Showing posts in the “Carolina RailHawks” category
Neil Morris ·
17 Mar 2010, 9:36 AM ·
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A joint press conference featuring coaches and players for the Carolina RailHawks and Major League Soccer’s New England Revolution was designed to promote the teams’ preseason friendly this Saturday evening, March 20, at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary.
However, another continuing revolution again took center stage thanks to one attendee, RailHawks’ President Brian Wellman.
Joining Wellman for Tuesday’s press conference at the Hilton Garden Inn in Durham, N.C. were RailHawks’ coach Martin Rennie and captain Mark Schulte, together with longtime Revolution head coach Steve Nicol and two of their young players, Raleigh natives Darrius Barnes (a Duke University grad) and Zack Schilawski (a former Wake Forest standout). All appeared before members of the local media and a smattering of diehard RailHawks supporters.
Barnes enters his second season with New England as the only field player in MLS to play every minute of every game during his last year’s rookie outing. Meanwhile, Schilawski is embarking on his rookie season with the Revolution after the team drafted him in the first round of this year’s MLS SuperDraft. Although Schilawski will play in Saturday’s game, Nicol confirmed that Barnes will not due to a minor injury.
Last year, the RailHawks won the Community Shield match against New England, 1-0. This year’s game marks the end of the Revolution’s 10-day training visit to WakeMed Park. Last weekend, the Revs traveled to Charlotte, where they defeated the USL-2’s Charlotte Eagles 2-0. The match against Carolina will be their final tune-up before the scheduled MLS season opener against the L.A. Galaxy on March 27—a event that could be delayed or canceled if the ongoing MLS labor dispute isn’t resolved by then.
I will defer to the RailHawks’s revamped Web site for much of the arduous work of transcribing the comments that came from the dais. It is safe to say that the Railhawks enter the season a hungry and confident kettle. Coming off last year’s regular season runner-up finish in USL-1, which included winning the most matches in the league, Rennie returns the core of his squad along with several new, key pieces.
“For players and for coach, a second-place finish isn’t what we’re after,” said team captain Schulte. “We want to be first. It was a commendable season, considering no one really knew each other the first month or so. This year, I think is going to be something special.”
But, it was Wellman who sounded the most insurgent chord, using his opening prepared comments to expound on the mindset of both his team and its fledgling, as-yet-unsanctioned league, the North American Soccer League (NASL).
“Every roster spot is a meaningful spot, and Martin has a plan for every guy on the roster to get us deeper in the playoffs and contend for championships in both the U.S. Open Cup as well as the NASL league cup.”
The latter reference is eyebrow-raising, seeing how such a cup does not currently exist. The USSF has mandated that the member squads of both the USL-1 and NASL play in a combined USSF-sanctioned Division 2 league for 2010. Neither the USL-1 or NASL are individually sanctioned as D2 leagues by USSF this year. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Brian Wellman, Community Shield, Darrius Barnes, Mark Schulte, Martin Rennie, MLS, NASL, New England Revolution, Nic Platter, Ramak Safi, Steve Nicol, striker from The Gambia, Zack Schilawski
David Fellerath ·
11 Mar 2010, 10:47 AM ·
2 Comments
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/CARY—The first thing we saw last night was a red-clad team that looked like the N.C. State Wolfpack. Then we saw a team that was neither the Wolfpack nor the Carolina RailHawks. Closer observation revealed that the New England Revolution were in town, finishing up a light workout on their first day of training in Cary in advance of next week’s friendly versus the RailHawks.
The Revolution left the field and soon RailHawks began showing up in twos and threes. Warmups began. It was good to see Matt Watson on his feet again after that broken leg from last September. We overheard team captain Mark Schulte introducing himself to an unfamiliar teammate who would turn out to be Thomas Stewart, late of Derry City in the Irish First Division. Amir Lowery strolled up midway through warmups, howdying the onlookers like the celebrity he should be someday. Brian Plotkin, still recuperating from a groin injury, jogged on the adjacent field until he was informed by a RailHawks staff member that the field was closed (and perhaps toxic).
Off in the distance, someone who looked like goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell—who we thought was training with the New York Red Bulls—watched the proceedings for a few minutes before disappearing.
A light drizzle and overcast skies portended an unpleasant viewing experience, but the water went away and we were left with wind and a gloomy, unlit and pocky field. The RailHawks eventually played a game, spanking the fiesty Wolfpack by a score of 4-1. Although the Wolfpack—a solid, above-average team in the nation’s best college soccer conference—fought for every ball and enjoyed a fair amount of possession, they never seriously challenged the RailHawks defense.
“If it hadn’t been for the penalty, we defended well tonight and probably should have had a clean sheet,” RailHawks coach Martin Rennie said after the game. “We were working on a couple of set plays, defensively, which I felt we did quite well on. Generally speaking, there were guys getting 90 minutes for the first time. They got tired but that’s part of this process. We’re training twice every day and then playing games.”
The first two RailHawks goals were scored in the first half by an unnamed “Trialist No. 16″ playing up top, who turned in balls delivered from the Gregory Richardson side of the field. The third goal also came in the first half, on a Daniel Paladini free kick from 20 yards that he casually dinked into the lower left corner—completely ignoring the “wall” that was in front of him. The fourth came in the second half, when Stewart, fresh off a transatlantic flight, tapped in a cross from the left. Continue reading »
ACC, Carolina RailHawks, N.C. State, Soccer Caleb Patterson Sewell, Daniel Paladini, Derry City FC, friendly, Gregory Richardson, Joseph Kabwe, Jun Marques Davidson, Martin Rennie, NC State Wolfpack, New England Revolution, New York Red Bulls, Nic Platter, Ramak Niakan Safi, Thomas Stewart, Trialist No. 16, Zane Tharakan
David Fellerath ·
4 Mar 2010, 2:58 PM ·
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“Don’t count us out just yet,” seems to be the message from the United Soccer Leagues today. As anticipated by early media reports, the USL-1 upped the ante in the ongoing struggle over the future of Division 2 soccer in North America.
The league announced that Orlando will operate a USL-1 franchise beginning next season, as part of its plan to “re-establish” its first division, which is currently playing under the auspices of the U.S. Soccer Federation along with teams from the rival NASL.
The new franchise will be operated by NY Empire Lacrosse, LLC and will be called the Titans. NY Empire Lacrosse brought professional lacrosse to the Orlando market in January and appears to have settled on outdoor soccer as the best way to diversify its pro sports operations.
“We looked at several different options, including indoor soccer and hockey, but in the end, professional outdoor soccer made the most sense in terms of being able to utilize our staff on a year-round basis without a lot of overlap in the seasons,” NY Empire president Steve Donner said in a USL press release.
The Titans have no playing facility yet, but the organization is “exploring options on a home facility and hope to make an announcement in the near future,” according to the release.
There are currently three USL-1 teams: Portland, Puerto Rico and Austin. Portland will begin play in the MLS next season, so the introduction of Orlando means the number of USL-1 teams slated to play in 2011 remains at three. It’ll be interesting to see if the USL has more such announcements up its sleeve, as there’s purportedly a required minimum of eight clubs for sanctioning by the U.S. Soccer Federation (notwithstanding this season’s six-team USL-2).
It’s also more than a little interesting that there are now three D2 soccer franchises in Florida (Miami FC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies are committed to the NASL).
The “NY Empire” moniker for the company might raise some eyebrows. Turns out that Steve Donner’s sports background includes an ownership stint with the Rochester Rhinos. For background, see Jeff DiVeronica’s post on the blog of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. (He’s rather skeptical of this Florida venture.)
Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer NASL, Orlando Titans, steve donner, USL-1
David Fellerath ·
25 Feb 2010, 12:30 PM ·
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The man from Malta (Photo by Stew Jones)
Fans of Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon know that, in the end, the prized statuette turns out to be a forgery. After a couple of weeks of hints that a major Maltese international striker was on the way (how many MMISs can there be?), the RailHawks finally have produced a parcel containing said prize.
Meet Etienne Barbara, a 6-foot-1, 27-year-old striker from Pietà, Malta. There are high hopes for him indeed: Martin Rennie, having been tipped to Barbara’s availability, traveled to the Mediterranean island specifically to scout him. In a team press release, Rennie says:
‘I saw his videos and I was real impressed, and I spoke to some people who also told me, This guy is really, really good. I made the decision to go watch him play, and I was blown away by what he did. I’m hoping that will translate to our league, and I believe it will. He’s got pace, power and he can finish and he’s just an all-around player. He’ll add a lot to our squad.’
Barbara will bring a solid record of accomplishment to Cary, with 70 goals since 1999, a period he mostly spent in the Maltese Premier League. Barbara has 30 caps with Malta’s national team, although he is not currently listed on the roster. He also had a short stint with the German fourth-tier semipro side SC Verl, a tenure that apparently ended with his dismissal for disciplinary reasons (the source cited on Barbara’s Wiki page is a German news site, where it appears that further browsing in Deutsch is necessary).
Following the Internet trail of Barbara’s career is fascinating. We realize just how ubiquitous soccer is elsewhere on the planet—where a country as tiny as Malta can have a multi-tiered league system, and, correspondingly, where there can be excellent prospects toiling away that require diligence, pavement-pounding and international connections to locate.
It appears, too, that last summer Barbara merited a close look by English Championship side Sheffield Wednesday when that club was in preseason training in Malta. According to this report, then-coach Brian Laws (now the coach of Burnley) ultimately determined that Barbara, though “definitely a talented player who has trained very hard with us this week,” wasn’t quite good enough to aid in Sheffield Wednesday’s push for the upper echelon of the Championship. (Wednesday is currently in 21st place, one point above the relegation zone.)
This isn’t to suggest that Barbara won’t be a key ingredient for the RailHawks—it’s unlikely that Rennie would have gone to such lengths merely to add a little squad depth—but that this information gives us an idea of where the RailHawks and American D2 soccer fit into the global soccer matrix (somewhere around England’s League One, perhaps).
It’s an encouraging signing for the RailHawks, who needed another striker option. Last year’s team scored 43 goals, third-best in the league, but 21 percent of those goals came in a single game. Returning forwards Sallieu Bundu and Andriy Budnyy had their moments last season, and Matthew Delicâte, on a late-season loan from USL-2 Richmond, provided spark and creativity, but RailHawk attack has lacked a consistently ruthless presence inside the box. Clearly, Rennie hopes Barbara can bring that finishing touch.
Barbara is currently playing for the Maltese side Hibernians, where he will remain until late March.
Press release below.
Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Andriy Budnyy, Brian Laws, Dashiell Hammett, Etienne Barbara, Hibernians, Malta, Martin Rennie, Sallieu Bundu, Sheffield Wednesday
Neil Morris ·
20 Feb 2010, 8:44 PM ·
1 Comment
MIDDLE CREEK PARK/ CARY—The outcome of the Carolina RailHawks’ first scrimmage of the 2010 USSF Division 2 soccer season was as incidental as its venue. For the record, the RailHawks defeated Duke University 3-2 in a match held at Middle Creek Park in Cary, an above-average parks & rec facility devoid of seating or a scoreboard. A modest number of die-hard fans—representing both sides—watched from along the touchline, close enough to hear the bawdy on-field clamor that normally evaporates in the more spacious confines of WakeMed Park.
Still, the match was sporty and well-contested, as evidenced by the urgent tenor of the players on the pitch. For the RailHawks, this debut preseason match was more an opportunity to observe a number of players vying to earn a spot on the team’s roster, prospects referred to generically as “trialists.” For various reasons, even the identities of these trialists are shrouded in mystery—inquiries to head coach Martin Rennie about the names of several went unanswered.
The RailHawks’ first half side was comprised almost entirely of trialists, joined only by returning midfielder Kupono Low, forward Sallieu Bundu and goalkeeper Eric Reed. Not coincidentally, Duke controlled the half and jumped out to a 2-0 lead, which was cut to 2-1 near halftime when one prospect punched a Bundu cross past the goalkeeper.
The RailHawks’ second half featured more familiar and formidable faces. Joining Reed and trialist Shintaro Harada from the opening stanza were Daniel Paladini, Andriy Budnyy, Mark Schulte, Joseph Kabwe, John Gilkerson, Devon McKenney, Josh Gardner, newcomer Floyd Franks and forward prospect Joseph Ngwenya, a 28-year-old Zimbabwean striker whose resume includes productive stints with the L.A. Galaxy, Columbus Crew and Houston Dynamo. Ngwenya hammered through the equalizer midway through the second half (see the goal here). Then Low, subbing for an injured Franks, chipped in the game-winner just before the referee blew the full-time whistle.
“Duke was really strong, so I was impressed with them, especially in the first half,” said Rennie. “Then, in the second half we took our chances and played quite well. It’s just the first week of training and it’s more important to get our fitness going and things like that, but it’s always nice to win.”
The daunting tryout process is best encapsulated by the case of Harada, a venerable Japanese defender/midfielder who last year starred with Crystal Palace Baltimore in USL-2. Besides Reed, only Harada played the entire match against Duke, displaying skill and passing efficiency. But, when asked after the game about Harada’s chances of making the club, Rennie stated, “We’re probably not going to sign him. He was trying out and played well during the course of the week, but probably not quite well enough.” Indeed, Ngwenaya is the only prospect from the Duke match that Rennie said was still being seriously considered for a roster spot.
Other news and notes:
- Leading up to training camp, the RailHawks have been stockpiling new defensive help, including Franks, 2009 USL-1 First-Team All-Leaguer Matt Bobo, and others. When asked when help was arriving for the front third, Rennie responded, “Well, Gregory Richardson will be back in a week, and we’ve signed someone we think is a big-time player from Malta who will be here pretty soon. We’ve also got Matt Watson coming back from injury, who is an attacking player. We’ll probably add another guy, but with all of those [Rennie mentioned], along with the three or four guys we’ve already got, we think we’re pretty close.”
- Josh Gardner’s presence at the Duke scrimmage was a bit unexpected, as it was commonly believed he had departed for opportunities in MLS. According to Rennie, Gardner’s status is still uncertain. “He’s got a potential offer from Seattle [Sounders], so he’ll have to decide what he would like to do. But, he likes being here and we like having him, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”
- In addition to those who played in the Duke scrimmage, other confirmed (officially and unofficially) returnees from last year’s RailHawks squad due to arrive by the end of the month include: Richardson, Watson, Greg Shields, Brian Plotkin, Caleb Norkus, Gavin Glinton and Amir Lowery. Rennie hopes to have his full plate of players by the March 5 preseason match against Elon University.
The RailHawks next preseason scrimmage is Saturday, Feb. 27 against Wake Forest on Field 6 at WakeMed Soccer Park.
Carolina RailHawks, Duke, Soccer Floyd Franks, Joseph Ngwenya, Josh Gardner, Martin Rennie, Shintaro Harada
David Fellerath ·
12 Feb 2010, 9:45 AM ·
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Just in: The Carolina RailHawks have signed Matt Bobo, who was first-team USL defender in 2009 with the Charleston Battery. The arrival of the central defender ensures a strong partner for RailHawks captain and All-League second-teamer Mark Schulte.
The Charleston Battery elected to stay out of this winter’s dispute over the future of second-division soccer by self-relegating to USL-2. One has to wonder whether the Battery’s seclusion in a lower-revenue, six-team league is related to the fact that two of its highest-profile players have departed the club this week: Bobo and former RailHawk back Frankie Sanfilippo, who returned to his original club, the D2 Rochester Rhinos, yesterday, after playing only one year of what was reportedly a multiyear contract.
Press release after the jump. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Charleston Battery, Frankie Sanfilippo, Matt Bobo, USL-2
David Fellerath ·
11 Feb 2010, 2:18 PM ·
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The RailHawks' Aaron King fights for possession in last year's game versus New England.
For the second year in a row, the Carolina RailHawks will open its season with a friendly versus the MLS New England Revolution at WakeMed Soccer Park. Next month’s game will be played on Saturday, March 20, at 7 p.m.
Last year’s contest was played in the middle of a winter monsoon but got the season off to a propitious start for the RailHawks. The 1-0 victory came courtesy of a 16th-minute goal from Mark Schulte, and the victory was saved in the second half on a sensational Caleb Patterson-Sewell open-field stop.
The press release notes several local connections to the game:
In coming back to the Triangle in 2010, the Revolution will be bringing several players with ties to the area and the RailHawks. Defender Darrius Barnes is a Southeast Raleigh High alum, played at Duke and played for the RailHawks’ PDL team for two summers. Midfielder Michael Videira played alongside Barnes at Duke, as well as the RailHawks’ U-23s. And forward Zack Schilawski, the Revs’ first-round pick in last month’s MLS SuperDraft, is a Cary High alum and also played for the RailHawks’ PDL squad for two summers.
Tickets are on sale now. Visit www.carolinarailhawks.com for more information. Full press release after the jump. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Darrius Barnes, Michael Videira, New England Revolution, Zack Schilawski
David Fellerath ·
11 Feb 2010, 12:45 PM ·
1 Comment
Item No. 1.: No new news from the RailHawks front office on signings, but there is, nonetheless, a fresh tidbit about RailHawk winger Josh Gardner, who is trialling with the Seattle Sounders. In a piece published today in The Seattle Times, we learn that Gardner, by his own assessment and others, has matured since he played with the USL Sounders in 2007 and 2008.
Currently training with the team in Arizona, Gardner has been reunited with Sounders gaffer Sigi Schmid, who coached him with the Los Angeles Galaxy from 2004-06. We also learn that Gardner’s trial with the Sounders is partly a result of a close relationship between Schmid and RailHawks coach Martin Rennie, and that Schmid “respects” the Scotsman’s opinion of players.
According to the dispatch by José Miguel Romero, Gardner is on a two-year contract with the RailHawks and expects to return to North Carolina should he not win a place with the Sounders. With his left foot and pace, he should enjoy a good hard look by the Sounders. For the RailHawks in 2009, Gardner saw action in 20 games and notched three assists.
Item No. 2: A few days ago we noted the retirement of defender Jeremy Tolleson, who decided to pursue Christian mission work in Honduras. This morning, we learned a bit more about his new calling: He will be working with an outfit called The Micah Project to assist boys off the street in Tegucigalpa, the country’s capital and one of the more impoverished cities in the Western hemisphere (readers of soccer writer Grant Wahl will recall that he was mugged in that city at gunpoint in broad daylight last October). In this post on The Micah Project’s blog, Tolleson gets a mention.
UPDATE 1:27 p.m. Make it three items of tidbittery: Ex-RailHawk Santiago Fusilier, who failed to secure a place on Martin Rennie’s team last year, has landed a job with Crystal Palace Baltimore.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Crystal Palace Baltimore, Jeremy Tolleson, Josh Gardner, Martin Rennie, Santiago Fusilier, Seattle Sounders, Sigi Schmid
Neil Morris ·
10 Feb 2010, 12:50 PM ·
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One of the Carolina RailHawks’ biggest off-season questions was answered today when the team announced that midfielder Daniel Paladini, last year’s team Most Valuable Player, has re-signed with the Railhawks for the 2010 season.
Carolina RailHawks, NASL, Soccer Daniel Paladini
David Fellerath ·
8 Feb 2010, 10:34 PM ·
3 Comments
The roster updates from the Cary offices of the Carolina RailHawks have been trickling in. There have been heartening re-signings, most notably that of quicksilver Guyanese winger Gregory Richardson. Also back for another season: stalwart defensive midfielder Amir Lowery, goalkeeper Eric Reed, the aggressive midfielders Brian Plotkin and Joseph Kabwe, and defenders Caleb Norkus and Mark Schulte. Right back Greg Shields—currently on loan to Partick Thistle of the Scottish second division (according to the gratifyingly transparent Web site of the Glaswegian club, we know that his loan expires March 31)—seems to be slated for a return, as well.
Today brought two pieces of news. First was the surprising retirement of 2009 team defender of the year Jeremy Tolleson. Only 27 years old, the Atlanta native has elected to hang up his boots and become a missionary in Honduras. Tolleson began last season on the sidelines, recuperating from a foot injury. His return came at a fortuitous time, however, when central defender Jack Stewart was lost for the season with a broken leg. Tolleson subsequently partnered with Schulte to anchor the league’s best defense; despite being only 5-foot-9, he effectively positioned himself to snuff out attack after attack, and also proved to be a dangerous attacking weapon with his long balls forward (3:18).
It’s disappointing to lose a player of his caliber, but one can’t help but be impressed by his willingness to walk away from a sport that has surely dominated his life for 20 years. Although it’s true that Division 2 soccer players in America are paid little more than missionaries (and perhaps D2 soccer players are secular missionaries, spreading love for a game that pays them less than they could make doing almost anything else), it still comes as a start to fans that an athlete could have a calling above playing sports for a living. Our hat is off to you, Mr. Tolleson, and Godspeed.
Tolleson’s departure will intensify interest in whether Stewart will return to the club. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer AC St. Louis, Amir Lowery, Brian Plotkin, Caleb Norkus, Caleb Patterson Sewell, Claude Anelka, Daniel Paladini, Jeremy Tolleson, Joseph Kabwe, Josh Gardner, Mark Schulte, Martin Rennie, NSC Minnesota Stars, schedule, Steve Ralston
