Showing posts tagged “Luke Kreamalmeyer”
David Fellerath ·
14 Jan 2010, 8:51 AM ·
1 Comment
John Cunliffe, 2007 MLS Combine MVP, in a 2009 game against the Vancouver Whitecaps (Photo by Rich Bostwick)
No, the RailHawks aren’t picking players in today’s MLS SuperDraft, to be held in Philadelphia at 2 p.m. However, recent history shows that the RailHawks and other D2 teams can expect to see some of these highly touted first- and second-rounders in the next couple of years.
Thanks to a blog I encountered on the Internets, I now know that three players who performed so well in recent MLS combines that they were named MVP of the thing are now Carolina RailHawks. That’s right. Here’s the list of recent combine MVPs:
- 2005: Luke Kreamalmeyer (drafted by RSL, joined RailHawks in 2009)
- 2006: Brian Plotkin (drafted by Chicago Fire, joined RailHawks in 2009)
- 2007: John Cunliffe (drafted by Chivas USA, joined RailHawks in 2009)
- 2008: Eric Brunner (drafted by Red Bull New York, joined Miami FC, now with Columbus Crew)
- 2009: Stefan Frei (drafted by Toronto FC, made 26 appearances in 2009)
- 2010: ?
Obviously, being named MVP of a brief meat market scouting combine is no sure ticket to D1 stardom. (Indeed, in a post on Tuesday about the combine, Ives Galarcep made a passing reference to Kreamalmeyer’s award.) But the three future RailHawks all proved to be solid performers in D2 and could perhaps feature again in the MLS. And no doubt there will be a number of draftees today who will find their niche in D2 rather than the MLS.
In scanning the recent first and second rounds of the MLS draft, I see that a number of picks ended up with the RailHawks: Cunliffe (2007, No. 7 overall); Nate Norman (2007, No. 21); Plotkin (2006, No. 20—three behind Jozy Altidore!); Jack Stewart (2005, No. 10); Josh Gardner (2004; No. 13—five behind Clint Dempsey!); David Stokes (2003; No. 5); Chris Carrieri (2001; No. 1).
Let’s look at another sampling of future prospects: the history of Generation Adidas (and its forerunner, the Nike-sponsored Project 40): There are definitely some future stars there (Tim Howard! DaMarcus Beasley!), but there are others, of course, who went on to relative anonymity, including two who more or less ended their careers with the RailHawks: the aforementioned Stokes and Carrieri.*
What all of this shows is that forecasting which college stars will become top-flight first division pro players is a highly inexact guessing game science. Who knows how Danny Mwanga of Oregon State, who is projected as the No. 1 overall pick, will pan out for the expansion Philadelphia Union? Or Teal Bunbury, winner of the 2009 MAC Hermann Trophy, awarded to the best college player in the country?
Here’s another interesting local angle to today’s draft: Seven of the top nine projected selections featured in the 2009 NCAA College Cup that was held in Cary, NC, last month.
- Tony Tchani (Virginia)
- Ike Opara (Wake Forest)**
- Teal Bunbury (Akron)
- Corben Bone (Wake Forest)
- Zach Loyd (North Carolina)
- Blair Gavin (Akron)
- Zack Schilawski (Wake Forest)**
The draft today promises to be fun. And of course, it will be interesting to look back on it a year or two from now to see how today’s stars of tomorrow ultimately fared.
UPDATE NO. 1 (Jan. 15, 2010; 10:46 a.m.): The Richmond Kickers of USL’s second division announced Thursday that Carrieri, who played for them in a part-time capacity last year, will play full-time this season.
UPDATE NO. 2 (Jan. 15, 2010; 10:48 a.m.): Opara, a 6-foot-2 defender who went to Jordan High School in Durham and then Wake Forest University, was selected third overall in the MLS SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes. Schilawski, a forward and native of Cary who had an illustrious career with CASL, Cary High School, the Cary RailHawks U23 PDL team and Wake Forest, was taken by the New England Revolution with the ninth overall pick.
Carolina RailHawks, NASL, Soccer, UNC-Chapel Hill Blair Gavin, Brian Plotkin, Corben Bone, DaMarcus Beasley, Danny Mwanga, Generation Adidas, Ike Opara, John Cunliffe, Luke Kreamalmeyer, MAC Hermann Trophy, MLS combine, MLS draft 2010, NCAA College Cup, Teal Bunbury, Tim Howard, Tony Tchani, Zach Loyd, Zack Schilawski
David Fellerath ·
23 Aug 2009, 5:20 PM ·
Comment
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 »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Caleb Patterson Sewell, Gregory Richardson, Jeremy Tolleson, John Cunliffe, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Martin Rennie, Portland Timbers, Rochester Rhinos
David Fellerath ·
5 Aug 2009, 3:54 PM ·
1 Comment
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
Chris Gaffney ·
2 Aug 2009, 11:08 PM ·
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WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/CARY—One can always gauge the attendance figures by looking at the “kids tunnel” that forms to welcome the referees and players onto the field. 
Last night there were 40 kids and an official attendance of 2,138. On the bright side there were two pantomime cows, Swoops, and several dozen dogs, as it was “Bark in the Park Night,” a howler of an idea. I am looking forward to explaining this to my students in Brazil. The hilarious bit was that the cows put their hands over their hearts for the national anthem, though I’m not sure they got the anatomy right.
The Austin Aztex are in their first year of USL-1 competition and are having a rough go of it. This young team has lost a number of close games, given up leads late in games, been docked points for ineligible players and been hit by a spate of injuries that have kept them floating at the bottom of the table. The RailHawks, coming off a 4-0 thrashing of Miami and a week of rest, took full advantage of the Texan debutantes. Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Andriy Budnyy, Austin Aztex, Gregory Richardson, Joseph Kabwe, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Mark Schulte, Sallieu Bundu
Chris Gaffney ·
26 Jul 2009, 9:26 PM ·
1 Comment
One, two, three for Gregory Richardson, the hottest thing happening on a scorching afternoon. (Photo by Rich Bostwick)
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK—It was bloody hot, 2 p.m. on a Sunday. It took effort to get to the stadium. Surely, there were cooler things to do. When I sat, the backs of my legs burned until they absorbed the heat of the plastic. It hurt but I consoled myself with the realization that I was watching, not playing. Expectations were low. Miami FC and the RailHawks had both played on Friday night. It was hot. Hot like Mexico 1986, like USA 1994. Who chose this time of day in this month in the dang South? The game would be slow. I hoped the sweat running down my back would make it into the seat so I could sit in a puddle. Tweet!
Ten minutes of running industry produced a few good chances for the RailHawks before physiology trumped psychology. Everyone squinted at the emerald field for the next half an hour, wondering how much one would have to earn to run around a stadium wearing an oversized bird head. Swoops is probably receiving an intravenous drip in his cage. In the 39th minute, just as I felt the sweat reach my buttocks, Joseph Kabwe sliced through midfield, laid off to Gregory Richardson charging into the box on his left and the lad from Guyana slotted home from 12 yards. Luke Kreamalmeyer turned good fortune into a great goal with a sweet left-footed, lobbed volley four minutes later. The referee mercifully did not add any time. Tweet! We ran for the shade, 2-0 to the good.
In football, as in NASCAR, there is no substitute for skill and pace. Richardson has bags of both and he’s brought them with him to Cary. Twenty minutes into the second half, as the back of my neck changed hue, Daniel Paladini orchestrated Richardson’s second. His 30-yard run finished with a crashing left-footed drive that left the ‘keeper swatting at flies. Four minutes later, coach Martin Rennie gave Richardson the ball for a penalty (taking it from a clearly miffed Paladini), and Richardson notched his first hat trick in a RailHawks kit. 4-0. Tweet! The kid is hot.
Carolina had a shocking outing in Charleston on Friday night and missed a great chance to pick up some valuable points on the three points leaders. With this victory, however, they become the first team in USL-1 to reach 10 victories this season and have surpassed their victory total from last year. When the Austin Aztex come to visit next weekend, the Hawks will be without Amir Lowery and Paladini, but have the depth on the bench to cover for them. Richardson is the real deal and is supported by a solid defense and creative midfielders who can get him the ball in dangerous positions. 4-0 was a fair score today. Rennie’s side look deep, strong and organized. Kudos for a blistering show on a scorching day.
Stat box here.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer, Uncategorized Daniel Paladini, Gregory Richardson, Joseph Kabwe, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Martin Rennie, Miami FC
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
Chris Gaffney ·
19 Apr 2009, 12:26 AM ·
1 Comment
In a rough game that saw six yellow cards and three reds, John Gilkerson (right) goes to the air. (Photo courtesy of Carolina RailHawks)
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/ CARY—In the murky wilds of Cary, North Carolina, the Carolina RailHawks claimed the collective hide of the Rochester Rhinos with a 53rd-minute goal by Sallieu Bundu. The goal poacher from Sierra Leone gave the home fans a much-deserved reward for their consistent, if tepid exhortations. This 1-0 victory was the first time in six attempts that the ‘Hawks had been able to sink its talons into Rochester and now have maximum points from their first two league matches.
The goals should have been faster in coming and if not for the inspired play of longtime Rhinos netminder Scott Vallow, the second half would have been devoid of tension. Carolina dominated possession for much of the opening stanza and though the game had become choppy and increasingly violent by the end of the first half hour, it was clear that the crash of hyperborean Rhinoceros was lost in the Appalachian piedmont ecotome.
While dominating in possession, Carolina struggled to find clinical form inside the 18- and 6-yard boxes, squandering a beakful of chances.
Continue reading »
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Brian Plotkin, Daniel Paladini, John Ball, John Gilkerson, Josh Gardner, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Rochester Rhinos, Sallieu Bundu, Scott Vallow
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
Chris Gaffney ·
11 Feb 2009, 2:12 PM ·
1 Comment
WAKEMED SOCCER PARK/CARY—Today’s two hour training session began with some light jogging and stretching followed by a short passing game. For aspiring coaches out there, the game involved two players, three cones and a ball. After passing between two cones, the receiving player was required to take a touch moving the ball around a cone before sending his second touch back between two cones. After warming up with this for 10 minutes, the lads jogged lightly and stretched. Then they repeated the exercise in a competitive fashion, gaining points when their partner couldn’t complete the move in two touches. The total time for the exercise was about 30 minutes. The three ‘keepers, Levey, McClellan and Reed trained on their own, first by taking close range shots both high and low, and then by pulling crosses out of the air.
The second part of training was a game of 6 v 3 possession in a 15 x 10 yard area with the six players standing around the edge of the area. Touches were unlimited though it is mightily difficult to take more than two in such a confined space. There were three separate games watched by Rennie, and Triangle Fútbol Club coaches Henry Gutierrez and Dewan Bader.
The third segment of today’s training was full field 11 v 11. This provided a good opportunity to see some of the new signings in action as well as to assess who has come into camp fit and ready to compete for a position. As David mentioned in his earlier post, some of the notable absences were Nuñez, Antoniuk and Watson. We know that Watson is due in camp after the indoor season finishes. Nuñez appears to have jumped ship to Puerto Rico. Antoniuk we are just not sure about yet.
Watching the 11 v. 11 the T.O. crew were scrambling to put names with faces. We saw familiar faces in Low, Solle, Norkus, McClellan, Fusilier, Diallo, Stokes, and possibly Curfman. We began to familiarize ourselves with new signings Josh Gardner, Daniel Paladini, Marcelo Romero, Luke Kreamelmeyer, Brian Plotkin, John Gilkerson, and Reed. It looked like Gardner would be the first choice on the left wing, with Romero providing solid cover for Watson in midfield.
Also on display were trialists Michael Callahan, Amir Lowery and El Hadj Cisse from U.N.C., Wake Forest, and N.C. State respectively. Lowery had a number of good moments in the center of midfield, maintaining possession in tight situations and distributing away from traffic. Cisse looked a little less comfortable at right back but has the physical attributes to play in the rough and tumble USL-1. It will be interesting to see if Coach Rennie brings these prospects along with pointed direction or if he remains mum, as he was for the entirety of the session.
At the end of training, nearly everyone walked off immediately to the showers. While I am by no means questioning the dedication or integrity of the players, it was a bit disheartening to see that no one stayed after training to practice free kicks or penalties (especially since a penalty was blocked and a free kick sent 20 yards over the goal during the scrimmage).
Training is open to the public everyday from 10 a.m. to noon and it’s a great way to get familiar with players, coaches and the ways and means of professional soccer in the USA.
Carolina RailHawks, N.C. State, Soccer, UNC-Chapel Hill Amir Lowery, Daniel Paladini, El Hadj Cisse, Josh Gardner, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Marcelo Romero, Martin Rennie, Michael Callahan, USL-1
David Fellerath ·
29 Jan 2009, 12:20 AM ·
Comment
Nice catch over at Triangle Soccer Fanatics: 2008 MVP midfielder Matt Watson is “on trial” with the MLS San Jose Earthquakes.
What does this mean for the prospects of seeing him in Cary this year? We’re not sure yet, but we hope to find out.
Meanwhile, the RailHawks announced three new signings today, all MLS and USL-1 veterans: midfielders Brian Plotkin and Luke Kreamalmeyer and defender John Gilkerson.
We note that three midfielders have been signed this week, leaving us to wonder about last year’s co-offensive players of the year Fusilier and Nuñez, and the above-mentioned Watson. We’ll stay tuned.
Here are the bios supplied by the RailHawks.
Brian Plotkin is arguably one of the most talented midfielders in the United States. He was drafted by the Chicago Fire in 2006 after spending his collegiate career at Indiana University where he won two back-to-back NCAA College Cups. While at Indiana he was also a finalist for the M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Award, one of the most prestigious honors in collegiate soccer. Between 2006 and 2008 Plotkin saw action in 23 games tallying one goal and one assist. In August of 2008 Plotkin transferred to MLS Cup Champions Columbus Crew.
Luke Kreamalmeyer is a midfielder who most recently played with the Rochester Rhinos. He was drafted by Salt Lake City of the MLS in 2005 and played in six matches before transferring to the Portland Timbers in 2006.He spent two years in Portland playing in 50 games and tallying nine goals. At the beginning of the 2008 season Kreamalmeyer was signed by the Rochester Rhinos. While at the Rhinos, he started all 30 games of the season and scored four goals and nine assists for 17 pts.
Defender John Gilkerson is a graduate from Winthrop University who was drafted by the New York Red Bulls in 2008. Gilkerson made his full professional debut for the Red Bulls on 1 July, 2008, in a US Open Cup third round game against Crystal Palace Baltimore.
Carolina RailHawks, Soccer Brian Plotkin, John Gilkerson, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Matt Watson
