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 defender Caleb Norkus. 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 Mark 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 »
It’s a bit of a relief to take a break from the Sturm und Drang of the North American soccer second division to simply note a bit of interesting RailHawks player news: Caleb Patterson (sometimes called Caleb Patterson Sewell), the sparkling young goalkeeper who split time with Eric Reed last year, was left unprotected by Red Bull New York for possible drafting by the expansion Philadelphia Union.
The way it works: Each existing MLS team is allowed to protect 11 players, and the Union can select a total of 10 players, with no more than one selected from any team.
Patterson joins fellow RBNY keeper Danny Cepero on the list, as the club decided to protect Bouna Coundoul. There’s some interesting company on the list: The Galaxy’s Josh Saunders, for example, just days after his excellent emergency substitution for Donovan Ricketts in the MLS championship. (Patterson may be on the MLS expansion list, but he’s also spending some time in Cary; he was present to pose for this Nov. 11 photograph of retired France international Lilian Thuram during his visit to WakeMed Soccer Park. Patterson is at the far right.)
Other notables on the MLS list: Mexican superstar Cuauhtémoc Blanco; U.S. internationals Frankie Hedjuk, Ricardo Clark, Tony Sanneh, Clint Mathis and Bobby Convey; as well as one-time Duke star Michael Videira.
When we saw the news that RailHawks keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell had signed a one-game contract with the MLS New York Red Bulls, we wondered if it was a loan or if the Australian national is a free agent. It appears to be the latter, according to this RailHawks news release.
As for what’s next for Patterson, who is no longer under contract with Carolina, he said: “Right now, I’m not too sure. There’s a few things in the works. Those things are taking care of themselves.”
We’ve no doubt that Patterson-Sewell, who had 10 clean sheets in 15 league starts in 2009, will easily find new employment, but the tone of this release doesn’t give any hint that he’ll return to Cary. You can catch him tonight—on the bench, most likely—on ESPN2 at 10 p.m. when the Red Bulls play at Real Salt Lake.
Also on the tube tonight: the USMNT versus Costa Rica. Fans of the US men’s national team are stunned by the horrific car accident striker Charlie Davies suffered early Tuesday morning, which left one person dead. Davies is alive but his career is in jeopardy. In the ninth minute (which begins when the game clock strikes 8:01, of course), fans at RFK Stadium will stand in support and sorrow for the U.S.’s No. 9. Game time is 7:30 p.m., and it’ll also be on ESPN2.
Last night at Duke University’s Griffith Film Theater we saw the remarkable film MARADONA BY KUSTURICA. It’s a loving portrait of the irascible, undisciplined and bloated genius that is Diego Maradona, made by this generation’s most important filmmaker from the Balkans, Emir Kusturica. The film is really about the Brando-esque afterlife of Maradona: his continuing celebrity and the insanely adoring crowds in Naples and Buenos Aires; his fluctuating weight; appearances on cheesy TV shows; cheering on the Boca Juniors; hanging with his kids and ever-present, long-suffering (ex-) wife Claudia; hanging with Latin American anti-imperialist firebrands Castro, Chávez and Evo Morales; serving as inspiration for the Church of Diego Maradona; the cocaine; and much more.
Tonight, Maradona’s fairly disastrous stint as coach of the Argentina national team comes to a head in a battle of the Río de la Plata, against Uruguay—in Montevideo. Everything is at stake. Find it somewhere, legally or illegally, at 6 p.m.
The Maradona film is part of a film series at Duke University called Soccer and Politics, curated by Laurent Dubois, a professor of history and Romance languages. Next month, the celebrated French national Lilian Thuram will visit the Triangle as part of Dubois’ program. The soccer great, who is France’s all-time leader in international caps and was a key member of the 1998 World Cup champions, will be talking about his foundation’s work against racism in soccer. Here’s more information.
Big Apple Soccer says RailHawks keeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell has signed with Red Bull New York to suit up for Wednesday’s match against Real Salt Lake. According to the same source, he’s been training with RBNY since Friday.
RBNY made the move citing extreme hardship: One of its keepers, the Senegalese Bouna Coundoul, is on international duty. [UPDATE 4:47 p.m.: Confirmation from the Red Bulls here.]
Patterson-Sewell spent the 2008 season with RBNY. In 2009, he appeared in 15 league games for the RailHawks, notching 10 clean sheets and a .533 goals-against average.
Since we’re taking time out to post, I should note that I appeared on this week’s Match Fit USA podcast. I didn’t really have new news to report, but I hope I sound reasonably informed. Thanks to Jason and Zach for having me on.
And finally, those who didn’t catch the first leg of the USL-1 finals between Vancouver and Montreal—because of a certain barn-burner down in Honduras—missed a pretty good 3-2 victory for the visiting Impact. Among the highlights: Vancouver’s rookie of the year Marcus Haber’s thrilling 50-yard run that culminated in a behind-the-back crossover and a goal.
Among the lowlights: Martin Nash’s straight red for a crude challenge to Montreal’s Roberto Brown, right under the nose of referee Carol Anne Chenard. Brown was stretchered off, but bounded back on the field minutes later. The USL’s Web site has a surprisingly sensationalistic headline about the incident: Nash: Brown cried like a baby. [UPDATE2 Oct. 13, 7:35 a.m.: That headline has been changed.]
At halftime, USL President Tim Holt was interviewed. The deferential interviewer said not a word about the ongoing league ownership crisis, but Holt did slip in praise for Bob Lenarduzzi and Joey Saputo, the respective owners of Vancouver and Montreal, for their contributions to Canadian soccer. Vancouver and Montreal are both members of the dissident Team Owners Association.
The second leg is Saturday, Oct. 17, and it will be on Fox Soccer Channel. There’s been some confusion about the start time, but the USL Web site says 2:30 p.m. Eastern time.
WECT in Wilmington, N.C. is reporting that the Wilmington Hammerheads, regular season champions of the USL-2 in 2009, are out of the league. It appears to be unrelated to the turmoil in the first division, having more to do with the finances of team owner Chuck Sullivan, who took over the club prior to the 2008 season. The report notes that the franchise reportedly encountered difficulties paying players on time, but that those obligations have now been met.
We’re knee-deep in other work today, but we’ll be keeping an eye on this.
WECT Sports has learned that the United Soccer League has opted to remove the Wilmington Hammerheads from its list of franchises. Senior Director of Franchise Development Matt Weibe confirmed the move on Tuesday.
“We have discontinued our relationship with Chuck Sullivan,” Weibe said. “The USL is a franchised based league, where certiain requirements must be met and in this case they were not met.” When asked what those requirements were, Mr. Weibe said WECT would have to contact Mr. Sullivan.
The Wilmington Hammerheads played the USL-1 RailHawks three times in 2009—two friendlies and an epic clash in the 2nd round of the US Open Cup, won by the Hammerheads in PKs. RailHawks players Aaron King, Andriy Budnyy and Caleb Patterson-Sewell all did loan stints there last season.
The RailHawks' bruising captain Mark Schulte played 2,500 minutes in 28 league games, leading one of the the league's two best defenses. (photo by Rich Bostwick)
Mark Schulte, the RailHawks’ workhorse of a center back and team captain, was named to the all-USL-1 second team today.
Schulte, who was a two-time defender of the year in the USL-2 while playing under coach Martin Rennie at Cleveland—before both decamped for Cary—led a defense that conceded only 19 goals, good for best in the league along with first-place Portland.
Here’s the USL-1 First Division Second Team:
GK: Bill Gaudette (Puerto Rico Islanders)
D: Stephen deRoux (Montreal Impact)
D: Cameron Knowles (Portland Timbers)
D: John Krause (Puerto Rico Islanders)
D: Mark Schulte (Carolina RailHawks)
M: Martin Nash (Vancouver Whitecaps)
M: Lawrence Olum (Minnesota Thunder)
M: Jonathan Steele (Puerto Rico Islanders)
M: David Testo (Montreal Impact)
F: Marlon James (Vancouver Whitecaps)
F: Eddie Johnson (Austin Aztex)
Tomorrow, the first-teamers will be named. Will any RailHawks make it? Let’s look at the field:
Goalkeeper: We meekly pointed out a couple weeks ago that the RailHawks’ tandem of Eric Reed and Caleb Patterson-Sewell combined for a league-leading 17 shutouts. Meanwhile, a USL tip sheet of sorts didn’t even include them, favoring Gaudette, Charleston’s Dusty Hudock and Portland’s Steve Cronin. However, we’re going to predict an upset here: Caleb Patterson-Sewell is ranked third in the league with 10 clean sheets despite playing only 15 games, and he’s second in the league with a .533 goals-against average.It’s true that Hudock has 12 shutouts and a staggering .279 GAA in only 18 games of an injury-shortened season, but Patterson-Sewell might get a boost as a new, young face—he’s 22, while Hudock is a 37-year-old veteran and the holder of many prior awards.
Defender: The locks are Puerto Rico’s Cristian Arrieta, but for his offense—10 goals—and Portland’s David Hayes, for leading the league’s other top defense. Who gets the third spot? It’s got to be someone from Charleston, the third side that decisively out-defended the rest of the league along with Portland and Carolina. It should be Frankie Sanfilippo or Matt Bobo. What about the fourth spot? We think it should be Carolina’s Jeremy Tolleson, voted defensive player of the year on the league’s co-best defensive side.
Midfielder: The locks are Ricardo Sanchez (Minnesota) and Ryan Pore (Portland). Given that there are three shoo-ins at forward, and assuming that this All-League team will be restricted to 11 players, we’re going to guess that they’ll settle on a 4-3-3 formation. So, one more midfielder in a league full of good ones. We think it’s going to be Carolina’s Gregory Richardson. Why? He’s ranked 12th in the league in points, despite playing only 12 games; furthermore, the only two true midfielders ahead of him in points are Sanchez and Pore. Is Richardson really a midfielder? Well, in Martin Rennie’s 4-5-1 he is.
Forward: There are three that have a strong claim, and none are RailHawks: Eleven-goal scorers Mandjou Keita (Portland) and Johnny Menyongar (Rochester), and 12-goal scorer Charles Gbeke (Vancouver).
Player of the Year: Keita. With 29 points from 11 goals and seven assists, he led the league, and the league’s best team.
Coach of the Year: Portland’s Gavin Wilkinson. After finishing in last place last year, he presided over an overhaul and led the Timbers to a dominating run to first place. Carolina’s Rennie is the other obvious candidate, rebuilding the RailHawks and finishing second in his first season in the league, but this is Wilkinson’s year.
Tune in tomorrow for the announcement of the real USL First Division First Team and other awards.
And congratulations to Mark Schulte, a real warrior.
Mark Schulte and Sallieu Bundu celebrate earlier this season in a game against the Minnesota Thunder (Photo by Rich Bostwick)
We’re coming to the sad realization that the RailHawks’ regular season is drawing to a close. It’s been a real treat to see such a quality team this year. In reflecting on the season in advance of tonight’s regular season finale against the Montreal Impact, we find ourselves thinking about the issue of year-end league honors.
Team honors, selected by the players, will be announced prior to the playoff game Sept. 27—and you can vote, too, for “fan favorite.”
We’re thinking about the league: The USL will recognize a first and second team all-USL-1 lineup, and there should be citations for best goalkeeper, best defender, and most valuable player. A recent speculative press release from the league office, after reviewing the top performers from other squads, acknowledged the difficulty of recognizing the RailHawks, who are unique in their dependence on a revolving lineup of 20+ quality players, rather than four or five aces.
To take the most obvious example: The league leaders in goals scored (Johnny Menyongar of Rochester, Mandjou Keita of Portland, Charles Gbeke of Vancouver) all have 11 goals. The RailHawks’ leading goal scorers, however, have only six (Gregory Richardson and Sallieu Bundu), yet collectively the team is the second in the league in scoring goals, with 41.
However, if one looks at goals-per-game, one RailHawk in particular becomes one of the league’s best scorers. Richardson’s six goals have come in 11 games, a rate that would put him in first place in the league if it were sustained over the season. (Then there’s Joseph Kabwe and his five goals and four assists in 15 games and 806 minutes; production that’s good enough to place him in the the league’s top 20 in points.)
Richardson is probably the RailHawks’ best candidate among the scorers, with Bundu also a strong second-team possibility, but we’d like to make a case for Daniel Paladini for post-season honors. Continue reading »
USLLIVE.com-After an anemic 0-0 draw before a crowd of 7,758 in Rochester’s Marina Auto Stadium, the RailHawks are now six points behind Portland, with six games to play for each team.
The ‘Hawks aren’t going to catch the Timbers: Four of Portland’s last five games are at home, and four of Portland’s last five games are against Cleveland and Austin, the twin doormats of the USL-1. The RailHawks have already earned 16 of the 18 possible points from the City Stars and the Aztex; Portland’s pace at the top of the table is all the more remarkable given that they’ve held these four fixtures in hand all season.
Meanwhile, the RailHawks’ last six games will be a grueling stretch against three different playoff contenders, including three against the Montreal Impact—two of which will be on the road.
Last night in Rochester, Martin Rennie showed a lineup that was unusual in two respects: Continue reading »
John Cunliffe, skimming on the Whitecaps (photo by Rich Bostwick)
The RailHawks and the Vancouver Whitecaps traveled an aggregate total of 10,000 miles in four days to emerge with two points apiece. Following Saturday’s 0-0 stalemate in Vancouver’s Swangard Stadium, the two squads battled fatigue and humidity Tuesday night in Cary for a 1-1 draw. After falling behind on a 66th-minute Vancouver goal, late sub Andriy Budnyy settled a ball from John Cunliffe and scored to salvage the draw in the 87th minute.
The thing of it is, it was a decent result for both sides. Vancouver got two points from a tough opponent to keep them in the playoff hunt. And, despite the results, the RailHawks are still in a strong second-place position—which some might consider a better prize than first place, with the first-round playoff bye that comes with it.
Right now, Portland is in the driver’s seat for regular season title, with 48 points to Carolina’s 44, with both teams having seven games to play. Here’s how the playoff contenders stack up, ranked by points-per-game. The top seven make the playoffs.
Luke Kreamalmeyer (in orange) battles Portland's David Hayes on June 11 at WakeMed. (photo by Rich Bostwick)
The USL-1 Carolina RailHawks are flying high on a league run of six victories in their last seven outings. The news only gets better as we see signs that midfielder Matt Watson—who hasn’t really gotten uncorked this season—may be ready to return to the field.
They have a tough eight-day stretch ahead, with a Tuesday home game against Vancouver sandwiched between away matches in Vancouver tonight and Rochester next weekend. Still, they’re keeping up with the blistering pace at the top of the table, matching Portland victory for victory.
(In a subject for another day, it’s worth noting that the bottom of the table is a dungeon of futility. Austin and Cleveland are out of contention for the playoffs with 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Minnesota just picked up three points with just their fourth victory of the season, to bring them to 18 points, seven behind Miami. Compare this ineptitude to the points totals for the bottom four of last year’s table: 37; 34; 34; 31. Carolina had 37 and missed the playoffs. Three guesses who had 31. Give up? Portland.)
Things are different in Portland this year, though. The first-place Timbers have only lost once at home in PGE Park, where attendance regularly approaches 10,000. Their opponent then was the MLS Seattle Sounders, in a US Open Cup third round game. Continue reading »
Big Honking Image on "Ward leads Hurricanes to fourth in a row against Blackhawks, 4-2": I've noticed a recurring theme with this blog are the _giant_ images in the posts. The image in this post is 1646x1225 but it is forced into a box that is 498x371.
This is bad for four reasons:
1) On slower connections, they take a while to download.
2) It is big waste of server bandwidth, which costs
Ben Wilson on "After a tough 25 minutes, N.C. State goes cold in loss to UNC": LOL, like UNC is ANY different than NC State or any other school for that matter when they are losing at home. Do I have to remind you that NC State fans VASTLY outnumbered UNC fans at Kenan 2 years ago in the 42-10 blowout?
Get off your high horse and REALIZE that UNC is NO
