2007 MLS Combine....and me....

Ok, so I have to admit I'm surprised by some of the invites to the 2007 MLS Combine.
The list of combine invites is added in the right margin. I assume we'll add the Generation Adidas guys once they're known.

First off, lets look at some numbers. I have 43 Seniors on my FCTP Pro-Prospects list. The combine invite list includes 58 seniors (57 and someone listed by their school as a Junior which raises some eyebrows.) So, my list was shy by 14 players. Additionally MLS seems to be tracking some guys who I haven't. That didn't surprise me. They added 17 players to my database today by inviting them to the combine. What did surprise me were some of the guys who didn't get an invite and the others who did.

Let's look at some players who aren't invited to the combine who I've been following and feel have earned a shot:

- F - John Cunliffe - Sr - Ft. Lewis : The senior forward is not playing for a D1 school and I suspect that kept him from getting a combine invite. Cunliffe has taken his Ft. Lewis team to one national title and one second place finish. This year he scored 29 goals and made 16 assists. Last year he had 20 goals and 22 assists. That kind of offensive production can't be ignored. Cunliffe has been playing for the PDL Boulder Rapids Reserve so I know the Colorado Rapids have seen the kid play. Either he's blowing away inferior opponents or the Rapids don't want him to be seen by the rest of the league. I am sure the Englishman will get a shot at a Rapids spot, but he'll have to be willing to play for league min as a discovery player. In my opinion the combine would be the perfect place to see if this kid is the real deal or if he is racking up great numbers against inferior foe.

- M - A.J. Godbolt - Sr - Maryland : I watched a Maryland game on TV this season and was impressed by his play. I don't know why he didn't earn a spot at the combine. He'll probably be another player who will have to claw and scratch his way to a trial. Maybe a year or two in the USL will help him out.

- GK - Eric Reed - Sr - UCLA : The 2006 PDL Goalie of the Year and leader of the defense for one of the semi-final teams in the College Cup isn't invited to the MLS Combine? What? He's played for multiple US Youth Teams and participated in the adidas ESP program. Seriously, he doesn't get an invite? I don't get this one at all. If someone knows something I'm overlooking, let me know.

- D - Osei Telesford - Sr - Liberty : Maybe I'm putting too much stock in the PDL results from this summer, but Telesford was named to the 2006 PDL Team of the Week twice and was then named Defender of the year. Playing result in the PDL in some ways should mean as much as college because it is a more professional atmosphere without the college rules. So how is a kid who is named the best defender in a feeder league to MLS not invited? He is from Trinidad so he would be a youth international but someone should take a shot on him.

- GK - Matt Wideman - Sr - SMU : Yeah, SMU should have done better in the NCAA tournament but you can't place all that blame on the goalie. Over 23 games played this season he had a 0.62 GAA average. Look for Wideman to secure a USL spot and make his way to MLS in another couple years if Dallas doesn't pick him up as a discovery before the 2007 season.

So there are my thoughts, what are yours? Who were you tracking who didn't get picked for the combine. The excitement will continue over the coming months as GA players are announced. We'll reach a fever pitch once the combine kicks off in January.

2007 MLS Combine Roster Announced...

The list of seniors invited to the combine has been released. I'll update my FCTP Pro-Prospects list to be broken out between combine invites and the rest later today. At this point the list doesn't include any Generation Adidas players, but those will be added as underclassmen sign contracts.

Men's College Cup Preview with Steven Curfman

When Wake Forest kicks off the 2006 Men's College Cup on Friday night (delayed broadcast 2am Sat on ESPNU, 2pm Sat on ESPN2) against UC-Santa Barbara, 4 players with Triangle area ties will be looking to help the Demon Deacons secure a national championship. Joining Cary's Zach Schilawski, Durham's Will Clayton, and Raleigh's Evan Brown on the matchday roster will be senior Steven Curfman.

A native of Raleigh, Curfman will be looking to add a national title to an already impressive resume of accomplishments in his soccer career. Steven, who leads the 2006 Deacons squad with 5 goals and 8 assists, starred for the CASL Elite and Athens Drive High School before he packed his bags for U17 Residency Camp. As a member of John Hackworth's youth side, Curfman joined fellow Bradenton campers such as Freddy Adu, Jonathan Spector, Michael Bradley, Eddie Gaven, and Danny Szetela in several opportunities to represent his country on the world stage. Steven was a member of the U17 squad that won a CONCACAF championship in Guatemala, he scored his first international goal against Poland with a 40-yard blast in the Busan International Youth Tournament , and perhaps most memorably, he hit an amazing volley that chipped the South Korean keeper and earned no less than five golazos from the Galavision commentators during the 2003 World Youth Championships in Finland. (see the video here...and yes, this is the same match that Freddy Adu undressed about 5 South Korean defenders en route to a hat trick)

As the team prepares for their trip to St. Louis, Triangle Soccer Fanatics had a chance to ask Steven about his career, Wake Forest's excellent season, the team's preparation for the finals, and his future plans as a footballer.

---

Triangle Soccer Fanatics: Considering that most pre-season polls had the Deacons figured to finish 6th in the ACC, I think it's safe to say that Wake Forest has surprised a few folks with their success this season. What do you think have been the key factors to the team's success this season?

Steven Curfman: The main reason that our team has been so successful is that every individual on our team has an important job and knows what their role is. We also have a number of younger players on our team who contribute something every game (I believe we have had 10 different freshman or sophomores start at some point.) At the beginning of the season that was one of the big things we talked about with Coach Vidovich. Coach Vidovich knew that in order for our team to be successful we had to get our young players to buy into our team goals and to buy into the program, and without doubt, every one of them has.

TSF: I have to imagine that UC-Santa Barbara is a rather unknown opponent. What does the team do to prepare strategically for a side that you aren't as familiar with? (As opposed perhaps to the ACC schools you're accustomed to playing on a regular basis).

SC: One of the things that coach preaches in training before every game is that we are not going into a game to try and match what an opponent brings to the table or adjust the way we play. We go into the game to play Wake Forest soccer. I'm sure coach will have some scout on their formation, tendencies they have, how they attack set pieces and other various aspects of the game, but for the most part we try to approach every game the same.

TSF: You've played in some pretty big matches in your soccer career for club, country, and school. Can you put playing for an NCAA National title in perspective with some of those other competitions, such as the U17 World Championships?

SC: In a way I look at most of the "big" matches pretty much the same way. For each of the matches, whether it is playing for your country at the World Championships, playing for club at States/Regionals/Nationals or playing for Wake Forest in the NCAA tournament, you are playing to win something, playing for your teammates and playing for something you belong to and believe in -- so they all have their importance.

As a soccer player, however, I don't think there is any greater honor than being able to step out onto the field and play for your country in a World Championship. Having the opportunity to do this and fight for American soccer (even in a losing effort in the quarterfinals against Brazil) is something that I will carry with me forever.

That being said, I don't believe that the U17 World Championships and the NCAA tournament are really things that can be compared to each other. This Wake Forest team has been my life and family for the last 4 years, and we have been fighting towards the goal of a national championship from day one. When you consider that for 3 years we entered the tournament and came up empty in heartbreaking fashion, it certainly adds to the importance of the remaining games. I think I speak for everyone on the team when I say that the next game will be the biggest game of our lives.

TSF: You've earned a reputation as being a bit of a free kick specialist. Is that a talent that has always been an asset in your arsenal or is it something that you have made a conscious effort to develop and to excel at in your career?

SC: It is definitely something that I have made a conscious effort to develop and to excel at. I started practicing set pieces when I was around 10 which, as those who grew up playing soccer know, is about the age where the person who can kick the ball the hardest and highest normally took all the free kicks. Hitting free kicks was something I always loved doing, and something that if I ever had any free time and a bag of balls I wouldn't mind spending hours practicing. Even today, if you ask anyone on our team how I like to warm up for practices or what I like to do after practice they'll tell you I take some balls and just hit free kicks.

TSF: I know you had to contend with a pretty serious injury at the end of last season that caused you to miss Wake Forest's 2005 NCAA tournament campaign. Based on your 2006 performance, it appears you've been able to put that behind you this year. Are you 100% recovered and do you find the hard work to get back to match fitness extra rewarding based on the success of the team, and your contribution to the tournament campaign this season?

SC: In terms of my injury, I am definitely 100% recovered. Some mornings I still wake up feeling a bit like an old man getting out of bed, but I think that can be said for most college athletes by the end of a long season. Having to sit out both the NCAA tournament last year and this past spring season definitely inspired me to work as hard as I could to get fit and ready to play. As with many injuries, it was just a matter of my body getting over the proverbial hump and to the point that I was comfortable that I would be ready for soccer's running, cutting and tackling movements. I can't say enough about our trainers and doctors here who helped me recover, and I definitely think that all the rehabbing and extra work that I had to put in to get back into shape definitely made the season feel a little more rewarding.

TSF: Triangle area soccer fans have been keeping track of all our local players at Wake Forest throughout the season. In particular, we've been really impressed with how quickly Zach Schilawski has become a major contributor to the Deacon's offense. Has it surprised you that a freshman has been able to integrate into the team so quickly and have such a large impact?

SC: I think in most cases people would be surprised that a freshman has fit in so well with a team and contributed so much, but in Zach's case I am not at all surprised. I have played with Zach for probably 8-9 years now and I knew that Zach was an exceptional player and that his game and work ethic fit our program perfectly. I couldn't be happier for him and the success that he is having, and I know he will only get better over the next 3 years.

TSF: You were recently quoted in the Old Gold & Black as saying that you want to continue your playing career beyond the collegiate level, even mentioning the fact that your hometown Carolina RailHawks might be a viable option. How important to your future as a professional footballer do you think that the national spotlight of the College Cup will be to your future plans?

SC: Frankly, I can't see myself doing anything other than playing soccer. It has been my life for so many years and I have such a strong love for the game that it is definitely my first choice for a career out of college. With the attention and spotlight that comes with the College Cup, it is obviously important that you play well. There will be a lot of coaches and scouts in attendance, but I don't believe that this next game or two has to be what makes or breaks a career. The most important thing to me at this point is for the team to have success. If I play well in the process and show well for scouts and coaches, then that is just an added bonus.

---

Article reprinted from Triangle Soccer Fanatics.

American Youth learn their qualifying fates for 2007...

Both the US U-17 and US U-20 teams will be in action next year attempting to qualify for major International events. In January the U-20 team will play in a qualification tournament in Panama City, Panama while the U-17 team will travel to Kingston, Jamaica in April for their qualification games.

US U-17 Qualifying:
April 18-26 in Kingston, Jamaica
Group B - Kingston, Jamaica
Canada
Costa Rica
Jamaica
Trinidad & Tobago
USA
- Top three teams in the group will move on to the 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea.

US U-20 Qualifying:
Jan. 17-21 in Panama City, Panama
Group A - Panama City, Panama
Guatemala
Haiti
Panama
USA
- Top two teams in the group will move on to the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada.

With 5 U-17 players on the Generation Adidas target list discussed yesterday, we could see some additional professional players going to Jamaica and hopefully South Korea.

The FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada will take place from June 30-July 22. The FIFA U-17 World Cup in South Korea will take place from August 18-September 9.

Go USA!

More players added to the FCTP Pro-Prospects list...

The first incarnation of the list included seniors I thought would be invited to the combine. Then it expanded to include Charlie Davies of Boston College who has publicly announced his intentions to turn pro. Today I expand the list with the help of Buzz over at 3rd Degree. As I said previously, if you want draft coverage, go to Buzz. It seems he has a contact with a copy of the MLS Generation Adidas target list. So today's addition to the FCTP Pro-Prospects list in the right margin are the 28 players targeted by MLS for Generation Adidas contracts.

Interesting to see 5 high school players included in the list. In that case the link with their name won't work. All of the HS players are current Bradenton residents.

Sal Zizzo's stock is rising quickly with strong performances in the NCAA tournament.

Sean Franklin is the only kid not previously in my spread sheet. He's there now.

So check the right margin for the list of kids I expect to see at the combine. I should point out, not all of the underclassmen will be offered MLS contracts and not all will accept. So until Buzz can feed me with some better information, this is what we've got. We're up to 72 FCTP Pro-Prospects.

2006 NCAA Soccer College Cup field is set...

Well folks, there we have it, there will not be a rematch of the 2006 ACC Championship match at the 2006 College Cup. #1 Duke has been eliminated by #8 UCLA. In an overtime thriller, UCLA overcame a 2-0 halftime hole to come back and win 3-2 over the reigning ACC champs. To make matters more interesting, UCLA did this at Duke's home. Super Sophomore midfielder Sal Zizzo's stock must be rising with pro scouts and coaches as he scored the tying and game winner for the Bruins.

At this point in the tourney big teams are going to put together big wins, and regular season performance doesn't count for anything. While the ACC has two of the final four teams, my question from a couple of posts ago still stands, what has happened to the ACC? Over on BigSoccer a lot of folks thought I was crazy for saying the ACC is falling apart, but im my mind this UCLA victory goes to show that a season of tough competition in the best conference doesn't prepare you for everything. UCLA was an underestimated opponent and they outclassed Duke to make it to the semi-finals. Just like in Basketball's version of the big dance, a #1 seed means little.

The rest of the College Cup field looks like this:
#8 UCLA vs #4 UVA
UCSB vs #2 Wake Forest

The semi-final matches are in St. Louis this Friday, Dec. 1. The final is live on ESPN 2 this Sunday at 2 pm eastern...noon mountain. Enjoy!

The college kids start to go pro...

From what I have read, Charlie Davies is the first college underclassman to come out and say he is going pro. Davies has been on the radar of FCTP for a few years, even before the blog started, and his career at Boston College and with the Youth National teams has backed up the hype. The kid has skills. So we'll add him to the pro prospects list to the right.

Soccer America confirms he's interested in MLS if the offer is right. This is the time for MLS to step up and really place a premium on the top level youth talent coming out of college. Davies would be a generation adidas player assuming he signs with the league because he still has college eligibility.

Last year we saw GA players get substantial offers compared to rookies in the past. See the table below to see the GA class and their respective salaries.

Marvell Wynne $150,000
Josmer Altidore $98,333
Nathan Sturgis $78,000
Patrick Ianni $78,000
Sacha Kljestan $78,000
Jacob Peterson $63,750
Medhi Ballouchy $63,000
Jason Garey $45,000
Dax McCarty $42,500
Blake Wagner $42,500
Jed Zayner $37,500
Willie Sims $37,500
Brian Plotkin $11,700

MLS has seen the promise of the GA players in the past, and after this season the league should realize these guys are worth paying some big bucks. Hopefully Davies will be made an offer he can't refuse and he'll postpone European adventures for a few years.

The ACC isn't proving so strong afterall...

Maybe I was naive, but I really thought we might have an all ACC semi-final this year in the NCAA Soccer College Cup. North Carolina took that hope from me in the second round. Now Clemson is added to the list of ACC teams that couldn't advance in the big dance as they were beaten handily by UCLA, 3-0.

Some might say that the ACC is doing well with 3 of the final 8 teams. However, I disagree since at different points during the season at least 6 of the top 10 teams were from the strong eastern conference. The ACC had 4 of the top 5 seeds in the tournament, presumably giving them an easier road to the finals. Now, you've got three California teams in UCLA, Santa Clara and UCSB that have made it to the quarterfinals, equaling the number of ACC teams.

The ACC schools are probably hitting a wall. They play the toughest schedules in College Soccer by playing within their conference and then a conference championship tournament. Now the teams that have "easier" regular season schedules have some gas left in tank while the ACC is running on empty.

That's why we all love these types of single elimination tournaments, you never know how it is going to end up. If we rent on rankings alone, you'd have too many ACC teams looking good.

The big question now is will the #1, #2 or #4 ACC team be able to keep the momentum going to win the championship they looked destined for during the regular season?

Elite 8 just about set for NCAA Men's Soccer...

One game remains in the quest to make the Elite 8 in the 2006 NCAA Men's soccer tourney. Either Clemson or UCLA will join the other seven members of the soccer Quarterfinals. Once again, lets run down the bracket, left side first.

#1 Duke over Lehigh, 3-0. No surprise there. Lehigh had a great season but the top of the pile was able to control the game and get the win. As a Lehigh hater, it is fitting in my eyes that both Lehigh soccer and football lost this weekend. Sorry Mountain Hawks. :) Goals from Michael Videira, Spencer Wadsworth and Mike Grella gave Duke all the offense they needed to put down the Hawks. All three scoring Blue Devils are underclassmen, but I'd be surprised if MLS didn't try hard to sign one or more of them this off-season.

#12 Notre Dame squeaks by 2005 Champion and #5 Maryland in double overtime, 1-0. Super Scorer for the Irish, Joseph Lapira, got the game winner 3 minutes before the the game went to penalties. Lapira is another underclassman who has to be getting a lot of interest from MLS, and maybe even abroad. He's set the college ranks on fire this season and he is carrying his Notre Dame team through the tourney. At 5'-8" he may be a little on the small side for MLS, but John Spencer made it work.

Two second half goals by Yannick Reyering helped #4 UVA overcome #13 Cal's first half lead, 2-1. The German Super Sophomore is another one that MLS must have their eyes on for a youth international spot. A UVA vs. Notre Dame quarterfinal will pit two strong offensive players head to head.

UCSB is our first non-seeded team in the quarters after they knocked off Old Dominion, 2-1. The Gauchos made some noise a couple years ago making it to the College Cup and they look to repeat the magic. Sophomore Eric Avila knocked in the game winner on rebound from his own penalty kick in the 61st minute.

UNC-Greensboro fans will have seen Senior forward Randi Patterson for the last time as Northwestern beat UNCG 2-1. Northwestern will take on UCSB in the battle of the unseeded next weekend.

#10 Santa Clara beat #7 Indiana in a shootout after zero goals during regular and extra time. They will move on to face a tough test against Wake Forrest.

#2 Wake continues to roll with a 2-1 victory over Towson. They continue to move towards a rematch of the ACC Championship which saw Duke take their top ranking right before this tournament.

Stay tuned for more exciting NCAA November Madness!

Bic's Final View: UNC 0 - 1 Old Dominion (11/15/2006)

UNC concluded a disappointing 2006 campaign on Wednesday when they fell 1-0 to Old Dominion at Fetzer Field. Wednesday's loss marked the final home game for seven UNC seniors, who combined for 50 victories and four straight trips to the NCAA Tournament. Although sophmore Stephen Bickford saw only limited playing time this season behind two starting seniors, he still managed to finish among the team's statistical leaders. Stephen was tied for 5th in points, finished second in shot percentage, and first on the team in shots on goal percentage. Bickford also joined several other players at the top of the leaderboard for game-winning goals. As we have done all season long, TSF sat down one last time to reflect on the Tar Heels' season with Bic.

---

TSF: Considering the pre-season hype of a #1 ranking and top 3 recruiting class, 2006 turned out much differently than I'm sure everyone involved with the Tar Heels programmed had hoped. Can you try to put the 2006 campaign in perspective?

Bic: It's hard to put something in perspective when the year was such a disappointment. Perhaps a positive is that we had some very good training sessions and improved our overall ability, despite not being able to get results in actual game situations.

TSF: Was there a turning point in the season that you can identify where things started to really head in the wrong direction for the team?

Bic: As early as the NC State game it was apparent that something wasn't right. After that, the Campbell loss really set us back and I don't think that we were able to recover.

TSF: Carolina will be graduating seven starters from this team (Ashe, Beach, Boole, Harrington, Hughes, Hunter, Odgers). Where, in your opinion, do the Tar Heels need to look for more depth with the 2007 incoming class?

Bic: We're graduating players in every position of the field, most notably in our back line. We have some good defenders coming in for 2007 so I'm still very optimistic about the future of Carolina soccer.

TSF: The NCAA has pretty strict rules about what the team can and cannot do together in the offseason. What does your training regime look like for the next few months?

Bic: During the spring we will train 4 days a week with 3 weightroom sessions added to that. We will play about 2 games per weekend but we are not allowed to compete against another opponent more than 5 matchdays.

TSF: Any final predictions for the NCAA tournament? Will the ACC take the title once again?

Bic: I think the ACC will again show that they are the most dominant conference in men's soccer. I wouldn't mind seeing Maryland or Wake Forest take the title, and I wish them the best of luck.

---

Stephen Bickford, a sophmore forward at UNC and Green Hope (Cary) High School alum, shared his thoughts on the Tar Heels season with Triangle Soccer Fanatics throughout the year.

Reprinted from Triangle Soccer Fanatics.

From College To The Pros - 2007 Pro-Prospects...

Ok folks, I've added a list to my right margin titled FCTP Pro-Prospects. These are the seniors I foresee being invited to the MLS Combine and I see them being selected by MLS squads. Some will get trials in Europe...some will slip through to the USL. But after a four year college career, a top level club and high school career, these guys have run the gauntlet and should make it in professional soccer if that is their desire.

These are seniors only at this point. There will be a lot of Generation adidas talk in the coming months and I'll hold off on that for now. As I said in an earlier post...3rd Degree is the place for that discussion right now.

Different criteria get them on the list. For many it was participating in the adidas ESP camp. For others it was a solid display in the 2006 PDL season. Others won awards, others made other people's lists...and that is my list.

Enjoy.

2006 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship...Sweet 16 almost set...

Well folks, I pulled up the updated NCAA bracket this morning to see who's moving on in the big dance. I look down the left side and say to myself, "as expected, no big news." When I look at the right side of the bracket I get all excited to see that the charm of a single elimination tournament is still intact...there are upsets!

So, look down the right side with me...

Duke 2-0 over Brown, couldn't you Blue Devils do a little more damage against an Ivy League side?

Lehigh over Rhode Island on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Just like MLS, too bad the Mountain Hawks are moving on...I know my Leopards will take care of them this weekend in the other kind of football.

Clemson took care of Gardner-Webb today, 3-1...check.

UCLA over Harvard 3-0....Check.

Maryland over St. John's 2-0....Check.

Notre Dame over University of Illinois-Chicago 1-0...a little surprised by the score with offensive power Joseph Lapira on the field. He got the goal, but during the season he had 21...Come on Joe!

Cal over New Mexico 3-1...Check.

Virginia over Bucknell 4-0...Those poor Patriot League teams are always sent out as sacrificial lambs.

Ok, so nothing too shocking on the left side...now to the right.

UCSB over SMU, 3-1. Yes, the leader of the pack for most of the season is stunned on their home turf by UCSB who had a lackluster season in which they lost 7 times. Well, November Madness is the time to turn it on, so congrats to the Gauchos. Up next Old Dominion. This is anyone's game!

Old Dominion over UNC 1-0. Looks like OD was able to shut down a potentially lethal strike force to pull the updset. UNC had their struggles but I would have thought the ACC prepared them better. Maybe a long season playing top opponents tired them out.

St. Louis - Northwestern kicks off in a few hours.

UNC-Greensboro takes down #6 West Virginia 2-1 in OT. UNCG has some strong offensive talent in Randi Patterson but leave this one to senior midfielder Scott Jones. He's putting UNCG on his back and carying them with two game winning goals so far in this tournament. I like this kid, keep an eye out for him during the combine.

Indiana over Northern Illinois 1-0...you'd think the perennial power would do better, but everyone has an off night.

Santa Clara over University of Washington 3-2 (OT)...check.

Towson over Fairfield 2-0...Towson was seeded so check.

Wake Forest over Hofstra 5-1....check.

So there is it, we've got 15 of the sweet 16 set. The Quarterfinals will be set this weekend.

2006 Missouri Athletic Club’s Hermann Trophy Semifinalists Announced...

Last week the news of the Hermann Trophy Semifinalists being announced completely slipped past my radar. Each year the award is given to the best college soccer player in the country.

The award will be presented on December 2nd to one of the following players:
Andrew Boyens
Greg Dalby
Charlie Davies
John DiRaimondo
Maurice Edu
Bruno Guarda
Tally Hall
Julius James
Stephen King
Joseph Lapira
Jay Needham
Yannick Reyering
Dane Richards
Jarrod Smith
Michael Videira

They're all listed to the right if you want to find their profiles.

Three finalists will be announced on Monday, Nov. 27.

Past winners include current MLS players:
Jason Garey, 2005
Danny O'Rourke, 2004
Chris Wingert, 2003
Alecko Eskandarian, 2002
Luchi Gonzalez, 2001
Sasha Victorine, 1999
Jay Heaps, 1998
Tony Meola, 1989

Here are some other past winners you'll recognize:
Claudio Reyna, 1992 & 93
Alexi Lalas, 1991
John Harkes, 1987
Dan Counce, 1973
Glenn Myernick, 1976

Let the Speculation Begin!!!

The final whistle blew on MLS Cup Sunday evening, thus ending the MLS season. Woe is me, what is a poor and lonely blogger to do in the off-season? Well don't cry for me Argentina, the truth is this blog is more about the off-season than the regular season. Now we can really look back and reflect on the rookies. We can really speculate on who is going to be drafted and when. Now the fun begins folks.

First of all I want to point you all to a site that has become the holy grail for off-season/draft news and analysis. During the regular season I can't stand to read about Dallas this and Sala that, but in the off-season it is the place to go: 3rd Degree. The off-season section already has a 2007 SuperDraft and 2007 Supplemental draft order posted based on the information available from MLS and Buzz is already speculating on who could be announced as part of the 2007 Generation Adidas class.

Since I can't begin to compete with Buzz's information, I will only look to supplement it here. Enjoy his site and all of the off-season analysis he'll provide. Over on my right hand margin I will start to post my FCTP Top-Prospects. I'll also update the rest of the list with my latest findings.

So sit back and enjoy the off-season folks.

NCAA Soccer Fall Madness, Round 2...

Well folks, last week we saw the bubble teams play each other to win the honor of playing bigger more successful teams that were seeded for the big dance. Tomorrow, Wednesday November 15, we'll see the winners of those battles face off against the top 16 teams in college soccer. #1 Duke hosts Ivy League's Brown. #2 Wake hosts Hofstra. #3 SMU hosts UC-Santa Barbara. #4 UVA hosts Patriot League Bucknell. Just like the basketball version of this tourney, I don't expect any big upsets although UCSB has been a top program in the past and could cause waves.

Looking back at the games I highlighted we saw New Mexico sneak by San Francisco to face Cal, Washington knocked out Creighton to face Santa Clara and UNC-Greensboro took down Virginia Tech to move on against West Virginia. All three of those second round games should be exciting if you're in the area.

Once again it doesn't look like it'll be easy to see any of these games on TV. However, check the ACC website, they may have their matches on-line.

By Thursday we'll know our Sweet 16 match-ups and they'll be played over this coming weekend. All the excitement comes to a head the first weekend of December!

US U-20 Men prepare for 2007 CONCACAF final round qualifying...

Head coach Thomas Rongen called a camp of 19 players including 12 professionals (9 from MLS), 3 college kids and 4 high school kids. That is right, 4 kids who haven’t finished high school are going to be playing with the U-20 team getting ready for the final round of qualifying for next years FIFA U-20 World Cup. This isn’t a new phenomenon, but it always makes me look twice.

First up, the roster and the clubs they play for.

Freddy Adu - M - D.C. United (MLS)
Josmer Altidore - F - N.Y. Red Bulls (MLS)
Bryan Arguez - M - West Kendal Optimists
David Arvizu - F - N.Y. Red Bulls (MLS)
Kris Banghart - D - N.C. Wesleyan College
Kyle Davies - D - Ballistic United
Miguel Gonzalez - M - N.E. Revolution (MLS)
Quavas Kirk - D - L.A. Galaxy (MLS)
Zac MacMath - GK - Clearwater Chargers
Dax McCarty - M - FC Dallas (MLS)
Ellis McLoughlin - F - Crossfire James
Nico Mosquera - M/F - University of Central Florida
Nicholas Skverer - GK - NEC Nijmegen
Johann Smith - F - Bolton FC
Nathan Sturgis - D - L.A. Galaxy (MLS)
Neven Subotic - D - Mainz 05
Danny Szetela - M - Columbus Crew (MLS)
Anthony Wallace - D/M - University of South Florida
Tim Ward - D - Columbus Crew (MLS)

Name like Adu, Altidore, Kirk and Szetela will jump out at the MLS fans reading. These guys have been getting some good playing time for their clubs. Then you have Nicholas Skverer playing in Holland, Neven Subotic in Germany and Johann Smith playing in England. Finally you have the young high school kids who are impressing enough to beat out a long list of college kids who would no doubt love to make this squad. Actually, I bet the competition to make this roster would have been a lot tougher for the high school set if their college counterparts weren’t currently playing in the NCAA tournament.

This camp will culminate in a match against CONCACAF rivals Guatemala, next Wednesday the 15th in Boca Raton, Florida. On November 24th we’ll learn which of two groups the young Americans will face in qualifying.

Let’s face it, now is the time for Freddy Adu to shine. Freddy came into MLS hyped as the best American player ever. That’s a lot of pressure on Freddy and it has shown in the past. This season with DC United can only be seen as a failure for Freddy as he wasn’t able to lead his team to MLS Cup glory. Yes, I’m talking about a 17 year old. Is it too much on the shoulders of a player who around the rest of the world would just be getting a sniff of the 1st team? Maybe. Freddy has handled all of the pressure well with the exception of a couple temper tantrums. However, this time it is different. He’s the leader of this team, he is the most experienced pro on this team. If the US is going to do well in the U-20 World Cup Freddy Adu must step up and take his team to the promise land. We’ve waited many years for Adu to show his true brilliance and against players his own age he should be able to in this event. If he can’t, I think people will start to label him a failure.

Looking over the rest of the list I am excited to see Altidore, Smith and Kirk play against kids their own age as opposed to professionals 10 years their senior. It is interesting to see Kirk listed as a defender as well; last I hear he was playing wide midfielder for LA.

I’m certainly getting excited for the next installment of the U-20 World Cup. The US should be able to qualify and will go up against some of the best in the world next Summer in Canada. The way I see it, it will either be a coming out party of Freddy and Altidore or a disappointment for American fans.

**Editors note, Nico Mosquera is not listed on the website roster of the University of Central Florida. If someone knows anything, please comment.**

NCAA Soccer Championships - 2006

Ok folks, November Madness is here! Ok, that name sucks but it is one that conjures up images of the most exciting American sporting tournament out there, the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Here's the fall classic version with the world's game, the NCAA Soccer Tournament. The bracket has been announced and games kick off this weekend. I was hoping the first round would make the FSC programming schedule, but it doesn't look like it at this point. Hopefully they'll televise some of the later round games.

So let's take a look at the bracket and see where the interesting match ups are going to happen.

First off, it is worth noting that the first round is a bye for the top 16 teams. With Duke topping Wake in the ACC final, they go into the tourney #1. Wake got the #2 seed so a rematch of the ACC final isn't possible until the championship and I'll say isn't likely with all the other talent out there.

In the first round I'll pick a few games not to miss if you live in the area. #1 - New Mexico at San Francisco. The loss of some big time seniors (Jeff Rowland the first to mind) hurt the Lobos this year but they managed a 13-3-3 record and finished the season on a high with a big 3-0 win over regional rival Denver. San Francisco has some strong talent led by leading scorer and FCTP-Pro prospect F - Aaron Chandler. Others to watch at USF: D - Rob Valentino & M - Jesse Henderson (former Bradenton resident). New Mexico has a young roster with their two leading scorers both being Sophomores and their freshman class including standout midfielder Zach Tierney (2005 adidas ESP All*Star). In fact, FCTP-Pro prospect, senior Andrew Boyens, was the only senior on the roster to get over 1,000 minutes of playing time this season. I think the big question in this match is can the Lobos' young roster carry them to a victory? Home field advantage should give the edge to USF. If USF wins, they have an easy trip across the Bay Bridge for round 2 at #13 Cal.

Match #2 on my list takes Creighton out to Washington to take on the Huskies. Both teams have consistent soccer programs and have sent some kids to the MLS Combine. Washington is another younger program but Junior F - Kevin Forest led the team in scoring with 13 goals after recovering from a foot injury that forced him to red shirt his 2005 season. Strike partner Junior F - Ely Allen played more of the assist man role this season but still scored 7 goals while creating 5. Freshman D - Taylor Hoss (2005 adidas ESP All*Star) led the defense playing in all of Washington's matches. On the other side of the field Sophomore F - Byron Dacy (2006 pre-season Hermann Watch List) will try to carve up that Washington defense. The Creighton defense has their freshman big man, D - Chris Schuler (2004 ESP All*Star, 2005 StudentSportsSoccer.com #7 top prospect, 2006 PDL Team Of The Week) who also played in every match this season. The winner of this match will have to travel to #10 Santa Clara.

The #3 match is Virginia Tech at UNC - Greensboro. Greensboro is home to one of the top FCTP-Pro prospects Senior F - Randi Patterson. This season he scored 12 goals and created one. He had a strong summer playing in the PDL for the Carolina Dynamo and he's been named to almost every honor list you can think of. He should be in the running for the Hermann Trophy when that is announced. Senior M - Scott Jones was also named to the pre-season Hermann watch list and had a productive season in midfield racking up 16 points on 6 assists and 5 goals. The #8 seed in the ACC tourney, Virginia Tech, got bounced in the first round by NC State and still made the NCAA field. I've been talking about how deep the ACC was this season and there is your proof. Sophomore F - Patrick Nyarko had a breakout 2006, scoring 15 goals and creating 8 assists. Junior M - Ben Nason (2003 Big East Rookie of the Year) had a nice season scoring 6 and assisting 10. Virginia Tech's biggest win came against Clemson in ACC play, but they failed to knock off any of the other big boys. UNCG's biggest win was 4-0 over Coastal Carolina so I think Virginia Tech had a tougher schedule this season. The winner of this match goes on to play West Virginia.

So there you go, those three matches in my opinion should be the toast of the first round. Now is the time to see how the top FCTP-Pro prospects fare in pressure situations. I'm sure some of the kids in these matches will get invited to the combine based on their success in the coming tournament.

Head on over to College Soccer News for a more in-depth analysis of the upcoming event. Get out there and support your local college if they're hosting a match. Next Wednesday will be the second round matches where we see all the big boys enter the fray. Check back before then for another highlight of the big games.

Grella's Extra Time Goal Lifts Duke to Second Straight ACC Championship

After ninety-six and a half minutes of scoreless soccer, Mike Grella's 30 yard run, followed by a 30 yard knuckling blast that wrong-footed Wake Forest keeper Brian Edwards sent Duke to its second straight ACC Championship. The goal, Grella's 11th of the season, was the Duke sophmore's fifth game winning tally of the 2006 campaign. With the 1-0 extra time victory over the Deacons, the Blue Devils find themselves in prime position to host matches throughout the upcoming NCAA College Cup playoffs.

Both Duke and Wake Forest will learn their NCAA tournament fates on Monday during NCAA Tournament Selection show, which will be televised on ESPNNews between 4pm - 5pm EST.

Click on the video below to see Grella's game winning goal.

ACC Champions to be Crowned Today on Fox Sports Net

Both the men's and women's ACC champions will be decided today in matches broadcast live on Fox Sports Net.

At 1pm EST, Duke and Wake Forest meet in Germantown, MD to challenge for the men's title. Duke, who enters the match ranked 4th in the NCAA Division I, will be looking to knock off the Demon Deacons, who stand atop the national polls, for the second time this season. Duke leads Wake Forest in the all-time series by a margin of 20-11-4. The Blue Devils have won the last three games against the Demon Deacons, including a thrilling 4-3 victory during the 2006 regular season at Winston-Salem.

The men's tournament match will be followed directly at 3:30pm EST by the women's championship from SAS Soccer Park in Cary, NC. UNC heads into their 19th straight ACC final against Florida State the heavy favorite, having not lost a match since their opening day defeat at Texas A&M (when many of their regular players were away on US Women's National Team duty). That 20 game win streak includes a 2-1 win over the Seminoles in Chapel Hill earlier this season.

College Cup is Around the Corner...

Well folks, it is that time of year. MLS is wrapping up and the NCAA College Cup is getting set. Visit College Soccer News for a nice summary of how the field is shaping up. If you can catch a local college cup match, do. A lot of the kids who are going to participate in the MLS combine in a couple months will be playing in this annual tournament. This is March Madness in November baby!

Bic's View: Duke 1-0 UNC (10/20), BC 1-3 UNC (10/26), & UNC 0-0 Wake Forest (11/1)

After losing in Durham to the Blue Devils on a Ted Odgers own goal, the Tar Heels managed to break their goal scoring streak that had run well over 400 minutes when Corey Ashe completed a brace and senior Ben Hunter added a third for good measure en route to a 3-1 win over Boston College. The victory over BC left the Tar Heels in 7th in the ACC, barely avoiding a first-day play-in match against cross-town rivals NC State. But if avoiding the play-in game was the good news, the bad news was that the Tar Heels drew the #1 ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the first round of the ACC Tournament. After 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, the Deacons bested UNC on penalties, 5-4 in 6 rounds.

---

TSF: The Tar Heels traveled to Newton, MA for their final ACC regular season match. With the inclusion of BC into the ACC, that makes for a significantly longer roadtrip than most ACC destinations. Does the team treat a trip to BC any differently than your normal roadtrips?

Bic: Yes. We fly to Boston instead of taking a team bus which we would take to any of our other ACC away games.

TSF: Before moving to the Triangle, you grew up in the Boston area. What was it like to go back and play in your old stomping grounds? Had you ever played at the BC Soccer Complex before?

Bic: Being back in Boston was great. It's a wonderful city with tons of great restaurants and points of interest for tourists. I had never played at BC's new complex but we trained on the football field on matchday. Having played for BC's coach Ed Kelly for club soccer in Boston, we actually played a few matches on the football field because it was the soccer field at that point in time as well.

TSF: UNC went out of the ACC tournament on penalties and many were surprised to see freshman Brooks Haggerty substituted for senior Justin Hughes who played the entire match. Does Brooks have a track record of specializing at stopping penalties?

Bic: Brooks had stopped a surprising number of penalties in the practices leading up to the tournament. I don't think anybody was really anticipating the substitution, however, we all had confidence in Brooks' ability to save penalties.

TSF: Based on having played all the ACC teams once this year, who do you favor to take the ACC Tourney title now that Wake Forest, Maryland, University of Virginia, and Duke are left in the mix?

Bic: That's a tough call. My vote would go to either Wake or Maryland.

TSF: Now the Tar Heels have to wait and see if you get a bid to the NCAA tournament. Do you think UNC deserves a bid based on your record this season?

Bic: I think it would be a travesty for us not to get a bid for the tournament. Despite our record we are one of the best teams in the country. The ACC is by far the most competitive conference in the NCAA and I'm sure that will be considered when the draw is made.

---

Stephen Bickford, a sophmore forward at UNC and Green Hope (Cary) High School alum, will be sharing his thoughts on the Tar Heels season with Triangle Soccer Fanatics throughout the year.

Article reprinted from Triangle Soccer Fanatics.