no signs rule. They brought a blanket with a logo and message stitched into it. They could hold it up as a 6' by 6' sign, then put it on the ground and sit on it when the officials showed up to tell them off. If the NCAA really enforced the no signs rule, then holding up your team scarves would be forbidden.

[tbozeglav]

A couple Cal fans found a neat loophole in the no signs rule. They brought a blanket with a logo and message stitched into it. They could hold it up as a 6' by 6' sign, then put it on the ground and sit on it when the officials showed up to tell them off. If the NCAA really enforced the no signs rule, then holding up your team scarves would be forbidden.

Without knowing the exact verbiage of the rule, this would presumably be true. However I would hope this couldn't be a legal application of the rule.

[zippyfan34]

BTW -- one more question, after attending a D-2 Regional tourney here in Hawaii -- Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine, and the AD of the host school tapped me on the shoulder and told me no noisemakes are allowed at the venue. I'll probably leave mine home IAC, but I wondered if D-1 worked the same.

Noisemakers and signs arent permitted because its an NCAA tournament. I would expect the rule to apply to all divisions of the NCAA. They are allowed at all other games since they are regular season games.

Yes, the NCAA would hate to make soccer fun for the fans. Therefore all signs/noisemakers are banned.

The College Cup allowed signs last year. I brought a decent sized one and was on TV a number of times.

[fknbuflobo]

Like many of you who attended the Akron-Cal soccer match, I couldn't understand why the AR (Assistant Referee) was escorted out of the game. I checked with a few people and here's what I got. After Akron scored to knot the game at 1-1 the AR called the referee over and said Caleb had been riding him constantly after Cal scored its first goal, which Caleb contended the Cal player was offsides. The AT said either He (Caleb) goes or I go. The referee said he was not going to throw out a head caoch in the quarterfinals of the NCAA championships. The AR then said "I quit".

The fourth official took his place and Akron found a sufficiently certified referee in the stands to be the fourth ref. I've never seen this in decades of watching soccer. Caleb was asked about the incident in his press conference and he wisely pleaded ignorance. My bet is this AR will spend years getting back to having any highly respected game assignments.

Other thoughts:

1) Meves was below par during the game and way above in the shootout. He came up big when needed.

2) The Cal goalie was the best to play on L.J. Field in years. He will be in MLS or Europe.

3) Cal was the best team to visit us in the last two years. They were flat out good and better that Michigan. They were very well coached.

4) Cal was a class act. After the game their captain came back out onto the field to congratulate Akron and wish them well.

5) 6 scouts were there from MLS. I saw Jeff Agoos, former USMNT captain scouting again. The first time I saw him was at the OSU game but he may have been to many more games.

6) Ampai was ineffective this game. He played predictably and never was a threat. He never penetrated and Cal was content to let him play laterally. They funneled him into the central D where he lost space and opportunity to shoot.

7) the weather slowed Akron's possession game and gave Cal's bigger and more physical forwards a chance to bang around in the box.

8) In my opinion the crowd was a disappointment. I know the weather was bad but how often do you have a chance to see the last game before the final four on our campus. Thank God the Rowdies didn't fail us. They have been loyal and steady all year. They are worth a goal a game. The rest of the Akron following let us down. We should have set a record for attendence.

9) We present matchup problems for Michigan that haven't been solved since we last played (7-1) despite their vast improvement. We also are in their heads and Caleb will masterfully exploit that. We will go on to the finals.

10) A final between us and Louisville is a toss-up. They are that good. But I believe we will find a way to win.

Go Zips!

*****************

Good post 72 Roo.

Morgante may never referee another match at this level.

1. Meves continues to struggle with long balls. He redeemed himself in PKs, but he has made me nervous since Cleveland State. Meves will need to find previous form for Zips to win it all.

2. Conversely, Bingham is a definitely a future pro, maybe the best amateur keeper I have ever seen. Seriously.

3. Yes, Cal was the most complete team to visit Akron in several years. They also seemed to play tough yet fair, contrary to their preceding reputation.

4. Ampai is the embodiment of what has become the Akron possession style of play, for better and for worse. Problem is that teams have studied film on him. Without legitimate striking ability, he loses effectiveness as defenses simply herd him in a chosen direction. He will need to be less predictable for Akron to take the trophy, and also for him to be productive at the next level.

5. Why is Soccer playing in December? The season should be moved in 2 or 3 weeks. Championship should be played in November. Cal’s more physical front line gave our defenders fits in the frozen conditions. With our current style and personality, this last match was not much of a home field advantage. Leading to next point……….

6. God bless the AK Rowdies! Shame on us old folk that have clamored for a new stadium for decades! So, we finally get proper seating, and then fail to show up in a major way. Yes, Saturday should have been a new attendance record. I did my part.

7. Hopefully, the next stage of Lee Jackson renovation will continue as planned, adding grand stands to either side of the new one. Also planned are fixed bathrooms within the structure. I believe that additional grandstanding should be general admission. I would love a response from someone on this.

8. Who were the MLS scouts? Did you recognize anyone besides Agoos? I did not spot any MLS scouts even though I made several laps before, halftime, and after. I must be looking in the wrong places.

9. We are not 6 goals better than Michigan. Recall that they were very competitive with us before they simply melted down and quit. They are the hot team right now. What makes Michigan dangerous is their eagerness to shoot. They are superb in the final third. Akron must slow Michigan’s counter attack in the middle third where they are not nearly as efficient.

10. Watch-out for Louisville!

[Zip_ME87]

6. God bless the AK Rowdies! Shame on us old folk that have clamored for a new stadium for decades! So, we finally get proper seating, and then fail to show up in a major way. Yes, Saturday should have been a new attendance record. I did my part.

I agree the attendance was poor and "God bless the AK Rowdies!". However, as an 'old folk' who attended every home game and traveled to Wake Forest, Bowling Green, N. Illinois, tOSU, and Cleveland State, and have had my plane tickets for the College Cup since September 16th (faith in my team!), I take some exception with the original comment seemingly faulting all older folk for the poor attendance.

As the Rowdie's say..."we love ya"^3 and "where ya go, we'll follow!"^3

Edit: I'll re-iterate that Meves came through in the "shootout" and deserves those kudos, but needs to get back to his game during regular run of play.

Good post 72Roo

[akronad]

As a retired official, who has done many top state matches, I would have done the same thing as the referee on Saturday. Morgante would have been served better if he had waited until half-time and discussed the issue with the referee. For him to issue the ultimatum "he goes or I go" was the most stupid thing I have ever heard.

The Site Manager had the proper amount of officials at the game. The referee, 2 asst referees, and a alternate referee.

[tbozeglav]

You know... Everyone is clamoring over the poor attendance at the game. I understand that and reflect those sentiments. However, this was by far the most energetic crowd I've seen in a while. Now, my opinion is slightly skewed as I was unable to attend the Tulsa game due to being out of town that weekend. Even so, I sensed that this crowd was much more into the game than both of the previous playoff games. I give a lot of credit to the "fans in the stands" for making the environment electric. I can say that from the beginning of this season to that last game, the crowd became much more willing to make some noise. Us AK-ROWDIES can only do so much and rely on the fans elsewhere in the stadium to help make noise.

[Zip_ME87]

You know... Everyone is clamoring over the poor attendance at the game. I understand that and reflect those sentiments. However, this was by far the most energetic crowd I've seen in a while. Now, my opinion is slightly skewed as I was unable to attend the Tulsa game due to being out of town that weekend. Even so, I sensed that this crowd was much more into the game than both of the previous playoff games. I give a lot of credit to the "fans in the stands" for making the environment electric. I can say that from the beginning of this season to that last game, the crowd became much more willing to make some noise. Us AK-ROWDIES can only do so much and rely on the fans elsewhere in the stadium to help make noise.

Your focus is in the right place. I know I made more noise at the last game than any other (other than away at Wake Forest), as did numerous fans around me. The players actually pumped us up by their responses to our cheers and by signaling us to get up.

[GP1]

Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine,

Describe "playing"?.?.?............

[Dave in Green]

Blow hard.

[fknbuflobo]

Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine,

Describe "playing"?.?.?............

Any quote from the Wire deserves major props.

[GP1]

Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine,

Describe "playing"?.?.?............

I'd like to be more clear about this. If Z.I.P., or any other Vuvuzela lover out there, can play "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" better than a high school trumpet player, then taking one to a game is OK. If Vuvuzela player takes said Vuvuzela to a game to be an annoying a-hole like the tens of thousands of people who went to South Africa last year, then the Vuvuzela should stay home.

Owning a Vuvuzela is like owning a gun. Just because you own one doesn't mean you should take it out and use it in large groups.

I curse the day the plastic injection molding company who mass produced the Vuvuzela formed their first "instrument".

[jem101]

Did they allow Vuvuzelas in Akron? I started playing mine,

Describe "playing"?.?.?............

I'd like to be more clear about this. If Z.I.P., or any other Vuvuzela lover out there, can play "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy" better than a high school trumpet player, then taking one to a game is OK. If Vuvuzela player takes said Vuvuzela to a game to be an annoying a-hole like the tens of thousands of people who went to South Africa last year, then the Vuvuzela should stay home.

Owning a Vuvuzela is like owning a gun. Just because you own one doesn't mean you should take it out and use it in large groups.

I curse the day the plastic injection molding company who mass produced the Vuvuzela formed their first "instrument".

I thought that us Rowdies used the vuvuzela properly this season. We only really broke them out on corners or free kicks so that the defenders had trouble communicating about which Zips player they were marking. Other than that, the vuvuzelas remained fairly silent.

[zipboy]

Attendance for the quarters was

Louisville 5400

Maryland 3500

Akron 3400

UNC 1700

I would say not bad given the conditions and the crowd was definitely into the game.

[gauchodon]

Noisemakers and signs arent permitted because its an NCAA tournament. I would expect the rule to apply to all divisions of the NCAA. They are allowed at all other games since they are regular season games.

Actually, not sure what exactly the restriction is... Usually they aren't allowed for championships. However, I know there is a AT&T sponsored signmaking center at the entrance (per the flyer that came with the college cup tickets, so don't know if they will allow other signs in, but I'm assuming there are a limited number of signs and the size might be small or something. Would be weird for them to have such a thing and then not allow signs in. I'm guessing the posterboard they provide will have AT&T logos on it too .

Anyway, for those coming, welcome to Santa Barbara .

As for the Vuvus... please leave them at home