Cobb Adult Soccer
2012 Sizzling 7v7 Summer games
Registration Deadline - June 8th, 2012
www.cobbsoccer.org
 Men's Teams Declared so far

Gobias Industries
Synergy
Fulham FC
Avalanche
Rowdies
Rovers FC Green
Ohana FC
Okay Dokey
International
Bombers FC
Legends United
Atlanta Hawks
12:40 PM

It's not too late!!
2012 SCORE FOR SOD TOURNAMENT

The 2nd annual 3v3 Score For Sod Tournament being held on June 16th - 17, 2012.
Registration deadline is June 3rd, 2012 - all done online!
www.soccerincollege.com/TTHome.aspx?tid=CCSFS
 
If you have never played it's a fast paced game dedicated to scoring goals.
No goal keeper to get in the way  - just you, the ball and the net!
 
Entry into the tournament not only gets you a great weekend of soccer but also directs the tournament money into our fields. Not the general Parks fund but back into our soccer fields where we play every game, practice, where our kids train, practice and play on.
 
And everyone knows our fields need to be re sodded - every week the grass areas recede due to tremendous amount of play on them. The County is over budget so we (you & I),  the soccer community have to reach a goal of $40,000.00 to accomplish this task. 

If you have a company that can sponsor your team even better - a tax donation with a free weekend of soccer.

So please - grab three friends - that's all you need - there's a division for everybody  - sign up and we all get better fields in the fall.  
 
12:35 PM

It's THIS FRIDAY, TOMORROW, June 1! Start Summer off right with the BCBB. The Big Chicken Beatles Band at Brewsters Neighborhood Grill,3595 Canton Road, Marietta, GA 30066
(770) 591-1291
Music 9-1. Great stage, lights, dancing area - Roll up...! We're ready for a really fun night, Alan having just returned from the Abbey Road On The River festival in Louisville and fresh with renewed Beatlemania! Cheers, hope you can pop in!

10:15 AM

U.S. Open Cup: Los Angeles Galaxy Lose to Carolina RailHawks, 2-1: A Fan’s Thoughts

By Melissa Matters 
The Los Angeles Galaxy may have sent their reserve team to play against the Carolina RailHawks in the Third Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. However, I was still hoping the Galaxy might win and advance. At this point, any type of victory would be nice.
What Happened?
For most of the game, L.A. was ahead by one goal. In the 38thminute, Pat Noonan scored on Chad Barrett's assist. Then, the RailHawks came back to score two goals in the final 15 minutes. Ty Shipalane got around Bryan Jordan with some fancy moves. Later, Shipalane worked Jordan again and crossed it to Brian Shriver who scored the second goal. Overall, Jordan had a hard time defending Shipalane. Yet, what is even more frustrating is the fact that we gave up our lead again. For the past three matches, we have squandered our lead.
Sloppy Errors
David Junior Lopes gave away the ball in L.A's defensive half. As a result, Jason Garey got a breakaway. Luckily, Bill Gaudette came out, got big and the shot went wide. We are lucky that the RailHawks didn't score on this opportunity. On our end, Noonan had a good shot at an equalizer but the ball went over the crossbar.
A Physical Game
Hector Jimenez went out with a knee injury. Bryan Gaul left the game with a shiner and Chad Barrett hobbled off the field. On the bright side, Leonardo, who played the whole game, was a tough defender to get around. The Brazilian was injured for almost all of the 2011 season. Hopefully, he will make it into the starting lineup for our next regular MLS game.
Other MLS Teams on the Losing End
Overall, it wasn't a good night for Major League Soccer. Along with the Galaxy, the Chicago Fire, Columbus Crew, Houston Dynamo, Real Salt Lake, New England Revolution and FC Dallas posted losses on May 29. Perhaps the Galaxy might bring more starters next year to the Open Cup. Then again, perhaps our reserves should be able to pull off victories too.
It's time for Arena to make some changes. It's time for the whole team to step it up. If not, there will definitely be more losses in the Galaxy's future.
Melissa Matters is a long time Los Angeles resident and devoted Los Angeles Galaxy fan.
6:25 PM

GM expected to unveil deal with Manchester United

By TOM KRISHER | The Associated Press – 52 minutes ago
DETROIT (AP) General Motors is preparing to announce a marketing deal between Chevrolet and the Manchester United soccer club.
A deal with Manchester United would be significant for Chevrolet. The club claims to be the most popular sports franchise in the world. Its fan base has doubled in the past five years to 659 million people - nearly one-tenth of the world's population.
GM wouldn't give details about the announcement, but said it has scheduled a press conference with the United Kingdom-based soccer club on Thursday in Shanghai, the center of GM's largest sales market. GM's marketing chief also will announce a ''global sports marketing initiative'' in Detroit on Thursday morning.
The announcements could also allay concerns about GM's broader marketing strategy. Earlier this month, the company said it would not advertise during the Feb. 3 Super Bowl because of a steep price increase demanded by CBS, the network broadcasting the game. The announcement came just after GM decided to pull $10 million in ads from Facebook, saying they weren't effective.
GM, however, will keep Facebook pages for its cars and trucks, as well as brands, it has said. Facebook pages for businesses or brands - like Facebook pages for people - are free. It's the marketing services - links in people's newsfeeds or ads to the right of the newsfeed - that cost money.
The changes, which involve two of the largest audiences in the U.S., brought criticism from the advertising and auto industries. It left many wondering about GM's strategy. The Super Bowl audience would have been a perfect for the company, which will introduce new pickup trucks next year.
But a deal with Manchester United has potential. Most of the club's fans live in emerging markets, according to a survey taken for the club by the research firm Kantar. The club claims to have 325 million fans in Asia and 173 million in Africa and the Middle East. It also has 90 million fans in Europe and 71 million in the Americas. The U.S. alone has 34 million fans, the club says.
GM plans to spend $4.5 billion globally on advertising this year, the same amount as last year.
Manchester United, which is owned by the American Glazer family, lost the Premier League title to Manchester City this year. But the club still is a record 19-time English champion.
The Kantar survey came from responses of 54,000 people in 39 countries. A similar survey in 2007 indicated that Manchester United had 333 million fans, based on 27,000 responses.
6:20 PM
4:55 PM

Having confirmed his departure from Chelsea FC, Didier Drogba could see the next stage of his career take him to Spain.

Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is believed to be interested in signing Drogba for Real Madrid on a two-year-deal, according to the Daily Mail.

With Carles Puyol advancing in age, Vincent Kompany has been identified as the player to replace him at Barcelona.

The Spanish Cup winners are reported to have offered wages in the region of £160,000 a week, but Kompany is happy to stay at Manchester City, according to the Daily Star.

AC Milan's reported interest in Carlos Tevez (via Metro) could help in negotiations to bring Thiago Silva to the Etihad Stadium.

Tevez was the subject of a bid from the Italian side in January, but a fee was never agreed. That being said, Milan could readdress the situation over the summer.

The current deal proposed could be dependant on the club also selling Swedish international Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Alessandro Del Piero has called time on his career with Juventus, but has stated that he wishes to continue playing football, according to talkSport.

After making it clear that he would not sign for another Serie A club, Del Piero has caught the interest of Arsenal, Queens Park Rangers and Tottenham Hotspur.

12:15 PM



Cava Soccer Programs host International Professional Soccer Clubs from around  the world Friendlies Matches and Youth Tournament along with Soccer Clinics & Tryouts Camps for players and children who want to develop their skills.

9:09 AM
Men’s Soccer Leads GSU Men’s Teams in Spring GPA
ATLANTA, Ga., (May 22, 2012) — The Georgia State men’s soccer team posted yet another strong effort in the classroom last semester to earn the highest grade point average of all the men’s athletic teams during the spring semester.

The men’s soccer team earned a combined GPA of 3.27 in the spring semester. It is the latest in a string of academic honors for the men’s soccer program under the direction of third-year head coach Brett Surrency. Leading the effort were sophomore Chris Locandro and freshman Ali Elkhalil who earned President’s List honors in the spring signifying a semester GPA of 4.0 or higher.

Six GSU men’s soccer student-athletes earned Dean’s List honors as students earning a 3.5 semester GPA or higher. Those six were juniors Vincent Foermer and Eric Lawrence, and freshmen Dylan Crocker, Auddie Hynd, Bo Stroup and Jordan Weise.

Another six Panthers were listed on the Athletic Director Honor Roll that recognized the student-athletes for achieving a 3.2 or higher semester GPA. Those six were juniors Victor Nkhoma and Peter Vania, redshirt sophomore Caleb Kernan, sophomores Peter Kurowski and Stephen McGill and freshman Caolan O’Gorman.

The Georgia State men’s soccer team has earned a variety of academic honors following one of the best seasons in school history. Last year the Panthers went 13-8-1, achieved the team’s highest RPI ranking in school history of No. 26 on Oct. 25 and earned the school’s first at-large berth in the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship. Following the season, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America honored GSU after the men’s soccer team posted above a 3.0 GPA in the fall semester.

Foermer and junior Gimel Gordon also earned individual academic accolades this offseason. The Colonial Athletic Association honored Foermer as the CAA Scholar-Athlete in men’s soccer and the Seevetal, Germany, native was also named to the 2012 University Division Men Scholar All-South Region Team by the NSCAA. Gordon earned a First Team Academic Momentum Award from the Scholar Baller program in conjunction with the National Consortium for Academics and Sports (NCAS) last December.

The Georgia State men’s soccer team returns to the field in August after posting solid results this spring. Visit the men’s soccer home page onwww.GeorgiaStateSports.com for the announcement of the team’s fall schedule and all the latest news as the team prepares for the 2012 campaign.
12:45 PM

Atlanta Silverbacks sell the U.S. Open Cup venue to Seattle Saunders FC


Atlanta Silverbacks Examiner
The Atlanta Silverbacks issued a statement early Wednesday after announcing that their third-round U.S. Open Cup matchup on May 30 with Major League Soccer sideSeattle Sounders FC has changed locations from Atlanta to Seattle.
“The decision associated with the venue change wasn’t easy, by any means,” said Silverbacks Chairman Boris Jerkunica. “Seattle Sounders FC presented us with an offer that we simply couldn’t refuse, and in the end, it was a decision that was based on the balance between instant gratification and long-term improvement.”  
The organization will use the funds for three primary initiatives:
    Fan Appreciation Night on June 16 – The Silverbacks will offer free tickets to their home game on June 16 against the Carolina RailHawks. Tickets can be requested by calling 404-969-4900 or visiting atlantasilverbacks.com/fanappreciationnight.
 Player personnel – The technical staff has already begun to look to improve the team through additional player signings.
    MLS exhibition game – The Silverbacks will host an exhibition game at Atlanta Silverbacks Park against a MLS team.
After defeating NPSL side Georgia Revolution, 1-0, in Conyers Tuesday night, the Silverbacks will now take on the Sounders on May 30 at 7 p.m. local time (10 p.m. ET) at Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. A live webcast of the game will be available at soundersfc.com.
12:19 PM

Atlanta International Soccer Fest 2012 Partners with SOS Children's Villages 


AISF 2012
May 21, 2012 – Atlanta, GA – The Atlanta Committee for SOS Children’s Villages-USA, (www.sos-usa.org/Atlanta) through the support and leadership of Georgia Soccer and Realm Advertising, and in conjunction with the Publix Atlanta Cup (www.atlantacup.com), is again spearheading a multi-national initiative in Atlanta that will be held Labor Day weekend! Soccer teams from the Atlanta business and sports community, bi-lateral Chambers of Commerce and International Consulates are invited to compete in an international celebration of soccer and culture designed to raise funds and awareness for SOS Children’s Villages (www.sos-usa.org).

The Atlanta International Soccer Fest 2012 (AISF 2012) will be held over the Labor Day weekend as part of the Publix Atlanta Cup. AISF 2012 will be the international component of the Publix Atlanta Cup, now in its 34th year, held at venues around metro Atlanta and vicinity. AISF teams will play three Round Robin games, two on Saturday, September 1 and one on Sunday, September 2. Semi-finals are also played on Sunday, September 2. The final championship game will take place on Championship Monday, September 3.

The deadline to register teams is July 2, 2012. For team registration, visit www.atlantacup.com.
For more information on AISF 2012, visit www.atlsoccerfest.com.
About the Organizations and Sponsors
For over 60 years, SOS Children’s Villages has been dedicated to providing family-based, long-term
care to children who can no longer grow up with their biological families. SOS is located in 133 countries including the U.S. SOS also focuses on preventing the conditions that cause children to be orphaned and abandoned. Through its Children’s Villages, Family Strengthening Programs, emergency relief programs and schools, SOS impacts the lives of over 2 million people each year. SOS Children’s Villages has received numerous honors including the Save the World Award, the Mother Teresa Gold Medal, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and the Vietnam Friendship Medal. For more information about SOS Children's Villages, visit www.sos-usa.org.

Atlanta International Soccer Fest (AISF) is the signature fundraising event of the Atlanta Committee for SOS Children’s Villages USA. The goal of AISF is to build awareness and raise funds for SOS Children’s Villages using the global appeal of the game of soccer to build solidarity amongst the Metro Atlanta community, and to garner support for this international non-profit for orphaned and neglected children. The first AISF was held in June 2010 and raised over $25,000, the majority of which was sent to SOS Children’s Villages in Haiti to help with disaster relief after the devastating earthquake of January 12, 2010. For more information about AISF, visit www.atlsoccerfest.com.

Publix Atlanta Cup (PAC) is the largest three-day youth soccer tournament in the Southeastern United States. Held every Labor Day weekend, the PAC hosts more than 600+ teams including both male and female athletes, ages 9 to 19. Games are played at 20 venues through the metro Atlanta area on more than 110 soccer fields. In 2010 Publix became the title sponsor of the tournament. For more information about the Publix Atlanta Cup visit www.atlantacup.org.

Georgia Soccer is the authorized state youth and adult association for Georgia within the United States Adult Soccer Association, United States Youth Soccer Association, and through them is part of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Georgia Soccer serves as the official National State Association of USSF making it responsible to act on behalf of USSF and provide licensing courses for coaches and certification courses for referees. In turn, the United States Soccer Federation is the recognized national soccer association within the Federation International de Football Association (FIFA), the worldwide governing body for soccer. Essentially, Georgia Soccer serves affiliated member organizations throughout Georgia in both program and administrative support activities. For more information about Georgia Soccer, visit www.georgiasoccer.org.

Realm Advertising, Inc., is proud to once again support AISF 2012, after being an in-kind sponsor for AISF 2010. The goal of Realm’s team of experienced and enthusiastic professionals is to take an idea, a product or a service and make it Flourish by digging deeply into the value proposition and aligning it with the market’s hunger for a solution. It’s not enough to just listen to our client and feed off their excitement and enthusiasm, getting caught up in the temptation that we have the next big “it.” Our choice to stay objective and intellectually agnostic is with purpose. To be effective, we can never forget how it feels to be the customer, the client, the user… the audience who, ultimately, really decides if the product we are marketing is valuable. Because to us, work is about people, not projects. We’re here to instill trust and simply make the lives of our clients easier. For more information about Realm Advertising, visit www.realmadvertising.com.
12:16 PM

Leander Schaerlaeckens: Jurgen Klinsmann's vision became a reality in USA's thrashing of Scotland

By Leander Schaerlaeckens 
Some of it was down to chance, like Landon Donovan getting a friendly rebound on his first goal, or Michael Bradley’s searing long-range half-volley charting a dead-perfect course into the upper-90 on the second. But most of it was down to design, a blueprint materializing into a visible structure.

Since his July 29, 2011 appointment as U.S. men’s national team head coach, Jurgen Klinsmann seemed capable of talking about little else than “proactive” soccer that pressured high, built out of the back and attacked quickly, fluidly and in numbers. He tailored a grueling fitness regime to it, preached professionalism and coached as hands-on as any national team coach in recent memory. He was frequently spotted sprinting up and down the field during practice – and at times during games too – to encourage and instruct breakaway attacks from up close.

On Saturday, for the first time, his vision turned flesh, the merits of what he had been banging on about and hammering on plain to see. After almost 10 months of mixed results and sometimes dispiriting outings, it all came together. The U.S. had notched an eye-catching 1-0 win over Italy in February. But it never dominated an opponent like it did Scotland, simply demolishing its opponents 5-1.

That it gave up a goal at all was due to poor marking on Kenny Miller in the 15th minute, with the U.S. already up 2-0, when Miller was left free to head back a cross and it ran into the goal off the otherwise solid Geoff Cameron’s chest. That, really, was the only chance Scotland mustered all day – if you could even call it a chance.

That was as much the product of the U.S.’s pressing and pursuit of possession as it was of Scotland’s own failings. The U.S. forced the Scots into simple turnovers all night. And when they coughed it up, the Yanks attacked with pace, precision and authority. They busted forward in great numbers so as to create a tidal wave that made it hard for the Tartan Army to cope.

It was then that the U.S. found big pockets of space between the lines and could settle in for good spells of possession. With nice coverage of the field in a 4-3-3 and a first-rate performance from the midfield trio of Jermaine Jones, Michael Bradley – especially Michael Bradley – and Maurice Edu, the game was so well-played that it will become the paradigm for Klinsmann’s system. It was, in all ways, what his transformation has been about. Negative has become positive. 
These Flying Pajamas, playing in their new red and white horizontally-striped uniforms, stood in stark contrast with Scotland. Because the latter looked a lot like the U.S. did for many decades, sitting back and absorbing pressure, playing physically and at times kicking lumps out of opponents, smashing balls forward with little thought and hoping it landed somewhere useful. This United States was a team reinvented, a 2.0 version of itself with the defects mended by re-purposing the same parts into something stronger and better and more beautiful.

If the game wasn’t really a victory over a strong opponent, it was nevertheless the victory of an idea. An idea implemented by an ambitious and enthusiastic coach whose vision won’t pander to concerns from detractors, accusing him of lacking realism. He’s right and he knows it. And as of Saturday, we all know it too.
12:13 PM

Women Stay Perfect With 4-0 Win

(Photo by Mike Thompson) The Atlanta Silverbacks Women topped the VSI Tampa Flames, 4-0, Friday night at Atlanta Silverbacks Park to remain undefeated to start the 2012 W-League season.
The Silverbacks Women (2-0-0) were the stronger team throughout the game, but the visiting Flames (0-1-2) were tough on the home team in the opening minutes. The Women continued to control the possession midway through the first half, and in the 21st minute, they would grab the lead. Flames goalkeeper Jen Manis spilled a rebound following a corner kick and Women’s defender Bailey Powell was there to pounce on it, poking it into the net for a 1-0 lead.
The first half remained relatively quiet, with each team creating a few close scoring opportunities. Flames defender Marky Boyce came close to converting a header in the 31st minute, while Women’s midfielder Stacey Balaam fired just over the bar following an impressive dribbling sequence in the 37th minute.
The Women came out firing after halftime, and it took only three minutes for them to find the net. Forward Kristen Burton knocked home a shot from five yards out following a well-played cross from the wing, doubling the Women’s lead at 2-0.
It was forward Elizabeth Guess’ turn 11 minutes later when she met a perfectly-weighted through ball from Balaam and dribbled around Manis to slide home easily and make the score 3-0.
Substitute forward Nkese Udoh then converted her first goal of the season after fellow forward Chloe Roberts was hauled down in the penalty area by a Flames defender. Udoh calmly converted the ensuing penalty kick to give the Women a 4-0 lead. 
With the win, the defending-champion Women stay undefeated to open up the 2012 season. The Women will host FC Jax Destroyers next Friday, June 1 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park, and will welcome Central SC Cobras the following day. To purchase tickets, visit atlantasilverbacks.com/wleague.

4:53 PM

Women Stay Perfect With 4-0 Win
Posted on Fri, May 25, 2012


(Photo by Mike Thompson) The Atlanta Silverbacks Women topped the VSI Tampa Flames, 4-0, Friday night at Atlanta Silverbacks Park to remain undefeated to start the 2012 W-League season.
The Silverbacks Women (2-0-0) were the stronger team throughout the game, but the visiting Flames (0-1-2) were tough on the home team in the opening minutes. The Women continued to control the possession midway through the first half, and in the 21st minute, they would grab the lead. Flames goalkeeper Jen Manis spilled a rebound following a corner kick and Women’s defender Bailey Powell was there to pounce on it, poking it into the net for a 1-0 lead.
The first half remained relatively quiet, with each team creating a few close scoring opportunities. Flames defender Marky Boyce came close to converting a header in the 31st minute, while Women’s midfielder Stacey Balaam fired just over the bar following an impressive dribbling sequence in the 37th minute.
The Women came out firing after halftime, and it took only three minutes for them to find the net. Forward Kristen Burton knocked home a shot from five yards out following a well-played cross from the wing, doubling the Women’s lead at 2-0.
It was forward Elizabeth Guess’ turn 11 minutes later when she met a perfectly-weighted through ball from Balaam and dribbled around Manis to slide home easily and make the score 3-0.
Substitute forward Nkese Udoh then converted her first goal of the season after fellow forward Chloe Roberts was hauled down in the penalty area by a Flames defender. Udoh calmly converted the ensuing penalty kick to give the Women a 4-0 lead. 
With the win, the defending-champion Women stay undefeated to open up the 2012 season. The Women will host FC Jax Destroyers next Friday, June 1 at Atlanta Silverbacks Park, and will welcome Central SC Cobras the following day. To purchase tickets, visit atlantasilverbacks.com/wleague.

4:52 PM

Liverpool have offered job to Martinez - Whelan

AFP – 2 hours 41 minutes ago
Wigan chairman Dave Whelan on Friday claimed Latics boss Roberto Martinez is weighing up an offer from Liverpool to take over as manager of the Anfield club.
Martinez left a family holiday in the Caribbean to meet Liverpool owner John Henry in Miami on Thursday and Whelan saud the Spaniard was offered the chance to succeed Kenny Dalglish, who was sacked after a disappointing Premier League campaign.
But Martinez is not sure whether to accept the terms, as it would involve working under a technical director, with one candidate believed to be former Ajax coach Louis van Gaal.
Instead, the 38-year-old would prefer a greater degree of control over transfers and other footballing issues, according to Whelan.
"I think what he has said is, 'Thank you for your offer but I only work under the following rules: I have to have complete control of football'," Whelan told Sky Sports News.
"That's normally the way in England, that's how we all work. I think they're considering his request and Roberto's considering their offer and they're going to talk again on Tuesday.
"Hopefully he stays with us but wherever he goes, he's 100 percent dedicated to that football club."
Whelan, who set his manager a deadline of June 5 to decide his future, said earlier this week that he was not convinced Martinez would take the Liverpool job because of the structure under which he would be expected to work.
Liverpool have declined to comment on Whelan's claims but Martinez, whose stock has risen since he masterminded Wigan's late-season climb away from the Premier League relegation zone, remains the favourite with the bookmakers.
Former Porto and Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas appears to have dropped out of the reckoning, while the Reds have reportedly not ruled out a second approach for Swansea's Brendan Rodgers after he declined their initial invitation to open talks.
3:22 PM

Blatter calls for alternative to penalty shootouts

By GRAHAM DUNBAR | The Associated Press 
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) FIFA President Sepp Blatter has asked German great Franz Beckenbauer to find an alternative to penalty shootouts.
Blatter told the FIFA Congress on Friday that soccer ''loses its essence'' when matches are settled by penalty kicks.
Soccer ''can be a drama, even a tragedy, when we go to penalty kicks,'' Blatter said. ''Football should not go to one to one, because when football goes to penalty kicks, it loses its essence as a team sport.''
Last Saturday, Chelsea beat Bayern Munich in a shootout to win theChampions League after the German side had dominated a game that finished in a 1-1 draw after extra time.
Beckenbauer, the former Bayern captain and president, heads FIFA's Task Force Football 2014 panel that Blatter created in 2010 to improve soccer before the next World Cup in Brazil.
''Perhaps Franz Beckenbauer with his Football 2014 group can present us with a solution, if not today then tomorrow,'' Blatter said.
The FIFA chief later clarified his view on Twitter, writing that he did not want to scrap shootouts but believed that matches should be decided ''11 v 11.''
The task force has met several times, but has shown little public interest in scrapping penalty shootouts.
Beckenbauer's task force deputy chairman Kalusha Bwalya also has recent experience of a shootout.
Bwalya, a Zambian playing great, watched his home nation win the Africa Cup of Nations in February on a shootout after drawing 0-0 with Ivory Coast.
12:57 PM
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