GCA hires new soccer coach

Trent Brown, of Whigham, Ga., has been hired as the new soccer coach at Grace Christian Academy.

Brown graduated from Cairo High School and was a member of the varsity soccer team for all four years he attended. He played with the Thomasville Area Soccer Association youth team for five years.

Brown holds a a degree and certificate for Middle Grades Education in Math and Social Studies. He also holds a Class E Soccer Coaching License from the United States Soccer Federation. While he coaches, he is currently seeking local employment as a teacher in the subjects of math or social studies.

Brown enjoys mentoring youth, as he says he loves to see the growth of the players he coaches, as well as the growth in faith of those whom he is involved with at El Bethel Baptist Church, where he volunteers with Junior Church and Vacation Bible School.

“My actions and those of my players speak much louder than words,” Brown said in a statement. “I hope my players’ actions will show a strong commitment to discipline, making good decisions and living a life pleasing to God.”

New GCA Athletic Director Tommy Yancey expressed optimism for the new soccer coach.

“We are thrilled and excited to have such an impressive young coach with ties to the area,” Yancey said. “I know the players and parents will be excited to meet him and will appreciate his dedication and knowledge of his craft. He will be a great Christian role model with a high level of character and discipline.”

7:02 AM

Click on the banner to visit the site The Highland Football Club (HFC) and the Asheville Buncombe Soccer Association (ABYSA) are pleased to invite you to join us for our 8th Annual Riverside Summer Shootout.  In 2012, we hosted over 200 teams from North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Virginia, and Ohio.  We look forward to a bigger and better event in 2013. The 2013 Riverside Summer Shootout will be held over 2 weekends. U11-19 Girls on August 17 & 18U11-14 Boys on August 24 & 25 The cost for the tournament will be $525 for U11-12 teams and $600 for U13-19 teams. This will be an unrestricted tournament (USYS, US Club, AYSO) and will be open to all Classic/Challenge/Select/Academy teams. Tournament Website -- CLICK HERE Registration -- CLICK HERE 2012 Results -- CLICK HERE Hotel Information -- CLICK HERE **Please note the application deadline is July 29, 2013** If you have any questions then please contact the Tournament Director at jason@abysa.org.

6:55 AM

By Doug Roberson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Phil Woosnam, who managed and played for the now-defunct Atlanta Chiefs soccer team and blazed a trail for the sport in the United States, died Friday in Marietta from complications related to prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. He was 80 years old.

“Phil was one of the pioneers of professional soccer in North America,” Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said. “When we started MLS, Phil was always willing to share with us his time and his experiences with the NASL. We will always remember his passion for, and his contributions to, our sport. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Woosnam, a native of Wales, joined the Chiefs in 1966 after stints with several professional clubs in England, including Leyton Orient, West Ham and Aston Villa.

Hired to manage the Chiefs, he also played, scoring the first goal in the first soccer game in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium. He led the Chiefs to a North American Soccer League championship in 1968, the first for a pro sports team in the city.

Woosnam coached the U.S. national team in 1968 and was hired in 1969 as commissioner of the NASL, a role he held until 1983. Under his guidance, the NASL brought in world-class players such as Pele and eventually reached 24 franchises. Woosnam also was instrumental in helping the United States secure the 1994 World Cup.

“There’s no one person that you can point to that had more to do with success of soccer in this country than Phil Woosnam,” said Dick Cecil, who hired Woosnam to coach the Chiefs. “He was the pied piper of the game. He really brought players and people out to spread it into the suburbs. He took it to a whole new level.”

Woosnam was inducted into several halls of fame, including the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Georgia Soccer Hall of Fame earlier the same year.

8:45 AM

ATLANTA -- Mexico coach Jose Manuel De La Torre knows there's only so much he can do to please his critics.

A narrow win over Trinidad and Tobago might rekindle concerns about his job security, but De La Torre was not interested in discussing his future or his team's perceived struggles.

When a reporter asked De La Torre if he thought this was a weak victory, the coach was quick to respond.

"You don't like it? We saw a different game," De La Torre said. "That's what I can tell you. Every time we win, we have to enjoy it. A win is a win, but that is enough. We always have to fix things but we also did a lot of great things tonight."

Raul Jimenez scored in the 84th minute to lead Mexico to a 1-0 victory over Trinidad and Tobago in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup on Saturday night.

Mexico, a six-time Gold Cup champion going for its third straight title, will face Panama in the semifinals on Wednesday in Dallas.

Jimenez used his right foot to redirect Miguel Layun's shot attempt from the right side with a sweeping move that helped the ball sail just past diving goalkeeper Jan Williams and into the left corner of the net.

Three of Mexico's 11 shots in the first half were on goal, but Williams only had to dive once to make a save. The other two attempts went right into his hands.

In the 62nd minute, Layun attempted a shot from the right top corner of the box. His arc looked to be on line before Williams stretched out to deflect the ball high.

Barely 1 minute later, Williams tipped away a shot by Jimenez, but he couldn't prevent him from scoring the winning goal with about 5 minutes remaining.

Williams faced 23 shots. Mexico goalie Jonathan Orozco faced seven.

Trinidad and Tobago ended Gold Cup play with a 1-2-1 record.

"It feels worse when you give up a goal so late in the game," Trinidad and Tobago coach Stephen Hart said, "but congratulations to Mexico.

Hart was not discouraged, though, adding that his team at least gave itself a chance to win.

"We need to possess the ball better and keep it out of the feet of the opposition," he said. "That needs to improve and our ability to attack with a little more variety. Our fullbacks did not get involved today at all, which is a big part of our game. There's some work to be done."

A 2-1 loss to Panama in a group match earlier this month dropped Mexico to 2-3-8 in international play this year, but the team has since won three straight.

Against Panama in four days, Mexico might play its second straight game without midfielder Jorge Enriquez, who sat out Saturday with a leg injury.

Panama this time will have Blas Perez, a leading scorer who did not play against Mexico because of a Major League Soccer commitment to FC Dallas.

"It's a different game, a very different game," De La Torre said. "We start over. We have had three more games that the team has improved upon since then. Little by little, we showed it tonight in the results and in seeing the confidence that each of the players has been able to achieve."

De La Torre believed his team showed composure to persistently pressure Williams in hopes he would make a mistake.

It's the same approach he wants Mexico to take against Panama.

"The team did not become desperate," De La Torre said. "They were under our strategy and our plan in order to win. It was very good on our end that we (took care of) the sides, the middle and the centre."

NOTES: CONCACAF officials announced a crowd of 54,229, a soccer record at the 21-year-old Georgia Dome. ... Mexico improved to 12-3-3 against Trinidad and Tobago, including a pair of wins in the Gold Cup. This was the first meeting between the teams in a knockout round.

8:11 AM

Mexico vs. Trinidad y Tobago 2013 Copa Oro Prompts Quarterfinals Soccer  en vivo live score results today schedule standings rankings gold cup


ST LOUIS (LALATE) – Mexico vs. Trinidad y Tobago 2013 Copa Oro (en vivo live score results below) prompts a quarterfinals soccer match tomorrow July 20, 2013. The futbol game is the second of two Gold Cup quarterfinals matches on the Copa Oro schedule this weekend. But what time does Mexico soccer play in the Copa Oro?

Mexico vs. Trinidad y Tobago 2013 features two teams with dramatically different record records. After a week in which Mexico soccer fans have been asking “cuando juega Mexico vs. Trinidad y Tobago” and “a que hora juega Mexico”, officials confirm to news that Georgia Dome soccer fans will see the teams kick off at 3:35 PM EST Saturday.

In their last five starts, Trinidad has only one win, three loses and one draw. Mexico in turn has three wins, two losses and no draws in their last five matches, officials tell news.

Mexico has steadily improved since struggles earlier this year. In June, the team split games before the Copa. Mexico fell to Brazil, failing to score a single goal. Then Mexico came back to beat Japan. But in their opener for this Copa Oro 2013, Mexico was beat again, falling to Panama by one goal.

Since then, Mexico has come back with a vengeance. In their next two Copa Oro games, Mexico has produced five goals and given up one, reps remind news.

Trinidad y Tobago’s record looks dramatically different. The team has only one win this year, their last match in the Copa. They are coming off an impressive two goal victory over a scoreless Honduras. But before that, the team was beat by Haiti in this Copa and drawed against El Salvador in a two goal match.

Trinidad y Tobago stated this year with matches in March, producing a friendly draw against Belize. In its next three games, the team lost three consecutive matches, failing to score a single goal. In fact, between March and June, Trinidad y Tobago gave up eight goals in four matches and never earned a single point. For live score results Saturday, click HERE. For other Copa Oro results, standings, and schedule click HERE.

8:10 AM

Click on the banner to visit the site : 2013 Rose City Fall Invitational Thomasville, GA September 28th and 29th, 2013 Click here to register Welcome to the Rose City Fall Invitational! This tournament is for U8 - U18 boys and girls teams looking a great weekend filled with some highly competitive matches!

4:22 PM

Atlanta Silverbacks Soccer

The Georgia Lottery is a proud supporter of the Atlanta Silverbacks Soccer Club. Fans can enter to participate in the Georgia Lottery “Try Your luck Crossbar Challenge.” Three fans get a chance to hit the crossbar for exciting prizes! For more information on the Atlanta Silverbacks and for the season schedule, click here.

10:31 AM

Lady Lion Soccer Making Piedmont's First Trip Overseas as NCAA Member

Demorest, GA – The Piedmont College women's soccer team is set to embark on a journey that will set the path for Piedmont athletic programs in the future as they ready for an overseas trip to the United Kingdom.  The Lady Lions depart Atlanta via Hartsfield-Jackson International Thursday night for the 11-day trip which will include tours through both England and Scotland including matches and training sessions with some of the game's most recognized clubs.

For Piedmont Head Women's Soccer Coach Stephen Andrew, the trip is a return home as the Falkirk native brings his team back to his native country for the international experience.  His Lady Lions land in Manchester, England on Friday morning but will make the trek up to Anfield touring the grounds of Liverpool FC, one of the English Premier League's (EPL) most storied clubs.

The following morning, the Lady Lions will go through a training session with a Liverpool Academy Coach, one of three such sessions that the team will have with an international coach. On the fourth day of the trip, Sunday, July 21, PC will have a training session with a coach from Manchester United, the 2012-13 Premier League champion.  Following the session with the club, the Lady Lions will then tour Old Trafford, the grounds of Man United and a revered site for many of the games' most famous contests.

On Monday, the team will play its first game of the trip facing Everton FC in an evening match in Chester.  That match wraps one of the first sightseeing days for the squad as well as they will visit Conwy Castle earlier that morning.  The Lady Lions also visit Edinburgh Castle later in the week and have a guided tour of the Edinburgh City Center also set up for the same day.

Two days after playing their first match of the trip, Piedmont again takes the field for a contest against Stenhousmuir, a home club for Coach Andrew, as the team travels north to Scotland for the remainder of the trip.  Earlier in the day, PC also gets their third and final training session with a coach from overseas training at Stirling University in Scotland.

Split up by a day where the Lady Lions get their third contest of the week (a Friday evening match against Celtic FC), the remaining days feature a pair of matches that the team will attend as spectators.  First up is a Europa Cup game featuring Hibs and Malmo before the team wraps up their trip by attending a pre-season match seeing Brussia Munchengladbach visit Celtic FC, one of Scotland's most beloved professional clubs.

PC will also tour Celtic Park, the home grounds of Glasgow Celtic, before departing the country to arrive back in the states on Sunday, July 28th.  Fans can follow the team's journey throughout the trip as returning junior Kelley Miller will be keeping a blog featured online at PiedmontLions.com detailing the team's travels.  Fans can also keep up with their favorite Lady Lions via social media as tweets will roll out with details on the team's trip.

10:22 AM

The Georgia Revolution may have missed out on the 2013 National Premier Soccer League's playoffs, but the Conyers-based fourth-tier soccer club has a chance at one more glory this year.

The Revolution host the Atlanta Silverbacks, spring champions of the North American Soccer League a second-tier league in the United States' professional soccer pyramid, at 7:30 p.m. today.

It will be the third time the two Atlanta-area teams have met at the Rockdale Youth Soccer Association's Soccerplex, and the second time this season.
The Silverbacks defeated the Revs 3-2 in the first round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup May 21, despite goals by Emeka Maduka and Kwadwo Poku on their home pitch.

The two teams also met in the U.S. Open Cup last season, with the Silverbacks winning 1-0 in the second-round match on May 23, 2012.

Following that matchup and the 2012 season, the Silverbacks signed Mark Lavery away from the Revs, moving the former Georgia defender to the professional ranks.

With this being an exhibition game in between the NASL's spring and fall seasons, Lavery may get some playing time. He didn't get on the pitch in the U.S. Open Cup matchup two months ago.

Also helping Lavery's cause is the fact that Atlanta defender Mark Bloom was loaned to Toronto FC of Major League Soccer for the remainder of the season Friday. Atlanta now has eight defenders listed on its roster.

The Georgia Revolution finished their third season with a 4-2-2 record with 14 points in NPSL play, finishing in second place to the Jacksonville United, who had 20 points and six wins.

7:21 AM

Get ready for StreetJam on August 17! Remember the block parties that used to bring a neighborhood together? We're excited to bring that back for Atlanta on August 17th. Join Soccer in the Streets as we present the first ever StreetJam, celebrating our organization and our kids as we use soccer to help kids Choose the Right Path. Free Street Soccer games and activities for kids and adults to play, including: FreeStyle Battles Juggling Contests Panna Matches Live DJ, art project, and more! For more info, check out our event page.

Check out our new website!  We're excited to share our new website with everyone.  Same address, new look... www.soccerstreets.org While you're at it, check out the updated website for this year's Black Tie Soccer Game as well! www.blacktiesoccergame.com

BB&T Lighthouse Project benefits Clarkston youth Last month, BB&T employees came out to the Clarkston Community Center for a Lighthouse Project.     They completed a number of projects around the soccer field at the center, hosted a Street-Cup for over 60 kids of all ages, and gave away new soccer cleats to our soccer players.     Thank you to everyone at BB&T for supporting our kids and one of our long time partners, the Clarkston Community Center!  Read a report from one of our Clarkston FC participants who volunteered on the project. Check out pictures from the day to see their impact.

2:49 PM

The CONCACAF Gold Cup Quartefinals are set! PLEASE NOTE THE GAMETIME CHANGE. (games have been moved back 30 minutes) Game 1: 3:30 PM Panama vs Cuba Game 2: 6:30 PM Mexico vs Trinidad & Tobago On July 20, 2013, our very own Georgia Dome will host the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Thanks to a special arrangement negotiated by Georgia Soccer, you can enjoy an exclusive discount, while raising money for your own club. You’ll receive a $5.00 savings on your ticket and a special parking rate, while earning a $2.00 donation back to your club with every ticket purchased—all for being part of Georgia Soccer. Here's how: Go to www.georgiasoccer.org/goldcup.aspx to gain your unique Georgia Soccer discount code.   Fill out the required fields— providing your club name automatically generates a $2.00 donation back to your association for every ticket you buy. Plus, any Georgia Soccer club purchasing 20 tickets or more will be eligible for a random drawing for a $1,000 equipment donation.   Submit the form and you’ll be directed to Ticketmaster to complete your purchase. Remember to use your Georgia Soccer discount code when you place your order.   On game day, be sure to park and tailgate in the Georgia Dome Orange Lot. Georgia Soccer members and families will receive $10 off parking rates in this lot only before 1:30pm to the first 200 cars. Tailgating festivities start at 12:30pm. (regular parking rates apply after 1:30pm)   Download parking pass and show to parking attendent. Receive $10 off parking ratesbefore 1:30pm in the Orange lot to the first 200 cars. Help show the world that Georgia is ready to host more world-class soccer events like this — we look forward to seeing you at the Georgia Dome on July 20! In need of hotel accomodations? Holiday Inn Atlanta Downtown - Centennial Park - $129.00/night Contact email: Michelle Brown phone: (404) 524-5555 ext 268 (reference Gold Cup room block) Sheraton Atlanta Hotel  -- $129.00/night Go to Gold Cup Quarterfinals for more details

12:15 PM

Soccer Sense @SoccerSense Soccer-Europa League win a "big disappointment", says Mourinho snsanalytics.com/tWo9y4 16 Jul Soccer-Europa League win a "big disappointment", says Mourinho LONDON, July 16 (Reuters) - Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said it would be a big disappointment if he won the Europa League, months after his predecessor Rafa Benitez guided the club to the title… Soccer Sense @SoccerSense MLS Preview from The Sports Network (ET)snsanalytics.com/tVo9y4 16 Jul Major League Soccer A pair of .500 teams will square off at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Wednesday as the Colorado Rapids play host to the New England Revolution. Alltop Soccer @alltop_soccer Varsity blues: Parents grate in quest for playing time, scholarships snsanalytics.com/URruy3 16 Jul Parents grate in quest for playing time, scholarships In the name of their shot-taking, ball-dribbling, pass-catching, bat-swinging children, some parents are crossing a line. Soccer Sense @SoccerSense Roster exclusivity keeps MLS All-Star Game unique, worthwhile snsanalytics.com/too8y4 16 Jul Roster exclusivity keeps MLS All-Star Game unique, worthwhile Why not Jack McInerney? He's the fourth-leading goal scorer in MLS, has the Philadelphia Union firmly in playoff contention and at 20 years of age could represent the finishing future of the U.S… HERosport Soccer @HERosport Happy Birthday @CarliLloyd! #uswntpic.twitter.com/It6VpPgsLm 16 Jul 1 RETWEET NE Revolution @NERevolution A special message from Kevin Alston #NERevsinstagram.com/p/bz0QL5IUW_/ 16 Jul 1 RETWEET Manchester United @ManUtd "It's an exciting time to be in the squad. Everybody's fighting for a place. Places are up for grabs." @Amos_40#mufc pic.twitter.com/vWljdkoZlq 16 Jul 1 FAVORITE FOX Soccer @FOXSoccer #USMNT lineup vs CR: Johnson; Parkhurst, Orozco, Goodson, Beasley; Holden, Diskerud; Bedoya, Donovan, Torres; Wondolowski. #GoldCupOnFOX 16 Jul 1 RETWEET

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