‘Dumbo’ review: Tim Burton makes Disney’s elephant fly again

Disney kicks off another crop of live-action remakes of cartoon classics with "Dumbo." Thankfully before slapping us with realistic singing lions and an indigo Will Smith later this year, the House of Mouse has begun with a normal, nontalking, nonmusical elephant. (OK, he still flies.)

For a story about an airborne pachyderm, director Tim Burton has done much to ground "Dumbo." The character's chatty animal pal Timothy Q. Mouse from the 1941 original is gone, replaced by two human children. And, in the wake of Ringling Bros. folding, the movie no longer portrays the circus as a place an elephant could find happiness — even a famous one.

Still, the plot is roughly the same as in the cartoon, but 45 minutes longer thanks to its new homo sapiens and some husky-voiced villainy provided by Michael Keaton. Dumbo, now in adorable CGI, is born into the Medici Bros. Circus to his mom, Mrs. Jumbo. But he's not the perfect little baby elephant the attraction's owner, Max (Danny DeVito), dreamed of. Dumbo's got mammoth, floppy ears.

His first night onstage, the cruel, early-20th-century audience heckles the deformed newborn, throwing popcorn and laughing. Mrs. Jumbo freaks out like an enraged soccer mom, tears down the tent and is sold as punishment. While consoling the motherless elephant, the kids, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), discover his special skill: If he snorts a feather up his trunk, Dumbo becomes American Ear-lines. Soar onstage, the children think, and Max will surely buy back the momma elephant. Tusk tusk, so naive.

Tim Burton on the set of "Dumbo"Walt Disney Co. | Everett Collection

"Dumbo" was a risky proposition for Burton, who heretofore has botched all of his major remakes. He let Johnny Depp do a surely regrettable Michael Jackson impression in 2005's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" and had NRA president Charlton Heston, playing a chimp, give a campy speech about how awesome guns are in 2001's "Planet of the Apes." He's toned it down here, to his credit. Burton ably makes his mark without slashing Disney's canvas with a razor blade.

The director includes all the right parts of the original "Dumbo" — the iconic song "Baby Mine," the elephant jetting off a burning building — and discards the trash. Dumbo no longer gets wasted on Champagne and hallucinates pink elephants on parade, and the racially offensive crows have been axed. It's the director's best work since "Sweeney Todd" and is highly reminiscent of his fun "Big Fish."

Are the human characters as developed as they could be? Eh. We learn that Milly and Joe's mom recently died, and their trick-riding dad (Colin Farrell) has just returned from World War I, missing an arm. Keaton's Coney Island circus owner V.A. Vandevere is plainly evil, while Eva Green's aerialist Colette walks the uptight-rope. And Danny DeVito gives another fabulous turn as Danny DeVito.

But none of that matters much. Kids aren't showing up to applaud the star of "Birdman," they've come to fall in love with a tiny, bird-like elephant. Those flight sequences — first suspenseful, then euphoric — take you back to the classic "Dumbo" as much as they do to classic Burton.

Read More

South Jersey Times boys basketball season in review, 2018-19

SOUTH JERSEY TIMES BOYS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

If his family had its way, DJ Campbell would have been a soccer star.

Dan Russo wishes he could have gotten Campbell on the football field, where he almost certainly would have been a standout wide receiver or defensive back.

But as soon as Campbell discovered basketball, all of those other possibilities just faded away. He knew there was only one sport for him, and it wasn't soccer or football.

"As soon as I picked up a basketball, that's all I wanted to do," he said. "I just fell in love with it. I didn't want to play anything else because I felt like it was taking away from my chance to get better in basketball."

Campbell, a Vineland senior guard, came to basketball late and never even played an organized game until he got to high school. But thanks to his relentless work ethic, he turned himself into an elite player, one who led the state in scoring this season and ended his career as the Fighting Clan's all-time leader with 1,513 points.

He can also add South Jersey Times Boys Basketball Player of the Year to his list of accomplishments.

"It's crazy to think that I'm my school's all-time leading scorer," Campbell said. "Coming into high school I had no idea that would happen. I met the first person to score 1,000 points (at Vineland), and at the Millville game I met the guy whose record I broke (Ron Farina). He congratulated me and he said he had been waiting a long time for someone to break it."

Nobody could have predicted Campbell's journey to the record books.

A native of Jamaica who moved to the U.S. around age 9, he comes from a family obsessed with soccer. But soon after arriving in Vineland, he shifted his focus to hoops and became determined to improve his game.

"I was just naturally able to shoot the ball when I first started," he said. "It was the other parts of my game, like getting stronger and ball handling, that I had to improve. I felt like I was behind (other kids) and that's why I worked so hard. I worked every day to get better."

An important turning point was when Campbell started playing AAU for Olympus Basketball in Williamstown, where his teammates included well-known South Jersey players like Aaron Estrada, Hartnel Haye, Javon Gordon and Rynell Lawrence. He loved the challenge of facing those talented guys every day at practice.

In high school ball, he kept making progress every season, eventually busting out by averaging 25.2 points as a junior, tops in the South Jersey Times coverage area. This season he proved it was no fluke, as he poured in almost 30 points per game.

"He was great for us," said Russo, the highly successful Vineland football coach who also took over the basketball program this season. "He practices every day and he's going to keep getting better. I wish I got him sooner — he would've been playing Division 1 football, maybe even Division 1 basketball."

Campbell opened his senior season with 30 points against Lower Cape May and went on to reach at least 30 in eight more games. He dropped 42 against Bridgeton and 49 against Millville, but his most electric performance was a career-high 50 points in a win at Atlantic City.

He made 16 shots from the field, including nine from behind the arc.

"I would say Atlantic City was my favorite game because that was our first time beating them since I've been in high school," he said. "We never beat them ever in their gym, and to score 50 in their gym is something I'll always remember."

"He was on fire; he was making everything," Russo added. "I had never seen anything like it. The fans from Atlantic City were coming up to us after the game and saying nobody had ever scored 50 against them in Atlantic City. It was pretty wild."

Campbell finished the season with 705 points for a 29.4 average. But he was much more than just a scorer, as he also led the team with 8.2 rebounds and 2.9 steals per game and was second with 2.8 assists.

"He contributed in a lot of ways: rebounds, assists, steals and he played good defense for us," Russo said. "He's real competitive; that always stood out to me. He competed every night, whether it was a game or a practice."

For Campbell, the most important number was Vineland's final record of 14-10. Although he hoped for a longer playoff run — the Fighting Clan lost to Cherry Hill East in the first round of the South Jersey, Group 4 tournament — he was proud to lead the program to its first winning season since 2008.

"That meant everything because we worked hard for that over the last few years," he said. "That was one of our biggest goals this season. We helped show other teams that Vineland is not going to be an easy win. After the game was over, they knew they had to play a hard game against us."

Campbell is excited to move on to college basketball and is currently in the process of choosing a school. He recently visited Stockton and the New Jersey Athletic Conference program seems like a good fit.

Wherever he ends up, his passion for basketball will continue.

"I think the sky's the limit for me," he said. "I just have the mentality that I'm going to work hard from day one."

SOUTH JERSEY TIMES BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM OF THE YEAR

If anybody was talking about the Millville boys basketball team back in 2015, it wasn't for the right reasons.

But the following year after that 0-25 season, a promising freshman class arrived. Now that they have completed a senior campaign to remember, it's safe to say they have turned the program around and put 0-25 safely in the rearview mirror.

Behind four-year letterwinners Rynell Lawrence, Little John Green and Aundrey Green and senior point guard Eddie Jamison, Millville reached its first sectional final in 49 years before coming up short against Cherokee in the South Jersey, Group 4 championship game. The Thunderbolts finished with a 23-7 record to tie the school record for wins, also set in 1970.

"We're certainly disappointed we lost to Cherokee, but we really had a great season," Millville coach Mike Jones said. "Our kids really worked hard and to make a run like that in the playoffs is pretty special, even with a disappointing ending."

The way Millville reached the championship game was the stuff of legend. After beating Clearview in the first round of the playoffs and rallying past Lenape in the quarterfinals, the Bolts headed to top-seeded Eastern for the semifinals.

In a thrilling game that went back and forth, Millville earned a 61-60 win in overtime on Aundrey Green's fastbreak layup at the buzzer following a missed free throw.

"That was unbelievable," Jones said. "The range of emotions in that game — from being up 15 at halftime to seeing them hit a tying 3 at the end of regulation to being down in overtime and then making the game-winning shot — it was a roller coaster emotionally. It was awesome, it really was. I've been coaching a while now and I've had a lot of memorable games, but that's got to be No. 1 just because of the situation and how it happened."

For Jones, who played at Millville and graduated in 1998, seeing the program play meaningful games in March was a proud moment.

"Being from Millville, it was an honor just being able to coach the team when I first started," he said. "Now being able to have success with the team, it's a privilege. A lot of the coaches I had when I was in high school have come out to the games and sent me messages and emails about how great the team is. That means a lot to me, being from Millville and having these coaches who I looked up to telling me that we're doing a great job."

Millville will return one starter next year in Colby Etter, while Randy Butler and Romaine Rhett will also be asked to play bigger roles. The Thunderbolts are hoping the standards set forth by this year's seniors will carry over.

Lawrence leaves as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,710 points, Little John Green was a defensive game-changer and both Jamison and Aundrey Green made plenty of clutch plays. But Jones is not just sorry to see them go because of basketball reasons.

"I've known most of those kids since they were in sixth grade," he said. "It's a group we're really going to miss, not just because they're good basketball players but because we developed great relationships with them. We've basically seen them grow up over the last seven years and I can't tell you how much they've meant to our program. We're really going to miss them as individuals."

SOUTH JERSEY TIMES COACH OF THE YEAR

Somehow, each win managed to surpass the one before it.

Since Frank Rago's Clayton boys basketball team entered the South Jersey, Group 1 playoffs as the eighth seed, not many people were predicting an extended run. But the Clippers opened with a home win over Cape May Tech, and then things really started to get interesting.

A road upset in the quarterfinals over top-seeded Penns Grove followed. The Clippers finished the game on a 10-1 run in the final 1:13 to stun the Red Devils, 77-70, and avenge a one-point loss exactly two weeks earlier.

Next up was an 86-81 thriller in double overtime at Haddon Township, sending Clayton to the sectional final. As luck would have it, 14th-seeded Wildwood was making its own Cinderella run on the other side of the bracket, giving the Clippers an opportunity to host the Warriors for the title.

Clayton had one more memorable performance left in the tank, as it battled back from a seven-point deficit with less than three minutes in the fourth quarter to beat Wildwood, 64-63, securing its first sectional championship since 1980.

For leading his team to the crown and a 21-10 final record, Rago has been named South Jersey Times Coach of the Year.

"The whole run was just fantastic," he said. "To identify a moment from all of those games that was the best would be really hard to do. It was the culmination of all four games. Before the Cape May Tech game, I literally wrote on the board, 'What kind of legacy do you want to leave?' Every game we talked about it.

"The kids had my back and we really fought through some tough moments. I think we lost three in a row twice this year. We won four in a row, five in a row and six in a row. To ride that wave the whole season and have it culminate in a South Jersey, Group 1 championship was beyond all my expectations. These kids stepped up to the challenge in every way possible and it was phenomenal."

This was Rago's 20th season at Clayton and 16th as the head coach. In his four years as an assistant, the Clippers went 8-80, including a winless season, so they have clearly come a long way.

A major turning point came around eight years ago, when Rago was looking for a way for his small school to not only be more competitive, but to play an exciting brand of basketball. That's when he committed to his "Tornado" system — a super-fast style that emphasizes full-court pressure and gambling on defense along with transition offense and plenty of 3-pointers. Rago also substitutes frequently and uses his entire bench.

Clayton is now known around South Jersey for the way it plays and is among the state's highest-scoring teams year in and year out. This season the Clippers scored at least 100 points in eight games, including 120 against Pennsville.

"As soon as Steph Curry came in and started jacking 3s from all over the gym, the game changed," Rago said. "Whether you like it, love it or hate it, it's not changing back. This is the way the game is going. James Harden or Russell Westbrook and these point guards are dominating the ball and creating for their teammates, and we basically give our kids the chance to emulate that at the high school level. They know if we play faster, they will get more opportunities to score baskets. Rather than hold the ball and play slow, why not roll the dice, play faster and see what happens? That's basically our motto."

Rago has heard a lot of criticism of his system over the years, but is proud to see it lead to success.

"Whether I'm at LA Fitness or I'm out to dinner, it's a nice conversation starter," he said. "People want to talk about it, whether they agree with it or disagree with it. Me being a math teacher, I'll spit out numbers all day long about the things we do to help us win.

"Some people say we don't play defense, but we force 31 turnovers a game. Who forces a turnover a minute? Nobody, but we do. That's why we can give up a layup or go for steals. You saw it against Wildwood — when the pressure was on and the moment was there, our kids stepped up to the plate. It was nice to do it our way and win it that way. To be down seven with 2:45 left, my kids never faltered."

Rago loves to watch basketball at all levels and can talk about the game with the best of them. He has no plans of stepping aside from coaching anytime soon — not because he wants to add another sectional title or take the next step and compete for a state championship, but because he enjoys being in the gym and teaching.

"The idea of winning or losing a game matters in the moment, but what matters more is the relationships and bonds you build with your players," he said. "Before our (first) playoff game, I had 12 kids come back who played for me the last three years. We balled out for two hours; I played with the kids, we rotated guys in and out, and we just enjoyed the game of basketball.

"(My former players) joke that the reason we won the sectional title is because they came in on a Saturday before the playoffs started, so now they have a little stake in our victories. They came out to the games and congratulated the kids, and now the kids know that even when you leave, you can come back. To see a kid come back to the gym, whether it's expected or unexpected, it's always a nice moment. It's nice to know the kids who played for me from the past truly valued the relationship we had."

ALL-AREA TEAM

First Team

DJ Campbell, Vineland, Guard, Sr.

The South Jersey Times Player of the Year averaged 29.4 points to lead the state and chipped in 8.2 rebounds, 2.9 steals and 2.8 assists per game. He led the Fighting Clan to their first winning season since 2008 and finished as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,513 points. Stockton is one of the schools he is considering.

Javon Gordon, Delsea, Guard, Sr.

A repeat selection to the all-area first team, Gordon averaged a team-high 16 points for the Crusaders as they went 18-9 and won the Tri-County Conference-Liberty Division title, their third straight division crown. An unselfish, versatile player on offense, Gordon was also one of the best defensive players in South Jersey. He finished his career with 1,465 points, 540 rebounds, 320 assists, 296 steals and 70 wins. He is being recruited by several Division 2 schools, including the University of the Sciences.

Rynell Lawrence, Millville, Guard, Sr.

The best player on the South Jersey Times Team of the Year, Lawrence led the Thunderbolts to the South Jersey, Group 4 final — their first sectional final since 1970 — and a 23-7 record. A three-time member of the all-area team, he averaged 15.4 points, 6 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game and often guarded the opponent's leading scorer. Lawrence finished his career with 1,710 points, a Millville record.

Conor Regan, Gloucester Catholic, Forward, Sr.

A three-year starter and one of the best pure shooters in South Jersey, Regan averaged 19.8 points this season, fourth in the South Jersey Times coverage area. He also led the Rams in rebounding with 8.4 per game to go with 2.1 assists and 2.9 steals, and knocked down 68 3-pointers despite missing the final two games with an ankle injury. Regan is Gloucester Catholic's all-time leader in 3-pointers with 203 for his career and scored 1,285 points, fourth in program history. He is being recruited by the likes of Rowan, Chestnut Hill, Widener and TCNJ.

Keon Sabb, Glassboro, Forward, Fr.

A talented athlete who is already being heavily recruited for football, it did not take Sabb long to have an impact on the basketball court. The rookie scored 26 points in his first career game and went on to reach 20 in 13 other games, including a career-high 31 against Overbrook. He led Glassboro with 19.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game and helped the Bulldogs go 23-4 with a share of the Tri-County Conference-Diamond Division title.

Second Team

MJ Iraldi, West Deptford, Guard, Jr.

Iraldi teamed with fellow junior Brandon Ratcliffe to form one of the best backcourts in the area and sparked West Deptford to the South Jersey, Group 2 semifinals and a 24-4 record, setting a program record for wins. A mutli-talented player, Iraldi averaged 14.2 points and led the Eagles with 8.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game.

Kavon Lewis, Penns Grove, Guard, Jr.

The quarterback on Penns Grove's sectional championship football team, Lewis carried his leadership over to the basketball court as well. An outstanding shooter, he made 77 3-pointers and averaged 19 points per game to go with 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.7 steals. He scored his 1,000th career point in a win over Delsea and helped the Red Devils post a 23-4 record with a share of the Tri-County Conference-Diamond Division title.

Zach Manorowitz, Pennsville, Guard, Jr.

Manorowitz followed up his strong sophomore season by establishing himself as one of the most prolific scorers in South Jersey. He averaged 23.8 points — second behind DJ Campbell in the South Jersey Times coverage area — and had four games in the 30s, including 37 against Schalick. Manorowitz, who chipped in 6.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.9 steals per game, has 1,029 career points and should break the program record of 1,284 early in his senior season.

Justin McNichols, Clearview, Forward, Jr.

A starter since his freshman year, McNichols put together his finest season yet this winter. A solid 3-point shooter who also excels at getting to the rim, he averaged a team-high 18.1 points to go with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1.1 blocks per game. He scored his 1,000th career point in a loss to Seneca and is closing in on the program's all-time record.

Rob Petersen, Pitman, Forward, Jr.

With Pitman in need of a new go-to scorer coming into the year, Petersen emerged and had a breakout season for the Panthers. He averaged 20.5 points, third in the South Jersey Times coverage area, and reached at least 25 in 10 games, including a career-high 40 against Salem. Fantastic at breaking down defenders off the dribble, Petersen also averaged 6.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

Read More

2019 Honda Odyssey Elite Review: The Minivan Grows Up, Just Like You

Base Price (as Tested): $47,070 ($48,115)

Powertrain: 3.5-liter V-6 engine; 280 horsepower, 262 pound-feet of torque; 10-speed automatic transmission; front-wheel drive

EPA Fuel Economy: 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway

Cargo Capacity: 32.8 cubic feet behind the third row, 88.8 cubes behind the second row, 144.9 cubes behind the first row

Seats: 8

Curb Weight: 4,457 pounds

Quick Take: Like mom jeans and dad sneakers, the Honda Odyssey has made the long journey back to cool.

Fitting for its homeric namesake, it's been a long and difficult road for the Honda Odyssey. Minivans in general watched their glorious market share shrivel as crossovers stormed the scene, took everyone's lunch money, and reorganized the place—ironically, the same thing the Dodge Caravan, Plymouth Voyager, and Chrysler Town and Country did to the American market in 1983. The Odyssey is one of the survivors now, part of a dwindling herd that's scrapping for survival.

America does trucks. Europe does hatchbacks. And Japan? Japan does minivans. You'd be forgiven for not remembering—outside the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, and Nissan Quest, the Japanese marques have a long tradition of selling small people-movers in Asia and beyond. They've even got a whole class of uber-luxury minivans like the Nissan Elgrand and the Toyota Alphard, not to mention the off-road buddies like the Mitsubishi Delica. Point being, they know their vans in the Land of the Rising Sun.

All that know-how trickled down into the 2019 Honda Odyssey, just in time for minivans to experience a bit of a resurgence in certain corners of the American res publica. This isn't #vanlife—no, it's a recognition that, in a time where everything is huge and excessive and built around delivering the most, the minivan is actually a humble, likable thing, a car that doesn't need to shout about its cargo space or expansive third row because it's always had them. And fresh off a 2018 redesign, the Odyssey gets it done. Unless you need all-wheel-drive.

Read More

‘The Wolves’ explores the inner lives of a girls’ soccer team

The ensemble / Darrett Sanders

LOS ANGELES—Girls' and women's sports may still be underreported and undervalued, but it seems it's a hot subject in the theatre right now. We recently reviewed an all-female cast in For the Love Of (Or, The Roller Derby Play); and now comes the L.A. premiere of Sarah DeLappe's Pulitzer Prize finalist The Wolves in an Echo Theater Company production. It too has an all-woman cast, all but one members of a competitive soccer team at the junior high school level.

I'm generally not much interested in organized sports—live, on TV, in the theatre. But here's what attracted me to the play—this paragraph from the publicist:

"The Wolves is DeLappe's first produced play. It premiered in 2016 at off-Broadway's The Duke at 42nd Street as a Playwrights Realm production in association with New York Stage & Film and Vassar's Powerhouse Theatre, where it enjoyed a sold-out run and transferred to Lincoln Center the following year. It was a co-winner of the American Playwriting Foundation's inaugural Relentless Award and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize and the Yale Drama Series Prize. The Pulitzer committee describes it as 'a timely play about a girls' high school soccer team that illuminates with the unmistakable ping of reality the way young selves are formed when innate character clashes with external challenges.' In his New York Times 'Critic's Pick' review, theater critic Ben Brantley calls it 'A thrilling debut play…theater that keeps you on the edge of your seat.'"

Wouldn't you not want to miss such an event?

"When you're 16 and 17, everything is such a big deal," says director Alana Dietze. "This play is an emotional powerhouse because everything in these girls lives so close to the surface. That vulnerable state is compounded by the physical demands of the play for both actor and character—it's visceral, dynamic and exciting to witness."

According to the playwright, "I wanted to see a portrait of teenage girls as human beings—as complicated, nuanced, very idiosyncratic people who weren't just girlfriends or sex objects or manic pixie dream girl, but who were athletes and daughters and students and scholars and people who were trying actively to figure out who they were in this changing world around them."

DeLappe wants to draw us close in to this wolf pack of ferocious adolescent warriors (their team is called "The Wolves"), but before the proverbial curtain rises, a quick glance at the program doesn't even provide the characters with names. Instead they are identified only by the number on their matching jerseys—and when they're wearing something over their maroon and white uniform that obscures the number it's a challenge remembering which character they are! (The costume designer is Elena Flores.)

There's super-cool #7, the striker (Katherine Cronyn); anorexically thin, kind #2 (Minzi) and childlike #8 (Ellen Neary), both on defense; three midfielders: brainy #11 (Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson), stoner girl #13 (Jacqueline Besson) and #7's insecure sidekick, #14 (Donna Zadeh). Goalie #00 (Makeda Declet) is an anxious perfectionist given to a nervous stomach, and the awkward new girl, #46 (Caitlin Zambito), who lives outside of town in a yurt with her mom and is just trying to fit in. Team captain, #25 (Connor Kelly-Eiding), does her best to keep the girls focused on the game, and Soccer Mom (Alison Martin), who makes only a single powerful appearance in the play toward the end, provides the orange slices.

Once in a while some of their given names are mentioned, but honestly, it's hard to keep both numbers and names in your head amidst the fleet-footed, far-ranging, fragmentary dialogue that touches on just about everything girls of that age are thinking about. Personal differences, insults and jokes, correct language, resentments, accusations and tensions, friends and boyfriends, ethnicity, the Khmer Rouge and the Preamble to the Constitution, eating, hair, competition, menstruation, pregnancy and abortion, illness and zits, secrets, weather, college athletic scholarships, injuries, accidents, philanthropic fundraising for poor children—for starters—and in seemingly random, overlapping order.

And almost constantly, obsessively, addictively, they're warming up for the game each Saturday with every manner of stretch, flexibility, agility and strength exercises. This is fierce, serious physical theatre, a 90-minute boot camp of gymnastic choreography tricked out with moving soccer balls. It's easy to interpret this kind of extreme working out as an escape from some of life's difficult challenges—acknowledging at the same time that hey, girls gotta play sports too.

Back row: Troy Leigh-Anne Johnson, Ellen Neary, Katherine Cronyn, Minzi, Connor Kelly-Eiding, Caitlin Zambito; Front: Makeda Declet, Jacqueline Besson / Darrett Sanders

The entire action takes place on a large carpet of green astroturf that flows down from high up backstage to the front of the playing area (scenic design by Amanda Knehans). A single arc of white paint meant to delineate a section of the soccer field is the only departure from that field of grass. (They actually play on an indoor field at the City Sports Dome.) The action occurs "somewhere in suburban America" over a span of maybe several months, it's a little hard to say, but things do happen over time.

There is a Great Purpose here somewhere, and no one can fault the actors for their extraordinarily energetic dedication to trying to make this work. I don't envy the director, who had the complicated job of keeping the volatile pin-ball dialogue moving along coherently while soccer balls are being kicked around. The Wolves is not so much a play, but a slice of life, a collective atmosphere and environmental snapshot of girls' sports. But almost all of that Great Purpose is overwhelmed by far too much hyperactivity both physical and verbal, sweat and busy-ness, and wasted time that fails to contribute to the drama.

The playwright's reach has exceeded her grasp. I think there is the outline of an eventually effective play here (Pulitzer Prize nom and its apparent success in the Big Apple notwithstanding) but there would need to be a lot less dribbling and a lot more plot and character that's about real, named characters, not numbers. I doubt any changes will be made to the script at this late date, however: It's already an established work. I can appreciate the conceit as an intellectual effort, but right now the performance places heavy demands on a theatergoer without sufficient compensatory reward.

Speaking of numbers, I got to thinking, this is like a piece of pointillist art by Georges Seurat rendered in paint-by-number for amateurs at home and left half completed out of boredom.

Maybe DeLappe's post-modern point is basically the physical and verbal exercise itself, but if so, then I guess I missed it. I just don't get how that's supposed to engage a theatre audience for an evening. However, I know that others in the audience, including some critics, appreciated the piece in ways that I did not. Could be that I'm just not that much into sports.

The Wolves plays Fri. and Sat. at 8 pm, Sun. at 4 pm, and Mon. at 8 pm through April 22 at Atwater Village Theatre, 3269 Casitas Ave., Los Angeles 90039. For reservations and information, call (310) 307-3753 or go to www.EchoTheaterCompany.com.

Read More

Fantasy Soccer Podcast: Sat, March 23 DraftKings MLS Preview

This article is part of our Fantasy Soccer Podcast series.

Andrew Laird, JD Bazzo and Daniel Bramlette preview Saturday's three-game MLS slate on DraftKings, including just how viable Nani is for Orlando City playing at the Red Bulls.

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. Andrew M. Laird plays in daily fantasy contests using the following accounts: FanDuel: kingmorland, DraftKings: andrewmlaird, Yahoo: Lairdinho.

Read More

Fox Sports brings in a more international feel for Women’s World Cup coverage

After a rough start at first, Fox improved on their coverage and finished their 2015 Women's World Cup coverage on a high note and broke viewership records along the way.

Fox's first World Cup was ultimately deemed a success, as their dedicated a similar amount of resources to the Women's World Cup as they did three years later with the men's World Cup. And with the majority of games being on network Fox or FS1, the Women's World Cup was given a platform that it not only needed, but a platform it deserved in this country.

Four years later, Fox is gearing up for its 2019 Women's World Cup coverage. The network already revealed that 22 of 52 matches will be on network Fox, along with 27 others on FS1, and that JP Dellacamera and Aly Wagner will be the lead broadcast team. With 78 days until the start of the tournament, Fox revealed the rest of their on-air talent.

Here are the four other broadcast crews for the tournament.

Derek Rae and Danielle Slaton. Like Dellacamera, Rae is a soccer broadcasting legend calling just about anything and everything across the soccer world, while former USWNT star Slaton is now with Rae after partnering with John Strong in 2015. Strong is likely going to be on MLS and Gold Cup duty, which will take place during the Women's World Cup.

NWSL and ESPN basketball play-by-play person Jenn Hildreth and Minnesota United analyst Kyndra de St. Aubin are teaming up again to form an all-female crew that got rave reviews four years ago.

Big Ten Network's Lisa Byington joins the crew for her first World Cup and is paired with former USWNT defender Cat Whitehill, Fox's second all-female crew.

Rounding out the broadcasting setup will be Houston Dynamo play-by-play person Glenn Davis, who is back with Fox for his seventh World Cup, and with former USWNT midfielder Angela Hucles, who had primarily been in the studio in 2015.

In the studio, Rob Stone and Kate Abdo will return and share hosting duties, just as they have done in 2015 and 2018. They will be joined in the hosting chair by Undisputed moderator and college football and basketball reporter Jenny Taft.

There will be more international representation in the studio for the 2019 Women's World Cup than four years ago. England's Kelly Smith and Germany's Ariane Hingst are back, and will be joined by former England and current Juventus striker Eniola Aluko and Australia's Kate Gill.

On the American side, Fox regular Alexi Lalas will be in France, while Leslie Osborne returns after being in the studio in 2015. 2015 World Cup winners Heather O'Reilly and Christie Rampone also join Fox's coverage, and they should bring an insider perspective on how the USWNT is playing, given that they played with many of same players who will be on the 2019 team. This might result in a fear to criticize players and coaches who may be friends, but O'Reilly seemed fair in her critique of the USWNT during their struggles in the SheBelieves Cup, so that might not be an issue.

Additionally, Fox is embedding Fox Sports West reporter Alex Curry with the USWNT, while Grant Wahl will serve as a reporter-at-large and FIFA referee Christina Unkel will work as Fox's rules analyst during the tournament.

With more international analysts in place, Fox has a backup plan for 2019 in case the USWNT crashes out early. Much of the ratings success in 2015 was due to the USWNT marching their way to victory in the World Cup Final over Japan, and Fox focusing their coverage on the American team would be a no-brainer to attract more viewers. But there are 23 other nations involved in this tournament, and there are only so many minutes you can talk about the USWNT.

[Fox Sports]

Read More

2018 Kicker Review: What Did We Learn? (Fantasy Football)

What can fantasy football players learn from Ka’imi Fairbairn’s success in 2018?

Years ago, I wrote an article in which I proposed the elimination of kickers in the National Football League. Not just making subtle changes to the distance of extra points, or assigning a different point value for the length of each attempt, but removing field goals and kickoffs from the game altogether.

Having a converted soccer player decide the fate of a 60-minute battle between two squads of 53 men has always seemed silly to me. Especially when you consider the difficulty of kicking an oblong ball, designed specifically for throwing and not kicking, 45 yards downfield between two vertical poles spaced 18 feet and six inches apart. Kickers are like lawyers. Nobody likes them until you need one in your most tenuous of situations. And unlike lawyers and the American justice system, kickers are not going away anytime soon.

So instead of lamenting kickers and promoting their eradication from fantasy games like the majority of fantasy writers in the industry, I decided a few years back to study what makes a fantasy kicker successful and identify variables that lead to kicker production. If they are going to be a part of the game â€" and continue to score around the same number of points as a high-end WR2 â€" why not take advantage of the industry’s shared laziness and look for a way to find value in an otherwise untapped position?

The result is my K Score metric that I used last season as part of my weekly kicker primer here on FantasyPros. Using four metrics, including red-zone efficiency, red-zone defensive stats, and offensive yardage rankings, I was able to use the K Score to successfully identify a K1 out of players ranked well outside the top 12 each week nearly 70% of the time.

Not only did the K Score give me the information I needed to selected the top kicker (who was ranked well outside the top-20 ECR) three times in 14 weeks, the data gave me a clear understanding of the value Ka’imi Fairbairn possessed well before the industry caught up.

As I dove into the last season’s data and started the process of using the K Score to produce my 2019 rankings, I thought it would be informative to highlight some interesting trends from last season.

Surprise Finishers

Fairbairn benefitted from playing on a Houston Texans team that ranked in the top 15 in both yards and points per game, but third-worst in offensive red-zone efficiency. He finished with the league’s second-best K Score and also benefitted from playing half of his games indoors.

Five of the top-10 kickers, including Fairbairn, Robbie Gould, Jason Myers, Brett Maher, and Aldrick Rosas played on teams that ranked in the bottom seven in red-zone efficiency. Only Gould resided in the ECR’s top 12.

All ranked inside the top 10, Jake Elliott, Matt Bryant, and Chris Boswell finished well outside the top 12. Boswell, who eventually lost his job, concluded 2018 as the No. 25 kicker.

The Power of One

For years, Stephen Gostkowski owners have benefitted from Tom Brady and the New England Patriots’ potent and consistent offensive production. Gostkowski was three percentage points below his career average of made attempts last season (84.3%), but he made up for it with the third-most extra points to finish as the No. 5 kicker.

Three of the top-five kickers, Harrison Butker, Will Lutz, and Gostkowski all played on teams that ranked in the top five in scoring and top 10 in yards per game. Butker tied Adam Vinatieri and Sebastian Janikowski for 19th in field-goal attempts per game, but the Chiefs kicker got a massive boost from Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense to the tune of 65 extra points. By comparison, Gould, the eighth-ranked kicker in fantasy, garnered only 29 extra-point attempts on the season.

Consistency

Although finishing just inside the top 12 based on total points, Greg the Leg Zuerlein lapped the field in consistency scores. He finished as a K1 in 82% of the 11 games he played last season. The second-best consistency rating was Fairbairn at 69%.

Fairbairn finished as the No. 1 kicker and posted the highest percentage of top-five finishes en route to a Pro Bowl selection. The Texans have been a bottom-five red-zone offense in each of the last two seasons under Bill O’Brien and Deshaun Watson, so Fairbairn should once again be a fantasy stud unless that trend improves.

Michael Badgley quietly finished with the third-highest percentage of top-five finishes in his short time as the Chargers’ starter. As of now, the fantasy industry is not buying a repeat based on his No. 12 ranking in ECR as of March 20. Don’t sleep on him this season, as he could be a steal in drafts.

K Score Limitations

Boswell finished as the No. 25 kicker despite the benefit of playing on a team that ranked in the top six in both yards and points scored. Not only did Boswell develop a terrible case of the shanks, but the Steelers also boasted the second-best red-zone offenses and limited his field-goal opportunities. The result? Boswell is out looking for a job and will likely be selling insurance in the fall.

Early 2019 Sleepers

Jason Sanders of the Miami Dolphins made a strong first impression by converting 19 of his first 21 NFL field-goal attempts. Although the Dolphins had one of the worst red-zone offenses in the league last year, which helped Sanders get some three-point opportunities, his overall K Score was dreadful based on Miami’s awful offense and inability to move the ball. With Ryan Fitzpatrick now at QB, the Dolphins will be a sneaky good offense for fantasy purposes and could elevate Sanders to a top-12 kicker in 2019.

Whoever takes over for the Bucs will likely garner some streaming consideration next season. Chandler Catanzaro owned one of best K Scores for a player ranked outside the top 25, but failed to live up to expectations because of low volume. With a new offensive-minded head coach in Bruce Arians and a full season of Jameis Winston under center, their offense should take another step forward. The rising tide should also boost up the kicker.

Complete early fantasy football mock drafts with our free simulator >>

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | TuneIn | RSS

Andrew Swanson is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Andrew, check out his archive or follow him @FFtoday_Andy.

Read More

No soccer experience, but she still got a spot on elite UCLA team in college admissions scandal

William "Rick" Singer, a college admissions consultant and the admitted mastermind of the scheme, said in federal court last week he bribed coaches to pass off his clients' children as athletic recruits, ensuring their admittance to elite schools like Stanford, USC, Georgetown, Yale and UCLA.

Read More

Chula Vista's low-income housing project for Olympic athletes (and millionaire soccer players)

Mexico's national soccer team will play an exhibition against Chile on Friday night at SDCCU Stadium, and new coach Gerardo "Tata" Martino has his 29-man roster preparing for the game at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center.

They'll practice on the pristine fields of the 155-acre complex formerly operated by the U.S. Olympic Committee, eat in the cafeteria, use the fitness center and sleep in the new 100-bed residence hall that opened last summer.

The total estimated value of El Tri's 29 players in soccer's international transfer market, according to the Transfermarkt website that tracks such things, is $227 million.

They're living this week in what technically is low-income housing.

It represents a unique situation in a unique solution. The two-story housing project wasn't built with millionaire soccer players in mind; the typical residents of the two- and four-bedroom suites are Olympic and Paralympic athletes toiling in obscure sports with little fanfare or financial compensation.

"It's frankly been a game changer," said Kelley Bacon, Chula Vista's deputy city manager.

The center opened in 1996, years behind schedule and tens of millions of dollars over budget, with about half the facilities originally planned and only one-fourth of the dormitory space. The San Diego National Sports Training Foundation raised the money and built it on a land grant from Eastlake developers, then turned over the keys to the USOC.

Five years ago, the USOC announced it was losing too much money and wanted out, punting the facility on Lower Otay Reservoir back to Chula Vista. The city had two options: close the center and let it revert to parkland, as the lease dictates; or find a private operator to keep it solvent without dipping into the city's general fund.

"I had to spend about a year putting together models to see if it was even going to be feasible," said Bacon, who worked with local consulting firm JMI Sports. "I could not make a single model work if there wasn't enough housing. We were really struggling with how we were going to be able to do this. As a city, we don't have the money to build a 100-bed dorm, but we knew that was going to be necessary to make it work.

"We started brainstorming and said, gee, I wonder how much U.S. Olympic athletes make?"

They contacted the USOC, which provided documentation that the majority of Olympic hopefuls — especially those in sports based at the Chula Vista training center — make less than $5,000 per year. Some make nothing.

"If you're one of those athletes who maybe has medaled numerous times and you get the big Wheaties contract and Nike," Bacon said, "you're probably not staying at the training center anyway. You've got those big endorsements and you're training wherever you want and have your own coaches and all that. It turned out most of them were very poor and wouldn't be able to train if there wasn't housing available at this site."

The light-bulb idea: Designate the new residence project as low-income housing and get a Chula Vista developer to build it to satisfy its city-mandated affordable housing requirement.

First, the city changed its definition of "inclusionary housing" so that it meets "the needs of certain population groups within the community such as ...national level student/amateur athletes."

Another change: "Alternative housing types may be developed and measured in terms of the number of 'rooms' or 'beds' rather than units."

This allowed the city to sweeten a deal with developers, letting a 100-bed residence count as 100 entire units (which would typically have several times as many beds). The city's Balanced Communities Policy requires that 10 percent of new subdivisions with 50 or more units be for low- or moderate-income families.

Baldwin & Sons, a Newport Beach development company that has built hundreds of homes in Chula Vista, took on the project.

"We were approached by the city," said Stephen Haase, senior vice president with Baldwin & Sons, "because the city realized if they don't increase the number of beds (at the training center), they're not going to have a financially viable model. And let's be honest: What city has $10 million laying around to say, 'Let's go build 100 beds for elite athletes while they're struggling to replenish their fire and police departments?'"

It was initially expected to cost $3.2 million and be completed by July 2017. Then construction costs soared across Southern California, along with other unforeseen price increases, and it became a $10 million project that opened last June.

Baldwin & Sons was originally supposed to receive credit for 100 low-income housing units. It has since renegotiated the agreement to reflect the increased cost, and the most recent credit was 285 units — although that could change slightly based on the final audit of the project.

The Deeann and Al Baldwin Athlete Residences, as it's called, includes conference rooms, laundry rooms, a deck patio and wifi. The housing suites have quartz countertops, wood-style flooring, 50-inch TVs, small refrigerators and microwaves.

"It's not a dorm," Haase said. "I lived in a dorm at San Diego State. I know what a dorm is. These are really nice apartments. We're very proud of what got built out there. I think everybody wanted to be proud of that and not build something that was viewed as substandard for these athletes."

Cities can determine what constitutes affordable housing, but that may not meet state guidelines. A spokesperson from the California Department of Housing and Community Development said it would review the project's qualifications when Chula Vista files an annual report April 1.

If the state doesn't count it as affordable housing, the spokesperson said, Chula Vista would be responsible for finding alternatives.

Despite being designated as low-income housing by the city, Chula Vista's Bacon said there are no stipulations about who can stay there or from what country, since the center is no longer restricted to U.S. athletes and operates on a for-profit basis.

In January, the U.S. men's national team rented out the new residence for a three-week camp under new coach Gregg Berhalter that included veteran midfielder Michael Bradley, who makes $6.5 million per year with Major League Soccer's Toronto FC.

"I think there's big value in it, especially when you have a new team, a new group," Bradley said in January. "It's nice to get everybody together in terms of the ease of going from rooms to the field to food to the gym. Everything is right here. We're not wasting time in vans and on buses. It's a great environment to get to work."

The Seattle Sounders and Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer held preseason camp there in February. Now, Mexico is here this week with $227 million worth of goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders and forwards.

But those are the exceptions, although welcome exceptions in that they help publicize the center and its new operational model. Most of the year, the suites are filled with rugby players or BMX cyclists or track athletes or Paralympians (half the rooms are ADA accessible).

Elite Athlete Services took over management of the center two years ago with a mix of USOC-funded athletes and outside groups. The new residence hall, Bacon said, has been running at 92- to 100-percent occupancy.

"There's no way that our operator could be breaking even or making a profit if it weren't for that resident housing," Bacon said. "It's busy, it's exciting. I go to meetings out there about once a week, and I love going there and not being able to find a place to park. And that's not how it used to be."

CAPTION

San Diego State defeats a team ranked higher than seventh for first time in program history. 

San Diego State defeats a team ranked higher than seventh for first time in program history. 

CAPTION

Hear from Aztecs head basketball coach Brian Dutcher as the team prepares to play at Fresno State.

Hear from Aztecs head basketball coach Brian Dutcher as the team prepares to play at Fresno State.

CAPTION

Hear from Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher and players after beating New Mexico, 97-77.

Hear from Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher and players after beating New Mexico, 97-77.

CAPTION

Hear from Aztecs head basketball coach Brian Dutcher and forward Matt Mitchell as the team prepares for Air Force.

Hear from Aztecs head basketball coach Brian Dutcher and forward Matt Mitchell as the team prepares for Air Force.

CAPTION

Hear from head coach Brian Dutcher and guard Jordan Schakel after the Aztecs beat Wyoming, 84-54.

Hear from head coach Brian Dutcher and guard Jordan Schakel after the Aztecs beat Wyoming, 84-54.

mark.zeigler@sduniontribune.com; Twitter: @sdutzeigler

Read More

Soccer! Money makes the soccer world turn (except for you, France)

And the rest of the world keeps coming. Denmark, second in the most recent European Championships, didn't even qualify for the World Cup while the Netherlands, which won that tournament, trails six teams in the latest FIFA rankings. No fewer than 10 countries – the U.S, Australia, Japan, Canada, England, Brazil, France, Sweden, Germany and the Netherlands – will enter this summer's tournament with reason to think they could win it.

Read More

No soccer experience, but she still got a spot on elite UCLA team in admissions scandal

William "Rick" Singer, a college admissions consultant and the admitted mastermind of the scheme, said in federal court last week he bribed coaches to pass off his clients' children as athletic recruits, ensuring their admittance to elite schools like Stanford, USC, Georgetown, Yale and UCLA.

Read More

Copa Kitchen & Bar brings soccer and Spanish fare to Ashton Heights

A new sports bar has opened for business in the neighborhood. Located in the Quarter Market at Ballston Quarter (4238 Wilson Blvd., Suite 150) in Ashton Heights, the new arrival is called Copa Kitchen & Bar.

It offers a menu that blurs the lines between a traditional American pub and Spanish tapas bar. "Papas bravas" (crispy potatoes with garlic aioli), lamb skewers and a plate of Serrano ham and Manchego cheese wouldn't be out of place in a quaint Madrid vermouth bar, while wings, a burger and flatbreads will reassure you that you're in Arlington.

Sangria and beer compete for the hearts of customers, just as soccer will battle other sports for real estate on the many TVs.

The new sports bar has gotten off to a solid start thus far, with a 3.5-star rating out of three reviews on Yelp.

Ronan M., who was among the first Yelpers to review the new spot on March 11, wrote, "This place is run by some true professionals who know how to take care of its guests. It's a great place to enjoy some food and watch a soccer match."

Intrigued? Stop in to try it for yourself. Copa Kitchen & Bar is open from 11 a.m.–11 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, 11 a.m.–midnight on Thursday, and 11 a.m.–1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

It's wine o'clock somewhere.

Hitting up new and buzzy hotspots is all well and good — but it usually involves leaving your pajamas at home. Skip the hassle and get straight to the good stuff with Winc, the wine club that curates bottles based on your personal taste, and delivers 'em straight to your doorstep. Like berry-forward flavors, hate bitterness, and crave earthy notes? Winc has the wines for you, for as little as $13 a bottle.

Get swigging →

This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.

Read More

Rogers: Bring replay review to soccer and do it now

Corruption, not common sense, has been the main order of business at soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, these past couple of decades. The greedy eyes of the sport’s bureaucrats have been so fixated on self-interest that glaring chasms could sit open in the rulebook and no one blinked.

One such oversight is the lack of video replay even when the technology, the public backing and, goodness knows, the money is there to make it a staple part of the game.

Last Sunday brought us some extraordinary scenes that showed precisely why soccer’s hierarchy needs to pull their heads out of their free lunches and urgently usher in electronic assistance for certain on-field decisions.

With 15 minutes left in the decisive contest in Group B of the Copa America at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Peru’s Raul Ruidiaz turned a cross from the right into his net and celebrated like a man whose nation was about to beat Brazil for the first time in 31 years. Peru insisted Ruidiaz’s contact with the ball was with his thigh. Brazil was adamant it was a hand ball.

Cue confusion and farce.

Referee Andres Cunha from Uruguay had no idea what had happened, as seen by the panicked expression on his face. Immediately confronted by players from both teams, he tried in vain to wave them away. No dice.

He sought help from his assistant referee on the sideline, but found only a shrug of the shoulders and a bemused look there. He waved across to the fourth official, situated on the sideline, but his gesture went unnoticed.

So Cunha got on his earpiece, chatting with a match official, presumably seeking some kind of guidance as to whether the goal was legitimate or not. Kind of like: “Hey guys, did anyone have a TV on and maybe saw what happened?”

Oops, that was no good either, and maybe it is just as well. Video replay is not permitted, and a decision based off it would probably have caused even more of a ruckus.

Cunha was left with no option but to go with his gut. His view of the play even though the angle he was placed in made it impossible to see with any clarity whether it was Ruidiaz’s thigh, hip and, or as was the case, forearm that guided the ball into the net.

Of course, as we now know, he got it wrong. Peru got the goal, and the win. Brazil got the short straw, elimination and ridicule upon their return home.

It was wrong, no matter what your allegiance, however much you like an upset, even if you believe luck evens out over time.

No question Cunha handled the situation poorly and lost control. Maybe he had a bad night. Maybe he is just not a very good official.

It doesn’t matter. Good, bad and indifferent, no referee should be put in such an impossible scenario when such serious matters are at hand. The Copa America is important enough … just ask Brazil coach Dunga, who is likely to lose his job after his team’s exit in the group stage.

At a World Cup the stakes are even higher. With outrageous sums of money at its disposal, it is incumbent on FIFA to make a move for the actual good of the game. Now there is a novel idea.

FIFA loves television so much for the money it spreads, flooding the game at the top level. So why not actually make it a real part of the proceedings?

The best thing to come out of Sunday was that the old argument about delaying the game was resoundingly blown out of the water. The confusion and the protests and all that acrimony held up the action far longer than having a booth official glance at a replay would have, which would also bring the delightful little bonus of, you know, actually getting the call right.

Of course, there is no desire to see soccer go down the road of the NFL or NBA, where many calls can be reviewed. Yet for incidents that lead to goals, penalty kicks or red cards, there is enough on the line for accuracy to become paramount.

Yes, soccer’s rules have been in place for 150 years but the rulebook has been shifted before. There was once a cute little clause whereby you could shoulder charge the goalkeeper while he was holding the ball and try to smash him into the net. The referee used to stand on the sideline, not on the field. The offside rule was once such a mess and so shifted in the favor of the defense that goals all but dried up.

Don’t remember that? Not surprising, because it happened way, way back in the past. Which is where soccer is stuck, and will remain, until it turns to television for the salvation of fairness.

Support real journalism. Support local journalism. Subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution today. See offers.

Your subscription to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution funds in-depth reporting and investigations that keep you informed. Thank you for supporting real journalism.

Read More

March 16 English soccer roundup

Man City reaches FA Cup semis, United knocked out by Wolves

LONDON — Manchester City's quest for a quadruple is still on, thanks to a bit of luck and some help from the referee, but Manchester United has only one remaining chance for silverware after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Wolverhampton Wanderers.

On a contrasting Saturday for the two rivals, City came from two goals down to defeat second-tier Swansea 3-2 in the quarterfinals while United went down 2-1 at Wolves.

Watford also reached the semis after substitute Andre Gray scored two minutes after coming off the bench to secure a 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

Wolves held on to win a game it dominated, but Swansea couldn't protect its 2-0 lead against a City side that benefited from two refereeing mistakes.

City was incorrectly awarded a penalty that led to the equalizer before Sergio Aguero scored the winner from an offside position to end Swansea's hopes of pulling off a massive upset.

Adding to City's good fortune was the fact the equalizer had only gone in after the ball bounced off goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

It all kept coach Pep Guardiola on track for a possible four titles. City has already won the League Cup, leads the way in the Premier League and is into the Champions League quarterfinals.

United had knocked out Arsenal and Chelsea in the previous two rounds, but manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now has only the Champions League left as a trophy target, although his team has to get past Barcelona in the last eight.

CITY COMPLETES COMEBACK

City almost saw its FA Cup campaign ended by a Championship side for the second straight season, having lost to Wigan in the fifth round last year.

In a game played in driving rain, Matt Grimes gave Swansea the lead from the penalty spot in the 20th minute. Bersant Celina then doubled the lead by finishing off a sublime move with a curling first-time finish into the corner in the 29th.

It was a goal that had all the hallmarks of City's slick attacking play, which was missing from the visitors for most of the match.

Guardiola's team still found a way back into the game in the 69th when Aguero had a shot blocked before playing the ball out to Bernardo Silva, who rifled a shot with the outside of his boot into the corner.

City continued to pressure Swansea and the penalty came when Cameron Carter-Vickers was adjudged to have fouled Raheem Sterling in the box, even though replays clearly showed he got the ball.

Aguero's spot kick then hit the post before the ball went in off the luckless Nordfeldt.

The Argentina striker then headed the winner in the 88th. However, replays showed he was offside when the cross was delivered, highlighting the absence of video reviews for the game. VAR was only in use at Premier League stadiums in the quarterfinals.

"If it's not a penalty, I'm sorry. If it's offside, I'm sorry," said Guardiola, who added he had not seen replays of either incident. "Why is VAR not here? That's the question for the authorities."

Swansea manager Graham Potter refused to blame the referee.

"City had chances of course, you can't deny if you look at the game that they deserved to win," Potter said. "But for the players, it's disappointing to lose goals in that manner. That's life, referees make mistakes as well."

WOLVES HANG ON

Wolves reached the semis for the first time since 1998 after Raul Jimenez and Diego Jota scored in a six-minute span in the second half.

Jimenez swiveled in the box and fired a shot that went past two defenders and goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who had made a string of saves to keep United in the game.

Jota then finished off a lightning counter attack to double the lead, which never looked under threat until Marcus Rashford pulled back a consolation goal deep into injury time.

"We started too slowly and played into their hands. Our possession wasn't bright enough and quick enough," Solskjaer said. "This was a big step backwards, mainly because of the quality of the possession and the passing."

In the early game, Gray latched on to Roberto Pereyra's chip into the area and volleyed in left-footed in the 79th minute as Watford became the first team to book a place in the last four.

In the last quarterfinal, Millwall hosts Brighton on Sunday.

DROP LOOMS IN PREMIER LEAGUE

Huddersfield's hopes of staving off Premier League relegation are all but over after giving up a two-goal lead to lose 4-3 at West Ham.

Burnley put itself in danger of going down when it couldn't convert a one-man advantage against Leicester, losing 2-1 after conceding a last-minute goal.

Last-place Huddersfield was 3-1 up after Karlan Grant scored his second goal of the game in the 65th minute and looked headed for only a second win since November. But after Angelo Ogbonna pulled one back for West Ham, substitute Javier Hernandez scored two late goals to complete the comeback.

It leaves Huddersfield staring at near-certain relegation as the team remained 16 points from safety with seven games left.

Burnley had a great chance to move five points clear of the drop zone but couldn't take advantage of Leicester defender Harry Maguire's sending-off after four minutes.

Wes Morgan scored a 90th-minute winner for the visitors, leaving Burnley just two points ahead of 18th-place Cardiff, which has a game in hand.

In the third league game of the day, Newcastle winger Matt Ritchie scored a stoppage-time equalizer against his former club to secure a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth.

Read More

Tom Brady's "film review" ahead of family ski trip is quality content

There's still time for the Patriots to sign a free-agent wideout. There's still time for them to acquire a pass-catcher via trade.

But what if they decide the best way to continue to build depth at the position around Julian Edelman is to dip into the draft?

The Patriots have of course had their share of cracks at rookie receivers, using 16 picks to take wideouts with Bill Belichick at the helm. Most recently, they've used draft choices on Braxton Berrios (sixth round, 2018), Malcolm Mitchell (fourth round, 2016), Devin Lucien (seventh round, 2016), Jeremy Gallon (seventh round, 2014), Aaron Dobson (second round, 2013) and Josh Boyce (fourth round, 2013). 

Dobson, Chad Jackson (2006), Bethel Johnson (2003) and Deion Branch (2002) are the second-round choices Belichick has been willing to spend at the position. The Patriots haven't taken a receiver in the first round since Terry Glenn in 1996. 

Is the situation at that spot such that Belichick would be willing to use the No. 32 pick in this year's draft on a receiver? If he wants to wait until the second round -- where the Patriots have picks No. 56 and No. 64 -- who may be there waiting for the call? 

WHAT ABOUT FREE AGENCY?

Here are a few of the names worth keeping an eye on come next month, as the Patriots have expressed interest in free-agent wideouts since the new league began but have not been able to land a dependable starting-caliber player in that time. With this list, we'll focus in on players who could potentially contribute inside since it appears that's something for which the Patriots -- given their interest in Adam Humphries and Golden Tate -- are looking.

DAY 1 OPTIONS

AJ Brown, Ole Miss Brown, according to some experts, could be in the mix as the top receiver taken in this year's class. But if it's his teammate DK Metcalf who goes first, and if true "X" options like N'Keal Harry go early, Brown could end up sliding. At 6-feet, 226 pounds, he'd certainly qualify as a big slot, but he can uncover with his size as well as his route-running. He's not afraid to mix it up as a blocker, which the Patriots would appreciate, and he's aggressive enough to run through contact with the ball in his hands. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compares him to JuJu Smith-Schuster. 

Parris Campbell, Ohio State Campbell isn't thought of as a first-round receiver by most, but his athletic traits could attract someone near the end of Day 1. He lit up the combine at 6-feet, 205 pounds, running a 4.31-second 40 (96th percentile among receivers, according to MockDraftable.com), jumping 135 inches in the broad jump (98th percentile) and clocking a 4.03-second 20-yard shuttle (90th percentile). He may project more as a "Z" than a true slot since he's shown an ability to burn off the corner as a jet-sweep specialist. He's also a threat in the screen game, where he can use his speed to slice through defenses. He may not be the draft's most polished route-runner, but he has physical gifts that can't be taught. On special teams, he could fill a role for the Patriots both as their kick and punt returner. 

Deebo Samuel, South Carolina Samuel is another inside receiver who's built to withstand the punishment pass-catchers absorb over the middle of the field (5-11, 214 pounds) but has the athleticism (4.48-second 40) to break games open. He's an explosive returner (four kicks brought back for touchdowns) and has produced against some of the best competition college football has to offer. He put up 10 catches for 210 yards and three scores against Clemson last season. 

DAY 2 OPTIONS

Mecole Hardman, Georgia The Patriots love to draft Bulldogs, and there are a couple of receivers from Georgia in this year's class who may catch their eye. Riley Ridley is more of an outside threat who'll use his body to shield defenders and pluck passes out of the air with dependable hands. Hardman, meanwhile, is an undersized burner. The 5-10, 187-pounder ran a 4.33-second 40 at the combine and has drawn comparisons to Seattle's Tyler Lockett (51 percent of snaps in the slot for the Seahawks in 2018). Hardman has only spent two seasons as a receiver so he won't be a short-to-intermediate route-running whiz. But maybe with some coaching, and if he gets a good reference from coach Kirby Smart, he'll provide the Patriots with an explosive presence from the slot. He might be available to the Patriots in the third round if they wait to pounce at the position.

Andy Isabella, UMass We dove deep into Isabella's skill set here, but he's worth mentioning again as a potential option. The fact that he was a down-the-field player at UMass (4.31-second 40) who's projected as a slot -- he's admitted he's working on interior routes leading up to the draft -- means he could have some versatility within offensive formations. That's something the Patriots typically like to see. Isabella could be dangerous as an end-around option, and he has solid short-area quickness (4.15-second 20-yard shuttle) to redirect in the middle of the field for Tom Brady.

WHAT ABOUT A TRADE?

Terry McClaurin, Ohio StateThe Patriots haven't plucked players from the Urban Meyer tree in some time, but McClaurin would make sense as the next. He profiles as one of the best all-around athletes in the class at the position (4.35-second 40, 37.5-inch vertical), and his top MockDraftable.com comparisons include Chad Jackson, Bethel Johnson and Cordarrelle Patterson. McLaurin got some experience working in the slot at Ohio State and showed reliable hands. He's also a potential core special-teamer who has the size, speed and competitiveness to excel on fourth down.

DAY 3 OPTIONS

Greg Dortch, Wake ForestAt 5-foot-7, 173 pounds, Dortch isn't going to give the Patriots some of the inside-out versatility that they like. He worked out of the slot almost exclusively at Wake Forest. And his frame won't make him an imposing player in the run game as a blocker. But he's tough. He suffered a punctured small intestine while scoring against Louisville, stayed in the game, scored twice more, and then later that day had to be rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. He returned two punts for scores last year and averaged 11.0 yards per return with one muff.

Hunter Renfrow, ClemsonRenfrow has been projected as a Patriots fit since he was working the short-to-intermediate area for Clemson in the College Football Playoffs years ago. Surprise, surprise: He tested as a quick change-of-direction target at the combine (6.8-second three-cone, 4.19-second 20-yard shuttle) who could be the next Danny Amendola as a slightly-built slot. If the Patriots want to wait until Day 3 to nab a slot option with experience performing under pressure, Renfrow could be their guy.

Cody Thompson, Toledo We had Thompson going off to the Patriots in a seven-round mock draft earlier this offseason. Here's what we said at the time: "Quarterback-turned-receiver. MAC product. Possesses special teams value. Seventh-round pick. Sound familiar? Thompson isn't going to be the next Julian Edelman, but he does have some intriguing qualities to work with. Because he doesn't have breakaway speed (4.57 40), he might be a slot receiver even though his frame (6-1, 205) makes him look like an "X." Furthering his case for the slot would be his agility numbers -- 6.87 three-cone, 4.03 short shuttle -- and his willingness to block. Thompson has experience as a returner and has blocked three punts in his college career, meaning there might be a spot for him on the roster even if he doesn't contribute offensively."

Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.

Read More

Stamford ed board chief: Assigning blame for mold may be ‘a futile exercise’

[unable to retrieve full-text content]It recommended, for example, that the district spend $3,300 on a mold study; $9,100 on a study of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system; $8,200 on a review by a structural ... George ...

Read More

Alta California Sol Soccer Team Wins Fifth Straight

By Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor | @NoozhawkSports | March 17, 2019 | 8:22 p.m.

Pablo Alaniz scored two goals, and the Santa Barbara-based Alta California Sol continued its winning ways in its inaugural season in the United Premier Soccer League, beating Valley Lions FC 4-1 on Sunday.

It's the fifth straight win for Alta California Sol, a semi-pro club that is comprised of local players ages 19-33.

The club is in first place in the SoCal North Division of the Western Conference.

Heymar Hernandez and Alfonso Lopez each scored goals and Edwin Elizarraraz and Nana Akyen had assists.

Alta California Sol led 3-0 at halftime and added its fourth goal before Valley Lions FC got on the board.

Alta California Sol returns home to play Panamerican FC on Saturday at San Marcos High at 6 p.m.

Our professional journalists work tirelessly to report on local news so you can be more informed and engaged in your community. This quality, local reporting is free for you to read and share, but it's not free to produce.

You count on us to deliver timely, relevant local news, 24/7. Can we count on you to invest in our newsroom and help secure its future?

We provide special member benefits to show how much we appreciate your support.

Read More

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Read More

Rubek: The Nebraska girls high school soccer season will be much different this year. Here's why

Brace yourself, soccer fans. If you haven’t experienced it already, you will soon feel the effects of an earthquake that rattled through our happy little Omaha soccer world.

What you will soon realize is a seismic shift in high school girls soccer.

When club team Sporting Omaha FC joined U.S. Soccer’s Development Academy last year, it took with it a piece of the high school scene. That’s because rules prohibit development academy, or DA, participants from playing in high school. Players and their families had to make a choice, and some of the top players are going DA.

In fact, six of the 11 returning first- and second-team All-Nebraska selections made the leap to DA and are no longer playing for their high school teams.

Millard North senior Regan Zimmers is one of them. Others include Millard South’s Lindsay Prokop, Lincoln Southwest’s Gwen Lane and Millard North’s Sidney Anderson.

Zimmers said the change has “brought a lot of good challenges and a lot of benefits to me personally.”

She was the leading scorer on the Class A state championship team a year ago. The UNO recruit elected to stick with Sporting as it became the first program in the state to join the ranks of the DA.

She has battled with her club to a 3-11-1 record through the first half of the DA season. Zimmers is the first to admit it hasn’t been easy. Sporting has played in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas (three times), Florida and Colorado â€" all since November.

At times it can feel more like a job than a sport.

But she will tell you it was the right decision.

“My love for soccer has grown,” Zimmers said.

She also knows she will miss what some of her friends are doing during the high school season. She planned to be at their season opener this week, and said she’d “definitely” be at the state tournament in May.

Millard North's Regan Zimmers made the 2018 All-Nebraska soccer team, but she won't be playing for her high school this season.

BRENDAN SULLIVAN/THE WORLD-HERALD

Zimmers could be the poster child for DA â€" she’s an absolute nut for the sport. Tim Bennett, Sporting executive director, calls her a “pioneer.”

Prokop, a senior at Millard South, scored 34 goals a year ago and would have had a shot at the state’s career scoring record this season.

Lincoln Southwest’s Lane was an All-Nebraska first-team pick as a sophomore and is headed to Nebraska.

Anderson, a keeper at Millard North, made big stop after big stop in goal as a freshman in the Mustangs’ title run.

All are playing with Sporting in the DA. While many stars have departed, an even bigger effect is just the sheer numbers choosing DA over high schools. Sporting has five teams. That’s upwards of 80 players bypassing high school soccer this spring.

“The people that have elected to do this now are your trend-forward type of people,” Lincoln Southwest coach Thomas Nettleton said. “Girls that really want to challenge themselves, they need like-minded kids. You don’t usually have a team full of like-minded girls that are taking soccer 100 percent serious.”

That said, put Nettleton down as someone who is dubious when it comes to DA. It’s not for everyone, he said.

“I would make a strong argument that most of the players that are deciding to do it are not getting a better college evaluation experience,” Nettleton said. “You can travel anywhere and get attention and exposure. I do very much care that we are good with our information.”

Bennett, the Sporting executive director, understandably defends his organization. Change is difficult, especially when it’s such a dramatic shift in mindset.

Sign up for daily headlines from NEPrepZone

Get a daily roundup of game recaps, player features and more in your inbox.

He paints a future where Omaha kids are competing on the world’s biggest soccer stages. He says Sporting has received “rave reviews” from everyone involved with U.S. Soccer â€" including opponents.

“I think our players have grown the most,” Bennett said. “I think from weekend to weekend they’re able to see what they’re capable of doing.”

He hears about the records â€" Sporting’s three oldest teams have a combined 11-33-2 mark with a minus-83 goal differential. Results, at least those on the scoreboard, shouldn’t be what determines the success or failure of the move to DA, he said.

“It’s an individual development platform,” he said.

He compares the jump Sporting made to that of UNO moving to Division I, but even bigger. Imagine UNO jumping to a Power Five conference.

“Like UNO moving to the ACC,” he said.

Bennett knows local high school soccer. He graduated from Omaha Westside and played at Providence.

He believes the DA is a superior product to anything that can be offered during the high school season. He offers another analogy: top math students. If you were in a calculus class, he says, would you take three months off to take basic algebra?

“There are going to be players that are going to play high school and have great college careers,” Bennett said. “And there are going to be players that are going to go through the academy and maybe reach even higher. The great thing is that this is a choice.”

To be sure, Bennett’s is not a popular opinion, even in local club circles.

Marcus Kelcher is the technical director of Elite Girls Academy, another large Omaha club. He said his organization looked at both its current league â€" the Elite Clubs National League â€" and the DA before deciding on its future.

The ECNL allows players to participate in high school soccer, he said, and that was a major factor in the decision.

“When you start micromanaging what players can and can’t do at the youth level, you take away opportunities,” Kelcher said. “Kids getting to play in front of their peers is a big deal. I think there’s value in high school soccer.”

His academy does have girls who decide not to play with their school. But Kelcher, whose wife, April, is the coach at Papillion-La Vista, said it should be an option.

And he disagrees with the notion that playing a spring season can impact individual progress.

“No one can tell me that a player playing high school soccer for 2½ months is going to go backwards developmentally,” he said. “If we’re doing a good job as club coaches ... those players shouldn’t be losing out on any developmental opportunities if they decide to go out, either.”

Joe Rauth takes it a step further. The longtime local coach, currently an assistant with the Gretna High girls, says you can’t replicate the pride that comes with playing for a school.

“You can be the stud in a DA team and walk down the hallways in your school and not one person would know you did something special the last weekend,” Rauth said. “If you score a goal that beats a rival like Skutt, or you score against Marian and Millard North, you’re going to have senior football players that high-five you as a sophomore because you scored that goal.”

And then there is the state tournament. Creighton’s Morrison Stadium provides one of the top soccer settings in the nation.

“Where else are you going to find a time where there’s that many eyes on you?” Rauth said. “That’s pressure. Imagine trying to score a goal in front of 5,000 people in a state final. That’s pressure. And pressure is a privilege.”

One of the most interesting perspectives on the DA vs. high school debate comes from Jim Homan, the girls soccer coach at Omaha Gross.

Homan also is an assistant for Sporting’s DA teams. He’s got a dog on both sides of the argument.

I asked Homan: What would you do if one of your daughters had the DA opportunity?

His response, while not exactly answering the question, framed the quandary.

“You’ve got to follow your heart,” he said, “but you’ve also got to challenge yourself.”

The ultimate answer may come only with time. That’s because there are valid questions about the sustainability of Sporting’s run as a DA program.

Sporting replaced the FC Kansas City team â€" representative of a metro area more than twice the population of metro Omaha â€" which finished 5-20 in the U18/19 division last year, with a goal differential of minus-57. That FC Kansas City team’s leading scorer was former Elkhorn standout Skylar Heinrich, one of the top girls soccer players the area has produced.

Based on Kansas City’s experience, many doubt that Omaha has the numbers to compete at the highest level. But Sporting folks believe it can happen eventually. They have no fear of failure and say you won’t know if you don’t try.

And so we will. It’s a commendable goal. But there’s a part of the spring sports season that will seem a little bit empty around Omaha at least until we find out.

Close

First row: Gwen Lane and Regan Zimmers. Second row: Delaney Gunn, Brian Covarrubias, Lindsey Prokop, Royce Austen, Maddie Smith, Laurin Mertz and Rylie Albers. Third row: Tyler Sanne, Mackenzie Boeve, Emma Wilson, Delaney Stekr, Carlos Salazar, Luka Nedic and Jacob Hardy. Top row: Jonathan Velasquez, Cole Quandt, Novoa, Johan Centeno and Duncan McGuire. Not pictured is Elkhorn's Skylar Heinrich.

Back row from left: Omaha Burke’s Zach Robbins, Elkhorn South’s Hunter Albers, Ralston’s Diego Gutierrez, Omaha South’s Isaac Cruz, Omaha Central’s Jackson Ferris, Fremont’s Nolan Dillon, Omaha Westside’s Jack Finocchiaro, Lincoln North Star’s Jonathan Velasquez, Millard West’s Erik Fahner and Creighton Prep’s Ed Gordon. Bottom, from left: Bellevue West’s Courtney Wallingford, Omaha Marian’s Rachel Johnson, Lincoln Southwest’s Hannah Davis, Millard North’s Bailey Cascio, Omaha Skutt’s Madi McKeever, Millard West’s Sydney Cassalia, Omaha Westside’s Emily Torres, Omaha Marian’s Emma Nelson, Millard South’s Lindsey Prokop, Elkhorn’s Skylar Heinrich. Matt Smith and Kenzie Harte are not pictured.

Back row from left to right: Maddy Henry, Matt Smith, Rachel Johnson, Joe Fehr, Marisa Windingstad, Sydney Cassalia, Jake Bos, Alex Gomez, Charlie Harte, Austin Mishou; Front row from left to right: Brenna Ochoa, Bailey Cascio, Miranda Swift, Ed Gordon, Adam Dejka, Cassie Legband, Alvaro Elizarraga, Hannah Davis, Jack Finocchiaro, Jaylin Bosak are the 2016 All-Nebraska Soccer Team. AJ Wiley and Annie Sullivan are not pictured.

From left to right, Abby Meader, Isaac Armstrong, Vince Nolette, Emily Romero, Michelle Xiao, Angel Jacinto, Alvaro Elizarraga, Marisa Windingstad, Jake Kennedy, Nick Scalora, Maddy Henry, Margaret Begley, Cassie Legband, Sydney Cassalia, Brenna Ochoa, Alec Foltz, Cullen Fisch, Connor Tupper, Jordan Cahill, Susie Dineen and Carsen Lundgren are the 2015 All-Nebraska Soccer Team. AJ Wiley is not pictured.

Back row, from left, Holly Hild, Abby Meader, Elmer Garcia, Paige Phipps, Nick Hinds, Megan McCashland, Jonah Garbin, Madison Henry. Front row, from left, Peter Schropp, Faith Carter, Hannah Schafers, Damien Austen, Justin Wiley, Michelle Xiao, Sarah Woelfel, Chase McCann, Landon Sibole (kneeling), James Narke (sitting), Quinn Nelson. Not pictured: Hannah Davis.

Back row, from left, Abby Meader, Allison Key, Mark Moulton, Megan McCashland, Rachel Brennan, Brock Fitzgerald, Abel Alvarado, Ali Sodal, Taylor Saucier, Michael Kluver, Landon Sibole, Jordan Cassalia. Front row, left to right, Damien Austen, Lucas Venegas, Eduardo Gamboa, Michael Jaime, Emily Roll, Michelle Xiao, Sarah Woelfel, Alex Prusa, Liz Bartels, Maddie Elliston.

Honorary team captains Jackie Tondl of Omaha Marian and Mark Moulton of Omaha Creighton Prep.

Honorary team captains Logan Mendez of Grand Island and Rachel Brennan of Millard North.

Honorary team captains Omaha South's Manuel Lira and Omaha Skutt's Mayme Conroy.

Honorary team captains Molly Thomas of Millard North and Devon Strecker of Millard South.

First row: Gwen Lane and Regan Zimmers. Second row: Delaney Gunn, Brian Covarrubias, Lindsey Prokop, Royce Austen, Maddie Smith, Laurin Mertz and Rylie Albers. Third row: Tyler Sanne, Mackenzie Boeve, Emma Wilson, Delaney Stekr, Carlos Salazar, Luka Nedic and Jacob Hardy. Top row: Jonathan Velasquez, Cole Quandt, Novoa, Johan Centeno and Duncan McGuire. Not pictured is Elkhorn's Skylar Heinrich.

Back row from left: Omaha Burke’s Zach Robbins, Elkhorn South’s Hunter Albers, Ralston’s Diego Gutierrez, Omaha South’s Isaac Cruz, Omaha Central’s Jackson Ferris, Fremont’s Nolan Dillon, Omaha Westside’s Jack Finocchiaro, Lincoln North Star’s Jonathan Velasquez, Millard West’s Erik Fahner and Creighton Prep’s Ed Gordon. Bottom, from left: Bellevue West’s Courtney Wallingford, Omaha Marian’s Rachel Johnson, Lincoln Southwest’s Hannah Davis, Millard North’s Bailey Cascio, Omaha Skutt’s Madi McKeever, Millard West’s Sydney Cassalia, Omaha Westside’s Emily Torres, Omaha Marian’s Emma Nelson, Millard South’s Lindsey Prokop, Elkhorn’s Skylar Heinrich. Matt Smith and Kenzie Harte are not pictured.

Back row from left to right: Maddy Henry, Matt Smith, Rachel Johnson, Joe Fehr, Marisa Windingstad, Sydney Cassalia, Jake Bos, Alex Gomez, Charlie Harte, Austin Mishou; Front row from left to right: Brenna Ochoa, Bailey Cascio, Miranda Swift, Ed Gordon, Adam Dejka, Cassie Legband, Alvaro Elizarraga, Hannah Davis, Jack Finocchiaro, Jaylin Bosak are the 2016 All-Nebraska Soccer Team. AJ Wiley and Annie Sullivan are not pictured.

From left to right, Abby Meader, Isaac Armstrong, Vince Nolette, Emily Romero, Michelle Xiao, Angel Jacinto, Alvaro Elizarraga, Marisa Windingstad, Jake Kennedy, Nick Scalora, Maddy Henry, Margaret Begley, Cassie Legband, Sydney Cassalia, Brenna Ochoa, Alec Foltz, Cullen Fisch, Connor Tupper, Jordan Cahill, Susie Dineen and Carsen Lundgren are the 2015 All-Nebraska Soccer Team. AJ Wiley is not pictured.

Back row, from left, Holly Hild, Abby Meader, Elmer Garcia, Paige Phipps, Nick Hinds, Megan McCashland, Jonah Garbin, Madison Henry. Front row, from left, Peter Schropp, Faith Carter, Hannah Schafers, Damien Austen, Justin Wiley, Michelle Xiao, Sarah Woelfel, Chase McCann, Landon Sibole (kneeling), James Narke (sitting), Quinn Nelson. Not pictured: Hannah Davis.

Back row, from left, Abby Meader, Allison Key, Mark Moulton, Megan McCashland, Rachel Brennan, Brock Fitzgerald, Abel Alvarado, Ali Sodal, Taylor Saucier, Michael Kluver, Landon Sibole, Jordan Cassalia. Front row, left to right, Damien Austen, Lucas Venegas, Eduardo Gamboa, Michael Jaime, Emily Roll, Michelle Xiao, Sarah Woelfel, Alex Prusa, Liz Bartels, Maddie Elliston.

Honorary team captains Jackie Tondl of Omaha Marian and Mark Moulton of Omaha Creighton Prep.

Honorary team captains Logan Mendez of Grand Island and Rachel Brennan of Millard North.

Honorary team captains Omaha South's Manuel Lira and Omaha Skutt's Mayme Conroy.

Honorary team captains Molly Thomas of Millard North and Devon Strecker of Millard South.

Read More

Armchair Analyst: All 24 teams in review | Week 3 Analysis

]]>

Nobody reads the lede anyway. Let's just jump in!

In Concert

For the first time in a long, long time, there was no confusion at the start of the year for the Seattle Sounders: this is Nicolas Lodeiro's team now. The little Uruguayan is central to everything the Sounders do, and in a lot of ways he is the whole system. He's also the MVP, and the most important player (in terms of his value to his own team) in the league.

But he's not actually the entire system. Seattle's staff have tinkered a bit early on, taking advantage of Lodeiro's motor – he is the most honest No. 10 in the world when it comes to tracking back and putting in grunt work – by throwing numbers forward with abandon and just overwhelming teams in the attacking third.

Here's how it works:

This is fun. This is exciting. This is admirable. I've always wanted to believe that if I were the coach of a soccer team, my approach would be "haha you might score two, but we'll score four!" Seattle have been must-see TV in March.

What's really made them work is the interplay both on and off the ball between Morris and Ruidiaz. There was justifiable concern about that – Morris has always been more of a forward, and played the wing only out of necessity in 2017 and 2018. Ruidiaz, meanwhile, is a pure fox-in-the-box No. 9, not known for much at all besides his right-place, right-time goals and reliably smart pressing.

Both guys have added new facets to their games. As we'll see right here:

"We each have our own ways of attacking so maybe it's hard to focus on [just one of us]," Morris said of Seattle's front four, as reported by SoundersFC.com. "It helps to open up teams a little bit. You've got Raul, who's great in the box; Nico finding the passes, pulling the strings; Víctor taking people on, and I like to try and get in behind. It's those different ways of playing that makes [our attack] unpredictable."

It just as apparent on the second Seattle goal of the day, with Ruidiaz freezing the Chicago defense to allow Morris's burst through the gut.

Seattle are the only team in the league to start perfect through three games, and this has been the recipe. The underlying numbers love their attack as much as the boxscore numbers do.

The warning, of course, is in the defense. Seattle have been prone to allowing good looks on the counter, and this one could've ended 4-4 as easily as 4-2. Chicago didn't precisely have a bad finishing day, but it also wasn't particularly good.

Worth noting that the Fire switched to a 5-3-2 (or maybe a 5-3-1-1 depending on how pedantic you want to be) after getting shredded in the first 20 minutes, and really came back into the game with it. Given Bastian Schweinsteiger's stated preference of playing in the back instead of midfield, as well as the addition of Nico Gaitain, my guess is we'll see more of that look in the very near future.

Love, Exciting and New

Everybody looked at FC Cincinnati's early schedule, and then looked at how overwhelmed they were in Week 1 at Seattle, and kind of assumed they'd be winless – and maybe even pointless – heading into April.

They took care of the point last week at Atlanta. This week, on Sunday, they took care of the win by thoroughly outclassing the other MLS Cup finalist, Portland Timbers, by 3-0 in the first-ever MLS game in Cincy.

There is, at the moment, not a lot of mystery about FCC: They defend in a classic 4-4-2, and attack by having one of the forwards (Fanendo Adi in the first half, Darren Mattocks on for Adi at the break after he got hurt) push high, while the other comes underneath and both wide players fly forward. Neither central midfielder – Victor Ulloa and Leonardo Bertone – is going anywhere, and neither should: that's not their strength.

What is their strength is the way they sit low and just choke-slammed Portland's attackers once they got within 40 yards of goal:

 

Sometimes passing accuracy numbers don't matter. Sometimes they outright lie.

This time they're telling the truth, and they matter a lot. The three goals Cincinnati put up were the surprise, but the solid, sensible defensive block is the repeatable bedrock of this team. You can sit deep, invite your opponents forward, and then just destroy the game in midfield. Once you've done that, send your runners the other way. Fast.

The players have naturally bought in.

"I mean, it's a great execution of what we have been working at and training [for]," said defender Nick Hagglund afterward. "We went from getting shellacked in Seattle, and a gritty performance in Atlanta. So, coming home and putting it all together a little bit, it puts confidence in the team going forward."

That confidence comes from the clarity they've developed, in pretty short order, regarding who they are as a team. 

Portland are, at the moment, lacking that very thing, and they have the ignominious distinction of being the first team in MLS history to concede three or more goals in each of their first three games of the season. Read that sentence again, remember that Chivas USA once existed, and take a deep breath, Timbers fans.

Now exhale and relax. As pointed out on the FS1 broadcast, every MLS team that's ever started the season with a prolonged road trip has bounced back and made the playoffs. We just saw D.C. pull this trick last year.

Still, it doesn't happen by accident. Plenty to work on for Gio Savarese & Co.

A few more things to ponder…

10) Speaking of D.C., Wayne Rooney is almost certainly going to win Player of the Week thanks to his 3g/1a performance in D.C. United's 5-0 win over visiting RSL.

D.C. had, on paper, one of the tougher opening schedules, playing three straight games against 2018 playoff sides. They've pitched three straight shutouts and have outscored the competition 7-0 even as Rooney and Lucho Acosta haven't quite duplicated the dominance they showed as a duo last season. They have seven points through three games, and look the part of a team that intends to be good for more than half a season this time.

As RSL head coach Mike Petke said after this one, his players should have a few beers, air things out amongst themselves, and put the result behind them.

9) Houston also have seven points from three games, though with a bit softer schedule than what D.C. have faced. They finished their mini-homestand to start the year with a 3-2 win over a plucky but ultimately pretty overmatched 'Caps bunch.

What has to be the best part of the year's start for Wilmer Cabrera is his team's newfound depth. They've survived the loss of Juan David Cabezas, and Homegrown winger Memo Rodriguez has downright thrived filling in for Romell Quioto:

I think it's fair for the 'Caps, now with no points through three games, to be a touch concerned about their defense failing at basic things.

8) "A defense that fails at basic things" has been the story for far too long in San Jose, and through three weeks new head coach Matias Almeyda hasn't fixed it. The Quakes allowed tap-in after tap-in on Saturday in Harrison against the Red Bulls and lost 4-1.

Almeyda's man-marking scheme is predicated upon the idea that if you win your duels all over the field, you'll eventually win the game. San Jose are currently winning 48.6 percent of their duels, which means they're always playing catch-up on an individual level.

Since there's no passing runners off in a man-marking system, that's a quick and painful death.

The Red Bulls were mostly fine coming off of Tuesday's CCL disappointment. Light a candle for Florian Valot's knee, though – he's absolutely a difference-maker for this team when healthy.

7) Our Pass of the Week, the director's cut:

The LA Galaxy were really, really good – better than the scoreline indicated – in their 3-2 home win over previously perfect Minnesota United. A lot of LA's goodness (the biggest part of it, in all honesty) has to do with their central midfield, which resembles FC Dallas' "triple pivot" that my colleague Bobby Warshaw wrote about last week. Add a (mostly) healthy Sebastian Lletget to players like Joe Corona and Jonathan dos Santos, marinate for a little bit, and it's pretty, pretty good. Even without Zlatan.

This is not a "back to the drawing board" moment for Minnesota, but more of a "back to the film room" 90 minutes. They've got to figure out how to get pressure to the ball in central midfield against good teams.

6) The good news for NYCFC so far to start the season: They're no longer falling behind all the time, which was a constant issue in the second half of last year.

The bad news: They can not protect a lead to save their lives. Twice they led on Sunday at home against LAFC, and twice they allowed the visitors to come back in what eventually became a 2-2 draw. NYCFC now have three points from three games, and if there's a silver lining, it's that 1) the last two have been against very good teams, and 2) they at least got Alexandru Mitrita off the schneid. The little Romanian always produces highlights, and on Sunday he produced a goal.

LAFC got forced out of their comfort zone by NYCFC's 3-headed defensive midfield monster in this one, and were forced to spend more time and energy attacking up the flanks than they like. They really, really missed Steven Beitashour.

5) Columbus got their second straight shutout win, locking down FC Dallas by 1-0 in Ohio on Saturday. Through three games they've only scored two open play goals, but only allowed one. Take away the PK awarded to the Revs last week – which Zack Steffen saved, anyway – and they lead the league in expected goals against.

Watch how quickly they snap back into their 4-2-2-2 defensive shape any time the ball's turned over. They just don't get broken down, and if you don't get broken down you won't give up a lot of goals.

That said, Dallas had their chance: It came off a midfield turnover they forced with a press, and fell to the feet of Michael Barrios, who scuffed his shot:

Pomykal's press and playmaking. Steffen says no. #CLBvFCD pic.twitter.com/i9gWKpUpcl

— Matthew Doyle (@MattDoyle76) March 16, 2019

FCD's finishing has cost them the past few years. 2019's off to the same start.

4) It had a chance to be a pretty decent week for the defending champs. Atlanta United played their best game of the year midweek in a 1-0 CCL win over Monterrey – the Liga MX club's first loss in any competition since December – and looked mostly very good doing so. They weren't going to come back in the series, but it felt like they were going to "come back," at least a bit, toward being what they were the previous two years.

Nope. They played to a sluggish and dispiriting 1-1 home draw against short-handed Philadelphia, who once again left points on the table via poor finishing.

Frank de Boer made at least some concession to the reality of the team's results (and form) by switching out of his 3-4-3 and going to four at the back around a half-hour in. It helped, since the Five Stripes had neither a shot nor a completed pass in the attacking third at that point. But obviously it didn't help enough.

And now for the #PlayYourKids plug of the night: 18-year-old Homegrown playmaker Brenden Aaronson had Philly's goal on the evening, as well as a delightful throughball that should've led to another. He did not look at all overwhelmed by the moment, or out of place filling in for the suspended Marco Fabian.

3) #PlayYourKids Part 2: 19-year-old Ayo Akinola got his first MLS start and rewarded Greg Vanney with a goal and an assist in Toronto FC's 3-2 win over the visiting Revs. He will be away with the US U-20 national team this week, but it's a safe bet that on the other side of the international break he'll be getting real playing time with the Reds.

Also sure to be getting real playing time: The newly healthy Jozy Altidore, who came off the bench for a 22-minute cameo that included the game-winning goal. Toronto are a far cry from the treble-winning 2017 version of themselves, but they've taken six points from two games. Can't start better than that.

The Revs have not been so successful after their offseason tinkering, but at least it looks like they got the Carles Gil signing right. The Spanish playmaker has, following his brace, now scored all three New England goals this season.

Five of the next six for New England are in Foxborough. 

2) Sporting played their sixth game in 18 days on short rest and at 5280 feet of altitude. They were fortunate to walk out of Colorado with a 1-1 draw, but it's a funny thing how often good teams end up being "fortunate," right?

The Rapids, still playing out of a 4-4-2 diamond, had their chances to win. And they improved over last week's showing by doing a better job of refusing to just completely concede a flank. The shuttlers rotating out of central midfield came faster to close down Sporting's wide overloads, and that is not insignificant progress for Anthony Hudson's gang.

1) And finally, our Face of the Week goes to Montreal's Zakaria Diallo, who was first baited into a totally unnecessary red card by Dom Dwyer, and then let the Orlando City fans know the score on his way to the showers:

Montreal won 3-1 in a laugher, getting their first two goals in the span of about 15 seconds midway through the first half. The Impact are on a six-game road trip to start the season, and now have six points through the first three of those. They're playing with house money.

It was a very 2018ish performance from the Lions. They should find Petke's RSL guys and get rid of the memories of this one over a few pitchers.

LIVE YOUR COLORS: Download the free MLS app - The official MLS app gets a major update for 2019, making it easier than ever to keep up with your favorite club, check standings, watch videos and much more.

*/ ]]>

Read More