Grass Roots Day 1 Completed!

Closing in on 6pm local time and Day 1 of the Grass Roots Football Expo has concluded. The aisles were packed most of the day and quite a few groups showed strong interest in some Demosphere systems.

Late in the afternoon, Nick Gates from Coaches Across Continents dropped by to share stories about global outreach. We also connected with Nick at SoccerEx in Johannesburg last November.

At the close of the day, we noticed a booth from our friends at XL Travel. We plan on speaking with them tomorrow.

Day 2 begins tomorrow morning at 9:30am. Will Jim Risher from Eurotech Camps & Tours drop by? Only time will tell.

Grass Roots Live!

We are live at the Grass Roots Football Expo at the NEC in Birmingham, UK! It is currently lunchtime on Day 1. Already today, we have met with numerous local organizations as well as Jim Smith from the Glasgow City Cup -- a top-level Scottish Tournament hosted by Demosphere.

Check back soon for more updates!

Welcome to Birmingham!

Exactly 12 hours until the Grass Roots Football Expo gets underway in Birmingham, UK. After a long day of flying, Carol and I arrived in Birming around 8:30a local time this morning. The Demosphere booth has been constructed and awaits 3 days of action from the youth football fanatics of the UK.

Stay tuned for pictures from the NEC as things get underway. We look forward to meeting many exciting groups this weekend!

England Awaits!

Carol and I are heading to England tomorrow! Birmingham to be exact. This will be Demosphere's 2nd trip to the Grass Roots Football Expo, the largest event of its kind in the UK and Europe. It is the equivalent of the NSCAA convention in the US, with coaches and team personnel from the UK youth football realm.

After a successful trip in 2007, we look forward to meeting even more groups in 2008 and learning more about the youth soccer (football) world across the pond!

Holiday Weekends are Fun!

Three day weekend ahead! Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of the summer season and to kick things off, Demosphere is hosting over 10 tournaments. Wow!

Some of us are trekking over to Fairfax for the check-in for The Virginian, the largest tournament in the Demosphere world. Over 700 teams take part in this annual event just outside Washington, DC.

Will you be attending a tournament this weekend or simply enjoying the weather? Either way, have a good Memorial Day!

Woe is United

Through its first 9 games, DC United is a woeful 2-7. The latest disaster came last evening north of the border against Toronto FC. A goal in the 7th minute was enough to secure a 1-0 shutout for a team that had previously never beaten DC.

At what point, as a supporter of the team, do you stop caring? With the team showing unable to win points on a consistent basis, it's difficult to continue watching. After watching the Moscow thriller between Manchester United and Chelsea, DC United soccer leaves so much to be desired.

Aside from the actual in-game play, there were two corner kick opportunities that really exemplified the differences between European and American soccer. One, taken by Gallardo, sailed clearly over the danger area and out of bounds while a second by Quaranta touched the back of the netting and never had a chance of making it even in play. I thought this was professional soccer?

Finally Time For The Final!

In just a few short hours the results will be in and we'll have a new Champions League Champion. Manchester United and Chelsea are set to do battle this evening in Moscow with the game set to be broadcast on ESPN mid-afternoon in the US.

The competition, widely considered to be the 2nd most important soccer competition aside from the World Cup, will no doubt be heavily watched across Europe this evening despite the all-English tilt.

In addition, the Demosphere crew is only 1 week away from heading to Birmingham for the Grass Roots Football Live show! Stay tuned for more info.

Push the Panic Button!

After DC United's most recent loss on Saturday, it's now time to officially push the panic button. What is happening to the perennial playoff team? Currently, they stand dead last in the Eastern Conference, 5 points behind both Kansas City and Toronto.

Is it the coaching? Tommy Soehn and company have tried different lineups, formations, etc to get the team back on track. Is it the players? A roster shakeup combined with an ineffective Emilio have made it a decidedly tough road.

That said, it's still nearly inexplicable how a team that is so good on paper lost 3-1 to Chivas USA on Saturday night after leading 1-0 for most of the contest.

It's "back to the drawing board" yet again for the team and fans are getting restless. How many more times can we hear that before something more dramatic is done?

Home Cookin

Read a funny snippet in the Wall Street Journal last night. The article talked about young athletes getting adjusted to new surroundings after arriving on their first pro roster. Three sets of athletes were listed -- among them Jimmy Rollins and Shane Victorino of the Phillies.

When Victorino made the roster, Rollins offered his guest room to Victorino since he was having trouble finding an apartment. The living situation brought them closer together both on and off the field.

DC United's own Ben Olsen was also listed. His situation was a little different because he didn't live with a teammate...he lived with a coach. That's right, back in 1999, Olsen lived in coach Bruce Arena's house during the season.

According to Arena's wife, Ben attempted to help out around the house and once put away dishes that he didn't know were dirty. So much for the help.

Did Olsen's proximity to Arena help his standing on the team that year? After winning MLS Cup, he was named MVP, so you can decide!

Bricks Are Fun!

How can you say no to a brick? The US Soccer Hall of Fame has announced that bricks are for sale in the Walk of Fame located outside the Hall of Fame in Oneonta, NY. Halfway between Binghamton and Schenectady, Oneonta is also only a half hour from the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

As you can see, the Walk of Fame is perfectly located just outside the "exploding" soccer ball -- a terrific location to be noticed!

Have any good brick ideas? Let us know! We're considering having our own permanent presence at the Hall of Fame!

Ow, That Hurt!

Interesting article in the New York Times Magazine this past Sunday. "The Uneven Playing Field" focuses on female injuries in youth sports. Their case study was Janelle Pierson, a high school senior in Florida.

In addition to competing for her high school team, she also played for the Weston Fury, a Demosphere client.

In short, due to the way female bodies grow, they are susceptible to more injuries through their adolescent years. With the increase in competitive sports and additional playing opportunities, injuries are happening at more rapid rates than ever before.

Pierson had multiple ACL surgeries before the age of 18 and despite being able to play soccer in college for Lehigh University, she will never be able to run "full speed" again.

If you have a few minutes, the article is a good read.

Oh, Canada!

The Women's National Team ended a 3-game US exhibition tour in resounding fashion Saturday night with a 6-0 dismantling of Canada. Natasha Kai scored her first ever hat trick and Demosphere favorite Carli Lloyd added one as well.

In a strong soccer town like Washington, DC, it's disappointing the team couldn't draw more for the game. With Canada a competitive opponent, the Women were able to draw just over 9,000 for the game. In cavernous RFK Stadium, many empty seats were found....as evidenced by the picture above. Yikes! Where were all the local youngsters?

The training continues in mid-June out in LA as the team continues to prep for the Olympics.

What A Climb!

The Olympic Flame has reached the top of the world. Five climbers ascended Mt. Everest in Tibet today as part of the 2008 Olympic torch relay.

The flame had never been to the 29,035 foot summit of the world's tallest mountain in the history of the Olympic torch relay. In their quest to impress the world this summer, China needs more events like the Everest climb to help deflect some attention from the Tibet crackdowns earlier this year.

Many torch relays have been subject to widespread protest of China's treatment of Tibet. China went to great lengths to show unity on Everest as the final climber was indeed Tibetan.

We'll see what other events China has planned to continue to refocus attention on the games and not on its actions in Tibet.

He's Sorry!

Following up on a story from last week, Ronaldo has apologized for his encounter with (people of questionable character).

"I made the stupidest mistake ever of my personal life,'' he said. "Anyone can make a mistake, and I made a big mistake.'' These comments came after a run in with multiple (people of questionable character) in Brazil while recuperating from an injury.

These (certain people of questionable character) tried to extort Ronaldo to keep the story private, but he refused the $30,000 price tag.

It's onward and upward for Ronaldo, though. Still a national hero in Brazil, he hopes to play for Flamengo after his days with AC Milan are over. "I'm sure the doors of Flamengo will be open for me," he said.

Women Win Again!

Another late-game squeaker for the Women's National Team yesterday as they beat Australia 5-4. The game was an interesting one...two own goals for the US which contributed to blowing a 3 goal lead...only to win in stoppage time...wow! Unfortunately, only 5,000 people in Birmingham got to see it!

They are now 12-0-1 this year and now will look forward to their next match against Canada in Washington, DC this Saturday.

New coach Pia Sundhage has the team playing well, even formerly-disgraced goalie Hope Solo. After being sent home in China, Solo is starting again for the US and looks to be the starting keeper for the Olympics.

Onward to Washington...

The All-England Final

Only one game remains in this year's edition of the Champions League -- the May 21 Final between Chelsea and Manchester United. After victories over Liverpool and FC Barcelona, respectively, the teams have drawn the right to do battle in Europe's most prestigious championship.

The game, slated for Moscow this year, has universal interest, even in the states. The past few years, both Chelsea and Manchester United have ventured to the US to play exhibition games in the run up to their English Premier League season. Even before their visit, the two teams are two of the most recognizable names in sports worldwide.

Unfortunately, with the return leg of the semifinals played this week, there will be a long 3 week wait until the final kicks off. This is one game not to be missed!