Virginia Men's Lacrosse Team Shows Resiliency, Wins NCAA Championship

AP Photo/Gail Burton

Call it perseverance. Or possibly stubbornness. But even through so much roster turmoil the Virginia men’s lacrosse team would not go away. They stuck together and despite the doubts and constant changing won the NCAA Division 1 championship.

Last season the Cavaliers made it to the Final Four before losing to eventual champion Duke. But the craziness began before then when defender George Huguely was charged with the murder of Virginia women’s lacrosse player and ex-girlfriend Yeardley Love. This weekend as his teammates celebrated, Huguely sat in a jail cell waiting for his trial, set for February 6.

The turnover continued this season. Star defender Matt Lovejoy underwent season ending shoulder surgery after playing in 10 games this season.

A pair of All-American midfielders—twins Shamel and Rhmael Bratton, considered the best players on the team—were suspended multiple times this season. Rhamel was suspended before the regular season finale and was ruled inactive for every game following.

Shamel was suspended three times total this season, his third the same team as Rhamel’s and leading to his dismissal from the team. Shamel finished the season fourth on the team in points (despite playing in only 11 games) and Rhamel finished sixth.

Before Virginia beat the University of Pennsylvania in a NCAA tournament tune-up, the team had lost four of its final five games, including getting bounced out of the ACC Tournament in the first round.

Even in the playoffs, things did not get any better. They needed overtime to come-from-behind and beat first round opponent Bucknell. The offense took another hit when third-leading scorer Colin Briggs was also suspended for the team’s NCAA semifinal game.

Somehow, though, the team made it work.

Having a young defense without Lovejoy, Virginia changed schemes. Notorious for having a pressure-packed man-to-man defense, the Cavaliers converted, mid-season, to playing mostly zone defense. In the NCAA Tournament Virginia surrendered double-digits in goals only once (the Bucknell game).

With the Brattons, the majority of the team’s offense relied on its midfield production. When both were gone from the team, the offense morphed and changed to get more production from its attack and work the ball from behind the net. Much like how the defense was successful, the offense scored double-digits in all its tournament games except for the championship round, when they scored nine goals.

And who was the hero of the championship game? None other than the previously suspended Briggs. The senior midfielder scored a career-high five goals.

“I definitely disappointed myself and let down the team on Saturday. I wanted to come back today and give everything I had,’’ Briggs told the media after the big win. “I got some open looks and was able to finish some shots.’’

It was very unlikely, all things considered, that Virginia would be hoisting the championship trophy at the end of the season. They were the lowest-seeded team (No. 7) to win the title and the first to do so with five losses (Virginia finished the season 13-5).

None of that matters though, because they are, in fact, champions. And they did so by overcoming adversity through teamwork. Instead of whining, the team banded together, adapted to every new situation, bought in to what head coach Dom Starsia taught them and executed.

What Virginia did was a true lesson in taking responsibility for one’s own mistakes and fixing them.

Stop Calling for a Soccer Savior in the United States

Editorial

I recently read an article that asked if Juan Agudelo was the savior of U.S. soccer. The thought behind the piece began, as it always does, listing the names of players who have not lived up to expectations but that maybe this time we had found the one.

Agudelo is an impressive player, and hopefully he continues to play well. But this style of writing needs to end. It’s lazy writing and accomplishes nothing. It is in fact the type of writing that makes the audience resent the media: building a character up in order to tear him down even harder.

The article linked to above isn’t the only one that deploys this technique, it is just the most recent I’ve seen. The names of “failures” are the typical ones mentioned: Charlie Davies, Jozy Altidore, Eddie Johnson and, of course, Freddy Adu. This isn’t to say they haven’t been disappointing, or that we shouldn’t expect more from them. But why must every young, talented American soccer player be a savior? The writers make knee-jerk reactions to good and are just as quick to criticize and devalue through times that are not as fortunate.

The first problem with the “soccer savior” story is how it originates. Far too often a potential savior is pulled from an extremely small sample size.

The majority of Juan Agudelo’s mainstream hype has come from an entire three games with the U.S National Team; his third appearance against Argentina in March was, at the time, one more game than he had played in with the New York Red Bulls total. Jozy Altidore made 43 total appearances with the Red Bulls, his first professional club team. That’s just over one full MLS season. Eddie Johnson’s most impressive run with the National Team was for his seven goals in six World Cup qualifiers. And Freddy Adu, he never played in a professional match in his life when the media firestorm anointed him the chosen one.

How can greatness be judged in a handful of games? You can learn some things about a player, but his eventual career path has so many active variables that you just can never tell that soon. The media justifies these responses by saying things like, “The American public is hungry for its own soccer superstar.” Really, it is sports writers hungry for a quick easy story. One that is framed around little information and could very well turn out wrong, but even then it would create another story.

There is a good reason the sample size is so small—the age of the players. Adu and Altidore are 21-years-old, Davies is 24 and Agudelo is only 18. Johnson is the oldest of the aforementioned players, at 27, but even so the tipping point of his success came roughly seven years ago (making Johnson a mere 20-years-old).

The point is all these players burst onto the scene at a very young age—they couldn’t even legally buy a beer. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Wayne Rooney became superstars at equally young ages and have become the biggest name in the sport. But that doesn’t mean that if these American players haven’t reached their peak at the same age then they are failures.

For starters the youth development programs in the country are notoriously not as strong as those overseas. Places like the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida and MLS academies are helping to close the gap, but it’s not there yet. Therefore it takes more time for players to properly develop.

Bob Bradley, the head coach of the USMNT, has brought players like Altidore, Adu and Agudelo in for developmental purposes. In order to make the team more successful (and in doing so helping the sport become more popular in the country) Bradley’s philosophy was to make the available player pool deeper. That has meant expanding the pool to bring in younger players and bring them along at the senior level. Some, like Agudelo, flourish in the early stages. It is a process, however.



By no means is Agudelo a complete player because of his good showings in three international matches. And Adu not making a World Cup team thus far does not mean he never will. There is still a lot of time for both of these players to hit their primes and until then they will be learning the game, improving their skills and becoming good soccer players, regardless of the superstardom they achieve.

One thing that halts these players is the moves they make in the transfer seasons. With a little help from the media hype that surrounds them, the players’ profiles grow attracting them to big name teams. They move but are not ready to see the field and get buried on the bench.

Bought by Fulham in 2008, Johnson has only made 20 total appearances for the English Premier League club. He’s been loaned out three separate times. Altidore, after signing with Spanish giant Villareal, is on his third loan and Adu is on his fourth loan from parent club Benfica in Portugal.

The problem is that the players aren’t allowed to develop at the proper rates. Even the teams they are loaned to are in top flight leagues around the world and are looking to win games, not develop other team’s talents.

While these young players are training at high levels and learning what it means to be a professional, at the end of the day they have to crack the lineup and see the field. Otherwise they are no longer fit for games, their confidence gets shaken and they get rusty, dulling their once dazzling talents.

Then the media swoon over them like vultures, declaring their careers all but over.

The media is not at fault for player’s choosing the wrong team to transfer to. But for some reason the lack of proper time to develop gets lost in the coverage.

There is nothing wrong with being excited for a young player’s success. And if that player will help lead soccer to a higher status on and off the pitch then that’s great. But expectations need to be kept in
check.

The soccer savior theme needs to be put to an end. It’s beyond hyperbole now, it’s a cliché. Anytime a young player has a good run of form, even for only a handful of games, he becomes the new flavor of the week. And then when the hot streak cools and the player must work through adversity—an essential part of a player’s development—the media turns their back on him, labeling him a failure.

It’s a tired form of writing and accomplishes nothing other than squeezing as many headlines out of a buzz worthy player as possible. It makes it look like writers are not out to cover the beautiful game but rather essentially create and manipulate their own stories.

Besides, with the USMNT improving its quality of play on the pitch, MLS becoming a financially stable establishment and pure interest in the global game on the rise (i.e. sales for the FIFA video game, TV ratings for the World Cup and English Premier League matches) is a savior really needed?

Photo Credits.
Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury: AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill
Freddy Adu: AP Photo/Nick Wass

Teemu Tainio Will Be Missed When New York Red Bulls Face the Los Angeles Galaxy

AP Photo/Bill Kostroun

When the New York Red Bulls square off against the Los Angeles Galaxy offense will be at a premium.

Landon Donovan, Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Juan Agudelo, Juan Pablo Angel and Luke Rodgers are all names that should see action and they all bring it in the attacking third.

Good offenses are fueled by teams that are capable of playing good defense, transitioning to offense, and possessing the ball. So New York not having Teemu Tainio is a huge loss and could have a great effect on the outcome of the match. He did not travel with the club to Los Angeles because of a groin injury.

The Finnish International was signed by the Red Bulls before the season started in March and has a long history of playing soccer at the highest level. He’s played in the UEFA Champions League with Auxerre, a club he spent eight years with making 150 appearances with the team. Then he moved onto the English Premier League with Tottenham for three years. He rounded out his European career with Sunderland and Birmingham City in England and Ajax, the famous club from Amsterdam.

The signing with New York was a quiet one, and he had to go on trial with them before the club would commit to him. But he may be the best signing in the entire league.

Tainio has started and played every league match at defensive midfield for the Red Bulls so far this season. He played every minute of every match until he was subbed out at halftime of last week’s game against Sporting Kansas City with a groin injury.

He’s a hard worker who plays strong, tenacious defense. He’s also been the link from the defense from the offense. His passing has been crisp and he had been the key to the Red Bulls being one of the cleanest passing teams in the league. They’ve been a very good possession team, something head coach Hans Backe has been very proud of.

Tainio only has one assist this season and more times than not if the announcer is not saying his name, he’s having a good night. But the impact he has on the field was felt when he was removed from the Kansas City game.

“He’s a very important piece of the team,” Rafael Márquez said to the press. “He is the one that balances the entire squad on the field so when he is not around, we always miss him.”

Carl Robinson, Tainio’s replacement, did not hold his own. The team’s time of possession was way down in the second half and as a result, Kansas City’s attack was more potent and dangerous.

It’s unfair to say it was all Robinson’s fault, or that he won’t be able to get the job done adequately, it’s just that you can tell the kind of difference Tainio makes on the field.

His replacement as well as the entire team have their work cut out for them against the Galaxy.

Red Bulls Insider: Meet Teemu Tainio. Video from YouTube.

NFL Draft 2011: New England Patriots' Plan All About Flexibility

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

When the New England Patriots entered the 2011 NFL Draft the team held six picks in the first three rounds. The fans and the media expected the team to really cash in.

The most publicized need for New England was a pass rush. Lucky for them, with so many top picks, this year was a deep class of defensive ends and outside linebackers. Names like Ryan Kerrigan, Muhammad Wilkerson, Cameron Heyward and Cameron Jordan filled the Big Board.

When all was said and done the Patriots didn’t draft any of those names. In fact, they didn’t select someone that plays in the front seven until they selected OLB Markell Carter out of Central Arkansas in the sixth round.

It’s not to say the players they drafted won’t be any good or that they don’t fill needs or depth. But why ignore a supposed glaring hole? It’s become the theme of the draft, possibly the theme of the Patriots, was not, in fact, address need but rather flexibility.

Flexibility and the mantra of the New England Patriots explain what happened during the draft. The Patriots are notorious for “putting the team first” and not overpaying for talent are ways the ownership manages the team, and has also helped make them as successful as they have been in this century. Randy Moss, Richard Seymour, Ty Law and Willie McGinest all experienced it. It’s the business.

So the first round selection of OT Nate Solder puts Matt Light on notice. Light has started at the left tackle position when he was drafted in 2001 and is looking for a new contract. But history and the draft tell us that if Light wants to be a Patriot he should temper his demands.

Solder may not be ready in Year 1, but he’s a promising prospect. Give Light one more year, develop Solder, and if Light’s contract demands are too steep to merit giving to the 32-year-old, let him walk and you have a capable player ready to step in.

Depth along the offensive line was something that needed to be addressed and Solder gives them flexibility at this position currently and moving forward.

Skip down to when the Patriots select running backs with their second pick in the second round and their first in the third round. Again, current starter BenJarvus Green-Ellis is coming upon free agency. Maybe his productive 2010 priced him out of the Patriots range.

People speculated the Pats would take one running back at some point because they like having a lot of depth at that position. But two back to back? Green-Ellis may be on his way out of Foxborough.

So if they were planning on going running back, why trade down in the first round and let the Saints select former Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram?

While it’s no certainty he’ll be a successful player, he does have a higher profile. As a first-round pick his salary would be much higher than backs drafted in later rounds. So why pay him more for backs that, while they may not have the hardware Ingram does, could be successful in the system?

With the trade, the Patriots also picked up an extra first-rounder next year. Will they trade down like in most of the drafts in recent years? Possibly. But having two picks gives New England flexibility in making decisions. They can package the two to move up, or trade down again, gaining more picks and more future flexibility in potential trades.

As for the pass rush? The front office must be confident that last year’s draft picks Jermaine Cunningham and Brandon Spikes will continue to develop and free agent signings Eric Moore and Gerard Warren will step up. As we’ve seen before, the Patriots aren’t afraid to take a chance on an older free agent.

So while many fans were left scratching their heads, there is a plan in place. And flexibility is a vital part to it.

Toronto FC 2011 MLS Season Preview

AP Photo/Darryl Dyck

Is there a team in more disarray than Toronto FC? In the club’s fifth year of existence it will be playing under its sixth different coach. Its star-player wants out and its 2010 team MVP left preseason camp because of a gripe about his contract. The team has still never made the playoffs.

And now there’s another team in Canada to steal talent and fans from the Reds.

Things can only get better from here for Toronto, right?

Aron Winter is the new head coach, a former Dutch National Team member. He promises Toronto fans that the team will play an attacking attractive style of soccer. And after having Preki, who some criticized as a drill sergeant coach, this new system should seem more fun and inspiring, especially as they finished fourth in the league in fewest goals scored (33).

He’ll have arguably one of the best midfielders ever in MLS, Dwayne De Rosario. He’s a two-time league MVP and he’s a clutch performer in both regular season and the playoffs. Last season he scored an MLS career-high 15 goals to go along with three assists. He’s the club’s all-time leading scorer.

The leading man, however, is unhappy. He says he feels he has outperformed his contract and deserves a new, more deserving deal. Part of that dissatisfaction could be because of how he has played and produced far more than Toronto’s two Designated Players (Julian de Guzman and Mista—now released). After scoring a goal in September last year, he mimed signing a check and mouthed “Pay me.”

This offseason he went on trial with legendary Scottish club Celtic. He did so, however, without the knowledge or permission of Toronto FC or MLS. They let him stay on trial once they found out though, but when De Ro asked for a short-term loan they immediately said no.

He isn’t the only one to want more from TFC management. Last season’s team MVP—who made around $65,000 in base salary—left training camp demanding a new contract. He returned eight days later, but there seems to be a problem here between the team’s top players and ownership. Did De Ro’s situation make it easier for Cann to make his statement? This is the kind of off-field extracurricular activity that could tear teams apart.

On the field, apart from these two, the Reds have a great starting goalkeeper in Stefan Frei. A good athlete in net, Frei improved upon his rookie numbers in 2010 posting a 1.32 goals against average and a 70 percent save percentage.

Frei will need to continue to improve because the defense has been pretty weak. Once again TFC allowed over 40 goals throughout the season. The team made a nice move in an attempt to improve its backline, trading for Nathan Sturgis, the 23-year-old defender that was on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.

Along with Sturgis is Nana Attakora. The 21-year-old has been a member of the team since its existence. The hope is that his presence, although a young player, will be a stabilizing force as the team rebuilds and attempts to make the playoffs for the first time ever.

There is talent on this team, but there has been a lot of instability and in-house arguing. De Rosario says he won’t be a distraction, that he will play as if there was no problem, but if the team isn’t winning how happy will he remain?

The team has fallen short and underachieved with some solid lineups. With so much going on off-the-field it’s hard to imagine things straightening themselves out.

Aron Winter talks about taking the Toronto FC coaching job. Video from YouTube.

Vancouver Whitecaps 2011 MLS Season Preview

AP Photo/Elise Amdendola

One of two expansion teams in 2011—and the second team in Canada—the Vancouver Whitecaps seem to have a squad set-up for more success in the future than right now.
Only three players are in their thirties, and only five more are over the age of 26. The Whitecaps held the first overall selection in the MLS Super Draft and chose a player they were familiar with, but cannot play with them until he turns 18-years-old in September. Also, only five players played in MLS last season.

If Vancouver is going to be competitive, let alone surprise the league and sneak into the playoffs, they will rely heavily on veterans on defense: goalie Joe Cannon and defender and captain Jay DeMerit.

DeMerit has enjoyed a Cinderella-like soccer career. After being turned down by MLS he moved to England and briefly joined teams in the ninth and seventh-tiers of English soccer, until in 2004 he impressed Watford coaches in a scrimmage and was invited to a trial with the team. He signed with the club and was a regular in the lineup until this past summer. He also was a starter for the USMNT during the previous World Cup.

Named team captain, DeMerit brings valuable soccer experience, toughness, determination and will anchor the backline.

Cannon is a 12-year MLS veteran. He became the face of the San Jose Earthquakes the past few years and got them off to a hot start last season, but an ankle injury ended not only his season, but his tenure with the club. He will be a stabilizing force when he is fit to play, but currently he is still recovering from that ankle injury. Jay Nolly will hold down the fort for him.

A lot of players will really need to step up for Vancouver to win games. The corps of forwards is extremely thin. No. 1 draft pick Omar Salgado—who trained with Vancouver last year—has played well in the preseason and is an exciting prospect, but due to FIFA age restrictions will not be able to suit up for the team until September.

The Whitecaps management made Frenchman Eric Hassli its first-ever Designated Player. The forward came from FC Zurich in Switzerland and has a strong build (6’4”, 200 pounds) and seems to be a physical force to be reckoned with, but his ability to score goals is suspect. In the past two seasons he only scored seven goals, which is pretty poor for a forward, let alone one signed as a DP.

John Thorrington and Shea Salinas are midfielders that bring a lot of MLS experience and are solid players, however, like Cannon, have long injury histories that make what kind of impact they have on the field questionable.

The team has retained 11 players from its USSF Division-2 side—including defender Wes Knight, midfielder and former Juventus product Davide Chiumiento and 18-year-old midfielder Russell Teibert—and it will be interesting to see how they adapt to the new league.

With a tremendous lack of experience and the large potential for injuries, opportunities for playing time will be wide open. Will the young guys step up and compete hard for the chance to get on the pitch, or will it be a situation where someone is playing by default because there is no one else?

The learning curve must be quick, or the Whitecaps first season—despite the great support from its fans—could be a rocky road.

Omar Salgado talks after being selected No.1 overall to the Whitecaps. Video from YouTube.

Real Salt Lake 2011 MLS Season Preview

AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

Los Angeles and New York get a lot of the glitz and glamour, but is there a better team, a team more well-rounded than Real Salt Lake?

The team was unsuccessful in defending its MLS Cup championship, but as a team they looked as dangerous as ever. Finishing second in the Western Conference, Salt Lake had the Newcomer of the Year award winner, surrendered the fewest goals in the league (20) and had the best goal differential (plus-25).

The best thing to like about the 2011 version of this club? It returns practically everyone from the core of last year’s team. Actually, an impact player was added to its roster. An elite team with continuity from year-to-year is very dangerous.

Alvaro Saborio made a huge impact on the team in his debut season in MLS, scoring 12 goals and winning the Newcomer of the Year award. He was rewarded for his efforts with a new Designated Player contract. He’ll need to be just as strong this year, with Robbie Findley leaving and trying his hand in Europe.

Findley wasn’t a major contributor last year, struggling with form and injuries and missing time because of his inclusion on the World Cup squad. But when he was around teams still had to think about him. Now, however, it’s all up to Saborio.

He’ll have plenty of support in the midfield, though. Javier Morales is the stand-out of this unit. He’s a playmaker in the center of the midfielder who can both get his own shot off and create for others. He’s also aided by Andy Williams, a playmaker himself with good pace, and newcomer Arturo Alvarez.

Alvarez is an offensive-minded player who many think will thrive with this club. He’s a bit temperamental at times, but he has been a prominent player on all his teams while in MLS and will only improve RSL.

Backing them up is midfielder and team captain Kyle Beckerman. He is a tenacious player who always goes in hard in his challenges on the ball, and he is a good leader.

The stingy defense is led by goalkeeper Nick RImando. His quick reflexes helped him post the second best goals against average in the league (0.67) and the most shutouts (14). He also finished third in save percentage (78%).

In front of him is as solid a group as any, headed by Jamison Olave. The centerback is the best player on the backline. He is joined by Nat Borchers, Robbie Russell and Chris Wingert.

Like any team, avoiding injury will be the biggest issue this team has. It will be a little more difficult to do with so many games. There are MLS matches and US Open Cup matches. The team also qualified for Superliga and is currently in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League. Depth and overwork will test this team.

A second strike partner will need to be found to support Saborio. Cody Arnoux came to the team in a special draft and he impressed Everton enough to earn a one-year contract with Everton in 2009. Fabian Espindola had a goal and an assist in the team’s recent 2-0 victory over Saprissa in the Champions League. So options are there.

This is a very dangerous team with talent, key players signed to long-term contracts and youth to develop. They won the 2009 MLS Cup as a heavy underdog, but now this club will aim to become a dynasty and win another trophy, this time as a legitimate threat.

Real Salt Lake prepares for the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League. Video from YouTube.