Soccer Vegas

So Long...

2008-04-03T14:17:00.001-07:00

I have officially decided to merge my two blogs: Papa's Bloggito and SoccerVegas. This blog covered (obviously) soccer, while my other blog covered everything else that interests me. I am at the point where having two blogs seems redundant to me, so I will be posting over there now. There may come a day when I decide to actually copy all of the posts from the blog over there, but I highly doubt that will happen. I think "laziness" would be the culprit for that.

With the merger will also come a change of name. From now I on I will be blogging on what shall be known as Papa's World.

I hope to see you over there!

Why Not?

2008-03-27T10:32:00.001-07:00

With so many others out there making predictions for the season, I thought I'd try my hand at it, too. Here are my guesses fro how the season will end (this is not taking playoffs into account. It is only for the regular season).

1. DC United - They brought in some defensive grit and seem to have fixed those holes from last year. They have a VERY busy season, but I think that they have the ammunition to deal with it.

2. Chivas USA - Even with an aging Suarez and Razov, this team has a lot of depth and the will to push for the season wins. Their busy schedule is slightly less busy than Houston's and that is partly why I'll give them the nod.

3. Houston Dynamo - Even with the defensive loss of Cochrane, and the offensive leak of forwards, the core team remains intact, and Kinnear has proven himself able to make vital mid-season acquisitions to keep the team strong.

4. New England Revolution - I'll be shocked if there isn't some jewel from the draft that Nicol didn't pick out. the man has a knack for finding these guys that step up and take on a real role in the team. I don't think the losses of Noonan or Dorman will spell disaster at all; the Revs will find new blood to fill in those roles.

5. Kansas City Wizards - I like what Curt Onalfo is doing with this team, and I think they have addressed some of the issues they needed to.

6. New York Red Bulls - Osorio has begun to prove himself a rather capable coach in the MLS, and I think with that strong duo of JPA and Altidore up top, he'll be able to focus on and address the defensive weaknesses that were shown last season.

7. Chicago Fire - You can't discount Blanco. He came in a turned this team around. A lot has fallen on the shoulders of Hamlett and we'll see what he can bring.

8. Real Salt Lake - These guys will surprise us all this year. Kreis has had enough time to get his players to buy into his system, and I think their approach is a healthy one. The defense has been shored up, and there is depth on the roster for the first time.

9. Los Angeles Galaxy - We will see an improvement from these guys this year, but it won't be enough to get them to where they want to be. That back line (along with Cronin in goal) is just begging for goals in the net, which would spell utter ruin except that the offense will pick up the slack.

10. Columbus Crew - I think this team will have a strong run at the end of the season as some of its younger players come into their own, and I like the addition of Brian Carroll to Schellotto's midfield to add some defensive grit.

11. FC Dallas - This is a team with a lot of potential, but just not enough. I don't see Cooper as enough of an offensive threat to carry the goal scoring of this team. You gotta love Toja, but it is just not enough.

12. Colorado Rapids - I love Christian Gomez, but I don't think he'll be enough to help this one. Clavijo is a dead weight that will continue to drag this team down until he is relieved.

13. Toronto FC - This team slept through their off-season, and even lost one of the players that could have helped them out. They must be counting on an injury free season to have done so little, but even without injuries, I'm just not convinced that they'll be able to pull it together.

14. San Jose Earthquakes - A strong pre-season of sorts does not convince me that this team is ready for anything else than to be hammered.

CONCACAF Champion's League

2008-03-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, I am psyched about the new format. I was already a fan of the old one, but, as is made plain by the name of it, the old one was a cup tournament. It only allowed for eight teams. Now we are jumping up to twenty-four. I applaud CONCACAF for having the balls to put this thing together. I hope that it will help our region grow in the way I'm envisioning.

CONCACAF Champion's Cup

2008-03-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

Well, it is indeed that time again. I've been absent from this site throughout the whole off-season, and frankly I don't know hoe much I'll really be putting into it during this season, but when I have time and the will, I'll write.

So, I figured I'd do a preview of sorts on my two favorite teams. First up: DC.

DC lost some previously key players: Christian Gomez, Troy Perkins, and Bobby Boswell. Boswell had fallen off in form, so that is no surprise (for him to be traded I mean). Perkins was still doing very well, but got an offer to go to Europe. Of course he took it, and I wish him the best of luck (and given DC's new status of being basically keeper-less, the trade of Boswell for Wells makes complete sense). Then, there is the loss of consistent Christian Gomez. I am sad to see him go. He wanted too much money, and DC felt they could bring in someone extraordinary instead. It sounds like Gallardo could be the real deal, and I am more than happy to let him prove to me that he is. The additions of a couple of Gonzalos and a Franco also make me happy. Hopefully our defensive line will be able to shore up the holes that were far too often exploited last season.

On a side note, despite my dislike for Colorado, I am excited to see what can happen with the two Gomez's playing with each other. I love Christian and I can't help but have a sweet spot for Herc, too (he did go to UNLV after all). I don't really want the team to do well, but I do want them to do well. I guess all we need is for the Rapids' defense to blow. Let in one more goal than you score, but score at least two a game. That ought to work.

Rebel Weekend

2007-11-13T16:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend saw a win and a loss for the Rebs. Lamar Neagle scored our only goal in a 3-1 loss to San Jose State University on Friday evening. On Sunday, Stephen Sifuentes assisted on Ben Haugland's third goal of the season, giving the Rebs a 1-0 win over Sacramento State.

The Rebs are now 7-8-2, and 3-5 in their conference.

Award For Paterson

2007-11-06T15:40:00.000-08:00

Congrats to UNLV Rebel Junior forward Nicholas Paterson for his game winning goal against New Mexico and the accolades that are streaming his way now. He was named Co-Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Player of the Week and also to College Soccer News' Team of the Week. Not too shabby.
He also wins my award for being Scottish and coming to play soccer in Las Vegas. I don't have the plaque or trophy ready, yet. Just sit there and imagine it Nicky-boy. It's on its way... (no, no I just lied. It's not.)

Upset Victory

2007-11-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

The Rebs beat 21st-ranked New Mexico 2-1 on Saturday night (UNLV news release here). Goals by Lamar Neagle and the game-winner by Nicholas Paterson. Stephen Sifuentes assisted on the game-winner. This weekend will see the last two home games of the season for the boys.

Controversy

2007-10-26T10:56:00.000-07:00

So, I was checking the blogs today (just like every other day), and came across a posting by Ives. He was asking what people thought about Wynalda's comment about Section 8 looking like California (just in case anyone isn't aware--California is suffering from fires again). I didn't think that Ives sounded malicious at all in asking the question. I was shocked to see some of the comments rushing to accuse Ives of some agenda to get Waldo fired. I was even more shocked to see how long all of the commenting went on for.
It got me wondering about controversy: here we have the case of a commentator, who is known to not have a ton of restraint (and who is a Hall of Fame, former US Nat--which in my book gives him some license to be arrogant and critical) making remarks off the top of his head.
I went and looked at the number of remarks/comments that people had left on the write-up that Ives did on the actual game: 21. How many comments did people leave on the write-up of what the commentator was saying? 98. Are you kidding me? People are more interested in what a commentator said about the game than in the game itself?!?!?!?!
Then, I think of myself getting caught up in writing about the controversy instead of just ignoring it and writing about the game. What is wrong with us? DC lost to Chicago! That is terrible! Their home leg is going to be that much tougher and they have also extended the improbable streak they have of not only losing to CHI, but never even scoring on them (in the post-season)!
It is the same thing that immediately turned me off to Chelsea and LA; divas in soccer. I understand that not everyone involved in the program at LA is a diva, but Lalas is for sure. They guy just turns me off to ever wanting to see them do well. I was ecstatic about them not making the playoffs, even though I tend to dislike Chicago more than any other team (except maybe Colorado). Then, you have Chelsea who can't seem to let the controversy alone. I will admit that Mourinho is an excellent coach, but I don't care. That guy can't seem to shut up and play the game. The only person that I seem to defend (for their big mouth) is Wynalda, and mostly that is because it is his job now to talk. I really don't think he's a great commentator, but I am bugged that so many want him to get the ax for a stupid comment. Is California burning? Yes. After he said it was I offended in the slightest? No. In fact, the only thought that went through my head was, "Oooh, he's right. That is eerie."
I much prefer controversial announcers as opposed to fluffy or boring announcers like Rob Stone. That guy just bugs me.
In conclusion, PC has its place. I am an advocate of tact. However, for some reason there are far too many people on this Earth who are just looking for controversy and a chance to be a victim. What a waste of time. Let ESPN worry about who they hire. They are footing the bill. If you don't like the job they are doing, then write a letter or get a petition going and send it in to USSF. Or go into the profession of commentating yourself, and become that person who can replace Wynalda. I'm done with this subject. I'm tired of thinking about it.

A Good Thought

2007-10-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

As always, I spend way too much time reading about soccer. Today I stumbled upon two articles written on a couple blogs. The first (found here) and the second (found here). The first article is dealing with the theories of why soccer isn't popular here in the states. I found many of the reasons to be right on. Then, the second article comes as an unnecessary rebuttal to the first. For some reason, I guess the second blogger felt that the first blogger's attempt to understand why soccer is considered to be so "un-American" to be negative towards soccer. Regardless, the comment left by Chris (the third comment) struck me.

I have been blaming so much of our lack of success in the world stage on the lack of popularity of soccer here. That comment reeked of truth to me: why should the US not be fielding more competitive teams if we find a way to dominate just about every other world sport? If we can bring home gold medals in swimming, track, and all of those Olympic sports, why can't we show more strength on the soccer pitch? The truth is: I don't know. I am wondering if we just lack that faith in ourselves. We think of ourselves as inferior to other nations in the realm of soccer, therefore we don't perform.

There is no doubt that confidence plays as important a part as ability for a striker. They go from hot to cold all the time. What is the difference? The only answer I have is that they lose that confidence. They believe they are in a slump, so they get into one.

You can't teach talent. Either you have it or you don't. Someone with talent can be molded and taught to harness that inner power, but without that inner belief that your efforts will be rewarded with a win, you are very likely going to lose.

It is the difference between a club that has a history of winning and one that has a history of losing--usually the winning club has that tradition behind them and they will find a way to pull through, whereas the losing side will often slip into old habits. My new thought on the subject is that the US has the quality, we just need to begin instilling that winning mentality into our youth from an earlier age. I'm glad to see the MLS making this a priority for the teams. Someday the US will win the World Cup and our nation will feel differently about us then.

Hockey vs. Soccer

2007-10-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

The Sun had another article on the potential arrival of an NHL team in Vegas. It is still a ways off (I am pretty sure that three years was the time frame they were talking about before digging would start on the new stadium), but it is soon enough that the MLS needs to get a move on it. If they are going to put a team in the Vegas area, they need to do it before this hockey experiment takes place. The MLS has the greatest chance of success if it is the only major league sports team in Vegas. There are just too many other things going on here for them to get the numbers they will be hoping for. I will say, that having Blanco in the league will help bring in the latin community, though.

Another Loss...

2007-10-22T15:04:00.000-07:00

Sadly, our Rebs dropped another game on Saturday to New Mexico. Lamar netted the boy's only goal in a 2-1 loss. That puts us at 1-4 in league play, and 5-7-2 on the season. They take on New Mexico again on November 3rd, here at home. I'll be there.

Playoffs Time

2007-10-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

So, things are finally decided: LA is out. I am both saddened by this and overjoyed by this. The media exposure that a Beckham-filled playoffs would have brought would have been great for the league. However, I have a hard time wanting them to do well. It just became too much of a media circus and frankly, Alexi Lalas has turned me against them do a rather large degree. The part that makes me sad, though... is that I would have liked Cobi to get to play in one last playoffs before he goes.

Anyway, the reason for this post is that I submitted my mlsent.com playoff bracket and thought I'd post it here so you, my millions of readers (meaning me, my only reader) could feel good knowing that I guessed them all right.

EAST:

CHI vs. DCU = 1-2

NE vs. RBNY = 5-3

--> NE vs. DCU = 1-3

WEST:

KC vs. CHV = 2-4

HOU vs. FCD = 4-3

--> CHV vs. HOU = 1-3

FINAL:

DCU vs. HOU = 2-1

Thus we have DCU doin' the double: 2007 MLS Cup and Supporter's Shield winners.

MVP

2007-10-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

I just read something on DCenters that made me think about the title of MVP: no one gets it. Granted, these guys are bloggers and not league officials who have some secret handbook that spells things out, but they are as knowledgeable of fans of soccer as you'll find on the intraweb. I sat there wondering what exactly it means to be the MVP (and please, before anyone answers back with something cute and clever about it standing for Most Valuable Player, know that I'm not talking about what it stands for, I am talking about what it means to be MVP). Different people/entities will value different things. I, as a watcher/fan of soccer, value different things than the league officials do I am sure. One debate I always struggle with is the idea of someone winning an award like most valuable player when their team didn't win the championship (in this case the Supporter's Shield). There is definitely a difference in the organizations: DCU and RBNY are very different organizations with different histories. Would Emilio have done as well on RBNY? Maybe JPA would have scored 30+ with DCU? Who knows? The truth is... who cares?
Winning is not the only reason I watch soccer. It's not the only reason I play it. However, the award isn't Most Technical Player or Most Entertaining Player To Watch. It is Most Valuable Player. JPA has scored fantastic goals, and frankly they wouldn't be where they are without him. Altidore ahs been very good. Wolyniec has also contributed fantastically. Cleetus has shown some of that old spark, too. It's JPA, though. He came in and contributed more than any to keep RBNY a strong side to be feared. However, after singing his praises, I have to say that: RBNY didn't win the Supporter's Shield. DCU did. So, in the end, yes, JPA's contribution for RBNY was HUGE!!!!! Yet, it wasn't enough. It's value is less than Emilio's one extra goal. Now, having said all of that, if I were in charge, the award wouldn't go to Luci either. It would go to Olsen of Moreno. Frankly, I would lean towards Olsen. His presence was necessary and its effects show on the scoreboard (even if the goals themselves came from Emilio's beautiful foot/head).

For me, Ben Olsen's contribution was what took DCU from a terrible funk and turned them into the league's best for a second season in a row. Ben Olsen's contribution shines more strongly for me as the most valuable because of what it did for the team that ended with the best result.

I love DCU. What a team. What a fantastic dilemma--having to choose the most valuable from amongst such league elites.

Playoff Contention

2007-10-19T10:56:00.001-07:00

Things are REALLY heating up in the MLS right now, and the playoff picture is slightly clearing up. We've still got four teams vying for two spots, but it will take more than a win for two of them. Chicago and KC are tied with 37 points. COL is sitting at 35, and LA is barely hanging in there with 34. This now gets a little tricky. If Chicago or KC win: they are in. For COL to get in, they need to win AND have either KC or CHI lose. LA needs to beat CHI and then have both KC and COL lose.

KC is taking on DAL (who, despite their current form, has been pretty tough this season) and COL takes on their Rocky Mountain Rivals RSL. RSL are becoming a slight thorn in the side of a couple of the upper teams. Also, RSL is sure to be going all out for the win (with nothing to lose, it being their rivals = pride, and the Rocky Mountain Cup being the only hardware they will be able to take home this season). KC and DAL have both been slumping. RSL has bite but just can't seem to actually win games and COL are so random in what they do. It's going to be a very interesting weekend.

UNLV Loses to BYU

2007-10-15T11:13:00.001-07:00

So, I went to the first American football game I've seen in years, on Saturday. UNLV played against BYU. My wife was dressed in her Cougars gear, and me in my Rebel gear. Some clever people let us know that we were like Romeo and Juliet. I thought that was cute.
I was amazed at how many people there were. Are UNLV games always that well attended for football and basketball? I haven't really felt frustrated that soccer isn't as big in the states as other sports, mostly because... I like soccer. What do I care if others don't? I tell you, though... the atmosphere there was amazing! Everyone was screaming and the two team's supporters were going at it. What fun. Sadly, UNLV lost.
I'd be stoked just to get soccer to where it's filling the soccer specific stadiums consistently. I don't care how many it holds, but to have it full and people going crazy... that is fun.

Tough Weekend

2007-10-15T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Rebels return pointless form their weekend getaway. On Friday, they lost 1-0 to Sac State. On Sunday, San Jose State pummeled them 3-0. Sorry boys. Tough break. That puts the Rebs at 5-6-2 on the season and at 1-3 in league play (as taken from the UNLV release). We need to get our selves back in this game. Two road losses won't cut it. We should have gotten at least a point from the weekend. They have another road game against New Mexico this Saturday. Let's get some points, boys.

Rebels News

2007-10-11T15:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend the Rebs take on Sacramento State and San Jose State. Also, some kind words are said about the dynamic attacking due (as they are called here).

Also, here (you have to click on the "continue" ball a few times to get there) is an article about freshman Daniel Cruz (I found it on the Rebel's page here).

Missed One

2007-09-27T16:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not quite sure how, but I missed one earlier. Here is an article (from The Miech) that was written right after the All-Star Game. Fun reading. It sounds like the rest of the soccer world (I realize that is massively huge blanket statement that is both a gross generalization and terribly incorrect) is all for Vegas. What's it gonna take Garber?

Our Conference

2007-09-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

UNLV plays in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation. Their conference consists of the following 6 teams:

Air Force
Denver
New Mexico
Sacramento State
San Jose State
UNLV

I checked on the history of the conference championships, and New Mexico has been dominating in recent years. They have won it five of the last six years. UCLA and Washington had their heydays, but are no longer in the conference. Besides NM, only San Jose has won it.

The conference games begin in October. I'll keep us updated on where we stand.

Death to the Roadrunners

2007-09-27T13:34:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night our Rebels take on Cal State Bakersfield @ 7pm (UNLV release here). I won't be able to make this game (due to my boy's wedding). Our boys ought to be able to pull off a win in this one, but their keeper is proving himself able, so it should be a tough task for our forwards.

Go Rebels!

Award for Neagle

2007-09-27T13:29:00.000-07:00

UNLV's site had this on Neagle. Not too shabby.

Adu Compilation

2007-09-27T12:41:00.000-07:00

I ran into this compilation of Freddy Adu. Most of it is made up of the U-20 WC, but there are a few snippets of him from DCU. It reminded me of why I like this kid. I think I had started falling into that group of people who like Freddy, but don't think he'll ever be more than a mediocre player who has cool tricks. Here's to hoping he keeps his head down, works hard, and learns consistency from Rui. Good luck, Freddy.

DP Slots

2007-09-26T15:25:00.000-07:00

This article is a fantastic read from goal.com. His points on adding a second DP slot are right on. I have no idea if the league is looking at this just to bend for LA or not, but regardless... it just seems too early to start freaking out and adding players like this.
My biggest concern right now is developing this league and US players. That won't happen if the $$$ gap between the top-end players and the bottom feeders.
Don't get me wrong, you have to earn your money, but some of these bottom feeders are DEFINITELY earning their money as far as quality of play goes (much more than many of the top quality stars that are disappointing right and left).

Which is better?

2007-09-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about RSL's trade of Cunningham for Esky, and the truth is I have no idea what would have been better. You look at what each brings, and they have such different styles of play, that it makes it hard to know which style suits RSL more. At this point, the best we can do is a stat comparison and then discuss RSL's needs.

Cunningham has scored 96 goals over 10 seasons (we are currently in his tenth). He has also had 58 assists over those 10 seasons. Esky has scored 22 goals over 5 season (we are currently in his fifth), and registered 9 assists. Focusing solely on the goals, that gives us a 9.6 goal/year average for Cunningham, and a 4.4 goal/year average for Esky. As for the assists: Cunningham comes in with an average of 5.8 assists/year while Esky's is 1.8/year.

Here it is written more clearly (for the sake of the eye):

Player: Goals--Assists--Goals/Year--Assists/Year:

Cunningham 96--58--9.6--5.8

Eskandarian 22--9--4.4--1.8

By a pure stat comparison, Cunningham comes out on top. In fact, he demolishes Esky. However, there are other factors to consider: age (which actually seems irrelevant given Cunningham's stats from last year--winning the Golden Boot Award for 2006 with 16 goals/11 assists), work ethic, team chemistry/attitude, and salary cap.

Work Ethic Award goes to Esky; no doubt about it. The guy never stops. For someone like Kreis, I can see why that would be a huge priority, but I have to say... work ethic can only get you so far. I love Esky, but his talent level just isn't incredible or jaw-dropping. I wish it were, I would love nothing more than to see Esky just click and win the golden boot every season for the remainder of his career, but I'm realistic enough to know that the chances are slim. You can work hard, but if it's hardly working where does it get you?

Next we have team chemistry/attitude. This is the big problem I see. My guess is that Kreis didn't like Cuningham's attitude. Kreis was the epitome of shutup and get to it, whereas Cunningham has that cock-sure attitude that keeps him from needing to go balls out for the full 90. I could see Kreis being rubbed wrong by that. I also wonder if Cunningham just wanted out. According to himself, he is incredibly under-rated, and his lack of focus/effort this season could have been stemming from a growing sense of apathy towards RSL.

Salary cap makes sense, too; Esky costs less than Cunningham.

All of this tells me one thing: Kreis wants hard work and that never die attitude in his players and frankly, RSL needs that. Guys like Beckerman and Esky will never give up. I can't help but wonder, though... where could RSl be right now if they had somehow been able to keep Cunningham around AND make the rest of those moves that they did. I would love to see what a striker like Cunningham could bring to the current lineup of RSL. With Beckerman running down the mid-field, and Esky working the top third, I can't help but wonder if Cunningham would be that final piece to getting the goals that they seem to be in need of.

Alas... musing is all that there is left now. What is done, is done. Let's just hope that RSL gets the Rocky Mountain Cup this season, so they can have something to show for the year besides the ever-elusive "potential for improvement".

Not Too Shabby

2007-09-23T19:03:00.000-07:00

The Rebels came away with a tie and a win for the weekend. I wasn't able to make it to Friday's game (which turned out alright, cause of a 50 minute game delay due to lightning), but my wife and I went to Saturday's game against Missouri State. It was quite nice to have my first Rebels game (as a supporter at least...) be a win. I think that puts us at 3-3-2 for the season. We'll have to continue to step it up, but it's nice to know that we are already at least one win better than last season.

I also have to comment on how well our forwards seem to be combining with each other. Neagle and Cruz were menacing the goal all night long on Saturday, and it paid off with an assist for Neagle and a goal from Cruz. Friday, they swapped roles with Cruz assisting Neagle for two goals. Friel had an assist in there, too. Pretty impressive.

Congrats and well done, boys.

Little Britches

2007-09-21T13:16:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading an excellent article by Doug McIntyre (found on ESPN's Soccernet), about American youth phenom Jozy Altidore. I gotta say, I can't think of anything that Doug said that rubbed me wrong in the slightest. A fantastic piece that looks into everyone's hope for American soccer. I have felt it--you are almost too scared to think that Jozy could be the one to finally break through and become America's superstar. The media just LOVES to swarm and exploit, and then vilify those who show even the slightest hope of emerging, but disappoint. Take Freddy Adu: The kid has talent. How might he have fared if he weren't turned into the poster boy of the MLS? Maybe no better than he is currently playing. How can I guess as to whether or not he is a beter or worse player for the media? I can't. All I can blame the media for is it's stupidity in treating him like the Savior of the MLS, and then discounting him when he is 18. It still gets me all riled up to even just think about it. I hope Freddy has the sense to let the media circus pass him by for a bit. Ignore the media, Freddy. Just do your thing, man. You believe in yourself? Great. We will too when you live up to your own expectations for yourself. Don't let their expectations for you become your own.
And Jozy... what an incredible kid. He just seems to really have his head on his shoulders. I hope the media continues to wait with somewhat bated breath for Jozy to do his thing. I will LOVE to see Jozy in the big leagues of Europe someday, but there is no rush. What makes me the happiest, is to know that Jozy doesn't need me to tell him any of this. It sounds like he understands what is realistic and what is not, and he is jsut going to do what he needs to do to develop his game. Hooray and kudos to you, Sir Jozy.

Rebel Stats

2007-09-20T13:23:00.000-07:00

Here are the boys stats heading into tomorrow's game.

Player Goals/Assists:
Cruz, Daniel 2/1
Neagle, Lamar 2/1
Sifuentes, Stephen 2/1
Haugland, Ben 2/0
Bryan, David 0/1
Crawley, John 0/1
Rodriguez, Peter 0/1
Uderitz, Keegan 0/1

I'm going to try and figure out how to get a tab on the side to reflect the stats. We'll see how knowledgeable I am at figuring things out, eh?

In Other Vegas Sports News...

2007-09-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

The ever-powerful Anschutz is considering bringing the NHL to Vegas. Now, I'm not a very nig fan of hockey, so for me this isn't too exciting. What does please me, though... is that Las Vegas would finally get a professional sports team. That could potentially open the flood gates for others. It also depends on how well the team fares. If the team fails, does that then further taint the perception that Vegas can't spport a professional team of ANY sport? My guess is yes. So, Let's hope that whatever professional team Vegas gets, the town supports it.

Rebels Lose

2007-09-19T10:26:00.000-07:00

They dropped their game against Cal State Northridge. Here is the official news from the UNLV website. As the snippet states, that puts our record at 2-3-1 for the season so far. Well, at least we already have as many wins as we did last year. Let's hope these boys can keep it up. I'll definitely be at Friday's game,and I'm going to try and make Saturday's, too. Let me know if you are going, and we can practice our chants of "Heeeeeeeeey booooooys!"

So Close, Yet...

2007-09-18T14:35:00.000-07:00

This is the latest from good Sir Miech. It places Vegas as the 5th in line (as far as odds go), which speaks very highly to me of the program that Noorzai and Caligiuri are putting together. Now, my guess is that Garber/MLS won't announce the next teams all at once. It sounds like two will be announced this year, and that bodes very well for Seattle and St. Louis. That means (assuming all of this info/assumption is accurate enough to come to pass) that Vegas could be the potential fifth in line, OR... (and what really got me excited) is the thought that if anything were to go wrong with the plans for expansion in any of the other four cities, Vegas could move up to take its spot. Now, I'm not technically calling for the sabotage of either the plans or cities themselves of any of these cities, but a mighty high-five to any brave soul who gets Vegas a team.

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Also, this Friday UNLV takes on Drake at 7:30pm. I shall be attending and encourage you all to do the same.

I'm Back

2007-09-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

I just got back from my honeymoon, so sorry for the absence, but... not really. I really liked that honeymoon thing. Quite nice.

Anyway, here is an update on our Rebels. So far, they are sitting at 1-2-1 for the season.
They earned their first win on Sunday against Florida Atlantic. Lamar Neagle scored the game winner.

Goals:
Neagle, Lamar - 2
Haughland, Ben - 1
Cruz, Daniel - 1

Assists:
Rodriguez, Peter - 1
Bryan, David - 1
Sifuentes, Stephen - 1

This weekend our boys host the UNLV ADIDAS Invitational. They take on Cal Poly on Friday and Cal State Northridge on Sunday.

U-17s Fall

2007-08-21T14:26:00.001-07:00

Sad news for the boys. Touted as title contenders, they didn't seem to have gotten the memo.

This one from the AP (from soccernet)
A more in depth write up on it.

Get To Know Our Players

2007-08-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

This is only about incoming freshman Daniel Cruz. It's from the US Soccer site. Nice little bio.

Worst Penalty Ever.

2007-08-16T12:55:00.000-07:00

I can't take credit for this, I found it on du Nord's site. It is still worth posting, though.

Perfect Scenario

2007-08-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

D over at DCenters had some great insight into last night's game (and the debut of the mighty Beckham). I will be the first to admit that I am so bored and fed up with the Beckham hype. I realize that the casual fan doesn't spend hours online reading soccer blogs and trying to glean every bit of information they can on the ins and outs of the game. That's fine. For most, Beckham coming is something they see occasionally in a newspaper or whatever, and they get excited he's here and are grateful for the reminder. I however am an obsessive soccer freak, and get so sick of reading about him constantly. My big fear is this: tons of people will pay attention to... the GALAXY! (who suck this season), and people will judge our league based on one team's performance. Very quickly our league will be written off as a joke and sub-par. Inevitably many will grow jaded with soccer again and turn negative (e.g. the Freddy Adu hype that turned on him and have people calling him washed up at the age of 18!). For this league to grow, too much emphasis on any one team will do more damage than good. The fact that the league has been bending over backwards to get Beckham on tv and are doing it at the expense of the other teams won't help in the long run. The whole "Beckham cam"? TERRIBLE idea (if they keep using it to show more of him than the game). Beckham won't be able to play forever, and eventually we need fans who love the game and our league; not little girls who only want to catch a glimpse of him to fulfill whatever fantasies they are having.

So (after that rant), last night's game--I am actually impressed. I wasn't able to catch the whole game because my band was in a big festival and we had set up. I did catch a bit of the second half while grabbing some food at the bar. What I saw was the Bekham portion of the game (that just seems fitting, no?). I was a little embarrassed for hoe much time they spent on him, but honestly... it wasn't too bad. Today, after reading D's assessment, I am actually feeling pretty good. I was stoked when DC won it, but now I am Uber-stoked! I am so pleased that DC fans showed up and really rooted for their home team. I'm so excited that some casual fans may have been brought into the fold, so to speak, and that the loudest roar went up for Fred's juking some LA players.

THIS is futbol. This is how it should be. I won't mind the media circus (and will even stop complaining about it) if it turns the casual fan into a real fan. If we have to wade through a little Beckham mania in order to get the casual fan to show up... then I'm ok with it. What we need is for the other teams in the league to handle it like DC did: like professionals. They didn't get star-struck in front of the biggest home crowd they have EVER had. The went out and fought. They fought well. They scraped out another win and won some fans in the process. All of this will be worth it if after one or two season of super hyped Beckham games and the saturation of our hallowed online soccer grounds with his holy name the league grows.

I'm starting to see a little light at the end of this tunnel. It looks good.

Game Week: 19

2007-08-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

I've decided that predicting the results for each week's games is an utter waste of my time. I put a lot of thought into past and recent results, who is injured, and in the end... none of that seems to matter all that much; my guesses are totally random. It's still fun, though.

Here are my predictions for this week's games.

Thursday:
LA 1-2 DC

Saturday:
CLB 1-1 DAL
HOU 3-1 COL

Saturday:
TOR 1-1 NY
LA 1-2 NE

Bringing in some help...

2007-08-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this for a little bit now, and I'm considering bringing in some help. I was looking at the Phoenix Rising page and noticing how well organized it is. More than anything else, it is actually bringing the soccer community together and getting people involved. That is what I was initially hoping for this blog. I wanted it to be a place for the Las Vegas community to come together and show their support for soccer, the MLS, and especially the idea of the MLS in Vegas. So, if anyone is interested in helping out, let me know and we can go from there.

Here is what I am feeling we are needing:

1. More contributing writers (right now especially). I am getting married, starting school again, working full time, and trying to get a fledgling (but awesome) band going--my time is limited. This is important to me, though. I feel that Las Vegas really needs something more than just bright lights and nudity. Those of us who live here already know how great a town it is (despite the heat). I need writers who share that vision of creating something special here in Vegas and having that something be a soccer team.

2. Local soccer coverage. UNLV's season is starting again soon. I'd love to have a few of us that can make it to all of their home games at the very least and provide coverage for it. If the Las Vegas Strikers get started again, then we need to support them and get them ample coverage.

3. Community Grass-roots movement. To be honest I'm not exactly sure what that will entail. I'd like to get out to the different leagues that play here and get the word out to those who run them. Let's get the local teams involved in what we are doing.

4. Media coverage. Right now only Rob Meich over at the Sun is covering this. Let's get the media involved at a greater level.

I'm very open to ideas on how to do this. Let's get the ball rolling.

How to decide?

2007-08-06T11:25:00.000-07:00

I am a DC United fan. I also really like RSL, too. It is weird for me to think of only liking and caring about one team, because frankly I don't have one to call my own. When RSL beat DC last season and ended their streak, I was strangely saddened and excited all the same. Then, you have a third problem: my favorite team is Celtic FC. When DC beat Celtic 4-0, I was also filled with mixed emotions. Whenever any combination of these three teams meet, I am always unsure which way I lean most towards. I always want RSL to win because man... they need it. DC can handle a couple losses and be fine. Celtic never comes over here, but for friendlies, so I'm just happy to see them play at all.
All of this ranting boils down to one thing: I need a team. I need a team I call really call my own, and whose games I can go to. MLS.net and tv are great, don't get me wrong, but I need the live action blood, sweat, and tears. Please Mr. Garber and the MLS-- let my beautiful city have a team. Be the leaders I need you to be, and give Vegas a chance. We will be so great if you just give us the chance to prove ourselves.

Another one comes to a close...

2007-08-06T11:19:00.001-07:00

Here are the final results for the week:

Thurs.:

NE 2-0 KC

Sat.:

CLB 0-0 CHI
COL 0-1 DAL
HOU 0-1 RSL

Sun.:

DC 3-0 NE
TOR 0-0 LA

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Good week for soccer I'd say. DC battled out a great win and I'm very proud of the boys.

What??!?!?!?!

2007-08-04T22:41:00.001-07:00

The soccer gods do have a sense of humor. Last season I went to one game: worst record in the league RSL vs. streaking /dominating DC. DC were obviously the favorites coming into the game, but somehow RSL pulled a late win out of their butts that had me dumb-founded. It was an incredible game to be sure.
Fast forward to about four hours ago: they did it again. This time against the class of the league and reigning MLS Cup champions, the Houston Dynamo. Houston have been dominating the league recently, as well as the new Superliga. However, they come to RSL and lose their unbeaten streak. Amazing. I can't wait to watch the game as soon as they put it up on mls.net. Sadly, I wasn't able to go to the game. Oh well. Man, I wish Vegas had a team. It is too hard to get up to Utah or down to LA to see games with any sort of frequency. Oh well... the soccer gods' sense of humor must include laughing at my lack of ability to catch live games.

p.s. I am quickly learning how TERRIBLE I am at predicting scores. I got two games right: the tie between TOR and LA, and Dallas's win over Colorado. Sure the scores were all wrong, but... I'm not complaining and neither should you. The result is more important to me anyway.
The only scores I got right were RSL's one point, and Colorado's zero. We'll see how I improve over the rest of the season, though. This ain't over, yet.

Predictions

2007-08-04T10:34:00.000-07:00

This week's...

Results:

Thursday:

NE 2-0 KC

Predictions:

Saturday:

CLB 1-2 CHI
COL 0-2 DAL
HOU 2-1 RSL

Sunday:

DC 1-2 NE
LA 2-2 TOR

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I'm in Utah and hoping to make it to most of the HOU/RSL game. I'm taking wedding pictures, though. So... we'll see i it happens (I'm not thinking it will be too likely, but a man can hope, no?).

My First Publishing!

2007-07-27T16:27:00.001-07:00

Here is a link to an article I wrote for Helium (www.helium.com is an online writing community). This article/essay is about how the MLS can gain popularity. No new Earth-shattering ideas; more just a reminder so we don't get to far ahead of ourselves with all the Beckham hoopla. I'll be writing a lot more for them, and I'll give you a heads up for those that relate to soccer.

Anyway... see you next week.

Results from/for MLS Week 17

2007-07-27T15:51:00.000-07:00

I will begin by recognizing that the only predictions I have ever done about who would win or lose are for my fantasy league team. Thus, these are all feeling very random and somewhat unfounded (although I did put some thought into each one and they are not arbitrary).

Thursday's Game:
RBNY 0-2 CHV
Goals by Ante Razov and Sacha Klejstan

Predictions for MLS:
NE 2-2 RSL
CHI 1-0 TFC
CHV 1-2 KC

Predictions for Superliga:
FCD 2-1 Pachuca
LA 2-2 Chivas De Guadalajara
HOU 3-0 Morelia
DC 2-1 America

More good news for the Rebels

2007-07-26T13:44:00.000-07:00

UNLV's website report s that freshman, Daniel Cruz, was selected for the U-17 World Cup team. Congrats to him.

He also is returning from recent play in the Pan Am games.

Here is a link to a recent video interview he gave ESPN.

South Korea is hosting the U-17 World Cup, and the US team already qualified and is onto group stages. They drew Group E with Belgium, Tunisia, and Tajikistan. You can keep track of it all on ussoccer.com (main U-17 page/article on draw). Their first game is against Tajikistan on Aug. 20th.

Links:

schedule /standings
audio chat with Coach Hackworth
soccermogul.com's write up of U-17's recent win over Honduras (mentions Daniel's contribution)

Adu to Benfica?

2007-07-24T14:19:00.000-07:00

It looks like Freddy may be heading to Benfica. Although, I'm sad he won't be playing for my Hoops (Celtic, not Dallas), I think he'll be a better fit in Portugal. Scotland is very physical; Portugal will tailor to his technical abilities. Even saying that, nobody impresses in the Scottish league right now more than Shunsuke. Nakamura won Player of the Year and deserved it--his ability to dance around and bend balls is awe-inspiring. Adu would need some improving before he'd be ready to dance his way around the no-nonsense style of play in Scotland.

Making sense of RSL

2007-07-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

A few summers ago, I got talked into doing one of those summer sales jobs. You go door to door and sell alarm systems. It seemed like a great idea. Who wouldn't buy an alarm for their home? Who doesn't want to be safe?

Due to scheduling, I arrived later than some of the other guys in my group. Some had already decided that the job sucked and that they were no good at it; they weren't having success. I, however, had no idea it should suck or that I wouldn't be any good, so I went out and began to sell alarms. The more I sold the easier it became to sell again. That did change, though. After my best friend showed up, I started having more fun and feeling less focused on the work. We also made friends with the other guys that weren't having success (but were funny so we liked them). We would get together and play X-Box at night and listen to them all complain about how difficult the work was. It wasn't long before I wasn't selling as much, and was feeling comfortable about it because at least I was doing better than those guys. It got worse until, in the end, I was selling as little as them.

With about one month left, the company tried to help our struggling group. They shipped us off and combined us with another group who was having great success. Every single one of them was selling and having fun doing it. For our little group, it was too late, though. Too many of us had lost our confidence and desire to sell.

I've reflected a lot on that experience: why did I stop having success? The answer is negativity. It is a disease. My confidence sagged and it became acceptable and customary to fail. I went home from that job far more in debt than when I had started. The lesson I learned was invaluable, though: success breeds success and failure breeds failure.

I bring this up because I recently read a comment made on AYL Soccer. It was in response to the letter that Coach Kreis sent out to the Utah community. This commenter called him "weak" and "John Ellinger, Jr.," then asked Dave Checketts to "blow this thing up and start over."
I'm not going to spend too much time talking about why that is a ridiculous request (given all of the regulations and salary caps involved in putting a team together). What I will say is that there has been a TON of progress in the development of U.S. players and the quality is improving, but there is not an endless supply of them. So, with salary caps we can bring in 4 mid-range level of quality foreign players per team (at the senior level), some foreign developmental players, but the rest need to be from the good old U.S. of A. This limits our ability to just find better quality players and "start over."

The real problem isn't the coach or the talent/ability of the current players: it is the losing mentality. RSL does not have a history of winning. They don't have the confidence that a team like Houston or DC has. DC may not always win, but they know deep within themselves that they are the best, and that keeps them going when they hit rough times. It picks them back up to greatness. Houston is coming off of winning the Cup, and despite their stumbling at the beginning of the season, they are storming through the league now. They had the inner confidence to know that they could get up after falling down. When has RSL ever had that?

Where that becomes most dangerous is the speed in which it can spread. When you bring in players from a team that is winning and surround them with players who are comfortable losing, far too many players will begin to lose their winning mentality. They can't trust their teammates to make the runs, or get open, or pass to them if they make a run. They don't feel that they can trust the defense to do their job and will begin to drift back to support when their position requires them to stay up front. This is why I believe Kreis is taking the right steps. He is bringing in a new crop of guys who do not accept defeat. He has brought in some young talent that has speed and desire (and haven't lost that willingness to bleed). He is also bringing in fighters who will not lay down and die, or give up. Personally, I'm excited to see Esky and Beckerman fight this one together. They have that desire and confidence.

There is no doubt that Jeff Cunningham, Medhi Ballouchy, and Chris Klein all have talent. Talent wasn't winning them games, though. They need something different--something they have never had before--they need to be able to trust that their efforts will be effective. They need to be able to trust that when they make a run, someone will be there to back them up and get the result. That trust can become confidence. That confidence will bring wins.

US U-20's Top of Group

2007-07-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

Heading into their game today, the team has four points--one ahead of both Brazil and Poland. If Poland loses or ties today, then all we need is a tie to win our group. However, with S. Korea only having one point to show for their efforts so far, chances are our boys need to get the win today.

ESPN is showing the game. Kickoff is at 4:45pm. My, how I wish I still had TiVo.

Here is the ussoccer.com write up of it.

Recruits

2007-07-06T13:56:00.000-07:00

Looks like our coach has been heavily recruiting. Looks like some strong talent coming in.

Get To Know Our Coach

2007-07-06T13:30:00.000-07:00

I have decided to let this blog incorporate more themes than just bring a team to Vegas. The truth is we already have a team in Vegas. In fact, despite the fact that they are on hiatus (resolving financial and venue issues) we also have the Strikers (who play in the National Premier Soccer League). So, this blog will now focus on soccer in Vegas as a whole. We will see how much time I have. I may try to follow High School soccer, but that will all depend on many factors. What I can for sure follow is UNLV and, should their issues be resolved and their return be triumphant, The Las Vegas Strikers.

Our first step will be to look at the successes of UNLV's coach. He recently returned from coaching our West Region U-17 team in Italy against the youth programs of quite a few impressive European teams.

UNLV Gets Some Talent

2007-07-06T13:04:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to go to UNLV men's games this season. I wish I would have thought to get into them sooner. I love soccer + I want to watch soccer games and have a team to root for + Vegas has a team @ UNLV = Happy John. The only game of theirs I've seen was an opener between UNLV and BYU before the RSL vs. COL preseason match. Sadly, we lost that. I will admit, though... I knew two of the players on BYU's side and was secretly rooting for them. It was a good game.

Anyway, for those who haven't been paying attention, UNLV had an abysmal 2006 season. It sounds like they are bringing in some talent for this year. Daniel Cruz looks promising. Anytime you are bringing in players at an national team level it speaks highly for them.

UNLV released their 2007 schedule. Here is the schedule, and here is the announcement.

Random news from Rob Miech

2007-07-06T12:48:00.000-07:00

Soccer news

Come on Oscar. Help the cause. The first real chance that we have at a Major League sports team and yet you hinder... I thought we were friends...

Beasley to my rivals?

2007-06-12T11:50:00.000-07:00

DaMarcus Beasley is being linked with a move to Rangers. I don't know how I feel about this. I am a big Celtic fan, and naturally don't want to see the Rangers succeed. I DO want DaMarcus to succeed, though. So, it will be very interesting to see how I respond to any goals old Beasley scores against my Bhoys.
I am very excited for him, though. I think it is a better place for him than PSV. I never saw a single PSV game, so my opinion is severly limited. However, Reyna found success with Rangers that helped catapult his career in the EPL. It's possible that DaMarcus just isn't ready for the EPL, yet. Give him a few seasons in the SPL to figure out the extremely physical style of play prevalent in England and Scotland, and find some success. I'm sure he'll find his way back to the EPL if he can prove himself worthy.

Correction

2007-06-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

It turns out that site I was looking at isn't exactly spot on with the tv schedule. Here is an accurate list of the games and where to catch them - TV Listing. Anyway, the game will be Thursday and sadly I will have to record it on the old DVR.

Wow. Mexico lost to Paraguay in Azteca yesterday. That is crazy! This is only their third loss in Azecta since 1973 (info from Sideline Views). Watch out for Paraguay, boys.

Gold Cup Time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-06-05T11:58:00.000-07:00

This will be the first Gold Cup I will have ever watched. I just looked at a television schedule for the games (thanks to Du Nord) and was surprised at how quickly they pop through these things. We play Wednesday, then again two days later. Then, three days after that we are back again. I appreciate even more now what Bob Bradley has been doing with these young players (getting them international experience). It will provide us with much better depth and options in case of injury or fatigue.
Anyway, I'm going to head over to Buffalo Wild Wings (in Green Valley) for Wednesday's game and I invite everyone to come out and enjoy some deliscious (and cheap--Wednesday is $.60 leg night) legs and watch the USA take on Guatemala in the first game of their group stages. If anyone can't make it, it is showing on Fox Soccer Channel at 6pm.

GO USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Entertainment or Passion?

2007-05-31T15:27:00.000-07:00

Are You Loyal had a link to a thread posted on BigSoccer that I found interesting. In it, a Brazilian was discussing the recent trend of Americans purchasing soccer teams outside of the U.S. Obviously, this is going to bother a lot of people who don't feel like we, in the U.S., even actually understand or appreciate the game.

One argument this man was making was that sports in America are nothing more than entertainment. He felt that we lacked real passion for the game. His point is valid on a general scale; most of the population is indifferent to the sport. That does not mean that there are not the passionate among us, though. His argument seemed to equate violence with passion. They are not the same thing. One can exist without the other. That said, how do we show or passion? In Europe, supporters have definitely proven what they are willing to do to show their loyalty. It will be incredibly interesting to see how the U.S. responds to the game in another few decades. Let the MLS grow up a little more. How will those who have come from two-plus generations of supporters show their love and loyalty?

It did get me thinking about LVSEG's push to bring the MLS to Vegas. Vegas is not known for hardly anything other than entertainment. Let's face it, we're not known as a "substance town". Will the assumption by outsiders be that Vegas is too superficial or caught up in its lifestyle to properly support a team with passion? It also raises the question of whether or not LVSEG has the passion to properly own/manage/support a team. It is a business venture and they have every right to do what is necessary to make it a profitable venture. However, I firmly believe that the only way for this to BE a truly profitable venture is for it to win the hearts of the soccer passionate in our fair city. I know nothing of this group more than what I have read in the two articles from Good Sir Miech over at the Sun. I am glad to say that what I have read has been very comforting. I am especially impressed with its association with Paul Caligiuri. You can't doubt Paul's passion. The man has lived and bled soccer in red, white, and blue.

More Thoughts

2007-05-31T15:19:00.000-07:00

A couple things I didn't catch due to the speed in which I was reading the article. LVSEG was offered first tier teams in Belgium and Italy. Wow. Not too shabby. These guys are going places, MLS. Don't let them slip away...

Also, no mention was made of the Las Vegas Silver Spurs, but I did repeatedly read the name Las Vegas Football Club. At this point, that doesn't mean anything more than those were the words used by either Noorzai, Caligiuri, or Meich. It'll be interesting to see where they go with it.

These Guys Are Serious!!!!!

2007-05-31T14:37:00.000-07:00

That seems like an understatement... better said, these guys are insane!!!!! I love them all the more for it. They are exactly what Las Vegas and the MLS need.

Soft Deadlines and the Neon Lights of Footy

I hadn't understood that these guys were wanting to build their own hotel and casino to go along with the stadium. Brilliant. They get to control the stadium, as well as really turn it into a vacation/tourism spot that will knock the socks off of any other stadium in the states (and I daresay world). They can offer packages for rooms/accommodations and the games. They'll increase their potential revenues with the addition of a casino and all the other money-makers that casinos come stocked with. Maybe they'd even build another quality music venue that I could weasel my band into playing at. The league needs to do this. If for no other reason, what an experiment!?!

Honestly, $35 million? That is incredible. Toronto just got theirs for $10 million (as reported in the first article). I don't know what more the MLS is waiting for? This sports group and the Las Vegas market are meeting every requirement they've set down. We're exceeding it. Every problem that previous teams (founders and expansion alike) have come across we are already addressing and excelling at. Stadium? Done to a greater degree than ever before. Financial backing? Powerfully done. My guess is the only thing they are lacking is confidence that Las Vegas can come out and support a team. We are an untested market in this. So, give us our chance. We are starving for it, and we will not disappoint. Vegas never disappoints.

A big thanks to Rob Miech over at the Sun for being so on top of this.

What's in a name?

2007-05-25T16:39:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd take a second to put my two cents in regarding the naming debate going on in Major League Soccer these days: I'm sort of undecided. The U.S.A. has a strong tradition of naming its sports teams after dangerous animals, or key phrases that emphasize the history/tradition of the area in which the team will be found. It has worked fantastically for so many sports; football, baseball, basketball, and even hockey can all be very proud of their respective heritages. However, soccer is not a typical sport (at least in comparison to popular "American" sports). The same rules won't apply.

I'm pretty new to the soccer scene, actually. I played a couple years when I was little and then soccer disappeared from my life until last year when I got sucked into the World Cup and immediately following that, the MLS. I was aware of the MLS, though. I vividly remember being told about it by my friend who was absolutely stoked. He began to spout off names like "Dallas Burn", "Miami Fusion", and "Kansas City Wizards". I was immediately turned off. I was 13. At 13, I had enough sense to realize that these sounded like a 4 year-old came up with them.

I know understand that with time, tradition can come. I am no longer bothered at all by Kansas City being called the Wizards. It suits them. It's a strange name, no doubt. But... whatever. That is who they are. Plus, I now have seen far stranger names in the soccer hotbeds of the world: Tottenham Hotspurs? Inverness Caledonian Thistle?

I guess my only point is, there is no guarantee that either a traditional "American" sports name or a traditional "world soccer" name will immediately garner the love and support of the American fan. Some people will be turned off to cutesy names, and others to what they might consider a boring name (although, it would be very interesting to see some stats on attendance to see if there is any correlation between how many people are showing up and the style of name. How about it Climbing the Ladder?).

My first reaction to "Las Vegas Silver Spurs" was one of sadness. "Why?" I kept asking myself. After a few seconds, I felt grateful that at least it wasn't the "Las Vegas Neons", "Las Vegas Lights", or "Nevada Nudies". Then, as much as I thought I'd prefer "LV FC" or something, truly it might get a little boring if we had a league of nothing but "Enter City Name Here FC" or "FC Whatever Town". You do want to feel somewhat unique.

So, would this name be my first choice? No, of course not. But then, I'm not the one paying for the team. So, all in all, LVSEG you can name this team whatever you bloody want as long as you get it here. If we become the "LV Purple Pansies" I will be there decked out in purple tights and a tutu. I will find a way to show my support, and I will do it without any reserve (regardless of the name).

MLS in Vegas?

2007-05-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Well, I understand that this news isn't so "new" anymore, but since I've never had a real blog before and just had the idea to start this one last night, I figure it's ok to begin with a little review:
A recent article in the Las Vegas Sun, links a very well funded sports group with the possibility of bringing the MLS to Vegas.

http://www.lasvegassun.com/sunbin/stories/lv-other/2007/may/09/566684655.html

Being a fan of soccer (specifically of the MLS) and a native Las Vegan, I have been incredibly stoked about this idea. All of my friends are as well. In fact, there is not a single person I've talked to who doesn't like this idea--whether they are actually fans of soccer or not.

Now, we need to make this happen. So, I'm calling on all of you soccer fans in Vegas, and all of you who just want a professional sports team to grace our fine city to be heard and let the powers that be know that we are a city to be taken seriously. The fact that Vegas makes its money from tourism (casinos) does not mean that the "casino life-style" is the way of life for those of us who live here. I personally have never wasted a cent on a slot machine, and the only times I make it down to the strip anymore are when a friend comes in from out of town and I have to play the good host. Let Don Garber (the MLS commissioner) know that we will support our team and be a force to be reckoned with amongst the "upper-class" of MLS supporters.

Thus, the true existence of this blog. I'll be updating it regularly with news from around the league and the world of soccer in general, but there is a purpose to it all.

So, I ask each of you to show your pride in our town and speak up. If you want the MLS to come to Vegas, let the MLS know. I for one will be a stalwart season ticket holder and supporter of this team. MLS, you can count on that.

Sincerely,
John Cory