Clash that almost destroyed Socceroos
Teammates: the 1997 Soceroos squad under coach Terry Venables (yes he’s English). Craig Foster is back row third from the left, Robbie Slater middle row second from the right. Picture: George Salpigtidis Source: the Sunday Telegraph
Auction of prized shirts to raise cash for Africa (From Wharfedale Observer)
Auction of prized shirts to raise cash for Africa
1:10pm Tuesday 17th January 2012 in
ERIK BOAL on PREP SPORTS: ECR, soccer community will carry on memory of slain goalkeeper ‘Pancho’ Rodriguez
Talented goalkeepers are measured by their ability to face to the challenge of anything or anyone that comes at them without backing down.
Remarkable teammates are defined by embracing the opportunity to motivate and inspire everyone around them with a commitment never to let those people down.
Whether it was playing soccer at El Camino Real or on his Real So Cal club team, Francisco Rodriguez had developed into an elite goalkeeper as well as a charismatic leader, building trust and confidence in his teammates and creating a bond with friends, teachers and administrators at the charter high school as both a student and office aide.
That’s why it wasn’t just the ECR campus, but the local soccer community, that suffered such a tragic loss Wednesday when the 17-year-old Rodriguez, less than an hour after contributing to another shutout for the Conquistadores in a scoreless tie with West Valley League rival Taft, was shot outside his Winnetka home. he died on his way to Northridge Hospital.
His life was a showcase of energy and passion on the field, and a journey of emotional growth and maturity away from it.
“Every day he was evolving as a person and it was so great to see that side of him,” ECR athletic director Richard Yi said. “All the ladies in the office have said how much they’re going to miss seeing him and talking to him because he just brought a lot of positive energy wherever he went. everyone is just heartbroken over it right now.”
With former classmates from Sutter Middle School, past ECR players and hundreds of peers in attendance Friday at Cleveland, the Conquistadores honored Rodriguez with a 2-0 victory.
ECR coach and assistant principal David Hussey said he was emotionally spent by Thursday night, yet his players continued to demonstrate the resolve and determination Friday that was also apparent nine months ago when former Conquistadores and Chatsworth soccer player German Alex Romero was killed by a hit-and-run driver.
“This shouldn’t be something they have to deal with,” Hussey said. “It’s something that no family should ever have to go through. I have two kids and anytime I think about them, I think about Francisco.”
The thoughts of Rodriguez were apparent not only on the ECR sideline and throughout the stands, where several cheers were dedicated to the individual the Conquistadores referred to as “Pancho,” along with signs paying tribute being displayed during the match.
ECR players also wore T-shirts under their uniforms honoring the memory of both Rodriguez and Romero, along with black armbands, which were also worn by Cleveland in a gesture of class and respect by coach Mo Burgess and his players.
But the impact Rodriguez had throughout the San Fernando Valley was apparent by athletes at Crespi and Chaminade also wearing black armbands and participating in a moment of silence before their Mission League match Friday similar to the 26-second tribute — the number of Rodriguez’s jersey — held before opening kickoff at Cleveland.
ECR also took the field with only 10 field players, leaving the goal empty to start the contest, before Cleveland allowed Conquistadores goalkeeper Randdi Misrahi to enter the match after the ball was kicked out of bounds.
“(Rodriguez) still would have wanted us to play no matter what, so we had to respect his wishes. That’s how passionate he was about the game,” Misrahi said. “I just wanted to keep up everything he was doing because I didn’t want to let him down. this was the best game we’ve played in a while and it was a great pick-up for us because we really needed it.”
Hussey would often call on Rodriguez to come out of goal, replacing him with Misrahi, and move up to forward if he felt ECR’s offense needed a spark.
That lift was provided Friday by Lucas Ladek, who delivered a half-bicycle kick for the Conquistadores’ first goal, and Josh Cohen, whose perfect header off a corner kick just before halftime energized the ECR crowd.
But Misrahi and defenders Osvaldo Martinez, Carter Keene, Connor O’Leary and Cohen were determined to deliver another shutout, which they preserved by absorbing one last flurry from Cleveland in front of the net in the final two minutes that concluded with Rene Argueta’s 6-yard attempt rolling wide of the left post.
“That was Pancho shining down on us right there,” ECR assistant Ian Kogan said.
The spirit of Rodriguez will continue to shine through his teammates, both at ECR and Real So Cal, in the days ahead, which will likely be an emotional roller coaster for the Conquistadores and his closest friends at rival schools.
“He was such a personable kid, just a pleasure to interact with,” ECR assistant athletic director Vinny Orlando said. “He was making the right choices and he was in such a good place, and that’s why the reality hits home in such a big way when you think about him being gone.”
But if Friday was any indication of how ECR and the rest of the local soccer community will continue to persevere and rally in Rodriguez’s absence, then his memory is alive and well both on and off the field.
Along with the ECR fans, Cleveland gave the Conquistadores a standing ovation following the match. Just another example of the respect Rodriguez had earned both as a teammate and a competitor.
“What our 22 guys did out there (Friday), and even the Cleveland players who knew him, it’s hard to define. you can’t measure that moment,” Hussey said. “These are pretty special kids.”
Region urged to support Quakers (From Darlington and Stockton Times)
Region urged to support Quakers
7:00am Saturday 21st January 2012 in
Google Prepares For Christmas With Array Of Easter Eggs
Unless you live somewhere east of New York, there’s still at least several hours left before December 23rd comes to an end. But Google is eager to help everyone with kids get Christmas Eve off to a good start, and so the company’s put together lists of all the Santa-related treats its engineers have concocted or come across this year.
‘Tebowing’ turns talk from football to faith and a question: Is God on the Broncos’ side?
In his small church in the Central Valley, Pastor David White — a former Bay Area sports writer who covered the Raiders for years — is horrified. The evangelical gesticulations of Denver quarterback Tim Tebow are converting his congregation … to Broncos fans!
Is this the coolest replica kit ever? (From Asian Image)
Is this the coolest replica kit ever?
3:00pm Thursday 12th January 2012 in Sport
Rolls in crowd call (From Dorset Echo)
Rolls in crowd call
8:50am Saturday 7th January 2012 in Sport
UPI NewsTrack Sports
Boston piles up nine goals against Calgary
KEISSER: University needs to be name dropper
Shakespeare had the right idea when he wrote “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
but the man with the golden pen didn’t know anything about marketing. Plus, that line comes from “Romeo and Juliet,” in which the key players die in the end. what a fatalist.
The hometown university has no problem being recognized by the masses, but it has a real internal dilemma when it comes to its name.
If you troll the NCAA website, you will find that “Long Beach State” is the name attached to any athletic records or data, be it NCAA postseason records, national title or individual achievements. It is also the only school of the more than 1,300 in the NCAA with the word “Beach” in its name.
If you follow any of those academic magazines and websites that track educational values, you’ll find the local school under California State University, Long Beach (CSULB).
If you’re a baseball fan, they’re the Dirtbags. If you’re a fan of other sports, the school nickname is 49ers. If you’re a fan of an older vintage, it’s the 49ers but the school colors are gold and brown, not gold and black.
And when you go to the school website, you will find it referred to as CSULB, Cal State Long Beach, and Long Beach State – and all on the first web page.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with having more names than, say, a soccer great who had four but was known by everyone as Pele. Babe Ruth had a half-dozen nicknames, but that’s all they were. Actor Kiefer Sutherland has five middle names, proving his dad, Donald, did smoke a lot of pot on the set of “Animal House.” most of us just call him Jack Bauer.
But when it comes to marketing a brand, the variations for the local school just becomes a bad intersection.
When I went to the school store on 2nd Street to purchase a Christmas gift, I searched hard for something with just “Beach” on it. came up empty. then I switched to Long Beach State.
Found a handful of T-shirts.
Most everything had CSULB. I settled for a hoodie with a script “Beach” across the front but with “Cal State Long Beach” attached on the underscore hook of the letter H.
Athletic Director Vic Cegles is among those slightly vexed.
He’s been around college sports long enough to know the value of branding, and he thinks the school has four name components that are distinct – 49ers for the school in general, Dirtbags for baseball, “The Beach” or Long Beach State since it’s the only school that can call itself that, and the interlocking LB logo.
Anything else is just confusing and doesn’t drive home the direct message an athletic department and school needs – something simple that encompasses an image.
“It’s a real advantage when you have names like that which identify the school,” he said, adding that everyone he knows calls it Long Beach State. “The interlocking LB is great looking and a real brand, something anyone in the city could wear. Wear something with LB on the road and people know what you’re talking about.”
Poly uses the interlocking LB on its baseball hats (green and gold) as does Wilson (cardinal and gold) and Jordan (blue and black). Long Beach City College (red and black) uses it, too. The colors make them distinct, but the logo makes it clear where they’re from. No one confuses LB with Laguna Beach, Larry Bird or how many “lbs” you need to lose.
Within his staff, there are arguments. Senior Associate Athletic Director bill Brady played quarterback for the 49ers, so his heart lies with the 49ers. most everyone else prefers The Beach or Long Beach State.
But when alumni events are held, some old-timers poke Cegles about the lack of brown and gold references.
“We should probably have some of it just for those fans,” he said.
Cegles directed me to talk to Don Penrod of the 49er shops, but he was out of town. I spoke to a variety of other officials who really have no explanation as for why most of the tees, sweat shirts and jackets have CSULB on them beyond the obvious: It’s the official name of the school.
It’s been that way since 1972. In 1949, the inaugural year, it was named Los Angeles-Orange County State College, a name that thankfully lasted just that year. In 1950, it became – ta da! – Long Beach State.
But in 1964, the Cal State system wanted uniformity to its schools, so the official name became California State College at Long Beach, later upgraded to the current CSULB.
What we need here is a better way to communicate. The 49ers and Dirtbags names are inherent, and you’ll find college baseball fans as far away as Omaha and Baton Rouge who wear Dirtbags merchandise.
The only others anyone should see on a hoodie are Long Beach State, because it’s simple and distinguishes it from the other CSU schools, or the sexier “The Beach,” which is unique to the school and also takes a firm hold on the community.
At a time when the basketball team may be the best in Southern California and the school has made the grade on Kiplinger and Princeton Review lists as one of the best public values in the nation, it’s time to be unified and distinct at the same time, and market it accordingly.
Or as Billy Shakes might say it, “To Beach, or not to be.”
bob.keisser@presstelegram.com