Hellenic lands single player on W-League All Conference selection

Hard to believe that the Tampa Bay Hellenic lost just one regular season match all season and had one of the stingiest defenses in the league, but netted just one selection to the postseason W-League Eastern All-Conference team. The honors were voted on by the coaches and managers of the league clubs.

Defender Philisha Lewis [left] was Tampa Bay's lone player who was selected for the W-League All Conference honors. She played in all twelve of Hellenic's regular season matches and contributed a goal from her defensive position. Lewis is a twenty-three year old native of Jamaica and recently concluded her collegiate career at Bethel College in Tennessee.

Everton wins Allstar farce

People either love or hate allstar games. They are a tradition in baseball, but fans still complain about them. MLS has wisely given up on the East vs. West format and seems to have embraced a MLS vs the world approach. Six of the last seven Allstar games has pitted an all-MLS selection against a foreign club side.

Fan appeal has varied based on which club has been lined up to face the league allstars. MLS always is rumored to be bringing Real Madrid every year and ends up with Everton or West Ham. To me, I take the games for what its worth. An opportunity to see a friendly between some of our domestic league's best and a decent Euro club in preseason form.

The game is a farce in the context that MLS headquarters promotes the matches as nearly important as the World Cup final. Or at least the World Club Cup title. Last night's loss to Everton was the first time the MLS side lost to a foreign club. My question is when the game ended a 1-1 draw, why go to a penalty kick shootout? It is a FRIENDLY for crying out loud. MLS league matches end in a draw quite frequently, why can't the meaningless Allstar game?

Late July and early August is when the Euro clubs do their globe-trotting world tours to fill their pocketbooks, I mean prepare for the upcoming season. I think it is good for MLS clubs to match up against those teams, even in friendly matches, but not so sure that a MLS Allstar match works for anyone but the league's PR machine.

Unfortunately, their are only so many A-list clubs and clubs like Everton, West Ham, and Celtic might be better suited to match up against MLS sides directly. Having Everton play RSL last night instead of the MLS Allstars, probably would have netted the same 20,000 attendance, but would have proven more valuable to gauge just how far MLS clubs need to go to be on par with Europe.

One Allstar game format I would be totally down with would be a MLS vs MFL. Now Mexico vs the USA is always going to be a great game, well if you forget about the Gold Cup final.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 30, 1979 - Rodney Marsh announces his retirement from playing effective at the end of the 1979 season at the age of 34. He made the announcement at a luncheon where he was recognized as the Rowdie Player of the Week for the two goals he scored against the Detroit Express. Marsh indicated that he wished to go out on his own terms rather than play past his prime and would pursue a coaching career next. According to sources, contract disputes played into Rodney's decision. The Rowdies had refused to renegotiate his contract before the season and as a result Marsh asked for a trade, only to withdraw that request and see out his deal through the end of 1979. When negotiations stalled during the summer for a new contract, Marsh decided it was time to move on.

Rodney was selected Rowdies MVP for both 1977 and 1978, plus he was a NASL allstar each season. When Marsh retired he was the current all time leading scorer for the Rowdies. He was arguably the most popular and well known athlete in Tampa upon his retirement. He was often at odds with Rowdies coaches and was not afraid to express himself in the press. Fans loved his style, candor, and the goals.

Marsh started his coaching career in 1980 with New York United of the American Soccer League. After four years coaching in the ASL he returned to Tampa to coach the Rowdies during their final NASL season. And amazingly Rodney pulled his boots back on to make twenty appearances for the Rowdies during their only season in the American Indoor Soccer League (1986-87).

We have a pulse!

After years (okay its only been a few months) of silence, the Rowdies front office speaks. General Manager Andrew Nestor spoke cryptically in very measured statements about the stadium, coaches, players, and even the kit. The franchise does seem to have a heartbeat after all.

There isn't much meat in what Nestor said, certainly nothing earth shattering. Just a reassurance that things are moving along behind the scenes with more news to come, er, well .....soon.

I applaud the announcement for what it is, a tease with the tiniest bit of new information to tantalize. We shouldn't expect them to publicly discuss ongoing stadium or coaching negotiations, but Nestor discussing a reserve team and reinforcing their desire to have a centrally located stadium site is good stuff.

After reading his comments about the stadium, I feel 100% better. The stadium won't be in Plant City, Dade City, or even Paradise City. It will be in Tampa. Where it belongs. Might even be at the original Tomato Patch spot for all we know. All Rowdie fans should rejoice, because putting it way out in the remote 'burbs would have been death for the team.

I will reserve judgement whether they are able to deliver a 'professional' experience at a temporary site. There aren't too many options in the Bay area and most of us believe it will be at the USF soccer stadium. It has been a good ten years since I have been in that stadium, so I won't comment until I catch a USF match in a month or so.

One red flag in the announcement is why the heck are they going to have a reserve team in another part of the country? The point of a reserve team is to be able to shuttle players back and forth during the season as needed. I assume they are simply cutting a deal with a PDL club to act as a feeder, but then that is not a real reserve side. A Rowdies reserve team needs to be nearby, but also extend the brand geographically. Put it in Lakeland or Bradenton.

The management has taken a huge step forward in public relations if it is going to answer questions on a regular basis. At this point, telling us what color the office carpet is going to be is news. Regular contact with your fan base is a cornerstone which they can build on.

Thanks Andrew. Good job. Keep it up.

USF Bull in action for USA U18s

What do incoming USF freshmen forward Hasani Sinclair (left in white) and sometimes MLS star David Beckham have in common? They both have participated in the prestigous Northern Ireland Milk Cup.

You never have heard of such a tournament? Well, according to nearly all their press releases, it is the premier and yes, very prestigous, youth tournament of the soccer calender. It has groups for both top club teams and for youth national teams.

Once apon a time, 1991 to be exact, Mr. Beckham visited the six counties of Northern Ireland with the Man Utd youth team and lifted the shiny Milk Cup.

The pre-Posh Spice Beckham

The USA U18 squad kicked off the tourney on Monday with a 2-1 loss against Denmark. Hasani Sinclair, who will join the USF mens team after the tournament, was a late substitute in the sixty-fifth minute and proceeded to pick up a yellow card five minutes later.

The Americans will be back in action against Germany this afternoon where they must win to have any chance of advancing.

This is not Sinclair's first outing with the USA U18 team. In January he was with the team when it won first place in the Australian Youth Olympic Festival. The championship run was highlighted by a 14-0 pounding of the China squad in which Sinclair scored twice.

Dominic Kinnear to coach MLS Allstar Team tonight

Dominic Kinnear (right), who wrapped up a fourteen year professional career with a stint with the Tampa Bay Mutiny, is set to coach the MLS Allstars against English Premiership side Everton tonight. Kinnear is the highly successful coach of the Houston Dynamo and it is their league leading form that got the former Mutiny man the Allstar gig.

Kinnear played for a variety of clubs during his playing career including teams in the USA, Scotland, and Mexico. He played seventy-five matches for the Mutiny between 1998 and his retirement after the 2000 season. His coaching career began in 2001 as the assistant coach to another former Mutiny defender, Frank Yallop with the San Jose Earthquakes. The Quakes won two MLS Cup titles during Kinnear's tenure as assistant coach.

When Yallop moved on to manage the Canadian National Team, Dominic was promoted to the top spot and continued the club's winning ways. In 2005 the Quakes lifted the Supporters' Shield for best regular season record and after the club was moved to Houston and became the Dynamo, Kinnear coached the team to back-to-back MLS Cup titles in 2006 and 2007.

Tonight's match is at Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah and is being broadcast on ESPN2 at 9:30pm.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 29, 1975 - The Tampa Bay Rowdies clinched the NASL Eastern Division title in their inaugural season with a 1-0 overtime win on the road against the Philadelphia Atoms. South African forward Derek Smethurst extended his NASL record scoring streak to seven straight matches with his 16th goal of the season.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 28, 1979 - Tampa Bay crushed the Detroit Express 5-2 in front of 35,559 at Tampa Stadium. The Rowdies' offensive fireworks were provided by Rodney Marsh (2 goals/1 assists), Wes McLeod (1 goal / 1 assist), Mojas Radonjic (1 goal), and a Detroit own goal. Steve Wegerle notched three assists in the match while Winston DuBose [right], who was celebrating his 23rd birthday, picked up the win in goal.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 27, 1979 - Tampa Bay Rowdies defender Peter Chandler broke his leg during a training session, when he collided with goalkeeper Winston DuBose. Chandler had been out of action for over a year because of a previous fracture to the leg in the July 4th, 1978 match. Chandler's return to action was further delayed until the 1980-81 indoor season.

USF women return from summer soccer

Eleven of USF's returning players didn't go very far this summer to sharpen their skills. They either played with the WPSL's Galactics Amazons or the W-League's Tampa Bay Hellenic. Both clubs enjoyed good success with Galactics finishing fourth in a very tight division race and Hellenic securing their first playoff berth with a second place finish in the Atlantic Division.

The USF players who turned out for the WPSL Amazons include:

• Brittany Burt, Redshirt Freshman midfielder/forward from St. Pete


• Eyllcia Colon, Freshman defender from Palm Harbor


• Tara Petzoldt, Freshman defender from Tarpon Springs


• Brittany Pilon, Sophomore midfielder from Naples


• Noelle Pinero, Sophomore midfielder/forward from Bradenton


• Thara Salam, Redshirt Freshman midfielder from Palm Harbor


• Tabitha Schofield, Redshirt Freshman midfielder from St Pete

The Bulls who played for Hellenic this summer were:

• Mallori Lofton-Malachi, Senior goalkeeper from Philadelphia, PA


• Angelique Waller, Junior midfielder from Margate


• Chelsea Klotz, Sophomore forward from Lakeland


• Molly Stack, Sophomore midfielder from Palm Harbor

USF draws from the very deep pool of talent in the Bay area and the success of both club teams this summer hopefully foreshadows a good fall campaign for the Bulls. The USF team is young (only four seniors) and has one of the best goalkeepers in Lofton-Malachi and is seeking to improve on their 7-8-3 record from 2008.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 25, 1980 - The Tampa Bay Rowdies host two-time European Cup holders Nottingham Forest of England in an exhibition match. The match was a goalkeeping duel between English great Peter Shilton and Tampa Bay's Winston DuBose, which ended up a 0-0 draw. 21,857 turned out at Tampa Stadium to watch the Rowdies prove they could hang with the best in the world.

Hellenic's season ends with loss to Freedom

Tampa Bay Hellenic's first foray into the W-League's postseason ended abruptly Friday night with a 2-1 first round loss to the favored Washington Freedom. Hellenic finished their second campaign with a 8-1-3 regular season record which was good enough for second place in the Atlantic division behind the Atlanta Silverbacks.

They faced long odds against the second highest scoring team in the league in the form of the Freedom. Not only did Hellenic keep the Freedom to two goals, well below their average of 3.5 a game, but Tampa Bay also did what no other team had been able to do in over five games against Washington: score a goal.

In the end, their efforts were not enough to upset the Freedom, who move on to today's Eastern Conference final against Charlotte Lady Eagles, who surprised the host Atlanta Silverbacks to earn a spot in the final.

Many of Tampa Bay's players will return to college in the next few weeks to start the fall season.

USF women sit while Canada loses again

Neither Gina Pacheco or Bahar Sansar saw action in Canada's 1-0 loss Wednesday night to the USA in a friendly held in Charleston, South Carolina. Both USF players are veterans of the Canadian youth sides and Pacheco picked up her first cap on Sunday in Rochester against the USA with a late substitute appearance. Sansar has yet to earn her full international debut for the Canadians.

Both players will now be focused on USF's upcoming fall season.

Tampa Bay Hellenic vs Washington Freedom

When: Today 5pm

Where: Silverbacks Park, Atlanta, GA

The Tampa Bay Hellenic will find out real quick whether they have what it takes to compete with the elite in the W-League when they square off against the Washington Freedom this afternoon in an Eastern Conference semifinal match. The red hot Freedom are riding an eleven match unbeaten streak and have not allowed a goal in five matches. Washington finished second in the Northeast Division with a record of 12-1-1, with their only loss and draw both against the W-League regular season champion Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues.

The Freedom have the W-League's fourth leading scorer in Jennifer Parsons and has two other players tied for eleventh in scoring (Brittany Tegeler and Meghan Lenczyk). Washington also scored forty-nine regular season goals, second most in the entire league.

On the defensive end, both clubs have top five rated goalkeepers in regards to goals against average per game. Washington's Chante Sandiford compiled a 0.566 GAA in ten matches and Hellenic's Malori Lofton-Malachi posted a 0.400 GAA in eleven games. Hellenic (8-1-3) has one of the stingiest defenses in the entire league and it will be put to the test against the explosive firepower that the Freedom will bring.

Hellenic's Defense, led by Goalkeeper Lofton-Malachi, is key to victory

The success of Washington is due to its overall organizational strength. The W-League Freedom are the reserve side for the WPS Freedom and the club runs youth sides from U15 on up. The club won the W-League in 2007 and has roots running back to the WUSA. Hellenic on the other hand is a second year club and is punching well above its weight, but has proven that it can take down Goliaths before. They gave Atlantic Division champion Atlanta their only defeat of the season in a war of match last month here in Tampa.

The winner of the Freedom-Hellenic match will face the winner of the other Eastern Conference semifinal between Atlanta and Charlotte. The Conference final will be played on Saturday at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta. The winner of the Conference title will advance to the W-League final four.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 23, 1977 - The Tampa Bay Rowdies record for most assists in a season was broken by two players in the same match. The old mark of ten was surpassed by both Rodney Marsh and Steve Wegerle in a 2-0 victory over the Toronto Metros at Tampa Stadium. Their joint record of eleven assists would fall the following year when Marsh would break it again. 17,473 witnessed Marsh set up Arsene Auguste for the first goal and then Wegerle assist on David Robb's goal. Goalkeeper Paul Hammond recorded his fourth shutout of the season as the Rowdies moved into a tie for second place in the division with the Cosmos.

Rodney on Beckham

The Rowdies' biggest star, Rodney Marsh, comments on the train wreck that has become of the David Beckham 'experiment' at the Sun online. I agree with Marsh when he contrasts what Pele did in the NASL and what Becks has done in MLS.

The two are apples and oranges. Pele came for three years and was 100% committed to American soccer and the NASL. Beckham on the other hand very quickly showed that his priorities were very much staying in contention for the England squad. If that was his goal, he should have delayed coming to the USA until after the 2010 World Cup.

I think that David wanted to have his cake and eat it, too. Come to America and make more money than he was going to be offered in Europe and then jet off to Europe to play with England. When it became apparent to him that was not going to be feasible, he went off to AC Milan. As long as Beckham has a shot at the 2010 World Cup, I expect him to be looking for a way to wiggle out of his MLS contract.

USL 1 club goes out of Open Cup in Semifinal

The Rochester Rhinos of the USL First division had their Open Cup run ended by defending champion DC United of MLS on Tuesday night. The Rhinos were the last surviving USL club in the tournament and their 1999 Open Cup title was the only one by a USL club in the tournament since MLS clubs started competing in 1996.

This year was a good year for USL based squads in the Cup. Four of the eight quarter finalists were USL clubs and the tournament featured four upsets of MLS clubs by USL teams. Now MLS sides don't always seem to take this cup very seriously, but it is still a great opportunity for USL teams to play MLS teams in a competitive atmosphere. One of the things I was looking forward to in 2010 was the Rowdies Open Cup run.

Hopefully the Rowdies are able to duplicate the success of clubs like Rochester and Charleston (and even Harrisburg from USL 2) who seem to do well consistently over the years in the cup. Advancing far enough to face a MLS opponent would certainly be one of the rare times that the local media will sit up and take notice of the fledgling team and should be a sure sellout (wherever they might be playing).

Hellenic-Freedom match set for Friday

The Tampa Bay Hellenic will face Washington Freedom in a W-League first round playoff match this Friday afternoon at 5pm at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta. The winner will face the victor of the other Eastern Conference semifinal between Atlanta and Charlotte Lady Eagles. The conference final will be on Saturday at 7:30pm also at Silverbacks Park.

Two USF women get chance with Canadian National Team

Two University of South Florida underclass women are getting a shot at cracking the Canadian National Team lineup in a series of three friendly matches with the USA.

In the second match of the series on Sunday, Gina Pacheco was a late substitute for the Canadians. Pacheco, who has seen time with the Canadian U20 squad, earned her first cap for the national team in the 1-0 loss to the Americans. The sophomore midfielder has spent the summer playing with the Ottawa Fury of the W-League, the club that she has risen up through the youth ranks over the last four years.

Defender Bahar Sansar, who red shirted her freshmen year in 2008 for the Bulls, is still waiting patiently to make her full national team debut. She is a veteran of the Canadian youth selections and is a native of Quebec.

In addition to Sansar and Pacheco, incoming freshman Taylor Patterson is also on the fringe of the Canadian squad, having recent experience in the U20 squad and participating in training camp.

The third USA-Canada match is Wednesday night in Charleston, South Carolina.

Freedom will be Hellenic's first round foe

Tampa Bay Hellenic (8-1-3) now know who their first round opponent will be in the W-League playoffs. Washington Freedom (12-1-1) will pose a stiff test for the second-year Hellenic. The Freedom scored an amazing 49 goals in 14 regular season matches and allowed just nine.

The Freedom is the feeder club for the WPS club bearing the same name and certainly will be a heavy favorite against Tampa Bay. Washington was Eastern Conference champions last season and won the W-League title in 2007. The club is arguably the most successful women's club in operation today with a history that dates back to 2003 with the birth of the now defunct WUSA. Freedom operate a WPS side, the W-League team, and also youth teams for girls.

The first round match location is to be determined.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 21, 1979 - Forward Steve Wegerle (left) contributed his 17th assist of the season to break Rodney Marsh's Rowdies record for most assists in a single season. Marsh oddly enough, had two assists in the match as well. Wegerle's efforts spurred Tampa Bay on to win 2-1 over the Chicago Sting at Soldier Field in front of 11,509. High scoring striker Oscar Fabbiani scored both goals for the Rowdies on his only two shots of the match.

UT womens alumni game set

This had been announced some time back, but the University of Tampa women's soccer team is going to host an alumni match on August 22 at 6pm on the campus at Pepin Stadium.

Atlanta win relegates Hellenic to second

Tampa Bay Hellenic (8-1-3) will have to settle for second place in the W-League's Atlantic division. The Atlanta Silverbacks (9-1-1) won 1-0 over Charlotte Saturday night to skip past Hellenic into first place and the division crown since Tampa Bay has finished its regular season slate of games. The Silverbacks now lead Hellenic by one point in the standings and still have one final match to play this afternoon against Cary Lady Clarets.

The second year Hellenic are still headed to the post season as the second seed in their division and will face either the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues or the Washington Freedom in the first round of the W-League playoffs. That opponent will be decided today as the league wraps up its regular season this weekend.

The location of the first round playoff match will be announced once the teams are finalized.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 18, 1977 - Forward Adrian Alston was loaned by the Tampa Bay Rowdies to the Canberra City Soccer Club in Australia. The move was to allow Alston to participate in Australia's qualifying campaign for the 1978 World Cup. Adrian made 62 appearances for Australia during his career scoring 17 goals in the process. He played in the 1974 World Cup for the Socceroos. Alston returned to the Rowdies for the 1978 season.

Clearwater Galactics Amazons @ Puerto Rico Capitals FC

When: Tonight 7:30pm

Where: Paquito Montaner Stadium; Ponce, Puerto Rico

Tonight's match is the final one of the Galactics Amazons' inaugural season. With the 2-2 draw against Miami on Wednesday, Amazons (4-1-4) are out of contention for a playoff spot, but will be wanting to go out on a high note against the struggling Capitals.

The Capitals (1-7-1) are in next to last place in the WPSL Sunshine division and have conceded an astounding 32 goals in 9 games. Clearwater handled Puerto Rico easily by a score of 4-0 in their first meeting in Florida last month.

Galactics owner Jose Serrano is very pleased with the Amazons' first season in the WPSL and is looking forward to returning next year with many of the same players.

Galactics playoff hopes wilt under intense heat

Any hopes of a WPSL Sunshine division title and a playoff berth in their inaugural year evaporated for the Clearwater Galactics Amazons after a 2-2 draw against the visiting Miami Kickers. The match was played under full sun in temperatures in the mid nineties at St Leo College Wednesday afternoon in front of a crowd of about 30 supporters.

The Amazons controlled good parts of the first half, with Miami forced to counterattack for the most part. Clearwater got their first good scoring chance in the fourth minute when Noelle Pineiro won the ball at midfield and then crossed to the the left wing where Brittany Burt was waiting and shot far post only to see the Kickers keeper Christine Hy make a good save.

Galactics continued to pressure the Kickers and in the seventh minute Kaitlin Bolinsky blew past a Miami defender on the right wing and shot just wide to the far post.

Miami was able to get several dangerous crosses through the Galactics box on counterattacks, but no one was able to get onto the end of any of them for decent scoring chances. After entering the match in the 30th minute for Miami, Melony Poviones was able to inject some life into the Kickers attack with her speed. Just minutes after being subbed in, Poviones produced the first shot on goal for Miami when she beat her mark on the right wing and whipped a cross into the goal mouth for Stacy Payne, who shot directly at Amazon keeper Kimberly Diaz for the save.

Galactics' hard work finally paid off in the 35th minute when Thara Salam snuck a pass to a streaking Bolinsky who sprung Miami's offside trap and found herself one on one with the Miami keeper. Clearwater's leading scorer of the season padded to her total by side stepping the onrushing Hy for a tap in goal.

Clearwater didn't have to wait long to double their tally when in the 42nd minute Bolinsky was again involved by striking a good cross from the right wing to the back post for a hard charging Cassie Poysick to knock into the net.

The clubs went into the locker room at the half with Clearwater up 2-0, but it was obvious from the second half restart that Miami was not going to roll over and quit. Fifty eight minutes in Kickers' Alexis Hernandez stepped up from her right back position to win the ball and launch a hard, low shot from distance. Clearwater's keeper Diaz muffed the attempt at a save and the ball came loose for Poviones to poach an easy goal.

Miami equalized in th 64th when Stephanie Quinones struck a good shot off the underside of the crossbar and Poviones was there for the rebound against a helpless Diaz.

As the match wound down into the final minutes Clearwater applied more pressure to secure one last goal and keep their playoff hopes alive, but were unable to do so. Amazons now have one match left on the road this Saturday against Puerto Rico and will only be playing for pride. Miami is still in the mix for first place with two matches left.

Hellenic's playoff future coming into focus

Tampa Bay Hellenic clinched their first postseason spot in their two year history last weekend with two wins and a draw on the road. Now, who they will face in the first round of the W-League playoffs is becoming clearer.

As it sits right now, Hellenic (8-1-3) is the top seed in the Atlantic Division, but second place Atlanta Silverbacks is just two points behind them with two games to be played this weekend against Charlotte and Cary. Short of a complete meltdown by Atlanta, Hellenic will more than likely end up the second seed in their division which would match them up against the top seed from the Northeast division.

The Northeast division race is just as tight as the Atlantic one, with either of the top two clubs being able to win the title and end up Tampa Bay's likely opponent in the first round. Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues (say that three times fast) is currently first with 31 points while Washington Freedom is second with 30 points. Both sides have three matches remaining, so anything can happen.

Both Quickstrike and Freedom are feeder clubs for WPS sides. Quickstrike, based in Newburgh, NY is linked with Sky Blue FC and Freedom are operated by the WPS club of the same name.

If Hellenic are succesful in winning their first round match, they would move on to the Eastern Conference final. The three conference winners move on to a national final four that includes the regular season winner as well.

USL W-League to host combine in Tampa

The USL W-League is going to stage a combine to showcase some of their top players to WPS scouts and coaches in September following the conclusion of the season. The camp will be hosted at the Ed Radice Complex, the home field of the Tampa Bay Hellenic, on September 24th-27th. This is the second annual combine that has been held and with WPS expanding by two clubs (Atlanta and Philadelphia) next season, W-League players will most certainly be top candidates to fill out league rosters next year.

Miami Kickers FC at Clearwater Galactics Amazons

When: Today, 5pm

Where: St Leo University

Today is the final home match of the season for the first-year Amazons. Clearwater (4-1-3) host fellow WPSL Sunshine Division contender Miami Kickers FC (5-1-1) this afternoon and both clubs will be eager to take all three points to shore up their title hopes. Four teams remain in contention for the title and the playoff berth that goes with it, but in order for Galactics to take the crown they will have to win tonight and Saturday away against Puerto Rico to have any chance.

Miami and Clearwater drew 2-2 last Saturday in south Florida, so the two teams are familiar with each other and will hope to do better today and secure a win. If Amazons lose or draw today, any hopes of a division title in their inaugural year will evaporate.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 14, 2007 - St. Petersburg native Anthony Wallace is ejected in the 104th minute, as the USA crashes out of the FIFA U20 World Cup in Canada. The 2-1 loss to Austria in the quarterfinals went into extra time after being knotted at 1-1 after 90 minutes. Jozy Altidore's goal put the USA ahead in the first half, but the Americans were not able to finish off the match. Wallace, a defender now with FC Dallas in MLS, came on as a substitute in the opening match of the tournament and then played every minute until seeing his second yellow against Austria.

Wallace moved with his family to St Pete when he was two years old and spent time in the US residency program in Bradenton. He played one season of college soccer at USF before turning pro with FC Dallas. The coach of the U20 team was former Mutiny coach Thomas Rongen.

Amazons draw, lose ground in Sunshine division

The Clearwater Galactics Amazons went into their Saturday match against first place Miami Kickers FC looking to leapfrog past the leaders with a win. A 2-2 draw had Clearwater (4-1-3) slip to fourth and Miami (5-1-1) drop to second. The race for the WPSL Sunshine division crown is still very tight with just a week left in the regular season since just four points separate first from fourth.

That makes the rematch between Miami and Clearwater on Wednesday a crucial must-win for both clubs. Galactics must pickup maximum points from its two remaining matches to have any chance at taking the division. Even with six points, Amazons will need some help in order to win the division title in their first season in the WPSL.

Clearwater's last home match is this Wednesday afternoon at 5pm on the campus of St Leo University before their last regular season game on Saturday against Puerto Rico.

Tired Hellenic frustrated by Majestics

Playing their third match in less than forty-eight hours, the Tampa Bay Hellenic (8-1-3) faced a Northern Virgina Majestics (1-9-1) side who was determined to slow down the tiring but high-scoring Hellenic. The plan worked for the Majestics, who earned just their fourth point of the W-League season with a 0-0 draw.

The match concludes the regular season for Tampa Bay who now will wait for the Atlanta Silverbacks to finish their remaining schedule to determine which club will finish first in the Atlantic division. The Silverbacks have two more games to play and are two points behind Hellenic in the standings. Tampa Bay lost their first match of the season before going on an eleven game unbeaten streak that continued even despite having to finish the season with three road matches in as many days.

Hellenic can now return to the Bay area and prepare for the regional playoffs at a site to be determined.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 13, 1977 - Former Manchester United and Northern Ireland great George Best (left) was held scoreless as his visiting Los Angeles Aztecs fell 4-1 to the Rowdies in Tampa Stadium. Entering the match, Best was the NASL assist leader, but was unable to produce either a goal or assist against Tampa Bay. Instead, the Rowdies' Derek Smethurst provided the highlights with a hat trick. The victory was the second consecutive 4-1 win for the Rowdies as they geared up to enter the playoffs in good form.

Tampa Bay Hellenic at Northern Virginia Majestics

When: Today 4pm

Where: Hellwig Memorial Field, Manassas VA

With Saturday's 4-0 victory over Richmond Kickers Destiny, Tampa Bay Hellenic (8-1-2) has assured itself of a playoff spot. The match featured four second-half goals from Hellenic including a brace from Rachel Fell, Stacy Bishop's second goal in as many games, and a score from Jasmine Johnson. It was the second Tampa Bay shutout against the Kickers in eight days and makes it impossible for Hellenic to finish worse than second in the W League's Atlantic division.

Tampa Bay's Jenna Bush (#15) gives chase to the ball

Tampa Bay's unbeaten streak now stands at ten games going into their final league match today against the last place Majestics (1-9-0). Today's event wraps up a three match road trip that started on Friday and saw Hellenic play three matches in less than 48 hours. Tampa Bay is at least temporarily in first place, one point ahead of Atlanta who have a game in hand on Hellenic.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 12, 1976 - The Tampa Bay Rowdies traded forward Doug Wark to the San Diego Jaws for midfielder Dennis Wit. Wark, a naturalized American citizen played 17 regular season matches for the Rowdies in just over a season with the club. He also earned one cap for the USA national team against Poland.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 11, 1979 - Forward Oscar Fabbiani becomes the first Rowdie to score five goals in one match. The explosive performance by Fabbiani coupled with a goal by Rodney Marsh was plenty to sink the California Surf by a score of 6-2 at Tampa Stadium in front of a Wednesday night crowd of 20,612. Steve Wegerle assisted on three of Fabbiani's goals.

Tampa Bay Hellenic at Richmond Kickers Destiny

When: Today 2pm

Where: University of Richmond Stadium

Tampa Bay Hellenic secured a 2-1 win over the Hampton Roads Piranhas on Friday night to put a W League playoff spot well within their reach. A goal from Stacy Bishop and a Piranhas own goal were enough for Hellenic to take the vital three points in a match where they were uncharacteristically out shot.

The win consolidated Tampa Bay's playoff position, drawing two points behind division leader Atlanta and putting five points between themselves and third place Charlotte. The top two teams make the playoffs and Hellenic needs just two points from their final two matches to clinch a post-season berth.

This afternoon Hellenic faces the Richmond Kickers Destiny who Tampa Bay easily beat at home last Friday 4-0. Expect a much tighter match today with Richmond enjoying both home field advantage and Tampa Bay having played a match less than 24 hours previously. Hellenic is on an outstanding run going into today's match with a nine game unbeaten streak on the line.

Clearwater Galactics Amazons at Miami Kickers FC

When: Tonight 7pm

Where: American Heritage High School, Plantation, FL

The WPSL Sunshine Division championship should be decided over the course of the next five days. With the first place Miami Kickers (5-1-0) and the second place Clearwater Galactics Amazons (4-1-2) squaring off twice in a row and the clubs separated by just one point in the standings, the championship is there for the taking. Both squads have other matches left (Galactics away to lowly Puerto Rico and Miami facing two more opponents), but both squads are squarely focused on their back-to-back top of the table clashes against each other.

The two teams are the highest scoring clubs in the division and both have players in the top ten of all WPSL scorers. Miami's April Perry is tied for eigth in the league with six goals (12 pts) and Clearwater's Kaitlin Bolinsky is tied for fifth with six goals and one assist (13pts). In addition to potent offense, Clearwater also has allowed just four goals in seven matches.

Tonight's match is the first meeting between the high-flying clubs and should sort out which is going to take the honors. Up until this game, both clubs have taken turns whipping the basement dwellers and also-rans in the division, racking up huge goal differentials in the process. The Sunshine division race remains tight with the Florida Surge and Palm Beach United just one point behind Galactics, so winning their last three matches is the only sure way for Clearwater to clinch the division title.

Should Rowdies' kickoff be delayed?

Since the flow of information out of Rowdies' headquarters has been reduced to a trickle, rampant speculation on the various message boards has dwindled as well. Frustration is the overwhelming response I get when I bring up the Rowdies in various circles. When will the stadium be announced? When will the trademark dispute be resolved and merchandise be back online? Is Perry the coach? On and on.

There are only two places the club can play in 2010, USF or UT's soccer stadiums. Neither ideal, but for one season, they could do in a pinch. If I was calling the shots, I would delay kickoff of the USL 1 club until 2011 when I could move into my own soccer specific stadium with tons of hoopla. But I wouldn't throw in the towel on 2010 just yet.

No, I think Tampa Bay should put together a PDL club (or just an exhibition side for that matter) and barnstorm around the Tampa Bay area. Play at various high schools and soccer facilities to get the brand out there. Have a model set up of the stadium that will (hopefully) be under construction. Sell seat deposits for 2011. Sell merch. Hand out a bunch of free bumper stickers. Help form an honest to God supporters club that will form the core of the club's fan support. Heck, they could even line up a series of indoor, YES I said INDOOR! Indoor exhibitions at the State Fairgrounds to tickle the real old school Fannies during the winter of 2010-2011. What a perfect lead-in to the USL 1 launch.

The ownership of the new Rowdies will only get one shot at a first impression. You don't want to pour a bunch of money into a product that isn't ready for prime time. Which is exactly what 2010 is going to be. For those who have worked retail, my idea is essentially what we call a 'soft opening'. You are open for business, but you are ironing out the kinks, the Grand Opening is scheduled, but word of mouth will drive customers to your door and they are geeked because they are getting a sneak preview.

It takes the pressure off the club needing to draw a huge crowd right off the bat AND getting them to come back fourteen more times. By doing it this way, the Rowdies could be gaining momentum going into the 2011 season and be rolling that good will right into their brand new stadium.

I fear that a 2010 launch, in this economy, with everything they have struggled with is going to land with a gigantic thud. Flat on its face. Or even worse, the Rowdies' debut will come and go with the faintest of whispers. Not sure which would be worse, frankly. I would suspect that my idea has about as much chance of happening as David Beckham being our player-coach, but I would like to think that the boys running the Green and Gold would like some free advice.

Today in Tampa Soccer History

July 10, 1976 - A crowd of 18,233 braved a downpour at Tampa Stadium to watch Rowdies' Arnie Mausser (right) record his sixth shutout of the season en route to a 1-0 victory over the Washington Diplomats. Stewart Scullion provided the lone goal on an assist from Len Glover.

Tampa Bay Hellenic at Hampton Roads Piranhas

When: Tonight 8pm

Where: Virginia Beach Sportsplex

Next time you hear a high-paid Premiership player or maybe a MLS coach complaining about fixture congestion, know that they have no idea what they are talking about. The Tampa Bay Hellenic finish up their W League regular season slate this weekend on the road in North Carolina and Virginia. Three matches in 46 hours. You read that right. Three matches in three different cities in two states in less than 48 hours.

As it sits right now, Tampa Bay (6-1-2) is in second place, four points back of leaders Atlanta Silverbacks. However, Hellenic's season comes down to this weekend with Charlotte just three points behind Tampa Bay. Three points tonight against the Piranhas (4-5-0) would go a long way to securing one of two playoff spots available in the Atlantic division.

The good news is that Tampa Bay is facing the bottom three clubs in their division on this fast and furious road trip. The club is also on a roll, beating division leaders Atlanta two weeks ago and beating Richmond 4-0 last Friday. Anything but a win tonight will no doubt put pressure on a team that will be tired going into Saturday and Sunday's matches, so expect to see the team come out aggressive for the win.