Well after our rebuild with the addition of 1 SW Guilherme Biro, DF Julio Cascante,DF Oleksandr Svatok and DF Jon Gallagher we have a settled squad and a defence thet we are proud of and our 2 young wingers are performing and all good at Austin.

Our latest game was against David's CHA and we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 5-4-1 stall,we started the quicker and constant pressure saw us open the scoring on 19 minutes when Perreria cut inside from the wing and rifled home 1-0,27 minutes and Carranza unchallenged powered home his header 2-0,2nd half and on 77 minutes Carranza fired home his 2nd 3-0 and Gallagher drilled home on 80 minutes to seal the game 4-0 as we outplayed and outshot them 9 to 0 and now sit top of the table ,something we did not expect at this stage of the season. 

A good weekend for the 2 teams and results keep us within reach of the top 2 positions in both divisions.

The senior squad won a tight game 1-0 v Chivas USA but suffered a 4 game injury to Downtown - would rather have given up the points than that, and it is the 2nd bad injury this season, after a 10 game injury earlier to Smith.

The 2nd string won as well, by 5-1 v Lauderdale although stats say it should have been a lot closer. We still deserved the win though and it helps the GD. So, no more auctiions and this week ends any trading - gonna be a quiet spell between now and the season end, methinks!!

This season started with high hopes as we’ve been in the top 3 or so for T-11 and T-17 since the start of the season but thus far have seemed like two different teams. The first team we look like is the team that would be expected with that skill ranking. This is the team that showed up in the Al Sellers Cup with a solid run to the semifinals. We solidly progressed with 11 points from the group and defeated a tough Portland team in a 4-3 thriller in the quarters. But in the semis we ran into the brick wall that is Chivas’ GK Leaf Tree and couldn’t get any of our 5 SOG past him before losing in the shootout. It was a solid run and no less than we would have expected with this team. On the other hand there is the second team we seem to be which is the one that shows up in the league. We expected to challenge for the league title this season but we started out with 1 point in the first 4 matches to end up 7 points back of just a playoff spot and immediately stopped mentioning any chance of the title. All we can hope for is to try and get back to that 3rd position and give ourselves a shot at promotion. Anything less would be a failure with this squad. We were as far back as 10 points out of third but have managed to halve the deficit in the last couple of games to 5 points. With ten games to go we’ll need to be at our best but we’re definitely back in the hunt. We’ll have to balance this push with the desire for another deep run in the cup but definitely looking at promotion push first going forward.

In youth team news the changes the last couple seasons to the player development pipeline have helped us better balance development for the first time while also allowing us to build a good well-rounded squad with currently the best T-17 out of D3/4. We’re sitting in the second automatic promotion spot out of D4 but it’s a tight race below us. We have a tight defense but need to score more goals. Promotion is definitely a realistic possibility while the title looks to be too far out of reach with an 8 point gap to a flying San Antonio team. With the depth of our squad we are definitely looking forward to the youth cup.

Well we started poorly in the Al Sellers cup and did not qualify for the knockout stages as we only won 1,drew 3 and lost 2,but were experimenting as to what tactics to play this season.

We started with a T11 of 23.6(5th in division) and a T17 of 21.1(joint 3rd in division) so another tough season ahead.

We looked closely at where we were lacking and it was obvious our defence was not up to standard, so we brought in SW Guilherme Biro, and DF Julio Cascante,DF Oleksandr Svatok and DF Jon Gallagher, with these signings we feel we have addressed the situation and are now happy to push on with a well established squad. We have been trying various tactics while our wingers develop and at present sit 2nd winning 6 drawing 2 and losing 2(both at home to the top 2 teams DC and INT),up front our forwards have been performing well as Kownacki has 6 goals in the league and Torres 5,we have addressed the situation with Carannza and his discipline issues and he is undergoing an intensive therapy program as we have told him we need him on the pitch for the full 90 minutes. As things stand the lads are really confident at present and hope to push on for honours this season ,although I have explained AUS is not a short term fix and a development plan lasting 3 seasons. We will see how the next 6 games unfold as this will be the future of this seasons push.

Ah well - a loss and a win - only thing was the loss was with the senior team. We shot ourselves in the foot when I played a MF on low ELs on "a" and he promptly gave away a penalty and a goal and was sent off. We lost 3-0 to Atlanta. (wouldn't mind but on the viewer when I started the game my stats etc hadn't shown up when they scored in the 1st minute -  mmm! Doesn't matter in the great scheme of things but marks our 3rd loss on the bounce. No promotion for us, phew!!

The youths had better fortune - a tired team took the field away to Vancouver and despite them being higher in the ratings we won 4-0. I know - surprised us too!! We move up a place in the division, but again promotion is not on the plan.

A decent weekend for both teams. The youth squad managed to come back from 2-0 down and playing with 10 men to draw 2-2 with leaders San Antonio in the 4th division. It was their first dropped point and we were just about worth it in the end.

The senior lads entertained Los Angeles, just a point below us, in an important match for both clubs. We got through quietly by 2-0 with Vanster earning his MOM with 4 saves. We enjoy a 3 point lead at the top but our mistake was accidentally putting a couple of lads on "a" when their ELs didn't deserve it. We now have a tired few players but they are all keen to play...

The Colts lost 2-0 to Savannah and it is a real problem trying to get anything like even a decent team out to complete matches. We are mid table but hopefully we never trouble the promotion places.. 🙄

Just released some players who need retired. ✔️

The Colts lost 2-0 to Savannah and it is a real problem trying to get anything like even a decent team out to complete matches. We are mid table but hopefully we never trouble the promotion places.. 🙄

Just released some players who need retired. ✔️

The main team had a mixed bag with the side slipping out if the Cup at the Quarter final stage to Colorado by 2-1. 

That was probably a fair result - on a different computer run we might have got the decision. 
But we returned to league action in Sunday and squeezed home by a single goal at home to Charlestown. A result that puts us top for now. Won't last as I feel we still need some SLs to pad out the squad. We were successful in gaining a FW 4/22 in the auction, he will last this season and be a reserve next. We play LA this weekend. 

Austin latest was a home game against David's Charleston, a real quality side who are really hard to play against, we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 6-3-1 stall trying to shut us out,game on both sides started well and we enjoyed lots of possession but were finding it hard to break down a stubborn defence but on 11 minutes a quick break and deep cross saw Torres power home his header 1-0,from then on defences ruled as we kept pushing but only managed the 1 shot but it was enough for the win and a hard earned 3 points.

San Antonio Spurs our 4th division club is riding high playing some exciting football and are top of the division playing 5 winning 5 scoring 15 and conceding 1,long may it continue. 

Back in the 2nd division and this weekend sees us travel to Tyler's table topping LA ,a real hard game in prospect as they look quality all over the park.

A good week all round and already I find myself in my usual game of playing players with low ELs to give the team a chance of a result, instead of resting some lads and playing 2nd and 3rd string ones. That's my game -can't change now. 😉😉

The big team had 2 league matches, and won both (5-0 at home to Seattle and 2-0 at Chivas). The games marked the debut of our success in the auction. We badly needed a forward but when Gino came up as a MA I put the whole cash we had in the bank to get him. He played well in the first game, lining up 2 of the goals, and scored the first goal after 14 minutes yesterday.

Now this midweek we play Colorado in the last 8 of the Cup but some of j my e wants to keep some good lads for the upcoming weekend match in the league v Charlestown. Decisions decisions.

We have no money having spent cash to lower the games Bonds has to kiss after his -35 injury last week. A defender shirt makes a big difference- I play a 2nd keeper as sweeper on occasions to save a defender.

The Colts did well too (it won't last) with wins - both at home - 3-1 v Laredo Heat and 3-0 v Fort Lauderdale (who helped greatly by leaving their coaching team at home). We are 3rd and play 2nd placed Savannah this weekend away. They will win this one - promotion with this team would maybe be a season too soon. We will see.. 🙄

Last game of the group stages in the Al Sellers cup and we were away to Roy's Colorado, only a win could see us progress to the knockout stages, they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 4-2-4 early ball, they started the quicker and opened the scoring on 22 minutes when Oniswo fired home 1-0,we slowly played ourselves back into the game and levelled things up on 44 minutes when Pereria cut in from the wing and rifled home from an acute angle 1-1,2nd half subs on and they seemed to up their tempo as Oswald raced through and slotted home on 49 minutes 2-1,66 minutes and Schnegg fired home 3-1 and Grull sealed the game on 75 minutes 4-1 as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 13 to 6,well played Roy and best of luck in the knockout stages. 

League action began and we were at home to Bryce's highly talented Atlanta United, they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 normal, a really close exciting encounter with both sides enjoying lots of possession, we started the quicker and opened the scoring on 17 minutes when Pariano raced through and slotted home 0-1,defences then took control till half time,2nd half subs on and defences stood firm, ATL changed tact to press on 70 minutes looking to get back into the game but we stood firm just edged the shot count 4 to 2 and 1st points if the season,well played Bryce.

Next we were at home to David's impressive DC Utd, we opted for a 5-3-2 normal as they went for a 4-3-3 opportunistic, another really close exciting encounter with both sides enjoying lots of possession nothing to choose between the sides up until the stroke of half time as on 45 minutes Davis fired home 0-1,2nd half subs on and we were struggling to retain any possession for any length of time and on 75 minutes Cooper slipped through and slotted home 0-2 as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 5 to 2,well played David impressive side you have there.

Next we travelled to Derek's Seattle Sounders,they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a 4-2-4 early ball, we started the quicker and opened the scoring on 8 minutes when Torres fired home 0-1 and on 22 minutes Mokhayana left upfield from a set piece found the ball at his feet and drilled home 0-2,half time came and subs on ,Seattle pulled one back on 48 minutes when Sampson fired home 1-2,55 minutes and a quick break and deep cross saw Torres head home his 2nd 1-3,56 minutes and Scott slotted home 2-3,from the restart we went upfield and Mokhayana drilled home his 2nd 2-4 and on 60 minutes Kownacki raced clear and fired home 2-5 as we outplayed and outshot them 11 to 4 ,well played Derek.

So 3 games in and we have 6 points (both away wins) so we need to tighten up our home form,we have added 2 quality defenders to the squad to address the issue of leaking goals and hopefully it will not take too long to work.

Not the best week all round, but at least training is coming along nicely.

Thanks to David @ CHA for the recent trades - The upshot was we strengthened the defence but left ourselves short in shooting power. So yesterday we put the whole lot into the auction to get Gino Ahermouch - the 3/25 MA - who should give us midfield thickening plus add to the forward shooting power. That is the hope. The auction also saw us win some CPs and TPs - we don't need them but never thought we would get them. When I do an auction I bid in all the boxes, usually low as not interested in getting them but if I do it didn't cost me much.

The wee team won 2-0 v North Sound Seawolves but were duffed up 4-1 by Vancouver. The big team won 2-0 @ Austin and drew 0-0 @ Atlanta - both away matches so fairly pleased with that. But we contuinue to get referees who want to use their red cards. Fortunatly up to now they have picked on low SL players but I don't have too many extras to play with. Wish people used the Transaction pages more...

Decent week for us - we didn't win any games but we didn't lose any either.

Last midweek we went defensive at LA and secured a point 0-0 and more importantly didn't sustain sending offs or an injury. This allowed us to qualify for the Al Sellers Cup Quarter Finals.

Fast forward to Sunday and home to Inter Miami was a different ball game. We qwent a goal down from the penalty in the 4th minute that saw SW Smitt sent off. But we buckled down and were leading 2-1 till the 71st minute when my main link man Mitchell went off injured. That gave Inter some momentum and they levelled shortly afterward. A point was probably the correct result.

The Colts opened their campaign - and what a humdinger that was. We lined up to train the age 0 lads including a rookie keeper, and then we had defender Blount sent off in the 19th minute. We held out till half time and then put on some better SL lads to make a game of it. It didn't work as we were battered from the 1st to the 90th minutes - even had Wayne sent off with 15 minutes to go - but ended up thieving a point in a 0-0 scoreline. Feel sorry for CIW as they had 10 on target shots but rookie keeper Hynd saved 2 in the first half and Hill saved 8 in the 2nd half. Fiortunately both sending offs were fior players who are seqasoned and low SLs so won't miss them for the next game.

Home to Andy's San Jose and still looking for our 1st win of the season,we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 4-2-4 normal, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 13 minutes when Sarabina fired home 1-0,SJ hit back and levelled things up on 14 minutes when Jackson slotted home 1-1,defences then took control till half time, 2nd half subs on and they seemed to up their tempo as Jackson fired home his 2nd goal on 50 minutes 1-2 and Lineker headed home on 63 minutes 1-3,we had no answer to this surge in tempo,game changing moment on 76 minutes when Gusto had a red card and SJ down to 10 men,we then upped our tempo and Kownacki fired home on 78 minutes 2-3,80 minutes and they changed tact to stall,we kept pushing and on 87 minutes Carranza slipped through and drilled home 3-3,we were outplayed for periods and outshot 11 to 7 but held out for a point,well played Andy.

Away to Stephen's Houston, who like us love to play early ball attacking football,we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they unusually opted for a 4-2-4 longball, we started well and enjoyed lots of possession and opened the scoring on 29 minutes when Carranza fired home 0-1,defences then took control till half time, 2nd half and subs on and on 50 minutes Driussi headed home 0-2,HOU slowly played themselves back into the game and pulled one back on 62 minutes when Myhill fired home 1-2 and on 69 minutes Lupienska slotted home to level it up 2-2,70 minutes and Mokhayana drilled home 2-3 and on 81 minutes Sarabina fired home to seal the win 2-4 in a really close encounter with both sides having 8 shots each ,Vermeer in our goal was in outstanding form with 6 saves ,well played Stephen and Austin have their 1st win of the season giving us the chance of progression. 

After last weekend's surprise (to us at least) loss at home to Chivas which dropped us to 3rd in the section, we needed the lads to shift up a gear. The away match at Chivas midweek saw a change in tactics and we closed out a 2-0 win which pushed us into 2nd place.

Yesterday we completed game 5 with a home match against Charlestown. 2 goals up early on we saw the lead halved near the end but at the same time our opponents had 2 injuries to contend with. It allowed us to score twice more, collect a Captain's bonus, go top of the section, and qualify for the last 8. 
Training goes well, and last night we won an auction player - a DF aged 1/14 - he will be a 1/23 by season end.

5 games in and RNG (formerly known as Olmec) have shit upon us 4 times. Even the game against Miami was scary, where although we did get morechances than we should, the result was in doubt as we couldn't take our chances but they looked like they could score if they got a chance.

Today was back to the same old crap as, although Kansas deserved to win with up to twice the shot chance they actually created 14 chances to our 5. And despite 42% chance or less of scoring they scored 60% of their shots on target.

We can't qualify for the knockout stages so I will change my orders if I get the chance. 

The season is up and running (thanks to Andy's hard work) and 3 games in we are middle of the road.

Opening with a 2-1 home win v LA Galaxy, we then drew away at Charlestown - happy with that one - but then Chivas came and took us apart yesterday by 4-2. 

Looks like we will score goals this season, but looks like we will let quite a few in too. Fun for the spectators not so for us managers. :-(

And now we face Chivas again in the return match on Wednesday.......

Game 2 and home to Stephen's Houston, who like us like to play free flowing early ball football,both sides opting for early ball tactics and game on ,both sides enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 18 minutes when Torres fired home 1-0 and kept this lead till half time.2nd half subs on and game changing moment on 64 minutes when Carranza who only came on at half time brought down Budd in the box,ref pointed to the spot and then produced a red card, so down to 10 men,Budd picked himself up and drilled his spot kick but Vermeer pushed it round the corner, what a save,HOU then seemed to up their tempo with slick passing and levelled things up on 69 minutes when Kwortslaw fired home 1-1,we felt unlucky as we outplayed them for periods and outshot them 8 to 3 but points shared, well played Stephen. 

Next we travelled to Andy's formidable looking San Jose,a side we have always struggled against, they opted for a 4-2-4 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 normal, we started slowly and were more on the defensive and on 33 minutes they opened the scoring when Sterling fired home 1-0,half time soon came and we tried to push on and get ourselves back into the game but we were struggling to retain any possession for any length of time and on 68 minutes Mudryk slotted home 2-0,we had no answers as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 6 to 1 ,well played Andy.

Three games in and so far RNG (formally Olmec) has shafted Columbia in all three games on chances. 

Looks like a very long season ahead.

Opening day and the lads were ready to face Lios Angeles at home. Fans turned up and cheered the lads on. 
We didn't go gung ho and played a tight game. It was an end to end game although we seemed to test their keeper a few more times and caused him to make 6 saves to my lad's one.

Just before the end we had established a 2 goal lead and were looking for a possible Captain's bonus until LA jolted us by pulling one back and causing a few awkward moments. But we held on and we face leaders Charlestown midweek who had a ball scoring 4 goals against a Chivas side who left their coaching staff at home.

Austin FC back in the big leagues and at home at Q2 stadium for their 1st match with a sell out crowd and the El Tree fans in good voice.

We were up against Roy's Colorado a strong side from division 1 who are always hard to play against and even harder to get a result, we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, a really close exciting encounter with both sides enjoying lots of possession,COL started quickly and opened the scoring in the 1st minute when Grull smashed home a loose ball 0-1,not the start we were looking for,but we slowly played ourselves back into the game and had lots of possession but were finding it hard to break down a stubborn defence, half time came and subs on ,we upped our tempo and on 47 minutes Carranza fired home 1-1,the noise was deafening in the Q2 stadium this is what they had longed for,we pushed on and outshot them 9 to 5 ,but Schlager in their goal was in outstanding form with 7 saves,so points shared,well played Roy.

Well what a poor season ,started with the Alan Sellers cup and we didnt get out of the group stage,and the Dave Dowson shield we went out to Carolina on penalties. The league for us was a poor performance, without wingers this season we struggled to sort out our tactics and lacked the creativity, we ended up 7th and relegated to division 2,winning 4,drawing 7 and losing 10 scoring 19 goals and conceding 36 amassing 19 points.

Most matches played was 21 by Carranza, most minutes 1395 by Pariano and Leflore,bad boy with 16 DP's was Pariano, top goalscorers were Carranza and Kownacki with 6 and MOM'swas Vermeer with 6.

So next season will be a rebuild and 2 new wingers to come in and re-ignite our early ball tactics. 

The Juniors are champions with one game to go and the Seniors are confirmed promoted and meed to make up 2 goals (if both teams win) to overtake Kansas for the top spot.

It's amazing what turning up to matches does.

The Senior team is almost certain of promotion  with a 6 point lead over 3rd place Chivas and a +13 advantage in goal difference. 

The Junior team need one win or two draws (Daniel Island would need to win 8-0 and 9-0 in the latter case).

So hopefully both teams will be promoted tomorrow.

A week ago I decided to throw both Cup games to concentrate on the League.  Both teams won their league games last Sunday and this Sunday both teams have promotion six pointers.

Having beaten the league leaders The Crew face the team in third. We have a better goal difference and a win would almost guarantee they couldn't overtake us. The team in 4th could but our last two games are against the bottom two teams. Our EL is decent so I feel that a win against Chivas will be enough.

The Rebels are guaranteed at least a playoff spot and face the team in second who have a cup game tonight. Our last game is against the bottom team, so again I feel a win on Sunday will be enough.

United played out their 3rd draw in 8 days so they are unbeaten since I came here. :-)

We have a decent midfield and defence but are really short in high SL forwards so will limp to the end of the season and hopefully correct it.

Exactly the opposite for the youth team. Despite a 0-0 draw we actually do have a decent set of forwards but defence and midfield are the problems - and there is no trading or auctions. So we only have about 3 more league games to work through and the new recruits will address that issue.

So I have taken over at D.C. Utd and Colts - the bribe offered by Andy was too much to turn down - I wish.

It was just that I have been concentrating more of my activities at home now, rather than outside, for health reasons, and Olmec I think is about the best on the market. Currently I struggle with Hibs in SESL so why not struggle with United and Colts here. The team has little money - won't be enough to get a full compliment of CPs next season but hey ho - we will survive.

I did the team lines for last weekend's games and was pleased to take a point off runaway leaders Kansas City in a 2-2 draw. And last night in the Dave Dowson Cup we drew 2-2 with San Jose Earthquqakes. The defining moment to me anyway was I swapped reserve keeper Green out with 15 minutes to go (if we were ahead or drawing) just in case of penalties with Bosnich. Penalties it was, and Bosnich saved 3 to put us through. At least it will be another payday as we try to make some cash for preseason purchases.

Well this has turned into a nightmare season,we went out of the Al Sellers cup in the group stages and sit bottom of the 1st division after 12 games winning 1,drawing 4 and losing 7,scoring 9 goals and conceding 26 only gaining 7 points.

So relegation to division 2 is on the agenda,coach rob takes full responsibility for this,we overlooked what we needed to train up for this season as we were carried away with winning the 1st division, next season we will have wingers back and play our free flowing attacking football as we are used to,this season we have tried to play different styles but have failed miserably, our defence has leaked goals and our front line has not fired at all, we have to address these issues, but it may not be quick enough to save this season.

Post a mid-season report on how well the teams are going and immediately lose both games.

Way to jinx your team.

Both teams are doing well as we head into the second half of the season. Both teams are in the ftop 3 of their respective divisions in both T11 and T17. It's helped that I haven't NMRd and am actually thinking about what I'm doing. 

Well apart from over using CP on my two forwards. I just have to keep concentrating, ride our luck and make sure I don't make any silly mistakes and we should be back in the top divisions.

It's been a disappointing season thus far for Atlanta after barely missing out on the promotion playoff spot last year and coming in with a strong T-11. Here at the halfway point of the season we sit in the bottom half of the table but we are only 2 points out of the playoffs and 5 points off an automatic promotion place so with plenty of games still to go we have time. In the first cup of the season the Al Sellers Cup we were in a good position to make it out of our group but had a winner-take-all game away to Columbus on the final matchday. We fought back from a 2-0 halftime deficit to get to within one at 3-2 but couldn't find the equalizer in the last minutes of the game and missed out on the knockout rounds. It was a tough start to the season and the hangover affected the start of our league season as we dropped our first two games to end up bottom of the table after the second session. Since then we've been fighting our way back and picking up wins. We've only had two losses in our last 9 games but both to teams above us in the table making our climb harder.

Looking forward, we now have after MSA the 3rd best T-11 in the league (2nd in D2) but a mid-level T-17 so squad rotation will be a key part in how we go from here. One big thing holding us back is the lack of a decent reserve keeper so we will have to really manage minutes in the back well. But with a top tier T-11 we hope for a good cup run in the Dave Dowson shield as well as making up more ground in the race for promotion.

Well we started the league ,after a poor cup run which saw us bow out to Andy's SJ in the final match,from bad to worse as we were at home to Andrew's Portland Timbers,without doubt one of the strongest squads I have seen assembled and will take some stopping this season,we opted for a 4-4-2 normal as they went for a 4-2-4 normal, this season we have no wingers so our early ball tactics will take a rest but how will we play,we are in experimental stage and are looking for that winning formula, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half,2nd half and subs on, we got the breakthrough on 51 minutes when Kownacki slipped through and slotted home 1-0,POR changed tact to press on 60 minutes and upped their tempo, 62 minutes and they left a gap at the back and we exploited this when Kownacki fired home his 2nd 2-0,63 minutes and POR pulled one back when Purdy slotted home 2-1 and they levelled things up on 69 minutes when Lieper fired home 2-2,we had no answer to this onslaught and on 71 minutes Liete in our goal could only parry a shot and Lieper was there to smash home the loose ball 2-3,defences then closed down all attacks before they could develop as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 8 to 6,well played Andrew,awesome squad you have there.

Well we are Champions again,but only by a point as the other free flowing early ball specialist namely HOU and their manager Stephen pushed us all the way.

We won 12 drew 5 and lost 4,scoring 43 conceding 15 amassing 41 points.

Most matches played all 21 by Kownacki and most minutes with 1440,bad boy with 22 dp's was Yamechuck, top goalscorer and golden boot winner with 12 was Carranza  and young boot winner was Sarabina with 9 goals,top mom's was Liete with 7.

Our focus for the season was the league ,so we put out weaker sides in the cups saving our top players ,we went out of the Al Sellers cup on penalties to CAR  and in the Dave Dowson to SEA .

All in all a cracking season where our early ball tactics worked well(as they did for HOU),but next season no wingers so we will have to rethink our strategy to defend the title.

It's been a good first half of the season for Atlanta after the struggles of the last three seasons. The group stage of the Al Sellers Cup was a success as we got through our group in first. After that though it took us some time to find our league form as we only picked up 2 points in our first five games. A bright spot during that time was a quarterfinal AS Cup win over Seattle but then we lost a tight battle to Colorado in the semis. However, investments in developing our forward line are starting to pay off as our league form has soared as the goals have started flowing from Malcolm Reed and Michael Eddington with 5 goals a piece in the league leading the Silverbacks to 5 wins in our last 6 and into the second automatic promotion place as of this moment.

Looking forward we think that with a top 4 T-11 in the league and a top half T-17 we can make a good run at the Dave Dowson Shield while cementing our hold on 2nd place in D2 but D2 promotion is tight right now with teams 2-7 in the division only separated by 4 points with 10 games still left. Our goal remains a promotion this season and would show that Atlanta is starting to right the ship at a franchise with a proud history.

Well we started the season with a T11 of 24.5 (4th in division) and a T17 of 22.1(4th in division) and after a determined start we now have a T11 of 29 .3 and a T17 of 26.6 both 1st in division so happy with that.

We started our Alan Sellers cup campaign with a really poor start as we lost 3 of our 4 opening games,I think we needed a few for all the players to familiarise themselves of how we were going to play this season,we qualified for the knockout stages but only with a 7-2 over CLB in our last game ,where we used press tactics to the maximum, we went onto the semi -finals where we went out in a penalty shoot out to Jason's CAR ,who went on to win the trophy.

In the league we have started well, winning 4,drawing 2 and losing just 1 our last game to CHA ,scoring 16 ,conceding 4 amassing 14 points.

Our young forwards have settled in well and are scoring goals as well as our midfield, we have made 3 major purchases this season to tighten up the defence, SD Isiah Leflore,DF Olwethu Mahonya and MF Jose Martinez who have all settled in well and know their jobs they have to do.

Looking forward our aim is to win the division and all focus will be on that.

Well it had to happen PHI up against Stephen's HOU in the cup ,was it to be another all out early ball tactic from both sides ,you bet your bottom dollar it would be.

So both sides opting fo a 4-2-4 early ball tactics, another really close exciting encounter with both sides enjoying lots of possession, defences on top for the 1st half hour as both sides looking for a chink in their armour that they could exploit,it came on 39 minutes as Carranza slipped through and slotted home 0-1,and he drilled home his 2nd on 43 minutes 0-2,half time came and subs on ,HOO slowly played themselves back into the game and pulled one back on 60 minutes when James slotted home 1-2,67 minutes and Mahonya dribbled from deep inside his own half then rifled home from range 1-3 and they sealed the game on 78 minutes when Craig slotted home from close range 1-4,85 minutes and PHI down to 10 men as Carranza saw red,but they held out as they edged the shot count 13 to 7,both goalkeepers had outstanding games with Roche in the HOU goal making 6 saves and Liete in the PHI goal making 4 saves keeping the scoreline respectable, well played Stephen ,see you in the next cup competition.

Not a lot of good news in that we crashed out of the Cup on penalties - boo!! to Carolina.

Good luck to them in the Final. 

Our league form is iffy too - but we are enjoying it and the youth team is getting trained up - the age 0's are at least. Will concentrate on age 1's after the 0's are finished- results are not important.

What a disaster. San Jose Earthquakes finished bottom of group C with just five points from our six matches. Must of the games were fairly close and we only conceded five goals in total but our problem was finding the back of the opponents net. We only scored twice in total which is the lowest by far of all sixteenth teams. The league campaign starts tonight with an away game at Portland Timbers. Our mentality will need to change to a more attacking approach if we are going to do anything this season. Let's hope.

Our latest game was away at James Kansas city and we were looking to get our 1st win of the season,they are always a free flowing attacking football side and hard to get a result against, they opted for a 4-2-4 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 opportunistic tactics, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half,2nd half and subs on and both sides pushing for the win,we broke the deadlock on 78 minutes when some neat interchanges saw Radonic fire home 0-1,from then on we defended well as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 8 to 4,but Liete in our goal was in outstanding form with 6 saves and we got our 1st win of the campaign, well played James ,tidy side you have there.

We started the season with the first 2 matches played with myself miles away from the grounds on a cruise. But whatever I di the results were good for us - a 2-1 close win v Houston (one of my previous clubs - mind you, I have had more clubs than an average golf bag) and followed up with a 4-2 win v Vancouver (one of the few clubs I haven't had the pleasure of).

Houston should have won the match - my keeper was arguably the MOM - but we deserved the latest win.

Today it is San Jose in the firwst of back to back matches against them. These will go a long way to settling the group, although if we split the points Houston or Vancouver can slip through the gap we will create.

Well we have started with the Al Sellers cup 

Our 1st game was away at Derek's Portland Timbers, a really tough well organised outfit, they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a 4-2-4 early ball tactic, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but defences on top for most of the 1st half up until 44 minutes when Carranza fired home a shot cum cross which beat everyone and nestled in the net 0-1,half time came and subs on ,Portland started to play themselves back into the game and levelled things up on 65 minutes when Butler fired home 1-1,69 minutes and Adam's slotted home 2-1,70 minutes and Carranza fired home his 2nd, much the same as his 1st effort 2-2,from then on defences ruled and closed down all attacks before they could develop, funny game we looked the strongest but were outplayed for periods and outshot 10 to 7,well played Derek ,point a piece a fair result.

Next we were home to Paul's Chivas, another tough looking side who we always struggle against, they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a 4-2-4 early ball tactic, game on and 1st half saw both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences on top, half time soon came and subs on, 2nd half and much of the same as both defences stood firm as it ended goalless 0-0,point a piece,we were lucky as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 9 to 4 ,only Liete in our goal with 8 outstanding saves kept us in the game, well played Paul.

So 2 points from 2 games and this seems so much like last season as we struggled at the start to find our rhythm, let's hope we progress this season.

Philadelphia versus Houston Dynamos  and both sides love their early ball attacking style of play which is great to watch for the fans,both sides as anticipated went for 4-2-4 early ball,and Houston were edging their bets with lots of aggression throughout the team ,they started the quicker and opened the scoring on 9 minutes when a woeful back pass from Powell let Chew run in and fire home 0-1,12 minutes and Kalajdzic limped off and was replaced, then till half time defences were on top form shutting down all attacks before they could develop, half time came and subs on ,68 minutes and some sloppy and saw Murphy pick up the ball cut inside and fire home 0-2,73 minutes and Brekalo limped off and was replaced,75 minutes and Houson chaged tact to stall and parked the bus,we could find no way through as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 5 to 3,well played Stephen, thoroughly deserved ,we are happy with the league title and cant be greedy.

Well what a season, we weren't favourites for the title but we went under the radar playing our style of football,years of develop with Roxborough Indians ,our youth feeder team have seen the develop and this season we have harvested the fruits.

34 games played winning 23 ,drawing 6 and losing 5,scoring 103 and conceding 40 amassing 75 points. 

Most matches played 33 by Carranza (who was also top youth goalscorer),most minutes played was 2115 shared by Kalajdzic and Powell,bad boy with 30 DP's  was Sullivan  most goals and top scorer in the league was Radonic with 25 and most MOM's was Liete with 9.

Last but not least Captain fantastic Matej Oravec who became the all time leading player for Philadelphia Union with 162 appearances, what a player and boy does he know how to lead a team,his experience and skills have helped to develop this side and there cannot be a prouder man at this moment. 

Champagne on ice until after the cup final against Stephen's Houston Dynamos, but then it will flow with a massive title party.

Semi final time and we were up against Stephen's Houston Dynamos, a side who like us love to play early ball attacking football, on paper this looked a real close call as nothing to choose between the two teams, as usual both sides opting for early ball tactics with a small amount of aggression in each line up ,both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half,2nd half and much of the same as both sides pushing on looking for the opening  and it came to Philadelphia on 64 minutes when Baumgartner put through Carranza and his shot was parried and the rebound came back to Baumgartner who smashed the ball home 1-0,defences then back on top in an even game of 4 shots each ,well played Stephen a classic game,we march onto the final.

We were up against Andy's San Jose Earthquakes  and it looked a close call on paper,but could we carry our league form in the cup,we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 19 minutes when Oravec drilled home from range 1-0,20 minutes and he fired home his 2nd 2-0 as he raced onto a through ball,40 minutes and Yamechuck cut in from the wing and rifled home from an acute angle 3-0,half time came and subs on ,San Jose upped their tempo and pulled one back on 46 minutes through Keegan 3-1 and on 53 minutes they pulled another one back through Kovacic 3-2, game on ,we kept pushing and on 67 minutes a deep cross saw Carranza power home his header at the back post 4-2  and on 84 minutes Craig sealed the game after some fleeting footwork 5-2 ,amazingly we were outshot 10 to 9 and outplayed for periods in the 2nd half,but Liete in our goal was in outstanding form with 8 saves to see us through, well played Andy.

Our latest game was against David's Charleston, a well drilled and organised side,we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 24 minutes when Sorensen fired home 1-0 and on 26 minutes Yamechuck headed home 2-0,Oravec drilled home from range on 43 minutes 3-0 to make it a comfortable 1st half,2nd half subs on and Radonic sealed the game on 51 minutes when he fired home 4-0 as we outplayed them for periods and outshot them 9 to 2  and progress to the next round, well played David. 

CAR had a good run in the Alan Sellers Cup getting all the way to the final.  Alas not be this time as we lost in a penalty shoot-out.  In the league the team have been fairly consistent, staying in the top 5 most of the first half of the season.  Mid season aging has hit us bad as an aging squad so may start dropping down.  Aim for the rest of the season is to finish in the top 6 and get as far as we can in the Dave Dowson shield.  We need the money from cup run as have the lowest bank balance in the division, in danger of not being able to get the full 50 CPs next season.  The youth team are doing ok after a shaky start, currenty mid-table and training some good players for the senior squad.

We just missed out in qualifying for the AS cup knockout stages after winning three and losing three. The important game proved to be Miami FC at home the second last game. We managed to lose three nil and that was that. League form has also been very up and down. We sit in the top half, just but we have won more games than we have lost. Hopefully I can set the squad up nicely for the run in and next season. On an upside our youth team are currently fourth and preforming above and beyond. Started off with a win in the Dave Dowson Shield, hopefully we can progress to the latter stages.

We were up against Bryce's Atlanta in the latest round of the cup ,and this looked like it could be a tasty match up, we opted for the 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 5-2-3 normal, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but defences on top until on 39 minutes when Radonic slipped in on fired home 1-0,half time soon came to subs on ,60 minutes and we were all square as Lopez slotted home 1-1,from then on we struggled with break down a stubborn defence  as their goalie Jutze was in outstanding form with 5 saves as we heard the full time whistle,we just edged  the shot count 6 to 3.So it came down to penalties, not a nice way to decide it ,but we took it 3-1 and progress in a next round well played Bryce.

Started off surprisingly well in AS Cup group stage with 5 wins out of 6 but reality set in at the start of the league season as we only got 1 win in the first 10 games. The lowest point being a 4-0 pasting from fellow strugglers Miami FC. However, as our youth strengthened up and we filled in a desperately needed extra spot in the back line our results have turned around and we now sit a respectable 13th only 6 points below climbing into the top half which will be our goal for the end of the season.

In the cups we played a tough game going out in the AS Cup against the strong Carolina team that made it to the final and we won our play-in game for the DD Shield but had to face off against the runaway league leaders Philly just dropping down into the Losers' Bracket on penalties. But thanks to the new format we're still alive!

Our youth team is performing well and has reached double digit wins already and is hanging strong in the top half of the table. A title challenge is unfortunately out of reach but we're right in the middle of a large group of teams fighting for a top 3 finish. Our youth that will join us next season are definitely performing well and the future looks bright in Hotlanta!

The Rapids sit 2nd in the table just after halfway through the season. I'm happy with the position but we're 15 points behind league leaders Philadelphia Union. The gap could have been 9pts as we played them in our last match, but despite being at home and marking both of their wingers whilst they played EC we still created less chances. The chances that were created fell to the right players but we didn't score and they won 3-0.

Not a great confidence builder going into the second half of the season, but we'll keep plugging away.

We lost to Seattle in the Alan Sellers Cup but we have another shot at a trophy when we try out AFG's newly formatted DD Trophy.

The youth team are doing ok. I'll have to bolster the midfield next season, Looking forward to another attempt at the youth cup. 

Back on form after a couple of league losses and the Q/F loss to Seattle.

The Thunder will take them on next in the S/F and are likely to face stiffer opposition with the Sounders #1 keeper fit to play

Well, that man in goals for us, Leighton, certainly saw us into the Semi FinaL of the Al Sellers Cup with a superlayive display. Our defence was not a high SL one and Leighton (SL40) saved the 4 on target shots he faced.  We were also lucky Chivas keeper was their 2nd string lad (SL16) who saved 1 of the 3 shots he faced, but shipped in goals from the other 2 shots. Also glad Chivas's SL35 FW Weed didn't get a shot in the game......

Elliott (1st half) and Collins (2nd half) were our match scorers, but the match winner was definitely Leighton - think he would have seen us through any penalty shootout too!! 

Will the luck hold? For now getting Leighton back up to a presentable EL total - that is the first priority..... 

A win tonight, possibly expected, but the milestone belongs to keeper Leighton, who, by his team mates scoring 3 goals, allowed him another MVP - now he reaches 40SL. Not sure I have ever had a 40SL in Olmec. But now he is CP'd so it can only get worse... 

We won 3-0 against a Columbus team who tried and had enough plays to score, but that man Leighton was our saviour, and goals from Jota, Dykes and Holmes - 3 oin target shots and 3 goals, made the game secure for us..

We started with an away game at Carolina, we opted for a 5-3-2 normal as they went for a 5-2-3 normal, we started well and opened the scoring on 14 minutes when Kalajdzic headed home 0-1and he drilled home his 2nd on 26 minutes 0-2,half time soon came and subs on ,58 minutes and Carolina pulled one back through Golspie 1-2 but on 77 minutes Kalajdzic completed his hat trick 1-3 ,even and we were edged in the shot count 5 to 4 ,we held on for the win.

Next we were at home to Columbus, again both sides went for 5-3-2 normal tactics, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession and we opened the scoring on 15 minutes when Yamechuck rifled home from close range 1-0,Columbus slowly played themselves back into the game and levelled things up on 42 minutes when Bentley headed home 1-1,half time came and subs on 48 minutes and Radonic fired home from range 2-1and on 53 minutes Carranza fired home 3-1,56 minutes and Bentley slotted home 3-2 and they levelled things up on 67 minutes when Houston slotted home 3-3,Philly just edged the shot count 10 to 6 but points shared. 

Then we travelled to Houston, always a tough game for us they opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as we tried a 4-4-2 opportunistic, they started well and opened the scoring on 33 minutes when John fired home 1-0,half time came and subs on ,51 minutes and Chew fired home 2-0 and on 74 minutes John slotted home his 2nd 3-0 as they outplayed for periods and outshot us 6 to 3

We came to a halt today with a beating from the league's previously bottom and winless team. Strange season with goals flying in, and games where a massive amount of goals have been scored by the same team without an obvious change in subs or tactics. Good for the game but not for nerves as if you are 2 or 3 up early on the win is not guaranteed. Kansas won well in the end and we move on.. Good luck to them in their next games as they used to be high flyers in the past.

We are off and running (for now) with a good home win against Derek's POR.

He has a job on hand to training his lads up but he will get there, I'm sure.

The 5 goals will help the GD for later games - home to Kansas on Wednesday - boy, do the games come thick and fast. I like all the games being played midweek - think I've said it before.

We started the league campaign with a home game against Portland Timbers, both sides opting for normal tactics in a 5-3-2 formation, this was a game of defences as both stood firm limiting each other to 1 shot each  as it ended goalless 0-0 ,points shared. 

Next we were away to Kansas city ,again both sides opting for normal tactics, we started well but were finding it hard to break down a stubborn defence but on 29 minutes Kalajdzic fired home 0-1,2nd half subs on and Kalajdzic drilled home his 2nd on 70 minutes 0-2,75 minutes and Powell made it 0-3,83 minutes and Yamechuck  fired home 0-4 and Carranza completed the scoring on 84 minutes 0-5 as we outplayed and outshot them 13 to 3.

Next we were at home to Colorado and opted for normal tactics as they went for early ball tactics, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 5 minutes through Yamechuck 1-0,but Balic fired home on 7 minutes 1-1,20 minutes and Radonic fired home 2-1,Colorado hit back on 25 minutes as Baidoo slotted home 2-2,33 minutes and Radonic fired home his 2nd 3-2,half time soon came and subs on ,61 minutes and Sullivan drilled home 4-2,68 minutes and Colorado down to 10 men as Wimmer saw red ,we closed out the game outshooting them 13 to 5

So not a bad start ,unbeaten and 7 points in the bag.

Like the league itself, a new season seems to have rejuvenated the Atlanta Silverbacks as they stormed out of the gate this season with a 5-game winning streak to start the season. They fell in the final group game but 5 wins were enough to claim 1st in the group and a place in the AS Cup Quarterfinals. The form at first did not carry over into the start of the new league campaign with only 1 point from the first two games but behind a man of the match performance from this season's current top scorer Bill Stein the Silverbacks claimed their first league victory of the season on Friday as they overran a defensive Columbus side 3-0.

The Silverbacks sit 11th in the table as the focus remains on the league for the next few weeks and they hope to maintain momentum and focus before the ASC QF at the end of the month.

So we get tour 1st league win of the campaign in a bid to stqave off 2nd division football next season. 

A bit dramatic, I know, but tonight's game was silly.

I saw us go 3-0 down at Vancouver inside the first 15 minutes, then decide to turn up and by half time we leqad 5-3. We push on to 7-3 and then trade a 2-1 goals and end up 9-4 winners - 9 goals from 10 shots.

Good evening for us with Dykes getting the MOM award and GK Leighton getting a Captain's bonus. That'll keep us going till Monday.  A good weekend to all my readers.. :-)..

So the last cup game came around and this was a dead rubber on our behalf after successive defeats,so we were at home to Stephen's Houston who had already qualified, we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 5-4-1 stall, we started quickly and opened the scoring on 14 minutes when a fierce shot could only be parried by the Houston goalie and Yamechuck was on hand to smash the ball home 1-0,15 minutes and Skybrski fired home 2-0,24 minutes and Carranza skipped clear and slotted home 3-0,a quick attack on 36 minutes saw Yamechuck cut in from the wing and rifle home from an acute angle 4-0,,half time came and subs on and a mor settled 2nd half but the game was sealed on 65 minutes when Carranza fired home 5-0 as we outplayed and outshot them 9 to 0,well played Stephen. 

So onto the league which starts next week.

Well, that was an eye opener. With both Bryce's Atalanta and us having qualified for the last 8, we both played lesser lights in the dead rubber between each other.

Wish the referee had seen it that way, as he managed to take 10 players names which resulted in a man from each team being sent off.  Neither is a top notch player, but it overshadowed the unexpected 1-0 win for the Thunder. 

Now it on for the League - we are due to finish around 14th but hoping for better....

PS I like the midweek matches..

After 2 hiccups we finally got the win to make the last 8 in the Cup. A good win against Steve's Crew but it will be an up and down league season as we are nowhere near the top 3 or 4 clubs.  Just want to enjoy this season, whilst looking to train up some lads to compete in future seasons.  :-)

Not the team, obviously, though I thought we were robbed a bit today and I made the mistake of stalling against DC who have a keeper as bad as us. No I mean not NMRing despite the short deadlines. In contrast I NMRd something like 4 times in 9 games at the start of the SFLSL season recently. Maybe it's the quick turnarounds that are helping as I realise that if I don't do them  straight away then I'll forget until it's too late.

Beaten at home by D C United, who I DID say would come back after their opening day loss to us. With their 2nd string keeper in I thought we would get the points to cement our 2nd place spot in the section, but not to be - we were mugged  :-)

We still stay 2nd but need a win in the last 2 games at least to qualify... Must have a taget in mind, even if we don't reach it..

3rd away game on the bounce and tasted defeat for the first time. 2-0 away at Atlanta wasn't disastrous and we lok forward to 3 home matches now - qualifying for the last 8 is in our hands now - Atlanta are virtually there now..

But in the 1st auction we say hello to Larry Holmes who will give us a bit of firepower up front, we hope!!!

San Jose Earthquakes have played all three away games in the AS cup. Three points from the opening games leaves the Earthquakes last in the group but it's still all to play for. The first match at Seattle Sounders was a bit of a killer for us. Two nil up at half time, turned into three nil on 46 minutes. Then we conceded one, two and three. To rub salt into the wounds we then let the fourth in the last minute. A game we should have won, we got nothing. The second game was at Miami FC and a much better performance. A solid two nil victory from a match with few chances. The third game was another tough one, at Carolina RailHawks. A disappointing performance and a three nil defeat. No complaints we got outplayed. With three home games starting with Seattle tomorrow, we still have a decent chance to progress.

2nd match in the cup and we were at home to Paul's Chivas, a tough looking side who always make you work for any points,we opted for a 5-2-3 normal tactics as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, we started quickly and opened the scoring on 5 minutes when Carranza raced through and slotted home 1-0,both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences on top, 30 minutes and Chivas changed tact  to early cross and pushed on until half time,2nd half and subs on ,53 minutes and Kalajdzic outjumped everyone at the back post and powered home his header 2-0,from then on we defended well as we were just edged out in the shot count 5 to 4 but Liete in our goal was in outstanding form with 5 saves,well played Paul.

Next we were away to Stephen's Houston Dynamo,always a tough side to get a result against and always a cracking game of football ensues,they opted for a 4-2-4 normal as we went for a 4-2-4 early ball, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 8 minutes when Kalajdzic fired home 0-1,defences then on top for a spell,41 minutes and Houston down to 10 men as Miller saw red with a nasty chopping tackle from behind,43 minutes and all square as a poor back pass saw Room nip in and slot under the onrushing keeper 1-1,2nd half and subs on ,defences on top for the next half hour but on 76 minutes Sullivan raced in and fired home from an acute angle1-2,84 minutes and James fired home 2-2 as Houston started to dominate and control the game  and on 87 minutes Moody raced in and fired home 3-2 as they outplayed us for periods and outshot us 8 to 3,well played Stephen. 

Started with a good 2-0 away win @ DC United but stats say the game was more level than that, and a draw might have been the right result.

Winning a trophy isn't everything - MIN had been allowed to fester last season so this one is a bid to bring back the crowd and better times.

Next up is Steve's Crew and training is the name of the game. We have better hopes of success with the Gophers...🙄😂

We opened the season with an Al Sellers cup game at home to Mike's Rochester Rhinos, always a tough team to play against and with a new manager at the helm we hoped for a quick start,they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a 4-2-4 early ball with a little bit of aggression up front,both sides started well enjoying lots of possession and they opened the scoring on 8 minutes when Liete could only parry a fierce shot and Burton was there to fire home the loose ball 0-1,we slowly played ourselves back into the game and levelled things up on 11 minutes when a quick cross found Radonic unmarked and he powered home his header 1-1,we pushed on with quicker attacks and Baumgartner drilled home on 28 minutes 2-1 and Kalajdzic raced through on 39 minutes and slotted home 3-1 ,a very encouraging 1st half,2nd half subs on and steady play from both sides with attacks breaking down before they could develop, 65 minutes and Talbot fired home after some slick passing 3-2,68 minutes and Carranza on his debut raced in and fired home 4-2,74 minutes and Yamechuck cut in from the wing and rifled home from a tight angle 5-2,78 minutes and Harry raced in and slotted home 5-3,an eventful match with lots of free flowing football as we outshot them 12 to 4 and start with a good win,well played Mike nice to see you back .

Getting a bit twitchy about this game , mr,Blair has already pronounced us as champions ...umm.. has he jinxed this, will I fill my Diaper again with the brown stuff. !...am sure North Sound Seawolves  , will have different ideas !!

Then I have Mr,T  to worry about  , need to get at least a point against his Fall River Rovers , probably have to offer him one of my fat Cubans  , and possibly slip him, 50p.

So just one league game to go and we end up being the also rans this season. C'est la vie!

Going to be runners up in the 1st Division, runners up in the Dave Diwson Shiekd and runners up in the Al Sellers Plate. I probably couldn't handle the adulation if I'd won the lot.  😳😳 I put it down to not being ruthless enough at times, but I've enjoyed the season.

I started with a good team, not the highest rated - that was Seattle and they used their strength well - 2nd division title and (as we go to press) facing a Final in the Al Sellers Cup next Wednesday.

After Wednesday's Fonal I will post all teams earnings for the season - least I could do..💰💰

No spoiler tag needed here, as this actually happened in a prior week. After a strong season, SEA will be moving back into the top flight in style. 13 wins from 16 so far, and the Sounders have completed the turn around from being bottom feeders in contention for the wooden spoon to being one of the most promising clubs in the league. A strong core of talent means that Seattle have won trophies in each of the past 3 seasons and will be looking to wrap up a second for this year in the cup final in a few weeks

After a rocky 3 losses in a row which saw us out of the Al Sellers Cup and basically the league, we have stabilised and are unbeaten in the last 4 matches. Sitting on Kansas City's tale but 4 points behind, we will likely run out of games before we ever catch them, although we do play them in a couple of weeks at their ground.

But we are still in the Plate and start this cup in the 2nd round v DAL. Little prestige winning the Plate but reaching the Semis at least will give some cash to the coffers for next season. 

1st game in the league and we were away at Simon's Miami,they opted for a 4-2-4 longball as we went for a 3-5-2 normal, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession and defences stood firm up until 27 minutes when Davo slipped through and slotted home 0-1,but we were unable to keep that lead as on 37 minutes Pellegrini fired home 1-1,half time soon came and subs on ,2nd half was all about defences as both defences stood firm breaking down all attacks before they could develop and we were just outshot 5 to 4 but held on for the draw and a hard earned point, well played Simon.

With two games remaining in the Dave Dowson Shield, San Jose Earthquakes sit in third place. We managed to pick up four points from the last two games putting us in a decent position to qualify. A goalless draw with New England Revolution in a very cagey game was followed up with a two nil victory over Atlanta Silverbacks, thanks to second half goals from Werner and Azpilicueta. The league season gets underway today with a home match with Vancouver Whitecaps.

Our latest game saw us up against Jason's Carolina Railhawks and both sides opting for a 4-3-3 normal tactic, really exciting encounter with both sides enjoying lots of possession, Carolina started the quicker and opened the scoring on 18 minutes through Brown 1-0 ,but from the restart we went upfield and Radonic fired home to level things up 1-1 and 19 minutes on the clock,24 minutes and Carolina went ahead when Fearan fired home 2-1,half time soon came and subs on,try as we did we could not break down a stubborn defence as they edged the shot count 6 to 3 ,well played Jason.we need to get a few wins under our belt if we are to catch them ahead of us .

After five games San Jose Earthquakes have eight points but things could have been much better. Having been unbeaten in the first four games we suffered a bad defeat by Rochester Rhinos in the last game by three goals to nil. Today we have a match against New England Revolution and we must get back to winning ways to have any chance of finishing in a top four position.

Philly's latest game was a must win game if we were to stay in the running for qualifying, we were up against Tim's Real Salt lake, a real tough side who had an amazing last season,we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 4-2-4 early ball, we started quickly and opened the scoring on 3 minutes when Wheeler fired home 1-0,but on 5 minutes things went bad as a serious tackle from Ramius saw the ref pull out a straight  red card and we were down to 10 men,27 minutes and Oravec drilled home 2-0,half time soon came and subs on and Real changed tact to normal,46 minutes and Kyoun pulled one back 2-1,47 minutes and we went straight upfield and Skybrski slotted home 3-1,57 minutes and Kyoun fired home his 2nd to pull Real right back in it at 3-2 but the game was sealed on 73 minutes when Oravec fired home his 2nd 4-2 as we outplayed and outshot them 8 to 3,well played Tim ,we needed that result. 

Our latest game was against David's Minnesota Thunder a tough side from division 1 ,we opted for a 5-2-3 opportunistic as they went for a 4-3-3 normal ,we started slowly and were punished as Jones fired home on 5 minutes 1-0,both sides settled down and defences stood firm, 21 minutes and our goalie Bendick limped off and was replaced by the back up Coroner, half time soon came and subs on ,both defences making their mark and chances were few and far between, but on 80 minutes Minamino floated one over and it beat everyone and nestled in the top corner of the net 2-0,we could find no way back as we were edged out in the shot count 4 to 3,well played David ,strong defence you have there .

Our 3rd game was against David's Charleston Battery and this looked really close on paper ,they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a more defensive 3-5-2 normal, both sides enjoying lots of possession at the start ,but on 18 minutes Radonic hit a cross cum shot which beat everyone and nestled in the top corner of the net 0-1,21 minutes and Olsen fired home to level things up 1-1,for the rest of the 1st half defences stood firm, half time came and subs on, both sides pushing on and we were outplayed for periods, 70 minutes and Xander slotted home 2-1,but from the restart we went straight upfield and Oravec drilled home 2-2 and 72 minutes on the clock,we were looking at a draw but on 89 minutes Xander slipped through and slotted home 3-2 ,no time to recover as we were outplayed and outshot 10 to 5 ,well played David ,we need to rethink our tactics going forward. 

Philly's 2nd game saw us up against Matt's DC Utd, looked a very close encounter on paper, we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 4-4-2 normal, we started quickly and opened the scoring on 3 minutes when defender Suttner left upfront after a set piece found the ball and duly rifled home from range 1-0,remainder of the 1st half saw defences get on top ,half time came and subs on ,defences still earning their keep but on 55 minutes Wheeler linked his way through and chipped the onrushing keeper 2-0,bad news for us then as Glesves pulled a hamstring and had to leave the field and with all 3 subs on at half time we had to play out the remainder with 10 men ,but a quick reshuffle the defence stood firm as we just edged the shot count 4 to 2 ,well played Matt,nice to get our 1st win of the season.

San Jose Earthquakes opened the season off with a Dave Dowson Shield game against Portland Timbers. The Earthquakes made hard work off it but did manage to get the all important goal on 76 minutes though Werner. It was a game we dominated outshooting the Timbers eight to two and having seven shots on target. Today's match is against our main rival Colorado Rapids who started off with a goalless draw. Can we make it two from two?

We started our cup campaign against Robin's Vancouver Whitecaps, we opted for a 5-3-2 normal as they went for a 4-4-2 opportunistic, we started quickly and opened the scoring on 8 minutes when De Vries fired home 0-1,from then only defences stood firm till half time, 2nd half subs on and back to it and all going well until 71 minutes when Wilson slotted home to level things up 1-1,try as we did we could not break down a stubborn defence with Grobelar in their goal in outstanding form with 4 saves as we edged the shot count 5 to 1 but have to be happy with a point, well played Robin.

First Journal of the season - Robin said the 1st one would get a bonus payment, so here goes.. (I think he said that, but who knows??)

Games played last night started up the DD Shield competition and we opened against DC United. On paper we had the better lineup - although we are a bit short in defensive strength - and created the only shots on target (3), but United's keeper, Heaton, was up to all of them despite the brown envelope he got in the dressing room beforehand. I want the money back, young man.....

So 0-0 it started and 0-0 it stayed along wioth a couple of other matches. Strikers must have left their boots at home I guess. But this is a marathon, not a sprint, and the top 4 out of each section of 10 will progress to the last 8, so 8 matches to find the net...

What a season that was! Up until the last month we were still in with a shot at the title although we were very much chasing Atlanta and Minnesota. A few 50/50 matches didn't go our way which dropped us out of the running for the tail end of the season. It could have been interesting as well as we played both of the top two teams at home. But with the Alan Sellers Cup run our best chance at a trophy the T-11 were rested and anyone near a yellow card was told not to come anywhere near a football pitch until the final. 

I watched both the semi-final vs Seattle and the final vs Kansas on the viewer and it was incredible and tense to watch. The Seattle game was a goalfest with 9 goals scored. We held onto a nervy 2-0 lead going into the last half hour when the Sounders switched to Press and they scored 3 but we got another 4 to win 6-3.

For the final vs Kansas we were pretty evenly matched but we had the better keeper which proved key to win as he picked up the MOM for his 7 saves. It was looking like another goalfest was on the cards when we scored in the first minute and they equalised just 2 minutes later, but Giuliani was masterful between the sticks whilst our attacking players made the most of their chances to win 5-1 and claim the Alan Sellers Trophy.

Forward Hernandez 3/32 FW managed to pull his weight in the cup but in the league he only scored 4 times from 14 chances - he picked up more MOMs than goals scored. But in the end we finished 3rd which is our best finish to a season. (Just ahead of the Red Bulls who could have overtaken us on the last day of the season on goal difference but were held to a draw by FC Dallas).

Where do we start -we finished bottom

Winning 4 drawing 5 losing 13 scoring 13 conceding 25 amassing 17 points  8 of those defeats were 1-0

 We went out of the Dave Dowson at the group stages -drew too many games and out of the Alan Sellers at the last 16 to an impressive Kansas City.

Most matches 21 Oravec/Anderson the-most minutes 1483 Anderson jnr-bad boy with 18 DP's Skrzbilski-top goalscorer with 5 Wheeler-mom's with 3 Anderson jnr/Davo

We only brought in 2 players this season Mosely a SW from MON at the start and a panic buy late on of Matheus Davo from Brazilian side Corinthians to try and cover for Wheeler's injury-hit all boils down to we did not score goals -something we will have to address in division two next season and the style we play may have to change.

Last game in division 1 and we were at home to Steve's New England who were looking to escape the relegation scene,we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 5-3-2 normal, we started slowly and were punished on 4 minutes when poor defence and not clearing our lines saw Targaryen drive home from range 0-1,from then on our defence stood firm as both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half ,2nd half subs on ,nothing to choose between the sides as defences again on top as only 2 shots to each side,but we could not find a way through the stubborn defence as it ended 0-1,well played Steve and with other results going your way the great escape is achieved, for us this was the 8th 1-0 defeat that ruined our season ,so down to division two and rebuild for next season .

San Jose Earthquakes may have blew their chances of finishing in third place after losing last week three one away to Los Angeles Galaxy. If we had picked up all three points then we would be third going into today's home match against leaders Rochester Rhinos. By no means an easy game to finish with. Try to win today and see what happens in the other two matches we need to go our way.

Like Steve and most other managers I hate having un-managed teams.

However what do we want to do . .

1. Do we want forget about attracting new blood and stick to having a group of committed mangers (then you go to the 2x10 or less)

Drawbacks with this is managers will still leave and very difficult to replace

In reality you need to have less teams than managers to create worth, and then managers realize if they leave they may not get to come back, at least not straight away.

To work this when a manger leaves the team would be disbanded / destroyed no coming back.

New managers / returning managers need to create a new team (ie Wimbledon -> Milton Keynes) assuming there is space to accommodate.

Overall though this can be seen as harsh on managers and may create disharmony/disinterest short term.

2. We try to expand the manager pool

To do this we need unmanaged teams so people can just come straight in (so 11 or 12x2)

The problem here is attracting new managers which seems almost impossible.

Its a game we love but there are so much better options out there.

New managers coming in do not have much chance of any success either short term which is obviously demoralizing in todays quick hit culture so retention is also difficult.

Sorry if this is coming across as negative but it seems to be the reality unless anyone can show otherwise

Cheers

Philly's latest game was away at Dallas, they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 normal, really close exciting encounter with both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half,2nd half subs on and both sides still looking for that opening and it came on 68 minutes when Cameron fired home 1-0,we had no answer as both sides only had 1 shot on target,so we slowly prepare ourselves for life in the 2nd division and learn what went wrong this season

San Jose Earthquakes had another one nil victory to move to just two points behind DC United who currently sit in third place. The home match against Chicago Fire was decided by a 67 minute Batshuayi goal. Los Angeles Galaxy away today and we need another three points to keep our chances alive.

Philly's latest game was at home to Carolina  and nothing less than a win would do ,we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as did they,we started slowly and were punished on 14 minutes when Fearan fired home 0-1,29 minutes and we were 0-2 down as Mount slotted home  and Turner made it 0-3 on 40 minutes, we had no answer to this ,2nd half subs on and we started to play but all too Little too late but did pull one back on 86 minutes through Oravec 1-3 but all in vain as we head to division 2.

San Jose Earthquakes had another one nil victory last weekend away at Miami FC. A goal on 75 minutes by Abraham winning the points for the Earthquakes. We remain in fifth position five points away from third place but with games running out we don't expect to make up enough. Chicago Fire at home today and a good chance for another good performance.

Philadelphia were away at Stephen's Houston and could afford nothing less than a win in our hopeful escape from relegation, we opted for a 5-3-2 opportunistic as they went for a 4-2-4 early ball, both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half ,2nd half subs on and we were finding it difficult to get the better of the stubborn defence, on 63 minutes they broke through the defence and Bagnall fired home 1-0,no matter what we did we could not create any chances and were outplayed and outshot 3 to 0 ,another nail in the relegation coffin,well played Stephen, we soldier on knowing only wins from our last 3 games may keep us up but it seems very unlikely. 

San Jose Earthquakes had a victory over Seattle Sounders last weekend to sit just one point behind the Sounders in fifth position. An early goal from Pulisic winning the points. Seattle may have one eye on their upcoming AS cup game but it's always a tough game against them. Today's game is away at Miami FC. Time to go for it with games running out.

Our latest game was at home to Bill's New York, always a tough side to get a result against, we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 3-3-4 normal, we started slowly and were punished on 17 minutes when Rouge fired home 0-1,and things got worse on 35 minutes when Taylor slotted home 0-2,we were having plenty of possession but could not break down a stubborn defence but on 40 minutes we pulled one back through Wheeler 1-2,half time soon came and subs on, we kept pushing and levelled things up on 76 minutes when Wheeler fired home his 2nd 2-2,from then on defences ruled and closed the game down, we just edged the shot count 8 to 7 but a point for both sides ,well played Bill.

So 4 games to go and we sit bottom, in our current form I cannot see us escaping relegation this season,its been hard without a fit top goalscorer but there are other areas that we have been lacking in which we need to address even if it is in division 2.

Seattle have disappointed in the league, with backups dropping two of the past three to pretty much ruin thr Sounders' dreams of promotion. However, the cup has treated them much better. Few matches better than the LA Galaxy one this past week.

LA opened the scoring, only for Sounders star Hendryx to equalize just before the half. LA took the lead again right after the break, forcing Hendryx to equalize again after 62. LA AGAIN took the lead on 69 minutes, and surely this time the Sounders were done for. But youngster Tankee had other thoughts, bringing SEA level for the third time. But, LA didn't sit back with their heads in their hands. The 4-3 lead taken in the 79th meant Seattle looked like their first cup exit in over a season. But, DM Ampadu was able to find the miracle equalizer in the 89th to send things to penalties. From there, star GK Hide took over, and Seattle were on to the next round. What a wild match!

San Jose Earthquakes had two one all draws last week which may have ended any chances in league and cup. The league match was away at Charleston Battery and the point leaves us in fifth place, now eight points away from the playoff position. The AS cup quarterfinal was against Colorado Rapids. After taking a twenty sixth minute lead though a Batshuayi penalty we couldn't hold on and conceded on 65 minutes. Then a four three defeat on penalties. Not a great way to lose. Seattle Sounders at home today.

San Jose Earthquakes had a difficult away league match at second placed Montreal Impact last weekend. After going an early goal behind we battled back and equalise on 32 minutes though Werner. In the second half we got the all important third goal by Hudson and won the match two one. We still sit in fifth place going into the last six matches. Maybe left it to late to make up the six points we are off the playoff place.

Philly's latest game was away at James Kansas city, who we had played in the week in the cup and were beaten, we were hoping for better luck in our push to get out of the bottom two,they opted for a 4-2-4 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 opportunistic, they started quickly and opened the scoring on 2 minutes through Johan 1-0,defences then took control and dominated the 1st half, 2nd half subs on and we slowly tried to play ourselves back into the game but could not retain any possession for any length of time and were outplayed and outshot 4 to 2 as we slid to another defeat, well played James.we now sit rock bottom and must face it that division 2 beckons unless we can conjure up a late run as we did last season.

San Jose Earthquakes started the week with a disappointing home goalless draw with Columbus Crew, creating just one chance. The point leaves us in fifth position six points off the playoff place. The AS cup game in midweek against Charleston Battery was much better and ended in a four one victory. We now have a quarterfinal with Colorado Rapids to look forward to. Montreal Impact away today with a few of our better players unavailable due to low SL. 

Our latest game was a cup match against James Kansas city, we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 4-2-4 normal, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 13 minutes when Davo headed home 1-0,22 minutes and all square as Hutton slotted home 1-1,and that's how we went into half time, subs on and back to it and Davo fired home his 2nd on 48 minutes 2-1,but Kansas did not sit back as they came at us in waves,69 minutes and Colin levelled things up 2-2,70 minutes and Body fired them ahead 2-3 and the game was sealed on 79 minutes when Erik fired home 2-4 as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 10 to 8,cup run over, well played James best of luck in the next round. 

An amazing result for Couver  as we move into the last 8 following a 2-0 win over Real Salt Lake.
Tim risked his ageing GK which probably cost him the match , although we did manage to keep a clean sheet .
Young Dewar surprised me be turning up to selection meeting , normally only see him on a Saturday when
we pick the teams for Sunday .
I dread those meetings as he turns up smoking his cheap Cuban filling the room with smoke , but worse
he often fills his nappy(diaper) durring the meeting and the smell is like being in a cow shed. Tuesday was no different but he did come up with man marking one of the wingers which probably resulted in a clean sheet , more than I can say  about his nappy. !
Problem is he will probably turn up for the selection meeting when we take on Kansas City Wizards in the next round...sheet

Philly's latest game was at home to Paul's Chivas, a strong side who are always there abouts,we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 5-4-1 normal, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half,2nd half subs on and both sides going for the win but again defences on top and closed down all attacks before they could develop, it had draw written all over it until on 83 minutes a classy move saw Davo slip through and fire home 1-0 and relief for boss Rob ,we edged the shot count 6 to 1 and fully deserved the hard earned 3 points which lift us off the bottom,well played Paul.We still keep fighting and hopefully soon our striker Wheeler will be back to fitness and we should have a strong frontline, start scoring goals and escape from the relegation area ,its just like last season and we dont want it to go down to the last game ,our nerves could not handle that again.

San Jose Earthquakes splashed some cash and brought three players from the last auction to improve their squad and chances. Last week's league match away at DC United ended goalless which leaves the Earthquakes in fifth place still seven points behind the playoff position. All our effort must be the upcoming AS cup match against Charleston Battery in midweek.

We faced our biggest test of the season vs Carson City Kickers , with their 2 WG create a high Offence , and today was no exception . Even man marking 1 WG they created a much higher OFF than us , but our overall team strength put us on top and through to next round .

However it was at some cost as energy levels are low  , so our next 2 league games could be a problem , but we do have a reasonable lead at top of the league .
The double is our prime objective this seaon , be good to get that 2 seasons in a row.

Philly's latest game was away at Roy's Colorado, thet opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 stall hoping to pinch a cheeky point, we started well albeit defending deeply, they opened the scoring on 24 minutes through Zisscheck 1-0 and held that till half time ,2nd half and subs on and Miesler fired home on 68 minutes 2-0 and he sealed the game on 89 minutes with his 2nd goal 3-0 as we were outplayed and outshot 3 to 0,well played Roy.

We need to find a way of picking ourselves up and get off the bottom ,not going to be easy when your top striker out for the foreseeable future but we will fight ,hammer,tooth and nail.

San Jose Earthquakes came out of their run of not scoring with nine goals in their two matches, as though we were saving them up. A three nil home league win over bottom team Portland Timbers was followed in midweek with a six nil victory in the AS cup against Chicago Fire. The cup result meant a qualification into the knockout stages against Charleston Battery. The last auction is today and maybe we need a signing or two.

Last group game in the Alan Sellers cup and we were up against New England who were sitting top and we needed a result to progress, we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 5-4-1 stall as a point would see them through, we started quickly and DeVries fired home on 3 minutes 1-0,from then till half time it was defences on top as they closed down all attacks before they could develop, half time came and subs on, we pushed on and on 57 minutes Oravec drilled home from range 2-0,defences again took control, but we edged the shot count 3 to 0 and got the win and topped the group and progress to the next stage, if only our league form could be like this.

Our last game was at home to Alon's Minnesota (a very tough side to get any points against),we opted for a 5-3-2 opportunistic as they went for a 4-3-3 normal,both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but they opened the scoring on 24 minutes through Origi 0-1,we pushed on but could not find a way through the stubborn defence, half time came and subs on we were enjoying some possession when 51 minutes Davo slipped through and slotted home 1-1,his 1st goal for the club since his arrival from Corinthians, from then on defences ruled and both sides having 2 shots each, well played Alon.We slip to joint bottom just edging the goal difference, we need an upturn in form and quickly if we are to avoid relegation. 

San Jose Earthquakes have now failed to score in their last five matches. The only positive is this week both games finished goalless. Last weekend's game was away at Vancouver Whitecaps and midweeks AS cup game against Seattle Sounders. We had the only shot in the first game and the second was three apiece. So we are playing okay and solid in defence but not creating many chances. Let's hope today we at least score one!

We had an Allan Sellers cup game against Mark's Montreal Impact, they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 opportunistic, really close exciting encounter with defences on top for the 1st half ,2nd half subs on and the game came to life as we opened the scoring on 55 minutes when Wheeler fired home 1-0 and Anderson jnr made it 2-0 on 62 minutes, Anderson jnr drilled home his 2nd on 65 minutes to make it 3-0 ,Montreal pulled one back on 73 minutes and Lifeson 3-1 ,but we held out for the win edging the shot count 6 to 2,well played Mark.

Back to league action and we were away at Real Salt lake, they opted for a 4-3-3 early ball as we went for a 4-2-4 longball, both sides enjoying lots of possession but they broke the deadlock on 37 minutes when Bamford fired home 1-0,half time soon came and subs on, Bamford sealed the game on 64 minutes when he slotted home his 2nd 2-0,all in all our finishing let us down as we had the majority of the game and outshot them 8 to 2 and have nothing to show for it,we drop to 9th.We need to look at boosting our front line and quick if we are to avoid the drop.

Seattle faced Chicago in the AS Cup this week, opening the group stages against a side that seemed more keen on resting their players than making an attempt at a result. A brace from Hendryx and a goal from Tankee had Seattle up by a few only 22 minutes in. It would get worse after the half, with Coffee and Akbar joining in on the fun. However, CHI will feel a bit happy with the result once diving a bit deeper - their SL 8 GK actually made 4 key saves to prevent the blowout. Those shots he only had a 18%, 26%, 28%, and 42% chance of saving, so he will certainly feel happy with his performance, despite the scoreline!

Seattle top the group, and will take on San Jose in the next gameweek to attempt to make the quarterfinals - 6 points could be enough, depending on results elsewhere.

San Jose Earthquakes have had a couple of poor results since losing in the DD cup final. A league away loss at leaders Rochester Rhinos by one goal to nil last weekend was followed by a two nil defeat to New York Red Bulls  in the AS cup in midweek. We were outshot in both games and can't complain about the results. Today's game is away at Vancouver Whitecaps and hopefully we can pick up at least a point. 

Seattle took on San Jose this week in the Dave Dowson Shield final. This unusual pairing meant a division 2 side would take home the early season trophy. Seattle were seeking their first ever trophy in OASL, while San Jose were looking to add to the two AS Cups in their cabinet.

An early, 3rd minute goal from Nial Hendryx left the fans feeling they might be watching a pretty special match, but the action soon dried up. Seattle would only shoot once more, and SJ three times themselves. The keepers were up to the task, and we ended up right where we gound ourselves three minutes in. 1-0 to Seattle, and the Sounders lift the big cup!

Congrats to Andy on the second place. Very well played tournament, and the final certainly could have swung either way with such even sides and close shot counts.

San Jose Earthquakes started the week with a home league game against Los Angeles Galaxy. We ran riot with a six one victory but would have been a lot happier if we had kept one of those goals for the cup final. The Dave Dowson Shield final was against Andrew's Seattle Sounders The match was a close affair with us outshooting them three to two but we couldn't beat their keeper Hide SL 37 and we ended up losing one nil to an early Hendryx goal. Still we don't make many finals so we should still be happy with our progress. 

Philly's latest game was at home to Dallas, looked a close call on paper with 2 evenly matched sides and both opting for for a 5-3-2 normal,really close 1st half with both defences on top, half time soon came and subs on, Dallas opened the scoring on 52 minutes with a slick move which saw Bonsai slot home 0-1,we pushed on but could not find a way through the stubborn defence, even game of 4 shots each but it remained 0-1,points to Dallas. 

Seattle took on Dallas in the DD Shield semifinals, with both sides fielding strong sides. SEA started with a few aggresive players, leading to a healthy statistical advantage. A 12th minute goal from the captain Brar opened the match up, and SEA's players moved back to normal aggression. However, Seattle still maintained an advantage in the Shot % statistics, and were able to double their advantage 3 minutes later through Akbar. Dallas began to create a lot of chances, but SEA's GK was having a much better day than his counterpart and strung together a few saves. That lead lasted until the halftime whistile, making Seattle the heavy favorite to advance. The stats continued to show that Seattle should expect a slight shot count advantage, but Dallas continued to see more of the goal. GK Hide continued to make saves, fortunately for the Sounders. Seattle would have some worries to deal with in the 53rd minute, as captain Brar limped off the pitch and needed to be replaced. However, Hendryx scored Seattle's third in the 61st minute, giving each of their strikers a goal in this one. That would be the last goal of an odd match, where the sides were likely to have similar shot counts based on the stats, but Dallas enjoyed an 8 to 3 advantage. Given that, it was even more strange that Seattle came off the heavy victors. Stats would have suggested a close match, shots would have suggested a Dallas win, and then the goals actually ended up with a convincing Seattle win. Odd game, this.

San Jose Earthquakes have had a great week. Last weekend's league match away at Chicago Fire was straight forward and ended in a two nil victory. It was a close game with us outshooting them just three to two but we managed two first half goals to secure the points. Midweek and the semifinal Dave Dowson Sheild game with Minnesota Thunder. On 13 minutes we took the lead though Batshuayi and then had several more chances but couldn't convert. Then on 69 minutes we conceded and the game was level. That's the way the game finished after we outshot them eight to three. So onto penalties and could we beat Alison(38) in their goal. Somehow we managed to score four and Arrizabalaga saved two and a four three penalty victory. In the final we now play Seattle Sounders who have already beaten us once this season.

Seattle traveled midweek to face New England in the Dave Dowson Shield Quarterfinals. This tie was a replay of last season's Al Sellers consolation plate final, which had ended with a Seattle penalty victory after a 0-0. That match had drama with a penalty save late in regular time, but this matchup was much worse. Only 3 shots created in this one, we again went to penalties after a 0-0. Both sides scored their first penalties, but from there Seattle's Herbie Hide took over. 3 straight saves, while Seattle scored all of theirs, meant that the final three penalties weren't needed and Seattle would advance, again defeating NE in penalty heartbreak. Very even match, and NE would be correct to feel this one was bad luck on a true coin flip.

After the drama, Seattle traveled to warm Miami for a league matchup. Manager Foss-Grant sent out the rough looming B team, fully expecting the worst. However, youngster GK Sev Hans decided today was going to be his big break. An incredible 6 saves kept Miami out, attack after attack. Seattle looked unlikely to create anything all match, but somehow right after the break, old striker Graham Wilkes II was able to get free to create a shot and get the rebound to new winger Parmer for a Seattle goal. That's how it would finish in a true smash-and-grab. Seattle take the points however they come, and stay 4th.

Philly's latest game was away at Jason's Carolina, a tough team to get points against, they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 5-2-3 normal, really close exciting game with both defences on top for the 1st half,2nd half subs on and on 46 minutes we got a penalty when De Vries was brought down in the box, ref pointed to the spot, De Vries got up and drilled his spot kick but it was brilliantly saved by the goalkeeper, we pushed on but could not find a way through the stubborn defence although we outshot them 5 to 2 it ended goalless 0-0 ,points shared, well played Jason. 

San Jose Earthquakes started the week with a home league match against Miami FC. The match started off well with us taking the lead on 20 minutes though Batshuayi but by halftime we found ourselves three one down and struggling. The second half was no better and we conceded another two and lost five one. A difficult one to accept after we outshot them ten to seven but maybe just one of those days. Midweek and it was the quarterfinals of the Dave Dowson Shield up against Real Salt Lake. This time we found ourselves four nil up at halftime and the game was over. We only outshot them six to four but we had man of the match Arrizabalaga in goal. Our reward is a semifinal win Minnesota Thunder. 

Philly's latest game was at home to Stephen's Houston, a real attacking side who never give up till the final whistle,we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 4-2-4 early ball, really close exciting 1st half with nothing to choose between the sides as defences on top, 2nd half subs on and the game changing moment came on 47 minutes when Blyth saw red,Houston down to 10 men,things got worse on 87 minutes when Johnstone saw red and Houston down to 9 men,we took advantage of this and stretched the game wide open and Anderson jnr fired home right on the 90th minute to seal the 1-0 win in an even game of 3 shots each.

Seattle went to Minnesota midweek in the final group stage match, knowing that a draw or better saw them top the group. A defensive shape with mainly backups playing meant that Seattle were never going to score in this one, but a 0-0 draw was rather unexpected. The plus side is that it completed an MVP for the side, which is always welcome. The downside means that Seattle actually face a stronger side topping the group than they would have had they come in second. A big matchup against New England awaits next week, with the Revs being familiar cup opponents from late last season.  Will certainly be a tough matchup for both sides.

On the weekend, Seattle welcomed Charleston to town, and on paper this seemed a match that they should easily win. Facing a backup GK and fielding their strongest side, Seattle were able to create chances. In fact, they created twice the chances of Charleston and had substantially better GK stats in net.  Yet, as it seems to be the case quite often, Seattle's star SL37 GK Hide was shown up by the SL 12 and 26 GKs in the other net. 2 goals for each side despite the difference in shot count, and Seattle will have to be happy with a draw.

The week's bright spot will be the winning of better training gear in the auction, with a large batch of CP making their way to the Pacific NW for the Sounders.

San Jose Earthquakes started the week with a tough away game at Seattle Sounders and so it proved. All the goals came in the first half but we found ourselves three two behind and that's the way it stayed. We can consider ourselves a little bit unlucky with the shot count being five apiece. In midweek we played the final Dave Dowson Shield group game with us already being though to the knockout stages. The game was away to D.C. United and finished in a two one victory. Two goals from Abraham winning the match. The quarterfinal draw will see us play Real Salt Lake on Wednesday. A difficult opponent but one we can win. Today's league game is at home against Miami FC, we need to win to get us back into the promotion battle.

Last game in the cup group and we needed a big win and Carolina to beat New England to proceed,we were away at David's Charleston and they opted for a 5-3-2 opportunistic as we went for a 4-3-3 normal, game on and both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences on top as we struggled to break down a stubborn defence, 2nd half and we changed tact to press to try and find a goal ,46 minutes and we broke the deadlock when Skybrski fired home 0-1,48 minutes and Oravec steamed through the middle and drilled home 0-2,53 minutes and Wheeler rifled home 0-3,   Skybrski fired home his 2nd 0-4 on 59 minutes and Anderson jnr slotted home on 63 minutes to complete the scoring 0-5 as we dominated the 2nd half outshooting them 10 to 3 ,well played David, but alas Carolina went down 0-1 to New England and we could only manage 3rd and exit the cup.

Seattle, already progressed in the cup, found themselves in a dead rubber against Atlanta midweek. Neither side showed much interest, but SEA fielded the stronger side with more of their top players involved. An early Brar goal gave Seattle the home lead, and they would never look back. Youngster Akbar was able to double the advantage just on the stroke of half-time, and he would complete his brace late in the second half, meaning a 3-0 drubbing that truly felt like an exhibition match. Given the importance (none), it perhaps was nothing more than that!

However, the league awaited over the weekend, and 5th-placed SEA would be looking to impress in the prime-time matchup on national TV. 4th placed SJ came to town, and the action was fast paced throughout. SJ deployed an aggressive press in this match, meaning that they were getting just as many opportunities as the strong Seattle side. They would take the lead through Timo Werner in the 15th minute, perhaps a shot that star GK Hide could have done better with. Undeterred, the Sounders faithful cheered on their team, and were able to push the boys in rave green towards an immediate answer. A flurry of attempts led to striker Hendryx equalizing in the 21st minute, and big captain Brar was able to give the home side the lead 9 minutes later. That lead would grow through MF Coffee in the 33rd, and all of a sudden Seattle had gone from behind to 2 up in a short span. Discipline, however, was in short supply in this match, as the Sounders immediately let SJ back into the match. Not 2 minutes later, SJ came forward and were able to get Pullisic free on the wing to put in a cross...that turned into a shot. Perhaps it was a mis-hit shot, perhaps it was intentional, but either way, SJ were back within 1, and the entertaining half came to a close. Team talks must have been furious at the halftime, as both sides came out determined to do better defensively. Seattle were successfully able to slow down the match, and not many more chances were to come. By the end of the match, they were passing the ball around to the sound of 'Ole!', and time ran out on any chance of a SJ comeback. Seattle 3 San Jose 2 was your final, and your Sounders move up to 4th in the division.

Philly's latest game was away at Bill's New York, a formidable place to play let alone come away with any points ,but this season they don't seem to be at there dominant best,they opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as we went for a more defensive 5-3-2 normal, both sides enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 17 minutes when Wheeler fired home 0-1 and kept the lead until half time ,2nd half subs on and the game changing moment on 58 minutes when Rouge brought down Oravec in the box, ref pointed to the spot and then produced a red card, New York down to 10 men ,Oravec picked himself up and duly fired home his spot kick 0-2 ,from then on defences ruled and closed the game out with both sides having 4 shots each, well played Bill with this win we move off the bottom. 

San Jose Earthquakes have had a very good week moving up to fourth place in division 2 and qualifying for the knockout stages in the Dave Dowson Shield. Last weekend's league game was at home against Charleston Battery. The match ended in an one nil victory thanks to a late goal by man of the match Batshuayi. Well deserved win, with us outshooting them nine to zero.  In midweek our ninth Shield game at home against Colorado Rapids. The game ended goalless even though we had the only four chances. It was enough to secure second place in the group behind FC Dallas. Today we have a tough away match at Seattle Sounders. 

Reaching the end of the group stage of the Dave Dowson Shield and Atlanta have been out of it for some time with only 1 win in 9 cup games. But in the league it is a different story as the Silverbacks are in the title race one point behind Minnesota through 6 games. One major difference in the two sets of games is the 1.67 goals per game the team averages in the league versus only 0.22 goals per game in the 9 cup games. Where are the goals in the cup? One major reason may be that manager Bryce Kalmbach has used younger and reserve forwards in the cup with top line forwards Pearose and Watt averaging under 45 minutes per match. The strategy seems to be paying off in the league but there are grumbles of fans disappointed with a failure to ever progress past the group stage of the Dave Dowson Shield. Whether a better performance in the later cup competitions this season or the prospect of consecutive top half D1 finishes for the first time since Season 12 are enough to keep the fans on Kalmbach's side remains to be seen.

Philly's latest game was at home to high flying Atlanta, we opted for a defensive 5-3-2 normal as they went for a 4-4-2 normal, steady start by both sides as defences on top for most of the 1st half but on 41 minutes Atlanta broke the deadlock when Lorentz powered home his header 0-1,half time came and subs on, we were struggling to retain any possession for any length of time and on 57 minutes another quick attack saw Biruni fire home 0-2,we tried but were outplayed and outshot 4 to 1 and now sit bottom of the division. Things need to change and quickly before we find ourselves detached. 

Seattle found themselves in a comfortable position midweek in the cup, as the last few group stage games would have little impact on their passage to the next round. A visit to Houston awaited, and the opposing side did noy put out a strong team.  Seattle would have expected a large victory against the backup keeper, but struggled to break down the defensive Houston formation. A goal from midfielder Coffee before the break and one from young striker Akbar aftwerwards gave Seattle the comfortable win, but perhaps they could have been more impressive given the stronger side put out.

A visit to Montreal awaited on the weekend, and this time it was Seattle putting out the reserves. Montreal pummeled the visitors' goal, and finally broke through 29 minutes in through Lifeson. A goal right after the break for Barry Watch made it 2-0 and some were worried that Seattle would collapse from there. Nearly so, but 4 big saves from Hans kept things tight before a rare goalie sub at the 75th minute brought out star Hide. He actually made 4 saves as well in his 15 minutes, keeping things reasonable despite the poor play in front of him. 2-0 the final.

Also of note, NSS have gotten their first 3rd division win, with an exciting 4-3 victory in Kansas City

San Jose Earthquakes had two home matches against Montreal Impact this week with totally different outcomes. Last weekend's league game didn't go well and we ended up losing two goals to one, our first league defeat. One nil behind at halftime turned into two behind on 72 minutes. We pulled a goal back on 77 though Gilmour but couldn't find that all important second. No complaints, we were outshot seven to four. The Dave Dowson Shield game in midweek had a much better finish. Again one nil behind at halftime but this time also down to ten men after Werner got his marching orders. An equaliser on 52 minutes by Batshuayi was followed by a winner on 77 by Cole. A well deserved turnaround with us outshooting them seven to four this time. It now gives us a great chance to make the last eight.

Our latest game was away at Steve's New England  who were sitting pretty at the top of the group, we needed the points if we were to stay in touch, they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a 5-2-3 normal, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but we went behind on 31 minutes when Stark fired home 1-0,we slowly played ourselves back into the game and levelled things up on 38 minutes when Przybylko headed home 1-1,half time soon came and subs on ,nothing to choose between the sides and it looked like it could be heading for a draw but on 66 minutes Stark brought down De Vries in the box,ref pointed to the spot, De Vries got up and duly fired home his spot kick 1-2 ,we defended well from then on and took the valuable points ,in an even game of 3 shots each and we keep in touch with the top two,well played Steve. 

Philly's latest game was at home to James Kansas city, both of us struggling at the wrong end of the table, we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as they went for a 4-2-4 normal, they started the quicker and opened the scoring on 14 minutes when Grayson slotted home 0-1,defences then took over up till half time, 2nd half subs on and we were told to up our tempo, 46 minutes and we levelled things up as Walsh slotted home 1-1,59 minutes and Jorgensen left up front after a set piece found the ball at his feet and rifled home from range 2-1,and on 65 minutes Wheeler hit a cross cum shot which beat everyone and nestled in the top corner of the net 3-1,we were outplayed for periods and outshot 6 to 5 but Bendick in our goal was amazing with 5 outstanding saves,well played James ,Philadelphia are finally off the bottom. 

but happy with both results. Last weekend's league game was away at Columbus Crew and ended one apiece. We went behind early on 18 minutes but Gilmour equalised on 25 minutes and that's the way it finished. Two chances each so a far result. We remain in third place. Midweek Dave Dowson Shield action away to FC Dallas. A two all draw keeps us in the chase to make the knockout stage. We sit second behind Dallas but it's still any two from five teams. All the goals came in the first half with Batshuayi scoring both for the Earthquakes. We outshot them eight to three but they have Cod in goal who is always hard to beat. League match today against Columbus Crew with our team looking a bit tired. 

Seattle welcomed Miami FC to town in a Dave Dowson Shield match that was crucial to both sides' hopes in the tournament. Seattle sent out a slightly stronger side, but could not find their way past the impressive Miami goalkeeper McCarthy in the early stages. It was not until the 39th minute that Seattle would open the scoring, with youngster Akbar taking a chance from long range impressively. The home supporters would celebrate all the way to halftime, with things looking good for the home side. The wasted chances would come back to bite Seattle, however, as Miami were able to equalize in the 57th minute when Hide spilled a rebound from a long-range effort into the path of the opposing attack. A point would have been good enough for Miami to stay within reach for the knock-out rounds, but it was captain Karan Brar who would seal the points 5 minutes before the final whistle.  A cooly taken shot gave the opposing goalkeeper no chance, and Seattle ends the day 7 points clear of Miami in 3rd place with only 3 matches to go.

Philly's latest game was in the cup group stage away at Jason's Carolina Railhawks,never an easy place to come away with a result but we needed something if we were to keep in touching distance of the pace setters,both sides opting for normal 4-3-3 tactics, both sides enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 20 minutes when Anderson jnr rifled home 0-1,defences then took control and dominated the game until half time, 2nd half subs on and Carolina levelled things up on 49 minutes through Fearan 1-1,from then on we were under the cosh and constantly defending,89 minutes and they went down to 10 men as Yirdaw saw red for some karate moves but it remained 1-1,as we were outplayed for periods and outshot 7 to 4 but a priceless point for us,well played Jason.

Philly's latest game was away at Paul's Chivas, who had beaten us in the cup group stage a few days earlier, both sides set up with a 5-3-2 normal, 1st half and it was a tale of defences as both stood firm and nothing to choose between the sides, half time soon came and subs on, 2nd half and Chivas broke the deadlock on 48 minutes when Sap fired home 1-0,no matter what we did we could not find a way through the stubborn defence as we were outplayed for periods in the 2nd half and outshot 5 to 2,well played Paul,our miserable start to the league continues as we sit bottom pointless,as D ream said Things can only get better ,we hope so and quickly.

Another home game against DC United ended goalless. The result means we dropped down to third but only three games played so very early days. Again we outshot them six to one and again their keeper Heaton was unbeatable. Midweek Dave Dowson cup action away at Chicago Fire. We played a very strong line up and it paid off with a five one victory. We sit third on goal difference going into the away match against leaders FC Dallas. Today's league match is also tough away at Columbus Crew and I would happily take a point now. 

Facing a defensive-minded Vancouver in their 6th match of cup play, Seattle would have fancied some opportunities to test the goalkeeper and come away with something. Play from Seattle looked promising, but their only shot of the half would be chalked off for offisde. The referee must have forgotten about the SW sitting back chatting with the goalkeeper when the pass was played, as surely OLMEC didn't decide that today was the day to chalk off our only chance on a 5% offside roll!  The second half continued with Seattle looking threatening, but they were actually able to do one worse - no shorts nor offside calls. 

Travelling supporters have asked for their money back for the match, but the Seattle management has decided to keep it. "Yell louder next time" said manager Foss-Grant, "I think our midfield fell asleep at halftime and might never have shown back up to play. I'm not sure myself, as I was asleep from the 30th minute onwards."

Philly's latest game in the Dave Dowson cup was at home to Paul's Chivas, we opted for a 4-4-2 normal as they went for a 5-3-2 normal, Chivas started the quicker and opened the scoring on 10 minutes through Tree 0-1 ,but we slowly played ourselves back into the game and levelled things up on 15 minutes when Wheeler fired home 1-1,defences then on top for a while until on 36 minutes Colin drilled home from the edge of the box 1-2,half time soon came and subs on and we pushed on and levelled things up on 48 minutes through DeVries 2-2 ,from then on defences ruled and it had draw written all over it until on 88 minutes Skrzbilski brought down Rose in the box,ref pointed to the spot and then produced a red card, so down to 10 men ,Rose picked himself up and duly fired home his spot kick 2-3,a game we needed to get something out of, but we were outplayed for periods and outshot 5 to 4 ,we now sit 4th in group, 4 points behind the leaders and have both of them to play ,well played Paul.

Philly's latest game was at home to Roy's Colorado who were unbeaten after 2 games ,we opted for a 4-4-2 normal as they went for a 4-3-3 early ball, both sides started with caution but were enjoying lots of possession but on 43 minutes a quick break saw Urbanck fire home 0-1,2nd half subs on and we pushed on but could not create the chances to hit back as we were outplayed and outshot 6 to 2 and defeat again as we sit bottom -pointless,well played Roy.

but top of division 2. San Jose Earthquakes played their second league game away to Portland Timbers. A three nil victory but we can consider ourselves a bit lucky with the Timbers manager failing to give his team any tactics prematch. The midweek game at home against DC United in the Dave Dowson Shield ended goalless. We outshot them six to two but couldn't beat their in form keeper Heaton. At the midway point in the group we currently sit third, so still have some work to do. Well England lost the final on penalties, no surprise there but at least the team are making great progress. The same can't be said for the England fans who yet again brought shame on the country. 

A question that must be asked given early results and how last season finished. Seattle seem built for the cups - good T-11, but a poor T-17. The goal is to eventually fill out the squad to ensure we can compete in all matches, but it just doesn't seem to be the case as of now. Perhaps worth protecting our good start in the cup moving forward...

Seattle opened the season with 3 wins in the DD shield, but a loss in the first league match of the season brought the squad back down to earth. A draw at Atlanta and a win in the league in the derby against Vancouver had emotions high going into the home match in the cup with Minnesota. Both teams were looking strong after the first four cup matches had them in the qualification spots for the group. Minnesota came to frustrate, but Seattle were able to put on some early pressure. 10th and 19th minute goals from star forwards Brar and Hendryx meant that Minnesota had no way back early on. The match stalled out from there, and Seattle will be thrilled to go into the halfway mark in the group stage in 1st place, 6 points clear of 3rd.

Philly's latest game was in the cup group stage at home to David's Charleston and we were looking for 3 points to keep up with the front two in a chance of progression, we opted for a 4-4-2 normal as they went for a 6-3-1 opportunistic, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but defences on top until on 29 minutes Wheelwr fired home 1-0 ,we were finding it hard to break down the defence but kept pushing and on 44 minutes Anderson jnr was put through and slotted home 2-0,2nd half and subs on and it was a tale of defences as both stood firm as it remained 2-0 ,we just edged the shot count 2 to 0 and were glad we took our chances, well played David. 

Philly's latest game was away at Alon's Minnesota, always a tough place to get a result and one of the top teams in the division,they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 opportunistic, both sides started with caution but were enjoying lots of possession, 29 minutes on the clock and Shaqiri got a straight red, Minnesota down to 10 men but it got to half time goalless, 2nd half subs on and Minnesota started quickly and on 46 minutes Origi fired home 1-0,we pushed on trying to get back into the game but their defence was more than a match for us,we managed to outshoot them 3 to 2 but failed to convert, well played Alon.

San Jose Earthquakes kicked off the new league season with a home game against Vancouver Whitecaps. The game was a tight affair mainly because the Whitecaps started playing with a stall tactic. It took us a while but the winning goal came on sixty minutes though man of the match Abraham. A deserved win with us outshooting them four to zero. In midweek we suffered our first loss away at Colorado Rapids in the Dave Dowson Shield. We lost three one but can consider ourselves a little bit unlucky with us outshooting them four to three. A bigger game tonight with England playing Italy in the Euro 2020 final. I never thought I'd see the day ! Let's hope England have a great performance and result. 

Philly's latest game was a cup game away at Derek's Portland Timbers, both sides opting for a 4-3-3 normal, on paper there was nothing to choose between the sides and the game showed that as both defences on top and only the 1 shot going to Philly and they failed to convert and it ended goalless 0-0 ,points shared, well played Derek. If we want to progress from this group then we have to turn these draws into wins and do it quickly. 

Philly started their league campaign with a home game against Tim's Real Salt lake (runaway winners of division 2last season)and a strong looking side,we opted for a 4-2-4 opportunistic as they went for a 4-2-4 early ball, they started quickly and opened the scoring on 5 minutes through Raphina 0-1,we slowly played ourselves back into the game and levelled things up on 33 minutes when Wheeler fired home 1-1,on 36 minutes a quick slick move saw a deep cross and Baccarat power home his header 1-2,half time soon came and subs on ,both sides enjoying lots of possession but defences stood firm, Real changed tact to stall on 80 minutes and closed the game out ,as they just outshot us 6 to 5 but Bente in their goal made 4 outstanding saves which was the difference, well played Tim ,the uphill battle starts now to retain our 1st division status, we dont want it like last season going down to the final game. 

Another four points picked up from our two Dave Dowson Shield games. Last weekend's game at home against FC Dallas ended in a two nil victory. The game was one way with us outshooting them nine to zero, so a deserved win. The midweek match was away at Montreal Impact and finished one apiece. One nil behind at halftime we battled back to score a deserved equaliser by man of the match Havertz. It been a great start, almost as good as England. 

Philly's latest game was at home to Steve's New England whi were unbeaten so far,we opted for a 4-2-4 opportunistic as they went for a 4-4-2 normal, this looked really close on paper with nothing to choose between the sides, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession and we opened the scoring on 26 minutes through Wheeler 1-0 and looked comfortable up till half time,2nd half subs on and on 68 minutes Stark levelled things up 1-1,we pushed on and on 76 minutes Walsh powered home his header 2-1,from then on defences ruled and closed down the game, we edged the shot count 7 to 1 but Harry Potter in their goal was outstanding with 4 saves, well played Steve.

Philly's 2nd match was at home to Jason's Carolina, a strong side who were well in contention for a long time during the season, a tough side to get points against, we opted for a 3-5-2 normal as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, we put Allen marking Ba for added security, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but we struck 1st on 24 minutes when De Vries drilled home 1-0 and defended well up till half time,2nd half subs on and much the same until on 53 minutes a dreadful back pass saw Aberowa nip in and slot home under the keeper 1-1,from then on chances were few and far between and it remained 1-1 although we were just outshot 4 to 2 a point was a fair result, well played Jason. 

San Jose Earthquakes started their season with a Dave Dowson Shield game at home against Chicago Fire. The match didn't start well and we went behind on twenty six minutes after giving away a penalty. We managed to equalise just before halftime though Le Saux. The second half was much better and took the lead on sixty two minutes though Gilmore. Not a game with a lot of chances but we outshot them four to one. We are home again today against FC Dallas who are a strong team. Should be a close game to call.

We started the season with an away game at Paul's Chivas, always a tough place to get a result, they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a more defensive 5-3-2 normal as we are addressing the defence that leaked goals last season and were introducing the young lads brought up from our youth academy at Roxbrough, both sides started with caution but were enjoying lots of possession but defences were on top and closing down all attacks before they could develop, half time soon came and subs on, we changed it up by putting 2 forwards on with aggression to try and break a stubborn defence down but they were more than a match for them, at the end 0-0 was a fair result as we were outshot 4 to 2 but the defence stood firm and Coroner in our goal made 4 outstanding saves to keep us in the game, well played Paul.

With our defence rebuilding we need to focus on bringing some firepower to the side to support Wheeler and bring along our app who will get stronger each game.

Yesterday, Seattle's stadium seated swarms of sonorous supporters, as scarcely a single Sounder stayed sitting. The season started surprisingly, as several shots seemingly soared from Seattle's star striker's shoes, summing to some sumptuous speedy scores. Seattle's smart sweeper and stoppers stalled the sojourning soccer squad in the spar, and surplus shots were in short supply. Saves seemed scant in this summer season-starter, so stymying safeguarding was a stipulation for success for the Sounders sportsmen. Speedster Brar was the stellar standout for Seattle, stealing the spotlight and securing the supporters' shouts of satisfaction after the scoreline was successfully secured.  Seattle steals some success, smiling supporters say "sweet!"

Seattle's season (specifically the second half with the new manager) will be considered a success given the circumstances. The league table shows a disappointing position, certainly, but a good number of results came in before the team shifted their focus to the cup. 

League highlights: 3 straight wins to start the new manager's tenure certainly was the best spell of the year for Seattle. This stretch moved them up the table temporarily, and despite the 11th place finish they were still 15 points clear of the wooden spoon. A golden boot for Karan Brar was the icing on the cake for our future captain.

Cup highlights: ASC Consolation plate in the cabinet for Seattle's first trophy in the game!  It may be the least desired trophy and one that does not go on your team page...but you have to start somewhere. Highlights were two tough penalty shootouts in the semis and finals - luck certainly fell SEA's way there. The 3-2 victory over Chivas USA in the quarters likely showed more of who we were as a team, with goals from 3 of our biggest players getting us into the money places in the competition

Youth Team highlights: A very unexpected promotion for NSS! Many highlights in the final run in, as NSS found themselves far off the promotion places midseason. To even make the lowest playoff place, NSS had to go 7-1-1, requiring a draw or better in the final match to make 4th place (a 0-0 draw featuring some stall tactics was enough), while still saving a few EL from a tired team for a potential playoff.  It turns out the playoff match was the least exciting part, as the opponents failed to put up much of a fight and NSS walked their way into the third division. Despite the surprise, it will likely be a good thing for NSS and SEA - no such thing as "too soon" of a promotion with the youth sides, as quickly as those teams can turn over.

Quite a poor season to what we expected,we left it late to secure our 1st division status ,the last match and we ended up 6th winning 9,drawing 3,losing 10,scoring 24 and conceding 26 totalling 30 points. Most matches played was Aaronson with 22,he also played most minutes with 1530,bad boy with 26 dp's was Oravec, but you need that hard man to bolster your midfield area, most goals was Wheeler with 5 and most MOM's with 5 was Coroner.We lacked goals up front and that was our downfall, we started slowly and exited the Dowson shield at the group stage and lost out in the semis in the Allan Sellers cup. 

We have some bright players coming through from our youth team Roxbrough Indians and look forward to a better season. New sponsors this season with Subaru on board and the stadium will now be called Subaru Park. 

An exhausted Seattle traveled to [insert neutral venue here], a trip of [probably 1,000s of miles]. They lined up against an also tired New England after the long season, and both teams looked like they may run out of gas. However, it was New England that came flying out of the gates, all players pressing hard. Would they be able to make it through two halves of this?  Their task became much easier on the 11th minute when Seattle had Veteran winger Stevenson sent off of a wild challenge. However, big defender Mike Rose was soon helped off the pitch for the first exhaustion injury of the match. He would be followed by his Winger teamate, Ron Weasly, and Seattle's big sweeper in the second half during  72 minutes that featured more injuries than anything else. Both teams were getting equal chances before Seattle were given their best chance to take home the trophy: On the 84th minute star striker and golden boot winner Brar was fouled in the box, getting defender Canth sent off in the process. If his penalty was good surely there would be no way back for New England...yet his weak effort was saved! The Revolution would have all of the momentum going into PKs, and it looked surely over for Seattle after Brar stepped up for the first penalty and saw that one saved as well! Maybe the manager should have let him shoot later and have a little time to clear his head? GK Herbie Hide did not want to give up so easily, saving NE's first penalty as well. However, it got worse for Seattle after second striker Hendryx, also normally a solid penalty taker, saw his effort saved as well. Hide couldn't do much about NE's next penalty, and it was 1-0 to NE after the round. But, these GKs weren't done having their special days. Both had 5 saves during the match, and each one took turns with one wonderful PK save after another. By the 8th round of penalties, each keeper had saved 5 of 7!  It came down to midfielder Francis for Seattle, who cooly slotted home his shot, and NE would come to rue their injuries - late sub Marshall would take the penalty, one he had clearly not practiced, and Hide made the easy save to win the ASC Plate.

A trophy to give a silver lining to Seattle's otherwise poor season.  The club will take this momentum on to the next season and hope to slowly put together results and finish higher in the table next year.

This final was one of many 1st'

Young Dewar led his team out ,puffing his big fat cigar and wearing his large white nappy (Dipher).
Teams looked evenly matched at the start with Langley looking early favourites with their Dirty tactics.
Daniel Island countered this by playing aggressive and using early cross .
An early breakthrough by Daniel Island saw the ball in the back of Langley net , and youg Dewar let rip ,
could not contain himself and filled his nappy with the Brown stuff ....

Somebody made the comment ,"thank Goodness for Covid-19 , at least he has to keep his distance"

Some 25 mins later Langley had gained the upper hand and were now 2-1 up . Just before the break
they made it 3-1 and at the halftime team talk Dewar  considered the job was done and dispensed with the Dirty tactics.
That turned out to be a wise move as shortly into the second half the Ref produced a RED card and Daniel Island were down to 10 men.

Dewar had seen enough and switched to oppertunistic and played more defensively , this meant Campbell Jnr had to forcs the pace and switched to press . Unfortunately this left them exposed at the back and Langley wrapped things up with a 4th goal .

So a cup win for Dewar Jnr. to add to his League Title ...sadly (thank goodness) no big hugs at the end of the Game as Dewar Jnr was smelling rather bad  !

Going into the last game of the league and we needed 3 points to guarantee our 1st division season status for next season in a real topsy turvy campaign. We were at home to Matt's DC utd who were already relegated but were a strong team and were still giving it their all,we opted for a 4-3-3 normal as did they,we started the quicker and opened the scoring on 8 minutes through Wheeler  1-0,from then till half time defences were on top, half time soon came and subs on ,2nd half and we had lots of possession but found it hard to break down a stubborn defence and although we outshot them 7 to 2 could not find a way through and it stayed at 1-0,3 invaluable points and we finish 6th,job done,well played Matt I'm sure you will bounce back next season.

The week began with two huge matches on the schedule, one for SEA and one for youth side NSS. SEA found themselves in the semifinals of the ASC Plate, and NSS needed a point to cap off their incredible run to end the season and find themselves in the promotion playoffs. Automatic promotion was technically on the line, but extremely unlikely to actually happen. So, if NSS lost away at Washington they would find themselves leapfrogged by Washington and out of the playoffs, but a point would mean that they had one final important match. Further complicating the scenario was NSS's ragged team - the push to even make this position had really taken a toll on the star players.

Seattle were underdogs against a strong Minnesota side, but came out with the goal of putting everything on the line. In the early stages, both sides looked each others' equals, with not much to separate the sides. This changed, however, in the 16th minute when key DM Sam Witherspoon decided to get himself sent off. From there it was always to be one-way traffic with MIN the favorites to go through. However, attack after attack came without much end product, and by the time the 90th minute came along most of the supporters had fallen asleep after only one shot in total.  Penalties awaited, meaning a complete coinflip either way. MIN had just lost their big MF Mo Sallah in the 90th minute to an injury, meaning a slight adjustment to their penalty lineup. Both sides were able to convert their first three shots, but keepers Hide and Alison both came up big against Sluvraa and Coffee, respectively. In the fifth shot, the injury to Sallah loomed large as Origi's tame effort was saved by GK Hide, leaving DF Jazz Richards to slot home the winning penalty for Seattle and send them to the must unlikely of cup finals. Second from the bottom in the league pyramid, but playing for a trophy in the end!

NSS also found themselves in a dull match in Washington, but luck again would fall the way of the Pacific NW sides. Washington found it difficult to get many shots on target, with only 1 of their three attempts requiring any saving. Both keepers were able to save the one shot they needed to, and NSS were able to effectively stall out the second half to keep things level. The one vital point means that NSS will find theselves facing New Bedford in a promotion/relegation match. NSS will hope that their players have enough left in the tank for one final hurrah!

not enough. San Jose Earthquakes can't now make the playoffs. Even though they beat Montreal Impact at their place by two goals to nil, a Vancouver Whitecaps victory means that we are four points behind going into today's final game. We do of course have a third and fourth playoff match left against Philadelphia Union to look forward to. It's been a bit of a strange up and down season but overall a successful one with two good runs in each cup competition. 

Philly's latest game was away at Chivas, and both sides needing a result to get away from that relegation play off place ,they opted for a 4-4-2 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 opportunistic, game on and both sides started with caution but defences on top and all attacks breaking down before they could develop, half time soon came and subs on we pushed on but could not break down a stubborn defence even though we outshot them 3 to 0 it ended goalless 0-0 ,a hard earned point ,but we still sit in that precarious position along with Dallas and Chivas and need to win our remaining game to guarantee safety.All to play for next weekend. 

San Jose Earthquakes season has almost ended even with two matches to play. Last weekend's home game against Chicago Fire was a match we needed to win and expected to. It didn't turn out to be that straight forward and we ended up losing by three goals to two. We outshot them eight to six and also managed to miss a last minute penalty. Mathematically we can still gain promotion but even winning our last two games to looks unlikely. Back to the drawing board yet again.

More a Blog, Steve?

Anyway, I had noticed whilst entering the scores how close to the wire you went on both your Plate ties, but came out smelling of roses each time. Both games finishing 0-0.  Carolina have won their 2 matches 6-1 and 1-0, so know where the goal posts are..

3rd time lucky? Who knows... :-)

After Seattle's recent loss to New England, their league position is looking like it will be confirmed as 10th or 11th place.  If they lose in this weekend's match at Chicago, they will be confirmed in that second to last place.  A disappointing position, but the results have been promising in the back half of the season. 5 wins out of 11 matches would normally be mid-table form, so Seattle will be pleased to have achieved that with a lack of squad depth while focusing on the cup.

Upcoming this week are crucial matches for both Seattle and their youth squad, NSS. Seattle take on the mighty Thunder midweek in the ASCP with a spot in the finals on the line. Seattle will need a fair dose of luck on their side to advance, as just making it to this stage will be an achievement for this squad.  But, you certainly can't count them out with the strength up top and in net - perhaps Seattle can beat the statistics and make it through if their players take their chances and finish what will certainly be limited offerings from the Minnesota defense.

NSS will go into their last two matches with a spot in the promotion playoffs at stake - or maybe even automatic promotion if they closeby teams all collapse. Two wins from two will seal them into at least the promotion playoffs, given that they play the teams on either side of them in the table. However, will it be possible for them to secure two wins while still saving enough left in the legs to win a promotion playoff? Seems unlikely, but stranger things have happened.

After our midweek cup semi final defeat we needed to bounce back and try to retain our division 1 status,we were home to Allan's Columbus Crew,we opted for a 3-4-3 normal as they went for a 6-2-2 normal, both sides started with caution but on 25 minutes with the Columbus defence failing to clear Tavares drilled into 1-0,defences then took control and closed out the 1st half,2nd half subs on and nothing to choose between the sides but on 66 minutes Anderson jnr found space and drilled home 2-0,from then on we defended well and closed out the game just outshooting them 4 to 2 and a hard earned 3 points, well played Allan. 

San Jose Earthquakes started the week off last weekend with an away league game at promotion chasing New England Revolution. We played stall hoping for a point. It was looking to be paying off but we conceded on ninety minutes giving us no time to reply and therefore losing one nil. The in midweek the AS cup semifinal second leg at home against FC Dallas. Trailing one nil from the first leg we needed an early goal. Halftime came with it still goalless. We broke the deadlock on 51 minutes though Batshuayi. No more goals, with us shooting them six to two. Penalties. Abraham scoring our first and one nil up. Then three missed and a three one defeat. Cod in goal for Dallas was the difference in both matches. Good luck to David in the final.

2nd leg and away at Lewis's LA galaxy  and after a 0-1 defeat at home we had to try and find a way through a very stubborn defence, we opted for a very attacking 3-4-3 press as they opted for a 4-3-3 normal,both sides started well, but we needed to score early and keep the pressure on, but on 21 minutes Geary fired them ahead 1-0,big question now was do we change tact ,the answer was no as we would go down fighting, half time soon came and no more damage but with our high attack and low defence we were open to more goals if we were caught out,,67 minutes and Beckham looped a header over the stranded goalie 2-0,77 minutes and some slick passing saw LeChiffre slip through the defence and slot home 3-0,and right on 90 minutes Gellis drilled home 4-0,we were outplayed and outshot 12 to 7 ,only Coroner in our goal with 7 saves kept us in it,well played Lewis and best of luck in the final -you deserve it

Seattle confirmed that they will not be awarded the wooden spoon this season with a 4-0 win at Charleston, who were unlucky to be confirmed as spoon "winners" on the day.  Seattle came out on a mission, and within 22 minutes the game had passed Charleston by. Karan Brar came into the match tied for the division 2 golden boot after his two goal performance in the lose-from-ahead loss to San Jose, and sometimes when a player is hot just everything goes into the net. Brar's 2nd minute cross just happened to be hit perfectly wrong, and drifted over the keeper for an early lead. He would soon get his second of the day from the penalty spot, as a 5th minute penalty and red card for Buchanon really put CHA in a hole. Coffee would add to the lead against a shell-shocked Battery in the 10th minute before Brar set a club record (probably) completing his hat-trick in the 22nd minute. Charleston really should have created some more shots with their possession, but giving opportunities to a striker such as Brar was always going to end up poorly. Seattle would have been favored to lose this one at the start, but the momentum stayed their way throughout.

Brar now finds himself 3 goals clear for the golden boot with 3 matches to go - he will certainly be favorite for the individual trophy to bring a bright spot to Seattle's poor season overall.

Philly's latest game was away at Houston, they opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as we went for a 5-2-3 stall hoping to pinch a cheeky point  ,they started the quicker and opened the scoring on 9 minutes and Coker 1-0 and Hearn made it 2-0 on 29 minutes, we could not retain any possession for any length of time, and when we did we could not find a way through as they outplayed us and outshot us 6 to 0 .

San Jose Earthquakes started the week with a fantastic come back in the league match at home against Seattle Sounders. Three nil behind after just twenty six minutes. We managed to pull the score back to three two at halftime with goals from Abraham(35) and Hudson(43). The second half passed and on eighty minutes we changed to press. Luckily we scored twice more to win four three, with goals on 82 Loftus-Cheek and 83 Bentley. It was a close game with seven goals from just eight chances. Five to three in our favour. The AS cup semifinal away to FC Dallas in midweek ended in a disappointing one nil defeat. We outshot them three to one but they took their chance on 55 minutes and then played out the remaining minutes to take a lead into the return match.

We were at home to Lewis and his LA Galaxy side in the 1st leg of the semi final and it looked a tough one to call on paper, both sides opting for a 4-3-3 normal approach, we put Ramius marking Beckham as we thought he was there most potent threat,both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but defences more than a match for them up until 34 minutes when a deflected ball found it's way to Gellis who slotted home 0-1,a very valuable away goal that Lewis was looking for, half time soon came and subs on ,2nd half was a tale of defences and no matter how hard we tried we could not break down a stubborn defence with Boston in goal making 4 outstanding saves, we just edged the shot count 5 to 4 but it remained 0-1,we have it all to do in the away leg,well played Lewis.

Philly's latest game was home to Atlanta, we opted for a 5-3-2 opportunistic as they went with a 4-3-3 normal as, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but defences on top for the 1st half but Zwicky fired home right on the stroke of half time 0-1,2nd half and subs on ,we were finding it hard to retain any possession for any length of time and were being outplayed and Watt sealed the game on 62 minutes 0-2 as we were outplayed and outshot 6 to 1.Were are finding it hard to retain any consistency in our play and need a few more wins to avoid that relegation battle.

The only game this week for San Jose Earthquakes was in the league away at Charleston Battery. The match finished one apiece to keep the unbeaten run going which now stands at eleven games. The match itself started well with us taking an early lead on 19 minutes though Bentley. We couldn't hold on and they scored a deserved equaliser on 74. We were outshot four to one and got away with a lucky point. Not sure how the Battery are bottom? Seattle Sounders at home today. A tough one.

Seattle's big midweek matchup with Chivas USA in the ASC Plate had more at stake than you may guess by looking at the tables for divisions 1 and 2. Seattle were feeling hard done by a tough 2-3 loss against rivals Portland in the league, meaning that the plate was likely to be their last shot at making the end of the season meaningful. Already close to securing their avoidance of the wooden spoon while also now too far below to think about promotion, Seattle could eye the big cash prize that was left by a semifinal run in the plate. A guaranteed two extra matches + a minimum of 75k in prize money would do a lot of good for Seattle's bank account at the end of the season. 

The match started lively, as an early Hendryx worldie gave Seattle the lead on the 23rd minute, with Nial shooting and scoring from nearly the halfway line. Calum Rose finished off a scrappy goal for Chivas in the 30th minute to tie the match after GK Hide had done well to stop Berry's initial shot. However, Chivas couildn't stop Seattle's star striking duo for long, as Karan Brar finished off a 1-on-1 with composure, chipping in a tidy finish to restore the lead five minutes later. Seattle would add to their lead on the stroke of halftime, as holding mid Witherspoon was able to do his best Gundogan impression on the overlap in the 44th minute to take it to 3-1 for the break.  Chivas were able to pull one back shortly after halftime, but Seattle's organized defense was able to bleed away the second half effectively and hold onto a 3-2 victory to progress to the semis.

Seattle will have a tough task against giants Minnesota in the cup, but with it all to play for over 90 minutes who knows what can happen. Next in the league, Seattle will resume their campaign with two straight away matches where they will hope to string together some victories and ensure a spot somewhere above last place.

San Jose Earthquakes continued their current unbeaten run which now has been extended to ten matches. Last week's league game was away at Portland Timbers and ended goalless. We played stall and went for the point. Only one chance created all match that the Timbers failed to convert. We then had the quarterfinal second leg tie away to Miami FC with a single goal advantage from the first leg. The game was pretty much decided midway though the first half. We took the lead on 29 minutes though Batshuayi and then on 35 minutes Spence Jnr got sent off for Miami. The match ended in a two one victory, three one on aggregate. The Earthquakes will now play FC Dallas in the AS cup semifinals. 

Our latest cup game was at home to Alan's Columbus, after the away leg we held a slim 1-0 lead ,and were looking to hold onto that ,we opted for a 5-3-2 normal as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, we started quickly and opened the scoring on 4 minutes when their goalie could only parry a shot and Wheeler was there to smash home 1-0 ,game changing moment on 13 minutes when Lee saw red for a deliberate hand ball so Columbus down to 10 men,defences then stood firm till half time.Subs on and back to it ,60 minutes and Columbus changed tact to press,63 minutes and we took advantage of a poor back pass as Anderson jnr raced in and slotted in 2-0,72 minutes and Columbus pulled one back through Gee 2-1,75 minutes and Tavares slipped through and lobbed the onrushing keeper 3-1 and Anderson jnr fired home his 2nd on 82 minutes to seal the game 4-1 as we outshot them 9 to 3 and progress to the semi's,well played Alan.

San Jose Earthquakes played their quarterfinal AS cup match first leg at home against Miami FC in midweek. The game was decided late on, thanks to a Batshuayi goal. No more than we deserved, outshooting them seven to three. It's set up nicely for the return game on Wednesday. Last weekend's league game at home against LA Galaxy and as expected, loads of goals. A five three victory for the Earthquakes with goals from Batshuayi, Bentley, Cole and Pullisic with two. We remain in mid table in sixth place. 

Midweek, Seattle found themselves facing a strong Rochester side who are a few spots ahead of the Sounders in the table. However, this match was to be at a neutral venue to advance in the Al Sellers Consolation Plate - a trophy Seattle are far from favorites to win, but in which the struggling side see an opportunity for gaining experience and filling the coffers a bit.  The lucky Sounders came out of the tunnel to find a rather passive-looking Rochester side missing some of their star players. Seattle jumped on the Rhinos from the start, putting four attempts in on GK Mahommes' net. However, the Rhinos' star netminder was standing tall and kept the Sounders at bay for wave after wave. The break finally came for Seattle in the 70th minute, when star striker Brar ran onto a superb Witherspoon through-ball and finished the one-on-one with the keeper to net the only goal of the match. Seattle slowed things down successfully for the last 20 minutes, and played their way to a meeting with a struggling Chivas USA side in two weeks' time. The first division side will still be the favorites for that one, but a semifinal showing for manager Foss-Grant's side would be just the response Seattle would have been looking for when they hired the man. 

Midweek and cup 1st leg away at Alan's Columbus Crew,on paper nothing to choose between the sides and a draw looking the ideal result,they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 4-4-2 normal, game on and 1st half was dominated by defences although both sides enjoying lots of possession, half time came and subs on ,both sides still pushing looking for that opening and it came late on 84 minutes when defender Ramius was let through and drilled home from outside the box 0-1 ,we just edged the shot count 3 to 1 and take a slender lead into next weeks return, well played Alan really close exciting encounter. 

Philly's latest game was at home to Carolina Railhawks and we opted for a 5-2-3 opportunistic as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, they started quickly and opened the scoring on 13 minutes when Robinson headed home 0-1,and they went further ahead on 26 minutes when Aberowa slotted home 0-2 ,as we struggled to retain any possession for any length of time and Ba made it 0-3 on 42 minutes, right on the stroke of half time Sartre brought down Anderson jnr in the box ,ref pointed to the spot and then produced a red card, Sartre off and Carolina down to 10 men,Anderson jnr got up and drilled home his spot kick 1-3,2nd half subs on and we pushed on but could not find a way through the stubborn defence but on 82 minutes Przybylko found a gap and fired home 2-3 ,Carolina changed tact straight away and closed the game out ,as they just edged the shot count 5 to 4 and held out for the win. 

A close win over visitors Miami has put Seattle with a comfortable gap over the wooden spoon: 15 points from the bottom with 7 matches to go. 4 wins from the new manager's first 6 league matches has put the Sounders firmly in the tight bunch at the middle of the table. In fact, Seattle now find themselves only 5 points out of third place. Will they be able to push for promotion? Seems very unlikely. Without proper squad depth, it seems highly unlikely that SSFC can leapfrog so many clubs during the gome stretch. Tired legs and weak depth will keep them in Divison 2 for a season longer, but that is likely for the best. A promotion would be at least a year too soon for this squad. So what is left for Seattle to play for? Cash? Pride? Awards? A consolation plate run? We will have to see what motivation inspires the players in the matches to come...

Only one game for San Jose Earthquakes last week, away to Miami FC in the league on Sunday. We played a very dull stall but came out with a point after the game ended goalless. Miami will feel they deserved better having had the only three attempts. We didn't learn to much to take into our quarter final clash this week. Today's game is at home against Los Angeles Galaxy and I'm expecting a few goals this time. 

Philly's latest game was away at David's Dallas, they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 4-5-1 opportunistic, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession and they opened the scoring on 27 minutes through Costa 1-0,we pushed on but could not find a way through before half time, 2nd half subs on and with constant pressure on 60 minutes Oravec fired home to level it up 1-1,and from then on we attacked constantly and De Vries slotted home on 74 minutes 1-2 ,we just outshot them 6 to 5 and held out for the win, well played David ,we now sit 7th.

San Jose Earthquakes made the knockout stages of the Allan Sellers Cup in midweek. It's been a good in week all round. Last weekend's league game at home against Rochester Rhinos ended in an one nil victory thanks to a very late Lukaku goal. Then midweek the match with FC Dallas with both teams having six points and needing one more to qualify. A great game that finished in a four two win, which we fully deserved after outshooting them nine to three. Both teams did qualify anyway so the result didn't matter in the end. Miami FC today, who we also play in the quarterfinals. 

Our last game in the cup group was at home to Derek's Portland Timbers, we were on top the group and only a massive goal would deny us ,we opted for a 4-2-4 normal as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession, on 19 minutes Wheeler limped off and had to be replaced, quick sub and back to it as defences ruled the 1st half,2nd half subs on and defences doing their job until on 59 minutes Farooq unleashed a thunderous drive from 30 yards which nearly took the net with it 0-1,from then on there was nothing to choose between the sides, we were just outshot 6 to 5 but only a 0-1 defeat sees us progress to the knockout stages where we meet Columbus, well played Derek. 

Seattle, riding a streak up upset victories in the league, came into Vancouver this weekend high on confidence and perhaps favored in a league matchup for the first time this season. They found a Vancouver side that was only ahead of them in the table on goal difference, making this matchup a key one in the struggle for mid-table status during the back half of the season.

However, after enjoying upset victories that included some stellar performances by keeper Hide, Seattle finally tasted a bit of their own medicine. Season MVP candidate Herbie Hide only faced one shot on target due to some stellar defending, but made a mess of it and let in Vancouver's goal on the stroke of halftime.  This may have been fine on a normal day for Seattle, but the Sounders were equally poor with their finishing. 8 shots, 7 on target, failed to get past MotM GK Buatsi. Not even stars Brar and Hendryx could get any of their 3 shots past him, and Seattle fell to their first league loss under their new manager.

The youth team similarly struggled, with NSS struggling to turn a possession advantage into a shot advantage. With lots of possession in the first half and an inexperienced GK for GOG in net, you would have expected NSS to go in front. But, the inability to test the keeper came back to bite North Sound. A second half flurry of goals, with GOG scoring 2 in the last 8 minutes, broke NSS hearts in a 1-3 loss.

A disappointing weekend grounds both sides back to reality. Seattle still are comfortably above the wooden spoon, but NSS now find themselves rooted in the cellar of the division 4 cellar. They will need some late-season magic to avoid the infamy of ending up firmly in the bin.

Philly's latest game was a home game against Alon's league leaders Minnesota ,always a tough game with points hard to come by,we opted for an ambitious 4-4-2 opportunistic as they went with their usual 4-5-1 ball control, we started quickly and opened the scoring in the 1st minute with our very 1st attack when Walsh fired home 1-0,Minnesota came straight back at us and levelled things up on 6 minutes when Sluvraa headed home 1-1,steady play then ensued with both sides exchanging possession until De Vries powered home his header on 18 minutes 2-1,defences then stood firm till half time,2nd half subs on and we were confident in the way we were defending and even outshot them 7 to 2 and held out for the win ,well played Alon .

San Jose Earthquakes played two evenly matched teams this week but came out of it with a win and a draw. Last weekend's league game was away at Vancouver Whitecaps. The Whitecaps surprised us playing stall all match, so no surprise the game ended goalless. We did have the only four chances of the match, so maybe two points dropped. The midweek Allan Sellers cup match was against Charleston Battery. Gilmore scoring the only goal in an one nil victory. Two shots apiece with both teams playing normal. The win doesn't guarantee us a last eight place. We could still qualify if we lose against FC Dallas but a point should do it.

Seattle continue to find themselves in dreamland in the league after manager Foss-Grant's appointment. Three wins on the bounce is no small bump for a team that was in 11th place and 3 points off the bottom at the time.  9 points from 9 available would normally have helped them chase down a few of the teams above them, but Miami and Chicago, who were 2 and 3 points ahead at the time of Seattle's manager change, have also won an incredible 5 out of 6 matches in that span. The only loss? Chicago's loss to Seattle in Foss-Grant's first match. Incredible performances out there by some teams in the bottom half!  Though, Seattle certainly won't complain about moving to 12 points clear of the wooden spoon!

This contrasts Seattle's cup performances, where they have found themselves losing twice to a combined score of 7-0. Seattle have looked truly pitiful in the cup, and few would bet on them improving their performances there. a 4-0 loss to Dallas leaves little to review, as the performance was perhaps even worse than the scoreline suggests.

Instead, we will focus on Seattle's win over top-of-the-table RSL, which has certainly kept the door open for competitors to make up the ground for the title.  Seattle started the match in a strong fashion, with Karan Brar getting his 5th goal of the season. Seattle would have been considered favorites to build on that lead until 8 minutes later when Defensive Midfielder Ethan Ampadu lost his head and got sent off early in the first half.  From there it was a tense match of hanging on for Seattle - they surprisingly still looked strong despite the man disadvantage, but any RSL goal certainly would have made them favorites to drop all of the points.  A couple key saves from keeper Herbie Hide kept the points safe, and Seattle will be thrilled with the home win.

We played Bill's New York again but this time in the cup,by the side Bill put out I think his focus is on the league,could we take advantage of this, well we opted for a 3-5-2 ball control,very unusual for us but you have to try it ,as they opted for a 5-4-1 opportunistic, both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 18 minutes through De Vries 1-0 and then defences stood firm for the 1st half,2nd half subs on and we pushed on and we went 2-0 up on 61 minutes when Walsh slotted in, 71 minutes and a poor back pass saw Walsh nip in and fire home his 2nd 3-0,a rare encounter for us as we outplayed them for periods and outshot them 9 to 1 ,well played Bill.

Philly's latest game was at home to Bill's high riding New York ,always a tough side to get points against, we opted for a 5-3-2 opportunistic as they went for a 4-2-4 longball, steady start from both sides but on 20 minutes Torini slipped through and slotted home 0-1 ,31 minutes and Ramirez fired home 0-2,we pushed on but half time came, subs on and 2nd half was all about defences as both stood out in an even game of 3 shots on, well played Bill. 

Last weekend's league game away at table toppers Real Salt Lake was a close game but the score finished in a two nil defeat. We outshot them three to two but we couldn't beat man of the match Brady in goal for Real. Then the midweek Allan Sellers Cup game against Seattle Sounders. The match couldn't have gone any better and we can away with a three nil victory to set us up nicely. We outshot them eight to one and goals from Cole, Pullisic and Tomori for a fully deserved the victory. Today back to league action with a tough away match at Vancouver Whitecaps. 

Big, big upset win at Montreal! Seattle secure a 2-1 victory to help them move down a spot on the table....

Hmm...the division 2 table tightened significantly this past week, with all sides in places 2 through 6 losing on the weekend, meaning that Seattle now occupy 10th, moving down on a goal differerence swing, yet are only 2 points behind 6th.

Will they have the talent to overachieve this season? It seems doubtful.  Seattle's 2-1 victory against Montreal seemed to be fairly against the stats, with a massive 10 saves from GK Hide being the difference in the match. They'll need a few more of those performances if they want to move into the top half of the division 2 table, which would be quite a feat.  

Seattle were quickly brought back down to size in the cup.  A 3-0 loss to San Jose where boss Foss-Grant tried to rest some of his key players didn't work out so well, as clearly the bench at Seattle is bare bones and seems to be getting worse by the day.  The only thing more embarassing was the manager deciding to bring on some of his star players at 0-1 down only to immediately concede twice more and only achieve a waste of star player endurance.

Seattle will hope to continue their good form in the league next with Real Salt Lake coming to town.  However, their time in the Al Sellers cup may be coming to an end before it even started.  A loss next midweek would mean an early end for a really shallow squad.

Our 1st game in this cup saw us up against Roy's Colorado Rapids, a really strong side who have made a good start to their league campaign, they opted for a 4-3-3 early ball as we went for a more defensive 5-3-2 normal, really close exciting encounter with both sides enjoying lots of possession, we made the quicker start and opened the scoring on 2 minutes through Oravec 0-1,and defences stood firm for the 1st half,2nd half subs on and both sides going for it but both sides struggled to break down the stubborn defences and although we were just outshot 3 to 2 our defence stood firm and held on for the win ,3 points hard earned, well played Roy I thought this had draw written all over it. 

Philly's latest game was away at Matt's DC Utd, they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a more defensive 5-3-2 normal,,we started the quicker and opened the scoring on 5 minutes when Aaronson drilled home 0-1 and on 6 minutes Walsh slotted home from close range 0-2,from then till half time defences stood firm, half time soon came and subs on ,defences then took control and cancelled out all attacks before they could develop as we controlled the game outshooting them 4 to 1 and getting a comfortable win, well played Matt.

San Jose Earthquakes got the week off with a home league match against Montreal Impact who had already beaten us on penalties the game before. We started off with a stall and by half time we're one nil behind. A change at halftime to normal and two nil down on 63 minutes. Then two goals in two minutes and two apiece. It lasted three minutes before going three two behind but another equaliser on 80 minutes and the game ended three all. Midweek and the third/fourth playoff with Chivas USA. Two teams playing normal tactics and evenly matched. The game was won on 71 minutes by Batshuayi with a great strike. Back to league action today against top of the table Real Salt Lake. 

Seattle and youth club NSS have been enjoying a good start to their new manager's reign.  Seattle recorded a solid 3-1 victory home to Chicago on the weekend, while youth club NSS have recorded their first MVP of the season with a string of two victories in the youth cup surrounding a 0-0 draw at Red Force in the league.  Manager Foss-Grant has commented on the youth success, saying, "We had marked down getting an MVP as an important first step for the team. To get morale up, get the players going well.  We know that we are unlikely to be able to climb out of our hole in the league or win the cup, so we wanted to get some progress in the season to get going in the right direction. Didn't expect it to come so early on!"  NSS will still surely struggle with being bottom of the league in T-11, so a rebuild will take a lot more than this, but it is a good early sign for the club.

Seattle's 3-1 win started off with an early Brar goal which was equalized by Chicago not 7 minutes later. However, Brar was able to head in his second in the 27th minute to restore the lead going into the half.  Ampadu sealed the win in the second half with a crisp finish, leaving Herbie Hilde to make a few saves to maintain the lead and finish with an important win.  Seattle leapfrog Chicago on goal difference and now find themselves a good 6 points above wooden spoon position.

Philly's latest game was at home to Chivas  and we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 4-5-1 ball control, steady start from both sides with defences on top for the 1st half hour but on 31 minutes Chestnut raced in and slotted home 0-1,37 minutes and Elderberry drilled home 0-2,half time came and subs on ,we pushed on and pulled one back on 50 minutes through Wheeler 2-1 and although we just outshot them 6 to 4 could not find a way through the stubborn defence, with Oak in their goal making 5 outstanding saves to seal the game ,we now sit 9th.

San Jose Earthquakes played out two one all draws this week but still feel badly done to. Last weekend's league match was away at Chicago Fire. We went an early goal behind after just 10 minutes but came back strongly and scored an equaliser late on with just three minutes remaining, man of the match Pullisic scoring. A deserved point, we us outshooting them three to two. Then the midweek Dave Dowson Shield semifinal against Montreal Impact. Again another early goal conceded on nine minutes but we managed to get to half time without conceding another. A change of tactics and the second half was much better, we an equaliser by Terry on 81 minutes. Then to penalties and ultimate failure. Three missed from four and a three one loss. Still a good run to get that far and something to build on. 

Excerpts from the first interview with the new NSS manager, conducted post-match:

Q: How did you feel the squad performed in today's cup match?

A: I'm thrilled with the performance. Coming in as underdogs against a well-organized Montreal squad...you certainly don't expect a result like that! With players like Rothery, we knew that they could be a real threat and that we had to limit the number of chances.  I think the scoreline flatters us a bit, but nobody can deny that we played with real heart today. Clearly Ali has been showing talent for quite some time, but today it seemed to all click.  He'll certainly remember his first professional goal...and the two after!

Q: Do you feel this NSS squad is good enough to pull out of the bottom of division 4? How do you expect to turn things around?

Is the squad good enough? Maybe, but not without real work.  Currently sitting second worst in t-11 and fourth worst in t-17...those aren't promotion-level stats!  I'm not sure exactly how many seasons it will take, but I fully expect to be competing within division 4 in the relatively near future.  It is going to take very disciplined budgeting, competent recruiting, and shrewd squad management.  For now we will focus on trying to string together some results. A first MVP bonus is a great first goal for us.

Q: What brought you back from a 5 year retirement? Do you think your experience with Mt Tabor is still applicable?

A love for the game, desire to compete at the highest level, and the drive to bring Seattle + NSS back to the top levels where they should be.  Plus, a little healthy rivalry with other managers doesn't hurt.  We'll see if old grudges will still carry over from the Portland/Mt Tabor days ;)

Philly's latest game was away at Allan's Columbus, they opted for a 6-2-2 normal as we went for a 5-3-2 normal, on paper nothing to choose between the two sides, Philly started the quicker and opened the scoring on 13 minutes through Aaronson 0-1,game changing moment on 14 minutes when Shay Red saw a red card for a deliberate hand ball,Columbus down to 10 men,Philly looked to exploit this and stretched them wide on every occasion, 31 minutes and Anderson jnr drilled home 0-2,half time came and subs on we pushed on and Wheeler sealed the game on 67 minutes 0-3 as we outplayed and outshot them 5 to 1,well played Allan ,Philly seemed to be finding their feet after a really poor start.

San Jose Earthquakes won both games this week by an one nil margin, one of which means we make the semifinals of the Dave Dowson Shield. Last week's league game was at home against New England Revolution who turned up with a defensive line up. Only one shot all game but it was enough to end in a goal from James and winning all three points. The midweek quarterfinal with FC Dallas and a much more open match. Another 50 minute goal this time from Gilmore winning the tie. We played excellent, outshooting them four to one and deserved our semifinal place. Final next, who knows.

2 games last week - the first the last DD Shield outing in the group stage. We hosted Montreal, who had already won the group so we played 2nd teamers or lads on high ELs so as to make a better showing in the league. We duly lost 1-0, although fair to say it should have been a draw, and in light of the following result, it would have given us an MVP on Sunday.  :-(

In the auction earlier in the week, we purchased a winger, Eric Stevenson, but left him out of Wednesday's snore fest.

However it was a full team who took to the floor to face the only team below us (and that on goal difference..) Charleston. Stevenson was in from the start and scored on his debut. Surprising to everyone as I misplaced him as a Midfielder. However we scored a second goal - also in the first half) and that scorer was Coffee - our rookie midfielder. Seems that despite having probably the best forward in the division (Brar SL39) and a second useful lad in Hendryx (SL28) none of them raised a shot the entire game. But a win is a win and we move up to the heady 10th position. We face New England on Sunday away so happy if we get a point.. 

And it is appreciated Steve, and for the record, I don't have a game either. But there are 16 managers with a youth game today plus the 8 with a Quarter Final (okay, some of the 16 are also some of the 8). Full house in the DD Shield games....

Only 3 youths still to sheet.  Red Force, Daniel Island and Windy City - would be good to get a full house to get the competition off to a good start.

Philly's latest game was at home to Stephen's Houston, we knew they were a free flowing attacking team and had to have a plan to close that down,we opted for a defensive 5-3-2 normal as they went for a 4-2-4 early ball, we started quickly and opened the scoring on 5 minutes when Aaronson headed home 1-0, and things got better on 24 minutes when Wheeler was brought down in the box,ref pointed to the spot, Wheeler hauled himself up and duly fired home his spot kick 2-0,from them on the defence did their job ,Houston changed tact to press on 80 minutes to try and break through but the defence was more than up for it as we just outshot them 4 to 2 ,well played Stephen. 

San Jose Earthquakes didn't get the week off to a good start, getting thumbed four nil at Seattle Sounders who hadn't previously won a match. To be fair, David had recently took over and had just got his team sorted out so maybe just bad timing. The final Dave Dowson Shield game was away at DC United and we needed a point to make sure or not lose by a lot. A goalless draw was enough to secure a knockout match against FC Dallas who look a top team. Our goal was just to qualify, so anything else would be a huge bonus. 

Our last game in the cup was at home to Alan's Columbus, we rested some key players but still put out quite a good side and opting for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 4-3-3 normal, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but we opened the scoring on 18 minutes through a Berisha header 1-0,Przybylko through on 27 minutes and brought down in the box,ref pointed to the spot, he picked himself up and drilled home the spot kick 2-0 and Walsh sealed the game on 43 minutes when he slotted home 3-0,half time subs on ,but on 58 minutes we were down to 10 men as Glesves limped off ,so a quick reshuffle and back to it and the defence stood firm and closed down all attacks before they could develop as we just outshot them 11 to 8 ,well played Allan. 

Now to concentrate on improving our league position. 

That's it - the last DD Shield group match done and dusted.  When I took over the Sounders there was a chance to qualify but I felt it would have cost a lot of ELs and no guarantee of a last 8 place, and a likely Quarter Final v Minnesota (lucky white heather..), so we decided to rest and build up the team for getting a few league points.

MON came to see us Wednesday and they had already qualified so I assumed they would take pity on us. But one attack, one shot on target, and the game was lost. Can't grumble as we played some lads who will likely only see time on a pitch when we play "unwinnable" games - and there may be a few of them... :-)

Right, that's it!! First league win under the belt. We rested the big lads midweek in a 2-0 loss to Houston, so we're ready for the home game v San Jose.

The lads got off to a good 2 goal half time lead had any chance we had of getting caught ended in the 64th minute when we got a penalty and SJ had a player ejected. The penalty goal plus one more the next minute gave us a good 4-0 win and we rise to err, 11th place.

And in the auction we got an age 6, 25 WG. Of course he will be dead by next season but he'll do some good till then, hopefully winning us some games and increasing our home gates. 💰

Our latest game was away at Bryce's Atlanta, always a tough place to get points,they opted for a 4-3-3 normal as we went for a 4-5-1 normal (hoping to boss the midfield area),both sides started well and enjoyed lots of possession and defences on top for the 1st half,keeping shot count down,half time soon came and subs on ,Atlanta seemed to up their tempo and opened the scoring on 48 minutes when Pearose headed home 1-0,we kept playing  and pushing and on 71 minutes Wheeler drilled home to level it up 1-1,we were outplayed and outshot 7 to 2 but the defence stood firm and Coroner in our goal was outstanding with 6 saves which kept us in it,we are still searching for our best formation -think we will cross this one off the list for now,well played Bryce.

San Jose Earthquakes started the week last Sunday with a home league match against Charleston Battery. The game was won by one goal scored by the earthquakes man of the match Loftus-Cheek in the 23rd minute. A game of few chances in which we outshot them three to zero. The midweek Dave Dowson Shield game was again at home, this time with Atlanta Silverbacks. The game ended goalless with their keeper winning the man of the match award. The game was even, with a shot count of three apiece. The point means we have a three point cushion going into the final game and a much better goal difference. As long as it isn't a disaster we will qualify for the knockout stage. A great result. 

Our latest cup game was at home to David's Dallas, as we had no chance of qualifying, it was time to train up apps and get some s/l into the team,we opted for a 4-2-4 early ball as they went for a 4-4-2 normal, both sides started well enjoying lots of possession but they opened the scoring on 21 minutes through Luca 0-1 and he fired home his 2nd a minute later 0-2,we pulled ourselves back into the game as Najem pulled one back on 26 minutes 1-2,but Shark increasing their lead on 41 minutes 1-3,2nd half and we pushed on and Walsh headed home on 63 minutes 2-3 ,but it was not enough as we struggled to retain any possession for any length of time and struggled to break down a stubborn defence although we did just edge the shot count 6 to 5 ,well played David, best of luck in the knockout stages.

Vancouver Whitecaps  Vs  Rochester Rhinos , a good time to catch up on some well needed sleep .

Half time came and went and I awoke as the final whistle went to dicover we had snatched a point . 0-0

My assistant informed me it had been Gripping /Exciting ...somewhat   like watching Paint Dry !

At last - a point for the Souinders as we played away at Derek's Portland. I know it was a dire 0-0 but we have to start making a game of things - no money and the onl;y goooood asset is my age 3, SL39 FW Brar who will struggle for us, but be a real asset for a top team.

(He can be bought if I get a deal that gives me a decent forward in return - we can talk about the difference later..)

For now the DD Shield is a non starter - deliberately - as I wanted to save ELs to try for points. Onwards and upwards..!!

Our latest game was away at Jame's Kansas city, they opted for a 4-2-4 normal as we went for a more defensive 5-3-2 normal, we started slowly and were punished on 14 minutes when Hutton fired home 1-0,34 minutes and Wilson slotted home 2-0,as we struggled to retain any possession for any length of time, 2nd half subs on but we were hit again on 49 minutes as Xavier drilled home 3-0 ,we could not find a way back as we were outplayed and outshot 4 to 0,well played James, we need to improve and quickly. 

San Jose Earthquakes started off last weekend with a home league game against Portland Timbers. After taking a 20 minute lead though Cole we were pegged back on 31 minutes and that's the way it stayed up to half time l The second half was much better and goals from Loftus-Cheek and Lukaku secured a three one victory. Fully deserved outshooting them six to one. The midweek Dave Dowson Shield and the top two in the group were in action. Carolina RailHawks at home. Disaster on 12 minutes, Mendoza sent off and a penalty conceded. On 56 minutes the teams were even again with the RailHawks going down to 10 and Abraham scoring from the spot. We conceded again on 67 minutes and couldn't find a reply, losing two one. It wasn't a total disaster because the Rapids also lost, so we need a point from the final two games to qualify. 

Philly's latest cup game was away at Paul's Chivas, we were treating this as a game to train up our apps as we had no chance of proceeding to the next stage,they opted for a 5-4-1 normal as we went for a 4-4-2 normal, we started slowly and were punished on 9 minutes when Willow fired home 1-0,from then until half time the defences were on top and stood firm, half time came and subs on and we changed tact to early ball to change things about,67 minutes and our goalie could only parry a Willow drive and Willow was quick to follow up and slot home 2-0,we kept pushing in an even game of 4 shots each and pulled a goal back on 87 minutes through Walsh 2-1 ,but that's as close as we got,well played Paul,apps trained up a bit more and now to concentrate on the league and climb up the table.