Category: Sidewinder Insider

By Scott Adamson
Adamsonmedia.com

The Asheville City SC men got some on-the-job training with a friendly last Friday against the Myrtle Beach Mutiny. Tonight, the team officially clocks in to start the 2018 season.

The Blues face the Georgia Revolution (1-0) at 7 p.m. at Memorial Stadium, kicking off its second year in the National Premier Soccer League and first under coach Mick Giordano.

The Revolution, which was winless in NPSL play a year ago, opened its 2018 schedule with a 3-1 victory over Greenville FC last Friday.

E.J. Henry scored two goals in the match’s first six minutes to give Georgia a 2-0 lead, and the eventual winners built a 3-0 cushion by halftime.

Georgia is the early table-topper in the Southeast Conference of the NPSL’s South Region.

“I was fortunate enough to watch the game film of the Revs on Friday night after our game, and the staff has watched it recently,” Giordano said. “They are a good side with some athleticism amongst them, and a bit of bite which will present several tough challenges for us. They are coming off an emotional high with their first league win, so I would imagine the first 15-20 minutes will be a bit frantic with the game settling in after that.

“Hopefully we can play good football and ask several questions ourselves.”

ACSC fell to the Mutiny, a Premier Development League squad, 3-2 last Friday. Although an exhibition, it was a good preseason test for Giordano and company; Myrtle Beach finished 10-1-3 in 2017 and won the South Atlantic Division of the PDL.

Still, that match was more about settling in on a lineup than getting a result, and there were many positives.

Tom Deeley’s free kicks set up both Asheville goals, which were tallied by Brendan O’Dowd and Paul Egle.

O’Dowd and Egle are UNC-Asheville products.

“I think any time a player with local roots scores a goal, you’re happy for them, so it was great to see Egle and O’Dowd find the back of the net,” Giordano said. “I’m pleased for Deeley to pick up two assists on the night as well. Izaiah Vignali had a good flick on for the first goal that shouldn’t go unnoticed.

“I thought Lukas Joyner was our best player in the first half. He showed some leadership and an exceptional work rate.”

Giordano adds that his team – which has had limited practice time – was much more cohesive over the final 45 minutes.

“Our second half group really switched on,” he said. “We kept the football and were more dangerous. They brought another level to our tempo and energy which was exciting to see. Mac Gourlay, another local guy, and Jamie Smith were fantastic in the back. Dom Boland, Elliott Cutts, Elma N’for, Nathan Watts, KMC (Krisitan Moore-Cowell), all of them were great. We still have things to sort out, but considering some of the boys didn’t even know each other’s names because they had just arrived, I’d say it was a fair performance.”

Having 90 minutes of competition under their belts is a boost heading into the opener, of course, but Giordano says it’s the work outside the spotlight that ultimately makes the biggest difference.

“I think it’s always good to get a game in to see where we stand early on,” he said. “For me, the true team bonding has come off the field at our trainings and pool session where they can truly get to know one another. This also builds trust and confidence within the group, which is something that will be massive as we move on through the season.”

ACSC, a playoff team a year ago, will be a work in progress regardless of how today’s match turns out. Giordano said it will find its personality as the season wears on.

“Our formation will be based on our personnel and who’s available,” Giordano said. “We will get the boys in what we feel is a formation that helps them be most successful and confident on the field, as it’s a players’ game. It may evolve as we go or change in game depending on the demand of the game and challenges presented to us. We want the boys to be comfortable and have some freedom to just go out and play football.

“That being said, we have to be better on the defending side and will have a strong emphasis on that as we go.”

For ticket information, go to ashevillecitysc.com.

 

 

By Scott Adamson
Adamsonmedia.com

If the weather forecast is correct, Friday in McDonough, Georgia, will be a beautiful night for The Beautiful Game.

And that means the stars will finally come out for the Greenville Football Club.

Five and a half months after it was formed, the Upstate of South Carolina’s entry in the National Premier Soccer League begins its inaugural season with a road match against Georgia Revolution FC.

The contest is set for 7:30 p.m. at Henry County High School Stadium.

“I think we have some strong leadership and experience, particularly down the spine of the team,” Greenville FC head coach Lee Squires said.  “(Defender) Willie Hunt has played professionally for years and has great leadership qualities.  And then the Furman guys, (defender) Dalton Souder and (midfielder) Danny Kierath, will be key with leadership and their home field advantage early on.”

The club rolled out its roster late last month, which includes goalkeeper Paul Tyson, defenders Lewis Norvock and Aiden Wixted, midfielders Miguel Teos, Julien Coulomb and Laurence Wyke, and attackers Ignacio Monchetti, Lee Wattam and Malcom Frago.

Hunt, a Greer native, has spent time in the North American Soccer League and United Soccer League. He played for the Atlanta Silverbacks from 2011-13.

“Of course we need our goalkeeper to be a big presence, too,” Squires said. “But each guy will be aiming to step up in their own way.”

The mixture of youth and experience sets the stage for a club that should be competitive – and entertaining – from the outset.

“I think we have a very balanced roster that is capable of adapting to different challenges and has the ability to win games in various ways,” Squires said. “All that matters early on is wins, and we’ve stressed to the players this week that we can add layers to our performances and create our identity or brand throughout the season.

“Bu with such limited time together before Friday’s opener, winning is all that matters. But I do think we will be very exciting to watch.”

The Revolution was formed in 2010 and began play in the NPSL a year later.

Last season the club struggled to a 3-4-11 overall record and was 0-3-9 in the NPSL, but looks to bounce back in 2018.

The squad is led by midfielder Scott Redding, a Wofford product, and features three other players who were on last year’s team; forward Devon Patterson, defender Adam McCabe and 2017 team MVP, defender George Rodriguez.

Steo Magennis, boss of the Georgia Gwinnett College Grizzlies, is in his first season as head coach of the Revs.

Both the hosts and visitors compete in the Southeast Conference Division of the NPSL South Region.

So how much scouting has Squires done on his club’s opening night foe?

“Honestly, very little,” he said. “Not to be disrespectful to the Revs, but we have so much going on with ourselves which has taken all our efforts and attentions.  We know the Revs will be strong opposition and well-coached and we need to be ready, but everything has been about bringing us together quickly. Also, every summer league team is largely different year to year, and no one has all of their players available yet, so there’s not too much to go on.

“We’ll be well prepared and ready for the challenge.”

Greenville FC begins the home portion of its schedule May 12 when Inter Nashville FC comes to Stone Stadium for a 7 p.m. start.

For ticket information, go to www.gvlfc.com.

The 1970 World Cup final was the first soccer match I ever saw on TV … and I saw it on a six-month delay.

ABC’s Wide World of Sports rebroadcast the final between Brazil and Italy on Dec. 26 of that year, even though the match was actually played on June 21, 1970, in Mexico City.

Brazil won, 4-1, with Pele scoring the first goal and ending his World Cup career with three titles.

As a 9-year-old in Birmingham, Alabama, I was mesmerized by the skill and artistry of the game. And seeing more than 100,000 fans in the stands – singing, chanting and cheering – left an indelible mark.

If I had to pinpoint one thing that ignited my passion for The Beautiful Game, this would be it.

Soon I was learning everything I could learn about soccer, and trying to get up to speed on world class players such as George Best, Johan Cruyff, Eusebio and Sepp Maier.

Still, soccer was not something easily accessible for an American fan in the American South, at least not in the 1970s.

Except for occasional blurbs in the local newspaper, the library was the only place where I could learn about the game.

That’s why to this day I still owe a debt of gratitude to three names you might not even recognize – Clay Berling, Toby Charles and Zander Hollander. These were men who brought the game to me through word and voice.

Berling published a biweekly newsletter called “Soccer West” in 1971 and a year later it went national as “American Soccer” magazine.

What morphed into “Soccer America” became my go-to source for the sport, and I cheerfully parted with my allowance in order to pay for a subscription and read great work from great writers.

Berling, who died last October, was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1995, honored as one of the sport’s builders in the United States.

In 1976, however, I was introduced to both the TV series “Soccer Made In Germany” and the annual publication “The Complete Handbook of Soccer.”

For me, it completed an association football holy trinity.

Charles provided play-by-play for truncated broadcasts of West German competition, an hour of soccer beamed into my home each week thanks to the Public Broadcasting System.

One of his most famous phrases, reserved for off-target shots, was “high, wide and not too handsome,” but the fact that he had such knowledge of the game increased my knowledge of the game. Thanks to YouTube I can still hear his terrific voice – and get a taste of “Soccer Made In Germany.”

As for Hollander, who spent much of his career editing encyclopedias of every major sport, I’ll be forever grateful for “The Complete Handbook Of Soccer.”

The first was published in 1976, and I own two copies.

Shoot, I still read one from time to time; the other is on display in my fan cave.

What made it such a valuable resource for me was that it featured previews of each North American Soccer League team, profiles of 100 of the NASL’s top players, an overview of the American Soccer League, a breakdown of college soccer, and a handful of  features.

One story in the 1976 edition, written by Andrew Cagen, profiled NBA legend Bob Cousy, who had taken over as commissioner of the ASL.

Who knew?

Until the handbook came out, I certainly didn’t.

Hollander died in 2014, but I like to think he’d be pleased to know that my bookshelf is stocked with much of his work.

By 1976, I felt as “caught up” on soccer as I could possibly be.

Between reading “Soccer America” and “The Complete Handbook Of Soccer” and watching “Soccer Made In Germany” to the soundtrack of a Welsh broadcaster, my love for the game was cemented forever. It led me to build a makeshift goal in my backyard and go on to enjoy a highly undistinguished high school playing career.

So, if you ever ask me who my “heroes” are in the sport, the names Berling, Charles and Hollander won’t be the names you expect.

They will, however, be the names you’ll hear.