Friday, August 18, 2006
Please bear with me as I adjust to something called “Soccer”
This here entry might be the only one I make, ever, about soccer, or the next week(s) might fill up with talk about soccer. The reason? I’ve decided to see, in person, that other pro-sports team that plays at RFK. I’ve seen the Nationals (MLB), and I’ve seen the Redskins (NFL) at RFK (and I’ve seen the Washington Capitals and the Washington Bullets/Wizards (saw under both names), but did not see the CFL Washington team, nor have I seen any of the other local pro-sports teams (past or present)). On Saturday August 26th, I’ll attend the 7:30 pm showing of the first place DC United (MLS) team compete against the last place Los Angeles Galaxy of the Western Standings (wait, that Standings part might not be part of the division’s name).
At home (RFK): DC United has a record, so far, of 8-0-2 with 20 goals for and 7 goals against. Away: Los Angeles Galaxy has a record, so far, of 4-6-2 with 11 goals for and 15 goals against. Current standings.
Let’s see, DC United has 26 players on its roster (apparently, according to the MLS website, teams are supposed to have 28 players, 18 on the Senior Roster, 10 on the Development Roster, and all 28 eligible to be part of the Gameday Squad; DC United is missing 2 players). I recognize #9 Freddy Adu from local radio announcers talking about him and his age, but I do not recognize anyone else on the team. Adu is currently 17, and has played two seasons in the MLS. He has played 22 games (20 started) so far this year and has 1 goal and 6 assists. The stats on his page almost mean nothing to me. I assume: GP - games played, GS - games started, MIN - minutes (1,750), G - goal, A - Assists, SHT - ? Shots? (41), SOG - Shots on goal? (21), FC - well in football that would be fair catch, but here?, FS - free safety, here?, C - catcher, here? (Oh, I see in the “Laws” thing mentioned below, Cautions - does the C in the stats stand for cautions?), EJ - ejected?. Adu is listed as playing the M position.
Also on the team are: Forwards: #99 Jaime Moreno, #11 Alecko Eskandarian, and #20 Matt Nickell. Moreno has 10 goals and 5 assists and has started and played in every game (22; 1930 mins.). Moreno is from Bolivia, and has played in 239 games, and started 231. Eskandarian has 7 goals and 2 assists, and has started in 13 games and played in 17. Eskandarian is from New Jersey, and has played in 76 games, and started 44. Nickell has 0 goals and 0 assists, and has played 6 minutes in 2 games. Nickell is from Iowa, and has played in 6 games.
Those listed as playing M-F number 2 on the team: #6 Domenic Mediate and #23 Jamil Walker.
Those listed as playing M-D number 1 on the team: #24 Jeff Carroll.
Those playing the M position: Adu, #16 Brian Carroll, #15 Rod Dyachenko, #10 Christian Gomez, #22 Devon McTavish, #8 Justin Moose, #14 Ben Olsen, #19 Clyde Simms.
D players (defensive?): #32 Bobby Boswell, #5 Facundo Erpen, #4 Brandon Prideaux, #12 John Wilson.
Goalkeeper - #1 Troy Perkins. 81 saves.
DC United - 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 MLS Cup Champs, 1996 US Open Champs, 1998 CONCACAF Champs, 1998 Interamerican Cup Champs,
Looking for information, I head to MLSnet.com. Notes: League is in its 11th season. 80 million soccer fans in USA. 32 regular season games, playoffs in mid-Oct. and MLS Cup is Nov. 12. Los Angeles Galaxy play in The Home Depot Center. New team in 2007 - Toronto FC.
Interesting, accidently downloaded the “Laws of the Game” .pdf file. Apparently “fields” can be anywhere between 100-130 yards long and 50-100 yards wide. Goal area has an 8ft height and 8 yard width. 2 equal periods of 45 minutes each. 15 minute half-time.
Start: coin toss to decide which goal to attack. Kick-off like Face-off in Hockey. At kick-off - initial “kicker” cannot kick ball again until another player has “touched” the ball. The winning team is the team that scores the most goals, if no team scores the most goals, then the game is a tie (I suppose they need something like that in the “official laws”).
Interesting - must memorize Referee Signals section so that I’ll know what is going on. Starts page 58. Gee, read whole 84 page guide and still don’t know how to read the statistics pages.
Salaries.
Ran out of time, will examine the other players and rest of this league later.
At home (RFK): DC United has a record, so far, of 8-0-2 with 20 goals for and 7 goals against. Away: Los Angeles Galaxy has a record, so far, of 4-6-2 with 11 goals for and 15 goals against. Current standings.
Let’s see, DC United has 26 players on its roster (apparently, according to the MLS website, teams are supposed to have 28 players, 18 on the Senior Roster, 10 on the Development Roster, and all 28 eligible to be part of the Gameday Squad; DC United is missing 2 players). I recognize #9 Freddy Adu from local radio announcers talking about him and his age, but I do not recognize anyone else on the team. Adu is currently 17, and has played two seasons in the MLS. He has played 22 games (20 started) so far this year and has 1 goal and 6 assists. The stats on his page almost mean nothing to me. I assume: GP - games played, GS - games started, MIN - minutes (1,750), G - goal, A - Assists, SHT - ? Shots? (41), SOG - Shots on goal? (21), FC - well in football that would be fair catch, but here?, FS - free safety, here?, C - catcher, here? (Oh, I see in the “Laws” thing mentioned below, Cautions - does the C in the stats stand for cautions?), EJ - ejected?. Adu is listed as playing the M position.
Also on the team are: Forwards: #99 Jaime Moreno, #11 Alecko Eskandarian, and #20 Matt Nickell. Moreno has 10 goals and 5 assists and has started and played in every game (22; 1930 mins.). Moreno is from Bolivia, and has played in 239 games, and started 231. Eskandarian has 7 goals and 2 assists, and has started in 13 games and played in 17. Eskandarian is from New Jersey, and has played in 76 games, and started 44. Nickell has 0 goals and 0 assists, and has played 6 minutes in 2 games. Nickell is from Iowa, and has played in 6 games.
Those listed as playing M-F number 2 on the team: #6 Domenic Mediate and #23 Jamil Walker.
Those listed as playing M-D number 1 on the team: #24 Jeff Carroll.
Those playing the M position: Adu, #16 Brian Carroll, #15 Rod Dyachenko, #10 Christian Gomez, #22 Devon McTavish, #8 Justin Moose, #14 Ben Olsen, #19 Clyde Simms.
D players (defensive?): #32 Bobby Boswell, #5 Facundo Erpen, #4 Brandon Prideaux, #12 John Wilson.
Goalkeeper - #1 Troy Perkins. 81 saves.
DC United - 1996, 1997, 1999, 2004 MLS Cup Champs, 1996 US Open Champs, 1998 CONCACAF Champs, 1998 Interamerican Cup Champs,
Looking for information, I head to MLSnet.com. Notes: League is in its 11th season. 80 million soccer fans in USA. 32 regular season games, playoffs in mid-Oct. and MLS Cup is Nov. 12. Los Angeles Galaxy play in The Home Depot Center. New team in 2007 - Toronto FC.
Interesting, accidently downloaded the “Laws of the Game” .pdf file. Apparently “fields” can be anywhere between 100-130 yards long and 50-100 yards wide. Goal area has an 8ft height and 8 yard width. 2 equal periods of 45 minutes each. 15 minute half-time.
Start: coin toss to decide which goal to attack. Kick-off like Face-off in Hockey. At kick-off - initial “kicker” cannot kick ball again until another player has “touched” the ball. The winning team is the team that scores the most goals, if no team scores the most goals, then the game is a tie (I suppose they need something like that in the “official laws”).
Interesting - must memorize Referee Signals section so that I’ll know what is going on. Starts page 58. Gee, read whole 84 page guide and still don’t know how to read the statistics pages.
Salaries.
Ran out of time, will examine the other players and rest of this league later.
