Showing posts tagged “Hamed Diallo”
David Fellerath ·
5 Aug 2009, 3:54 PM ·
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Tonight, the RailHawks have an opportunity to take possession of first place for the first time in about two months when they face off against the Rochester Raging Rhinos up by Lake Ontario.
Joe Diveronica of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle has a piece out about tonight’s match-up between two sides that have a few things in common, including a shared history with the RailHawks’ founding GM Chris Economides and inaugural coach Scott Schweitzer, as well as common ties to players Hamed Diallo and Luke Kreamalmeyer.
The first point is familiar territory around here, but the article sheds light on the issue of the two players—both of whom were Rhinos last year:
Kreamalmeyer, who tied a team record with nine assists last year in his only season in Rochester, signed as a free agent and reportedly got a big raise. His four goals are tied with forward Sallieu Bundu for the team high in Carolina.
Diallo, Rochester’s 2007 MVP who was traded last year, has played only 196 minutes because he doesn’t fit the 4-5-1 formation Rennie employs, the coach said.
“Even though he’s a dangerous goal-scorer, he doesn’t bring a lot necessarily outside the box,” Rennie said. “He’s more suited to a 4-4-2 system.”
If it’s true that Kreamalmeyer got a big raise (sources, Mr. Diveronica?), no doubt the RailHawks owners are happy with the investment. He’s been solid all season, with a relentless work rate. As for the Ivorian, we’ve noticed Rennie altering the formation and attacking strategy when inserting Diallo as far back as the Revolution friendly, but we didn’t realize the gaffer had such a stark view of the 32-year-old French Ligue 2 veteran’s limitations.
Game time is 7 p.m. at Marina Auto Stadium, a field whose naming rights were awarded to a local dealership in a raffle drawing. It’s a nice field, albeit one with artificial turf, that seats close to 14,000 and was built, apparently, with the expectation of an MLS franchise. Rochester, which is the size of Durham, has a good record of supporting the Rhinos, with attendance regularly in the 5,000-7,000 range.
Last Saturday, prior to the Austin game, we got 15 of the 18 players in the lineup correct, including 10 of 11 in the starting XI. Tonight’s lineup prediction is: Patterson, Schulte, Tolleson, McKenney, Low, Lowery, Paladini, Kabwe, Richardson, Bundu, Kreamalmeyer. On the bench: Reed, Shields, Rusin, Watson, Budnyy, Plotkin, Gardner.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Chris Economides, Hamed Diallo, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Marina Auto Stadium, Martin Rennie, Rochester Raging Rhinos, Scott Schweitzer
David Fellerath ·
10 Jun 2009, 7:31 PM ·
1 Comment
Matt Watson (left) and Daniel Paladini, during practice Monday. John Gilkerson is in the background. (Photo by D.L. Anderson)
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/ CARY—I woke this morning and discovered, like so many journalists, that my job is endangered. Another form of news media threatens my livelihood with its speed, resources and superior delivery of product.
The interloper is called a daily newspaper.
I refer to the News & Observer, which finally noticed the professional soccer team in its midst and gave last night’s U.S. Open Cup opener the front of the sports section, above-the-fold. (What? No hockey? No NASCAR? No Kobe-Dwight Howard stories off the wire? No high school soccer?)
But there it is. Accompanying Rachel Ullrich’s report on the RailHawks’ 2-1 victory over the Richmond Kickers is a Robert Willett photo, front and center, of the evening’s most heart-stopping split second, when RailHawks goalkeeper Eric Reed just barely turned aside Gerson Dos Santos’ curling free kick from 25 yards out, in the game’s second minute.
Not fair: We don’t have a staff sports photographer in our new-media paradigm!
Seriously, it’s great to see Martin Rennie’s fine team attract more attention. In addition to the N&O, you can read an account by Triangle Offense’s hockey diva Kate Shefte, who is moonlighting as a summer intern with the Cary News. The RailHawks’ Tim Candon’s account is here.
And be sure to pick up an Indy today for my own look at the RailHawks’ midfielders.
Aside from the enjoyment of watching the RailHawks play aggressive, disciplined football successfully—with stormy clouds overhead getting stormier throughout the game—I also enjoyed watching Chris Carrieri come out of “retirement” last night, playing striker, wing, whatever for the Kickers. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Chris Carrieri, Daniel Paladini, David Bulow, Eric Reed, Hamed Diallo, Joseph Kabwe, Leigh Cowlishaw, Matthew Delicate, News and Observer, Richmond Kickers
David Fellerath ·
30 May 2009, 3:13 AM ·
1 Comment
Daniel Paladini launches a projectile against the Cleveland fortifications. (photo courtesy of the Carolina RailHawks)
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/ CARY—Yep, I looked it up. Just as I suspected, the word “paladini” is the Italian plural for champion, for medieval hero, for defender of a cause.
RailHawks midfielder Daniel Paladini is in brilliant form right now, and when his team needed a goal tonight, he delivered it. In the 90th minute of a 0-0 stalemate against a courageous, if overmatched, Cleveland side, Paladini lined up for a free kick from 30 yards out and to the left of the goal. Prior to taking it, he told center back and team captain Mark Schulte that he would be aiming for the far post, and that Schulte and the others in the penalty box should be prepared for a rebound. As it happened, the only assistance Paladini needed on his shot was of the most passive kind. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Cleveland City Stars, Daniel Paladini, Hamed Diallo, Hunter Gilstrap, Joseph Kabwe, Martin Rennie
David Fellerath ·
15 Apr 2009, 10:21 AM ·
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The biggest news out of last night’s RailHawks’ 2-0 victory over the USL-2 Wilmington Hammerheads was the return of Matt Watson, who scored 15 minutes after entering the game in the second half.
Watson, last year’s team MVP, joined the squad yesterday after helping his indoor side, the Baltimore Blast, to the MISL championship. Furthermore, his first child was born yesterday in Baltimore.
Although the team’s press release pointedly says last night’s squad shouldn’t be considered a second team, it notes that few of the players in the evening’s lineup saw action in last Saturday’s 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Thunder. Among them: Hamed Diallo, Gavin Glinton and Brian Plotkin (the Hawks’ release inadvertently omitted Plotkin).
Other players on last night’s lineup included the back four of Jeremy Tolleson, Caleb Norkus, Paul Ritchie and trialist Brad Rusin. Midfielders included Plotkin, Glinton and Watson. Players seeing minutes up top included Aaron King and John Cunliffe (who scored the game’s second goal in the 82nd minute). Caleb Patterson manned the goal.
The RailHawks’ Tim Candon has more.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Aaron King, Brad Rusin, Brian Plotkin, Caleb Norkus, Caleb Patterson, friendly, Gavin Glinton, Hamed Diallo, Jeremy Tolleson, John Cunliffe, Matt Watson, Paul Ritchie
David Fellerath ·
28 Mar 2009, 10:34 AM ·
3 Comments
The center-left party: In what looks to be a popular pair, Gardner comes down the flank as Bundu awaits. (photo courtesy of RailHawks)
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/ CARY—If the March 14 victory over the “major league” New England Revolution was an occasion for a little well-deserved breast-beating, the loss to the definitely major league CD Olimpia was the occasion for—well, first, a dry towel.
A downpour worthy of a Sri Lankan monsoon at times threatened to obscure the action, and the slippery field was more or less responsible for defensive miscues that led to goals for each team. The 1:1 deadlock was broken in the 63rd minute when Jaime Rosales rocketed a very major league free kick that went over and around the RailHawks wall and skidded off the left post into the goal. A minute later, Coach Martin Rennie waved in five fresh players and the game took on a more scrimmage-like rhythm.
After the game, Rennie was beaming—and not just because he was finally dry. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Aaron King, Amir Lowery, Brian Plotkin, Caleb Patterson, CD Olimpia, Devon McKenney, Eric Reed, Hamed Diallo, Jack Stewart, John Cunliffe, John Gilkerson, Joseph Kabwe, Josh Gardner, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Mark Schulte, Martin Rennie, Montreal Impact, New England Revolution, Sallieu Bundu
David Fellerath ·
19 Feb 2009, 3:30 PM ·
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Sallieu Bundu, as seen in training camp recently
The Carolina RailHawks signed yet another of Martin Rennie’s old Cleveland City Stars. Officials announced today that Sallieu Bundu, a 2nd-team All-USL-2 selection in 2008, had agreed to terms with the Cary-based team.
The Sierra Leone native is a striker and scored 11 goals last season for the Stars in league and non-league play. In August, he scored the winning goal in the USL-2 championship game.
The signing of Bundu, who had already been training with the team, means the RailHawks will have a deadly African duo up top—the other is Hamed Diallo of Ivory Coast, who returns to Cary after a fine half-season last year. The third forward on the roster, as it happens, is African-American: Aaron King.
Still no news of forward Dan Antoniuk, the major remaining question mark from last year’s squad.
The 25-year-old Bundu comes to Cary with a compelling back story: When he was 15, his family was forced to flee its home when civil war broke out. He, his siblings and his mother made it to Guinea; his father was murdered. Several years ago, Bundu received a green card and settled in Twinsburg, Ohio. After trying out with the Columbus Crew, he caught Martin Rennie’s eye at Cleveland.
The complete announcement comes after the jump: Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Aaron King, Cleveland City Stars, Hamed Diallo, Martin Rennie, Sallieu Bundu
David Fellerath ·
30 Jan 2009, 3:32 PM ·
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Aaron King
Aaron King, a second-team All-American his senior season at N.C. State, whose professional career seems to be picking up speed after early struggles to find his footing, signed with the RailHawks, the team announced today
King comes to the ’Hawks today after two productive seasons with the USL-1 Charleston Battery. Last year, he appeared in 35 of the team’s 38 league and non-league games, starting eight of them. Over the same span, he scored six goals and finished fourth on the team in points.
His pro career began in 2006 when he was taken the Los Angeles in the fourth round of the MLS Superdraft, but was quickly dealt to the Colorado Rapids. He spent a season with the Rapids without a single game appearance before arriving at Charleston.
His signing means the ’Hawks have two confirmed striker signings, with the returning Hamed Diallo being the other. We await word on Dan Antoniuk, the tall, aggressive forward who struggled for much of his first season in Cary, after a superlative season in Atlanta in 2007.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Aaron King, Dan Antoniuk, Hamed Diallo
David Fellerath ·
22 Jan 2009, 1:19 PM ·
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His back
Just two days after announcing the departure of defender and captain Frankie Sanfilippo, the RailHawks revealed a very welcome retention: Striker Hamed Diallo, one of the most efficient scorers in the league last year, has signed on for his first full season with the squad.
Contract details were not released, and the deal awaits USL and USSF [United States Soccer Federation] approval. [UPDATE 3:01 p.m.: RailHawks management tells us it's a one-year deal, but offer no details on salary, per team policy.]
Diallo, a native of Ivory Coast and past member of its national team, joined the RailHawks last July in a three-team deal involving Portland and Rochester. Despite appearing in only 16 games for the Cary side, he finished among the league leaders in goals (7) and points (17), and was named to the USL-1 team of the week three times. The final week of the season, he was named player of the week.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Hamed Diallo
David Fellerath ·
23 Sep 2008, 8:47 PM ·
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From left: Antoniuk, Nuñez, Watson, Sanfilippo, Fusilier
Prior to last Saturday’s home finale, the Carolina RailHawks announced their team awards, citing five players for excellence during a rocky season that nonetheless ended with a 5-2-1 record over its last eight games, good for 16 points.
Probably the biggest surprise was the choice for Most Valuable Player: midfielder Matt Watson. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Uncategorized Dan Antoniuk, Frankie Sanfilippo, Hamed Diallo, Martin Nuñez, Matt Watson, MLS, Santiago Fusilier
Chris Gaffney ·
20 Sep 2008, 11:53 PM ·
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A light but compact crowd gathered at Bull McCabe’s in Durham on Friday night to watch the USL-1 Carolina RailHawks take on the Charleston Battery. It came as a surprise to some at the bar that such significant emotion could be generated for somthing that they did not heretofore know existed.
Yet, there it was, a handful of grown men screaming with arms raised when Matt Watson pulled the midfield lever that sent Hamed Diallo racing through to goal in the 8th minute. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Uncategorized Bull McCabe's, Charleston Battery, David Stokes, Eddie Gutierrez, Hamed Diallo, Kupono Low, Leonard Griffin, Martin Nuñez, Matt Watson, Mauricio Segovia, Portland Timbers, Santiago Fusilier, Southern Derby, Steve Curfman
