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from August 30, 2008
AUGUST 30, 2008
FROM THE KICK THIS ARCHIVES
SOCCERSAM.COM NEWS DIRECTOR JAMES WEISE

Read the latest news from the Rhinos and all around the soccer world with the latest news postings from Soccersam.com News Director James Weise. You can read James' soccer news and opinion column right here at soccersam.com.

SoccerSam.com News Director
James Weise

James became the Kick This! News Director in March of 2005. A long time listener and caller of the show, he jumped at the chance to audition when he heard there was an opening. He brings to Kick This! the voice of the fan who has always maintained a love for the game and his team.

Growing up, James was a fan of Sheffield Wednesday because they had an American midfielder by the name of John Harkes. When MLS started up, DC United became James’ team to follow because their marquee player just happened to be John Harkes.

As a student at Clarkson University, he enjoyed watching a guy who did a crazy flip throw in, and even got to play in an indoor fraternity league against him. His name.... Mike Kirmse. James is a long time season ticket holder and Kirmse will likely always be his favorite all-time Rhino.

James is also passing on his love for the game. Last spring he coached his three year-old son in his first soccer league. His second son, not even a year at the time, was already kicking a ball on the sidelines waiting for his chance to get in the game...


Right Said Fred

FredDC United.com

Washington Post.com

Behind the Badge - Photo of the Day

Behind the Badge - USOC Championship in photos

Fred didn't start last night's US Open Cup Final between the Charleston Battery and DC United. But, once he entered the match late in the first half, he was a difference maker.

It took until early in the second half for the Brazilian midfielder to put DC ahead for good as he got in behind the Charleston defense and slotted the winner past Dusty Hudock.

Charleston was game as they responded to Luciano Emilio's early goal with an equalizer from former Rhino Ian Fuller.

They even had a chance to go ahead 2-1 in the first half denied not by DC goalkeeper Luis Crayton, but by DC's left post.

So in the end, DC adds another Open Cup to it's trophy case and the 1999 Rhinos remain the only USL team to win the Open Cup in the MLS era of US soccer.

All is right with the world!

News & Notes:

- Puerto Rico's CONCACAF Champions League playin game versus Costa Rican power Alajuelense was delayed for two hours, but the Islanders were able to get two late goals to advance to group play. The wins by Montreal and Puerto Rico and the losses by New England and Chivas USA prompted this article about why the USL has been so successful lately.

- The Portland Timbers new owner is looking for $75 million from the city of Portland to try and draw an MLS team. And the MLS to Portland movement has a homepage...........

- Grant Wahl and Steven Goff are in Cuba ahead of Saturday's World Cup Qualifier.

- Per SBI.net, Toronto FC has inked Chad Barrett to a contract extension. They had to get that deal done as Barrett was the biggest piece to come to Toronto in the Brian McBride deal.

- Goal.com has a good interview with new LA Galaxy midfielder/defender Eddie Lewis.  

- I hope Glenn Davis' latest piece at Chron.com doesn't jinx Pat Onstad and crew.......

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.  


Down goes MLS

TysonSoccer Insider

SBI.net

Chivas USA only fell to Panamanian club Tauro FC 3-1 on aggregate. That wasn't nearly as bad as New England getting blasted 4-0 at home by T&T's Joe Public to lose 6-1 on aggregate in their CONCACAF Champions League play-in series.

To make things slightly more embarassing, the Montreal Impact advanced to group play by getting past  Real Estelí, the Nicaraguan champion club.

There are some that are wondering what MLS will do after these results. But, my guess is that they'll do nothing unless there is a real financial incentive to take these matches more seriously. Kind of like what has happened with the SuperLiga.

Speaking of embarrasments for MLS......

Washington Post.com

SI.com

US Soccer.com

DC United hosts the Charleston Battery tonight in the US Open Cup Final. The bad news for Charleston is that DC appears to be getting healthier and Tom Soehn could unleash enough firepower that even Dusty Hudock and crew can't get a result.

Hopefully I'll wrestle control of the remote from my wife around 7:30pm tonight........

News & Notes:

- Tiger Fitzpatrick was the lone Rhino on this week's Team of the Week. Red hot Montreal had three players named to the team, including former Rhino Pato Aguilera. Edy Sebrango was another former Rhino that was honored by the USL this week.

- I asked yesterday what team Rey Martinez will be rooting for on Saturday as the US takes on Cuba. Well, Grant Wahl's latest at SI.com has the answer from Chivas USA forward Maykel Galindo. He's rooting for his homeland. Speaking of Grant, he has landed in Cuba.

- WPS has announced that the San Francisco Bay area is in for 2009 and Dallas is in for 2010. I wonder how much the travel costs will be since they have wide geographic footprint? Although, it is slightly better than the USL 1st Division which has some trips going from Vancouver to Puerto Rico.

- Someone tell Tiger Fitzpatrick that his website is down!

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.  


Are the Rhinos a lock to make the playoffs?

LockAfter Saturday's 1-0 win in Atlanta, the Rhinos are six points clear of 8th place Minnesota and sitting in a relative tie for 3rd with Charleston in the USL 1st Division standings.

If Sports Club Stats.com is correct, the Rhinos have a 98.5% chance of making the playoffs.

The really cool thing is that if the Rhinos get 5 points or more in their final four matches of the season, then they are a lock for the playoffs.

So basically, if the Rhinos can split their final four games (home against Portland and Puerto Rico and at Carolina and Miami FC), then they are looking good.

News & Notes:

- If you want to see Alen Marcina in action, head down to PAETEC Park at 6pm tonight for a Rhinos Reserve match.

- Michael Bradley is on the move from SC Heerenveen to Borussia Mönchengladbach.SBI.net had not one , but two posts on the news and the US Soccer World Soccer Blog had one as well.

- Greg Lalas' latest at SI.com must have jinxed Oguchi Onyewu as he didn't move before the trasfer window closed.I thought the SI jinx involved being on the magazine's cover?

- Speaking of SI.com, Grant Wahl has a nice piece ahead of the US-Cuba World Cup Qualifier. I wonder which team Boom Boom will be rooting for?

- It looks like there is some work being done on the Red Bulls' new home!  

- In case you missed it, here is MLS' weak response to SBI.net's story of MLS telling the Red Bulls that they couldn't pay $200,000 for Mac Kandji.

- We are only a day away from the US Open Cup Final between Charleston and DC United. The Battery already have the match preview up on their website. DC United is still trying to push tickets for the match. My guess is that the crowd will be pretty sparse, even with DC hosting the match at RFK.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them. 


Trying to get caught up

piling upI have been really busy this week, so I'm goijng to have some quick one liners from the big news stories of the week:

- The Rhinos acquire Alen Marcina from Minnesota at the deadline - Letting Rey Martinez go and adding Alen Marcina is a net win for the Rhinos, IMO. No let's hope Marcina can get anywhere near he was with Puerto Rico in 2006 and less what he's been in various USL stops over the past couple of seasons.

- The USL 1st Division Team of the Week had Ross SMith, thanks to his version of the "Hand of God" goal, along with Hamed Diallo and Alex Afonso who both had hat tricks last week.

- SBI.net reported that MLS blocked the Red Bulls from paying a $200,000 transfer fee for Atlanta's Macoumba Kandji. And then MLS denied it and Ives stood by his source. I wonder if this means that Kandji's ankle will be healed by tomorrow? Either way, Atlanta is on an 0-5-2 skid and needs to get things turned around quickly if they want to make the playoffs.

- The XSL? Is Vince McMahon somehow involved with this?

- Bob Bradley has named the 20 man roster for the upcoming Worl Cup Qualifiers against Cuba and T&T. I got a chuckle that Michael Orozco got called up given how his Olympic performance ended.

- Will Gooch be on the move to a big time club soon? For his sake, I hope so!

- Scotland doesn't want to be a part of a Great Britain Olympic soccer team in 2012. I'm getting Braveheart flashbacks running through my head right now.

- Channel 10 had a cool piece recently on Jason Perry and Flower City Soccer.

- For tomorrow's show, we have Rhinos head coach Darren Tilley and midfielder Tiger Fitzpatrick scheduled, along with LA Galaxy Associate Head Coach Dave Sarachan. We are also chasing another guest or two. So tune in to Sports Radio 1280 AM at 11am tomorrow morning. It's going to be fun!

 The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.  




JAMES WEISE'S NEWS ARCHIVE

RochesterSportsFan.com

 

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SoccerSam.com News Director James Weise

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