USA is now ranked 28th. HWITAT: FIFA came out with their latest world rankings and the US is now 28th. Yeah, we're not so good right now. US Soccer and Jurgen Klinsmann have a lot to work on for the next few years. Question is, will Klinsmann hang around and see the job through, or will he get sick of the grind and leave? That would be a REAL problem.
MLS down to the Final Four. HWITAT: LA Galaxy, Seattle Sounders, New England Revolution, NY Red Bull. They play the 2nd leg(s) this weekend. I see a New England v LA Final with LA winning. What do you think? Shoot me a comment.
Colorado School of MINES in the Final Four. HWITAT: Here's a shout-out to the CO School of MINES Women's team who head to Louisville KY for the NCAA DII Final Four coming up next week! Congrats to Kevin Fickes and his Team! Good luck in the Final Four!
Tesho Akindele is MLS' Rookie of the Year. HWITAT: Tesho played at Colorado School of MINES when I coached GKs there for a couple of years, and let me tell you....the kid is a 'goal-getter'. He has a knack for showing up at the right time and in hockey terms.....'lighting the lamp'! (i.e., scoring) Plus he has a great work ethic, so I see a rosy future for Tesho. Congrats young man, and congrats to Coach Frank Kohlenstein who took the time over 4 years of coaching Tesho to help teach, mold and craft Tesho's work ethic and technique. That, after all, is what a Coach is supposed to do. Great job Koach!
Champions League matches are over, and BPL is back. HWITAT: Lots of BPL teams had mid-week CL matches and have to 'spool up' again for League matches this weekend. Should be hugely entertaining, if not a bit exhausting for the players. Will we see quality, or will tired legs lower the level? What do yo think? Shoot me a comment.
Lots of Showcase Tournaments during this time of year. HWITAT: GKs, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to 'showcase' yourself to college and pro coaches during the next few weeks. As I've said before, do everything with sharpness and 'dispatch'. You never know who's watching, so perform and act to your highest standard both on the field and off. Good luck!
May the ground beneath your dive be soft. May the other team shoot right at you. May your goalposts be 3 feet wide.
Happy Holidays! It truly is "the most wonderful time of the year".
All the Best--EV