Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 14

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC vs. Arrigo United FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 27, 2008
9:45 AM
Vernon Hills, Illinois
Weather: 84 degrees, light wind (NW) and humid

Starting Lineup:
F Brandon Caputo
F Jamelle McCreary
M Eric Manos
M John O’Connell
M Kenny McCormick
M Mike Burg
D Keith O’Connell
D Ben Bartholomay
D Kevin Sorbe
D Phil McMaster
GK Kevin McCormick ©

Reserves:
N/A

Recap:
After a two game slide to the teams at the top of the table we needed a big win in the Vernon Hills Derby against Arrigo United FC. However, I was enjoying a bachelor party in Coldwater, Michigan and would need to leave at 5:15 am Central Time in order to make it back for our 9:45 am kickoff. Normally I would have taken the week off, as I need to do in two weeks for the wedding, but we were short on players and we barely got our eleventh man there in time for the start. We were also missing our top two scoring threats going into the match, so someone was going to need to step up big time in order to right the ship.

We got there in plenty of time for a proper warm up, but the weekend of drinking and the long drive contributed to me tweaking my left knee just minutes before kickoff. After downing a bunch of ibuprofen, we got rolling and decided to keep the pace slow in the early going. We had no subs, the weather was hot and sticky, and a few of us were tired, injured and hung over. We let Arrigo keep the possession early and picked our spots to counter attack.

Just five minutes we got that chance as a perfect through ball by Jamelle McCreary found me in stride at the top of the penalty area. Unfortunately, the drugs hadn’t quite kicked in and as I planted on my left foot the pain was too much and I ended up shanking the shot. It was my last shank on the day.

Ten minutes later, Jamelle swung the ball out wide to Mike Burg who dropped a cross from the right wing perfectly to my waiting right foot. I took a touch to bring it down near the penalty spot and burried my shot quickly under the goalkeeper for the 1-0 lead. The remainder of the first half was a relatively slow pace of back and forth possession. Arrigo had the majority of the chances, but Kevin McCormick (who is NOT a goalie – at all) bailed us out with several brilliant saves. We went into the half with the lead still at 1-0.

The hope coming out of the half was to score in the first ten minutes. We knew we would run out of gas in this one and felt the need to build on our lead before Arrigo gained any momentum. The opportunity came even quicker than that as John O’Connell received a great ball out of the midfield from Kenny McCormick. His shot was from a tough angle and the keeper made the save. But he was only able to knock it down and it came free at the back post where I was able to flick home the rebound.

Minutes later, a solid cross out of the midfield by Phil McMaster dropped in at the penalty spot to John O’Connell. The defense thought he was offside, but no such luck. We hit a rocket into the roof of the net for a 3-0 lead. Without five more minutes passing, we counter-attacked again as Mike Burg tore down the right sideline. John O’Connell and Jamelle McCreary made runs into the six-yard box while I delayed my run and allowed the defenders to stick with the closer in targets. The cross was perfectly executed to my waiting right foot at the penalty spot again and I burried it into the back post for a 4-0 lead.

The shutout was lost several minutes after that off a botched corner kick and Arrigo picked up even further momentum when they dropped a second goal home with fifteen minutes to play to cut the lead in half. We needed another goal in a hurry to stop the momentum and we got our chance when the Arrigo goalie made a huge mistake.

After picking up a ball that was played back to him by one of his teammates we were given an indirect free kick just outside their six-yard box. I immediately tried to get the ball from him for a quick restart and he wouldn’t give it up so the referee had to stop the play and caution him for delaying a restart. Once things were settled and the defensive wall was set, I decided that we were too tight for any time of two-man play to restart it. Instead, I used my place-kicking instincts and tried to hammer a shot off of anyone that I could find just like I would with an onside kick in football. As luck should have it, I hit a low line drive that deflected in off the goalkeeper for my fourth goal of the match.

The final was 5-2 and with that we regained our tie with Chicago Tanks FC for second place in the standings. On to a revenge match with Real FC. They were winless when they beat us at our place a few weeks back, but since then they’ve built up four wins to get back into the race. Now we’re at their home field in Wheeling and we need to get back-to-back wins for the first time since June.

Man of the Match: Kevin McCormick

Match Day 14 Goals:
Brandon Caputo (Mike Burg)
Brandon Caputo (Unassisted)
John O’Connell (Phil McMaster)
Brandon Caputo (Mike Burg)
Brandon Caputo (Unassisted)

Record: 5-4-2
17 pts. – Tied for 2nd Place
GF: 40
GA: 32

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
8 – Brandon Caputo
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Jamelle McCreary
3 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick
1 – Rudy Schaser

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Phil McMaster
3 – Mike Burg
2 – Kevin McCormick
2 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 13

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC @ Chicago Tanks FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 20, 2008
9:45 AM
Elk Grove, Illinois

Starting Lineup:
F Brandon Caputo
M Eric Manos
M Jamelle McCreary
M Dan Carver
M Kenny McCormick
D Keith O’Connell
D Mike Soroosh
D Kevin McCormick
D Brian Black
GK Jimmy Rosenfeld

Reserves:
M John O'Connell
D/GK Ben Bartholomay

Recap:
Yes, you read that correctly. We had to start this game with just ten men. We managed to weather the storm and control the majority of the possession in the first half, but failed miserably at keeping that possession in the offensive half. Once our two other players showed up, we had a substitute, but without our starting goalkeeper we kept two of our better defenders off the field for a half each.

Down just 1-0 at the half, things began to look up as a throw-in by Jimmy Rosenfeld deflected off the shoulder of Jamelle McCreary and into the net. But then, the wheels came off and we finished with a 5-1 defeat to the team we were previously tied for second in the standings with. Now we sit on the outside looking in to the promotion race and Tanks even have one game in hand. The second half of the season has not started well.

Man of the Match: Jimmy Rosenfeld

Match Day 13 Goals:
Jamelle McCreary (Jimmy Rosenfeld)

Record: 4-4-2
14 pts. – Tied for 2nd Place
GF: 35
GA: 30

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
4 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick
1 – Rudy Schaser

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
2 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Don't Give Up. Don't Ever Give Up.

Jim Valvano was diagnosed with metastatic bone cancer in June of 1992, almost ten years after his 1983 North Carolina State University Wolfpack basketball team shocked the sports world in overcoming incredible odds to win the NCAA tournament.

Less than a year later at the inaugural ESPY awards, Valvano was on stage receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award when he announced the creation of the "V Foundation", an organization dedicated to finding a cure for cancer. It was one of the most heartfelt and inspirational speeches I've ever heard. I still get chills when I hear Jimmy V utter the words, "Don't give up. Don't ever give up."

Today is the day ESPN is doing their annual Jimmy V Foundation auction to raise money for cancer research. In honor of that, here is the clip of Jim Valvano's famous speech in 1993.

If you feel moved and want to donate, you can call 1-800-4-JIMMY-V.

If you don't, just be sure to take some time out of your day to laugh, think and cry. And don't ever give up.

You Stay Classy, New York City

The fans of the New York Yankees have probably never been mistaken for sportsmanlike, at least not in the last 15-20 years or so. It’s not just the Yankees - Mrs. Sizemore can tell you how much I despise the Boston Red Sox. In fact, as far as baseball goes, these are the two teams that I love to hate the most. Ahead of Marlins and Braves teams that beat the Indians in the World Series. Ahead of a White Sox team that has become a natural enemy ever since the divisions were realigned in the 1990s. I can say with absolute certainty that if you include all sports, I only hate three teams more: the Baltimore Ravens, Michigan Wolverines and Pittsburgh Steelers.

That being said, the New York media and Yankees fans have stooped to a new low. I’ll be the first to admit that at sporting events, I’ve been known to have a couple of adult beverages and heckle the opposing players. But I am one who believes that there is an art to it. I don’t cuss at them. I don’t talk about their families. I don’t talk to their families. I just like to rub it in when they’re having a bad day. If I’m close enough to the playing surface that they can hear me, I try to get in their kitchen a little bit. But I always try to stay respectful. These fans? Not so much.

Keep in mind that this was the All-Star Game. It is a time for celebration. A time for honoring the greatest players of the past and the greatest players in the game today. A time for those great players to celebrate with their families and enjoy one last All-Star game in Yankee Stadium. And yes, I know that in 1998, the American League chose not to play Albert Belle in the All-Star Game at all because the Cleveland Indians fans had showered him with monopoly money, beer and even batteries during his first trip back to “The Jake” after bolting for the $55 million the White Sox offered him in free agency. There was no excuse for that either, but at least that was directed at little Joey and not his family.

All of that leads me to the classless lowlifes that seem to make up the fan base of the Bronx Bombers and the New York media. While being interviewed on Monday, Boston Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon made a comment about how if he were managing the All-Star team, he would name himself the closer. Tuesday morning, there was an article on the front page of the New York Daily News that read “Papelbum!” The article inside blasted the Sawx reliever for having the audacity to believe he should be placed in that role ahead of Yankees closer, and future Hall of Famer, Mariano Rivera. After all, this is the final season at Yankee Stadium and the game was played there. This is a day for only the Yankees, I guess.

Here’s the problem: What the article didn’t do was reference any of the rest of the interview. The part where Papelbon said that as a competitor, any closer would want to be in that position. Where he said that given the history of the Yankees and the situation, that he understood why Rivera was the man for the American League on Tuesday night. The part where he referred to Mariano as “the Godfather of closing.”

In response to the article, Yankees fans showed up for the All-Star parade on Tuesday and booed Papelbon. They yelled obscenities at him. They shouted death threats at his pregnant wife. She even commented afterwards that it was the first time in her life that she didn’t feel safe.

During the game, Papelbon was greeted with a chorus of boos during introductions as well as when he entered the game in the 8th inning with the score tied 2-2. Understandable. Then when leadoff man Miguel Tejada singled, the boos got louder, but they were also mixed with a few cheers. Tejada stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the AL catcher Dioner Navarro. Then a sacrifice fly by Adrian Gonzalez scored the go-ahead run and the boos were back, this time mixed in with even more cheers.

I sat and thought for a second, “Are the Yankees fans really dumb enough to root for the National League to score a run just because Papelbon is in the game? How ridiculous is that?” The last time I checked, for one night, we’re all on the same team. They cheered Red Sox outfielder J.D. Drew when he hit a two-run homer in the 7th inning to tie the game. They loved Josh Hamilton of the Rangers on Monday night during the Home Run Derby. Hell, I even let out a “Come on Jeets!” when Derek Jeter came up with an RBI opportunity in the 5th. And if you know me at all you know how much I hate Jeter.

What little respect I had for the New Yankees and their fans is gone after the events of the All-Star Game and parade in New York City. It was a time to celebrate the game of baseball. It was a time to honor the greatest players in the game. It was a time to celebrate the history and the mystique of Yankee Stadium; instead, these fans disrespected baseball in their own house.

Damned Yankees.

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 12

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC @ Highlanders FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 13, 2008
9:45 AM
Elgin, Illinois

Starting Lineup:

F Matt Greenhalgh

F Brandon Caputo
M Eric Manos

M Rudy Schaser

M Dan Carver

M Kenny McCormick

D Keith O’Connell

D Mike Soroosh

D Ben Bartholomay

D Brian Black

GK Brian Stock

Reserves:
M Kevin McCormick ©
M Mike Burg
M Corey Mase
D/M Phil McMaster

Recap:
Thanks to an untimely bye week and a cancelled game over the holiday weekend, we had exactly 20 off days in between matches. That’s less than a third of the 63-day layoff Ohio State had before the Florida Gators pounded the Buckeyes in the BCS National Championship Game a couple of years ago. Let’s just say that I am beginning to understand what they went through.

We came out sluggish from the start and quickly fell down 2-0 to the first place team before a poor clearance led to a blast from Rudy Schaser that beat the goalkeeper from about 30 yards out. That would be one of few bright spots on the afternoon for Sting SC as the game quickly spiraled out of control and the score was 5-1 by halftime.

In the second half we would stand tall and get more than our share of opportunities, but nobody could find the back of the net and Highlanders FC added on a late goal for a 6-1 final. Coupled with the loss was the fact that the third place Chicago Tanks pulled out a tie and that left us in a virtual tie for second place. However, with goal differential the Tanks one less game played, they moved ahead in the standings, taking over the second promotion spot as well.

Man of the Match: Mike Soroosh

Match Day 12 Goals:
Rudy Schaser (unassisted)

Record: 4-3-2
14 pts. – Tied for 2nd Place

GF: 34

GA: 25

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell

1 – Ben Bartholomay

1 – Mike Burg

1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick
1 – Rudy Schaser

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos

Hope is a Dangerous Thing

Let me tell you something my friend. Hope is a dangerous thing. Hope can drive a man insane.

Ellis Boyd 'Red' Redding
“The Shawshank Redemption”

C.C. Sabathia is no longer a Cleveland Indian. It was a sad day in the city by the lake called Erie on Sunday, when Sabathia was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for four minor league prospects. This was like the Bartolo Colón trade to the Montreal Expos in exactly two ways. One, the Tribe moved their number one starter. And two, both players are of the heavyset, power pitcher variety. Comparisons end there.

When Colón was dealt back in 2002, it was the start of the rebuilding era in Cleveland. After six consecutive division titles and two trips to the World Series, we saw star after star move on when free agency hit them. Albert Belle, Manny Ramirez, Jim Thome. Bartolo was next and we knew it. Thankfully, Montreal was beginning a fire sale of their top prospects in hopes to win some games as one last-ditch effort to save the team from moving to Washington, D.C.

In return, the Indians received Cliff Lee, Brandon Phillips, and Grady Sizemore. Pretty solid move when you consider Colón would eventually eat his way out of his role as a number one starter, and Lee and Sizemore would turn out to be All-Stars (also, Sizemore is hot -- Mrs. Sizemore's editorial comment). Even Phillips, who never found a role in Cleveland, was shipped down I-71 to the Reds and became a solid player.

This time around, we weren’t so lucky in our potential suitors. The teams that would have normally been considered buyers, the Red Sox and Yankees, appeared to be waiting for the off-season to make a move on Sabathia, as he has already stated that he won’t sign a long term deal during the 2008 season. That left teams that were only looking to rent Captain Cheeseburger for the stretch run.

A likely home would have been Chicago, to the Cubbies, where they could use the second ace along with Zambrano to push the perennial losers over the top as the favorite to win a title for the first time in 100 years. They also have the resources to attempt to re-sign Sabathia. Not only that, but it’s the National League. C.C. could hit (he’s a career .300 hitter in interleague play and playoffs) and the Tribe wouldn’t have to face him on a regular basis. Unfortunately for both teams, the Cubs had no prospects to give us, so that was likely dead before it started.

As it turns out, it was the small market Brewers that pulled the trigger. They offered up two class A prospects (that likely won’t see the show for a long time, if ever), one player to be named, and the centerpiece of the deal, Matt LaPorta. Now, this cat is a moderately sought-after prize, as he’s just one season removed from the draft and is tooling his craft as a corner outfielder in AA. He’ll also be involved in the futures game during the All-Star break. All things considered, this could be a decent move, because it was likely Sabathia would go elsewhere as a free agent and the scouts are saying that LaPorta could be ready as soon as next season. He’s only hitting .288 in AA though, so we’ll see.

The Brew Crew already made it clear they don’t have any intention on ponying up the dough to keep Sabathia. Hell, their GM hasn't even bothered to learn how to pronounce his name. He must have called him Sa-BAY-thia a dozen times.

Then, on Tuesday morning, I was listening to Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio as they interviewed Mark Shapiro. The General Manager in Cleveland talked about how their number one priority is to get Travis Hafner, Victor Martinez, Fausto Carmona, and Jake Westbrook healthy. Second to that? You guessed it. Well, you probably didn't actually. Either way, Shapiro claimed he wants to re-sign C.C. Sabathia this off-season.

I was stunned. I figured if you pulled a move like this, you were cashing in your chips and starting a new era. Maybe not.

Sure, it’s very unlikely that Cleveland will have the resources to make the move. Not unless they get deposits for enough season tickets to guarantee sell-outs like we did back in the 1990s. In all honestly, it’s going to take a deal in the six-year, $120 million range to get him to come back. He already turned down a four-year, $72 million offer last off-season. So where are the Indians going to come up with the extra $2 million per season and the extra two years? Who knows?

My guess is that Shapiro was just posturing for the fans in an attempt to save his neck after he moved the face of the organization. But wouldn’t that be nice? Four prospects and we get the Captain of Cheeseburgers and Baconpants back? This type of move is not unprecedented; my St. Louis Blues have made deals at the end of two recent seasons where they sent Keith Tkachuk away and ended up re-signing him the following off-season.

I find I'm so distraught I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it's the pain only a sports fan can feel, a sports fan in the middle of a long season whose conclusion is already certain. I hope a Cleveland team can win a title some day. I hope to see our ace back in an Indians uniform, and cheer for him when he’s in Chicago playing against the White Sox. I hope the Tribe is as good in 2009 as they were in my dreams. I hope.

Monday Morning Striker – 2008 Match Day 11

Northwest Suburban Soccer League
1st Division

Sting SC vs. Real FC
Unofficial Match Report
Sunday, July 6, 2008
9:45 AM
Vernon Hills, Illinois

Recap:
GAME CANCELLED

Record: 4-2-2
14 pts. – 2nd Place
GF: 33
GA: 19

2008 Season Totals
Goals:
11 – Matt Greenhalgh
6 – Danny Carver
4 – Brandon Caputo
3 – Jamelle McCreary
2 – John O'Connell
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Kevin Stock
1 – Phil McMaster
1 – Brian Black
1 – Kenny McCormick

Assists:
4 – Dan Carver
4 – Rudy Schaser
3 – Brandon Caputo
2 – Phil McMaster
2 – Kevin McCormick
1 – Mike Burg
1 – Jimmy Rosenfeld
1 – Corey Mase
1 – Ben Bartholomay
1 – Matt Greenhalgh
1 – John O’Connell
1 – Eric Manos