Carolina Affair: College Cup 2011

The North Carolina Tar Heels defeated UNC-Charlotte in the NCAA College Cup final today by the score of 1-0 thanks to a superb Ben Speas "sombrerito" over the Charlotte goalkeeper. It was an all-North Carolina affair today after Charlotte dispatched reigning champions Akron and Creighton. UNC, meanwhile, defeated Indiana and UCLA (soccer heavyweights) on their way to a second NCAA Soccer Championship.

The match was an enjoyable affair in which Charlotte dominated most of the possession and created the majority of the chances. Giuseppe Gentile, Beaulieu, and Thomas Allen all had a myriad of options. I was particularly impressed by Gentile. We can expect great things from him in the future.

For the Tar Heels, Speas and Enzo Martinez were the shining stars in an otherwise highly-defensive affair for the Chapel Hill side. Goalkeeper Goodwin, UNC captain Urso and Jordan Gafa continuously blocked Gentile and Co.'s attempts on goal. They provided the defensive spine needed by the eventual-champions to unsettle the Charlotte onslaught.

College soccer is a different kind of animal in the American soccer scene. First of all, it obeys its own rules: TV timeout, countdown clock, 10-minute overtimes, clock stoppage for free kicks and goal kicks. This is enough to get some soccer enthusiasts like my wife to question the validity of a system that is supposed to be the #1 feeder for MLS and the national soccer team. Indeed, words of wisdom. And yet, as with many other NCAA gaffes (BCS rankings, college bowls), little can be done on this front. We should simply enjoy it for what it is: a truly American flavor of the game and one that has given us stars like Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, Tim Howard. Where would we be without College Soccer?

Congratulations, UNC.

MLS Superdraft: An American Institution

Among the many idiosyncrasies of MLS is their "superdraft" of collegiate players. As I alluded to on an earlier post, College soccer is unique in all the world due to its scope and niche. The draft adds another layer of complexity and uniqueness to the game of soccer in this country and its league, MLS. To recap for futbol fans out there unaccustomed to "drafts," it is a system that allows for the "weaker" teams that finished with the worst records the preceding season to "catch up" to the better teams by drafting the top prospects from college leagues and younger (Adu & Altidore).

I view the draft as link between mainstream American sports and the game of footbal/soccer/futbol. It has more weight in this country because of the way the league is set up (no promotion/relegation) and restrictions on player contracts, salary caps and youth development. It's true that the number one draft pick doesn't always deliver as he did in College, but the same holds true for any sport. The more influential standouts in MLS drafts have been Brian McBride and Maurice Edu. Both had international stature and both delivered on the field. Others like Freddy Adu and Marvell Wynne haven't impressed much, although both are young and still full of possibilities.

The draft is also a strange mix between foreign players and domestic talent to replenish the league after trades to foreign markets and/or lower divisions (USL). Some of them continue on to being US international stars like Marcus Tracy and Jozy Altidore. Some choose to represent their own countries like Bakary Soumare and Alejandro Moreno. Is it so different from major European team scouting both domestically and abroad?

It is true that there is also the "spring" and "fall" transfer windows in MLS and that major international signings supersede the Superdraft. It is also true that without the draft things would be much messier when looking to allocate Collegiate players. After all, this is not a league based on youth development. Colleges and universities provide the majority of the young talent in the league.

So what do we have this year? Another strong class. Last year, Marcus Tracy and Mike Grella decided to skip MLS. This year, Mwanga, McInerney, Duka and Opara are all staying. Is MLS gaining ground on foreign markets? Yes, in a way. Top prospects usually find it hard to see the pitch abroad (just ask Adu, Grella or even Altidore). Here, they get the playing time they deserve and the minutes on the field that propels them to more prestigious leagues and teams.

The Philadelphia Union will be happy with their new number 10. Maybe they won't need a designated player. Tony Tchani, from the NCAA final, will play in New York. Ike Opara, eventual senior national-teamer, is headed to San Jose. Teal Bunbury becomes the first son of a former MLS player and joins the same team as his father--Kansas City. Okugo and McInerney, US youth squad standouts, join Mwanga at the Union. Dilly Duka has been shipped to Columbus and Blair Gavin (another star of the NCAA final) was chosen by Martin Vasquez and Chivas USA. Many more were chosen today that I will not dwell on. Sometimes the lesser-known tend to be sleepers that turn into bona fide stars. Jozy Altidore, for example, was a round two pick.

We have much to look forward to this season in MLS. The Union has set up a potentially-dominant, young squad that could rival 2009's Seattle Sounders. We will also be keeping tabs on potential national team players...especially during a World Cup year.

American College Soccer

Maintaining America's unorthodox approach to the beautiful game is a rare gem: College soccer. Today, as I watched the Akron-Virgina game go into overtime and the proverbial penalty shootout, I realized the uniqueness of the game in the United States. Here, soccer is not meant for the kids from the block as much as the soccer moms and the scholarships to competitive institutions. Soccer follows the pattern of all American sports. Little league, junior varsity, varsity, and, if you're lucky... college.

Of course, there's no NFL, NBA, NHL or MLB to pick up the pieces left over from college play... but USL divisions, NASL (USL off-shoot), and MLS are happy to snag the fruits of college sports. MLS has a tough time, of late, in keeping the higher picks from its "SuperDraft." This is because European markets have discovered a previously-untapped new source of players--America. Indeed, recent MLS "dropouts" include Marcus Tracy (Aalborg of Denmark) and Mike Grella (Leeds).

But beyond the obvious tug-of-war between MLS and foreign clubs, one thing remains: college soccer is like nothing else in the world. The average player age is more like a U-23, U-20 team that constantly battles against other U-20s and U-23s. It's the ultimate formative league. It also has strange rules: countdown, regressive game clock; 10 minute overtimes; a mid-game time out, and possibly one or two others I'm not aware of. This, sadly, is what keeps a lot of soccer-minded Americans away from the College game. They are only interested in its products and how they may fare in Europe or the national team or MLS.

Virginia won its 6th title today. Akron failed to win its first even though they were undefeated. Such is the fate of great teams. It was rolling the dice with penalties. It was Restrepo coming up big as a goalkeeper should. It was a fun and emotional game played on a rainy afternoon in Cary, North Carolina. It was the weight of a dynasty (Virgina) against the fun-to-watch newcomers (Akron). And the fun doesn't stop with the game. Caleb, Akron's coach, is being sought by teams like DC United. And that's the other side of the coin--the coaches. Rewind things a bit and you find familiar faces like Bruce Arena and Bob Bradley winning multiple collegiate trophies. And they grow up with the system to become managers of a internationally-competitive national team.

Last year's crop included Chris Pontius (DCU), Zakuani (Seattle), Alston (Revolution), and impressive players like Marcus Tracy (expect him at the January camp). Previous, but recent successes include [Furman's own] Clint Dempsey, Charlie Davies, Ben Olsen, Brian McBride and Tab Ramos (actually went to my own NC State). And the kids keep coming through the system: Restrepo, Bates, Tchani, Opara, Duka, among others. Some are of African descent, opting for a higher education in the States whilst providing entertainment through their sport. Others are renegade youths that chose a sport outside of the American mainstream.

In all, College soccer is a wonder of the American game. It may not have the fantasy that some of us desire, but it is gritty, fast, athletic, and most of all, competitive.