Welcome to our online resource for United States and Canadian youth soccer tournaments, adult and international tournaments also featured. If you are a soccer coach or team manager looking for tournaments, I hope you will find our tournament listings useful. If you host a tournament and would like to list it on our website (listing is free), visit the year / state page you would like to have your listing on and click the Submit A Tournament button on the bottom. For more detailed instructions visit our Submit a tournament listing instruction page.

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Frank came running as I ripped open the bag, searching in vain for food. First impressions were solid. I had in my hands a soft, gray, 100% Cotton Made-in-Mexico masterpiece. As eager as I was to get the testing underway, I first had to head to the washing machine to rid the garment of any lingering manufacturing toxins. Once the cycle was complete, the shirt went into the dryer to shrink to the proper size.

Here’s where I can begin the review. I’m a fairly large dude (6’3”/210) and I like my t-shirts to be size Large. I don’t want the wear an XL sail, but I don’t want to show off too much of my, er, figure by going Medium. So here’s the deal. This shirt is too big. I mean, I wore it and loved it, but it fits more like an XL. Keep this in mind when you buy yours. I’d suggest going a size lower than usual. I rarely choose Medium, but in this case that would have been the better move.

Aesthetically, the thing is a gem. As an Arsenal Man, I’ve got more than my fair share of gear, most of it red. This is nice because it is primarily a soft gray, and the red lettering doesn’t stand out too much. The addition of the swoosh and cannon in gold is inspired as well, and creates a nice contrast. Finally, the crest on the sleeve is a classy touch. I’m pleased with my choice, and glad to have a non-bright red Arsenal clothing option.

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot. The weight.

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Watch stunning goals by Lionel Messi, Samuel Etoo, Thierry Henry, Rafael Márquez, Eidur Gudjohnsen, Maxi Rodríguez from Barca vs Atletico Madrid in Spain’s La Liga Soccer Premier League. A complete football treat though Atletico were getting walloped, because of the quality of football played. Maxi Rodriguez with a stunning long range strike gave Atletico something in a season which has seen them look better in the Champions League than in the Primera division. The Messi freekick goal can be seen in all its solitary splendour there if that’s what you’ve come here for. The rest of the highlights also include a cool solo run by Messi, beautiful goals by Eto’o and Thierry Henry who in the last couple of weeks seems to be getting back into some sort of rhythm. In fact, Barcelona seems to be falling into place – big things could be on the cards in the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal or Barcelona, take your pick.

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There are many reasons to support Steve Pappas for 3rd District supervisor, not the least of which is that he is a true independent (he is registered as decline to state"). He will make decisions on what is best for all of us in Santa Barbara County, not what is best for North County or South County, or the Republicans or the Democrats. An added bonus is that of the two candidates for this office, he has the most experience in elected office (six years) and has the most business experience.
We are all Santa Barbara County residents. Pappas being an independent allows him to act in the best interest of the county without hewing to any particular party line. The vast majority in the 3rd District want to see open space preserved. They want agriculture zoned lands to remain ag zoned. They want agriculture to prosper and want what development does occur to occur in urban settings supported by adequate infrastructure. So does Pappas. He is not tied to special interests. As our supervisor, Pappas will be the more effective in representing the whole of the county and the 3rd District.
Santa Barbarans want a county that supports business while requiring these businesses to act responsibly, not leak oil over pristine land, tear up scenic freeways or bully politicians with plans for building mega resorts. Pappas work in fighting development in the Santa Ynez Valley, his experience in public office and business acumen give him the tools to effectively protect the environment without creating a hostile business environment. Pappas will implement safeguards that both protect the beauty of Santa Barbaras unique natural gifts while not unduly hamstring business.
Pappas has stood up to developers. He worked creatively to prevent a 15-acre farm in Los Olivos from being turned into 150 condos. He has tried to work with the Chumash to hold them accountable for the environmental effects of their development and to require them to act at least as responsibly as a normal developer.
We need someone who has the savvy and experience right now to use every avenue to fight the Naples development and development on the Bishop Ranch. Pappas is that person.
A person with the business experience of Pappas has a much better chance of working out a transfer of development rights arrangement than the relatively inexperienced Doreen Farr. Her own supporters, in their campaign material, have characterized her as a nice lady who is a hard worker and is willing to learn. That is all well and good, but we should demand a candidate with a solid track record of experience and results in work, community activism and public office.
Of the five candidates who ran in the primary, there was no argument that Farr had the least elective office experience, whereas Victoria Pointer and myself had the most, followed by Pappas. Pappas can hit the ground running. He is in a unique position to represent the best interests of both the Santa Ynez Valley and the Goleta Valley. Independents said we need someone who can communicate with the ranchers. Pappas has strong backing from this element of the electorate.
While Farr has some impressive endorsements, it is not they who will be serving us as supervisor. Lets look at Farrs track record. According to her campaign material, she served on the Planning Commission for 2 years, was active in PANA and before that got a stop sign put up. Thats about it, folks. Just because an ad shows her standing next to Rep. Lois Capps, no one is confused that Farr is Capps.
Goleta decision
The policy decisions Farr made as a community activist are cause for concern about her judgment. Farr has made some poor public policy decisions and has yet to publicly acknowledge these errors in judgment. She supported the city of a third of Goleta even though the countys fiscal analysis and the LAFCO required independent fiscal analysis of this truncated city of Goleta pointed to a high potential for a financially marginal city. Farr still insists she made the right decision.
Revenue neutrality agreement
When asked about the revenue neutrality agreement, Farr has consistently said she had no hand in developing what has been deemed the worst RNA in the state. Somehow she thinks that excuses her support of the city of Goleta at the time of its formation. The fiscal underpinnings of a city are one of the most important aspects to consider in forming a new city. Goletas political leaders are now clamoring for a dramatic revision of that RNA. In my mind, Farr should have been aware of the fiscal implications of the RNA before throwing her support to the boundaries of the current city of Goleta.
Isla Vista governance
Her position on Isla Vista governance is hard to comprehend. Her supervisorial campaign literature says she supports some vague sort of self-government for Isla Vista. What does she mean by that? Most analysts believe that a freestanding city of Isla Vista would be even less financially viable than the present abbreviated city of Goleta.
When there was a real chance to give Isla Vista self-government and have it be a part of Goleta, Farr opposed IVs inclusion in the city This is even though the independent fiscal analysis showed a city of Goleta including Isla Vista would have had $14 million more in surplus at the end of 10 years than a city with the boundaries approved by LAFCO. And this is not counting the $25 million Goleta West bank account, plus the $1.5 million per year in ad valorem property tax which goes to the Goleta West Sanitary District. The city of Goleta would have gained these assets if the Goleta Now proponents had included Isla Vista within their boundry. This would have allowed this larger city to absorb the functions of the sanitary district and dissolve the Goleta West Sanitary District.
The environment
Farr and many of her supporters made a flawed fiscal, political and environmental decision in choosing the current boundaries for what is now the city of Goleta. The Goleta Now organization correctly reasoned that support for their new city would go down in Goleta if they included Isla Vista. What they did not calculate was that the overwhelming support out of Isla Vista would have led to an even larger favorable vote than the city received. More importantly, this larger city of Goleta would have been more financially viable and have been more environmentally conscious than what we got. We would not be facing the prospect of 900, 1,200, 3,000 who knows how many new houses on the Bishop Ranch and the rezoning of other ag lands within Goleta.
Pappas, Pointer and I represent the emerging less partisan trend in government. We must move away from confrontation between Republicans on the right and Democrats on the left and look to leadership in the middle, a leader who has the best interests of the people at heart, rather than the interests of one political party or another. If thats what you want, Pappas is your man.
I support Pappas for 3rd District Supervisor. I urge district voters to study the two candidates. After doing so, most of you will join me in going to the polls to vote for Pappas for 3rd District supervisor.
David Bearman, M.D.

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I spent a good part of this week debugging a particularly nasty software bug on an internal-use application at work. On day one I intuitively felt that a foreign key linked EJB was the correct way to go. When I could not get it to work within the application's custom framework, I assumed my solution was incorrect, since I have not used EJBs often. After two days with very little progress, I was ready to say the heck with the whole bug, the heck with EJBs, and throw a big pity party. But then I realized I needed to take a step back, reevaluate the situation and my assumptions.

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This past Sunday July 6th my team had a match in the middle of the day. The game time was changed to 12 noon because we all had to share one field. So I had to change some family time events around so that I could get a little run in at the park and help my team out. We loaded up the car with our sons wagon and toys to keep him occupied while I played. About 5 minutes after I got to the field the referee blew his whistle to get the game started. Everything seemed to be so rushed and last minute up to this point and previous to leaving the house I almost did not want to play but once that whistle blew I was ready to play and was very happy to be out of the pitch knocking the ball around. Our opponent quickly went up two goals to nil and at 15 minutes my game was done. I went into a challenge with another play which I felt was more in my favor. Without even thinking of a risk of collision I tried to clear the ball out of our defending third. As soon as I swung for the ball I noticed the opposing player was a bit closer than expected so I made sure to position my leg to reduce the risk of injury. For some reason the once 65/35 ball favored in my direction now was a closer challenge. I felt as though I got wacked in the shinguard as I felt pressure in my shin just on the inside of my shin. But I was confident that I would be OK because the opposing player hit my shinguard. I fell to the ground in a bit of pain from the collision and held my leg waiting for the sting to go away.... The sting never went away! I heard a teammate call to my wife to dial 911. I knew that something had gone wrong with the previously thought easy challenge. Both of the bones in my legwere broken. The tibia and fibula bones both had a clean break and my leg was just kind of hanging out on the ground. My knee was pointed straight up in the air but my foot was somehow laid on its side. I was put on display for about a half hour for all the people at the park to look at my injury as I waited for the ambulance. Well 4 days in the hospitala titanium rod and some great care from my wife later I am writing this to you. This game we call soccer can be very painful and there is no shinguard that could ever stop the force that my body took that day. Although shingaurds can help a great deal and any shinguardis cheaper than an x-ray. You can never really know what is going to happen so I say just wear as big a guard as possible. Anyway that is my story. Let us know if you have had any similar situations or what shinguards you wear that have saved you from going in to see the doctor.

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ITHACA, N.Y. -- Sunday's final round of the Cornell Invitational was cancelled due to continued rain in the Ithaca area, shortening the tournament to one round. Cornell junior Robert Cronheim shot a 2-under-par 70 to lead the Big Red to a fifth-place effortwhen all was said and doneat the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. Cronheim finished tied for third overall, as the Big Red's team total of 297 was 10 shots offchampion Delaware. Defending medalist Dan Abbondandoloagain capturedfirst place after a 4-under-par back nine put him two shots up on the field of 84 golfers at 5-under.

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Learn to Dominate the Competition

Whether you're a youth soccer player, a college soccer player, or someone who simply wants to improve their game, you've found the right place. At the Soccer Training Info website, you'll discover useful tips and training ideas that will put you on your way to becoming a quality player and a better student of the game.

The best part about playing soccer is doing it well and ultimately winning, especially when its almost to the degree of embarrassing your opponent with your skill and talent. Whether its making a great pass, scoring an incredible goal, dribbling by someone with easeleaving the defender at a standstill, these are all great achievements that inspire a certain amount of well deserved satisfaction.

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The sooner we get out of this situation the better, so we can concentrate again on football. There is lots of speculation and it unsettles fans and players alike.

I think you always respond best when youve a manager in place, a focal point you answer to, perform for and try to impress. Weve not got that at the minute.

Even our caretaker manager Chris Hughton, who has done a fantastic job and steadied the ship, says the sooner we can get it sorted the better. Everyone knows that, the owner knows that and Im sure hes working as hard as he can to bring some stability to the club.

s not just the managerial thing, its everything surrounding it who the owner is going to be, whether Mike Ashley is going to continue or sell to someone else, whether hes going to appoint a manager before that happens or after. Nobody knows.

What we do know is it would be nice to have a stable ship, as we did at the start of the campaign when we were all really excited about this season.

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Dominguez sealed the win with the third.

Bronshoj BK 2 - Aalborg BK 3 (AET) (DONG Pokal, September 26, 2008) A true David versus Goliath match took place in the Danish Cup on Friday night, as Champions League Aalborg followed the script when Augustinussen gave them the early lead. But the third division minnows struck back, Frost hit a sweet shot to equalise for Bronshoj, before the crowd (and commentator) went crazy celebrating a wonder-strike from Petersen, smashing home a 30-yard half-volley in the second half. But eventually Aalborg took control, Saganowski took the game to extra time scoring in the 85th minute, Risgard killing off the giant-killing dreams in the 99th minute.

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Bronshoj BK 2 - Aalborg BK 3 (AET) (DONG Pokal, September 26, 2008) A true David versus Goliath match took place in the Danish Cup on Friday night, as Champions League Aalborg followed the script when Augustinussen gave them the early lead. But the third division minnows struck back, Frost hit a sweet shot to equalise for Bronshoj, before the crowd (and commentator) went crazy celebrating a wonder-strike from Petersen, smashing home a 30-yard half-volley in the second half. But eventually Aalborg took control, Saganowski took the game to extra time scoring in the 85th minute, Risgard killing off the giant-killing dreams in the 99th minute.

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I was five years old and sick with the flu when my grandfather (Bomps) came around the corner with a Daisy BB Gun to call my own.  I was not thrown into the orchard without training and respect however.  On the contraire, I was given detailed instruction on handling, ethics, aiming, responsibility and consequences.  There was never a time in the early training when I was allowed to be alone with the gun but needed Bomps by my side. 
 
Guns have been a part of my life since a very young age and that remains the same today.  I have been licensed to pack a pistol concealed since I was 21 while investing in pieces for protection, hunting and fun.  Yet, if you were to ask people I work with today they know I hunt but little more.  If you ask my boys where to find them, their response would be, “in the safe with our BB gun but he it hid.”  I may cling to my guns and God but I consider myself a response owner of firearms. 
 
Friday night I was home with the kids and around 9:15 the windows shook as an explosive sound rocked the neighborhood.  My first reaction was a pipe bomb had just been lit off.  Upon walking outside there was no visible smoke just the distant sounds of police and fire coming to the area.  The nervous dog came in the house and I returned to homework feeling a little uneasy as the football crowd from the highschool was strangely silent.  Later in the evening I found out there had been a drive by shooting a few blocks over from the house.  The sound and window rattling was caused by a shotgun and Russian SKS fired at a house two blocks over as a crow flies.  Two teens were hit but not fatally.  My kids and I were in front of the same house just a few hours early during an evening run/bike ride. 
 
The nature of a drive by includes - the morons never getting caught - despite the fact everyone knows it was a gang shooting. 
 
During the next two days I again found myself thankful for the second amendment (remembering the days when I sat on my deck with a loaded pistol watching my neighbors who had just threatened to kill us – it is a long story but it includes them believing we turned them in which resulted in the raiding of their house – they were the ring leaders in a large drug smuggling operation from Canada to Mexico – FBI and local authorities thought me might be in real danger)
 
If a gun fight would have erupted Friday night there is a real possibility they could have come our direction.  SKS bullets travel nicely through empty space and even buildings at times.
 
Why do people want to take away my right to protect my kids who were asleep in their bed with nothing to do with the morons involved in the shooting?  Regardless of what some my say – I really don’t think the guns used in this gang shooting where bought through the legal process in the same way I purchased mine.  What makes people think this type of irresponsible behavior will change if my gun ownership privileges are taken away by a group of lawmakers? I don’t really care about “original intent” even though it is in my favor I care about the protection of my family and the providing food for their health.

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The indispensable American Soccer News had a good story on Don Garbers plans for MLS 2.0, which will be discussed later this year with the leagues board. While Commissioner Garber deserves lots of credit for steering MLS away from the troubled waters that threatened its existence a few years back, the arrogance and hubris of the league which weve recently editorialized on this site threatens its long term credibility in the football world.
Some points from this story:
Garber says In regards to the CONCACAF Champions League, our credibility is being attacked but we want our clubs to focus on MLS…In reality, we are a business developing and to reconfigure our business model is not in our best interest.”
Im not sure how he can spin this in MLS favor. The reality is it was Commissioner Garber whose comments were out of line when MLS teams failed in the forerunner tournament of this, including DC United against Pachuca this past Spring. It was the commissioner and league seemingly anxious to buy international credibility that emphasized these results.  Now the Champions League performances are all the more embarrasing not because Mexican or Costa Rican teams are showing up MLS sides: those are clearly better and deeper leagues than MLS, but because the United States own second divsion, with which MLS broke off a relationship thus scuttling the American Club football pyramid has been so successful in this event. Sides from the United Soccer Leagues have actually defeated Mexican and Costa Rican sides in this tournament while MLS is winless in the event. I have for many years maintained that the soccer press in this country was ignorant of USL and discounted the quality in that league partly because of the obsession with representing MLS as something it is not. For years I have maintained that while MLS is on the whole stronger than USL the typical gap between a first and second division doesnt exist in this country, thanks to the limited budgets and poor scouting of MLS teams. The league may not like it but its credibility is in the gutter based on its embarrasing performances in the Champions League. The bottom line is this: we live in a Global world where Football from all over is on TV: the best leagues in whatever region rise to the top in their regional club tournament, be it the Argentine teams in Copa Libertadoras or the English teams in the UEFA Champions League. The fact that USL teams are showing more than MLS teams in the champions league for CONCACAF speaks volumes about the overall quality of MLS.
There will be no promotion or relegation unveiled at that time and the league would prefer another Midwest team such as St. Louis to provide more balance geographically. Interest in a Miami franchise has resurfaced and Garber reiterated the demand in the Pacific Northwest is strong as well.
MLS expansion continues to dilute talent and the quality of the product on the pitch. No doubt exists in the my mind that MLS sides would have been more competitive in the CONCACAF Champions League had for example Chivas USA not lost Preston Burpo and Jason Hernandez in the expansion draft, and been forced to replace injured players with guys who are essentially being paid a semi-pro wage.
I can say this from the Miami perspective. MLS can work in South Florida but only if the quality of the product improves rapidly. The same for a second team in New York. If MLS is going to continue to to put out a product where defending is shambolic in almost every match and the pace is like watching paint dry, bigger more sophisticated football markets are going to tune out the product. Id put Miami, New York and even Boston at the very top of this list.
Garber also expressed that the Superliga is a priority for the league based off of attendance and television ratings. 
This line speaks for itself and to the priorities of the league. SUM makes money that sustains the league and thus MLS puts a priority on all SUM related events even if it means promoting a Mexican National Team game will for example cut MLS attendance for the games in the same market around the El Tri matchup on the calendar.
Currently, there are no short term solutions however, in 2009, there may be a possibility that teams will be more carefully selected to avoid fixture congestion so there may be more balance and variety in the Superliga, CONCACAF, and US Open Cup competitions
So no Apertura/Clausura at least for 2009. Even more disturbing I see no mention amending the squad limits or the salary cap in this piece.
What are our readers thoughts about MLS 2.0.

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The University of Massachusetts has received a C+ on the 2009 College Sustainability Report Card, which is used to rate the nation's greenest colleges and universities. The Sustainable Endowments Institute, based in Cambridge, Mass., graded 300 schools in nine categories: climate and energy use, green building, food and recycling, transportation, administration, student involvement, endowment transparency, shareholder engagement and investment priorities.

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Except there wasn't one - at least not for our side. I had better explain.

Late this afternoon I went to a soccer game, the first time I had done that in over forty years. I think that the last time I watched the "beautiful game" was in or around 1965. My father would take me to a home game at the Hawthorns ground in Birmingham, where the local team was West Bromich Albion, or else to St George's Lane in Worcester, where Worcester City Football Club kicked and passed their way to mediocrity. These are vague memories and unexcited ones, for I could never really appreciate or understand the game of soccer.

Note that I said "soccer." Good folk here in the United States of America say to me,"Of course, you would call it 'football.'" And then I would, with a little embarrassment and self consciousness, explain that in the independent schools we would call it 'soccer.' After all, it was (and is) an abbreviation of Association Football. That's the way we spoke and speak. I delight in the fact that sports fans in North America call this game by its proper name.

On the field today the motley team of Our Lady of the Hamptons School, playing their first ever game of soccer, did not score a single goal. Yet they played like heroes. Well ... heroes who did not yet know how to play this game, yet laughed in the face of multi-goal defeat. (And the opposition, well-drilled and practiced, were so smug!)

I stood on the touchline and marvelled at my ignorance. You see, I never played soccer at my English school. I played rugger. Look that one up.

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not send her child to kindergarten this fall. Instead the couple are planning on home-schooling their son, along with a group of other New York City-based parents with the same idea. Upon initial read of the article, I didn't really get much of a takeaway. In fact, it seemed like homeschooling better suited the lifestyles of the parents than serving as a decision based on the child's needs. That said, it seems like parents know their children better than anyone else, and therefore should know what method of learning is best suited for their kids. The author had her reasons for doing what she did--or, rather, not doing what she would have--and she should be given cred for making such a decision.
Some of the other parents in the homeschooling group felt that the schools were too focused on testing and not really teaching kids what they needed to know, etc. Standardized testing really has taken hold of our community, and both parents and teachers have felt the uncomfortable crunch. Parents are starting to feel their children aren't being taught how to learn anymore, just what to learn. I can see a real argument for homeschooling.
But, is that the right reason to pull a kid out of school? Is any reason good enough? Or, to the contrary, do the schools need to start proving to us they can offer more than what we as parents can do for our children? If schools aren't listening to the needs of parents and children then what is the point? I personally don't know enough about proper education and the education system to be able to make a decision as hard as keeping my child out of school. Others seem to have it all worked out, down to ordering specific, home-based curriculum to teach their kids themselves. Some prefer to let the child learn more freestyle, and eschew more traditional methods. I'll tell you right now the last thing my kid needs is for me to be his main teacher! It's terrifying to me to even begin to think about everything I think he ought to know, and then how I would get all that knowledge to him. He'd be better off learning from our weiner dog!
So who's right? Do parents know enough to be able to make decisions like homeschooling for their kids? Does the education system really serve our needs and is it really preparing our children for the future? I think the answer probably lies somewhere outside both those things, but only time will tell.

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Standard de Liege will open their UEFA Cup campaign on Thursday with a trip to Goodison Park and a matchup against Everton (delayed on Fox Soccer Channel, 5 p.m. ET - though for those of you who want to follow live text updates, you can do so on UEFA.com). The game puts two stalwarts of the U.S. defense head-to-head, as Oguchi Onyewu will not be standing guard in front of Tim Howard as we have become so acccustomed to seeing. We wondered what is like to square off against a teammate with whom you have shared so many important moments in your career ... so we asked Gooch.

ussoccer.com: Whats it like going up against a U.S. teammate in match as big as a UEFA Cup match?

Gooch: Now that I think about it, this is the first time that Ive played in a UEFA Cup game against another American. It should be fun. It will be a lot more fun if the results go our way.

ussoccer.com: Is it strange to be playing against Tim, particularly when you work so closely together in the U.S. defense?

Gooch: Definitely different than what Im usually doing with him. Timmy is my boy and all, but for 90 minutes hes going to be my adversary. Im going to do whatever it takes to get the ball past him.

ussoccer.com: Have your teammates asked you for the scouting report on him?

Gooch: Yes. You cant say too much about him other than hes a great goalkeeper.

ussoccer.com: What do you think hes telling them about you?

Gooch: I dont like to cite my weaknesses, but Im sure if I have any he is telling his coaches about it and they will try to expose them.

ussoccer.com: Coming off such a great season in Belgium, how is the teams mood as you head to the UK?

Gooch: It feels like yesterday we were coming away from that. Were confident. We know they are a big club, and its always a good atmosphere when you play a Premiership club. Everton has aspirations to go far in UEFA Cup. Even though we are from a smaller country, Im sure they respect us.

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and then invite him back. In the meantime, his international career needs to be put on hold.

Our defense looked pretty damn solid. The Onyewu/Bocanegra pairing is good and Cherundolo’s massive experience is a boon on the wing. I’m still not convinced by Heath Pearce, but he didn’t make too many glaring errors in this contest. And I know Landon is less effective on the wing, but he is one of the best crossers on the team, and fed some lovely balls into the area from the wide position. Until we find a true wide man for the right side, he and Deuce should continue to share that role. Finally, it was a real pleasure to see Beasley in action. He seemed to have a bit of that spark back, and I’m hopeful he can keep his injury problems in the closet for the coming campaign with Rangers. When he’s in the mood he can be a game changer, and we need more players to take the pressure off Donovan in terms of on-field playmaking.

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Kei Kamaras goal against Houston may have been the high-water mark of his Earthquakes career, but hell be wearing orange on Saturday. Photo by John Todd, centerlinesoccer.com, isiphotos.com.
I went fishing with Quakes assistant coach Ian Russell yesterday. Ian is a fly fishing master and I tag along to learn and record his epic catches.  (Epic is his word, not mine.)  Over the years, weve fished together in Colorado, Montana, and Idaho as well as a number of spots in Northern California. For this epic outing we hit the Lower Stanislaus River, which is about two hours away, subject to the driver.  (I drive painfully slowly.) Inevitably, our conversation turned to soccer.  Ian has a keen eye and truly understands the game — he gets it, as I like to say.  When we spoke of the upcoming Houston matches all he could muster was a man, this is gonna be a tough one.  Ian gets it — this is going to be a tough one.

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For instance, if an athletic event was canceled, a school could tailor a message for the families of all the players on the team, said Davis Hayden, the districts research and technology director. Similarly, he said, the district could send a message to the families of all sophomores reminding them of an upcoming high school exist exam. It also will notify families when students are truant.
Hayden said it could take about a month before the system is operational, as it still needs to be purchased and installed, and district employees still need to be trained.
The system will plug directly into the school districts database containing all landline and cell phone numbers. Officials are expecting some kinks in the early stages. Hayden said many phone numbers may need to be added or corrected, and parents will have the option of adding or opting out their cell phones. The system also includes e-mail and text functions, but its unclear how they will be used.
In the beginning, Hayden said, the schools probably will use the phone-message system sparingly. He added that it should never be overused.
We dont want to give 20 messages a day to parents, he said. But at the same time, we want to give messages they appreciate. Im sure parents would appreciate knowing an event was canceled and they dont have to drive their child to it.
A major reason for purchasing the program was to improve emergency preparedness, officials said.
As it is, the elementary district doesnt have a good way to send a message to all parents. The junior high and high school district possesses a system, but it is outmoded. Called School Messenger, the $3,000-a-year system uses just four dial-up lines, so it takes three to four hours to call every family for any given school, officials said.
By comparison, Teleparent uses hundreds of digital lines and can do the same job in 10 minutes, Hayden said.
During this summers Gap Fire, it took hours to notify all families that summer-school courses were canceled at Dos Pueblos High School because the campus was being used as a staging area for firefighters.
In July, when an earthquake in the Los Angeles area sent ripples through Santa Barbara, the local year-round schools were flooded with calls from parents wanting assurance that everything was fine.
With the new system, you can anticipate that and call the parents and say, Something just happened, the students are safe, pickup time is the regular time whatever the message is, said Barbara Keyani, the districts communications director.
If there is an emergency, the company has agreed to provide live Spanish translation on a 24/7 basis, officials said. The company said it would pilot this new feature in Santa Barbara for free using its existing relationships with translation services, a district report said.
TeleParent also will offer individual schools a month-long trial period of the same system on a smaller scale that could be used by teachers.
For instance, it would allow teachers to send voicemails to parents about their children. The teacher-specific messages are pre-recorded in several languages and listed on a menu containing thousands of options, such as Your child gave a good presentation at class and Your child was writing notes to other students in class, Hayden said.
Teachers also could send messages to every family in the class, reminding them about an upcoming math test, for example, or to pack a lunch for a field trip the next day.
Schools that opt in would have to pay for the smaller systems using their own site budgets. The $28,000 cost of the districtwide system amounts to about $1.75 per student, and the smaller school systems for teachers would cost each school an additional $1.50 per student, officials said.
Some teachers are probably going to love this, and other teachers are potentially going to say, No, its not my style, Hayden said. And thats fine.
Hayden said other school districts have reported that the system tends to pay for itself because it improves enrollment. Most school districts in California receive money from the state based on enrollment.

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