All about winning battles

Lusitania player Dalibor Planinac defends against Ital-Inter during Manitoba Soccer Association Cup action last night. JASON HALSTEAD/SUN MEDIA

All about winning battles

Sweeper back on the pitch after fighting through cancer

By KIRK PENTON, SUN MEDIA

Dalibor Planinac has been through enough in his life that the score shouldn't matter anymore.
Maybe, however, he's still here because the score has always mattered.
The 27-year-old sweeper for Winnipeg's Lusitania senior men's soccer team received a jolt in November 2005 that no one should have to endure. A poster boy for health, the former soccer pro from Croatia was told by a doctor that he had Hodgkins lymphoma.
CANCER.
"I never drank in my life, never smoked in my life," Planinac said last night. "I never even tried."

The doctors told him his disease was 85% curable. Never before had 15% seemed so big to the 6-foot-3, 175-pound Serbian.
"Better 85% than 50%," he said. "I was shocked. I was happy that I live here with my family, because I didn't have to work. I mean, you can't work.
"The treatments were really hard, really hard, really hard. But I fought through it."
Planinac endured eight months of chemotherapy. He got two treatments a month, and the first week after each session was spent in bed. Just as he started to feel somewhat normal again, he was off to another treatment.
He gained more than 50 pounds thanks to the steroids that restored his appetite. His hair fell out. Just when he thought life couldn't get any worse after leaving war-torn Croatia in 2000, after his home had been destroyed and some of his extended family had been killed, it was.
"The doctor said, 'Make sure you don't give up during the treatments. If you give up, you're pretty much done,' " Planinac said. "Lots of people go for treatments and they stop in the middle of it because it's so hard to handle it."
Planinac didn't give up, and now he's back on the pitch. He played for Sokol during his first five years in Winnipeg, but the team folded during his cancer battle.
The reason he decided to make his comeback with Lusitania is simple: That's where his brother, Dragan, had signed up to play.
"I decided that after what I went through to spend more time with my brother," Planinac said. "I didn't really care how well we were going to do. Playing with my brother was more important, because I realized that no one knows what can happen in life."
Other top-notch local players, like Nano Romero, followed Planinac to Lusitania, and the side is not only surviving its first season in the Manitoba Major Soccer League's Premier Division; it's thriving.
"Dalibor has been one of our top players, no doubt. He's very good," Lusitania manager Rick Moreira said. "He's one of the strongest, best defenders in the whole league."
Last night Ken Sacramento scored as Lusitania downed Ital-Inter 1-0 in a Manitoba Soccer Association Cup senior men's semifinal. Lusitania will play the powerhouse Sons of Italy Lions in tomorrow night's final at the Winnipeg Soccer Complex. Game time is 7:30.
The Sons of Italy edged Hellas SC 1-0 in last night's other semifinal on a second-half goal by Ryan Dyck. The winner of tomorrow night's final will advance to the Canadian club championship in Halifax in October.
The women's final will also be played tomorrow. Sweat Shack will take on Team United at 1 p.m. at Norm Konowalchuk Soccer Stadium (Red River).
And even though, in the big picture, tomorrow night's score between Lusitania and Sons of Italy doesn't matter, it still does to Planinac.
"It does, actually," he said. "I'm very competitive. I don't like to lose."
That much is evident.\

Sons of Italy triumph over Lusitania for MSA Cup

By KIRK PENTON, SUN MEDIA

Thanks in large part to Steve Sawatzky's educated guess, the Sons of Italy Lions are headed back to nationals.
The Sons of Italy edged FC Lusitania 2-1 in last night's Manitoba Soccer Association Cup senior men's final in front of 600 spectators at Winnipeg Soccer Complex.
The Lions will compete in the national tournament in Halifax in October. Last night's triumph gave them their fourth MSA Cup title since 1996 and first since 2002, when they went on to capture a Canadian crown.
"It's been like a bad dream almost," Lions player-coach Tony Nocita said of the last four seasons. "Because if you look at our record in the last three or four years, I would say probably out of 100 games we've won 95 and lost just a Cup game or two."
Thanks to Sawatzky, the Sons goalkeeper, their MSA Cup losing streak was in no danger of continuing last night.
Shortly after Justin Parry gave the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute, Lusitania was awarded a penalty kick. Ken Sacremento took the shot for an injured Sanel Mendin and fired a bullet towards the left corner.
Unfortunately for Sacremento, that's exactly where Sawatzky was headed.
"A lot of times it comes down to nerves a little bit and a little bit of luck," said Sawatzky, who has been with the Lions since they were incorporated 12 years ago.
"I just had a feeling that was the way that he was going to go, based on the way that he plays a little bit. I made my mind up I was going that way early."
It was a huge save, and 14 minutes later 20-year-old Adam Hajkowski put the Lions up 2-0. Chris Lourenco, in the 69th minute, got Lusitania on the board, but it couldn't get the equalizer.
"That save was a key," Lusitania manager Rick Moreira said. "You have to give the goalie credit. That's why he's one of the best. It was a great save. It definitely was a game-breaker."
In the senior women's final yesterday afternoon, Laura Locke and Karli Colpitts both scored twice to propel Sweat Shack past Team United 4-1. Stephanie Rurak had the lone goal for United.
Meanwhile, in the under-18 boys' and girls' provincial finals yesterday, the Bonivital Flames ruled the pitch.
Ben Getachew scored in overtime to lead Bonivital past South End United 1-0 in the boys' final, while Ali Kastner had the only goal in the Flames' 1-0 victory over the Northern Lights.
The senior women's nationals are also in Halifax, at the same time as the men's event, while both Bonivital squads will compete at the under-18 national tournament in Fredericton, also in October. Shortly after Justin Parry gave the Lions a 1-0 lead in the 47th minute, Lusitania was awarded a penalty kick. Ken Sacremento took the shot for an injured Sanel Mendin and fired a bullet towards the left corner.
Unfortunately for Sacremento, that's exactly where Sawatzky was headed.
"A lot of times it comes down to nerves a little bit and a little bit of luck," said Sawatzky, who has been with the Lions since they were incorporated 12 years ago.
"I just had a feeling that was the way that he was going to go, based on the way that he plays a little bit. I made my mind up I was going that way early."
It was a huge save, and 14 minutes later 20-year-old Adam Hajkowski put the Lions up 2-0. Chris Lourenco, in the 69th minute, got Lusitania on the board, but it couldn't get the equalizer.
"That save was a key," Lusitania manager Rick Moreira said. "You have to give the goalie credit. That's why he's one of the best. It was a great save. It definitely was a game-breaker."
In the senior women's final yesterday afternoon, Laura Locke and Karli Colpitts both scored twice to propel Sweat Shack past Team United 4-1. Stephanie Rurak had the lone goal for United.
Meanwhile, in the under-18 boys' and girls' provincial finals yesterday, the Bonivital Flames ruled the pitch.
Ben Getachew scored in overtime to lead Bonivital past South End United 1-0 in the boys' final, while Ali Kastner had the only goal in the Flames' 1-0 victory over the Northern Lights.
The senior women's nationals are also in Halifax, at the same time as the men's event, while both Bonivital squads will compete at the under-18 national tournament in Fredericton, also in October.

Season in the works

By JIM BENDER, SUN MEDIA




They are planning to push this ball forward cautiously.
Spurred by the 7,000-plus that showed up for the Winnipeg Alliance-Edmonton Drillers "showcase" match at the MTS Centre yesterday, the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League has decided to go ahead with plans for a real season.
"The Winnipeg Alliance is probably the reason we are moving forward a little quicker than we wanted because (Alliance owner) Bill Stewart and his group and the fans here in Winnipeg showed us what they can draw if we work real hard at it," CMISL president Mel Kowalchuk said after the owners and/or GMs of the four current franchises met before the doubleheader.
"We expected crowds Iike this in years three and four but not the first year. So Bill's certainly set the trend for all of us and we're very pleased."
Before they can go ahead, each club must secure a lease with their respective venues and another meeting is planned for Calgary later this month.

"The thing is, everybody else wants to do it but we don't want to do it to the point where we push it too far," said Stewart. "So we're probably looking at an abbreviated season.
"But there's a lot of work that we have to do as owners to ensure that we can move forward. The MTS Centre's been great to work with, but the bottom line is we need to sit down with them now and try to enter a lease that makes sense."
Yesterday's crowd prompted Stewart to push his partners.
"I'm absolutely impressed, absolutely blown away," he said. "I am absolutely convinced that this is a viable market. Being the last game here gave us an extra three weeks to get out there and sell and penetrate the soccer community. That really helped us."
On the other hand, both Calgary and Saskatoon drew 2,000, Edmonton about 3,500.
"We did discuss expansion a little bit," Kowalchuk said. "We do have teams that are interested but we're not sure we're going to permit them to play in our league with a full schedule or a modified schedule. We're thinking a new team coming in will have to showcase it because each one of us learned a lot (from showcase games).
"We might go with as many as five or six teams, but right now it's looking like it might be four."
Kowalchuk said interest has been expressed by six Eastern teams and two in the West, but did not identify them.
"This gives the kids something to look forward to," said the Alliance's Jordan Goetting. "When I grew up, we had the Winnipeg Fury, then nothing for the longest time ... So, it will be inspiring for a lot of the young kids."

Fans flock indoors

Winnipeg Alliance's Damian Rocke (front) tries to outrun an Edmonton Drillers player yesterday at the MTS Centre. (Jon Schledewitz, Sun Media)

New soccer league proving popular

By JIM BENDER, SUN MEDIA

They lost the doubleheader but won the hearts of local supporters.
The Winnipeg Alliance dropped both ends of the Canadian Major Indoor Soccer League's showcase match to the Edmonton Drillers before a mind-boggling 7,727 spectators at MTS Centre yesterday.
And that was no April Fool's joke. Nor was the total spiked by thousands of giveaways, Alliance owner Bill Stewart insisted.
PHYSICAL BATTLES
"It was awesome," said Jordan Goetting, the Winnipeg defender/midfielder who scored his side's only two goals. "We expected 4,000 and to have this ... The kids are always going to be phenomenal but the support from other people was tremendous. And we don't get that in Manitoba.

"It's so nice to finally see that they're going to be supportive of the whole organization."
The Drillers, who had left their best player at home, won the first match 6-1 and the second 2-1 in a pair of fast-paced, physical battles.
"I'm really enjoying this, it's very aggressive," said Angelo Manfredi, a fan and friend of some Alliance players. "They're all really into it and I'm liking it. I really liked Tom Foderaro's hit. I know they (Drillers) weren't too pleased about that but Tom's a good guy, so it's all good."
Foderaro received a charging penalty for drilling a Driller into the boards.
"It's a pretty fast-paced game and it's getting pretty physical," said Katie Parker, wearing an Alliance jersey. "I've got a lot of friends on the team, they're doing well and I'm cheering them on.
"I would definitely pay to watch the guys over a whole season. I just want to support the guys and hopefully, they'll start a women's team up."
Not all fans were thrilled with the indoor game, though.
"I don't like the boards," said Colleen Dacosta. "I don't like it when they use the boards because some of their goals were scored just using the boards. Outdoors, you don't use the boards."
Although she and her partner, Salam Palani, had free tickets, Dacosca said she would pay to support the squad over a whole season. And Stewart et al are making plans for a real season that could start in November.
Todd Rattee, Eddy Sidra, Phil Pavacic, John Konye, Oliver Brkin and Mark Spiller scored for Edmonton in the first game while Spiller and Pavacic scored in the second. Goetting was the only Alliance who could solve Edmonton goalkeeping.
"I don't score a lot of goals, so,it was kind of nice. Too bad it's not a regular thing." said Goetting, who also scored in a shootout exhibition.
Winnipeg goalkeeper Dylan O'Connor did not allow a goal after being inserted for the last quarter.
"It was nerve-wracking when I first got out there. but when I got out on to the field it was way better and I settled down and had a lot of fun," he said.
"Both the games were entertaining, we just have to learn how to put the ball in the net," said Alliance co-coach Chic Devenney. "I am disappointed but I'm looking upon this as the future. Our future is just beginning. We're beginning to establish a team, a rhythm, a philosophy for the game."

Storm, ‘Canes getting ready for new soccer seasons - Winkler Times

Storm, ‘Canes getting ready for new soccer seasons

Both sides facing tougher competition after promotion to higher divisions
By Zach Samborski
Friday March 30, 2007

The soccer season is still a couple of months away, but the South Central Hurricanes of the Winnipeg Women’s Soccer League and the Winkler Storm of the Manitoba Major Junior Soccer League have already begun preparations for their upcoming seasons.The two teams have been running practices every Friday in the Garden Valley Collegiate gym.With tougher competition heading their way this season, Hurricanes coach Celso Arevalo says the team has stepped up its practices. The Canes were promoted to the WWSL’s second division after finishing atop the third division with a record of 17-1-0 for the 2006 season.“So far, we’ve been trying to get into shape,” Arevalo said. “We’ve been mostly working on inside conditioning... we’re hoping to hit Minneapolis in late April for some pre-season games.”Arevalo said the final roster will depend on the number of players showing up to practice and expects it to be finalized in late April.
He added that the girls have been improving their skills so far.“They’re really coming along well and are so excited to be playing in a higher division. They’re putting in a 100 per cent effort at these practices because they know they’ll be facing tougher teams than last season.”The Winkler Storm are also facing a tougher pack of teams this year as they are now in the MMSL’s premier division. The Storm were promoted to that level after a first place finish in the first division with a 9-4-3 record in 2006.“We’ve been getting the team conditioned and in shape this season,” said coach Henry Enns. “There’s about 10 newcomers but we’ll only be able to take about three to five once we have the final roster set. We’re expecting around 15 players to return from last season.”Enns says the Storm have also been coming along well in their practices.“Everybody looks healthy and in shape... I think we’ll be okay once we get some exhibition games done.”The team is taking their practices much more seriously now that they’re in the premier division, he added.“We’re going to really work hard once we get outside. There’s some larger indoor gyms in Winnipeg, so we’ll be holding some practices there. If we can squeeze four or five exhibition games into the schedule, that will be fine.”

Soccer Federation Finds Little Help At City Hall-CJOB

Soccer Federation Finds Little Help At City Hall
JAN 24 2007 01:10 PM


The City of Winnipeg Executive Policy Committee is saying no to a request for more time to secure financing for an indoor soccer complex at the University of Manitoba.
EPC turned down a request by Winnipeg Soccer Federation Chairman Keith Ferbers for an extra three weeks to find its share of the financing for the 11-million dollar facility. Ferbers says the Federation did not have enough time to line up the cash after the original developer Laureate Developments pulled out of the project late last year. He adds, the city only let the Federation begin approaching new funding last November:

EPC also turned down Ferbers request for a 3.5 million dollar loan guarantee from the city and is opening up the project to new expressions of interest.

CJOB's Colleen Bready reporting.

Storm meet Dynamo in MMSL playoffs - Winkler Times

Storm meet Dynamo in MMSL playoffs


By Zach Samborski
Friday September 08, 2006

Winkler Times — As the month of August drew to a close, so did another Manitoba Major Soccer League season for the Winkler Storm as they forged a 1-1 tie against runner-up NKMB in Winnipeg on August 30.
The first half was quiet for the most part as neither team was able to score, but Winkler quickly got the ball rolling in the second when they made it 1-0 off a penalty kick by Jeremy Hamm.
NKMB managed to beat the Winkler defence to get the equalizer near the end of the second.
The absence of five starters was most likely a factor in the tie, said Storm coach Henry Enns.

Winkler finishes the season at the top of the MMSL’s First-Black Division with a 9-4-3 record and 30 points, while NKMB placed four points behind with 7-4-5. Third place Polonia brought home a 1-1 tie against Scotia United on Aug. 30 to also make their record 7-4-5.
Britannia, who finished the season in fourth, blanked the Spitfire 3-0 on Aug. 30 to bring their final standing to 7-5-4, followed by the Spitfire with 6-6-4 and cellar-dwelling Scotia United with 2-10-4.

The road ahead
While preparing for the playoffs, the Storm took the field for an exhibition game against Providence College Wednesday night. The Storm will then kick off the playoffs against the Winnipeg Dynamo in Winkler on September 12. The Dynamo finished in fourth place with a 7-8-1 record in the First-Gold Division this season.

Internationals edge Juventus- Chronicle Journal.com

Internationals edge Juventus
By Emmanuel Moutsatsos
Sep 5, 2006, 00:45

They thought the monkey was dead
Thought they had knocked it off their shoulders when they beat the Winnipeg Sons of Italy on Sunday to reach the final of the Thunder Bay Invitational.
But Thunder Bay Italia-Juventus, who lost to Sons of Italy in last year’s final, quickly discovered their was still some life in that stinky little primate since they weren’t able to ride the momentum garnered from that win as they were beaten 2-1 by the Minneapolis Internationals on Monday afternoon in the championship final.
“It was nice to get the monkey off our back and get the win off them,” said Juventus defender Tony Valente of his team’s win over Sons of Italy, who were the two-time defending champs. “That was probably our best game of the tournament so we had a lot of momentum heading into the final, but we came out a little flat.”
That will happen when you play five games in only three days — but the same could be said for the Internationals.
“I’m sure both teams were a little tired — there are so many games in such a short time,” said Valente.
What’s funny, though, is that Juventus probably wouldn’t have minded playing a little bit longer since they were the ones gaining momentum in the second half, but time ran out on the team that is the last from Thunder Bay to win the Invitational when they did it back in 2001.
The Internationals scored both of their goals in the first half and, though there was barely a cloud in the sky at Fort William Stadium, things looked glum for Juventus especially when Marcelo Santos had to bow out due to a injury.
Santos’ name might sound familiar since he was a standout player for the Thunder Bay Chill the past two seasons, but the midfielder by way of Brazil couldn’t get over a leg injury that he originally had suffered against the Sons of Italy the day before.
“I think it would’ve helped us for sure if he would’ve been healthy and able to play like himself,” said Valente of Santos.
It probably would’ve since Santos was probably the best player to have taken the pitch this weekend; signing a contract with the Milwaukee Wave of the Major Indoor Soccer League is proof to that.
Santos, the co-most valuable player of the year with the Chill this past season, will report to Milwaukee next month for camp before the team kicks off their league opener against the Chicago Storm in early November.
But Juventus played well despite Santos’ absence. That was evident when Frank Ianni broke through for a score with 25 minutes left in the half and it was close to being 2-2 when Ron Badanai, who had been questionably called offside on a play that would’ve gave him a breakaway earlier, sent a cross to Dave Colistro, who one-timed a shot on net only to have it steered aside by the Internationals keeper.
“We just ran out of time,” said Valente.
The Winnipeg Sweat Shack beat the Thunder Bay Lakehead Express by a score of 3-1 in the women’s final.

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com

Hellas, yeah - Chronicle Journal

Hellas, yeah
By Emmanuel Moutsatsos
Sep 3, 2006, 00:30

Greeks need the whole alphabet.
They need it for their names. It’s out of necessity, really. Just peer over the roster for Winnipeg Hellas and you’ll discern what we’re talking about.
There’s Theo Pagagiannopoulos, Teddy Simeonidis, Justin Castalanos, Bill Economos and others.
“We use a lot of letters,” agrees Economos with a chuckle.
“We need most of the vowels,” notes Tom Pagagiannopoulos.
“My uncle’s last name is like 16 letters long, it’s Hasiathiansiathis,” adds Simeonidis.
There’s more to the Greeks than just their last names — much more.
For starters, there’s soccer.
The Most Beautiful Game On Earth was played best by the Little Country That Could back in 2004 when Greece won the Euro Cup, which raised the eyebrows of all in the sporting world and dipped the country and its many members across the globe in magic waters.
“We weren’t the best team on paper, but we had the biggest heart,” describes Dimitri Ifandis. “No one believed it would happen, but if you were Greek you believed it could happen.”
“It’s about what’s inside your gut,” says Pagagiannopoulos. “If you have the heart then everything else will follow. The talent, the commitment, the passion, but you’ve got to have the heart first.”
Adds Simeonidis: “I don’t even care if it ever happens again. That’s all we needed and I’m so happy we did it.
“I’m good for the next 100 years.”

THE GAME AGAINST Maples Juventus is going well for Hellas. They are dominating territory like a Spartan army would. Scoring opportunities are flowing like the Aegean Sea. They are running harder than Phidippides after the Battle of Marathon.
Yet trouble comes late in the first half when Andi Bodganovic’s cross deflects off a Hellas defender’s hand, which isn’t called by the referee by the way, and onto the boot of Juventus’ Antonio Valdovinos who proceeds to place the ball into the back of the net from 12 yards for a 1-0 lead.
Being down to Juventus is something Hellas is not used to.
Both play in the Winnipeg Premier division. Hellas, the second best team in the 10-team league, has beaten Juventus, the fourth ranked team, three times in the season and though Hellas starts to press even harder than before, it doesn’t look like they will be able to go 2-0 (they won earlier in the day) at the Thunder Bay Invitational Tournament that was in its second day of competition at Chapples Park on Saturday.

WITH AN ACCENT thicker than Chita Rivera’s makeup, George Ifandis, Hellas’ manager and Dimitri’s dad, gives his point of view of the game he’s watching. He gives it whether anyone is listening or not.
Having an opinion on everything — it’s the Greek way. For the most part they are right about anything they talk discuss (at least that’s what they believe) and Ifandis is correct when he infers the match is being played with pathos. That’s Greek for passion and both teams are exuding it in boat loads. That becomes clear in the late goings of the second half, with the score still 1-0, when a scuffle breaks out between the two teams.
“It’s horiotiko soccer,” laughs Reverend Nikolaos Tambakis, meaning the game looks like how its played in a Greek village with elbows and fists being used more than feet.
Tambakis is a young priest for the local Greek Orthodox church here in the city and knows a few of the players since he was brought up in Winnipeg and though he is there as a spectator, his duties as a priest quickly take over when Economos goes down shortly later with a leg injury.
“Time to get to work,” says Tambakis as he scurries to his car to get a prayer book and shawl then recite a prayer of healing for Economos, who is lying on the bench with his thigh wrapped in ice.
A priest caring for a player at a soccer match — it’s a scene you would see with no other culture than the Greeks.

HELLAS ENDS UP giving up a late goal. Bodganovic, who has been playing well all day for Juventus, seals the win with but a few minutes left in a spirited match. Hellas is dejected after the loss. The effort was there — with Greeks, the effort is always there — but the result wasn’t. They start walking towards their cars to head to a (what else?) Greek restaurant for lunch. Their heads are still down. They catch a glimpse of a women’s team warming up. The tide turns.
“Hey, ask them where they’re heading tonight?” says Ifandis.
It’s the Greek way.

© Copyright by Chronicle Journal.com

Aeros win MMSL season finale - Portage la Prairie

Aeros win MMSL season finale


By Brian Bowman
For The Daily Graphic
Friday September 01, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Southport Aeros season could be summed up in two ways.
Overall, it was one they would like to forget. But if they could bottle up their play in the final two games and save that for next season, this team’s future looks bright.
Southport (3-11-2) won its second game in a row to end the regular season, dumping first-place Blue Blazers (8-3-3) by a 4-2 count in Manitoba Major Soccer League Second Division action last night at Southport Recreation Centre soccer pitch.
“It was a moral victory for us to beat the top team in the league,” said Aeros head coach Mitch Walker after the game.
Southport played Black Group’s top team hard all season, earning a 1-1 tie with them on July 26.
But the Aeros struggled the rest of the way, compiling a 1-11-1 record after opening the campaign with a 1-1 tie against Selkirk.
That sour taste just got a little sweeter with a pair of season-ending victories.
“The guys always showed a certain level of talent, but mental lapses throughout the season cost us,” emphasized Walker.
Southport finished dead last in the six-team Black Group of Second Division and will miss this month’s playoffs. But, fortunately for the Aeros, the two worst teams in the division which would usually be relegated to Third Division will not face that ignominious fate this time around.
That is because with the new realignment of MMSL divisions scheduled for next year, Second Division will operate with 18 teams in 2007.
The four non-playoff teams from First Division will be relegated to Second Division for next year, while the top two teams in Second Division move up to First Division.
Also joining Second Division next year will be the two group winners and the two runners-up from Third Division.
In the future, the top two teams in Second Division will move up to First Division, while the two last-place teams in First Division will move down to Second Division.
Meanwhile, three teams will move up from Third Division each year, with the three worst finishers in Second Division moving down to Third Division.
Dylan Wiebe, who had a strong game up front for Aeros last night, said the team will be confident heading into next season.
“We kind of fell apart this season. We were inconsistent,” said Wiebe, 21, who is in his fourth year in the league. “But we definitely showed a lot of character winning the last two games.”
Part of the problem was the youthfulness of the Aeros’ lineup. But with another year under their belts, this team should be fine playing in a league where talented, older players are often matched up against those still in high school.
“With the age difference, guys get pushed around,” said Wiebe. “There’s a big difference between high school and men’s league.”
Southport showed that growing maturity during last night’s victory in what was, at times, a chippy affair with Blue Blazers. The Aeros were strong in going after the ball all night, and when push came to shove, the local side weren’t afraid to trade elbows with the visitors.
And Aeros used that physical play to their advantage, jumping out to a 2-0 first-half lead on goals by Duane Chaves, his eighth and ninth of the season.
Jordan McAllister made it 3-0 about five minutes into the second half on a beautiful header, before Illya Torres scored on a penalty kick after Matt Robinson was taken down in the box by Southport’s Cam Scott.
Tony Bryson put the Aeros up 4-1 before Jamal Torres added a late goal for the Blazers.
Southport took advantage of the Blazers playing a man short for the entire game due to only 10 players and their goalkeeper showing up to start the contest, and then two men short after Illya Torres received a red card later in the second half.
“We didn’t go back on our heels and let them come to us,” said Walker, adding players like McAllister and Nick St. Goddard will be more of a force next season.
“We fought for the ball and got more possession of it and we had more scoring chances (as a result). The last couple of games we started going for the ball.”

Tri-S soccer on fire - Selkirk Journal

Selkirk’s defensive play has been superb giving up just 18 goals in 14 games.

Photo by Mark T. Buss


Tri-S soccer on fire
Local side scoring, winning as playoffs loom

By Mark T. Buss
Friday August 25, 2006
Selkirk Journal — Talk about good timing.

With just two games remaining, Tri-S Div. 2 soccer team coach Ken Semperl believes his club is peaking as they head into the playoffs.

After scoring just one goal in their first three games, and limping to a 2-1-2 record to start the season, Selkirk has shot to 8-3-3 and set up a showdown with Penarol S.C (9-3-2) Friday at the Selkirk Rec Complex soccer pitches.

With a win over Penarol – and an expected victory over 1-11 IPAC Ukraine Aug. 31 in Winnipeg – Selkirk would propel themselves into second place in the Gold conference of the Manitoba Major Soccer League standings and second overall in the division.

“We beat Penarol earlier this year but they’re a younger team that likes to move the ball,” Semperl said. “We’ll have our work cut out for us but we’ll have to attack them to be successful.”

Selkirk struggled offensively in the early going but their ability to “attack” the ball has turned the tide.

Semperl said a team philosophy calling for midfielders to pressure the ball carrier has kept the action at the far end of the pitch.

With veteran strikers Ivar Helgason and Bill Anderson joined by Div. 5 call-ups Chris Spicer and Ian Dixon, the front four have been able to find the net with regularity as a result.

In total, Spicer now leads the team in scoring with seven goals in 10 games placing him sixth among leagues leaders. Dixon and Helgason are tied for 12th with five goals each.

“It was tough for me to get into the flow this year because I’m playing against better and more skilled players,” said Spicer, who scored 25 goals to lead Div. 5 strikers in 2005. “We’ve become more comfortable with each other up front and it’s shown better results.”

When opponents have been able to cross midfield, Selkirk’s defence has been brilliant. Giving up just 18 goals in 14 games, the experienced defensive core of Sean Leggit, Paul Gadient and Brad Wilson have been able to fend off attackers.

With keeper Kyle Swystun leaving mid-season for work up north, Div 5 netminder Eric Rensfelt has been called into duty on several occasions. When he is not able to suit up, Semperl has been filling the keeper position by committee.

“We’ve had other members of the team playing net and it has been interesting at times,” Semperl laughed. “Overall they filled in admirably.”

Playoffs begin the first week of September.

Carman drops two more games as season nears end - Carman Valley Leader

Carman drops two more games as season nears end


By Gene Still
Friday September 01, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — Two more games and two more losses for the Carman Kickers who are left on the outside looking in as far as a playoff berth was concerned.

Lusitania 4 Kickers 1
Carman travelled to Winnipeg last Wednesday to face the first place Lusitania Revolution.
And the Revolution controlled most of the play and it showed on the final scoreboard as they came away with a 4-1 victory.
"We played hesitant in the first half," Hoogerdijk said.
However thanks to some outstanding goaltending the Carman net courtesy of Rich Vanderveen, the final outcome could have been much worse.
"Richie was amazing, making some outstanding saves," Hoogerdijk said. "They had lots of scoring chances. But Richie was standing on his head to make saves in the first half especially."
Despite Vanderveen's best efforts, that wasn't enough to prevent Lusitania from earning the win and the end result was never really in doubt.
The visitors did have a brief offensive territorial burst in play but only after the Revolution had taken a commanding three-goal lead.
"When we got down 3-0 and then that's when we started playing really hard and started to come on a bit," Hooegerdijk said. "The guys started to turn it around at the tail end but it was too little, too late."
Lusitania made it 4-0 before Carman's Stephen Melvin scored on a penalty kick.

Tri-S 1 Kickers 0
The Kickers returned to town last Saturday afternoon for their final home game of the 2006 season at Carman Collegiate.
But Tri-S Strike Force spoiled the Kickers' plans to go out on a winning note at home.
Despite their less than inspiring performance, Carman went into half-time in a scoreless tie with Tri-S.
"For whatever reason we came out completely flat. It wasn't a good way at all for us to play," Hoogerdijk said. "I don't think we really had what you could call a single good scoring chance in that entire first half."
Looking to regroup during the break, the coach said the players were expecting to come out much stronger during the final 45 minutes but that never really materialized.
"At the half a lot of our guys were saying that 'it's a team we should beat,' and they're right, I believe that but that's not the way things turned out," he said.
But there was no rally in the second half for the Kickers as Tri-S got what turned out to be the contest's only goal. And they retreated into a defensive shell which limited Carman's scoring opportunities and resulted in the Kickers eleventh loss of the season against only two victories and two ties.
"We just couldn't get a goal," Hoogerdijk said. "It was kind of disappointing especially with that being our final home game of the year."

Hoogerdijk steps down as Kickers’ coach - Carman Valley Leader

Hoogerdijk steps down as Kickers’ coach
Disappointing season for the team

By Gene Still
Friday September 01, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — William Hoogerdijk is stepping down as head coach of the Carman Kickers soccer team.
"I've decided to take a step back," Hoogerdijk. "It's a chance for me to do something different."
Hoogerdijk just wrapped up his fifth season at the helm of the Fourth Division club. And following their first playoff appearance last year this season has been nothing short of disappointing for the coach and the team.
After heading into the season with high hopes of not only making the playoffs but also going further into the post season, instead the team found itself mired in last place in the Black conference of the division with a 2-11-2 mark (as of press time) with one game remaining.
The year got off to a promising start as they began with a 2-1 record including a 7-2 triumph over Colo Colo. But that's when their season began to unravel with a knee injury to team leader and offensive catalyst, striker Lyle Vanveen.
And Vanveen's injury turned out to be more serious than they had first hoped and he ended up missing the rest of the season.
Another problem for the club was slow starts that usually entailed the entire opening half. That left the Kickers playing in a catch-up situation and ultimately another defeat.
Those three factors along with what Hoogerdijk noted was an inability to cash in on their scoring opportunities, proved to be their undoing this year.
"It's extremely frustrating," he said. "I don't like losing - I hate it."
However, among the highlights for him during his tenure, near the top of the list was qualifying for the playoffs in 2006 and the relationships he's formed with many current and former players.
"Making the playoffs last year was a huge plus," he explained. "I've got a lot of good memories about the players I've worked with and developed friendships."
He noted that by leaving at this time gives the team plenty of time to decide what it wants to do for 2007.
"It's also a chance for them to do something different," Hoogerdijk said. "Maybe get a new coach or play without one or have a player-coach.
"It's a case of where maybe a change is a good thing."

Storm advancing to Premier - Winkler Times

It’s a scramble for the ball between the Winkler Storm and Spitfire F.C. August 16. They battled to a 3-3 draw. The tie ensures the Storm a place in the Premier division next year.

Times photo by Zach Samborski


By Zach Samborski
Friday August 25, 2006

Winkler Times — The Winkler Storm had to settle for a 3-3 tie in their last home game of the season Aug. 16 but the result brought with it a big bonus.
The game result not only nailed down first place in the First Division, it was enough to ensure the Storm’s promotion to the Premier Division for the next Manitoba Major Soccer League season.
Winkler took an early lead against Spitfire F.C. last Wednesday as Rineildo Oliveria scored twice to give the home side a 2-1 advantage at the end of the first half.
The Storm made it 3-1 early in the second, thanks to a penalty kick by Nico Nickel. The Spitfire would immediately respond by scoring off another penalty kick and got the equalizer with two minutes left in the game.
“We played very strong, but definitely let down on defence,” said Storm coach Henry Enns. “Spitfire played very well, and we need to do better on our scoring chances.”
The Storm are currently sitting with a record of 9-4-2, followed by the NKMB Saints, who were defeated by Scotia United 3-2 on August 16. They are sitting with 7-4-4. Polonia S.C. tied it up with Britannia on August 16 to bring their record to 6-4-5 as they remained in third place, followed by the Spitfire in fourth with 6-5-4 and Britannia in fifth with 6-5-4. Scotia United brings up the rear with 2-9-4.
The Storm will play their last game of the season on the road against NKMB on August 30. After a two week hiatus, they will kick off the playoffs on September 12 at home against the fourth place finisher in the Gold Division.

Carman post-season hopes are in doubt-Carman Valley Leader

Carman post-season hopes are in doubt


By Gene Still
Friday August 25, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — After finally making the playoffs last year, the Carman Kickers headed into the 2006 season with high hopes of not only making the post season but positioning themselves in the standings to make a serious playoff run.
And starting the season with a 2-1 record including an offensive outburst during a 7-2 victory over Colo Colo on June 9, the prospects looked good for Carman to make their pre-season aspirations a reality. However that turned out to be their last victory (as of press time).
But it wasn't meant to be this year as one and two-goal defeats, slow starts and losing their best offensive player and team leader early in the season, left Carman on the outside looking in as far as a playoff spot is concerned.
The Kickers have three games remaining in their regular schedule but were all but eliminated from post season contention with their loss on Monday to the St. James Hurricane. They were in sixth and last place in the Black Conference of the Fourth Division and Hoogerdijk said their only slim hope for making the playoffs involved catching Fusion.
But even then, if they ended up in a tie, Hoogerdijk said it seems as if the tie-breaker would favour Fusion because of a better record in contests with Carman.
"There are three games (left) for a possible nine points for us. But even if we tie them, they have an advantage in the tie-breaker of head-to-head games with us," said Carman Coach William Hoogerdijk.
He added that it's been a frustrating fifth year for him at the helm of the Kickers.
"It's tough and disappointing when you look at the standings and you're 2-9-2," Hoogerdijk said.
Losing high-scoring striker Lyle Vanveen to a knee injury after their third game didn't help the Kickers' cause. The coach noted that Vanveen was not only an offensive threat, but he helped out the team defensively and was a leader by example on and off the field.
"There's no way to say how badly that hurts you to lose somebody like Lyle,"
Hoogerdijk said. "Those are the kind of guys you're going to miss and are hard to replace."
The coach reflected on their three defeats by a single goal and the two ties and wondered what may have happened if Vanveen, one of the league's top scorers at the time of his injury, had been in the line-up.
"When you look at the one-goal games we lost and the games we tied, you can't help but wonder what could've been," he said.
The coach was quick to add that he was proud of the effort and character displayed by the team as they battled in every contest, regardless of the score.
"But you can't lose sight of the fact that our guys played hard every night and haven't given up," Hoogerdijk said.

Kickers doubled up by St. James Hurricane-Carman Valley Leader

William Hoogerdijk (with clipboard) goes over strategy during a recent Kickers’ home game. But strategy hasn’t been enough this year for Carman in their bid for a post-season soccer berth.

Photo by Phillip Fehr

By Gene Still
Friday August 25, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — They weren't blown away by the Hurricane but the end result was the same for the Carman Kickers as they lost to their hosts from St. James.
The 4-2 loss to the St. James Hurricane on Monday evening was the Kickers' fourth straight defeat and dropped their regular season record to 2-9-2.
However, Carman Coach William Hoogerdijk said for the most part it was a close game and the Kickers were not dominated by their opposition.
"I wasn't too impressed. They didn't throw to much at us that we couldn't handle," Hoogerdijk said. "We played well enough against them."
It was scoreless until around the 30 minute mark of the opening half when St. James scored two-in-a-row and were on the verge of taking a 2-0 lead into the intermission. But Carman's Colin Lodder scored in the final minute of the opening half to not only pull the Kickers' to within a goal, but also provided a boost and shift in momentum to the visitors.
"We came into the break feeling pretty good and I talked to the guys about some weaknesses we could exploit," Hoogerdijk said.

Tied the contest
And the Kickers did just that as Jordan Vanderveen knotted the score at 2-2 taking advantage of a goalmouth scramble about 10 minutes into the final half.
"We came out strong and were able to tie things up," Hoogerdijk said. "It was even after that with (scoring) chances both ways."
It stayed that way until just past the half-way point of the final frame when St. James scored to take the lead.
Hoogerdijk said after that goal, the Hurricane took a defensive posture and limited the scoring opportunities for the Kickers by clearing the zone whenever they got the chance.
Finally, with about ten minutes left in regulation and following a foul called on Carman, St. James scored on a free kick for an insurance marker en route to a 4-2 victory.
Kickers Notebook: Carman's next home game is Saturday, August 26 at 3 p.m. when they host Tri-S Strike Force at Carman Collegiate.

Kickers’ losing skid continues as they drop two more games - Carman Valley Leader

The Kickers played host to the first place Lusitania at Carman Collegiate. But home field was no advantage for the Kickers who lost to the Revolution.
- Photo by Phillip Fehr


Kickers’ losing skid continues as they drop two more games
In tough with first place opposition

By Gene Still
Friday August 18, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — It was another rough stretch for the Carman Kickers as they dropped two more games.
The Kickers lost a high scoring affair, 5-4 to the first place Lusitania Revolution on Tuesday evening at Carman Collegiate Field.
Full details were not available as of press time.

A short bench
And in their previous contest, this one with Southport U nited, another slow start along with playing a man down, proved too much to overcome for Carman.
The Kickers hit the road on August 9 for a matchup with Southport who were also tied with the Revolution for top spot.
But a less than inspiring performance early on was costly as they went into the intermission facing an uphill battle on the scoreboard. Going into action down a player, also didn't help the Carman cause.
"We had a rough first 20 minutes," Kickers' Coach William Hoogerdijk said. "We eventually got burned for three goals and were down 3-0 at the half.
"We had some brief defensive lapses and it cost us."
However it was again a different story in the second half. Within the first ten minutes, Carman's Tyler Termeer scored twice to cut the Southport lead to 3-2.

‘Created well’
"We started off great in the second half, despite the mismatches in numbers," Hoogerdijk said. "We created well and still played them tight (defensively) and it paid off."
But like many of their other defeats earlier on this season, it was a case of too little too late as the Kickers lost 3-2 to drop their regular season record to 2-7-2 and left them in sixth place in the Black conference of the Manitoba Soccer League's Fourth Division.
"We came close to tying it, but just couldn't seem to get that third goal."
Kickers’ Notebook: Carman’s regular season record now stands at 2-8-2 and has them in sixth place in the Black conference of the Fourth Division. The Kickers next home action will be an afternoon contest starting at 3 p.m. on Saturday, August 26 when they entertain Tri-S Strike Force.

Storm blank Rovers - Winkler Times

Storm blank Rovers
Still holding down first as season nearing end

By Zach Samborski
Friday August 18, 2006

Winkler Times — The Winkler Storm made it three in a row Aug. 11 when they blanked the Britannia Rovers 2-0 in Winnipeg.
After missing out on a number of chances to score in the first half, the Storm put the game away with second half goals Jeremy Hamm and Rineildo Oliveria scored back-to-back goals.
“Basically, our defence didn’t give up any chances,” said Storm coach Henry Enns. “We played our best game.”
The three win streak began with wins over Scotia United and Polonia S.C.
As of August 14, the Storm were still in first place in the Manitoba Major Soccer League’s First Division with a 9-4-1 record. Second place NKMB took home a scoreless tie against visiting Polonia S.C. on August 11 to bring their record to 7-3-4. Polonia is in third with 7-4-3, while Britannia’s loss dropped them to fifth place behind the Spitfire.
The Storm finished off the home season Wednesday night against Spitfire F.C. Game results were not available at press time. They will conclude their regular season against NKMB on August 30.

Aeros suffer shutout loss against UFC - The Daily Graphic

Aeros suffer shutout loss against UFC

By Brian Bowman
For The Daily Graphic
Tuesday August 15, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Same old effort, same old results for Southport Aeros.
Missing several players in their lineup, the Aeros put forth a gritty effort in a 2-0 loss to United Football Club in Black Group action from Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Second Division at Southport Recreation Centre soccer pitch last night. The loss was the fourth straight for the Aeros.
“It was mental breakdowns -- not picking up the man or the check,” said Aeros coach Mitch Walker, whose club is now 1-11-2, after the game. “It’s mental lapses like that other teams capitalize on.”
United Football Club (6-5-2) capitalized on one of those mistakes around the 25-minute mark of the first half on a great individual effort by Rolly Magne.
Magne, with his 13th goal of the season, made a nifty play heading the ball over the outstretched arms of Aeros keeper Glen Pauch and then tapping the ball into the empty net for the 1-0 lead.
It would be a lead United would never relinquish.
“It wasn’t a pretty game,” admitted Magne, who saw limited action due to a pulled hamstring injury. “But we wanted the three points and we wanted to redeem ourselves when (Southport) beat us.
“We definitely had the better chances and our defence took away their top players and didn’t give them many chances.”
But while Southport’s offence was stagnant most of the night, it was United which had its fair share of quality chances in the first stanza, most of them coming in the latter stages of the half.
With the game still scoreless, Aeros defender Eric Philippot made a great play stopping a shot that had eluded Pauch. Minutes later, United’s Charles Chukwukaene missed on a glorious chance, nailing a shot from about 20 yards out that sailed just over the goal.
Still, while the score was just 1-0 after Magne’s tally, one could sense that lead was going to be widened. And it was, around the 35-minute mark of the half, on a goal by Chris Wasylin.
Wasylin, who was later ejected from the game in the second half after receiving his second yellow card, scored on a nice header off of a throw-in.
“It’s been like that all season,” admitted the Aeros’ Tony Bryson. “We let our guard down for 10 minutes and they pop a couple.”
While the team has struggled in the win column, Bryson was impressed with the effort the team came up with despite missing several regulars in its lineup.
“It’s hard when you have nothing to play for,” he admitted.
The Aeros’ next action is on Aug. 24 against AC Slater in Winnipeg. Southport,which is destined for relegation to Third Division of MMSL next year, will wrap up the regular season on Aug. 31 against Blue Blazers, with the game slated to be played in Southport.

Southport gives Kickers an early boot with a three-goal lead-The Daily Graphic

Southport gives Kickers an early boot with a three-goal lead


By Paul Grigaitis
For The Daily Graphic
Thursday August 10, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Southport United head coach Albert Philippot was expecting an evenly matched game last night against Carman Kickers. So was Kickers coach William Hoogerdijk.
Both Carman and Southport, which are in Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Fourth Division black group, squared off at Southport Recreation Centre’s pitch last night.
“I’m expecting a hard match,” said Philippot before the game. “This team (Kickers) is a very talented team even though it’s not reflected in their stats. We’re fairly even and we play the same style.”
From the start, it seemed as if Philippot was going to be proved wrong -- in a good way. Chris Assenmacher missed an early opportunity to score with a shot going high over the net, but Ken Buhr opened the scoring for Southport moments later. Then a few minutes later, another goal by Buhr. A few minutes after that, another goal by Buhr. With an early 3-0 lead, it looked like United was going to dominate the entire game.
“They had nothing coming at us,” said Philippot.
United started the second half with a healthy lead, but the Kickers scored 10 minutes in. Then 10 minutes after that, the Kickers scored again bringing the game to within one goal.
“We weren’t marking our players properly,” said Philippot.
Carman played like the strong team Philippot anticipated, forcing Southport to play defensively.
“Late in the second half, we started playing like we were in the first,” said Philippot.
United (6-4-3) held on to win 3-2, but the close match has Philippot concerned about the near future.
“We have to learn to play 90 minutes because the team we play next is not an easy team,” he said.
On Sunday, Southport United will host St. James Hurricanes (6-3-3), “the only team that has beaten us in our pool,” said Philippot. “We have something to prove in our next game.”
Philippot said the key to a win against the Hurricanes is to start strong and keep playing that way the whole game.
“We’ve got to come out strong like we did tonight,” he said. “We can’t take them lightly, because if we do we’ll be on the bottom end of the scoring, that’s for sure.”
Assenmacher suffered an injury in the first half, but Philippot is expecting an injured Darrin Reichert to return. “He’s a strong midfielder.”
All three of Southport final games will be played at home. After the Hurricanes, Southport faces Fusion FC (4-7-2) on Aug. 20 and on Aug. 28, another top team in Lusitania Revolution (6-3-3).

Storm pull out narrow win in match with lowly Scotia - Winkler Times

Storm pull out narrow win in match with lowly Scotia

By Zach Samborski
Friday August 11, 2006

Winkler Times — It appeared they would be headed for defeat early on, but the Winkler Storm managed to pull off an impressive comeback to beat cellar-dwelling Scotia United 3-2 in Winnipeg on August 3.
In the first 15 minutes of action, Scotia drew first blood for an early 2-0 advantage. However, the Storm would fight back when Jake Hildebrand scored their first goal about 30 minutes in, followed by David Duerksen getting the equalizer near the end of the half. Winkler took the lead midway though the second half on a goal by Brodie Thiessen.
“We were missing three or four starters, but the young guys fought hard,” said Storm coach Henry Enns. “Turning the game around was a great accomplishment.”
Thanks to the win, the Storm continued to hold on to first place in the Manitoba Major Soccer League’s First Division with a record of 8-4-1. Close behind in second are the NKMB Saints with 7-3-3 following their 2-0 loss to the Spitfire on July 25 and a 4-0 win over Britannia on August 3. In third is Polonia S.C. with 7-4-2 after defeating the Spitfire 5-3 on August 3, followed by Britannia in fourth with 6-4-3 and the Spitfire in fifth place with 5-5-3. Scotia United continues to sit in last place with a 1-9-3 record.
Winkler returned to action Friday night when they hit the road to face off against Britannia. They will finish off the home season stretch against the Spitfire on August 16, followed by their last game of the regular season against NKMB on August 30.

United holds on for 2-1 win-The Daily Graphic

United holds on for 2-1 win
Victory over Tri-S Strike Force puts Southport at the top of Fourth Division Black Group

By Paul Grigaitis
For The Daily Graphic
Wednesday August 02, 2006

Portage la Prairie — Hot and humid weather wasn’t enough to slow down Southport United who came up victorious in a tight soccer match with Tri-S Strike Force.
The win was the fifth for Southport and crucial to its standings.
Southport started slowly, but withstood Sunday’s heat and held on to a narrow 2-1 lead for an important away game victory.
“This time of the season you don’t want to start slow. You want to take it to the opposition,” said head coach Albert Philippot.
Jamie Bernard opened the scoring for United with a goal midway through the first half, but the Force scored with about 10 minutes remaining. The game remained tied until about 30 minutes into the second half when Darren Reichart scored the winning goal for Southport.
“Basically, we kept putting on the pressure,” said Philippot.
The coach said it was a very important win.
“The win meant a lot. It was a team we wanted to win against.”
The game also saw the return of the team’s leading scorer, Ray Chabot, who pulled a muscle during United’s previous contest against Fusion FC on July 17.
Sunday’s win places Southport into a three-way tie for first place in Black Group of Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Fourth Division. Saint James Hurricane and Lusitania Revolution are the only other two teams with 18 points in the division.
“We want to stay up there,” said Philippot. “We want to keep on playing like we know we can.”
United has four more games before playoffs begin -- all of them on home turf. The local team plays Carman Kickers at 7 p.m. on Aug. 9.
“They want to move up, too,” said Philippot, adding his team won’t take the Kickers lightly. The last time the two teams met, Southport won by a score of 3-0.
Playing aggressively is a key factor to Southport as the team heads toward the playoffs.
“We can’t let up,” said Philippot. “We have to play hard in the next four.”
After the Aug. 9 game with the Kickers, Southport finishes the season against Saint James, Fusion FC and then Lusitania on Aug. 28.
Even with the playoffs on the horizon, Southport will use the same strategy it has all season.
“We’re not looking any further than the next game,” said Philippot. “It’s how we’ve been playing so far and it’s worked for us.”
Although a little disappointed with Sunday’s slow start, Philippot credits his team’s effort for Sunday’s win.
“The guys played their hearts out and came out with a win.”
Lusitania and Southport both have four games left in the season. However, Saint James has five games left, giving it an opportunity to pull ahead and take hold of the division’s lead by season’s end.

Storm settle for tie with Rovers - Winkler Times

Winkler Times — After 6 wins and 2 losses, the Winkler Storm added a 1-1 tie to their record after a game against the Britannia Rovers July 6.
The one point gave the Storm a first division best 19 points, one clear of the NKMB Saints and Lusitania as of Tuesday. The Rovers have 17 points.
Tight defence and sharp goalkeeping kept the game scoreless during the first half, but the Storm drew first blood in the second half. Jacob Lepp scored on a penalty kick after Nico Nickel was taken down by the Rovers’ goalkeeper in the penalty box. The lead was short-lived, however as Britannia responded with the game-tying goal about a minute later.
The Storm return to action on July 17 at 7:30 p.m. when they play a home game versus the NKMB Saints. They follow that with another home game against Polonia S.C. on July 25.

Kickers stomped
The Hanover Kickers (in white), suffered their worst defeat in their seven-year history as they fell 9-0 to F.C. Lusitania in Manitoba Major Soccer League First Division play last Thursday in Steinbach. The Kickers host Grant Mill Sword on Tuesday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. at A.D. Penner Park

Aeros can’t solve AC Slater defence

By Julie Horbal
The Daily Graphic
Tuesday July 11, 2006

It was not a win, but last night was one step closer to a winning attitude for Southport Aeros.
The Aeros (0-7-1), who have struggled with lackluster efforts over the past few weeks, dropped a 2-0 decision to AC Slater (2-2-4) last night at Southport Recreation Complex soccer pitch.
According to Aeros coach Mitch Walker, the lack of offence is a going concern, but the Aeros will take whatever improvement they can get.
“It was a much better effort than our last game. It’s the old adage: coming slowly but surely,” Walker said. “We’ve got to put balls in the back of the net if we want to win games. You don’t win many games if you don’t score any goals, but it was a much better effort.”
Slater took a 1-0 lead courtesy of Gavin Cornelius before 30 minutes were gone in the first half, then nabbed a two-goal lead on a failed clearing attempt just prior to halftime.
After an Aeros defender missed getting the ball out of the Southport crease, goalkeeper Glen Pauch made a great save, but fumbled away the ball to Slater’s Jon Beardsley, who tucked it into the empty corner of the net.
The marker temporarily deflated the Southport players, who slunk through the rest of the half without much energy or gusto -- and with a bit of frustration Walker summed up to feeling a lack of luck.
“We just aren’t getting the bounces. (Slater’s) goals, you don’t want to say they were fluky, but they’re drawing on the spots,” Walker said. “Unfortunately, luck is a certain factor and luck hasn’t been coming our way.”
Southport came out with a score to settle in the second half and -- at the very least -- to leave AC Slater’s score unchanged. They succeeded in the latter.
The Aeros communicated better with each other and put up a mighty fight, but couldn’t put the shots where they needed them.
They were, however -- unlike the past few games -- consistently moving about the field, an encouraging sign for their coach.
“We’re getting guys into more positional play. Before it was helter-skelter, just trying to figure out where guys should play,” Walker said. “Now if we’re sending guys out, we know where they’re going and they go there.”
Despite only a few shots reaching the Slater net, Southport’s more organized attack showed signs of good things to come. Though passes were not always reaching their destination and players not always reaching their targeted location, practice should soon make progress, if not perfect.
“There’s more substance to our attack and I think we just need to practice getting ourselves more scoring opportunities,” said Walker, whose squad next faces United Football Club (3-4-1) on July 18 in Winnipeg.
“We need to start letting our legs go. Start shooting. Don’t worry about the perfect shots, just getting any shot.”

Winkler Storm added a 1-1 tie to their record

Winkler Times — After 6 wins and 2 losses, the Winkler Storm added a 1-1 tie to their record after a game against the Britannia Rovers July 6.
The one point gave the Storm a first division best 19 points, one clear of the NKMB Saints and Lusitania as of Tuesday. The Rovers have 17 points.
Tight defence and sharp goalkeeping kept the game scoreless during the first half, but the Storm drew first blood in the second half. Jacob Lepp scored on a penalty kick after Nico Nickel was taken down by the Rovers’ goalkeeper in the penalty box. The lead was short-lived, however as Britannia responded with the game-tying goal about a minute later.
The Storm return to action on July 17 at 7:30 p.m. when they play a home game versus the NKMB Saints. They follow that with another home game against Polonia S.C. on July 25.

Carman Kickers fall to Southport United

Carman Kickers fall to Southport United


By Gene Still
Friday July 14, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — The end result may have been the same as their previous three defeats, but the Carman Kickers could not be accused of getting off to a slow start.
"They did much better in the first half. They were really strong," said Kickers' Coach William Hoogerdijk.
Carman hosted Southport United on July 6 and came out on the losing end of a 3-0 final.
Despite the loss, Kickers' Coach William Hoogerdijk said the club actually got off to a solid start in the opening half battling Southport to a scoreless tie at the break. What made that performance even more impressive was the fact Carman played the entire contest short one player.
"It's not that we didn't create. We had our chances in the first half," Hoogerdijk said. "But we played the whole game a man down so by the second half we started to get a little tired.
"But the guys played a heckuva game. They worked well."
However Southport got the contest's opening goal about thirty seconds into the second half and that seemed to deflate the undermanned Kickers.
"It kind of set the guys back because we played so well in the first half," he said. "That first goal hurt us a bit."
And that turned out to be the game winner as Southport added two more markers in the final 25 minutes of regulation to secure the victory.
Carman lose for the second straight time by a 3-0 final, but the coach said defense isn't his major worry.
"Defensively, it doesn't look good when you lose 3-0 and 3-0. But defense hasn't really been the concern. It's more about getting rewarded on offense. We need to cash in when we get a chance to score," Hoogerdijk said. "We definitely have got to fine tune part of the offense because we might be pressing too much and maybe need to relax a little when we get a good shot.
"We're creating chances but we've got to start capitalizing on them so it shows up on the scoreboard."
Kickers notebook: The loss dropped the Kickers' record to 2-5 and tied for last place in the Black conference. Carman's next home appearance is at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, July 17 when the St. James Hurricane come to town.

Ndima, Pescara knock around Aeros - The Daily Graphic

Ndima, Pescara knock around Aeros


By Julie Horbal
The Daily Graphic
Wednesday July 05, 2006

Southport Aeros did not need Eric Ndima to rub a poorly-played game in their faces.
But the Pescara striker did just that -- over and over again.
Ndima hammered Southport for four goals in a 5-2 win for Pescara (1-5) last night at Southport Recreation Centre soccer pitch, with the Aeros (0-5-1) not doing much to help their own cause.
Despite controlling much of the play for the half, the last-place squad in Manitoba Major Soccer League’s Second Division Black Group could not follow through on passes nor buy a goal to save their lives.
“That’s been the story this year. The bounces aren’t going our way and we’re just lacking in effort,” said a frustrated Southport coach Mitch Walker.
“It seems like we’re not pacing ourselves and the effort just isn’t being put forth when it’s needed.”
Southport came out of the gates with razor-sharp intensity and agile legs, allowing few shots to reach keeper Glen Pauch. But by halftime, the Aeros were visibly worn and could barely hold the ball in front of the Pescara net.
And that just won’t do, according to the coach.
“You’ve gotta have the ball in order to shoot the ball and score the ball,” Walker said.
“We’re not putting the effort to score and gain possession. We don’t have the effort to support each other in passes. The effort in passing itself isn’t there either and that shows when we’re not working to the target.”
Southport’s Dylan Wiebe and Duane Chaves each had several good chances, but none which could elude Pescara keeper Nick Fortier to keep the game scoreless through the first half.
Pescara came out with a vengeance in the second half and took the lead early in the session when Ndima launched a hard shot off a cross from Pauch’s left side, pulling the keeper too far out of the net to be able to recover.
The go-ahead goal deflated Southport’s momentum instantly and Ndima beat Pauch again during a goalmouth scramble less than 10 minutes later.
Southport’s Ben Wettlaufer collected a nice pass from Nick St. Goddard and hammered a floater past Fortier midway through the half to cut the lead to 2-1.
But the majority of his squad did not raise its effort level to tie things up, as Pescara maintained continual possession of the ball and eventually scored on an Aeros’ mistake.
In an attempt to pass back to Pauch, Southport defender Cam Scott misplayed a header in front of his own net and Pescara’s Josh Frankel found the ball before the goalkeeper.
A breakaway shot by the striker gave Pescara a 3-1 lead and for the most part the Aeros just shook their heads and watched after that.
Desperation kicked in a few minutes later, but it was too late for Southport, and Ndima found the net twice more before the contest was done.
Matt Bernard sandwiched a Southport goal between Ndima’s last two markers, but the effort was not enough to sustain any sort of offensive attack.
In Walker’s opinion, the game was just another in a long line of subpar efforts this season and both he and co-coach Roger Fooks are at a loss as to what to do now.
“I don’t know what it is. We’re working hard at practicing. Practices are well attended. It just doesn’t translate to effort at game time,” Walker said. “There is just no desire to win and I’m not getting that winning vibe when they go on the field. I don’t know what we can do other than go out there and do things for them.”
Last night’s loss was especially hard to take, since Pescara and Southport were neck-in-neck on the bottom rung of the Second Division Black Group standings.
It was no secret to Southport, which sees its next action at home on July 10 against A.C. Slater (1-2-4), how much weight was attached to the game.
“(Last) evening would have been the victory for us. One win is what it’s going to make the difference because not one team in our group has a pile of wins,” said Walker.
“I don’t want to use the old adage of the critical victory, but if we win (last night), with our tie from the opener we get three points and we’re right into the middle of the pack.”

Southport United doubles up in the W column with a 1-0 win -The Daily Graphic

Southport United doubles up in the W column with a 1-0 win


By Julie Horbal
The Daily Graphic
Thursday June 29, 2006

Ray Chabot just might be as close to David Beckham-esque stardom as he is ever going to get.
Chabot buried the lone goal for Southport United last night in the squad’s 1-0 win over Tri-S Strike Force and -- from the moment the marker found the net to the moment the final whistle blew -- there was no bigger hero on the Southport soccer scene.
The goal got United (2-3-2) out of a five-game Manitoba Major Soccer League Fourth Division winless skid and even the humble scorer himself admitted it was nice to finally break the bank.
“It was great to get the ball rolling and finally get some wins for us,” said Chabot, who returned to the Southport lineup last night after missing a couple outings because of a concussion. “It was great to get out of our losing streak and get away from our ties.”
After 80 minutes of chipping and sliding in every attempt to break a scoreless tie, Chabot took off on a hard drive towards Tri-S keeper Eric Rensfelt, fired one shot and then stole the rebound from Rensfelt to sink the deciding goal.
The marker could not have come at a better time, as Southport was on its last and very tired legs -- but Chabot suggested the squad, no matter how exhausted, would not have settled for anything less.
“We were hungry for that goal,” he said. “We didn’t have lots of subs, but we just kept on pressing and luckily we got one.”
Though the scoreboard did not reflect it, United had the pressure on for most of the contest and was getting near-shots away in abundance.
According to Southport coach Albert Philippot, the problem up until Chabot sunk his goal was a lack of finish around the net -- though the coach was not one for nitpicking after a big win.
“When we have possession, we can’t often put the ball in the net, so we’ll have to work on that. We have to finish earlier and take better shots on the net,” Philippot said.
“We had awesome chances and we put some of those wide. But I am not going to put the guys down. It was an awesome game.”
Southport fought against some very scrappy Strike players -- two of whom were yellow-carded in the affair -- but came hard and came back after a rough first half.
“At the end of the first half, we seemed to be struggling, but I talked to the guys and told them to pass the ball a little bit more and slow down their running,” Philippot said. “It seemed to work at moments and at moments there were momentary lapses, but things can be worked out.”
United did a good job of working the kinks out through the second half, but still had trouble settling the ball and keeping possession.
Those “small adjustments” can be made fairly easily, however, said Philippot, who could not constructively criticize his glowing squad without doubling praise after the big win.
“Sure want to generate a little more offence and a little more ball control,” the coach said. “But this was a very nice victory for us. It moves us up in the standings and it motivates us and gives us more confidence. It was a huge game.”

Winkler Storm bounced back last week - WINKLER TIMERS

Goal!!!! After a pair of losses marred their so-far perfect season last month, the Winkler Storm bounced back last week, soundly defeating Scotia United 7-3 on June 29. The win brings the Storm’s record to 6 wins, 2 losses. The Storm’s next home game kicks off on July 17 at 7:30 p.m. against the NKMB Saints.

Ashleigh Viveiros/Winkler Times

Fusion extends Kickers winless skid to three games - Carman Valley Leader

Fusion extends Kickers winless skid to three games
Sluggish starts proving to be costly

By Gene Still
Friday July 07, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — Slow starts are proving costly to the Carman Kickers especially when it comes to the win-loss column.
The Kickers sluggish start on June 26 against Fusion led to the visitors jumping out to a commanding 3-0 lead by half-time en route to a 3-0 victory over Carman. It marked the Kickers third loss in a row.
Carman Coach William Hoogerdijk was again left searching for answers to his club's seemingly Jekyll & Hyde performances. Starting poorly in the first part of a game only to come on strong in the second half.
"I honestly don't know. It is kind of frustrating because I see how they're capable of playing in the second half," Hoogerdijk said. "For whatever reason, it seems like they have to get their backs up against the wall before they start playing good.
(But) this was another one of those times when we didn't play as well in the first half. I don't know if it's a case of trying to be too fancy or maybe a bit lazy."
After opening the scoring on a penalty kick, Fusion added two more before the break and that was it for the scoring on this night.
However, much like their previous defeats to Sparta and the Winnipeg Triumph, the Kickers came out much stronger after the intermission.
"We carried the play a little better and did a pretty good job. We battled them to a draw in the (second) half," Hoogerdijk said. "But once again it was too little too late."
The defeat left Carman with a 2-4 record in fourth place in the Black conference of the Fourth Division.
Kickers notebook: Carman's next home game was scheduled for July 6 when they were to entertain Southport United. Results were unavailable as of press time. After that the Carman goes on the road for a July 12 match-up with the Luisitania Revolution.
The Kicker's next action at Carman Collegiate Soccer Field will be Monday, July 17 at 7:30 p.m. when they host the St. James Hurricane.

Late goal saves point for United - The Daily Graphic

By Julie Horbal
The Daily Graphic
Friday June 23, 2006

Mark Nunn’s patience has paid off in a big way.
After working tirelessly on the sidelines for his entire United career to date, Nunn’s first ever Southport goal gave his squad a much-needed point last night.
With just minutes remaining in the match between Southport United (1-3-2) and Reservoir Dogs (1-4-1) last night at Southport Recreation Complex soccer pitch, Nunn delivered a beauty of a tally off a goalmouth scramble for a 2-2 final and pulled his club out of a three-game losing streak.
“He was so discouraged last year because he couldn’t put the ball in the net. It was so good to see him deliver,” said excited Southport coach Albert Philippot following the nailbiter. “After three losses, that tie is nice to have.”
It was not nice the whole way through, as the game, which was Southport’s first after a 9-0 blowout at the hands of Winnipeg Triumph on June 16, did not start out promisingly.
Reservoir Dogs went up 1-0 with 24 minutes gone in the contest, while Southport flailed around the field and left men unmarked.
Philippot took some blame for the early confusion, as he was trying “something new,” but expected the players to be a little more organized than they were.
“We tried to mix the players’ positions around and basically everybody didn’t know which position they were supposed to be in,” laughed Philippot.
“That’s why we had a slow start. Once we got back to our normal positions, though, things improved considerably.”
United started mounting pressure midway through the first half and fired shot after shot at the Dogs’ keeper and gradually wore him down.
At the 55-minute mark, Southport’s Trevor Kehler corralled an incoming corner kick and kept chipping away until the ball found the back of the Dogs’ net to even the game 1-1.
“At moments, we had momentum. There were some moments that we seemed to struggle, but it’s not a loss,” said Philippot, who had great praise for his squad, but also some constructive criticism.
“We’ve got to practice our first touch, because that was our killer. We couldn’t get more than three passes together. That doesn’t work. If you can’t make more than three passes, you can’t win a game.”
Both sides had trouble getting the ball to settle down for themselves following the equalizer and both were fervent in their attempts to break the deadlock.
Southport keeper Steve Assenmacher made a few huge jumping saves, but eventually fell victim to a defensive miscue, which found him on the ground at the front of the penalty area and the ball in the back of the United net.
United lost some of its drive immediately following the go-ahead goal, but rallied enough to give Nunn the big opportunity he needed to knot the affair.
With 10 minutes left in the contest, Jamie Bernard delivered a pass to the front of the net and Nunn missed the shot, regrouped and finally buried it.
Southport’s bench erupted in a moral -- if not statistical -- victory.
“Everyone’s spirits definitely improved,” said Philippot, whose club next faces Tri-S Strike Force (0-5) at home on June 28 at 7:30 p.m.
“That was basically a win for us. After that 9-0 thumping, this is improved. We’ve got to play our positions a little bit better, but I’m very happy with this outcome. The guys played hard.”

Late goal saves point for United The Daily Graphic

Late goal saves point for United


By Julie Horbal
The Daily Graphic
Friday June 23, 2006

Mark Nunn’s patience has paid off in a big way.
After working tirelessly on the sidelines for his entire United career to date, Nunn’s first ever Southport goal gave his squad a much-needed point last night.
With just minutes remaining in the match between Southport United (1-3-2) and Reservoir Dogs (1-4-1) last night at Southport Recreation Complex soccer pitch, Nunn delivered a beauty of a tally off a goalmouth scramble for a 2-2 final and pulled his club out of a three-game losing streak.
“He was so discouraged last year because he couldn’t put the ball in the net. It was so good to see him deliver,” said excited Southport coach Albert Philippot following the nailbiter. “After three losses, that tie is nice to have.”
It was not nice the whole way through, as the game, which was Southport’s first after a 9-0 blowout at the hands of Winnipeg Triumph on June 16, did not start out promisingly.
Reservoir Dogs went up 1-0 with 24 minutes gone in the contest, while Southport flailed around the field and left men unmarked.
Philippot took some blame for the early confusion, as he was trying “something new,” but expected the players to be a little more organized than they were.
“We tried to mix the players’ positions around and basically everybody didn’t know which position they were supposed to be in,” laughed Philippot.
“That’s why we had a slow start. Once we got back to our normal positions, though, things improved considerably.”
United started mounting pressure midway through the first half and fired shot after shot at the Dogs’ keeper and gradually wore him down.
At the 55-minute mark, Southport’s Trevor Kehler corralled an incoming corner kick and kept chipping away until the ball found the back of the Dogs’ net to even the game 1-1.
“At moments, we had momentum. There were some moments that we seemed to struggle, but it’s not a loss,” said Philippot, who had great praise for his squad, but also some constructive criticism.
“We’ve got to practice our first touch, because that was our killer. We couldn’t get more than three passes together. That doesn’t work. If you can’t make more than three passes, you can’t win a game.”
Both sides had trouble getting the ball to settle down for themselves following the equalizer and both were fervent in their attempts to break the deadlock.
Southport keeper Steve Assenmacher made a few huge jumping saves, but eventually fell victim to a defensive miscue, which found him on the ground at the front of the penalty area and the ball in the back of the United net.
United lost some of its drive immediately following the go-ahead goal, but rallied enough to give Nunn the big opportunity he needed to knot the affair.
With 10 minutes left in the contest, Jamie Bernard delivered a pass to the front of the net and Nunn missed the shot, regrouped and finally buried it.
Southport’s bench erupted in a moral -- if not statistical -- victory.
“Everyone’s spirits definitely improved,” said Philippot, whose club next faces Tri-S Strike Force (0-5) at home on June 28 at 7:30 p.m.
“That was basically a win for us. After that 9-0 thumping, this is improved. We’ve got to play our positions a little bit better, but I’m very happy with this outcome. The guys played hard.”

Kickers doubled up by SpartaCarman Valley Leader

Kickers doubled up by SpartaBy Gene Still
Friday June 23, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — After exploding offensively for seven goals in their previous games, the Carman Kickers weren't able to muster that kind of production against Sparta and it proved costly.
The visiting Sparta squad from Winnipeg doubled up the host Kickers on Thursday, June 15 at the Carman Collegiate Soccer Field.
And along with the loss, Carman lost striker and leading scorer Lyle Vanveen to an undetermined (as of press time) knee injury during the opening half.
“We’re hoping for the best,” said Kickers Coach William Hoogerdijk. “Lyle’s a real offensive catalyst for this team but he also comes back to help out defensively.
“He helps out all over the field.”
said it was a combination of factors that led to his club's second defeat of the Fourth Division Season.
"We didn’t start off that well," Hoogerdijk said, but the visitors took advantage of the poor start and got the game’s first goal 15 minutes into the contest. "We eventually got over that but by that time it was 1-0 (for Sparta)."
He said they had high hopes going into the contest, despite the fact that Sparta was undefeated. The optimism was based in part on their previous 7-2 defeat of Colo Colo. Hooegerdijk said they felt like Sparta had a style (speed) that they matched up well against.
But once again it was a combination of lack of finish around the net offensively and defensive breakdowns that led to the loss.
"You can create all the chances you want but if you don’t cash in, then you end up on the short end of the stick," he said.
Before Vanveen was forced to leave the contest, he got Carman’s only goal of the opening half but Sparta came away with two before the intermission. The visitors then recorded the next pair to take a 4-1 lead before Kendall Ferris rounded out the scoring late in the final half to make for a 4-2 final.
The result left Carman at .500 with a 2-2 mark good enough for third spot in the Black conference while Sparta is 4-0-1 in first place in the Gold conference.
Kickers' Notebook: It doesn't get any easier for Carman as they were scheduled to host another undefeated team Winnipeg Triumph on June 22. Results were unavailable as of time. See next week's Valley Leader for more on this game.

Kickers get offensive with Colo Colo -Carman Valley Leader

Kickers get offensive with Colo Colo
Effort finally rewarded on the scoreboard

By Gene Still
Friday June 16, 2006

Carman Valley Leader — The Carman Kickers got downright offensive with Colo Colo en route to a convincing 7-2 victory.
Led by striker Lyle Vanveen's four goal performance, the Kickers improved their overall record to 2-1 with the win over the host Colo Colo squad.
Carman dominated the opening half at Crocus Park in Winnipeg and it showed on the scoreboard as they built up a commanding 5-0 lead before the break.
Vanveen opened the scoring and then got the third tally of the contest on a penalty kick which turned out to be the eventual winner.
Kickers' Coach William Hoogerdijk said overall they played a solid game and as the score indicated, especially the offence where – unlike other matches they've played – scoring opportunities generated by hard work were rewarded on the scoreboard.
“That was really encouraging. The offence got a lot of confidence in this game,” Hoogerdijk said.
However it wasn't necessarily a case of total domination by the visitors as the second half essentially ended in a 2-2 draw with both Carman tallies coming courtesy of high-scoring striker Vanveen.
"It was a tale of two very different halfs," Hoogerdijk said. "But we still could've had a few more (goals) in the second half."
The coach noted that they also played a lot of their bench in the final half and worked on other parts of their game, such as defensive play.
"We don't want to embarrass anybody by trying to run up the score but we also don't want to lose our intensity," Hoogerdijk explained. "I was happy but kind of disappointed at the same time with the two goals that they scored on us.
"It wasn't necessarily that we gave up the two goals but it was how we gave them up because of some defensive lapses on our part. You can't make those kind of mistakes in the games we've got coming up because they're going to burn you."
The coach noted they were also able to get some playing time for a couple of new additions from Winnipeg.
Midfielder-forward Stephen Melvin brings some speed and height along with offensive playmaking and scoring skills to the line-up. He's joined by fullback Gareth Davies who Hoogerdijk described as a solid defensive player.
"It's just another wrinkle that we've been able to add to our line-up," he said.
Kickers notebook: Carman's next home game was June 15 against Sparta FC. Results were unavailable as of press time. After that they again play the role of hosts on Thursday, June 22 at 7:30 p.m. when the Winnipeg Triumph travel to Carman Collegiate field.

Refs in short supply

Sam Mizuno (middle) referees an MMSL match between Sons of Italy and St. James United. Schedules have been affected by the ref shortage. JESSE JOHNSTON Sun

Refs in short supply
Attacks from players part of problem
By KEN WIEBE, STAFF REPORTER

The Manitoba Major Soccer League had a problem and the only way to solve it was to shorten its schedule.

Teams in the MMSL used to play 22 games, plus playoffs, but the numbers this season have been capped at 18 maximum per team.

Where does the problem stem from?

A shortage of qualified referees, caused at least partly by an increase in abusive situations toward the officials.

A quick glance at the discipline section of the Manitoba Soccer Association website shows a laundry list of incidents that had to be penalized -- and many of them harshly.

The two categories of offences include physical assault of the referee and threatening the referee with physical harm.

Some of the players are eligible to return later this summer, but Northwest player Matt Cabral's suspension runs until 2021.

COULDN'T FILL SCHEDULE

"About four or five years ago, we told the league that something needs to be done," said Larry Eloy, a long-time member of the referee fraternity. "Nobody really took it (the shortage) seriously. Basically, last year there were times we couldn't fill the schedule. That's when it really hit the fan."

In November of 2005, the Manitoba Soccer Association put a task force for referee development in place to try and remedy the problem, with Eloy serving as the chairperson.

While it's a little early to gauge the results, most believe the task force is a step in the right direction.

"Every year we get 30 to 40 people who take the referee's course but by the end of the summer, we've got three to five who stick around to (referee) and that's not a very good retention rate," said Eloy, noting burnout is another factor leading to referees stepping aside. "For our part, the referee development went downhill as well because all the instructors and assessors were referees as well and we didn't have time to look at these new guys and give them pointers and help them out. We had to fill the gaps (in the schedule) and referee games."

This year, a point was made to ensure assessors were getting out to help the new referees rather than just filling out the schedule.

"Our short-term goal was to slow the bleeding down for this year," said Eloy, noting the referee shortage is a global problem rather than a local one. "We've got to achieve some long-term goals for five years down the road. You don't just become a referee overnight, not a good one. It probably takes five years to know if somebody is going to be good. On average, you get 100 referees and you hope to keep 30 of them and probably only three of them will be superstars. The rest will be mid-grade guys who treat it as a hobby."

Brent Boulton, a vice-president for MMSL, is concerned about the shortage of officials.

"A lot of people are retiring and they're not being replaced by younger officials," said Boulton, noting the old adage of having to suffer through short-term pain for long-term gain has surfaced. "That situation will get worse before it gets better and we've got to be prepared for it. We've made a long-term decision that we cannot sustain 22 games anymore. We have had a game or two canceled because we didn't have referees for it. It's been tricky to do the schedule and keep it down to 10 games per day.

"The league will continue to be strong, it's in good shape."

As for the abuse Boulton hopes incidents can eventually be eliminated.

"We don't approve of it at any time," said Boulton. "(Offenders) will be dealt with severely.

The world's watching - Winnipeg Free Press

The world's watching
Millions of rabid soccer fans will see Winnipeg assistant referee Hector Vergara follow his World Cup dream

Fri Jun 9 2006

Paul Wiecek



IT is a rare person who can do their job in front of the watchful eyes of 300 million people and the lenses of 20 television cameras poised to catch the slightest mistake.
It is rarer still to find a person who wants to work -- indeed, dreams to work -- under that kind of scrutiny.

Put the two together -- the ability to perform under the most intense pressure imaginable, coupled with the motivation to do so -- and you have that rarest of human beings, the World Cup soccer referee.


If they do their job well, no one notices them. And if they make a mistake? There were riots in Italy in 2002 after a particularly bad call at a World Cup game against South Korea.

So what kind of person aspires to a job in which the worst-case scenario is you cause civil unrest on a global scale and the best-case scenario is no one even noticed you were there?
As it turns out, it's the same kind of person who ejected his brother from a game in Winnipeg -- more than once.

It's the kind of man who jokingly gives his children, ages three and one, yellow and red cards for misbehaviour at their Whyte Ridge home.

It's the kind of man who single-mindedly pursued a career as a soccer referee from the age of 16 with the same kind of passion, zeal and commitment other Winnipeg boys put into playing hockey.

He's Winnipeg's Hector Vergara, who this month will make history in Germany when he becomes the first Canadian to officiate in two World Cups, and one of just a few dozen officials from any country ever to do so.

"To go to one World Cup is very difficult," says Vergara, who made his World Cup debut as an assistant referee in 2002. "To go to two World Cups is almost impossible."

"This is unprecedented," says Kevan Pipe, head of the Canadian Soccer Association. "Hector has joined the elite of the elite of the world soccer community.

"Canada is not going to the World Cup as a competing nation, but we are going with Hector Vergara as an on-field official. It's something all Canadians can be proud of."

It is also a monumental achievement for a man whose parents fled Chile three decades ago seeking a better life in Canada, only to find themselves forced to take blue-collar jobs once they arrived because their teaching credentials didn't qualify here. So Ana and Hector Vergara Sr. took manual-labour jobs and embarked on a mission familiar to many Canadian immigrants -- to make life better for their children than it was for them.

For Hector Jr., who was 11 when his family came to Canada, that meant his parents put the same kind of commitment into his budding refereeing career as most Canadian parents put into their kids' hockey careers.

"My dad would drive me around the city all summer to different fields so I could referee," Hector Jr. recalled. "It was that kind of support from my family back then, and my wife now, that's allowed me to get to this high level."

Think Vergara has overcome long odds? Consider what his wife, Joanne, has done.

Born with a birth defect that required amputation of both her legs below the knee, she went on to set six world records and win six gold medals in swimming at the 1988 and 1992 Paralympics.

Joanne Vergara says it's her husband who's had the toughest obstacles to overcome.

"In swimming, it's you against the clock," said Joanne, 34. "It's black and white -- who went the fastest against the clock that day.

"But as a referee, you're dealing with crowds reacting emotionally and passionately, and in this day and age, with TV and replays and all of that, it's even tougher to do his job.

"But he's just one of these people who has the confidence to make the calls and stand behind his judgments. He doesn't worry too much about what the crowds think." So what's it like living with a referee? "We're both incredibly competitive and it comes out in all kinds of silly ways," she says.

"And he'll joke sometimes that he's giving the kids a red or yellow card, but he knows better than to do that to his wife."

Vergara got his start refereeing minor soccer games in St. Charles as a teenager. He never gave it up, even as his career took him to a job as bid co-ordinator for the 1999 Pan Am Games and later to being the chief administrative officer of the Manitoba Soccer Association.

While some referees in Europe, like the recently retired Pierluigi Collina, have achieved fame and fortune, Vergara says that for him, it's a hobby.

A hobby, not surprisingly, that has had its controversial moments, none more so than last December when he called back three goals by Liverpool against Sao Paulo in the final of the World Club Championship in Japan.

Sao Paulo went on to win 1-0 and Vergara became Liverpool's whipping boy, even though replays showed all three of his calls were correct.

Within days, messages from irate Liverpool fans began piling up on the Manitoba Soccer Association website, where Vergara had been posting photos of his trip to Japan.

One accused him of taking bribes, even as the Liverpool coach suggested to reporters that a Canadian had no business officiating such a big game.

"Some of them were pretty upset," says Vergara. "But I also got a handful of messages from people who live in Liverpool saying, 'Please disregard the comments above because these people are just sore losers.' "That's probably the toughest game I ever called, and probably the most controversial. But the fact I'm going to the World Cup tells me I made the right calls."

Officials with FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, even bent the rules to make sure they got Vergara back for another World Cup.

The 2002 World Cup was dogged by a series of questionable calls and the resulting furor prompted FIFA to overhaul the way officials are chosen.


THE new system required officials to work in crews consisting of one referee and two assistant referees for the four years preceding the World Cup to get them accustomed to working with one another. The best crews were to be selected for Germany's World Cup.

But the referee on Vergara's crew got injured and was unable to pass the fitness test. Vergara figured that was the end of his dream.

"The system is you all go or no one goes," he says. "So the fact they found another crew for me to work on tells me someone wants me to be there.''

A record five billion people watched the World Cup 2002 matches on television and observers predict more viewers this time. Conservative estimates peg the worldwide TV audience for next month's final to be in the neighbourhood of 300 million -- more than triple the 95 million that tuned in to watch this year's Super Bowl.

Vergara hopes to be in the thick of that final. He was one of the few officials who stayed out of trouble in 2002 and was rewarded by being selected as one of just a handful of officials returning to officiate this year's World Cup. Officials at the World Cup are graded by their superiors for their performance in each game and Vergara's assessments in 2002 were so good, he ended up working more games than any other official, including the third-place game.

He went on to officiate a semifinal of the Olympic soccer event in Athens in 2004.

This time, Vergara hopes his consistent work will get him to the big game.

"Everyone wants to referee the final. The first dream of every referee is to get to the World Cup. And once you get to the World Cup, it becomes, 'OK, can I get to the final?' "

He says what most Canadians cannot appreciate about soccer is the passionate atmosphere when seeing a game live.

"To have 20,000 people here at an arena for a hockey game is something. But to have 110,000 people in a stadium like Azteca in Mexico City, there's a hum.

"It sounds like a swarm of bees. That's exactly the sound you hear -- and it lasts the full 90 minutes.

"And you don't get that in any other sport -- baseball, hockey, basketball, football -- you don't get that sound. And that passion... it's a religion to them. It's a way of forgetting all their problems. They could be dirt poor, but they'll find a way to get a ticket, because that's the way they forget."

Vergara says it's hard not to be a fan at the World Cup, even when you're an official. "The games feel like about 15 minutes. You appreciate the players, the touches, the skill level and mostly the atmosphere."

But it's also a draining experience to have your work so closely scrutinized, with the stakes so high.

"I've never left the soccer field after an international match physically exhausted. Never ever. I could always go another hour. But I've always left the field mentally drained, and that's because of the concentration you have to have to stay focused on what's going on. That's the difficult part -- the concentration."

So what's it like to blow a call? Vergara says he realizes it immediately.

"You have a sense right away whether you are right or wrong. My experience has been if I make a call, I know right away whether I made a mistake or not. You just know."

But he says an official has to be unflinching. Several times over the years, he says he had to eject his brother, Yanko, from a match, and he's also lost friends over calls.

"I think I had integrity from Day 1. I wasn't one of these referees who could be persuaded, and I lost a lot of friends because of it. I come from a Chilean background. I lost many Chilean friends because I was a referee and I couldn't be swayed by the fact that I knew you.

"My own flesh and blood and I wouldn't tolerate anything from him, so why would I tolerate it from anyone else?"

While he's become a minor celebrity in the world of international soccer, Vergara remains a blue-collar referee at home in Winnipeg. Recently, Vergara was to officiate a high school game in Fort Garry only to discover the game had been cancelled because someone had forgotten to paint the lines on the field. Then there are players who seem unswayed by his international experience.

"I had a boy in a high school game complain to me about a call," Vergara says, "so I ended up cautioning him. He doesn't care I was at a World Cup. He's still going to complain."