Channel 2 investigative reporter Aaron Diamant obtained a copy of the indictments against 14 people.

Out of all the names, one stood out: FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb, of the Cayman Islands. Diamant learned that Webb has a large presence in metro Atlanta.

Diamant went to Webb’s mansion in Loganville. Prosecutors say Webb used bribe money to install a massive pool on the property and buy other properties in our area.

It's all laid out an inch-thick indictment over an alleged multimillion dollar international conspiracy to cash in on soccer.

Among those hiding behind bed sheets after their arrests in Switzerland on charges of sweeping corruption within the world's biggest sport was  FIFA Vice President Jeffrey Webb, a man with strong ties to metro Atlanta.

"Not anybody that's close to the soccer world was surprised at all. I mean, it's laughable and common knowledge for the better part of the last 25 years that the bid process was corrupt," said Griff Simms, president of the Georgia Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association.

Webb is one of more than a dozen soccer bigwigs indicted in an alleged decades-long, $150 million bribery scheme, which prosecutors say rigged where World Cup and other international matches would be played and who would broadcast them.

"All of these defendants abuse the U.S. financial system and violated U.S. law, and we intend to hold them accountable," said U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Webb is also president of the confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football.

Channel 2 Action News spoke with Webb at the league's gold cup tournament in 2013 in Atlanta.

"Around the world sports and football -- soccer -- is a big part of culture, part of the fabric of everyday life, and we believe that we're starting to see that emerging within Atlanta," Webb said.

Federal agents raided CONCACAF Miami offices this week.

Prosecutors said Webb used bribe-money for a pool behind his Loganville home, and to buy properties in Conyers and Stone Mountain.

"They corrupted the business of worldwide soccer to serve their interests and to enrich themselves," Lynch said.

A lot of people are calling Webb's arrest ironic because he was one of the FIFA officials who called for the release of a 2014 investigation into allegations of corruption surrounding bids for upcoming World Cup tournaments.

Webb and the others charged in this case are expected to be extradited back to the United States.

12:02 PM


by Trevor Williams

Coca-Cola Co., a long-time FIFA sponsor that underscores the power of soccer to bring people together globally, issued a statement urging the sport's governing body to address the issues that led to the arrest of seven executives on U.S. corruption charges in Switzerland Wednesday. 
"This lengthy controversy has tarnished the mission and ideals of the FIFA World Cup and we have repeatedly expressed our concerns about these serious allegations,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We expect FIFA to continue to address these issues thoroughly. FIFA has stated that it is responding to all requests for information and we are confident it will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities."
The U.S. Department of Justice named 14 defendants in an indictment alleging that for more than two decades FIFA executives accepted bribes and kickbacks in exchange for votes on World Cup bids and preferential treatment on broadcast and marketing deals. Four sports marketing executives and two companies were also alleged to have paid or agreed to pay more than $150 million in bribes. 
The statement comes just two weeks after Coke joined other FIFA sponsors in speaking out over allegations of human rights abuses leveled against Qatar, host of the 2022 World Cup. Rights groups accuse Qatari companies handling construction of World Cup venues and infrastructure of exploiting mostly South Asian migrant laborers by withholding income and subjecting them to unsafe working conditions and squalid living conditions.
Read how one of the indicted executives is connected to Atlanta here (includes links to the DOJ’s release on the indictment). 

11:04 AM

ARTIFICIAL TURF’S INFLUENCE OVER AMATEUR SOCCER KEEPS GROWING

Fifteen minutes into his team’s Class AAA state championship game at Mercer University, West Hall striker Sammy Coto was pouring ice water into his boots, trying to adjust to the new feeling of the AstroTurf at Five Star Stadium.By the end of his team’s 3-1 win over Dalton, the senior said he thought synthetic turf would become the wave of the future for student-athletes.
“There’s definitely an adjustment period,” he said. “But once I did adjust, I felt myself running a lot faster, I could handle (the ball) better. I felt faster, and could beat the defenders.”For many West Hall Spartans, the state title game was the first time they had trained or played on surfaces other than natural grass.
But the lure of synthetic turf’s long term viability may be a reason for high schools, parks and recreation departments and colleges in the Southeast to switch from natural grass options to attract tournaments, fans and players.“Purists will prefer grass, but the popularity of synthetic will continue to grow,” said Matt Henson, AstroTurf’s regional sales manager for the Southeast. “It’s the busiest I’ve seen in my 10 years of being in the industry. Schools, parks and recreation, colleges, it’s growing and will continue to grow in the future.”
The Georgia High School Association (GHSA) had originally planned for its 2015 high school soccer state championships to be held at Kennesaw State University and Emory University, but a scheduling snafu meant the organization turned to Mercer University.The GHSA is now in the middle of a 2-year contract with the university, which will end in 2016, according to associate director Tommy Whittle.
Coto said he felt that the artificial surface locked in heat and affected dribbling, passing and making runs in ways that felt different than on natural grass.“In the beginning, it was tough for me to have a good control of the ball,” said Coto. “But the ground was also harder, so it felt better for us when we were running.”
Whittle said he had heard no complaints from players or coaches after teams played 12 state title games over three days at Five Star Stadium.He said that synthetic turf fields are becoming a part of the norm in Georgia high school sports. The high school football state championships have been held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, which was built with a synthetic field, for several years.
“All I’ve heard from coaches is how great the facilities are,” he said. “If we put more and more demands on a field, the turf will put up with it more than natural grass does.”Synthetic turf has become a hot-button issue ahead of this summer’s 2015 Women’s World Cup.A group of high-profile women’s soccer players, including Abby Wambach of the United States and Marta of Brazil, recently withdrew a lawsuit that fought FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association’s plan to use artificial turf at its stadiums for the tournament.
Coto said he felt his feet “burning” as he stepped out onto the surface at Five Star Stadium, while teammate Simon Cobian said his fellow teammates didn’t know what to expect with playing on the synthetic surface.“Professional players are probably used to this. I know a lot of training grounds have that kind of turf,” said Cobian. “But it’s hard to get used to. When you slide, you’re geting burned by the heat and the turf. It might cause people not to slide as much.”
But artificial turf’s popularity is rising in the Southeast.There are 19 listed AstroTurf playing fields in the state of Georgia, including the Georgia State University football field and the practice facility of the Georgia Bulldogs football team, as well as sites at seven high schools.
Synthetic turf is now partially used at Manchester United’s Old Trafford, as well as the Bernabeau in Madrid. AstroTurf says the company is currently seeing an 18 percent increase in sales over this time in 2014.Henson said the allure of indoor practice facilities is trickling into the Southeast.
“It’s about keeping up with the Joneses,” he said. “The beauty of indoor is that they’re not exposed to the weather, and that extends the life of the turf.”Coto and Cobian think the future will lie with synthetic turf, for better or worse. Coto said it allowed him to make quicker passes and felt more buoyant than if he was on regular grass. Cobian said his crosses bounced higher, which made him adjust to how he needed to trap a pass.
“The speed of play is much different,” said Cobian. “I think players will have to work more on their speed and agility to take it on better.”
12:55 PM

Ella Stevens

For the second straight season, the Gatorade Georgia Girls Soccer Player of the Year is from Grayson.
Junior Ella Stevens was announced Tuesday as this year’s winner, following in the footsteps of teammate Jennifer Westendorf, who won the award in 2014. Stevens helped Grayson to the Class AAAAAA state championship last weekend and had 19 goals and 27 assists this season.
The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Stevens as Georgia’s best high school girls soccer player. She is now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award, which will be announced in May.
Stevens is ranked as the No. 7 recruit in the Class of 2016 by TopDrawerSoccer.com and has 48 goals and 73 assists in her career. The Duke commitment also maintains a 3.59 GPA.
She is the third straight Gwinnett girls player to win the Gatorade honor, joining Westendorf and Greater Atlanta Christian’s Rachel Garcia (2013). The previous winners from Gwinnett included Parkview’s Ashley Baker (2008) and Marah Falle (2007).
9:10 AM
Congratulations to another successful soccer season
Class AAAAAA
1. Duluth
2. Brookwood
3. Parkview
4. Alpharetta
5. Marietta
6. Habersham Central
7. Milton
8. Chattahoochee
9. Roswell
10. Tucker
Class AAAAA
1. Dalton
2. Allatoona
3. Greenbrier
4. Riverwood
5. Houston County
6. Gainesville
7. Clarkston
8. Heritage-Conyers
9. McIntosh
10. Starr’s Mill
Class AAAA
1. St. Pius X
2. Cross Keys
3. Woodward Academy
4. Southeast Whitfield
5. Whitewater
6. North Oconee
7. Johnson-Gainesville
8. Northwest Whitfield
9. Spalding
10. Mary Persons
Class AAA
1. West Hall
2. Calhoun
3. Oconee County
4. Westminster
5. Decatur
6. East Hall
7. Dawson County
8. Blessed Trinity
9. Islands
10. Coahulla Creek
Class AA
1. Greater Atlanta Christian
2. Wesleyan
3. Pace Academy
4. Riverside Military
5. Thomasville
6. Benedictine
7. Lovett
8. Darlington
9. Long County
10. Union County
Class A
1. Atlanta International School
2. Stratford Academy
3. Fellowship Christian
4. Pacelli
5. Mount Paran Christian
6. Aquinas
7. Savannah Christian
8. Paideia
9. Athens Academy
10. Pinecrest Academy
GIRLS
Class AAAAAA
1. Grayson
2. Harrison
3. Lambert
4. Lassiter
5. Peachtree Ridge
6. Walton
7. Parkview
8. Collins Hill
9. South Forsyth
10. Pope
Class AAAAA
1. Starr’s Mill
2. Northgate
3. Greenbrier
4. McIntosh
5. Columbus
6. North Atlanta
7. Richmond Hill
8. Evans
9. Gainesville
10. Alexander
Class AAAA
1. St. Pius X
2. Marist
3. Woodward Academy
4. Buford
5. Whitewater
6. Veterans
7. Chestatee
8. Pike County
9. Spalding
10. Cartersville
Class AAA
1. Westminster
2. Blessed Trinity
3. Decatur
4. Dawson County
5. Lumpkin County
6. Savannah Arts
7. Calhoun
8. Oconee County
9. Adairsville
10. Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe
Class AA
1. Greater Atlanta Christian
2. Lovett
3. Wesleyan
4. Holy Innocents’
5. St. Vincent’s
6. Bremen
7. East Laurens
8. Union County
9. Social Circle
10. Fitzgerald
Class A
1. Hebron Christian
2. Fellowship Christian
3. Stratford Academy
4. First Presbyterian Day
5. Atlanta International School
6. Paideia
7. Savannah Christian
8. Aquinas
9. Savannah Country Day
10. Athens Academy
2:32 PM
The Class AAAAAA boys state soccer tournament final four features a pair of rising upstarts and a pair of perennial powers.
In one semifinal, the Alpharetta Raiders, making their first ever playoff appearance, travel to surprising Duluth at 6:30 p.m. tonight in a battle of contrasting styles.
Bolstered by a senior-laden defense, the Raiders are allowing 0.89 goals per game and have shut out six of their last seven opponents, including all three playoff foes. Seniors Omar Lewis, an All-Region 6-AAAAAA selection, and David Roel anchor the Alpharetta defense, with midfielders Clark Restivo and Stefan Jean also making key contributions to the Raiders’ best season in school history.
“We’ve broken pretty much every record, winning percentage, season wins,” coach Scott Cole, who has teamed with assistant Mike Cediel to change the culture and expectations at Alpharetta.
The Raiders finished below .500 last season and lost their last nine games in 2012-2013 season. They enter tonight’s game at 12-5-1.
Senior goalie Warren Cherry deserves plenty of credit, said Cole. Cherry came up big with a save during penalty kicks in the Raiders’ quarterfinal win over Tucker and has been a weapon all season with 80-yard goal kicks.
“He’s overlooked, because he has such great defense in front of him,” Cole said of Cherry.
The Raiders’ defensive unit will be tested by an explosive Duluth attack that is averaging nearly five goals per game. Alpharetta scored more than two goals in only two games this season.
Duluth senior attacking outside midfielders Carlos Delarosa and Alexander Garuba have been the offensive catalysts for the Wildcats, who captured the Region 7-AAAAAA title in what coach Adel Mohsen thought was going to be a rebuilding seasons. Instead, like Alpharetta, the Wildcats are making their deepest playoff run. Neither Alpharetta nor Duluth has won a boys state soccer championship.
There’s plenty of championship pedigree in the other AAAAAA final. Parkview hosts Brookwood at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday in a battle of Gwinnett County rivals. Brookwood, the defending AAAAAA champion, overcame a rocky stretch during the regular season and is putting together another playoff run. Parkview is the last team to beat Brookwood, 2-1, on April 21. Brookwood and Parkview have won or shared a total of eight state championships. Parkview last won the state title in 2005.
The state championship games will be held Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Mercer University in Macon. Class A and AAAA will play Thursday; Class AA and AAAAA on Friday, and Class AAA and AAAAAA on Saturday.
Other notable semifinals
Woodward Academy at St. Pius, 7:30 p.m.: The Golden Lions (20-0-0) have won two consecutive state championships and four in the last six seasons. They have surrendered only one goal in the playoffs and three on the season. They’ll host a powerful Woodward Academy squad that has won eight in a row. The St. Pius-Woodward Academy winner will face the Southeast Whitfield-Cross Keys winner.
Decatur at Calhoun, 7 p.m., Wednesday: One of the biggest surprises of the season, Decatur has reached the final four for the first time since winning the 2003 state championship. The Bulldogs (10-8-1) went 4-13 last seasons, but advanced to the AAA semifinals with wins over Washington County, Sonoraville and Dawson County. Calhoun is 19-0-1 on the season. The Decatur-Calhoun winner will face the West Hall-Oconee County winner.
9:15 AM
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8:31 AM
Great Story: Georgia FC United  Steps up to help Michelle Akers Horse Rescue and other Projects

Service Project for Michelle Akers

Students from the Flood and Beta Clubs at Centennial High School initiated a service project at Michelle Akers Horse & Outreach Program. On May 2, 2015 members from the two Clubs, as well as members of FC Georgia United, met at Michelle’s farm in Powder Springs, GA, to work on several needed projects. These included repairing gates and fencing; installing plywood sheets in the hay barn and general landscape cleanup.

Once again, there was flooding in the stables after the recent April rain. Unfortunately, there is a constant need for repairs due to water damage and lost equipment. FC Georgia United will continue to help as much as we can this year and in the future.

FC Georgia United is a charitable organization whose members have a common interest in playing soccer. Male members are all 50+, with many in their 60’s and even 70’s. Our lady members are 40+. FC Georgia United will be holding fundraising events again this year to help Michelle and other worthwhile causes. If you are interested in joining our Club or just want to get involved please contact: Steve Lang, Chairman, Charity Committee at slang02@bellsouth.net.
 



For information about Michelle’s Horse Rescue please visit her website at: http://michelleakers.org/horse-rescue--outreach-inc.html.

Michelle was a member of the first USA Women’s National Soccer Team (1985 – 2000, 153 Caps,
105 goals/37 assists/247 point) and went on to become one of the best, if not the best, female soccer players in the world. Her list of many accomplishments is extremely long including FIFA Player of the Century; FIFA Merit of Honor 1996; record goal scorer FIFA World Cup with 10; FIFA World Cup Champion 1991 and 1999; FIFA Golden Boot Winner; Olympic Gold Medallist 1996. In 1990 and 1991, she was named USSF Female Athlete of the Year.

Michelle conducts team and individual soccer training. Anyone interested in having their youth team trained by one of the best ever, you can get more information and contact her through her website: http://michelleakers.org/

 
12:52 PM
1:33 PM

GHSA Soccer State Championship




When
May 14-16, 2015
Where
Mercer University Five Star Stadium
1501 Mercer University Drive
Macon, GA 31207
Directions
Championship Team Instructions (TBA)
Schedule
May 14, Thursday 
A Girls        12 noon
A Boys          2:30 pm
4A Girls  5:00 pm
4A Boys  7:30 pm

May 15, Friday 
2A Girls  12 noon
2A Boys  2:30 pm
5A Girls  5:00 pm
5A Boys  7:30 pm

May 16, Saturday 
3A Girls  12 noon
3A Boys  2:30 pm
6A Girls  5:00 pm
6A Boys  7:30 pm
Tickets 
$12 per day
Video
Watch Live & order DVDs at NFHSNetwork.com/GHSA.
Merchandise
State championship merchandise will be available on site by Team IP.
11:29 AM
Dutch legend Edgar Davids joins the ATL Champions League
The midfielder was named to the 1998 FIFA World Cup "Team of the Tournament"
May 1, 2015

Edgar Davids, the legendary Dutch midfielder, will be playing in the 2015 ATL Champions League, presented by Profisee. He will be raising funds for Soccer in the Streets and its metro Atlanta programs that empower underserved youth. 
"It's only appropriate that a player known as the 'Mayor of the Street' takes part in this event," said Soccer in the Streets co-chairman Richard Rushton. "Edgar joining Steve Archibald, Paul Canoville, and MLS Atlanta's Carlos Bocanegra is a huge boost to our event and will be extremely helpful as we raise money to bring our youth development programming to more kids in need."

Ten teams will be competing on and off the field in this event. Atlanta's most passionate soccer fans will be representing their favorite clubs in the event. The tournament is coed and played with a 7v7 format.
Edgar Davids featured for Ajax, Juventus, and Tottenham in a 22 year career in Europe.  He represented the Netherlands 74 times, and was named to the 1998 FIFA World Cup "Team of the Tournament."

Since his retirement, he launched Monta to focus on developing street soccer.  He told Cesare Polenghi of Goal.com, "Street football is great and it can help, because it is opened to everybody and it is very easy; all you need is a ball." 

Buy a ticket to watch Edgar, Steve Archibald, Paul Canoville, and Carlos Bocanegra play alongside Atlanta's most passionate soccer supporters at this link:
http://atlchampionsleague.com

You can donate to your favorite player or team in this year's ATL Champions League by visiting this link: 

Donate specifically to support Edgar by following this link: 
http://accounts.soccerstreets.org/Edgar

Profisee will be a presenting sponsor for all Soccer in the Streets events this year.  They are a master data management software company focused on delivering enterprise-grade MDM capabilities through its Master Data Maestro software suite. As a Microsoft Gold Application Development Partner, Profisee has a worldwide reputation for Master Data Management expertise and competence with Microsoft Master Data Services. For more information about Profisee's solutions, please visit www.profisee.com.

Soccer in the Streets Contact:
Jason Longshore
Chief Development Officer
888.436.5833 (office)
678.886.5642 (mobile)
12:39 PM
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