September 24, 2007
US Soccer.com (Click on the Studio 90: China '07 link)
81 goals in 100 games for the US Women's National Team.
Gold Medal winning goal in the Athen's Olympics in 2004
Coming on Kick This! live from China after Saturday's Quarterfinal victory over England.
Turning the tables on host Neil Buethe during the Studio 90 Back Four quiz.
Is there anything that Abby Wambach can't do?
I'm sure everyone will be tuning in to ESPN2 at 8am on Thursday as the US Women take on Brazil with a spot in the FIFA Women's World Cup final on the line to see what Abby and the rest of the US squad have for the Samba Queens.
Atlanta - Seattle advance to USL 1st Division Title Game
USL Soccer.com - Atlanta-Portland
USL Soccer.com - Puerto Rico-Seattle
Both semifinal series went to PKs in the 2007 USL 1st Division playoffs. In Portland, the Timbers and Silverbacks played 120 minutes of scorless soccer. That sent the series to PKs where the visitors prevailed 3-1.
In Seattle, the Puerto Rico Islanders were able to score a road goal and even the series at 2 on aggregate. After 30 minutes of scoreless OT, the Sounders advanced 4-2 on PKs.
Seattle will be looking for the 4th USL top division title in the club's history. This will be the city of Atlanta's first visit to a USL title game since 1995 when the Seattle Sounders topped the Atlanta Ruckus in the two game, total goal final.
Who stays and who goes?
As the Rhinos embark on another offseason, people often wonder what players will be back.
Last year the Rhinos lost three starters (Edozien, Howes, and SanFilippo) and was able to bring back 15 players from the 2006 team that reached the USL 1st Division title game.
Following an injury filled season that ended with a disappointing first round playoff exit, the Rhinos only have five players under contract (Vallow, Bertz, Bonseu, Delicate, and Diallo) and a lot of questions about who even wants to return under head coach Laurie Calloway.
There are also a handful of players with options years in 2008 (Perry, Palguta, Aloisi, Novak, Scheufele, and Menyongar [player option]), so the Rhinos could have 10 or 11 players under contract for 2008 rather soon.
However, there are rumblings that all is not well within the team. Last offseason, a former Rhinos player called me and asked why he was hearing rumors that nobody wanted to come to Rochester following SanFilippo signing with the Carolina RailHawks.
Now I'm hearing from players that even guys that are under contract for 2008 may not want to be back given how this season played out.
The 2007 season was a lot like the 1997 season. Let's hope the radical changes that took place following the 1997 take place again and this franchise is placed back onto a track that leads to more banners being raised at PAETEC Park.
This week's Kick This! Show will feature three popular Rhino players saying good bye
With exit interviews complete, we are working on lining up three Rhinos players that are unlikely to return in 2008 and want to say their good byes to the fans of Rochester.
So, tune in to Hot Talk 1280am WHTK this Satruday at 11:05 am and see who may has likely played their last games in a Rhino uniform.
On Saturday, Soccer Sam announced that this offseason's trivia drawing prize will be the largest in the show's history.
Not only will the winner of our drawing on December 22nd win 4
premium Rhinos season tickets and a parking pass courtesy of the
Rhinos, but they will also win a $500 gift card to Salvatore's Old Fashioned Pizzeria.
And that's on top of the $25 gift certificate to Ristorante Lucano that the trivia winner takes home every week.
So, listen to Kick This! every Saturday from 11:05am to noon on Hot Talk 1280 WHTK for your chance to get in on the action.
We've got one name in the hat and there will be about 15 more names
going in for a chance to win a prize package worth over $1500.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.
