Dos Pueblos Girls Soccer Captures Channel League Crown

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor | @NoozhawkSports | January 30, 2019 | 10:17 p.m.

Josie Morales scored on a Blythe Hastings corner kick in the second half, and the Dos Pueblos defense made it stand up for a 1-0 victory at Cabrillo that gave the Chargers the Channel League girls soccer title on Wednesday night.

DP finished 7-2-1 in league play and 12-5-6 in the regular season. They'll enter the CIF Divison 3 playoffs next week. The pairings will be released on Saturday.

"Tonight's victory was a team effort from the starters to the subs," coach Seth Asuncion said. "The team worked hard throughout the season and had to bounce back after some unfortunate losses, but their response as a team was crucial to keeping us in contention.

"When it came down to the wire, the team was able to execute their assignments in order to place first in the Channel League." 

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The best running safety gear you can buy

Why you'll love them: With the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones, you can turn up your music and still hear everything around you.

A great run needs great music, and often it's that perfect song that helps you to power through the last miles. But while wearing headphones allows you to hear your music loud and clear, it can prevent you from hearing other important sounds, like footsteps behind you or a car engine approaching in that side street.

The AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Headphones use bone conduction technology to deliver the music through your cheekbones. With your ears left open, you can still hear those important ambient sounds.

These headphones are designed for athletes and offer a wraparound design for comfort and security. They are lightweight and flexible, plus they repel sweat, dust, and moisture. You can connect the headphones with Bluetooth for versatile listening options through your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

The reviews are in, and it's clear that these headphones are winners. Brad Moon wrote on Forbes, "The Trekz Titanium headphones were light, never slipped out of place, and with the flexible titanium band (which fits over your neck, not the top of your head), it was easy to forget I was wearing them."

An Amazon buyer named Dennis wrote, "I can't use regular headphone because I have to turn the volume up way too high to drown out the ambient sound, but with these, I can wear my hearing protection and still hear the music. No ringing ears at the end of the day."

As an added bonus, the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Open Ear Headphones are so versatile that they can be used nearly anywhere. Reviewers mention successfully using the headphones in office settings, at home, while mowing the lawn, at soccer games, while biking, and more.

Pros: Still hear ambient sounds while listening to music, controls are easy to use, comfortable and lightweight fit

Cons: A higher price than you'd pay for most other headphones or earbuds, thinner sound than what's offered by traditional headphones

Buy the AfterShokz Trekz Titanium Open Ear Wireless Bone Conduction Headphones on Amazon for $80 to $94.99

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The fundamental, unavoidable problem of video-assisted refereeing in soccer

The fundamental problem with replay review is that it rarely works as intended. In theory, the referee blows an obvious and important call — the guard's foot was well behind the three-point line, the tight end definitely trapped the ball against the turf, the striker was a full yard offside — and the review swiftly corrects it. The team that benefits feels vindicated, and the team that doesn't is a little miffed, but basically everybody agrees that a wrong has been righted and the contest is a little more fair than it otherwise would have been. 

In practice, you know how city buses are supposed to show up every 10 minutes or so, but sometimes you're sitting on a corner for half an hour in the rain wondering if modern civilization has ended and you just don't know about it yet? It is sometimes like that. A wrong is quickly righted, or we're waiting for the refs for interminable stretches of time as they examine video blown up so big the pixels are the size of Kraft singles, trying to figure out if a ball grazed a single frayed fiber of a punt returner's gloves. This is not any fun, and it's not really even sports. It's amateur forensics, and were it to be excised from the game in exchange for a few more officiating mistakes, that would be fine with me.

Of course, that's not going to happen. Once replay review is established in a sport, its application only ever broadens, because if we can look at this, why can't we look at that? In the wake of an egregious pass interference no-call in the NFC Championship Game, the folks who run the NFL are at least going to have an offseason discussion about whether P.I. should become reviewable. They'll have a hard time coming up with an argument against doing so, because they've already established that they're willing to halt the action to examine so many other types of plays. The only way to shut down calls for expanded replay review is to simply not have it in the first place.

As American sports have become increasingly bogged down by prolonged bouts of standing around and squinting, the various bureaucracies that govern professional soccer, astoundingly behind the times as they are, have been (accidentally) doing right by the game that pays their overgrown salaries in neglecting to institute any kind of replay review — until recently, that is. 

As we saw at the World Cup last summer, VAR — video-assisted refereeing — is quickly becoming standard in high-level soccer. The Bundesliga and Serie A installed it in 2017. La Liga's using it this season. It's coming to the Champions League knockout rounds and to the EPL at the beginning of next year. Before this recent innovation, most leagues in Europe had used goal-line technology, which was developed by Hawkeye, the company that invented tennis' near-perfect replay review mechanism. Goal-line technology is terrific because it's just a series of cameras and some software that pings what referees watch when the butt-end of the ball passes into the net. It's an ideal, instantaneous form of review. VAR, by contrast, is more or less what you're familiar with if you've ever come back from a bathroom break to discover that the refs in this Spurs-Hornets game are still flummoxed as to whose elbow came into contact with the ball before it went out of bounds.

In short, VAR is bad in all the usual ways. It corrects some missed calls, but it also turns every other goal and penalty-area tackle into a court case. I can tell you, as a weekly La Liga watcher, that it has made Spanish soccer particularly unpleasant to watch. 

La Liga already has pretty poor refereeing as compared to the EPL and Bundesliga, and due to this incompetence, players in Spain are predisposed to argue every little thing. No yellow card has ever been justified, no borderline handball decision ever left undebated. This is exhausting, and with VAR, the on-pitch litigating has only intensified, because the players don't know (or don't care) what's supposed to be reviewable and not, and they demand the referee take a look at plenty of stuff that isn't particularly important or calls that were clearly fine in the first place. For every instance when a goal is ruled valid after a poor offside decision, there are several spells of players surrounding the ref as he tries to tell them that it won't be reviewed. 

This slows matches down, but it also just creates a miserable overall vibe. VAR creates incentive for players to give in to their worst impulses. Instead of airing their considerable talents, they essentially become some end-of-his-rope schmuck stuck in traffic, honking his horn and fogging up his windows with curses.

Real Madrid boss Florentino Perez is trying to kill VAR before it entrenches itself, and while that crusade is more about Flo's ego than anything else, he's at least on the right side of the argument. But it's one he's not going to win, because even his massive reservoir of juice isn't enough to get rid of a system that, for whatever reason, sports leagues become absurdly attached to once they institute it. 

Whether replay review is a net positive or not, it endures. Ironically, it doesn't seem as if there's any process that can expunge it.

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Seniors Help Propel Dos Pueblos Girls Soccer Into First Place

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor | @NoozhawkSports | January 26, 2019 | 10:31 a.m.

With first place on the line in the Channel League girls soccer race, the Dos Pueblos seniors made sure their Senior Night was going to be an extra special open.

Seniors Josy Uyesaka and Haillie Silva scored goals and Blythe Hastings had an assist as the Chargers roared to a 3-0 win over Santa Ynez to take over the top spot in the standings on Friday night at San Marcos.

Dos Pueblos moves to 5-2-1 (16 points) and vaults over Santa Ynez (4-1-3, 15 points) with two matches remaining.

Uyesaka stunned the Pirates with a blast from 30 yards 10 minutes into the game.

The score remained 1-0 until Silva found the back of the net early in the second half.

"Haillie was a relentless threat throughout the game and was rewarded for all her hard work," said DP coach Seth Asuncion.

Then it was Hastings' turn to deliver on Senior Night. 

"She delivered a well-placed ball to freshman Gizela Zermeno to cap off the victory," said Asuncion.

The DP coach added that the play of Josie Morales, Natalia Valladares and Emila Kling "was influential in the victory."

DP's next game is Monday at rival San Marcos.

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Fantasy Soccer Podcast: Tues, Jan 29 DFS Premier League Preview

This article is part of our Fantasy Soccer Podcast series.

Andrew Laird and Jordan Cooper preview Tuesday's six-game daily fantasy Premier League slate, including which of Man City, Man United and Arsenal are worth stacking in a capture method.

You can subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher, and if you like what you hear, please rate and review it!

Intro and outro music:Above and Beyond by Silent Partner

The author(s) of this article may play in daily fantasy contests including â€" but not limited to â€" games that they have provided recommendations or advice on in this article. In the course of playing in these games using their personal accounts, it's possible that they will use players in their lineups or other strategies that differ from the recommendations they have provided above. The recommendations in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of RotoWire. Jordan Cooper plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: blenderhd, DraftKings: blenderhd. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho, TheSix: Lairdinho.

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'Blinded by the Light': Film Review | Sundance 2019

A British teen born to Pakistani immigrants has his life changed by Bruce Springsteen in Blinded by the Light, an '80s-set coming-of-age tale directed by Gurinder Chadha and inspired by the life of British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor. Surely the most crowd-pleasing film Chadha has made since that soccer pic that made Keira Knightley a star, Light is just as faithful to formula as Bend It Like Beckham and just as reliant on its lead's likability; here, newcomer Viveik Kalra radiates enough guileless enthusiasm to carry viewers past the film's rough patches. A bigger than expected commitment to the works of the Boss may help sell the pic Stateside, even if cinephiles will grumble that the best Bruce-related feature of the last 12 months was Jim Cummings' barely released Thunder Road.

Kalra plays Javed, a 16 year-old in a forgotten corner of Thatcher's England. He's kept a journal for years, writes poetry and is part of no one's tribe at high school. His expression is so permanently meek, nobody notices he's pretty handsome. The crummy town of Luton seems to have received the worst of '80s fashion and hair, but music supervisor Pete Sa makes sure the ambient soundtrack isn't just the usual suspects (Level 42, anyone?).

Back at school after summer break, Javed hits the trifecta: His new English class has a real-talk teacher (Hayley Atwell) who's about to discover his talent; one of his female classmates, Eliza (Nell Williams), will soon do the same; and in the hallway he collides with a stranger whose Walkman contains "the direct line to all that's true in this shitty world." Roops (Aaron Phagura), befriending the lonely Javed, puts cassettes of Born in the USA and Darkness on the Edge of Town in his hands and knows the music will do the rest.

The film's subsequent scenes are, well, corny as hell. But they're overwrought in the true way that falling hard for a song or a band can be. Overwhelmed by skinhead racism on the street and the constraints placed on him by his constantly striving father, Javed finds himself outside in a nighttime windstorm, his Walkman on and his psyche engulfed by "Dancing in the Dark." Lyrics and images are projected on the buildings around him, approximating the sensation of getting lost in the space between two headphones. Saul on the road to Damascus was not more transformed than Javed is.

Becoming obsessed with this new music at the same time that others are growing curious about his writing, Javed is drawn to denim jackets and red bandanas; his hair gets taller. And, awkwardly, he starts quoting Springsteen lyrics in any circumstance, sometimes loudly. The film doesn't commit to fully turning these moments into movie-musical breaks, and it doesn't present them realistically either; some scenes work better than others, and there have definitely already been too many of them when Javed and Roops hijack the school radio station, put "Born to Run" on the loudspeakers, and run off into a music-video interlude that, to use the parlance of the time, is barf-worthy.

Chadha might've found more artful ways to show how the songs that have burned into Javed's brain help him stand up to racist bullies or lean in to kiss Eliza. Then again, deciding that someone else's art defines your life is rarely cool, and this particular music nerd — who maintains his loping, beatific energy until life comes down pretty hard on him — seems born to run his mouth off whenever a Springsteen lyric is even remotely applicable to the situation.

(Lost opportunity: Though set in 1987, the film ignores Tunnel of Love, the songwriter's most underrated record, which was released that year. Javed's movement from meekness toward self-determination screams out for a scene in which he finds his boldness in "Tougher then the Rest.")

Javed's home life is painted in broad strokes but is honest, a story we've seen a million times of parents who expect their children to ignore the culture they've brought them to and honor the values of the land they left. Playing the stern father, Kulvinder Ghir has a fairly thankless job, but the character is deepened somewhat by unexpected job loss. What good is leaving your homeland to make a better life for yourself, if you wind up not being able to pay for your daughter's wedding?

Father and son have a predictable falling out — predictable, but not as contrived as some of Javed's other emotional crises. The film takes a quick breather back in Springsteen-nerdville before moving toward resolution: Here, thanks both to Kalra's performance and to some of the best writing in the screenplay, Blinded by the Light ties it all together.

Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Premieres)Production company: Bend It FilmsCast: Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams, Aaron PhaguraDirector-Screenwriter: Gurinder ChadhaProducers: Jane Barclay, Gurinder Chadha, Jamal DanielExecutive producers: Paul Mayeda Berges, Hannah Leader, Tory Metzger, Tracy Nurse, Stephen Spence, Peter Touche, Renee WittDirector of photography: Ben SmithardProduction designer: Nick EllisCostume designer: Annie HardingeEditor: Justin KrishComposer: A.R. RahmanCasting director: Sue Figgis, Kirsty KinnearSales: Joanna Korshak and Christopher Slager, Endeavor

113 minutes

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'Blinded By The Light': Film Review | Sundance 2019

A British teen born to Pakistani immigrants has his life changed by Bruce Springsteen in Blinded by the Light, an '80s-set coming-of-age tale directed by Gurinder Chadha and inspired by the life of British journalist Sarfraz Manzoor. Surely the most crowd-pleasing film Chadha has made since that soccer pic that made Keira Knightley a star, Light is just as faithful to formula as Bend It Like Beckham and just as reliant on its lead's likability; here, newcomer Viveik Kalra radiates enough guileless enthusiasm to carry viewers past the film's rough patches. A bigger than expected commitment to the works of the Boss may help sell the pic Stateside, even if cinephiles will grumble that the best Bruce-related feature of the last 12 months was Jim Cummings' barely released Thunder Road.

Kalra plays Javed, a 16 year-old in a forgotten corner of Thatcher's England. He's kept a journal for years, writes poetry and is part of no one's tribe at high school. His expression is so permanently meek, nobody notices he's pretty handsome. The crummy town of Luton seems to have received the worst of '80s fashion and hair, but music supervisor Pete Sa makes sure the ambient soundtrack isn't just the usual suspects (Level 42, anyone?).

Back at school after summer break, Javed hits the trifecta: His new English class has a real-talk teacher (Hayley Atwell) who's about to discover his talent; one of his female classmates, Eliza (Nell Williams), will soon do the same; and in the hallway he collides with a stranger whose Walkman contains "the direct line to all that's true in this shitty world." Roops (Aaron Phagura), befriending the lonely Javed, puts cassettes of Born in the USA and Darkness on the Edge of Town in his hands and knows the music will do the rest.

The film's subsequent scenes are, well, corny as hell. But they're overwrought in the true way that falling hard for a song or a band can be. Overwhelmed by skinhead racism on the street and the constraints placed on him by his constantly striving father, Javed finds himself outside in a nighttime windstorm, his Walkman on and his psyche engulfed by "Dancing in the Dark." Lyrics and images are projected on the buildings around him, approximating the sensation of getting lost in the space between two headphones. Saul on the road to Damascus was not more transformed than Javed is.

Becoming obsessed with this new music at the same time that others are growing curious about his writing, Javed is drawn to denim jackets and red bandanas; his hair gets taller. And, awkwardly, he starts quoting Springsteen lyrics in any circumstance, sometimes loudly. The film doesn't commit to fully turning these moments into movie-musical breaks, and it doesn't present them realistically either; some scenes work better than others, and there have definitely already been too many of them when Javed and Roops hijack the school radio station, put "Born to Run" on the loudspeakers, and run off into a music-video interlude that, to use the parlance of the time, is barf-worthy.

Chadha might've found more artful ways to show how the songs that have burned into Javed's brain help him stand up to racist bullies or lean in to kiss Eliza. Then again, deciding that someone else's art defines your life is rarely cool, and this particular music nerd — who maintains his loping, beatific energy until life comes down pretty hard on him — seems born to run his mouth off whenever a Springsteen lyric is even remotely applicable to the situation.

(Lost opportunity: Though set in 1987, the film ignores Tunnel of Love, the songwriter's most underrated record, which was released that year. Javed's movement from meekness toward self-determination screams out for a scene in which he finds his boldness in "Tougher then the Rest.")

Javed's home life is painted in broad strokes but is honest, a story we've seen a million times of parents who expect their children to ignore the culture they've brought them to and honor the values of the land they left. Playing the stern father, Kulvinder Ghir has a fairly thankless job, but the character is deepened somewhat by unexpected job loss. What good is leaving your homeland to make a better life for yourself, if you wind up not being able to pay for your daughter's wedding?

Father and son have a predictable falling out — predictable, but not as contrived as some of Javed's other emotional crises. The film takes a quick breather back in Springsteen-nerdville before moving toward resolution: Here, thanks both to Kalra's performance and to some of the best writing in the screenplay, Blinded by the Light ties it all together.

Venue: Sundance Film Festival (Premieres)Production company: Bend It FilmsCast: Viveik Kalra, Hayley Atwell, Rob Brydon, Kulvinder Ghir, Nell Williams, Aaron PhaguraDirector-Screenwriter: Gurinder ChadhaProducers: Jane Barclay, Gurinder Chadha, Jamal DanielExecutive producers: Paul Mayeda Berges, Hannah Leader, Tory Metzger, Tracy Nurse, Stephen Spence, Peter Touche, Renee WittDirector of photography: Ben SmithardProduction designer: Nick EllisCostume designer: Annie HardingeEditor: Justin KrishComposer: A.R. RahmanCasting director: Sue Figgis, Kirsty KinnearSales: Joanna Korshak and Christopher Slager, Endeavor

113 minutes

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Dynasty Season 2 Episode 11 Review: The Sight of You

I am so upset that I wasn't invited to that girl's trip! 

Dynasty Season 2 Episode 11 was hands down the most amusing episode to date. 

A change of scenery was necessary. Specifically a smelly and sticky bar where Fallon drowned her sorrows in beer and sang karaoke. 

The fact that the episode focused mostly on Fallon and Liam's relationship was just a bonus. 

We've been patiently waiting for Fallon to come to her sense and admit her feelings for Liam, but of course, the moment she did, Liam had moved on. 

A classic twist, but one that Dynasty writers handled well. 

Fallon: Do you even know what snow is?Cristal: I hear it's white than you.

Being the ever-dedicated woman that she is, Fallon wasted no time going to get her man with her Clueless-inspired outfit. 

Monica was the only gal pal invited to Idaho, but I am so glad Cristal and Kirby both weaseled their way in. 

Despite all living under the same roof, we don't ever get to see them together and enjoying themselves without Blake and Alexis' prying eyes. 

Admittedly, Fallon's pursuit of Liam was slightly obsessive and a bit rushed. She barely broke up with Michael and was already telling Liam he was "the one."

You may argue that when you know you know, but Fallon knew a while ago, she was just waiting for Culhane to mess up so her feelings for Liam could be validated. 

Fallon's approach -- following Liam and his new girlfriend to a ski-resort, stalking him, cornering him, and then declaring "war" -- wasn't her best moment. 

When she was on the lookout in the lobby, she seriously looked like an overeager puppy. It's not a good look for someone as powerful as Fallon Carrington. 

And the plans for Ashley, the obstacle standing in Fallon's way, were also slightly pathetic. 

Having Ashley's last name be Cunningham was a nice little touch. She was cunning, but not cunning enough. 

Liam was 100% on the money when he called Fallon out for stooping so low. I was all for Sammy and Kirby distracting Ashley, but messing up her eyebrows permanently was very 'Mean Girls' of them. 

Even though I wholeheartedly ship Liam and Fallon, I respect him for standing his ground and pulling back from Fallon's advances.

I was a rebound, but it's funny how easy it is to get a man to fall in love with you when he's been put through hell by a cold, self-serving, self-righteous bitch. I mean, you basically starved him, and now, well, let's just say I'm keeping him very satisfied.

Ashely

I love Fallon, but she's entitled. Her mentality is that if she wants something, she's going to get it, and honestly, that's just not how the world works. 

Just because she walked back into Liam's life doesn't mean he owed her anything.

And unlike Culhane, Liam wasn't about to give in. When he said he moved on, he meant it.

However, you can also look at it as a classic "tables have turned" situation. 

Liam was previously pursuing Fallon and trying to prove to her that he's the one. Now, Fallon is doing the pursuing though, with their messy history, it may be a little harder to make her case. 

As Fallon summarized, she's put Liam through the wringer. 

There are obviously still feelings as their chemistry is palpable, but Liam is such a stand-up guy, he wasn't going to cheat on his girlfriend. 

The good news for Fallon is that I don't foresee his relationship with Ashley lasting too long.

Ashley is vain and ten times more entitled than Fallon while Liam is caring, educated and sensible. She's not the girl for him, no matter how heartbroken he was when she put the pieces back together. 

When Fallon stooped low, Ashley stooped lower causing a bar fight and ruining a pretty rad karaoke moment. I'm still mad at her for that. 

All in all, bar fights, sabotaging a girlfriend, and attempting to ruin a relationship will never convince a man that you love him. 

Us three are going to take that bitch down so you can take your man home.

Kirby

However, you have to hand it to Fallon for being brave, vulnerable and owning up to her mistake. It was a big step for her. 

It was harsh of Liam to tell Fallon he can't stand the sight of her after she'd poured her heart out and genuinely apologized -- a rarity for Fallon. 

Kirby proved that she has the potential of being a good friend if given the chance. Her attempts to get into Fallon's good graces were adorable. Even her stalking was more rational than Fallon's. It's almost like she's done this before. 

I started Dynasty Season 2 irritated with her addition, but she's come a long way. 

Monica made a bold move by calling Dominque and telling her to stay away from the family. We don't know much about Dominque other than she abandoned her family and is Blake Carrington's half-sister, but we know she's not in Monica's good graces. 

It seems like Dominque heeded Monica's warning, a warning that's bound to bite her in the ass.

Jeff recognizing Monica's efforts to "warn him" about their mother means that Dominque will eventually make an appearance and bring along all that "drama" they've been teasing. 

Considering she's a half-Carrington, there's always a chance that the family made her leave and it was never her choice to abandon her children. 

While Cristal was away, Blake put all his focus on building out his new soccer league, but since he doesn't know anything about soccer he had to reach out to Culhane. 

Don't worry. I won't tell my father that his pregnant soon-to-be-wife laid out a few chicks in a bar fight. Although, it is a pretty killer story.

Fallon

What is it with rich, white men investing in things they know nothing about?!

Culhane did the right thing by rejecting Blake. After everything he's been through, he really does need to distance himself from the family. 

Oddly enough, his mother encouraged him to take the gig with Blake because I guess working with the Carringtons is fine if there's a good amount of money involved. 

Blake should be grateful that Culhane came along to sign Sterling Wells because Blake's "my team will give you money and power" play wasn't working for a man who already had money, power and a love for the game.

Culhane, however, may have found his niche. He was exceptional at convincing Wells to sign with the Atlanta team because he knows how to relate to people. 

Finally, Culhane has a purpose that doesn't revolve around Fallon.

Culhane even flexed his negotiation muscle by giving Blake an ultimatum -- if he wants Wells, Culhane has to become part-owner of the team. 

You'd think Culhane would re-think getting into bed with Blake after the mess with Ada. 

In a shocking twist of events, Cristal told Fallon the truth about the baby possibly not being Blake's. 

Blake: I want you to come with me. You two speak the same language.Culhane: Is that the 'black' language, Blake?

Her honesty makes think that maybe she isn't the gold-digger I thought she was.

She meshed well with the ladies, bonded with Fallon despite not knowing her for that long, and seems to truly love Blake. 

Hopefully, she was telling the truth when she said she accidentally slept with her ex-husband Mark Jennings.

Despite Fallon's ridiculous actions towards Liam, she gave Cristal some solid advice about telling Blake the truth and not feeling responsible for how he reacts. 

I wish Cristal had followed it because the longer she keeps this secret, the worse it's going to be when he finally does find out. 

And it's either going to be shady Alexis that blows the lid or a jealous Mark Jennings. Or maybe Alexis will find Mark and bring him to Blake. I wouldn't put anything past her. 

I don't know why Dynasty Season 2 Episode 10's cliffhanger involved Steven when there was absolutely no mention of his whereabouts on this episode. 

Related: Manifest: The Major is Unmasked as a New Player is (Finally!) Introduced

What is he up to? Why isn't he back with his husband? Why did he actually file those divorce papers?

Sammy is being so hard on himself for cheating, but we're not seeing Steven feel any remorse for leaving his husband shortly after their wedding.

Lastly, I have to ask if anyone knows why Fallon would want to touch Cristal's hair.

The comments made for cute interactions between the characters, but was there more to it than Cristal just having really great hair?

Missed any episodes? Be sure to watch Dynasty online and share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Lizzy Buczak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and read her personal blog at CraveYouTV.

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Chicago women's soccer pros show kids need for practicing skills

DECATUR â€" When rain began to pour down on the athletes practicing at the Decatur Soccer Complex on Saturday afternoon, none of them let a little water get in the way of a good lesson.

Girls soccer teams with participants 10 to 14 years old had assembled for a soccer clinic hosted by the Chicago Red Stars, the city’s representatives in the National Women’s Soccer League. In the eyes of everyone involved, a little bit of rain was even a welcome refresher.

“It was fun; it woke the girls up a bit,” said Nic Webster, head coach of the under-13 girls soccer team for Decatur’s MidState Soccer Club. “Soccer is the best sport to play in the rain. The ball moves faster, and it helps cool you down, since you’re always running. It makes it more competitive and exciting. Everybody seems to step up their intensity in the rain.”

Four representatives from the Red Stars were present to run clinics and reinforce basic skills with the young local players. Academy manager Margo Baker, head clinician for the organization, said that during the clinical portion of the event they focus on soccer basics the students have likely heard many times before.

“We are going back to basics and reiterating what their coaches have been telling them,” she said. “Whenever an outside coach or professional can reinforce those lessons, they pay more attention. We’re drilling proper techniques that are very important.”

As a teacher, Baker has found great satisfaction in working with preteens and teenagers who have displayed an interest in soccer. The sport continues to grow nationally as more young players are exposed to professional teams in the United States.

“It’s fun for us, and I think the kids really look up to the professional athletes, especially when they realize that these pros are doing the same kind of practices and exercises every day that they’re doing with their own team,” she said. “The pros still train all these basics day in and day out.

“Our players are very approachable; they like to get involved with these kids on the field and hang out with them, learn their names and get some one-on-one interaction time.”

The young players were able to ask questions about the sport and the professional players during an extended session, followed by an autograph and meet-and-greet period. One of the many girls passing through the autograph line was 14-year-old Alexa Kimberlin, a representative of Mattoon Soccer Club, who has already been playing for almost a decade.

“I started when I was 5,” Kimberlin said proudly. “Today we just went over important passing, dribbling and teamwork stuff. I’ve always liked soccer best; it’s my favorite sport.”

Renee Spencer, a self-professed “soccer mom,” sat to the side and watched her twin 13-year-old daughters, Gabby and Alyssa, participate in the clinics. She said the event represented a rare chance for young girls to get face-to-face time with potential female role models in professional sports.

“My daughters love soccer, and this was a great opportunity to see some professional women and ask them questions,” Spencer said. “It’s better than just watching a men’s team. They need some female role models in sports as well.”

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High School Male Athlete of the Week: Alfonso Montano rock solid in the middle for Los Amigos boys’ soccer

Montano spent the last two years on varsity, and the team did not experience nearly as much success. In his sophomore year, the team finished fifth in league. The following season, Los Amigos placed third, dropping its CIF Southern Section Division 5 wildcard match 1-0 to Kennedy.

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It was always questionable if Henry was right for Monaco

It was always questionable if Henry was right for Monaco | FOX Sports

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Soccer: Favourites tag 'ill-fitting' says Iran coach Queiroz

ABU DHABI (Reuters) - Iran coach Carlos Queiroz has moved to dampen the level of expectation surrounding his team at the Asian Cup by saying they are not even among the top three favourites to win the continental crown.

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - AFC Asian Cup - Quarter Final - China v Iran - Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - January 24, 2019 Iran coach Carlos Queiroz before the match REUTERS/Suhaib Salem/File Photo

Team Melli have been in impressive form in the United Arab Emirates, reaching Monday's semi-final against Japan without having conceded a single goal in five matches.

In Thursday's quarter-final, they ruthlessly dismissed China 3-0 — a scoreline that, if anything, flattered Marcello Lippi's side.

Iran have been to the semi-finals five times since they won the last of their three Asian Cup titles in 1976, however, and the canny Portuguese coach is determined there will be no complacency in his camp.

"There are only three favourites to win this competition and they are Japan, Korea Republic and Australia," he told reporters after the win at Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium.

"For us to be labelled favourites is not correct, it is an ill-fitting tag.

"In front of us we have just another game. Of course, the game has added significance in terms of enthusiasm and excitement, but when the whistle goes you simply have to play.

"This is especially true as now we know the big sharks will come for us — the favourites of Asian football — Japan and Korea Republic are coming for us, so we need to do more."

The former Manchester United assistant and Real Madrid, a seasoned campaigner with almost eight years as Iran coach under his belt, emphasised the importance of gradual improvement throughout a tournament.

"I always say to my team that after a match the Iranian shirt must always be in a higher place," he added. "What we did against China will not work (against Japan), so we need to ensure that we improve game after game."

Iran will be without Mehdi Taremi for the semi-final clash with four-times champions Japan in Al Ain after the striker picked up a second yellow card against China.

Queiroz accepted the decision to caution the 26-year-old, who has scored three goals at the tournament, but said Asian Football Confederation (AFC) rules that bans suspended players from the stadium were excessive.

"It's never good when you lose a player," he said.

"But two yellow cards does not make a player a criminal, to not even let him inside stadium, no-one can understand this decision.

"I make this humble request to the AFC to review this decision."

Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by ...

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Will Sacramento Or St. Louis Become Major League Soccer's Next Franchise?

Ron Burkle, left, rides in the Stanley Cup victory parade in Pittsburgh, PA on Wednesday, June 14, 2017...seated with fellow co-owner and NHL Hall of Famer, Mario Lemieux.  Burkle on Tuesday confirmed his intention to purchase Sacramento Republic FC, which may be the tipping point to transform the USL club into a Major League Soccer franchise. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)ASSOCIATED PRESS

On Tuesday, Sacramento received wonderful news when billionaire financier, Ron Burkle, agreed to buy controlling interest in Sacramento Republic FC.

This announcement, however, begs important questions:

If Major League Soccer sticks to its initial thought process of expanding to 28 teams by the end of 2019, and the league is already at 27 teams, will Sacramento or St. Louis become the 28th franchise?

Alternatively, if both cities are viable candidate expansion locations, if both have satisfied all the criteria for MLS entrance, and if you're confident a 30th team could be announced within the next 18 months, then why not extend invitations to both markets in 2019?

Before answering these questions, let's review the key criteria for admittance into MLS:

Deep pocketed ownership, preferably with local/regional ties.

A soccer-specific stadium, preferably located in/near the urban core.

A local/regional history of strong soccer roots.

Geographically positioned where regional rivalries could naturally ensue.

Prior to October 1st, 2018, neither city was able to satisfy all of these criteria...primarily because they were each devoid of an ownership group that possessed the wealth and stability generally favored by MLS leadership.  However, things have evolved in recent months:

In October 2018, the Taylor family - which owns St. Louis-based Enterprise and has long maintained business and philanthropic ties to the St. Louis region - stepped forward with their willingness to take the financial lead behind a renewed St. Louis bid, buffered by a privately-financed downtown stadium and a majority female ownership group (an MLS first).  

While Burkle's interest in Sacramento soccer became public in June 2018, things became official with yesterday's announcement.

A TALE OF THE TAPE

So let's evaluate each market based on the criteria identified above:

Deep pocketed ownership, preferably with local/regional ties

St. Louis...The Taylor family certainly fits this criteria (estimated worth of $5.8 billion as of July 2016), and are deeply rooted within the St. Louis region.

Sacramento...Mr. Burkle fits this criteria as well (estimated worth of $2 billion as of Feb 2018), and has ties to California.

2. A soccer-specific stadium, preferably located in/near the urban core

St. Louis...While the stadium site has been identified and will be privately financed, construction of the facility is contingent upon St. Louis receiving an MLS franchise.  If a team was awarded in the first half of 2019, time estimates for a completed stadium have suggested that the facility could be ready for the start of the 2022 MLS season.

Sacramento...In July 2017, construction began for their soccer-specific stadium, set in the historic Railyards District.  The projections are that the facility could be ready for the start of the 2021 MLS season.

3. A local/regional history of strong soccer roots

St. Louis...One would be hard-pressed to find a community with stronger historical ties to the sport of soccer than St. Louis.  Numerous people I've spoken with over two decades of living within the St. Louis community have helped educate me on the deep roots the region has with soccer...from CYC leagues dating back 100 years, to the 1950 World Cup team who was largely comprised of St. Louis natives (and upset England in that tournament), to the years of collegiate soccer dominance at Saint Louis University in the 1960s and 1970s.  Their USL team only averaged 4,271 fans per game in 2018, but this is deceptive since the capacity of their current facility is smaller than several other markets.

Sacramento...While not quite on par with St. Louis in this category, I learned much about Sacramento's ties to soccer in speaking with a source intimately familiar with the Sacramento soccer scene.  I learned about decades of amateur leagues in Sacramento spanning numerous cultures (Portuguese, Italian, Korean).  I learned there are nearly 100,000 youth soccer players in the Sacramento area, which is massive number when you consider that's almost double the youth participation levels in the state of Oregon…which obviously has had huge MLS success with the Seattle and Portland franchises.  And their USL team finished 2nd in attendance in 2018 with 11,311 fans per game.

4. Geographically positioned where regional rivalries could naturally ensue.

St. Louis...Existing teams in Sporting Kansas City and the Chicago Fire, along with new expansion team Nashville, are all within a 3.5-4.5 hour drive.  Furthermore, the Columbus Crew (founding team in MLS) and FC Cincinnati (an expansion team starting in 2019) are 5-6 hours drive.

Sacramento...While the San Jose Earthquakes are the only reasonable drive, this will make for a fourth team in California (LA Galaxy, LAFC).

Other considerations:

The St. Louis bid would mean a majority female ownership group, a first for MLS.  This factor could be a tie-breaker, especially in the #metoo era.

It is my sense that there are more political connections between the St. Louis soccer contingent and the power brokers of soccer in America (e.g. MLS executives, as well as influencers from U.S. Soccer and the national soccer media) than there is for Sacramento.

That said, Major League Soccer has previously all-but-guaranteed Sacramento would get a franchise once their ownership matter was resolved...especially since their downtown soccer facility will be ready much sooner than would be true of the St. Louis facility.

PREDICTIONS

First, I believe both Sacramento and St. Louis would be great additions to Major League Soccer.  My June 2018 Forbes post makes a case for Sacramento, and my October 2018 Forbes post makes a case for St. Louis.

And, as long as their current bids do not deviate from present plans, then I believe both cities will be invited to join Major League Soccer by the end of 2019.  Possibly by the 2019 MLS All-Star Game.

That said, here are my franchise allotment predictions for the near-term:

MLS will ultimately expand to 30 teams, and in my view, should stop there for at least a decade to allow the new markets to evolve.

As such, both St. Louis and Sacramento are ultimately destined for MLS inclusion...with Sacramento likely able to begin sooner since their facility will be ready sooner.

If MLS believes both markets have checked all the necessary boxes and criteria (which I believe both cities have at this point), then there is no reason for them not to announce both cities as MLS expansion sites when MLS makes their next formal expansion announcement.  The fact this would yield an odd number of teams (29 teams if both were added together) would only be a short-term phenomenon, and would likely expedite the selection of the 30th and final franchise...likely by the beginning of the 2020 season (with Phoenix, Detroit, and San Diego among the viable alternatives).

However, if MLS is only prepared to announce one city at a time, and plan to do so in the coming months, they will:

A) Opt for Sacramento first IF MLS (i) places greater weight on their stadium being done first, (ii) feels a sense of obligation because of how close Sacramento has been for some time before the last domino (i.e. securing Burkle) fell, and (iii) believes Sacramento has been closer to the finish line for a longer stretch than St. Louis...whose bid was all but lost after the failed public vote in April 2017 (before the Taylors breathed new life into the bid in October 2018);

B) Opt for St. Louis first IF MLS (i) places greater value upon the deep ties the Taylors and Jim Kavanaugh have to St. Louis, (ii) places value on the fact that the St. Louis bid would be the first majority-owned female ownership group in MLS, (iii) recognizes St. Louis' deep historical soccer roots, and (iv) has stronger political ties with the St. Louis soccer community than Sacramento's.

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Security inside stadium and out for Super Bowl in Atlanta

ATLANTA  — When Super Bowl 53 kicks off less than two weeks from now, legions of police and federal agents will be positioned to protect fans inside and outside the Atlanta stadium where the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams face off.

The game will bring international attention, which makes it a potential target for terrorism, said Brian Levin, a former New York City police officer who is director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

"We fortify these events because we have to," Levin said. "They're the brightest bug lamps that attract an array of possible extremists and also unstable people as well."

Authorities won't discuss specifics of their security plan. But they say they will safeguard areas beyond the downtown Mercedes-Benz Stadium and make officers visible across the city. The city's police department has worked with more than 40 state, federal and local law enforcement agencies to develop the plan, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields said. Officers will work 12-hour shifts and will "position ourselves so that we can react immediately to whatever scenario we are confronted with," Shields said.

The chief said law enforcers have been preparing for two years, during which time they visited Super Bowls in Houston and Minneapolis to observe safety measures taken by their counterparts.

Recent attacks in the U.S. and around the world have taught authorities that they must be prepared to defend more than the obvious targets.

Atlanta knows this well. During the Olympic Games in 1996, a man set off a pipe bomb at Centennial Olympic Park, a downtown public space that lacked the high security of the athletic venues and Olympic Village where athletes were staying. Shrapnel from the bomb tore through a crowd of concertgoers on July 27, 1996, killing a woman who was hit in the skull with a nail, and wounding more than 100 others.

"Our main focus at that time was on the Olympic Village," said Richard Stogner, who was in charge of finances for the Olympics and as such was involved in security meetings weeks and months before the games. Stogner witnessed the deadly violence from his office overlooking the park. He recalled walking onto his balcony and seeing a large cloud of white smoke and at least a couple of people lying on the ground.

Shields said there was a desire at the time to make the park "family friendly," so the decision was made to keep security more lax there.

"In hindsight, that was a mistake," she said.

In the days leading up to the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, the park — which has been closed off with high chain-link fencing in some places — will play a central role as it hosts numerous concerts and other game-related celebrations.

In addition to increased security around the city, Atlanta Fire Rescue will put some of its paramedics on bicycles so they can reach patients in areas crowded with pedestrians, Chief Randall Slaughter said. And Shields noted that a joint operations center that will also include officials from Georgia Power and the city's mass transit system is set to open Saturday.

Authorities will not take their preparations for granted, however, because terrorists "never stop creating, they never stop thinking," Shields said.

In Atlanta in 1996, "the guy just decided that he wanted to blow up people, so he set a bomb off," Stogner said. "That's hard to prepare for."

During a soccer game between France and Germany near Paris in November 2015, it was outside the stadium where suicide bombers blew themselves up, killing a bystander. And in May 2017, it was as fans left a concert by singer Ariana Grande in Manchester, England, that a bomb was detonated, killing more than 20 and wounding more than 100.

In recent years, threats have evolved from large terrorist groups to small cells or "lone wolves" who can be harder to identify. Some become radicalized on the internet, borrowing hatred from other groups and blending it with their own views, Levin noted.

The motives of others are difficult to discern, such as the sniper in a Las Vegas high-rise who opened fire on an outdoor country music concert, killing 58 people and wounding more than 800 others in October 2017, Levin said.

Cedrick Alexander, a former public safety director in the metro Atlanta county of DeKalb, said he believes Atlanta "is going to be one of the most-prepared cities in America" because of its experience handling national events.

But he notes that the lesson of the Las Vegas massacre is that "you have to be prepared for anything."

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Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 12 Review: Outrage

Oh, Halstead. You made such a mess on Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 12!

If I had a dollar for every time Upton told someone that they might go to prison, I'd be filthy rich. 

Instead, I watch every episode with one eye shut because I know things are going to get ugly for my favorite squad. 

You would think that after Ruzek's situation unfolded on Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 11, the rest of the team would exert more caution especially around cases that were a bit personal.

But nope -- Jay Halstead walked right into the fire and made himself the top suspect in the murder of Matthew Garrett. 

He didn't care that all eyes are on Intelligence at the moment, or that Kelton will throw anyone under the bus to secure his bid for Mayor, or even that Voight is running out of steam trying to protect them all. 

It's frustrating that the writers believe that the only way to create conflict and deliver a character-focused storyline is by having one of the team members make illogical decisions. 

Girl: Who is that?Halstead: The devil.

Lately, it seems like they are all making decisions based on emotions which shouldn't be happening to such experienced officers and detectives working in Intelligence. 

It's good to care and want to right wrongs, but it's not wise to continuously bend the rules and ask for forgiveness. 

We didn't need several characters to underline what a bad guy Garrett was. It was made pretty clear when Jay, a man who has seen his fair share of monsters, flat out called him 'the devil.'. 

I have to give Voight credit for doing the right thing and taking the case despite multiple orders to avoid confrontation and refrain from chasing a wrongful conviction. 

It's moments like these where I don't think anyone else would have the balls to lead this unit. 

All of Jay's decision made me cringe because they were terrible, and I knew the outcome would be his word versus Kelton's.

Again, it's weird that Kelton immediately jumped to "Jay is the murder suspect" when the ballistics report would undoubtedly show that Jay's gun was not used in the murder.

Jay's history with Garrett didn't work in his favor, but instead of foreseeing this problem, Voight let him remain on the case if he promised to stay in the background.

Honestly, when do any of Voight's men ever stick to their promises? Every single time, one of them goes rogue and ends up messing things up more than they already were. He should know this by now. 

Matthew Garrett: Shouldn't you be at a kids soccer practice or something?Burgess: Exactly. I even drive a mini-van.

Halstead made a plethora of bad decisions, but disobeying Voight, driving to the warehouse and moving in without back-up topped the list. 

But I can't blame Halstead for choosing not to call an ambulance right away and pressing Garrett for answers about the girl's whereabouts. 

If Halstead didn't feel personally responsible for her death at first, he felt the pressure when her mother paid him a visit and blamed him for everything. It was unfair of her to do that, but the writers needed something to get Halstead all up in his feelings. 

Related: Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 11 Review: Trust

Given his level of disgust for Garrett, I'm surprised Halstead didn't laugh in his face when he saw him bleeding out. That's how you know Jay is good police. He tried to save the guy despite knowing the world was better off without him.  

Based on the previews, I honestly thought that Halstead was going to be the one to fire a deadly shot. My other guess was that whoever shot Garrett was attempting to frame Halstead. 

Boy, was I glad when that didn't turn out to be the case. 

Aside from refusing to render aid, Halstead was pretty much clean.  

And not to be nitpicky or anything, but Upton was very off when she said Halstead arrived ten minutes before the rest of the team. There is no way ten minutes passed before Upton ran into that warehouse.

Halstead may have had the motive, but no one had more of a motive than Gus did. He's a disgraced cop who lost everything while he watched another jagoff (Halstead's words, not mine) walk free. That would infuriate even the strongest of men. 

Gus was also right about there not being any justice in our system anymore; it's something we see on nearly every episode of Chicago PD. 

The cops become the suspects all too often.

Everyone is always bending over backward for the criminals and walking on eggshells because even if you're doing the right thing, just being in the wrong place at the wrong time like Halstead was, is enough to get you in deep trouble. 

We've seen more of the Intelligence team getting questioned than we've seen them questioning suspects. 

It's too easy to "mess up," which is why so many bad guys like Garrett walk free. 

Related: Get True Crime Files by ID via Prime Video Channels for Over 1,000 Real-life Mystery & Suspense Shows!

It's one thing to see Garrett walk free, but seeing him swindle $200 thousand from the city was absurd. Do you know what he should have done with all that money? He should have fixed those whack teeth. 

However, just like Halstead, Gus should have known better. Obviously, Voight would be able to connect the bullet to the gun he stole from the crime scene.

If he were as good of a cop as he touted himself to be, he would have known that. 

Voight continues to get cornered into crappy decisions. Gus was his friend, but if he let him get away with it, Halstead would have to pay for something he didn't do. 

I knew the moment Gus asked for some "time" to gather his things that we'd be hearing a gunshot. It seems like Voight also knew it would happen yet it didn't lessen the blow. 

It was also pretty hilarious to hear someone call Voight one of the good ones when that's not exactly the sentiment being voiced lately. 

Your guy had motive, and he went dark. This is a murder, and right now Jay Halstead is suspect number one.

Kelton

Upton hasn't had an easy time dealing with Ruzek and Halstead. They've both made questionable decisions because they both want to do the right thing at any cost. 

We got some #Upstead moments, and if seeing things clearly, the writers once again seemed to be pushing them together while also making Burgess and Ruzek join forces. 

It didn't seem like Upton wanted to leave Halstead to see Ruzek after the day they had. She's a good partner, but I'm wondering if there was more to it. 

Speaking of Burgess, she wasn't on her best decision making either. 

Burgess cares about women given everything she'd witnessed with her sister, but her attempt to help Jill only made Garrett more suspicious. 

There was a moment where I thought maybe Jill was only pretending, and that she'd turn around and tell Garret everything. It was a risky move on Burgess' part.

Ruzek's confidence makes him an excellent fake drug dealer, but Burgess also came through when she sensed the deal was going sideways.

Related: Manifest: The Major is Unmasked as a New Player is (Finally!) Introduced

I wouldn't mind seeing more of this badass Burgess again as I feel she's gotten sidelined lately to make room for Upton.

Get your spotlight back, girl! 

I have to take a moment to humbly brag about the fact that my husband had a pretty sweet extra role on the episode. 

Though he occasionally stands in for Halstead, on Chicago PD Season 6 Episode 12, he joined Garrett and Delgado at the poker table. 

It was one of those "blink and you'll miss it" moments, but I was still so proud. 

Here's a screenshot I grabbed which I might frame up on the wall. He's the guy to the far right! 

I need just one episode where one of our own isn't in danger of going to prison or being accused of a crime they didn't commit! 

Missed the episode and my husband in it?

You can always watch Chicago PD online and share your thoughts in the comments below! 

Lizzy Buczak is a staff writer for TV Fanatic. Follow her on Twitter and read her personal blog at CraveYouTV.

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Big First Half Leads Carpinteria Boys Soccer Past Fillmore

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor | @NoozhawkSports | January 23, 2019 | 8:20 p.m.

Carpinteria erupted for three goals in the first half and beat Fillmore, 3-1, for its second straight Citrus Coast League boys soccer win in a 24-hour period. 

The Warriors were coming off a win at Malibu on Tuesday.

Jose Jimenez fed Gabriel Ahedo in the 10th minute for the firset goal. Luke Nahooikaika-Anderson made it 2-0 in the 30th minute off a long throw-in from his brother Solomon.

Edgar Mendoza converted a penalty kick in the 40th minute.

Fillmore scored seconds later to close the half.

Freshman goalkeeper Brian Garcia had four saves before getting injured and replaced by Adrian Gonzales who shut out the Flashes with five spectacular saves.

"Tonight was a total team effort and we are looking to end the season on a high note," said coach Leon Quintero.

The Warriors travel o Ojai to face Nordhoff on Friday and close out regular-season play next Wednesday at home vs. Santa Paula.

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Bishop Diego Basketball, Carpinteria Girls Soccer Suffer Losses

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor | @NoozhawkSports | January 23, 2019 | 8:28 p.m.

Bishop Diego was blown out by a hot-shooting Foothill Tech boys basketball team, 73-27, in a Tri-Valley League game at Ventura College.

The Dragons clinched the third and final CIF playoff spot in the league. 

Foothill Tech knocked down nine three-pointers.

"We just continue to struggle to play team basketball," Bishop coach James Coronado said. "We have flashes and moments of it, but we struggle to sustain it at a high level."

Fillmore Flattens Carpinteria Girls Soccer

Carpinteria stayed with defending CIF champion Fillmore for a half before the Flashes erupted for five goals in the second half and won the Citrus Coast League game 6-0.

"Fillmore is a very skilled team at every position and they seemed to click in the second half with great movement off of the ball and just a fast overall pace to the game," said Carpinteria coach Charles Bryant.

Carpinteria (2-14-2, 0-6-1) plays Nordhoff on Friday

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FAI deny special treatment for stars on coaching course

The FAI have insisted they play no favourites when it comes to the selection process for its elite Uefa Pro Licence coaching course, whose participants this year include such household names as Robbie Keane, Damien Duff, and Jim McGuinness.

“The reality is a lot of people on social media will jump into it because of the coincidence that you have Robbie going into the senior team and now on the pro licence,” says the FAI coach education manager Niall O’Regan.

“But he doesn’t need that qualification (for his role with Ireland); it’s the senior manager who has to have a pro licence. Robbie started this transition with us over two or three years ago.

“Uefa clearly states that anyone who has over 50 international caps is automatically given a preference if they have completed their B and A coaching badges, as they are seen as high potentials to work in the game. But Robbie still had to go through the pro licence application, he completed all the documentation and was treated exactly the same.”

There were 45 applicants this year, 19 of whom came through an initial application process and review by a three-person panel before being cleared to start the course.

“The reality is it is very difficult to get on a pro licence course,” say O’Regan. “Historically there may have been examples where people were parachuted in because of roles, but that’s all gone, Uefa don’t allow that any more.

You look at Damien Duff: Damien did his B licence with us five or six years ago, then two years after that he did his A Licence. Then, two years later, he did his Elite Youth A Licence. And now he’s on the pro licence.

“The way the pathway works, the B Licence is your entry level for professional players but if you’ve played no professional football, like, for example Jim McGuinness â€" who is an inspiration to anyone who really wants to have a career in football â€" Jim started by doing the very first Kick Start (coaching) course and then has worked his way up over the last 10 or 15 years.”

Corkborn O’Regan, who is himself a pro licence holder, also defended the €8,000 cost of the FAI-run course which is conducted in Ireland and abroad in blocks of 10 across a period of 18 months.

“That €8,000 covers all of their hotel requirements, all of their meals, all of their gear, equipment, all the IT we provide, all the international trips and flights,” he explains.

“The pro licence is not a course designed to bring an income into the Association. Last year’s pro licence, for an average per person paying €8,000, we spent €7,600 on that candidate. So the majority of what we bring in is spent to ensure we are able to deliver the programme we want to deliver. People look at the €8,000 and they just see a fee. They don’t see the 18-month course.”

But given the costs and courses have to be sanctioned by Uefa, what then is the explanation for ostensibly much cheaper prices in some other countries?

“In that scenario, you are looking at the course fee,” O’Regan says. “It doesn’t take into consideration all the other requirements. For example, I paid the course fee to complete it through the IFA.

"But when we went on our international trips, I paid for my own flights and accommodation. The reality is the countries you see that provide coach education at a nominal cost are doing so because that’s the figure that they are accruing as their income from the course.”

Meanwhile, there is acknowledgement that the Uefa requirement for SSE Airtricity League Premier Division managers to hold a pro licence, is going to present a challenge to First Division clubs who are promoted at the end of this season if their managers are not yet suitably qualified for the top flight.

Currently, it’s believed only three managers in the second tier have a pro licence.

Under certain circumstances, the club licencing authorities might be able to give a dispensation or, alternatively, a pro licence-holding coach could be brought onto the staff.

An example ahead of this season is Dundalk where, following the departure of Stephen Kenny, Vinny Perth â€" who is one of the 19 who have just this week begun their pro licence course â€" has been named head coach rather than manager, with John Gill, a pro licence graduate in 2009, appointed first-team coach.

The FAI say they will also investigate if any manager affected can be accommodated on a course outside Ireland.

“Our job is to help all of our coaches,” says O’Regan. “If a club contacts us and says we need to get this person on a pro licence as we could be promoted, the first thing we’ll do is contact the other associations and see if it’s possible. That is the network. It’s not a closed door.”

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Carpinteria Girls Soccer Falters Against Malibu

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor | @NoozhawkSports | January 22, 2019 | 8:04 p.m.

The Carpinteria girls soccer team watched their three goal lead disappear to a very determined Malibu team and dropped a 4-3 decision to the Sharks in a Citrus Coast League game.

Carpinteria couldn't hold a three-goal leadand lost a 4-3 decision to Malibu in a Citrus Coast League girls soccer match on Tuesday.

Yaneli scored the first goal for the Warriors, collecting her blocked free kick and slamming home a shot. Cydney Smolknikar made it 2-0 with a left-footed blast from 18 yards.

Smolnikar made it 3-0 with a floater from 25 yards out.

"I thought she had one of her best games of the year," coach Charles Bryant said. " She was dynamic and much more involved this game and it made a huge difference."

Malibu scored just before halftime and took over in the second half.

Carpinteria fell to 0-5-1 in league and 2-13-2 overall.

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Still 'no trace' of aircraft as Sala search called off for second night

The search for the missing plane that was carrying Cardiff City striker Emiliano Sala has so far proved unsuccessful.

Sala, who was confirmed as Cardiff's record signing on Saturday after opting to leave Ligue 1 side Nantes, was on a private aircraft that disappeared near the Channel Islands on Monday, the French Civil Aviation Authority confirmed. 

Emiliano Sala in Nantes' city center after news that newly-signed Cardiff City soccer player Emiliano Sala was missing after the light aircraft he was travelling in disappeared between France and England the previous evening, according to France's civil aviation authority STEPHANE MAHE (REUTERS)

Following a search throughout Tuesday, Guernsey Police stated that "the chances of survival are at this stage, unfortunately, slim" if the aircraft did land on water. 

The search and rescue operation resumed on Wednesday, with a focus on a scenario whereby those on board made it to the plane's life raft after landing on water.

However, an update from Guernsey Police confirmed that a thorough search of 280 square miles - using three planes, a helicopter and reviews of satellite imagery and mobile phone data - remained fruitless at this stage.

A tweeted statement from the force read: "280sq. miles of our targeted search pattern using multiple aircraft from the Channel Islands, France and U.K. has been completed over the last five hours. There is as yet no trace today of the missing aircraft.

"The search is ongoing and a decision whether to continue will be taken later today. Further information will be released as we have it."

Tributes and well-wishes for Sala have come in from across the football world, with Argentina icon Diego Maradona posting on Instagram to say: "My wish, and that of everyone, is that you have landed at a different airport."

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino who, like Sala, is a native of Santa Fe in Argentina, also offered his thoughts to the 28-year-old and his family.

"I'm very shocked. When you receive news like this, sometimes we create a lot of problems for small things, but that situation makes you realise that life can change the situation very quick," Pochettino told a news conference. I want to send all my love and positivity for his family, from Argentina, from Santa Fe, and of course all Nantes, the club, the family in France and of course Cardiff, and all my wish to wait for good news."

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Can You Get Rocket League on Xbox 360?

When Rocket League launched on PS4 and Microsoft Windows back in 2015, it took the world by storm. So many fans might be wondering, can you get Rocket League on Xbox 360?

Originally launched as a free title on the PS4 as part of PSN's PS Plus promotion, which gives players free games each and every month, Rocket League quickly became one of the hottest titles on the market. It, no doubt, sold through some digital copies via Windows but it's widely known that a lot of the game's success came from its free launch on PS4.

Instead of building an ecosystem of players that must first purchase the game — which, right from the start, gates out players who can't afford to pay for the title — the game launched with an eager and full community of thousands and thousands of PS Plus members. While it likely seemed like a dicey move back then, now, four years later, it's hard to dispute that it was the right call.

It's not only a popular game, but a great one too, which is probably why those thousands of players that got the game for free continue to play it today.

Since its launch on Windows and PS4, the game has made its way to MacOS and Linux on the computer side of things, the Xbox One and most recently, the Nintendo Switch. Is it on the Xbox 360, though?

Sadly, Rocket League is not available for purchase or play on the Xbox 360. In fact, it is not available on any of the consoles from last generation which means you won't be able to play this game on not only the Xbox 360, but the PS3 and WiiU as well.

For the uninitiated, Rocket League is basically soccer except instead of using humans to kick the ball around and into the goals, you use rocket-powered cars. It sounds crazy, and it certainly is, but it is a lot of fun.

At first glance, the game is simple. Play soccer while controlling a car to move the ball to the opposing team's goal. But, as you'll realize when you jump into a match, there is a lot more nuance to doing so.

Players can flip, twist and basically fly in the air all while controlling the ball and that's just the start of how much skill is involved in this game. If you were holding off an Xbox One, Nintendo Switch or PS4, Rocket League is definitely a good argument for why it's time to upgrade.

If you want to read more in-depth thoughts about how great we think the game is, you can check out our Rocket League review.

Make sure to stick with Twinfinite for more info and news on Rocket League, and all things related to video games.

TLDR;

Question: Can you get Rocket League on Xbox 360?

Answer: Unfortunately, Rocket League is not available on Xbox 360, or any previous generation systems. Currently you can purchase the game on PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

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Search resumes for missing plane carrying Cardiff striker Sala

Search resumes for missing plane carrying Cardiff striker Sala

Independent.ie

Guernsey Police have resumed the search for the missing plane which was carrying new Cardiff striker Emiliano Sala.

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/search-resumes-for-missing-plane-carrying-cardiff-striker-sala-37740264.html

https://www.independent.ie/sport/soccer/article37740256.ece/fc612/AUTOCROP/h342/ipanews_4a2b52de-3547-4d54-8c92-94aea7a776bb_1

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Guernsey Police have resumed the search for the missing plane which was carrying new Cardiff striker Emiliano Sala.

The search and rescue operation – which included multiple air and sea assets from the Channel Islands, UK and France – was suspended for the day at 1700 on Tuesday night, with the intention to resume at sunrise.

In an update released at 7.30am on Wednesday, Guernsey Police confirmed that the search had begun once again.

"We have resumed searching. Two planes are taking off & will search a targeted area we believe has the highest likelihood of finding anything, based on review of the tides and weather since it went missing," the update read.

"Coastal areas around Alderney and off-lying rocks and islands will also be searched from the air. Updates will be provided once information is available."

The chances of finding Sala alive are "slim" if the plane landed on water, Guernsey Police had said in a statement on Tuesday afternoon.

The French Civil Aviation Authority said Sala was aboard a light aircraft which disappeared from radar en route from Nantes to Cardiff on Monday evening.

Flowers have been left near Cardiff's stadium after a plane carrying Emiliano Sala went missing over the English Channel (Ben Birchall/PA)

The search resumes after a WhatsApp voice message emerged that Sala sent to friends while on the plane bound for Cardiff.

In the recording, the footballer says he is "getting scared" and "aboard a plane that seems like it is falling to pieces" as reported on Ole.com.ar.

According to Guernsey Police, the Piper PA-46 Malibu, a single turbine engine aircraft carrying two people, departed Nantes at 7.15pm for the Welsh capital and was flying at an altitude of 5,000ft.

On passing Guernsey it "requested descent", but Jersey air traffic control (ATC) lost contact with the plane while it was flying at 2,300ft.

After a 15-hour search from rescue teams, which covered an area totalling 1,155 square miles, Guernsey Police revealed that "a number of floating objects" were seen in the water, but they were "unable to confirm whether any of these are from the missing aircraft".

A statement posted on the official Twitter account of Guernsey Police said: "We have found no signs of those on board. If they did land on the water, the chances of survival are at this stage, unfortunately, slim."

Earlier on Tuesday, Cardiff's executive director Ken Choo expressed his shock and distress at the news.

Sala, 28, was on his way back to Wales after saying goodbye to his Nantes team-mates on Monday night.

Choo described Sala as a "great person" and revealed he had been "so happy" to sign for Cardiff.

"You could see from his face he is so, so happy to be here and ready to start," Choo said in an in-house TV interview.

"Words cannot describe the look on his face when he met us, we walked him around the ground, he was absolutely ready to give it a go.

"We really feel sad to hear of this news because we met such a great person."

Sala had signed a three-and-a-half year deal with the Welsh club after scoring 12 Ligue 1 goals in 19 appearances this season.

Choo revealed Sala had described joining the Bluebirds as "one of the best days of his life".

Cardiff have been in contact with Sala's family as they wait for news.

Nantes president Waldemar Kita added on the French club's website: "I'll always have hope, he's a fighter. It's not over, maybe he's somewhere."

Fulham manager Claudio Ranieri, who coached Sala at Nantes, added in a statement on Twitter: "I was devastated to hear the news. Emiliano is a wonderful character.

"He's a fighter. The world of football will be united in wishing for some positive news. I pray for Emiliano and his family."

French sports newspaper L'Equipe carried the search for Sala on its front page on Wednesday with the headline: "The disappearance of a warrior".

Nantes' Coupe de France clash with third-tier Entente Sannois, scheduled for Wednesday evening, has been postponed until Sunday while their Ligue 1 fixture against St Etienne – originally due to take place on Saturday – has been moved to Wednesday, January 30.

Sala, a native of Santa Fe in Argentina, played at youth level for Club Proyecto Crecer in his home country before being snapped up by French club Bordeaux in 2010.

He was then sent out on a series of loans to Orleans, Niort and Caen and, after failing to make more than a handful of appearances for Bordeaux, joined Nantes in 2015.

It was in Brittany where his career began to flourish.

Sala's hat-trick against Toulouse in October 2018 was the first by any Nantes player in Ligue 1 since 2006.

Cardiff signed the forward in a deal reportedly worth in the region of £15million, breaking the previous record of £11million paid for Gary Medel in 2013.

Press Association

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BWW Review: THE WOLVES Score Big at the St. Louis Rep

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What a refreshing, invigorating night! I've just seen the opening night of The Wolves at the St. Louis Rep's Studio Theater. I'm used to exciting things in that studio program, but The Wolves is unique and wonderfully satisfying. It brings us into the world of a girls' high-school soccer team over several weeks as they warm up before their Saturday matches.

The play is by Sarah DeLappe, who wrote it while the ink was still wet on her MFA in playwriting-and it's won many awards including nomination for a Pullitzer Prize.

We meet nine girls-all sixteen or seventeen-and though they are identified only by their jersey numbers each is a distinct personality. They beautifully embody the poignant variety that one finds among high-school juniors-the shy, the outgoing, the brave, the hesitant, the quiet, the talky, the naïve, the (just barely) worldly.

They chat as they do their stretches and kicks. These are such real people! In their banter we hear talk of boy-friends and of Cambodian genocide, of Hobbits and of concussions, of birdwatching and of what once was called "feminine hygiene". This is not stereotyped teeny gossip; these girls are honestly curious about the world. There are teases and taunts, camaraderie and competition, envy and anger and grief and love.

And these girls-these young women- Well, we see them maturing from girls to women as each becomes a bit more aware of who she is and what it means to commit to a dedicated group.

Sarah DeLappe has a fine ear for dialogue-especially adolescent dialogue. The sometimes overlapping chatter attains a musical quality-and it is so realistic.

This play is wonderfully free of anything that could be called a "theme". It is not aboutanything but real people. Though it has an all female cast it is not feminist; though the topics are mentioned it is not about genocide or sexual aggression or gender preference or reproductive choice or acceptance of foreigners. It is not even about soccer. It is neither opportunistic nor trendy. It is simply a very good play in which we are allowed to share intimate moments in the lives of young people as they work together and learn about each other-and themselves-and the world-in that stressful transition from child to adult.

The wonderful cast includes six students from the Webster Conservatory and four outsiders:

Cece Hill-#11, who struggles under a burden: both parents are psycho-therapists.

Rachel Logue-#25, the team captain, drives her team mates hard. She may, at the end, have come to a gentle, comfortable realization about her own sexuality.

Maya Christian-#13, the only black teammate. She's cheerful and sassy and teasing.

Cecily Dowd-#2, a slight girl who has already had six concussions from the sport but won't give it up.

Colleen Dougherty-#8, a happy innocent who loves Hobbits. She's devastated on learning that the finals will be in Tulsa rather than Orlando (with Disney World!!!)

Mary Katherine Harris-#46, a newbie to the team, home-schooled and a little strange-even a bit alien. She doesn't get the jokes. Her rare contributions to the banter are often non-sequiturs. Gossip has it that she lives with her Hippie mother in a "yogurt"! (Well, actually it's a "yurt".) But smart? You bet.

Keaton Whitaker-#7, a brash outspoken girl who won't let her language be policed by anyone. There's rumor of a terminated pregnancy.

Cassandra Lopez-#14, proudly American and Armenian.

Esmeralda Garza-#00, the goalkeeper, who is so stressed by her responsibilities that she often vomits before a game.

Add to these a St. Louis favorite, Nancy Bell, as a Soccer Mom who appears near the end. Her daughter was killed in a traffic accident yet Mom comes to support the team at their next game. She is so gripped by grief that all she can offer the girls is an almost surrealistic rant against teen habits of speech.

Director Melissa Rain Anderson has done marvelous work in this intricately complex piece.

And the sheer physical marvels this team performs! In almost constant warm-up activity they do near-contortionist stretches, high-stepping runs, a "spider web" exercise rapidly kick-passing the ball between points on a circle. And most astonishing of all is a solo by Mary Katherine Harris: a lightning-fast dance around the soccer ball, skipping, toe-touching, all the while singing a made-up song about "Yogurt". It's very like a speeded-up Scottish sword dance. Amazing!

Much praise goes to athletic trainer Lori Khazen, who coached these girls into a most impressive soccer team.

It's a warm delight that should not be missed. You'll want to join in as the team ends the night with a huddle, a joyous shout, "WE ARE THE WOLVES!", and a thrilling howl to the moon. It's The Wolves in the Studio Theater at the St. Louis Rep. It runs through February 3.

(Photos by John Gitchoff)

(This review first appeared on KDHX, St. Louis.)

Related Articles View More St. Louis Stories   Shows From This Author Steve Callahan A native Kansan I have a BA (Math and Theatre) and MA (Theatre). I was working on a PhD in Theatre when IBM sniffed my (read more...)

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Review: Pikuniku

Quirkiness and charm are major selling points in a lot of indie games, and as such, it takes something special to stand out. For developers Sectorhub, though, all they needed was a red oval with some adorable eyes. Well, that and a story involving a possible dystopia. Their puzzle-platformer, Pikuniku, turned some heads when Devolver Digital first unveiled it a while back. It looked and felt unique, upon first impression. But does the final product's quality match the charm and adorableness of its lead character alone? Well, okay, that's a tough bar to to clear, but let's see how close the game comes…

Now, if you'll recall our initial preview from just over a year ago, the setup for Pikuniku involved a mysterious town under constant surveillance with a mayor trying to force everyone to be happy via a daily festival, who eventually makes you a permanent resident with your own home. It was a highly-intriguing setup that contrasted brilliantly with the colorful, childlike aesthetics. And now…you need to forget about all of that, because it no longer exists. No, really. The entire plot is different now. Instead you're a mysterious red creature simply known as "The Beast" by nearby villagers. After emerging one day, you find that that a Mr. Sunshine is offering the locals free money for useless junk (like corn and wood). Eventually, you find yourself exploring around the land, hooking up with a resistance, and plotting to uncover Sunshine Inc.'s plan and stop them.

It's a jarring change, to say the least. I can't tell if somewhere between then and now, they decided to overhaul the whole plot or if the original premise was just for demo purposes. About the only aspect remaining is the the creepy surveillance cameras that pop up and even they feel completely downplayed. Well, the cameras and the style and character designs remain, obviously. For a change this drastic to occur in a relatively short amount of time just feels odd.

But enough about these changes, let's get into the actual game that we have now. At its core, Pikuniku is still a simplistic platformer. You can jump, kick, swing from certain hooks, and roll around as a small oval, Morph Ball-style. There are a couple of skills that you gain as progress is made, but that's about it. And really, not much more is needed. Thanks to a world filled with well-crafted puzzles, platforming action and a good amount of exploration , Pikuniku's gameplay is arguably a terrific definition of the "simple yet fun" design philosophy.

Not that you won't be switching things up now and then. Pikuniku is capable of throwing a few curve balls in the player's directions. Sometimes it's just a boss battle or two, but then maybe there's also a rhythm game, basketball/soccer hybrids and classic arcade homages. It's a good chunk of variety to keep you on your toes, with each section being easy to get used to. It may never be anything revolutionary, but the game is always ready to deliver something fun at the player.

And that's the key word that defines a lot of what makes Pikuniku enjoyable: fun. Plain and simple. This is embodied in the game's art style, with everything being lineless, bold and colorful, like it came out of a kid's storybook. The animation in particular is also nice and fluid, especially on or hero's limbs as they walk of jump. The screenshots here alone may not do things justice. It may be a minimalist style, but just looks good in motion, as e very citizen walks around their town.

Speaking of the citizens, Pikuniku also has a world filled with some rather enjoyable characters as well. Even if the main story can seem a little basic at times, it's bolstered by the humorous dialogue each cast member aside from our hero gets. It comes across as laid back a lot of the time, but works as another sharp contrast to the standard plot about a resistance, with members describing where they keep their snacks seeming just as important to them as detailing how to take down a giant robot. Everybody gets a chunk of good lines in (including their reactions to "The Beast" and their actions over time) and even the hidden insects that you can uncover have some cute little vignettes.

The previously-mentioned insects also make up part of the hidden secrets in Pikuniku. There are indeed a good amount of hidden areas to explore, ranging from the obvious to those more out of the way. In these lie optional challenges, trophies and coins to collect for the various shops in order to score collectible headgear. A lot of this is related to the side quests, which again, have a nice amount of variety, such as hide and seek competitions, treasure hunting and defeating evil toast demons. A lot of them are enjoyable and add a bit of much-needed replayability.

Getting back to gameplay, though, it should be noted that Pikuniku is a puzzle-platformer that utilizes physics, with more than a few obstacles involving having to kick objects around until they reach a certain spot. Kick a ball onto a button, kick acorns into water, kick a rotund guy through a maze, et cetera. A lot of it is enjoyable, but I would be lying if there wasn't the occasional slight hair-puller when it game to the physics, like having to properl y get a ball across a gap using a ramp. It only comes across as minor hindrance a lot of the time, though.

But if Pikuniku does have a major flaw, it's one that seemingly strikes every puzzle-platformer that comes our way: it's short. Players should be able to breeze through the campaign in about two hours, and that's even if one stops for several side quests. Now, as mentioned before in reviews for previous puzzle-platformers, a truly great entry does everything it need to do in those few hours. Yet honestly, I walked away from Pikuniku feeling like that wasn't the case this time. The game almost follows a metroidvania structure, suggesting areas you come back to with multiple power-ups you unlock. But save for the watering can head that creates platforms out of certain flowers, everything else is basically cosmetic. And while there are a decent chunk of secrets, it's still a linear world.

It feels lacking even in terms of narrative. There's a scene right before the credits suggesting there may be something bigger surrounding our hero's history, but even after following a few notable secret areas and quests in the post-game, nothing popped up. Mind you, I do still have a few missing trophies and three hidden achievements, so I could be missing something. But if Pikuniku has a bombshell for the story, it's hidden away hard. It feels like i t ends just as some truly interesting stuff should emerge. In fact, combined with the changes in plot earlier, it almost feels like something bigger was cut out, sadly.

Oh, and finally, it should be pointed out that Pikuniku does have a co-op mode. Unfortunately, being local co-op, I wasn't able to experience it at the moment. It does promise additional challenges and levels designed around co-operation, which is a nice addition. But whether it adds enough to boost up one's overall opinion of the game, I can't say. But it doesn't detract from anything, naturally, and the end result is still a colorful romp that even the whole family may want to check out.

Closing Comments:

It would have been nice if Pikuniku was longer and had a bit more to its story, if only because it means spending more time with its interesting and charming world. Still, what we have is a fun blend of physics-based gameplay, traditional platforming, exploration, eye-catching art and a fun cast that makes for one cute, highly-enjoyable experience. It's a quick little romp through a gleefully bizarre world that you won't regret checking out.

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Australia soccer player says detained refugee is losing hope

BANGKOK (AP) â€" A former Australian soccer player urged the sport's governing bodies on Tuesday to push for the release of a Bahraini refugee athlete detained in Thailand while it weighs his extradition.

Former national team member Craig Foster visited Hakeem al-Araibi at a Bangkok prison and said the Bahraini was losing hope after nearly two months in detention. Australia granted al-Araibi asylum in 2017, but Bahrain wants him returned to serve a prison sentence for a charge he denies.

Foster criticized FIFA, soccer's world governing body, and the Asian Football Confederation for not doing more for the jailed player.

"We feel as though football hasn't done enough," Foster said after meeting with al-Araibi. "FIFA has failed to uphold their own human rights policy and certainly the AFC and President Sheik Salman have been completely silent throughout this whole process. It's simply not good enough."

Al-Araibi plays for a semi-professional Australian soccer team, Melbourne's Pascoe Vale Football Club, and has played for the Bahraini national team.

He was detained upon entry at Bangkok's main airport in November on a Bahraini-requested Interpol notice because he had been sentenced in absentia in 2014 to 10 years in prison for vandalizing a police station, which he denies.

A Thai court in December ruled that al-Araibi could be held for 60 days pending the completion of an extradition request by Bahrain. Al-Araibi's lawyer said Monday that Bahrain has not yet officially submitted the extradition request but that Bahraini officials had been in touch with Thai officials via diplomatic channels.

Foster, who is now a television sports analyst, said al-Araibi suspects he is being sought by Bahrain because of critical comments he made about royal family member Sheikh Salman Bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, the president of the Asian Football Confederation who was elected in 2013 despite criticism from human rights groups.

Foster said al-Araibi had played soccer inside the Thai prison where he is being detained.

"He played for the champions of the prison," Foster said. "And I said: did you win? He said, 'yeah we won but I got injured so I can't play again.' But he said 'why am I playing behind bars?'"

"And that's the message to FIFA," Foster said. "This is a kid who loves football, this is one of our fellow players and here he is behind bars. Loves the game so much that he's prepared to play with other prisoners just to play a game."

Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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For local high school teams, state championships were elusive

If there was a theme for area high school teams and athletes in 2018, it would be "oh so close."

There were no individual or state championships to be celebrated, but that didn't mean that athletes didn't compete at a high level and with distinction.

Five local teams won district championships —Marlington boys and girls soccer, West Branch girls basketball and softball and Waterloo softball all earned berths in the state's "sweet 16" in their sport.

In fact, the West Branch softball team advanced all the way to the Division II state championship game where the Warriors played LaGrange Keystone in a historic final. Keystone prevailed 3-2 in an epic 12-inning contest after West Branch rallied for two runs in the seventh inning.

West Branch finished 27-4, making its first state tournament appearance and longest postseason run.

"Our girls never stopped battling," Woods said. "That [attitude] started in our second game when we were down three runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to Marlington and came back to win. I think that game changed the direction of our season."

"I've never been closer to a group of girls on a team as I have been to this group of girls," said senior Kylie Coffelt. "Everyone is important on the team and we relied on each other."

The West Branch basketball squad finished the regular season with a perfect 22-0 record and the No. 1 ranking in the Associated Press poll. The Warriors won their fourth district championship in five years by defeating Howland before losing a hard-fought contest to Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary, 50-47, in the Division II regional semifinals.

"Our girls have a lot of character," said West Branch coach Walt DeShields said. "They fought hard and never gave up."

In soccer, Marlington's girls team won its first district championship in the program's history, defeating Norwayne 2-0. The Dukes lost to Revere 5-0 in the Division II regional semifinals, finishing with an 11-6-3 record.

The loss was a disappointing end to the most successful postseason in team history as Marlington recorded three shutouts in the sectional and district tournaments.

"It has honestly been amazing," Marlington coach Katie Sanderson said. "The girls have deserved every minute of it. It wasn't a fluke that we made it this far. It was a lot of training, a lot of hard work and a lot of mental commitment to the program."

The Marlington boys soccer club went 16-2-2 and advanced to the regional tournament where they, too, lost to Revere in the semifinals.

"We didn't have a dominant playmaker, but … a lot of playmakers across the field," said Dukes coach Clayton Cowgill. "You can't just mark up one guy and hope you can cancel us out."

Waterloo captured the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference championship and a Division III district title in softball for the first time in coach Brenda Flarida's two decades with the Vikings.

A 9-3 loss to Independence in the regional semifinals didn't take away from a magical season.

"We have a district championship under our belt and we have a league championship," said Flarida. "To do both of those in the same year, it's a pretty special season."

Alliance won a week 10 showdown against rival Marlington, 29-8, to claim the inaugural Eastern Buckeye Conference football championship. The Aviators finished the regular season with a 7-3 record — two of the three defeats came to playoff teams Hubbard and Canfield — before traveling to Medina Buckeye for a first-round postseason game. Alliance lost to Buckeye, 28-25 on a late touchdown on a muddy field.

Alliance players earned several all-star honors, led by Aaron Maley and Cameron Cox, who were both second team All-Ohio selections.

Marlington finished 8-2 and also advanced to the playoffs, falling to Canfield 35-10 in a game that was much closer than the final score.

Senior Blane Himmelheber had an outstanding season for the Dukes, capped by his selection to the All-Ohio first team.

The Dukes' program also experienced change, as coach Beau Balderson accepted the head coaching position at GlenOak in December. Mark Gulling, a former assistant at Marlington and most recently the head coach at Tuslaw, was named to succeed Balderson just before Christmas.

Other programs experienced change, as West Branch, Sebring McKinley, Minerva and Louisville all made head coaching changes.

Individual athletes also had success at the state level.

In wrestling, Christian Wayt of West Branch, Alex Leasure of Alliance, Travis Kuttler of Minerva and three Louisville grappers earned All-Ohio honors at the Division II state wrestling tournament.

Wayt, a junior, finished in fourth place at 113 pounds, completing the season with a 41-2 record. His only defeats came at the state tournament.

Leasure, a senior, finished seventh at 285 pounds. He lost his first match in Columbus before winning three of his next four bouts to complete his season with a 43-11 record.

Kuttler, also a senior, was fifth at 285 pounds. He won four of six matches at the state tournament to complete his season with a 45-9 mark.

Louisville's Jax Leonard, a sophomore, placed third at 145 pounds; his teammates Garett Lautzenheiser finished fourth at 106 pounds and Davin Rhoads was seventh at 120 pounds. Both Lautzenheiser and Rhoads were freshmen.

Two area individuals competed with distinction at the state swimming championships in February.

Alliance sophomore Will Rose placed second in the 100 freestyle and third in the 100 backstroke at Canton's C.T. Branin Natatorium. Rose was also state runner-up in the 100 free in 2017.

Also, West Branch's Jamyson Robb finished third in the 100 breaststroke and 12th in the 200 individual medley at the state championships.

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