One of the best matches I have ever seen at Lorenz field in Corvallis was when Indiana University came to town to challenge the OSU men's team in the 2005 Diadora Classic. The Hoosiers where the defending national champions and number one ranked team in the country. Watching the Beavers compete against such a prominent soccer university was a real treat.
Indiana's lineup was full of professional and national team prospects. Current MLS players Brian Plotkin, Jacob Peterson, Josh Teluda, Jed Zayner and John Michael Hayden all took the field for Indiana that day. Freshman Lee Nguyen had already represented the United States in the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship as the only high school player named to the team. He currently plays for top flight Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.
The match was something special to watch. The Beavers turned in an incredibly brave performance to match Indiana's skill. Ryan Johnson (San Jose Earthquakes) assisted by Alex Asai and Alex Christensen from a Brett Gardner corner kick put OSU up by two goals with forty minutes left. Indiana and the boy-wonder Lee Nguyen really showed their class by coming back to draw the game at 2-2.
After the game Ryan Johnson of OSU expressed his feelings about big matches like this. “Playing against a number one team without any fear is the only reason why you play. You don’t want to play against the second-best team or the worst team. It’s good for all the freshmen that came here to realize that we’re playing these kind of games. This is why we came here and these are the kind of games you live for.”
After looking over OSU's preseason schedule I can't help but wonder where did those big non-conference games go? Before the difficult Pac-10 season begins, the Beavers will have played Humbolt State, Howard, Gonzaga*, Oakland*, Michigan*, Marist, Adelphi, UMKC, Cal State, Bakersfield and Loyola Marymount. Only three of those teams* had a winning record last season. They were a combined 24-41-11 in conference play. At 1-11 in conference last year I don't expect Loyola Maramount present the kind of challenge that Ryan Johnson was describing.
I hope the Beavers gain some good chemistry and confidence from these matches because they have some patsys on the horizon.
Linus Rhode, the new head coach of the Beavers women's soccer team begins his tenure as an undefeated coach with win on Friday night in front of a good home crowd. Melissa Peck and Rachael Axon both scored to lead OSU to a 2-1 win over Portland State.
Returning starter Rachael Axon played well as the teams midfield general. She showed good composure with the ball at her feet and displayed flashes of offensive creativity, something I think has been missing from our midfield for at least a few years now. Najma Homidi also looked dangerous as an attacker. It seemed apparent that Rhode was eager for the first win as he used just two substitutes all match.
The Beavers will need ramp up for the start of conference play in October. The Pac-10 is no joke. Soccer Buzz and Adidas NCAA preseason rankings list USC, UCLA, Stanford and California in the national top 25. Soccer Buzz ranks OSU eighth in the Pac-10. USC is the defending national champion.
One unsolicited suggestion I have for coach Rhode is to return Najma Homidi back out on the wing. Her shake-n-bake style of play is more suited to wide play where she can better exploit the space and 1v1 defending. As a forward her quick changes of direction might be wasted in the tighter crowds.
To Bob De Carolis or whoever is in charge of spectator seating at Lorenz Field. PLEASE GET IT TOGETHER. The fans had to sit on the east side of the field which means the sun is blinding us until the second half when it hides behind the EMPTY BLEACHERS that we used to watch games from. Over three hundred fans watched the game with the sun in their faces while they were teased by the sight of nice shady bleachers. I know I'm not paying for admission Bob but come on, you don't need to make it difficult to watch the games.
Until October when I start complaining about not having a roof over my head to keep me dry.
I occasionally am contacted by visitors or new residents looking for information about soccer in Corvallis. Here is an introductory guide about all of the soccer (I know of) in Corvallis.
American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO)
Corvallis has a very popular youth soccer program in AYSO. They offer a Spring and Fall season for boys and girls from ages 6 through high school. Games are played on Saturdays at Adam's Elementary School. AYSO is a non competitive program. Every child plays regardless of skill and ability. AYSO is also a great way for coaches and referees to get involved in soccer as volunteers. Go to http://www.corvallisayso.org/ for more information.
Youth Club Soccer
Corvallis Football Academy (CFA), F.C. Willamette and Valley Futball Club offer competitive youth programs based in Corvallis. Each of these clubs are separate organizations and have their own unique features. The available ages for boys and girls varies from year to year. Generally U10 to U19 teams are available for boys and girls. Teams regularly train and play year round save a possible break in the Winter. The best way to learn more is to contact the clubs directly.
Little Kickers
The Corvallis Sports Park offers a soccer development program for children as young as 18 months to 12 years old. The program runs year round during the day at the Sports Park's indoor soccer facility. Go to http://www.corvallissportspark.com/lil_kickers to learn more.
Parks and Recreation Adult Leagues
The City's Parks and Rec Department offers one full-sided season in the Fall and one 6-a-side league in the Spring. These leagues are held at Willamette Park and/or Crystal Lake Sports Complex. Men's, women's and coed teams are accepted, but all teams are mixed together in one division. They may be able to help individuals find a team but generally you will need to find a team to participate. The city's website can be found at http://www.ci.corvallis.or.us/.
High School Soccer
Both high schools in Corvallis offer strong soccer programs for boys and girls. Corvallis High School and Crescent Valley High School are both 5A schools. Students may try out for the varsity, junior varsity and sometimes a freshman team. Teams begin training in August and continue playing through the Fall. The schools should be contacted directly for more information.
Oregon State Soccer
Corvallis is home to the OSU Beavers' men's and women's varsity teams. Both teams are Division I programs and in the highly competitive Pac-10 Conference. Their seasons begin in August and run through the Fall. Home games are played at Lorenz Field next to OSU and the best part is that admission is free.
Indoor Soccer
The Corvallis Sports Park offers soccer programs year round on their indoor turf field. Separate men's, women's and coed divisions are available to players of all levels. They even have an Over-40 league. Youth leagues for varying divisions are available in the Winter. The Park does a decent job of placing individuals onto teams so this is a good way for new residents to get plugged in quickly.
Summer Camps
Goal-Line Soccer Clinics, the OSU men's and OSU women's soccer programs offer youth soccer camps in Corvallis. The camps are held in Summer and accept individual registrants.
Pick Up Soccer
The most regular pickup game in town is the noon game at OSU on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In the dry months it is held on the grass field next to the OSU tennis courts. When it gets too wet the game moves into the McAlexander Fieldhouse turf field on campus. A noon game can be found at the Hewlett Packard outdoor soccer field on Tuesdays and Thursdays when the weather isn't too harsh. During the school year there is often a game going on at McAlexander Fieldhouse in the late evenings, but it can be hit or miss.
Finding a Team
The best way the to find a team in Corvallis is to make yourself seen. I recommend playing in the pick-up games and at the Sports Park. Introduce yourself to other players that look your speed and let them know that you are looking for a team to join. There are dozens of teams in Corvallis and there is sure to be one that fits you. Don't be afraid to watch different teams play and ask teams you like if they are looking for players.
May nobody in Corvallis want for good soccer ever again. If I missed anything please share it with us as a comment.
Amidst a slew of yellow and red cards, Strega United claimed the championship trophy of the third annual Benton County Soccer Tournament. Strega (named after the new restaurant on the fifth floor of the 2nd street Elements Building) won 2-1 behind Ian Hilgart's clutch free kick goal in the second half.
Deportivo Eugene, an impressive team who many observers predicted would win the final match took 2nd place. The young and athletic Strega squad played hard all weekend and deservedly came out on top. I like the Deportivo Eugene team a lot, but I am glad a Corvallis based team won the tournament after Hillsboro took first place honors last year.
The tournament has gained enough attention to get Gazette-Times reporter Nancy Raskauskas to cover the tournament for the second year in a row. This year the story even made the front page of the GT! The yellow cards mentioned in her story understated the impact all of the bookings had on the games. There were at least four red cards issued and far too many yellows shown to accurately recall. By late Sunday it was obvious to players and observers that the officials would leave their mark on the tournament.
It made me wonder just what is a "normal" amount of bookings for a soccer match. It turns out that ESPN keeps good stats on bookings.
English Premier League (2007 Average)
3.18 yellows per game
.160 reds per game
Spanish La Liga (2007 Average)
3.12 yellows per game
.234 reds per game
Italian Serie A (2007 Average)
2.74 yellows per game
.192 reds per game
Pretty consistent numbers I thought. That's roughly three yellows shown in every game and just one red card shown every five games in the most intense and competitive soccer leagues on the planet. The question is, should referees be trying match or beat these numbers? And does beating the numbers mean more or less? Or do referees play a strictly reactionary role, subject to the actions of the players?
Either due to or in spite of the quality of officiating, the Benton County Soccer Tournament was huge success. Special kudos to Antonio Torres who has organized the event all three years and to all the teams and spectators that attended.
I was expecting to write a nice piece on tonight's championship match between Little Sasquatch and Bruno at the Corvallis Sports park. But instead I find myself compelled to scold the Park and the game's referees.
Hold on. Its not what you think.
Bruno's regular keeper was out of town so Bruno could either place a field player in the net or arrange for a keeper that was actually competent to play. The repercussion of bringing on a new keeper for the championship would be a forfeit. Players must have played in a previous match with a team to be eligible to play in the in the final. A fair rule in my opinion. Bruno arranged for an ineligible keeper to play, deciding that a competitive match would be more valuable for both sides.
Little Sasquatch couldn't have cared less about the ineligible goalkeeper to their credit. Both teams played at full throttle without any concern for the technical forfeit. After two hard fought and combative halves the score was tied at 5-5.
Little Sasquatch wanted to determine a winner in overtime. Bruno wanted to determine a winner in overtime. The people upstairs that came to watch the game wanted a winner to be determined in overtime.
The referees decided that the game was over. Thats right...like kissing your sister.
What a bad decision. How little effort it would have taken to make both teams...or should I say the Park's customers happy. I suppose referees may have wanted to hurry home to catch the finale of So You Think You Can Dance. Oi-yoi-yoi.
As the Corvallis Sports Park's customer facing representatives, those two referees failed. Who did they make happy? Whose interests did they serve?
While I'm ranting I'm going to point out that one of the referees completely failed to properly dress himself to officiate. The guilty referee wore ankle socks and his referee shirt carelessly hung out of his shorts like he was just in a fight. If you dress like a clown you can expect to be treated like a clown. If you want to be treated like a soccer official dress like one. All this referee was missing was a clown nose and big red shoes.
Hopefully somebody involved with CSP who cares reads this. The solution in my opinion is for CSP to emphasize to the referees that they are the business' primary customer service agents, how important that responsibility is to the business, and empower the referees to fulfil that role.
What do you think? Share your comments with us.
This coming weekend on August 9-10, the Linn-Benton Hispanic Advisory Committee and the Benton County Health Services will host the third annual Benton County Soccer Tournament and Family Weekend. The community event is an innovative large scale outreach effort to promote healthy living and increase awareness about important local health services available to the local community. The entire event will take place at Willamette Park in Corvallis.
You can view the tournament schedule here.
Each year roughly five hundred people have attended. The event is consistently growing. Eight teams participated the first year in 2006, last year ten teams competed. Roughly five hundred visitors attended the event. This year twelve teams from Corvallis, Albany, Eugene, Salem and Hillsboro will take part in the largest adult soccer tournament in Corvallis. Those teams include:
Deportivo Eugene
Casayos
Crown Royals
Strega United
Resurreccion
Deportivo Albany
Senoras Enojadas
Monarcas
Santa Teresa
Hillsboro
Cometa
Las Zarquillas
The Mid-Valley Lions Club will provide free health screenings in their mobile screening unit. Other event sponsors include:
Region X office of Minority Health
Cedar Surgical Associates
Community Alliance for Diversity
El Sol de Mexico
LAX 660 AM Radio
Great Harvest
OSU Latino Health Project
Panaderia Pilos
Qdoba Mexican Grill
Sancho's Mexican Grill
Sonido Genesis
Taqueria La Rockita
Antonio Torres, Daniel Lopez-Cevallos, Elias Arredondo and Scott Clark have contributed significantly to help organize the event. Everyone is encouraged to take advantage of the available health services and information and enjoy some local soccer.
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