Showing posts tagged “Kupono Low”
David Fellerath ·
18 Sep 2009, 3:32 PM ·
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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 »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer All-USL honors, Amir Lowery, Caleb Patterson Sewell, Daniel Paladini, Eric Reed, Gregory Richardson, Jeremy Tolleson, Joseph Kabwe, Kupono Low, Mark Schulte, Montreal Impact, Sallieu Bundu
David Fellerath ·
11 Aug 2009, 7:21 PM ·
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The Carolina RailHawks defense hasn’t conceded a goal in 400 minutes, the third time this year they’ve gone for more than 300 minutes of keeping the linen clean. Although the men in the back seem to be the big part of the difference in the team’s victories over Rochester and Cleveland, only one defender, goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell, takes a spot on the team of the week. Patterson-Sewell shut out the Rochester Raging Rhinos, and his selection is the first time in more than a year that a RailHawks goalkeeper has made the squad.
Kupono Low gets on for his 90th-minute winner in Rochester, while Gregory Richardson, who scored once against Cleveland and played a major role in a second strike, was named for a third straight week.
You can see Low’s goal and subsequent shirt-waving here.
Richardson’s goal is included in this highlight reel from the Cleveland game.
Press release here.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer, Uncategorized Caleb Patterson Sewell, Cleveland, Gregory Richardson, Kupono Low, Rochester Raging Rhinos, team of the week
David Fellerath ·
26 Jul 2009, 7:47 AM ·
1 Comment
Miami FC visits WakeMed Soccer Park this afternoon at 2 p.m. The temperature is forecast to be 91 degrees at kickoff, and Miami will be no pushover. This month, they’ve begun a march out of the bottom of the table: They’ve won two games, drawn two and lost just once. One of their draws was against the undefeated Portland Timbers (although the Timbers returned two days later to hammer the Blues 3-0).
The RailHawks need to win today to salvage the weekend and stay near the top of the table. If they lose, they will be five points off the pace set by Portland, with each having played 18 games. Puerto Rico and Charleston are tied with Portland with 35 points apiece, but they’ve played 22 and 20 games, respectively.
Friday night was not so hot for the ’Hawks as the Charleston Battery fired two artillery shots past Eric Reed in the first half, and held on for a 2-1 victory. Luke Kreamalmeyer scored in the 87th off a long free kick from Kupono Low Daniel Paladini. *
Particularly worrisome was an apparent reversion to the defensive form of June: Both Battery goals originated as corner kicks.
Aside from failing to pick up any points (and handing three more to a injury- and suspension-plagued, but first-place Charleston side), the RailHawks saw midfield stalwarts Amir Lowery and Daniel Paladini each pick up their fifth yellow cards of the season, meaning that they will have to serve a one-game suspension. According to Tim Candon, the suspension will likely be served next Saturday, a home game against cellar-dwelling Austin.
In other USL news this weekend:
- USL-2 Wilmington clinched a playoff berth with a 2-1 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders, thanks to the help of goalkeeper and former RailHawk Chris McClellan, who had six saves.
- How good are the Portland Timbers? Yesterday they played Burnley FC, newly promoted to the English Premier League, to a 2-2 draw. Burnley visited WakeMed Soccer Park a year ago and lost 2-1 to the RailHawks’ U-23 PDL team (which they don’t maintain anymore). Here’s a recent Times story (h/t Tim Candon) on the vastly different West Coast preseason tours being undertaken by Burnley and Chelsea.
*Corrected July 27
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Amir Lowery, Burnley FC, Charleston Battery, Chris McClellan, Daniel Paladini, Kupono Low, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Miami FC, Portland Timbers
David Fellerath ·
15 Jun 2009, 12:02 AM ·
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USLLIVE.com—The RailHawks burned a lot of carbon on a flight to Minnesota on Sunday afternoon that yielded very little in the way of ecologically correct, status-boosting offsets.
The ’Hawks came into the game in second place with 23 points. Eighteen of those points had come from six victories over the bottom four teams in the league: Austin, Miami, Minnesota and Cleveland. A victory over the Minnesota Thunder Sunday would have taken their record over Rust Belt/ Iron Range opponents to 6-0. Instead, a ghastly first half (in which they were outshot 8-2) gave the Thunder all the openings they would need for their first victory, 2-0.
To complete the waste of the afternoon (not to mention the jet fuel), Kupono Low received a garbage-time red card and will be unavailable for this Friday’s trip to Austin. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Andriy Budnyy, Caleb Norkus, Greg Dalby, Kupono Low, Martin Rennie, Minnesota Thunder, red card
Neil Morris ·
12 Jun 2009, 10:03 AM ·
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Portland's David Hayes, left, and Luke Kreamalmeyer battle for the ball. (photo by Rich Bostwick)
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK / CARY—It was a night of replacements for the Carolina RailHawks’ final match this season against the Portland Timbers: A substitute field, several mainstays in each teams’ lineups out due to injuries and/or fatigue, and a lifelong sports fan yet soccer novice making his debut with Triangle Offense’s local futbol coverage.
The patchwork Field 2 at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, again being used in place of the main stadium field during its turf replacement process, was, as goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell succinctly put it, “terrible.” Still, with ominous lightning clouds encroaching, the RailHawks managed to stave off a game, aggressive Portland squad and eke out a 0-0 draw.
Against the backdrop of stately pines encircling the perimeter of Field 2, the Timbers stood as tall as sequoias throughout a first half during which they dominated time-of-possession and extended a counterattacking defense that constantly stymied the Railhawks’ offensive rhythm. The Timbers’ midfielders seemingly cut at will through Carolina’s defense like a chainsaw through lumber. So conspicuous was Portland’s ball control that in the latter stages of the half, a young boy not more than 12 years old turned around to inform me that, “They’re playing too much on this half of the field.” Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Caleb Patterson Sewell, Daniel Paladini, John Cunliffe, Kupono Low, Mamadou Danso, Mark Schulte, Martin Rennie, Matt Watson
David Fellerath ·
4 Jun 2009, 10:00 AM ·
2 Comments
Lots of upbeat odds and ends here as the RailHawks, after a brief respite, resume training in advance of a tough 11-day stretch that will see either four or five games.
- For the second week in a row, Daniel Paladini and Kupono Low were named to the USL-1 Team of the Week. Paladini, of course, kicked another late game-winner as he establishes himself as a crucial midfield playmaker. However, for longtime RailHawks watchers, it’s especially gratifying to see the fine season Low is having. He, along with Caleb Norkus, is the team’s longest-serving player, and he carries the distinction of scoring the first goal in team history. The massive roster turnover occasioned by the ascendant Martin Rennie era seems to be paying dividends, but Low’s continued stellar work on the squad provides a vital link to the past.
- I neglected to mention, in my account of Friday’s last-gasp victory over Cleveland, that the team has now recorded four shutouts in a row and have not conceded a goal in 396 minutes. Plenty of players can be credited for that achievement, not least Low for his airtight work at left back.
- On the all-important table front: The RailHawks, the Charleston Battery and the Portland Timbers are the class of the league right now. The ’Hawks are three points clear of the Battery, who have a game in hand, and seven points clear of the Timbers, who have two in hand. As it happens, these two squads are the only two that have beaten the RailHawks so far this season. Portland comes to town next Thursday.
- RailHawks blogger Tim Candon tells us that the main field is being re-sodded. I’m not sure I understand why it’s being done mid-season, but I hope to find out. Anyone out there have a clue? What this means is the next couple of home games will be played on Field 2. There will be seating for about 700 on that side, so you might want to bring a picnic blanket for some old school football-watching.
- Finally, to keep us busy while we wait out the 11-day break between games, the RailHawks staff are encouraging fans to do a little crowing—or cawing, or whatever sound railhawks make—by voting for their favorite of the 12 Carolina goals scored thus far this season. I haven’t voted but I say Mark Schulte’s. Click here.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Charleston Battery, Daniel Paladini, Kupono Low, Mark Schulte, Portland Timbers
David Fellerath ·
28 May 2009, 4:06 PM ·
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We’ve been away from the first-place RailHawks for a bit (and away from the Triangle, actually). To put a finer point on it, we’ve been in New York, we’ve been in Brazil, we’ve been distracted by things like European Champions League football (Messi! Eto’o! Xavi! Iniesta! Puyol!).
But we’re catching up in advance of Friday night’s nationally televised engagement with the Cleveland City Stars at WakeMed Soccer Park. First, we learn, courtesy of Tim Candon, the RailHawks’ official blogger, that their opponent in the first round of the U.S. Open Cup will be the USL-2 Richmond Kickers on Tuesday, June 9, at home. The ’Hawks, it should be noted, lost a preseason friendly to the Kickers in Richmond. If they survive the Kickers, then the Round 2 opponent will be one of two other North Carolina sides: the Wilmington Hammerheads or the Charlotte Eagles, both of the USL-2. That game would be on June 16.
Also, word arrived yesterday afternoon that three RailHawks made the USL-1 team of the week: Andriy Budnyy, the Ukrainian striker who is finding more minutes on the pitch after an under-the-radar preseason; Daniel Paladini, who is emerging as a crucial midfield linchpin; and the redoubtable, versatile three-year club veteran Kupono Low, playing well whether he’s needed at left back or holding midfielder. Budnyy scored the opening goal in the team’s 3-0 blanking of Cleveland last week, while Paladini has two assists in that game and scored the sole goal on a PK in Sunday’s 1-0 victory over the Austin Aztex. Low, for his part, is a big reason why the RailHawks haven’t conceded a goal in three outings.
We’ll have more on the RailHawks tomorrow, but for the moment we’re looking for another replay of Barsa-ManUtd…
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Andriy Budnyy, Daniel Paladini, Kupono Low, team of the week
David Fellerath ·
6 Feb 2009, 2:27 AM ·
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The man from La Liga
CARY—Probably the best sign that this year’s RailHawks are getting serious was on the brow of today’s signing, Marcelo Romero. Visible through his closely shaved hair was a Y-shaped scar—surely evidence of his hard-nosed career in the top divisions of Spain. No doubt goalkeeper Chris McClellan—or another—will find reassurance there.
RailHawks management proudly displayed the 32-year-old holding midfielder to the media Thursday afternoon. Romero indicated that he was on a two-year contract, with only the first guaranteed. When asked what the biggest change would be in playing in America, Romero modestly made the obvious point: In Spain he played alongside (and defended) the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Luis Figo and Ronaldinho.
Nope, he won’t find them here—or even David Beckham, another old adversary, if he succeeds in wriggling out of the devil’s bargain he made with the MLS and the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Romero, a native of Montevideo, Uruguay, brings an enviable pedigree to Cary, as RailHawks coach Martin Rennie noted. “Players around the world dream of playing in the top leagues, and of representing their countries in the World Cup. In reality, very few ever get to to do that,” Rennie said. Romero has been there and done that, logging six seasons with top-flight Málaga, and playing with the Uruguayan side in the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.
I asked the right-footed Romero what his reputation as a player was. He replied, through a translator, “I’m known as a strong tackler, a strong marker. I have a lot of fight, and I leave everything on the field.”
Still, there’s the unavoidable question of what such a fine player is doing in the American second division. During the press conference, it fell to a Spanish-radio reporter to ask, not so delicately, how Romero felt about America’s reputation as the “cementario de grandes jugadores” (graveyard of great players). Romero responded gracefully, saying “it’s not the end of my career, it’s just another stage—and hopefully there will be a trophy at the end of it.”
Indeed, it’s true that Romero missed most of the 2005-06 season with an injury to his right knee, and played nine games the following season. His agent, Antonio Porretta of Score One Soccer, however, pointed out that, after successful surgery, Romero was signed for two more seasons with Málaga. A short stint with second division Lucena followed, before Romero decided to look across the ocean, Porretta said. And the knee? He’s fit, Porretta said firmly.
As for the question of how Romero came to the attention of the RailHawks, it appears that the matchmaking was done by Score One, a Charlotte agency comprised of Porretta and Daniel Araujo (a Montevideo native) that specializes in bringing Latino talent to America. Porretta also said his firm specializes in arranging North-South friendlies. So, if the ’Hawks schedule a match with a Mexican side—as they have in each of the last two years, with spectacular attendance—Score One may have something to do with it.
First impressions are just that, first impressions, but Romero is one tightly coiled born athlete, with a modest, poised demeanor that suggests he does his talking on the pitch. He may or may not be winding down his playing career, but he comes off as a man with plenty of game left in him, and plenty of experience and sophistication to offer his younger teammates. He’s an exciting addition to the squad.
In other news, Rennie said he expects midfielder Kupono Low to return to Cary, noting that Low’s versatility will allow him to find room on the field even if it’s Romero who’s running the back of the attack. Rennie also said he expects to see midfielders Santiago Fusilier and Martin Nuñez in training camp, which begins Feb. 9.
Martin Rennie
The second round of open tryouts, to be held Feb. 14-15, was scheduled because the team was “inundated” with reputable players who wanted a chance to show their stuff, Rennie said. He also said that one unnamed player, a midfielder, made a strong impression during the December tryouts and will be signed.
Rennie also offered appraisals of the RailHawks’ other signings, including striker Aaron King, late of the Charleston Battery. “He’s got a lot of potential. He’ll have more of an opportunity to attack rather than play with his back to the goal.”
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Aaron King, Antonio Porretta, Kupono Low, Marcelo Romero, Martin Rennie
David Fellerath ·
30 Sep 2008, 6:57 PM ·
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Matt Watson, fresh off winning team MVP honors, was named to USL-1’s All-League second team. He follows fellow midfielder Kupono Low, who picked up the same two awards last year.
Watson, who scored one goal and tallied four assists for six points total, played 25 games in a season in which he was often injured. He also attracted attention as an MLS prospect.
’Hawks fans hope such a career move will come later rather than sooner.
Here’s the complete list of the USL-1’s All-League teams.
Carolina RailHawks Kupono Low, Matt Watson
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
