June 28, 2010


ATLANTA, GA –Women’s Professional Soccer took a turn through the schoolyard on Monday evening in downtown Atlanta, letting team captains Marta and Abby Wambach choose up sides for Wednesday night’s league All-Star Game at KSU Soccer Stadium.

The two superstar captains, who finished first and second in the All-Star balloting, divvied up the remaining 20 highest vote-getters to fill out their starting lineups. All-Star head coaches Paul Riley (Philadelphia Independence/Abby XI) and Albertin Montoya (Bay Area FC Gold Pride, Marta XI) consulted on the selections.

As the top vote-getter, Abby XI had the first pick and selected Atlanta Beat goalkeeper Hope Solo. Each side had only 30 seconds to make the selection.

Marta and head coach Montoya followed with the selection of goalkeeper Karen Bardsley (Sky Blue FC). That was followed by the selection of defenders including 2009 WPS Defender of the Year Amy LePeilbet from the Boston Breakers as the third pick. The coaches and captains went through defenders and midfielders sequentially before getting to forwards.


"We're excited. Obviously both teams are very talented and it's going to be entertaining, and that's how it should be,” said Marta XI coach Montoya. “Hopefully both teams will put on a good show for the fans. And with players like this, how can we not?"

"The amount of talent that will be in our locker room tomorrow and Wednesday is fantastic. Obviously we only have one practice ... it's just a matter of natural ability: let them go, roll the ball out there, roll the dice and see what happens,” said Abby XI head coach Riley. “It's an amazing amount of talent on this team, me and Abby just looked at each other and at the list and it really doesn't matter who you pick. We have some fabulous players so hopefully they click together and have a great game."

At the end of the event, Riley held up a hand-written sign that read Abby XI – 7, Marta XI – 5. The challenge was on. Even Marta, who rarely breaks out the English in front of a big crowd announced: “I want to wish good luck to my team!”

The All-Star Reserves were divided between Abby XI and Marta XI prior to the Pick ‘Em Event. Reserves Caroline Seger (ankle) of the Philadelphia Independence and Kate Markgraf (hamstring) of the Chicago Red Stars were late scratches due to injury and not replaced. Television coverage of the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve begins Wednesday, June 30 at 7:30pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel and will also be webcast at womensprosoccer.com and streamed to iPhones.

Abby XI (green/home; Abby Wambach – Captain, Paul Riley – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Hope Solo, GK, Atlanta Beat
#3 – Amy LePeilbet, D, Boston Breakers
#6 – Lori Lindsey, M, Philadelphia Independence
#7 – Shannon Boxx, M, FC Gold Pride
#8 – Tina Ellertson, D, Atlanta Beat
#9 – Eniola Aluko, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Heather O’Reilly, M, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Lauren Cheney, F, Boston Breakers
#17 – Lori Chalupny, M, Atlanta Beat
#20 – Abby Wambach, F, Washington Freedom
#84 – Cat Whitehill, D, Washington Freedom

Reserves
#4 – Angie Kerr, M, Atlanta Beat
#14 – Karen Carney, M, Chicago Red Stars
#19 – Kelley O’Hara, F, FC Gold Pride
#21 – Laura Kalmari, M, Sky Blue FC
#66 – Tasha Kai, F, Sky Blue FC
#85 – Jillian Loyden, GK, Chicago Red Stars
Kate Markgraf, D, Chicago Red Stars (injured/not rostered)

Marta XI (white/away; Marta – Captain, Albertin Montoya – Head Coach)
Starters
#1 – Karen Bardsley, GK, Sky Blue FC
#3 – Allison Falk, D, Philadelphia Independence
#4 – Rachel Buehler, D, FC Gold Pride
#7 – Kelly Smith, M, Boston Breakers
#8 – Sonia Bompastor, M, Washington Freedom
#9 – Ramona Bachmann, F, Atlanta Beat
#10 – Marta, F, FC Gold Pride
#12 – Christine Sinclair, F, FC Gold Pride
#13 – Kristine Lilly, M, Boston Breakers
#14 – Brittany Taylor, D, Sky Blue FC
#24 – Aya Miyama, M, Atlanta Beat

Reserves
#5 – Christie Rampone, D, Sky Blue FC
#11 – Becky Sauerbrunn, D, Washington Freedom
#17 – Amy Rodriguez, F, Philadelphia Independence
#18 – Erin McLeod, GK, Washington Freedom
#22 – Alex Scott, D, Boston Breakers
#78 – Cristiane, F, Chicago Red Stars
Caroline Seger, M, Philadelphia Independence (injured/not rostered)

10:09 AM

[REGION III BOYS] Georgia led all state associations with four teams in the boys finals at the U.S. Youth Soccer Region III Championships in Baton Rouge, La. Concorde Fire Elite captured the under-15 title and finished second in the under-16 division.

In the U-17 age group, Alpharetta Ambush Red beat GSA Phoenix Red, 4-1, in an all-Georgia final, scoring three times in the overtime. GSA Phoenix Red is headed to the National Championships as the National League champion.

Concorde's big forward, Cameron Moseley, drove in the winner in the 54th minute to lead it past Mexicas (S-TX), 1-0l in the under-15 final.

Concorde fell to RSL Florida, 2-1 in overtime in the U-16 final.

Triangle United SA Gold was the only team to repeat as champions as they knocked off Edmond OFC, 4-1.

Lonestars Red won the under-14 championship without conceding a goal during the entire tournament.

Under-14 Boys
Lonestar Red (S-TX) 1, Charlotte SA Predator (NC) 0
Goal Scorer: Andrew Lopez (52)

Under-15 Boys
Concorde Fire Elite (GA) 1, Mexicas (S-TX) 0
Goal Scorer: Cameron Moseley (54)

Under-16 Boys
RSL Florida (FL) 2, Concorde Fire Elite (GA) 1
Goals: RSL - Lakota Thomas (42), Travis Jehs (102)
Concorde -  Adrian Alabi (68)

Under-17 Boys
Alpharetta Ambush Elite Red (GA) 4, GSA Phoenix Red (GA) 1
Goals: Ambush - Alhagi Toure (76, 117), Karl Chester (95), Jaime Sanclemente (120); GSA - Iain Smith (90)

Under-18 Boys
TUSA Gold (NC) 4, Edmond OFC (OK) 1
Goals: TUSA - Sebastian Garner (45), Robert Lovejoy, III (53, 78), Zabarle Kollie (84)
OFC - Andrew Hall (63)

Under-19 Boys
Andromeda Navy (N-TX) 1, Black Rebels (S-TX) 0
Goal: Alexei Reyes (36)

by Paul Kennedy - Editor in Chief & General Manager of Soccer America Magazine

Atlanta Soccer Georgia Soccer Georgia Youth Soccer Soccer America

5:52 PM

Dear Boss,

How are you? I'm fine. Thanks for asking.

Just wanted to let you know to expect a new expense sheet from me when I get home. In addition to my journalistic duties, I have also been seconded as the staff chauffeur for the entire Canadian press corps. Yes, I know. It's a heady responsibility, and far more difficult than writing, but I think I'm ready to take this important step in my career progression.

Why was I chosen? I haven't talked this over at any length with the other guys, but I think it's got something to do with being stupid and ... maybe just stupid.

As you may have heard, the South African roads resemble Mad Max. Or Escape From New York. Sort of half-Mad Max, half-Escape from New York.

First, everybody else on the road is insane. Or, at least, drives as if they are. 'Lane integrity' means nothing to these people. Probably because large sections of the highway have no lanes painted on them.

Second, many of their cars are not what we would consider road worthy. Nor are their driving practices. This occurred to me when we passed a hubcap-less miniature pick-up truck going 120 kph with a pair of matresses stacked on top of the bed. With two guys lying on the mattresses.

Made the long drive to Nelspruit yesterday with Morris Dalla Costa of the Sun papers - four hours in, four hours out. The four hours in were fine. The four hours out felt like four hundred years.

What's the road to Nelspruit like? Pretty. Morris and I agreed that it looked like the Alberta Badlands. If the Alberta Badlands were on fire. From the smokey haze covering the road for all of 350 km, everything on the way to Nelspruit appeared to be on fire.

On the way home, we passed eight - eight - roadside grass fires. Not little, contained fires. These were grass-based forest fires licking the pavement. Any one of them would have caused a 25 km back-up in Toronto and prompted a Royal Commission. Here, nobody took any notice. Who are these grass firebugs? Or is lightning a serious problem?

Eventually, Morris remarked offhandedly, "Oh, there's something you don't see in Africa every day ...something's on fire."

There was also the problem of directions. Our colleague at the Globe, Johannesburg-based Geoff York, advised us to get a GPS while here. Maybe we could give Geoff a little something-something out of the Star slush fund, because that may have been the most valuable advice anyone's ever given me. South Africa's roads were apparently designed by the same guy who put together the Minotaur's place. Nothing makes any sense, and everything involves a 360 degree on-ramp.

Nelspruit undertook a series of improvements ahead of the World Cup. How nice. Sadly, they didn't finish any of them. At one point, our GPS simply ran out of road. Ahead of us, twenty other carloads of people using GPS started making simultaneous, panicked u-turns. It look a little like the Golden Gate Bridge scene out of The Day After Tomorrow.

Morris and I, being experienced Africa hands now, proceeded calmly, counting on the GPS lady to adjust her way out of the problem. Then the highway ended. Just ended. At one point, there was highway. At the next point, there was a 20 foot high wall of dirt. The road was paved and marked right up to and under the wall of earth.

The four hours on the road in the pitch dark were exciting. Especially when people without working headlights or taillights begin trying to overtake at wild speed on an unlit two-lane highway. That concentrated my attention somewhat. Or when the guy pulled over to the shoulder and attempted to make an unsignalled u-turn while fleets of cars whizzed by at 155 kph. That was interesting as well.

Did I tell you we ran out of gas?

Well, not quite. But I admit getting a little impatient at one gas station because all the pumps are attendant-serviced, and there were no attendants. So everybody just sat there waiting. And waiting. And waiting. I lost my head - and drove away. Yes, it was foolish. Morris reminded me.

And suddenly we were on the middle of the pitch-black highway with the fuel warning blinking and Morris starting to emit a low growl like a cat that's sensed a ghost.

But just as we began to mentally prepare ourselves for our nude corpses to be discovered at sunrise on the roadside, we managed to pull into a 24-hour place and refill. So we're still alive.

For now.

I'm going to really appreciate that bonus.

All the best,

Cathal

1:42 PM

11:14 AM

Goal! Ouch! How Boys' and Girls' Injuries Differ
Soccer May Be Safer Than Football, But After Age 12 the Game Heats Up And So Does the Risk of Getting Sidelined


By ISAAC ARNSDORF

It's nearly impossible to tune into the World Cup and not cringe at the knocked heads and kicks to the chest. Concussions, knee injuries and ankle sprains are common in kids' soccer, too, though the sport is still safer than kids' football and rugby.

What's more, girls and boys suffer different types of injuries. Girls are more prone to heat illness and concussions. And in a new study that has puzzled researchers, girls are more likely to tear a ligament on their supporting leg, whereas boys are more prone to injure their dominant leg.

Experts attribute the disparities to different physiologies and styles of play. Some believe girls are simply more forthcoming with their symptoms.
Where Boys and Girls Get Hurt

Soccer injuries in high schoolers. Click to enlarge graphic.
[SOCCER]

Meanwhile, soccer safety regulations and equipment have changed little since the sport was popularized in the U.S. after World War I. Shin guards, for example, have long been required, but years ago were sometimes constructed of cardboard, leather straps or even magazines, says Mark Koski, assistant director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, which oversees high school sports nationwide. In 2008, the NFHS updated its standards for shin guards and now they must be certified by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment.

Efforts to require soccer helmets, notably in Massachusetts, have failed to gain traction.

Orazio Siclari of North Haledon, N.J., has a 14-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son who both play team soccer. His son, Sebastian, has had a few muscle strains. His daughter, Olivia, broke her nose six weeks ago and suffered a concussion while playing last year.

"Fortunately it wasn't that advanced, but it's still disturbing when your kid is saying her head hurts and she doesn't feel good," Mr. Siclari said of Olivia's concussion.

Most injuries, like Olivia's, occur in competitions rather than in practices—3.9 times as many for boys and 4.6 times as many for girls, according to the Center for Injury Research and Policy at National Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. For both genders, about twice as many injuries occur in the second half, when fatigue sets in. No position on the field has been consistently found to be riskier, but about a third of injuries occur at the top of the goal box.

More than eight million American youths play soccer in school and community leagues, according to the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association. For the youngest soccer players, injuries are rare and minor because the game is slower and less intense. That all changes after age 12, when the casual players tend to drop out and the onset of puberty amps up the level of play, says Donald Kirkendall, a sports medicine researcher at the University of North Carolina.

That's also when injury patterns diverge for boys and girls, as their bodies begin developing differently.

More boys tend to hurt their ankles, while girls tend to hurt their knees. Studies have found that adolescent girls are four to six times more likely to tear their anterior cruciate ligament, found in the back of the knee, than boys of the same age, according to the Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. Scientists are not sure why, but believe estrogen makes girls' ligaments looser, and lower levels of testosterone make it harder for girls than boys to build muscle. Also, because girls' muscles are different sizes and proportions compared to boys, Dr. Kirkendall says girls tend to stay more erect when they land, which absorbs less shock and can cause their knees to buckle.

A study published this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that boys tend to injure the ACL in their dominant kicking leg, whereas girls are more prone to injuries in their supporting leg. The authors said more research was needed to understand why.

Girls are also more susceptible to heat illness, according to a 10-year study of participants in the Schwan's USA Cup, the largest youth soccer tournament in the Western hemisphere. In the two years when the heat index topped 84 degrees, girls were 1.7 times more likely to suffer heat illness—exhaustion, hyperventilation or cramping—than their male counterparts. (Both years officials shortened playing time, required water breaks and allowed unlimited player substitutions.)

Researchers aren't sure why girls are more likely to suffer concussions, but theorize it's because girls' neck muscles are not as strong or because they are more likely to report their injuries. Most concussions result from collisions with another player, not from heading the ball, says Matthew Grady, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at the Children Hospital of Philadelphia.

Most leagues require players who show symptoms of concussions (such as loss of consciousness, headache, dizziness, confusion or balance problems) to be cleared by a medical professional before returning to the field. The practice became an official rule of the NFHS this past school year.

To prevent injuries, teams should stretch and warm up at the beginning of every practice. Coaches and trainers are advised to emphasize correct posture, straight up-and-down jumps, minimal side-to-side movements and soft landings (on the balls of the feet with a bent knee and straight hip). Research has shown that proper training and conditioning can reduce the risk of ACL injury, often by 30%.

9:05 AM

The referee who threw out the United States' would-be winning goal last week will not officiate another World Cup match anytime soon, FIFA announced Monday.

Mali-born Koman Coulibaly, who disallowed a crucial American goal against Slovenia on Friday night, was left off the list of referees for the next two days of matches.

The game ended in a 2-2 tie, rather than a 3-2 American victory that would have marked the biggest World Cup comeback ever.


FIFA officials have been tight-lipped about the controversial call.

"We do not comment on referee decisions," a spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal.

Coulibaly received a poor rating from FIFA following an expedited review of his performance Saturday.

FoxSoccer.com

Americans National Team US Soccer USMNT World Cup

4:11 PM

The Atlanta Beat Women's Professional Soccer team recorded their first win in franchise history on June 19 at Kennesaw State University Stadium, defeating the Chicago Red Stars 1-0.

Tina Ellertson scored the match's only goal in the 42nd minute of play with an assist by Mexican forward Monica Ocampo. Ocampo served the ball to Ellertson, who then leaped and headed the ball just inside the far post.

"Chicago was pushing up on us so I was thinking about being offside, and Monica did a great job of laying it in and I stepped up right in time, just wanted to put it in the corner of the net. We finally got the monkey off our back,” said Ellertson.

Atlanta out shot the Red Stars 17-4, and had twice as many corner kicks with 10. The Beat were called offsides six times compared to the Chicago's one. There were 20 total fouls between the two teams during the game.

Atlanta were missing three players due to national team duty, Ramona Bachmann, Johanna Rasmussen and Eniola Aluko, and two players due to grassroots World Cup campaigns, Kia McNeill and Hope Solo.

“Bottom line in a team is that it’s about the team. No matter how many players were missing, it doesn’t change the fact that the Atlanta Beat came out to play today,” said Beat goalkeeper Brett Maron.

This was Atlanta's second game against Chicago, following their first game on June 6 which resulted in a 0-0 draw. The Beat's next match will take place at KSU Soccer Stadium on Wednesday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m.

9:42 AM

June 16, 2010

The professional women’s soccer league in the United States Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) composing seven teams began play on March 29, 2009.

The Comcast Sports Networks have acquired WPS coverage in the home market for all seven of the league’s teams. The WPS teams are:

* Atlanta Beat
* Boston Breakers
* Chicago Red Stars
* FC Gold Pride
* Philadelphia Independence
* Sky Blue FC and
* Washington Freedom

Comcasts coverage of the teams and networks are:

* CSS (Atlanta Beat)
* Comcast SportsNet New England (Boston Breakers)
* Comcast SportsNet Chicago (Chicago Red Stars)
* Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (FC Gold Pride)
* Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia/The Comcast Network (Philadelphia Independence and Sky Blue FC)
* Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic (Washington Freedom)

Comcast Sports Group Senior Vice President of Sports Content Mike Sheehey, said “We are continuing and expanding our relationship with Women’s Professional Soccer, now in its second season, because these games provide exciting content to our audiences throughout the summer, particularly for young women.”

Rob Penner, Director of Communications & Broadcast Relations, WPS, said “This regional coverage across the Comcast Sports Group networks provides fantastic exposure to all sports fans of the world class product that is Women’s Professional Soccer.”

9:19 AM

Wed, Jun 16, 2010


WEDNESDAY, June 16 (HealthDay News) -- If you can't wait to watch the U.S. soccer team take on Slovenia in its next World Cup match on Friday, know that being an avid sports fan may be more than just a lot of fun.

Scientists have shown that fans who feel personally invested in a team or, better yet, who attend games and cheer along with like-minded fans, reap the mental health benefits that come from a feeling of social connectedness.

"The main thing that people achieve via sports fanship is a sense of belongingness, or connectedness, with others," said Edward Hirt, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Indiana University. "Sharing a common allegiance with others bonds people together in a special way. We can relate to others who share fanship with our team and feel a camaraderie with them that transcends ourselves."

That's a feeling Monty Rodrigues knows well. The New Hampshire-based financial analyst has season tickets for the New England Revolution soccer club. As president of the Midnight Riders, the team's fan club, he organizes pre-game tailgates and group activities that have raised $25,000 for charitable causes.

Along with friends he's made through the World Cup, he was in South Africa to watch the United States tie England on Saturday.

"In soccer, the fans are singing, drumming, jumping around. You feel like you're a part of the team," Rodriguez said. "I've met so many good friends through being a soccer fan. Some I see at Revolution games. Some I see at the World Cup. We'll pick a bar to meet up in, have a beer and celebrate friendships made because of the sport itself."

And as any sports fan can tell you, being a fan feels even better when the team wins or, in the case of the U.S. soccer team, surprises the world by tying with the heavily favored England. Other research suggests fans of winning teams can actually feel better about themselves after a big game due to the phenomenon of "reflected glory."

In the 1990s, Hirt showed ardent fans of Indiana University's basketball team pictures of attractive members of the opposite sex and asked them to rate their ability to get a date. After their team won, both men and women who were devoted fans were more optimistic about their likelihood of scoring a date. They also had a higher opinion of their ability to do well at tasks such as throwing darts, shooting free throws, solving word games and even rolling dice.

"The 'basking in reflected glory' notion states that people can elevate their self-esteem in the eyes of themselves and others by their association with successful others, " Hirt said. "Because the team's success reflects positively on its fans, sports fans feel better about themselves when their team does well."

There may even by a physiological reason for that boost in confidence. One study found testosterone levels in men rise after a victory and fall after a defeat, said Paul Bernhardt, an assistant professor of psychology at Frostburg State University in Maryland who was involved with the research as a student.

Bernhardt and another researcher took saliva samples from Italian and Brazilian men in sports bars before and after the two teams played one another in the 1994 World Cup. After the Brazilians won, the testosterone levels of their fans rose more than 20 percent, while the Italian fans' levels dropped more than 20 percent.

They had similar findings when they did the test among college students before and after a University of Georgia vs. Georgia Tech basketball game.

"It was a remarkable finding," Bernhardt said. "We know fans have a strong sense of personal investment in teams they're following. That's the nature of fanship -- the sense of personal connection and self- identification with the team."

"We see it even in chess matches," he added. "It's about a change in status. 'I am now higher in the social hierarchy than I was before.'"

Though reflected glory explains why the stands are full for winning teams, it doesn't explain diehard fanship, or people who stick by their team even after lengthy losing streaks.

That, Hirt says, is better explained by the kinship offered by being a true, time-tested fan.

"We watch games with others, celebrating our team's successes, but also commiserating over our team's defeats," Hirt said. "I think that fans take a perverse pride in their loyalty, and see it as a badge of honor to suffer through the tough times of their team's mediocrity or failure; doing so makes one feel like a 'true fan' and one that deserves to revel in the team's successes, unlike those fair-weather fans."

As the World Cup continues, sports fans have been lining up at 4 a.m. to get into Nevada Smiths, a New York City sports bar that brags that it is a place, "Where Football is Religion." Jack Keane, director of the pub's football (as in the British name for soccer) program, expects to have more than 100,000 people come through its doors to watch their favorite team during the World Cup. "It's like a train station of nationalities, different creeds, different colors, different languages, all united by their love of football," Keane said. For many sports fans, whether it is soccer, football or baseball, being a fan is also part of a family's identity, a tradition passed down from generation to generation, Keane said. "If you've ever been in a stadium with 100,000 people watching a team that you or your family has grown up supporting, it's like a religious experience," Keane said. "People tell me they get more joy from watching a match in here with other fans than they do out of any other social activity." More information Here's everything you wanted to know about the the U.S. soccer team's journey through the World Cup, from the U.S. Diplomatic Mission to South Africa.

10:33 AM

Movie Premiere and Fundraiser

Georgia Soccer, in partnership with Powerade, will be hosting the Atlanta Premiere of the documentary film Pelada at the World of Coca-Cola, Thursday, July 8. The movie is very entertaining and is getting great reviews. Proceeds from the evening will go to support the Atlanta and US Bid for the FIFA World Cup™ and the continuing distribution of the film

I hope you are able to join us for the Atlanta Premiere of this very special film. Call Stephanie Cuccia at 678-993-2116 for tickets today!
Sharron Safriet
TWO PLAYERS. 25 COUNTRIES. ONE GAME.

Georgia Soccer and Powerade
are excited to host
a very special evening . . .
the Atlanta Movie Premiere of
pelada

Thursday, July 8
World of Coca-Cola
7:00 pm

The Evening
Reception
Complimentary Beer, Wine and Movie Snacks
Swag Bag
Silent Auction
Movie
Q&A with Director, Ryan White

Tickets $50.00
(proceeds to benefit the Atlanta Bid for the FIFA World Cup
and the continuing distribution of the film)
Tickets are available from Georgia Soccer.
To purchase, call Stephanie Cuccia at
678-993-2116.

Click here to view the trailer.

Pelada is a documentary following Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college soccer stars who didn't quite make it to the pros. Not ready for it to be over, they take off, chasing the game. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.

Director Ryan White is a Georgia native and played youth soccer in Norcross.

10:29 AM

In ‘Pelada,’ Pickup Games Around the World
By JACK BELL

If the director Martin Scorsese can do a horror flick, then next month’s South by Southwest film festival can serve as the world premiere for a soccer film, “Pelada.” Right?

Tucked among the other titles in the SXSW 2010 program in Austin, Tex., March 12-20 that include “MacGruber,” “Barbershop Punk,” “The People vs. George Lucas,” “The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights” and others, “Pelada” is an ode to soccer around the globe, but with a twist — the games are played far, far away from manicured fields and are bereft of highly paid players. (“Pelada” will have its world premiere at the festival on Sunday, March 14 at the Austin Convention Center.)

Instead, the film, a labor of love among the directors Rebekah Fergusson, Luke Boughen, Gwendolyn Oxenham and Ryan White, might qualify as the soccer world’s answer to the 1966 surf-dude film the “Endless Summer.”

In “Pelada,” the four young Americans embark on a six-month odyssey to 25 different countries, playing pickup games in locales that most American tourists avoid. From a prison in Bolivia to a game with bootleggers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women playing in the hijab in Iran.

Fergusson and Oxenham were separated by several years as both played college soccer for Duke University. Both dabbled in documentary studies when they were in college.

“We faced this question: What will it be like when playing soccer isn’t your identity any more?” Fergusson, 25, said in a recent telephone interview. “What do you do when the game is over? ”

Fergusson toyed with the idea of making a documentary called “Hasbeens” that would deal with people whose careers had ended. It was a short leap until they realized that their lives as veritable soccer hasbeens was the kernal of a wider film effort. Oxenham had spent a summer working on a yacht plying the Caribbean when it pulled up at a Mexican army outpost. Speaking no Spanish, Oxenham weedled her way into a pickup game on the beach. “That’s when it dawned on us,” Fergusson said. “They kind of couldn’t believe it. Here we were in a machismo country and there was this highly skilled girl on the soccer field.”

After raising roughly $30,000 in financing, the quartet set off for South America in the fall of 2007 and the film’s focus gradually crystallized on Oxenham and Boughen. Boughen had played at Notre Dame and the two met when Oxenham was doing graduate studies in South Bend, Ind.

“Luke and Gwen more embodied the characters as hasbeens,” Fergusson said. “So Ryan and I just picked up the cameras.”

What followed was a pickup game inside the walls of a prison in La Paz, Bolivia.

“You can bribe your way in as a tourist and Luke and I went inside to negotiate a deal,” Fergusson said. “We paid them about $250 to get in. The guards don’t really bother inside the prison. It was a crazy experience in such a scary and frightening environment. It was 5 v 5 on an oddly shaped field, kind of like futsal. And the prisoners were all very skillful.”

But it was in the Middle East, during a spell in Israel, that Fergusson said the group came face to face with a popular notion that soccer can unite people who have little in common and who more likely than not loathe the other side. They found that popular notion — one which FIFA, the sport’s world governing body loves to promulgate — to be pure nonsense.

In downtown Jerusalem, the group found a field that was used by mostly Jewish players, but which was turned over to Arab players later at night. It was only several days after a Palestinian hijacked a piece of construction equipment and killed a number of Israelis.

“We were on the court one night and could feel the tension,” Fergusson said. “A group of Jews and Arabs were playing against each other; it was civil. We did some interviews and the tension was palpable and for the first time in our travels it was not just about the love of soccer. It was an added element. There was a great line from one of the Jewish players who said ‘although there are some people who try to portray football as being above politics, above all tensions, it’s bull. We will play with them, but we hate them.’ ”

After the festival in Texas, Fergusson said she and her associates hope to get “Pelada” entered into other film festivals around the world, including the Tribeca Film Festival in New York this summer. They have sold the film’s international rights to PBS.

8:25 PM

Register today with Savannah's biggest and best recreational soccer club by clicking HERE

4:20 PM

The TSC 96 Boys Elite heads to Germany. Good luck, have a great trip, and GO THUNDER! To read the article, click Read More.

3:04 PM

This is our MOST popular event of the year ... last year we had 125+ teams attend and expect the same this year. It is your teams last chance to qualify for Challenge Sport National event at Disney (if registered BEFORE July 1)

We WILL close out age groups as they fill up, so register EARLY. Register click on the tournament tab to the left.

2:59 PM

We are happy to announce the scheduling of our 2010 GSSA Coaching Certification Courses. These courses are run by the GSSA and hosted by DCU at Rock Creek Sports Complex.

Rec F Course (Required to coach Rec soccer and to be eligible for the $50 registration discount.)
July ...

2:42 PM

Thank you for attending tryouts for our 2010-2011 Boys and Girls Academy Soccer Teams. We had a great turnout and we are very excited about our 2010/2011 teams. The effort put forth by all of the players was impressive.
Results are posted below and your coaches will ...

2:41 PM

TRYOUTS FOR OUR U13-U17 SELECT TEAMS ARE MONDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT, 6:30-8PM. THAT IS JUNE 14 AND 15.

This is always an exciting time of year for the club, as we get to see returning players and welcome new families into our league.

Important for tonight:

Please do ...

2:40 PM

EFFECTIVE 6/10/10, THE SOCCER COMPLEX IS CLOSED FOR OUR ANNUAL SUMMER FIELD MAINTENANCE.NO PRACTICES OR USE OF ANY FIELDS PERMITTED UNTIL LATE JULY. CHECK BACK TO THIS SITE FOR SPECIFIC UPDATES.ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL CAMDEN SOCCER PRESIDENT KEVIN SWEENEY AT 912-322-2063.

2:31 PM

TV ratings for USA-England World Cup match

The USA-England match Saturday was the fifth most-viewed soccer telecast in ABC history. The two-hour match window averaged a 7.3 household rating (8.4 million households) and 12.9 million viewers. When the one-hour pregame coverage was included in the figures, the game delivered a 6.1 household rating (7 million households) and 10.8 million viewers.

The match ratings are based on ABC viewership in 56 markets and do not include data from Univision (Spanish) and ESPN Deportes (Portuguese).

ESPN's most-watched game over the weekend was Argentina vs. Nigeria -- a 2.8 household coverage rating (2.8 million households) and 3.7 million viewers.

Top markets for USA-England
1. San Diego: 11.5 rating
2. San Francisco: 11.2
3. Las Vegas: 11.0
4. Cincinnati: 10.8
5. Salt Lake City: 10.2
Most-watched matches in U.S. history
1. USA-China, 1999 women's final, 18 million viewers (11.4 rating)
2. Brazil-Italy, 1994 final, 14.5 million (9.5 rating)
3. USA-Brazil, 1994 round of 16, 13.7 million (9.3 rating)
4. Italy-France, 2006 final ,12.0 million (7.0 rating)
5. USA-England, 2010 first round, 10.8 million (6.1 rating)

10:44 AM

The Center of 2010 FIFA World Cup™ Action for Atlanta’s Most Passionate
Brewhouse Café sponsors raffle to support Soccer in the Streets' programs for kids

Atlanta, GA- June 7, 2010 Soccer in the Streets, a nonprofit organization that empowers kids who lack opportunity by using soccer as a medium to make them employable adults, will be partnering with the Brewhouse Café, Atlanta's leading soccer bar, during this summer's World Cup to raise money for Metro Atlanta youth development programming.

"We're excited to work with the Brewhouse Café to support our Atlanta programming," said Jill Robbins, executive director of Soccer in the Streets. "As a meeting point for most of Atlanta's most passionate soccer fans, it will be great to get them involved in supporting our kids' passion."

The Brewhouse Café, recently named as one of the "best soccercentric bars in America" by GQ Magazine, will be showing every match of 2010 World Cup on over 20 HD flat screen televisions and with surround sound.

The Brewhouse Café will be doing a raffle throughout the World Cup, with the winner receiving a V.I.P. table in front of the best TV in the building and a $250 bar tab for the World Cup final on Sunday, July 11. The winner will be announced at the second semifinal game on Wednesday, July 7.

For more information about helping Soccer in the Streets, please contact Communications Director, Jason Longshore at jason@soccerstreets.org.

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