Amos Magee has spent countless hours at the National Sports Center as a player and coach, but when the former Thunder star returns Saturday evening it will feel like unfamiliar turf. Magee comes back to the NSC not as part of the  Thunder organization but as an assistant coach to the Portland Timbers, a team he used to compete against. Magee took the position last fall after resigning his coaching job with the Thunder in July of 2008.

Things have been going very well for Magee, who now holds a place in the Hall Of Fame for the Thunder, Wesleyan University and the United Soccer Leagues. Portland currently sit in 3rd place in the league with 26 points and a 7-1-5 record. The team has fewer losses than any other club in USL-1 and haven’t lost since their first game of the season back on April 26th. The Timbers also have the biggest positive goal differential with a +14. Head coach Gavin Wilkinson and assistant coach Magee called only 5 players back from the 2008 season choosing to rebuild the team that finished last in the league with a 7-13-10 record.

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IMS: Tell me about your new job as director of player development and assistant coach?

Magee: Director of player development and assistant coach is more about trying to grow the soccer side of what we do with the Timbers and Beavers (Class AAA baseball team) which also shares PGE Park. With the Timbers we are developing a camp program.  Anyone who comes from Minnesota knows the importance of the Thunder soccer camps. So we’re trying to grow that to expand the reach of the Timbers.

We are also trying to build an amateur team in the U-23 PDL team and familiarize myself with the local players, looking at local college players  and who we can recruit into that program.

Then the major piece that we’re doing is trying to build a championship team with the Timbers and the USL first division. We’re also trying to get the team and the franchise ready for MLS  by helping Merrit Paulson and the Timbers put a plan in place for the expansion team.

IMS: You told me last fall that you knew the East coast well and Gavin Wilkinson knew the West coast well and you thought that would help to recruit players to play for the Portland Timbers. Did that play out to be true when you were rebuilding this Portland team?

Magee: I really like this team and the personalities we’ve put together. Our budget isn’t one of the top in the league. It’s a good budget — a competitive budget but it’s certainly not Montreal and we’ve still managed to put a good team together. Also, Gavin (Wilkinson) has done a fantastic job of getting them to play the right way in a short amount of time. We only returned 5 players from last year’s team so the success that we’ve been able to achieve says a lot about his ability to mold the team but also says a lot about the players we’ve brought in.

Beyond the East coast, West coast and Midwest areas, we called on all of our connections to pull in players from overseas. We have brought in two Swedish players, one of them (Johan Claesson) I feel is one of the best midfielders in the league. We also have a Guinean forward Mandjou Keita who is very good and Gavin was able to track him down with his Malaysian contacts. Keita has done fantastic as well. So not just in the United States but internationally we’ve put together a very deep and very good team.

IMS: Former Minnesota Thunder player and indoor star Brian Farber is a person who has ended up playing a major role for you this year. How instrumental were you in getting Brian to the Timbers and tell me about Brian’s growth as a player? When he was with Minnesota we knew him as an outside midfielder and he had speed and could score goals, but we were looking for more assists from him. This year with the Timbers, Brian is getting both assists and goals.

Magee: Brian is a player I am very familiar with having played in Minnesota. We’ve had a good relationship and Gavin knew him because he played at Oregon State. Between the two of us we were able to track Brian down after a year off from outdoor play and make sure he was healthy. He is better than when he was with Minnesota 2 years ago and that’s normal. Players do develop which he has and has been an important part of our team.

IMS: Amos, being a former Thunder player, coach, and supporter, how did it feel when the Minnesota Thunder came out to Portland a few weeks ago and played your team the Timbers?

Magee: You know, in the build up for the game, I was familiar with the Thunder and had spent a lot of time going over notes and scouting reports to give our team every advantage to win. But I really didn’t look at the magnitude of it and how it would be emotionally. You know it was a really strange night for me. I was delighted that we won, but like anyone from either organization I wasn’t pleased with the way that game ended. But it’s going to be another interesting one for me on Saturday because I don’t think I’ve ever been in the visitors locker room except perhaps to clean it up. I’m a Minnesotan and I love the Thunder but I’m a Timbers guy now. There’s no uncertainty of who I want to win or what result I want. I will do everything within my power to help the Timbers win this game.

IMS: Amos, you played in a very special US Open Cup game last Wednesday evening. A tough loss to the Seattle Sounders at home in Portland. Seattle came out of the chute so fast with quality to score that first goal. However, in the end it was a very competitive game with a 2-1 loss. But the atmosphere was amazing with a capacity 16,000 in attendance and separate entrances for the Seattle supporters. Tell me about the lead up to that game and the atmosphere?

Magee: You know I’ve been to derbys in Europe. I’ve been to Arsenal v Tottenham games and I’ve been to Inter v Juventus, which isn’t a derby but certainly has that feel to it. With both supporters groups in force and very strong — chanting, smoke bombs, it had that feel — it definitely had that feel to it. It was an amazing night for soccer in the United States.

Just last night we played the Bayern Munich II team and I talked to some of the players and coaches who were at Wednesday night’s game and they said, this is as good as it gets in Germany. Again, it was that sort of electric atmosphere.

I also talked to Steve Cronin (Portland goalkeeper) who was formerly the keeper at the LA Galaxy and I asked him to match that game up against the Súper Clásico between the Galaxy and Chivas USA and he said it was actually better than some of those games that he played in. So that type of atmosphere, that type of event for American Soccer, particularly for US Open Cup which is often the ugly stepchild for MLS teams, is fantastic. There was no question that Seattle was committed to winning that game. That with the rivalry, the crowd, made it unlike any US Open Cup game.

So all of that was good for soccer except for the result, because if the Timbers had won than that would have been a truly great moment for soccer in the US (he laughs and says) at least in my mind!

Welcome Amos Magee back to Minnesota, catch a soccer game and then celebrate the 4th by watching fireworks in the stands or in the beer garden. It should be a great nite as the Thunder will be looking to return the thrashing the Timbers gave them two weeks ago in Portland. There will be numerous members of Timbers Army at this game and the Dark Clouds will be out in force to make sure they are kept in their place. It’s all in good fun — so come out and catch the game you love and the team you support. Kick off is 7:05. Tickets will also be available at the gate.

The Hmong Sports Festival returns again to St. Paul for the 29th year. The festival draws Hmong families from all across the US as a celebration of their freedom combining with the celebration of our Nation’s freedom. An estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people will attend this very popular event sponsored by the Lao Family Community of Minnesota.

St. Paul’s McMurray Fields have been the host for this Hmong Freedom Celebration for nearly 30 years and soccer has always been the main attraction. However, there are many other sports included in the competition such as volleyball, flag football, kato, tennis, top spin, badminton, basketball, bowling and golf. 1,400 athletes will participate making this the largest ethnic sporting event in the country.

Kato is an exciting sport played with a softball sized reed-woven ball and played like volleyball but only the feet and head may be used.

Top spinning is truly “tops” that are spinning. They are usually tops that are hand carved or lathed with the prize awarded to the top that spins the longest.

Soccer is still the top draw at the festival and the newly laid fill-turf fields at McMurray make this an excellent venue for this event. There will be 40 teams from across the US participating as well as our own Majiks FC team, who won the tournament in 2007, and the well known Twin Stars, who were champions in 2004 and 2005.

Over $60,000.00 will be handed out in prize money to the winners of these competitions.

There will also be food, arts, crafts and music. Interestingly, as the Hmong have assimilated into US communities the vendors have shifted as well selling more mainstream foods and goods. However, the emphasis is still on tradition.

$4.00 gets you into the event and those over 65 or under 3 are free. Free parking and shuttle service is available at the State Fair Grounds. This is a great opportunity to take in some world culture and fill your soccer void at the same time.

For directions go here.

US Club Soccer 2009 National Cup VIII Indianapolis Regional - Boys

Age Group	Listing	Name	Wins	Losses	Draws	Points	Goals For	Goals Against	Made it to Final
U-12	Super Group	MINNESOTA THUNDER JRS 97S BLUE	3	0	0	9	14	3	Yes
U-16	Premier Group	MN THUNDER ELITE 93 BLUE	2	1	0	6	8	1	No
U-17	Premier Group	SHATTUCK-ST. MARY'S	2	1	0	6	4	4	Yes

FINALS

U-12 MINNESOTA THUNDER JRS 97S BLUE Loses final 3-0 to U12 SOCKERS CUP TEAM

U17 SHATTUCK-ST. MARY’S  Wins 2-0 in Final against FC Pride 92 Elite

US Club Soccer 2009 National Cup VIII Indianapolis Regional - Girls

Age Group	Listing	Name	Wins	Losses	Draws	Points	Goals For	Goals Against	Made it to Final
U-12	Girls Premier Group	MN THUNDER JRS. 97E BLUE	2	0	1	7	9	4	Yes
U-13	Super Group	MTA Elite 96 Blue	1	2	0	3	3	4	No
U-15	Premier Group	MN THUNDER ELITE 94 WHITE	3	0	0	9	5	1	Yes
U-16	Premier Group	EDEN PRAIRIE SC PREMIER	2	1	0	6	7	7	No
U-16	Premier Group	SHATTUCK - ST. MARY'S	2	1	0	7	6	1	No
U-17	Super Group	THUNDER Elite 92 Blue	0	2	1	2	5	1	No

FINALS

* U-12 MN THUNDER JRS. 97E BLUE Wins Final 2-0 to St. Louis Scott Gallagher United

U-15 MN THUNDER ELITE 94 WHITE  Lose 2-0 to Sparks  in final

* = Team that was disqualified by MYSA in USYSA Regional tournament

Congratulations to Andy Kassa’s U-12 Minnesota Thunder Academy Regional US Club Soccer Champions. They will now move onto the National Championships.

No Upsets in Wednesday evening action.

Austin Aztex (USL-1) 0:2 Houston Dynamo (MLS)
Match Report USOpenCup.com

Portland Timbers (USL-1) 1:2 Seattle Sounders FC (MLS)
Match Report USOpenCup.com

6/30/2009– Saint Benedict Athletic Media Relations
College of Saint Benedict athletic director Carol Howe-Veenstra has announced that Steve Kimble has been hired as the next head Blazer soccer coach and assistant athletic director.

“I will commit myself to helping the Blazer soccer team win another conference championship,” Kimble said. “I’m excited to coach in a program with such a great tradition.”

Kimble has spent the last seven years as the head soccer coach at Brainerd High School in Brainerd, Minn., in which he compiled an overall record of 99-23-8.  In that time, the Warriors have made two state tournament appearances and have won the Central Lakes Conference each of the last five seasons. The Warriors have also played in five consecutive Section 8AA finals. Kimble was named Section 8AA coach of the year in 2005 and 2006.

“Steve has developed the Brainerd girls’ soccer program into a consistent and proven winner,” Howe-Veenstra said.  “He also has a strong educational background as a graduate of Saint John’s and has spent significant time on the CSB campus as an education major.”

Kimble has numerous years of administrative experience.   He has served as director of coaching and player development for the Lakes Area Youth Soccer Association in Brainerd.  He is currently a camp director for Coerver Coaching and director of North Central Soccer.  From 1995-2002 Kimble was a part of the Central Minnesota Youth Soccer Association in St. Cloud, MN as the director of coaching education and as a coach.

Kimble has also been the pole vault coach for the Brainerd track and field team since 2002.  He previously was an assistant girls’ soccer coach and varsity track and field throws coach at Sartell High School from 1998-2002. Following college, he also was an assistant track and field coach at Saint John’s University during the spring of 2000.

Kimble received his Bachelor of Arts from Saint John’s University in Elementary Education with a concentration in Social Studies in December 1999.  He then went on to earn his Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership from Southwest Minnesota State University in 2007.  He is currently working on his second Master’s in Sports Management from St. Cloud State University. Kimble also holds a United States Soccer Federation “B” license and a National Soccer Coaches Association of America Advanced National diploma.

As a high school athlete at Sartell, he was a part of the 1994 Minnesota Class A State Football Championship team in which he was an all-state defensive end.  In 1995, he won the MN Class A state championship in the discus.

As a member of the track and field team at Saint John’s, he was an All-American in the decathlon, a three-time MIAC champion, and a five-time All-MIAC athlete.  He still holds the school record in the decathlon.

Kimble will take over the soccer program and the administrative position from Kate McNeil, who resigned in May for family reasons.

Kimble and his family currently reside in Baxter.

Several weeks ago we checked in with native Minnesotan, Max Lipset and his PDL team the Kitsap Pumas. We will continue to follow Max through the incredible season the first year Kitsap program is having in Seattle.

BREMERTON, Wash. (AP) – Last night, as Kitsap Pumas forward Stephen Phillips was being interviewed by a local blogger, his teammates Matt Friesen and Mark Conrad snuck up behind him to dump a cooler of ice water on him.

It was the only way to cool off the hot foot of Phillips, whose two scores were enough for Kitsap to defeat the Seattle Wolves 2-0 Tuesday night at Bremerton Memorial HS Stadium. The win gives the streaking Pumas a perfect 4-0 record on this current homestand and sixth-straight league win overall.

The victory gives Kitsap (10-0-2, 32 league points) a commanding seven-point lead over the Portland Timbers U23 in the race for the USL Premier Development League Northwest Division title.

The club also increased its goal differential to whopping +26 (33 for, 7 against) and move to the top of the entire 68-team PDL table by a point over the Long Island Rough Riders.

“We know we’re playing well and we’re a good team,” head coach John Wedge said afterward. “We just keep rolling.”

Goalkeeper Dustyn Brim felt the entire team gave its all on the pitch against the Wolves.

“Full credit (goes) to the team,” he said. “Bodies were flying – on every single opportunity we had we were throwing whatever we had in front of the ball. When you put in an effort like that, you’re going to get a good result.”

Many of the 1,123 were still getting settled in their seats when Phillips’ first goal came in the second minute. Defender Stephen Mohn made a fantastic pass from deep in Kitsap’s own end to Phillips, who was streaking into Seattle’s penalty box.

With a Seattle defender on his hip, the rookie shook him off, then beat charging Wolves goalkeeper John Moore to deftly place the ball into the left corner of the goal.

The goal set a new record for quickest score in franchise history.

Eight minutes later, Taylor Hyde made a pass from deep in Kitsap’s end to the 6-foot-1 forward in stride towards the goal again which forward Spencer Schomaker flicked on to Phillips. Even with two defenders on him and Moore charging after him, Phillips tapped the ball past him for his second score of the game. It’s the third time this season the Sandy, Utah native has scored two goals in a match. He also leads the team in goals (7) and points (17.)

“My dad always told me to never slow down, so I just try to keep going – especially when you have that little burst of pace on them and you’re ahead of them,” Phillips said of his second score. “That slide toe poke – it was just instinct, I guess.”

“Just seeing him fight those two guys off – every time he gets in a dangerous space, I’m on my toes knowing he’s going to score,” Brim said. Wedge praised Phillips for yet another strong performance.

“He’s amazing,” he said. “You don’t think he’s going to get to a ball, but he stretches out (and gets it)… he’s so composed out there.”

The defense and midfield took over for the rest of the game, not letting the Wolves into its end for much of the first half, then turning away a more spirited Seattle effort in the second.

Despite the numerous Wolves throw-ins and corner kicks that found their way into a crowded penalty box, the Pumas back line of Stephen Mohn, Taylor Hyde, Max Lipset and Mark Lee, along with Brim, held firm.Tonight’s win marks the fifth shutout in nine starts for Brim and lowers his goals allowed average to a minuscule .333 for the season.

“We have a lot of big boys so I wasn’t worried about (Seattle’s) height at all,” Brim said. “As long as we make sure we’re on our toes and attacking everything and as soon as we clear it out – boom! – we’re flying out to cover it again. Credit to the whole team for that.”

“They were outstanding,” Wedge said of his defense’s performance. “They had a number of great defensive headers… I’m very, very proud of them.”

Wedge also said another key was Seattle not having one of its starters - and captain - available.

“We knew they were without their big guy in the back,”  he said, referring to Seattle defender Dan Scott, who was out on a red card suspension from the Wolves’ previous match. “We were able to win the ball in the air, and that proved to be the difference.”

The season couldn’t have gone any better for the Pumas so far, and Brim feels it’s due to a sense of brotherhood that has developed within the side.

“The whole team has come together so fast and so tight,” he said. “We do everything together off the field. We’re around each other 24/7. Normally you would get tired of people and you’re not – we just keep plugging for each other and having fun with each other.”

They’ll try to keep the fun going this Saturday night when the Pumas travel to Portland for another big game with the Timbers U23.

Will Sturgess and Eli Gordley won’t be available for that game. Gordley is still out with a sprained ankle, while Sturgess suffered soft tissue damage to the ligaments and tendons in his right ankle during practice on Monday. Wedge said Gordley will be back in a week. They originally feared Sturgess was lost for the season, but the team trainer told him last night that he might be back in a week as well.

Tony Kerr also suffered an injury when a hard-hit ball struck his hand in the first half. He went out for a bit but returned to play out the first and most of the second with his hand taped before being subbed for by Aziz Dieng in the 57th minute.

The Minnesota Thunder showed lots of heart in the US Open Cup contest against the Kansas City Wizards. They scrapped all night to come from behind, but in the end it just wasn’t enough.

The Thunder fell behind early by 2 goals, both that were controversial. The refereeing team did one of the worst jobs of overseeing a game that I have seen in my many years of observing soccer. In fact, 5 of 6 goals scored in regulation and overtime were questionable at best. I will possibly elaborate more on this later when I have the time. The score ended 3-3 at the end of overtime.

In the end, the Thunder’s hard work was not enough as the Wizards defeated the Thunder 4-2 in penalty kicks. Overall it was a good effort from our local team and that fans that stayed to the end gave the Thunder a big standing ovation.

For more details on the game:

Minnesota Thunder’s story.

Kansas City Wizards story.

Star Tribune story.

US Open Cup scoreboard

Other US Open Cup results:

Rochester Rhinos (USL-1) 1:1 Columbus Crew (MLS)
Rochester advance on PKs 5-3

Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2) 1:0 Chicago Fire (MLS)

New England Revolution (MLS) 1:2 (aet) Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2)

DC United (MLS) 2:0 Ocean City Barons (PDL)

Charleston Battery (USL-1) 3:1 Chivas USA (MLS)

Minnesota Thunder (USL-1) 3:3 Kansas City Wizards (MLS)
Kansas City advances on PKs 4-2

Many of the Wizards players may not remember the last time the Minnesota Thunder played and defeated them in Kansas City. It was the famous Thunder 2005 US Open Cup run and Minnesota defeated the Wizards away 3-1. It was the third MLS team that the Thunder sent to shame. The team ended up losing in the semifinals of the competition to the LA Galaxy as they played away at the Home Depot. However, the trip to Kansas City was special as was the victory. Many of the Dark Cloud supporters made the trip on a chartered bus and other fans made the trip down on their own.

It was a memorable night and one I captured by photographing and then creating a video slide show commemorating the victory. Could this be another special night tonight? Interestingly enough, the first victory in that 2005 Open Cup run was against the Chicago Fire PDL team. We hadn’t played the Fire again until 2 weeks ago when we sent them to defeat again, 4-1.  Coincidence?  I hope not!

Enjoy and let’s rock the NSC tonight!

Links to previews of today’s game between the Minnesota Thunder and the Kansas City Wizards. The game takes place at the National Sports Center tonight at 7:35 p.m. and tickets can be obtained through the Thunder front office or at the gate.

• The Kansas City Star gives us a brief look at the game and some quotes from coach Curt Onalfo.

• Mike from Down the Bylines, a Wizards blog, gives us a better preview of the game.

• David LaVaque of the Star Tribune pens a very nice article about the Thunder’s approach to this game.

• Major League Soccer.net has a very complete preview of the game.

Come early and tailgate with the Dark Cloud supporters in the parking lot!

A delayed edition of USL Week in Review

With a full slate of USL PDL, USL W-League and USL-1 games that I attended in my home state of Minnesota this weekend, along with the historic US v Brazil Confederations Cup game, this blogger is offering you a delayed edition of the weekly USL-1 report. So much soccer and so little time to report on it.

I’m makeing***

League News

USL named their First Division Team of the Week - Week #11:

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United Soccer Leagues announced the Team of the Week honors for the 11th week of the USL season, honoring Puerto Rico’s Bill Gaudette as the USL First Division Player of the Week.

Last year, the 2008 USL-1 Goalkeeper of the Year started the season off with only two shutouts in the Islanders’ first 12 games. Puerto Rico’s Bill Gaudette appears to be mirroring that campaign in 2009, posting back-to-back shutouts over league-leading Charleston two weekends ago after posting just one in his first 12. The pair of 1-0 wins allowed the Islanders to jump from fourth to first in a matter of three days.

Pos   Name   Team  Highlights

G Bill Gaudette Puerto Rico Two shutout wins against Charleston

D John Ball Rochester Two assists in 2-0 win at Austin

D David Hayes Portland Goal, assist in 5-1 win over Minnesota

D John Krause Puerto Rico Goal in 1-0 win over Charleston

D Cristiano Dias Miami Led team to pair of wins at Cleveland

M Matt Watson Carolina Goal in 1-1 draw at Austin

M Michael Callahan Austin Assist in 1-1 draw against Carolina

M Kwame Sarkodie Rochester Goal in 2-0 win at Austin

F George Josten Portland Goal, assist in 5-1 win over Minnesota

F Paulo Araujo Miami Goal, assist in pair of wins at Cleveland

F Rocco Placentino Montreal Goal, assist in 2-1 win over Vancouver

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USL-1 Goal of the Week
Trailing on the road, Minnesota Thunder midfielder Ricardo Sanchez cut into the deficit before the break with a perfectly paced free kick against the Portland Timbers for the USL Goal of the Week.

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A tribute to former USL PDL players
As we all watched the US National team have great success in the Confederations Cup, there were numerous USL PDL players that participated in the tournament for the US. Former PDL players featured in the tournament were Jay DeMerit (2001-02; Watford FC/ENG), Jonathan Spector (2001; West Ham United/ENG) and goalkeeper Brad Guzan (2004-05; Aston Villa/ENG). Charlie Davies (Hammarby/SWE), who featured for the Westchester Flames in 2006, saw a lot of minutes in the tournament. Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo/US) was also a Fire PDL man.

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RailHawks to face Panama in Historic International Exhibition
The Carolina RailHawks will play a historic international friendly against the Panamanian National team on Tuesday, June 30 at 7 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park.

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Star Tribune’s Secret Fan: Thunder (and lots of rain)
The Star Tribune in Minneapolis, Minnesota has been featuring a series of articles called the “Secret Fan.”  The idea is they send a writer out anonymously to observe a pro sports event in the metro area and they report on their experience. The Minnesota Thunder were second in the Star Tribune’s 10-part series on taking in the fan experience at Twin Cities-area sporting events. The writer game out to a very rainy US Open Cup game. He left wet but with a good experiance.

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US Open Cup news

There’s a full slate of 3rd round US Open Cup games this week.  See the games listed below but please go to US Open Cup for exact game times, locations and Joshua Hakala has got links to who is covering the games via TV, blogging or by Twitter.

3rd Round Action June 30, 2009

Harrisburg City Islanders (USL-2) at New England Revolution (MLS)
Veterans Stadium - New Britain, CT | 7 p.m.

Ocean City Barons (PDL) at D.C. United (MLS)
Maryland Soccerplex - Boyds, MD | 7:30 p.m.

Chicago Fire (MLS) at Wilmington Hammerheads (USL-2)
Legion Stadium - Wilmington, NC | 7 p.m.

Chivas USA (MLS) at Charleston Battery (USL-1)
Blackbaud Stadium - Charleston, SC | 7:30 p.m.

Columbus Crew (MLS) at Rochester Rhinos (USL-1)
Marina Auto Stadium - Rochester, NY | 7 p.m.

Kansas City Wizards (MLS) at Minnesota Thunder (USL-1)
National Sports Center - Blaine, MN | 8:35 p.m.

3rd Round Action JULY 1, 2009

Houston Dynamo (MLS) at Austin Aztex (USL-1)
Nelson Field - Austin, TX | 8:30 p.m.

Seattle Sounders F.C. (MLS) at Portland Timbers (USL-1)
PGE Park - Portland, OR | 10 p.m.

You can track the third round of the US Open Cup here.

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Ansu Toure
Vancouver announced on Wednesday that midfielder Ansu Toure would undergo knee ligament surgery. He is expected back for the end of the season.

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Rhinos acquire forward, defender
The injury-plagued Rhinos have acquired two players, forward Warren Ukah and defender Ty Harden, to bolster their thin, 19-player roster.

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Joey Saputo is making Montreal to MLS noise again
“I’m trying to push for 2011,” Saputo said. “I feel very, very comfortable that we’ll be ready. We’ve spoken about that with the [MLS] commissioner [Don Garber], and he understands that.” Soccernet with the story.

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Nash brothers team up for charity
Vancouver Whitecaps FC team captain Martin Nash took part in the second annual ‘Showdown in Chinatown’ charity soccer match last Wednesday along with his slightly more famous brother Steve. Both those Nash brother can play some football. The Vancouver Whitecaps have the story and so does Adam Spangler at This Is American Soccer.

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Gbeke called up for Canadian National Team duty
Charles Gbeke has been called up to Canada’s Men’s National Team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

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Akinbiyi, Noel-Williams set to reunite
Austin’s Gifton Noel-Williams and Houston’s Ade Akinbiyi became close friends during their time playing together back in England and get a chance to see each other again Wednesday in the U.S. Open Cup.

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Two more MLS players loaned to Aztex
Early in the season I predicted that Austin might surprise a few people this year as a start up USL-1 franchise, but I also said they were very thin in depth, which matters in the long grueling seasons of USL-1. Because of injuries and that thin bench, Austin will bring back the Houston Dynamo’s Erik Ustruck on a free loan, this time on a more permanent basis. Ustruck’s loan will last until the end of August. Los Angeles Galaxy defender Yohance Marshall will also be with the Aztex on a free loan that will last a week, meaning the Trinidad & Tobago national will be available for Saturday’s game against Cleveland and Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup third round match against the Dynamo.  To add depth at Austin’s goalie position, which is lacking starter Miguel Gallardo with a leg injury, the Aztex will also sign goalkeeper coach David Winner to the roster to provide a backup to Sam Reynolds.

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Coaches lead star-studded Bayern Munich II cast
Led by coaches Mehmet Scholl and Gerd Mueller, both German soccer icons, Germany’s Bayern Munich II is set to bring a star-studded cast to Portland, Ore., for its preseason tour, which includes an exhibition match against the Portland Timbers at PGE Park on July 2 at 7 p.m.

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Thunder’s Leonel Saint-Preux to Join Haitian National Team
Leonel Saint-Preux will join the Haitian national team to compete in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

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Thunder to Host Guatemalan Champion C.S.D. Comunicaciones July 22 in Schwan’s USA Cup Challenge
The Minnesota Thunder announced today that it will face off against Guatemala’s storied soccer team, Club Social y Deportivo Comunicaciones, in an international matchup at the National Sports Center in Blaine on Wednesday, July 22 in the annual Schwan’s USA Cup Challenge. Kick-off is set for 7:35pm.

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888

RESULTS THIS PAST WEEK:

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

7:00 pm Vancouver Whitecaps  2-2  Cleveland City Stars @ Middlefield Cheese Stadium (Bedford) - Game Report - Box Scores
Scoring Summary:
VAN: Marcus Haber (Martin Nash) 18
CLE: Leo Gibson (Ibrahim Kante) 28
CLE: Pato Aguilera (penalty) 45
VAN: Martin Nash 90
Attendance: 1066

7:45 pm Miami FC  0-1  Montreal Impact @ Saputo Stadium - Game Report - Box Scores
Scoring Summary:
MON: Nevio Pizzolitto (Sandro Grande) 80
Attendance: 12676

Thur, June 25, 2009
(Fox Soccer Channel)

8:00 pm Puerto Rico Islanders 0-1 Charleston Battery @ Blackbaud Stadium - Game Report - Box Scores
Scoring Summary:
CHA: Randi Patterson 30
Attendance: 4681

Sat, June 27, 2009

7:00 pm Austin Aztex  2-2  Cleveland City Stars @ Middlefield Cheese Stadium (Bedford) - Game Report - Box Scores
Scoring Summary:
CLE: Joshua Boateng (Israel Sesay) 11
AUS: Josh Alcala (Eddie Johnson) 30
AUS: Jeff Harwell (Kyle Brown) 38
CLE: Ricardo Pierre-Louis (Israel Sesay) 90
Attendance: 1517

7:00 pm Puerto Rico Islanders  2-1  Carolina RailHawks @ WakeMed Soccer Park - Game Report - Box Scores
Scoring Summary:
CAR: Amir Lowery 40
PR: Jonathan Steele 42
PR: Petter Villegas 63
Ejections
PR: John Krause 85
Attendance: 2783

8:35 pm Rochester Rhinos  2-1  Minnesota Thunder @ National Sport Center - Game Report - Box Scores
Scoring Summary:
ROC: Andrew Gregor (Chris Nurse) 32
ROC: Mike Ambersley (Kwame Sarkodie) 82
MIN: Brian Cvilikas (Marco Terminesi) 89
Attendance: 3421

Sunday, June 28, 2009

8:00 pm Montreal Impact  0-4 Portland Timbers @ PGE Park - Game Report - Box Scores
Scoring Summary:
POR: Mandjou Keita (David Hayes) 9
POR: Mandjou Keita (George Josten) 47
POR: Brian Farber (George Josten) 56
POR: Own goal 64
Attendance: 7783

IIMS~IMS~IMS~IMS~IMS

GAMES THIS COMING WEEK:

Games times are listed EST. Games all available on USL Live except Friday night game available on Fox Soccer Channel.

Friday, July 3, 2009
(Fox Soccer Channel)

8:00 pm Austin Aztex at Cleveland City Stars @ Middlefield Cheese Stadium (Bedford)

Sat, July 4, 2009

8:00 pm Puerto Rico Islanders at  Miami FC @ FIU Stadium

8:05 pm Portland Timbers at Minnesota Thunder @ National Sport Center

Sunday, July 5, 2009

3:00 pm Austin Aztex at Rochester Rhinos @ Rochester Rhinos Stadium

3:45 pm Charleston Battery at Montreal Impact @ Saputo Stadium

USL-1 Standings

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As promised last week, the USL-1 goalkeeping stats to this point of the season.

Hey folks, I hope you join me by taking part in the oldest sporting tournament in the U.S. Come out and see your Minnesota Thunder take on the Kansas City Wizards of MLS on Tuesday evening June 30, at 7:35.
Tickets can be purchased in advance by clicking on the image or at the stadium Tuesday night. Tickets start at $10.00.

The Kansas City Star is reporting that Curt Onalfo’s Kansas City Wizards will roster a team of reserve players when they take on the Minnesota Thunder on Tuesday night June 30, at 7:30 p.m. in the third round of the US Open Cup. The game will be carried on USL Live.com.

Onalfo told the paper that he will probably only use two starters in the contest against the Thunder.

“You shouldn’t play Sunday-Tuesday — it’s not the right thing for the athlete,” said Onalfo, “But that’s what we’re dealt with, and we’ll overcome whatever gets thrown in our path.”

Evidently Onalfo is not familiar with USL-1 schedules that often see teams playing 2 games in the course of 2 to 3 days.

The Star goes on to say that the team will also be without the services of midfielder Davy Arnaud and defender Jimmy Conrad as well as midfielder Roger Espinoza. Arnaud and Conrad will be with the US National team and Espinoza with the Honduras National team. All three players will be participating in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Onalfo’s concern’s are genuine and legitimate but again it seems as if the US Open Cup takes low priority for MLS teams.

I decided to conduct a poll to see which US National Team player gained the most amount of notoriety from the US’s success in the Confederations Cup. There are a number of players who already are sitting with decent contracts in Europe, like Tim Howard,  Clint Dempsey and Carlos Bocanegra. These players are also known entities in Europe.

However, there are players like Oguchi Onyewu who are looking to sign a new contract and still others like Jay DeMerit and Charlie Davies who have teams but their solid play could possibly help them to move up to better teams. There is no doubt that Landon Donovan was clearly the best player for the US and he improved his stock more than anyone else.

Keeping all this in mind, after Landon Donovan, whose stock went up the most from their play in the Confederations Cup?

Dear me, I’ve done it again. I spent too much time watching soccer and spending time with friends and family instead of sticking myself in front of a computer and writing lots of content for Inside Minnesota Soccer. I’m with Sepp Blatter, it would be a bit easier if we were on the European football schedule where one could write about soccer during the cold weather months when you can’t do as much outdoors. But the beautiful summer weather is upon us here in Minnesota and I have to admit that at times I feel blogger’s guilt that I’m not outputting more content and am just enjoying myself too much. That is not to say that I don’t enjoy writing and editing Inside Minnesota Soccer because I do. So with that said let’s do a quick wrap up of the weekend and then I will try to get to more content tonight.

First of all look, for the USL Week in Review later tonight.

Rochester Thunder PDL

As posted here, I was at the Rochester Thunder PDL game on Friday evening in Rochester MN. The Thunder won that game 4-1 over the Springfield, MO Demize but then fell to the Des Moines Menace on Sunday, 1-0.

The Lightning and the Thunder played a double header on Saturday at the National Sports Center.

Lightning
The Lightning came out strong in their game with the Cleveland Internationals. In fact, all the scoring happened in the first half and most of that was early. Caroline Smith scored for the Lightning to kick things off in the 6th minute. Six minutes later Kelsey Hood added another to the tally for Minnesota. Chelsea Cline finished the scoring for the day with an unassisted goal in the 27th minute. That would be all the scoring for the day and for the action as well, as the second half saw neither team that seemed to be able to get anything going.

Thunder
The Thunder were  hoping to get a win on Saturday evening to start things off in a positive direction as they headed into a stretch of home games including a US Open Cup game with the Kansas City Wizards on Tuesday. However, Donny Gramenz’s team was without 3 key starters from red cards in the last league game against Portland. Tarley, Arango and James were all missing due to suspension. Kevin Friedland is still nursing his hamstring injury and Rich Costanzo was out with his elbow separation. Also, Leonel Saint-Preux is out for the next month for international duty with Haiti, and Andrew Peterson was attending his brother’s wedding which was OK’d long before the Thunder knew they would be struggling for players.

The Thunder started Marcus Watson for the first time this season but the young defender needed to leave the field for injury in the 20th minute, forcing Gramenz to use Dale Weiler as a left back.

The Thunder ended up losing to Rochester Rhinos 2-1 in a game that was fairly evenly played. However, the Thunder lacked any sort of inspiration and one wondered the whole game where a goal would come from for the home team as they struggled to find any creativity in the attacking third. Brian Cvilikas finally broke though with a goal in the 89th minute from sub and Thunder newcomer Marco Terminesi. But it was too little too late and the Thunder fell to defeat once again.

With 12 games played, the team is now 1-7-4 with only 7 points and dead bottom of the USL-1 table. The worst start ever for a Minnesota Thunder team.

US v Brazil Confederations Cup Final
Just in case you hadn’t noticed, there was a huge game on Sunday. Yup, that US v Brazil Confederations Cup Final that I’m guessing almost everyone who is reading this blog watched. A tale of two halves to be sure. How exciting was it when Dempsey flicked that ball into the goal early. The second goal combination between Davies and Donovan was simply brilliant and those in attendance at the Sweetwater bar went crazy.

The second half was painful. I remember thinking that I couldn’t handle much more tension as my stomach literally hurt from my anxiousness. The early goal in the second half for Brazil was a killer and you could see it in the faces of the US players. As Brazil continued to attack with no answer from the Americans you knew it was all but inevitable. Eventually the Brazilians broke down the back line of the US defense and the spirits of not only the 11 Americans on the pitch but of every US soccer supporter in the world. Brazil left no doubt who was the better team and who deserved the title with a 3-2 win that could have been 4-2 after a goal by Brazil that crossed the line but was never called by the referee.  The result was a disappointment for US Soccer, but in taking a step back we will see this as a major step forward in the progression of the US Soccer programs. By the way, in 15 meetings with the Brazilians, the US has only won once.

Sweetwater
We had over 120 people at the Sweetwater yesterday afternoon. The word is getting out, the Sweetwater is an official US Soccer bar and the place to be for US National Team games.