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AC Milan: A Leader in the Beautiful Game AC Milan is one of the biggest names in the world of soccer, rivaling Manchester United, Real Madrid, and FC Barcelona as the most popular team on the planet. But no one has the global programming offered by AC Milan, which has operations in over 50 countries. AC Milan is likely the only club in the world to have a structured and coherent youth program in the Americas. From identifying talented youngsters to camps and tournaments, the Italian giants are everywhere. Youth players that attend AC Milan Jr. camps have the chance to earn an invitation to Milan, which is a once in a lifetime opportunity. The best of the best live the “Milan experience,” getting face to face with players, touring facilities, and eventually training as part of an elite international team under the AC Milan umbrella. These elite teams then participate in tournaments like the AC Milan Continental Cup in Cleveland, Ohio. This tournament is one of the fastest growing in North America and has quite an international flavor, thanks to teams from 20+ countries. The Cleveland event is tied into AC Milan qualifying tournaments in Tulsa, Orlando, and in Colombia. This allows players to compete at the very highest level with the event becoming the key cog in AC Milan’s presence in the Americas. And what an event it is. The Continental Cup is part of an international youth sports festival also supported by the Cleveland Indians (MLB) and Cleveland Cavaliers. Three giants of sport putting their brand and talents behind the youth, an amazing concept in a world where pro athletes are often misunderstood. Why choose Cleveland for this festival? Cleveland is a sports town and also happens to be one of the best soccer markets in all of North America. The tradition of excellence in Cleveland goes all the way back to the Cleveland Stokers, who passed the torch to the Cobras, Force, Crunch, City Stars, and now AFC Cleveland. Why all the interest in the America game? Lots of reasons, many centering on promoting their global brand to a sea of people that are truly warming up to the beautiful game. The most important being the raw talent of the American footballer and the sheer number of players in the U.S. Eighteen million players in the U.S. to be precise. AC Milan has taken notice in a big way, sending resources and talented individuals to the Americas to find the next generation of Serie A legends. Eddie Marles, AC Milan youth program coordinator for the Americas, is excited about the potential of American players, saying that our game is extremely fast, physical, and tactically organized. “The side of the game that the U.S. is lacking is creativity,” Marles commented in an interview with ISNSoccer.com. That creativity is slowly being added by players from Africa and South America and a top-class national team coach like Jurgen Klinsmann. AC Milan is doing their part, expanding their presence in soccer academies across the country, spreading the Italian style of soccer to elite American players. Cleveland will benefit from this as well, thanks to an affiliation with a prominent local club and an academy announcement in the coming days and weeks. Truly something that will change the face of the soccer landscape in Northeast Ohio for years to come. Want to be part of the very best? Come on out to Cleveland this summer to see tournaments, camps, and academies all under the AC Milan brand. Like we always say “it is going to be a great summer of soccer.” UA Men's Soccer Wins Yet Another Award CLEVELAND, OH - February 2, 2012 - The University of Akron was abuzz this week with news of the hiring of former Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel. But it was the men's soccer team that claimed yet another award after yet another successful season under the expert tutelage of Caleb Porter. The team claimed the Collegiate Athlete of the Year award, beating out Cleveland State's Norris Cole and Kent State's Dustin Kilgore at the 2011 Greater Cleveland Sports Awards. While the program did not win another national title, it did send Darren Mattocks to MLS as the #2 overall pick and several others (Luke Holmes, Matt Dagilis, Michael Balogun) to likely careers in the NASL, USL, and NPSL. Other winners at the Greater Cleveland Sports Awards included Mitch Trubisky (High School Athlete of the Year), Jessica Beard (Amateur Athlete of the Year), Asdrubal Cabrera (Athlete of the Year), Austin Carr (Lifetime Achievement Award), and Brandee Kelly (Courage Award). A Gunner for Life: A Conversation with Kevin Campbell
Campbell has not turned his back on the game he loved, but instead turned his attention to growing the sport outside of England. He has become the brand ambassador for PASS, an innovative multi-faceted platform designed to change and improve the game in the U.S. and beyond. Campbell believes in the potential of the American game, sharing the opinion that American players do have ability. But often raw talent only gets you so far, where Campbell sees the right environment and the right coaching being the real gamechangers. How good could the U.S. be in 10 years? Winning the 2022 World Cup in Qatar good. How do we get there? By developing better professionals through better coaching and a better environment. But becoming a seasoned professional, capable of playing at the highest level of global soccer, is not an easy journey, even for the talented Campbell. “It was difficult to become a professional, but it was all I ever wanted,” the London native stated in an interview with ISNSoccer.com. “I always had a ball and a dream.” Through the application of hard work, Campbell was able to overcome obstacles to enjoy success from the very beginning. As a youth player he was able to score goals at will against some of the best academies in England. Getting to play against the best on a regular basis helped Campbell grow as a player and earn that first pro contract with one of the biggest names in the Premier League. That is a major difference between England and America, a difference in quality and competition. Campbell would like to change that, to give Americans a better chance to be major players in the world’s game. Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna, Jonathan Spector, Landon Donovan could have been bigger names and better players if they were in the EPL longer; that is hard to argue with that stream of thought. Campbell and former Newcastle player Kevin Gall formed PASS to be a “one stop shop” for raising the bar on American soccer. Improving coaching and environment, providing exposure for America’s youth players, taking elite players on tour in England against the best academies, the ideas go on and on.
We couldn’t resist asking Campbell about his former (and still favorite) team, the Gunners of Arsenal. He called it a transitional season, especially after losing two great players in Nasri and Fabregas. Campbell was quick to compliment the stellar play of Van Persie, but clearly understood that Aresenal’s struggles on defense are an issue. He has his “fingers crossed for a better second half.” That better second half will start with the Gunners’ match against ManU, which will be shown live on U.S. broadcast TV tomorrow, this being a first for a Barclay’s Premier League match in the U.S. FOX will get the call and we are hearing that Campbell may have an opportunity to share his thoughts on the game. With a lifelong Gunner and legend on your side, the Red Devils of Manchester had better watch out for Arsenal in this season-defining match. ISN Opinions: National Soccer Media at Fault … Not at Fault 2012 MLS SuperDraft exposes the stretched coverage of college soccer It’s no wonder the national media was hard on Luke Holmes surrounding the 2012 Major League Soccer SuperDraft. They look at his stats from Notre Dame College and wonder how bad the competition must be … lets be serious he scored 24 goals as a junior and an NAIA best 29 as a sophomore. When you compare those stats to “only scoring” five goals in 16 games for the University of Akron as a senior one can understand why Holmes endured such criticism from national media leading up to the 2012 Major League Soccer SuperDraft in Kansas City. The sarcasm is deep because if the media compares the stats as though he played out wide at Notre Dame they should be talking about him as though he is not an MLS caliber player … how could they imagine a player who scored 70 goals in three seasons at a small school in Ohio to be a world-class player, let alone an MLS player if the positions were the same? Simply they should not, nor would they have any reason to. But the position he played at Notre Dame was strikingly different than what he played at Akron. After spending two weeks working on the Mock SuperDraft and then spending four days and nights at the NSCAA Convention and SuperDraft I have found the national media is just that … national. Their knowledge about the college players even at a national prominent Akron are more than lacking. The issue is at the regional and local levels that players are not getting the exposure with video or commentary about the players outside of school website game reports. There is a true lack of knowledge about individual players and what their strengths and weaknesses and how those will translate at the MLS level. I don’t knock the major networks for not having a show dedicated to college soccer, however there is no such show, and there are not nearly enough games broadcasted to allow broadcasters and media to understand players. So regardless of each media member’s ability to evaluate talent, it’s not their fault they do not understand how a player will translate at the MLS level. This being said, they still do not understand and have little or perhaps no understanding that Holmes is not a winger. Ives Galarcep, one of the best in the soccer journalism business, listed the three-year standout at Notre Dame College and senior at Akron as a winger … not because that is the best position for Holmes at the MLS level but rather that is where he played his one season for the Zips as he supported and supplied the second overall pick forward Darren Mattocks with eight assists as the sophomore talisman scored 21 goals for the Zips before earning a Generation adidas contract with MLS. In his three years under Head Coach Michael “Mac” McBride at Notre Dame Holmes scored a program best 70 goals playing in the middle of the pitch. He played up front as a striker for the first two seasons earning American Mideast Conference Freshman and Player of the Year and AMC Player of the Year. As a junior he moved to center mid where he scored 24 goals and led the Falcons to their first National Championship Final with a 23-1-0 record. Holmes was best when he was in front of goal. His goal total shows his ability to score at the NAIA level, but what does that mean to a national media that has probably never watched the level of the NAIA and many of them would have to Google the acronym to know what it is? To them it means nothing. This was Holmes’s struggle before the MLS SuperDraft and Supplemental Draft with the national media who said he was not athletic enough, was too small, and always tried to cut-in from his wide position at the MLS Player Combine. Sadly for the Oldham, England, native he was forced to play out of position once again … did the scouts and technical staff with the combine even know his strengths as a forward and goal scorer? Now Holmes played a season at Akron and had the exposure of playing in the MLS Player Combine, think about the lack of knowledge the media has about Dan Knight and Travis Wall, two other players who also went undrafted in the in the SuperDraft and Supplemental Draft. Wall, the Division III National Player of the Year, led Ohio Wesleyan to their second National Championship with 19 goals and 15 assists. His 2.12 points per game was good for 13th best in the nation. Wall also played four seasons for Dr. Jay Martin, whose 608-115-49 record make him the winningest college soccer coach in the history of the NCAA, regardless of division. Knight, a center back and three-year captain for Notre Dame was a surprise inclusion to the official MLS Draft Eligible list provided to the media at the SuperDraft in Kansas City. It made people wonder how a player who didn’t know they were eligible for the draft would be just that. The morning before the Supplemental Draft, Susan Marschall the Coordinator for New Media for the MLS stated, “A player can be named to the draft eligible list by having an MLS team request that player to be added.” So both players were on the radar of at least one club if not several and when looking at the players selected in the Supplemental Draft it strikes me as shocking that these players, along with the aforementioned Holmes, would go through 114 picks without being selected. It leaves plenty of room for questioning the MLS scouting departments, but also with the national media knowing nothing about their abilities and the level of competition that each player succeeded at makes one question how they are “experts”? Knight led the Falcons to an outstanding 77-7-3 record over his four year career. That record also includes a program best 36 game regular-season unbeaten streak that began after dropping a 2-1 decision to Roberts Wesleyan on Oct. 27, 2009. As a junior in the program’s final season as a member of the NAIA he led them, along with Holmes to their first NAIA National Championship final appearance in 2010. Knight was instrumental in a program-best 32 shutouts in 84 matches while leading NDC to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons. Prior to his arrival on College Road, Knight earned 26 caps with the Welsh U16, U17, and U19 national teams. Did the media check to see that Holmes finished second in the PDL scoring in 2010 with 32 points (14 goals, 4 assists) while leading Forest City London to the Central Conference Semifinals? Why you might ask is the PDL relevant to comparing a player to his MLS readiness? Over the last three years the PDL has produced 111 alumni, equal to 70 percent of the draft selections from the MLS SuperDraft. This year 26 of the 38 players selected in the SuperDraft – more than two-thirds, with six of the top 10 including the first overall selection, having PDL experience. The Chicago Fire Premier had a record 11 alumni selected and Holmes’s 2011 PDL team, Michigan Bucks had a duo with Lucky Mkosana and Babayele Sodade were both taken in the second round, going to the Chicago Fire and Seattle Sounders respectively. T he USL’s PDL continues to offer the opportunity for growth and development during the summer as players work toward their goals of turning professional. For those players coming from the 70 teams spread through nine divisions that cover North America the PDL paid dividends. So why has the national media not discovered this connection to players like Holmes. Holmes’s ability and skills didn’t go unnoticed by everyone. One team media member who coved both the MLS and Premier Development League said Holmes’s performances in the PDL reminded him of another Ohio-based player, Chris Rolfe. Rolfe a Kettering, Ohio, native made 123 appearances for the Chicago Fire scoring 36 goals. If Holmes can go onto have a career similar to the two-time Chicago Fire Golden Boot winner then the team that picks him up at this juncture, after he was skipped on the 114 picks that made up the 2012 MLS SuperDraft and subsequent Supplemental Draft, will be getting a true steal. That steal could be in line with Steven Lenhart who totaled 38 goals and 12 assists in 61 collegiate games at NAIA Azusa Pacific University (Calif.). Lenhart was named to the was honored as the NAIA National Tournament’s Outstanding Offensive Player in 2006 and 2007 helping lead Azusa Pacific to the 2007 NAIA national title. Lenhart has gone onto make 83 appearances in the MLS scoring 19 goals for Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes. Holmes was named the NAIA National Tournament’s Most Valuable Player in 2010 along with the NAIA National Player of the Year while leading the Falcons to National Runners-up. The media is at fault even though it’s not their fault. People go to the news sources for just that, news. If the information provided by broadcasters and writers covering the coming presidential election, NFL draft or Super Bowl were inaccurate, they would certainly lose their jobs. The national soccer media should look to add measures of “credibility” to their reporters and add to the pool or people reporting on the college game. It is impossible for the media to know every player, but they should have a much better understanding than they displayed this year when they spoke about players as if they had watched countless hours of match tape or sat in the stand taking notes. It seems to me that the media went off the hype surrounding a player or the lack there of. For Holmes, Knight, Walls, and countless others there was little to no hype surrounding them. Who do we blame their respective local media, their coaches, or the national media for the lack of hype that kept them from being players the media could speak intelligently about? The truth of the matter is the soccer media in the U.S. is stretched. As much as it pains soccer fans to say it, the game while growing is not a heavy hitter with sponsorship and advertising money. Thomas O’Toole, wrote an article that appeared in USA Today on April 22, 2010 the NCAA reached an 14-year $11 billion contract with CBS and Turner Sports. Roger Pielke Jr. wrote a New York Times article on Nov. 24, 2011 that pointed out the NCAA’s sale of football television rights soared from $50 million to nearly $11 billion in 30 years when they signed with the most recent contract. Those staggering figures allow networks to hire individuals who focus on the college game. For soccer it’s different. The soccer media in the U.S. are responsible for not only covering the MLS, but also the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, German Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League, the U.S. men’s and women’s national teams, international tournaments, and then there is college soccer. So it’s not media’s fault for having a lack of expertise in the area where there is the least amount of sponsorship and advertising revenue … figures on Major League Soccer’s television contract are a reported $10 million. That’s over $10 billion less than the NCAA contracts for football and basketball respectively or over $21 billion less than the two contracts combined. It’s not the fault of the media who passionately covers a game they love. Some of that passion needs to be turned over to some new knowledgeable reporters to assist the prominent national reporters and writers. It will be exciting to see Holmes, Knight, and Wall make the move to the professional game. There is no doubt they each have the ability on the field to do just that, regardless what the media writes or says. Samurai Sportswear Soccer Spotlight - January 2012 Central Ohio's Classics FC Lead the Way for the Future The appointment of Jurgen Klinsmann to the head of the U.S. Men’s National Team has meant systematic changes to the youth game so that it can grow and develop from the bottom up. Better youth players mean better national team players, which gives the American game a chance on the world stage. A new U.S. Soccer coaching curriculum, developed by Claudio Reyna, has put a premium on player development and training.
One of these coaches, Michael Furlong, has ties to Northeastern Ohio, having experienced great success at both the youth and high school level. As a player, Furlong was a top ODP player that went on to a successful career at Jackson HS and Mitchell College (CT). Later as a top high school coach, Furlong developed a great soccer program at Perry HS in Massillon, Ohio in addition to his responsibilities at Canton/Cleveland United. Furlong’s success has continued at Classics FC, where his U-10 Girls squad has collected hardware and lots of it. The Blue squad has won the Dublin Charity Cup twice along with the Cincinnati Fall Ball Tournament. Furlong also led his team to 2nd place finishes in the MASC and MOSUL Tournaments. But winning isn’t everything. Furlong has turned his focus into developing players for the next level. He values creative players with a high soccer IQ and great vision on the pitch. “It isn’t kick and chase and it’s not the Kentucky Derby,” Furlong stated in an interview with ISNSoccer.com. “We want to outthink our opponents. An intelligent player is worth their weight in gold.”
“Win with class, lose with class, always act with class” is Furlong’s favorite quote. His players know it well, repeating it often to remind themselves of their real mission. That mission is to take pride in your club and community and at the same time to grow and develop as a player and person. The team and the club as a whole is actually more like a family than anything else, a family that shares a love for the beautiful game. Furlong tries to make his players aware of the global game and they have listened. After a succession of quick passes turned into an opportunity on the attack, one of the players yelled to the sideline “Coach Mike, we looked like Barcelona.” Barcelona’s Messi happens to be Mike’s favorite player along with Tottenham’s Luka Modric. However, Furlong’s knowledge is not limited to the sport in Europe. He has an obvious fondness for the U.S. Men’s National Team and his favorite player growing up, the aforementioned Klinsmann. “Klinsmann was efficient; there was no wasted movement on the field,” Furlong added. Many in the soccer world are excited about the possibilities under the reign of Klinsmann. “He will produce a product that will open eyes and raise the awareness of the average sports fan,” Furlong continued.
Furlong is well aware of the fact that Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, and Clint Dempsey won’t be around forever and we need to start thinking about the future now. He sees Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury as leaders of the next generation of American superstars. Both could step into a superstar role in the next few years. When asked about young Americans leaving college and going to Europe, Furlong called it a “quick fix for a long-term problem.” Simply put, he is in favor of getting the best talent coached by the best coaches and clubs. The Samurai Sportswear Soccer Spotlight is a monthly feature that showcases the best of the best in the world of youth and high school soccer. This year-round coverage is made possible by the partnership between Samurai Sportswear USA and International Soccer Network, LLC. The name Samurai has been part of sports industry since 1996. The globe-trotting Samurai International Sevens Rugby Union team was created by Terry Sands, the ex-England Sevens manager and current Samurai owner/director. We can boast that many famous names have played for the current team over the years and these players are responsible for spreading the word about the fresh, stylish kit they were wearing. Since those early days Samurai International Sportswear Limited has seen rapid growth and is now firmly established as one of the leading global multi-sport brands. We are proud of the fact that we have grown organically, are financially stable, profitable, and secure. As the brand developed, it started to climb the sporting ladder and this season Samurai is the “official kit supplier” to the Aviva Premiership Exeter Chiefs, Kent County Cricket Club, Glasmorgan CCC, the Loughbrough Lightning Super League Netball franchise, Tunisia Rugby Union, five of the clubs fighting it out in the English Rugby Union Championship, (Doncaster, Cornish Pirates, Plymouth Albion, Rotherham Titans, Birmingham & Solihull), the Welsh Rugby League, Accrington Stanley Football Club and a whole host of other professional and semi-professional clubs. Samurai Sportswear USA is a wholly owned subsidiary of AthletiCorp Inc. and is the North American distributor for Samurai International. We have experienced an exciting year already with our recent two-year sponsorship renewal with Play Rugby USA and our sponsored rugby clinics presented by Breathe Rugby across the USA and internationally. Samurai Sportswear is devoted to aiding the growth of rugby in the USA and we are doing everything we can to support our youth players, assist the coaches and referees that help cultivate the game and are creating a large impact on the development of rugby in the USA at multiple levels. We supply many of the top clubs across the country including the Chicago Griffins, Penn State University Men’s and Women’s rugby clubs, Xavier High School (NY), the Olympic Club, New York Athletic Club, University of Wisconsin and many more. As we expand our efforts in the United States we continue to provide high quality sports apparel for more sports. This past summer Samurai Sportswear USA sponsored the Samurai Sportswear Soccer Combine for high school soccer players in Canton, Ohio. We expect to have several soccer teams kitted out in Samurai gear in 2012. Like Samurai on Facebook and follow Samurai on Twitter. The Pelé Sports Fan Ambassador Club - January 2012 A bond between father and son is strong. A bond that includes the beautiful game is even stronger. Whether you are talking about Slavko Kljestan placing a ball in the crib of sons Gordon and Sacha or a local father sharing his love of the game with his teenage son, the story is one that needs to be told.
“He has always been there for me,” Tyler stated in an interview with ISNSoccer.com. “He supports me in everything I do. He says he’s my biggest fan.” Pete started playing when he was 7. He stopped playing when he was 12 when his interest turned to baseball and hockey, two popular sports in his hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. Pete returned to the beautiful game when his young son showed great talent at the sport at a young age. “I was thrilled for him and supported him,” Pete added. “I told him that anything we do, we are going to do 110%.” This rekindled Pete’s love for soccer and turned him into a student of the game: watching, reading, and focusing on all aspects of the sport. As an adult, he had a greater appreciation for the game and turned his focus to tactics and formations and the next obvious step, coaching. Within 3 years, Pete created his own premier youth club with 5 teams and 86 players. He shared his love of Arsenal with his players and their parents. Arsenal was a great example of doing things right, possessing the ball and always playing forward. Pete and Tyler share a love for Thierry Henry with Tyler often wearing #14 in honor of the current NYRB striker.
“With him chasing the dollars, I watch him but no longer support him the way I did. His skill, talent, and vision are unbelievable.” Living in NE Ohio makes Pete and Tyler natural fans of the University of Akron men’s soccer program and Caleb Porter. Porter plays an attractive style of attacking soccer, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. “He just oozes that level of commitment long-term,” Pete continued. ”It’s not just wanting to win this week or this season. He’s laying the foundation that will be in place for some time.” It is clear that this father and son combination exemplify all that is good about the game: bringing people together, working hard, and sharing a common bond. It is our pleasure to have Pete and Tyler Walters as the first Pelé Sports Fan Ambassadors of 2012. Pelé is unquestionably the world’s greatest soccer ambassador, spreading his love of the Beautiful Revolution wherever he goes. He has become the game’s strongest supporter and has been the source of inspiration for millions around the globe. From the streets of New York to the fields of South Africa, Pelé Sports is a name synonymous with passion, creativity and innovating the game the way it should be played. A world without Pelé would be a world without soccer with millions missing out on the joy and the Beautiful Revolution we all love in this game. Today’s supporters carry on the prestigious legacy of Pelé, growing and promoting the game in their own communities and passing the torch to a new generation of footballers. Mainstream media outlets have failed to give a face to these fans, people who do extraordinary things everyday and have stories that deserve to be told. Whether it is an Iraqi War veteran who is a passionate supporter of his favorite MLS side or a student making an impact on the college game, the concept of ambassadorship is alive and well here in North America. Today’s supporters are not hooligans or fanatics or even überfans, but rather gatekeepers to the true spirit of the beautiful game. International Soccer Network, in conjunction with Pelé Sports, plans to celebrate the contributions of North American soccer fans every month with a new series of feature articles. Crew Make Big Moves in Offseason COLUMBUS, OH - January 6, 2012 - The Columbus Crew announced today that it has signed Costa Rican forward Olman Vargas to a multi-year contract, pending receipt of his ITC and P-1 work visa. Per club and league policy, no further terms of the deal were disclosed. The 26-year-old striker joins the Crew from Club Sport Herediano of the Costa Rican First Division, where he scored 17 goals over the last two seasons and helped the team reach the final of the 2011 Apertura season. “Olman is a tall, physical forward who promises to be a great addition to our club,” said Crew head coach Robert Warzycha. “He has good speed, a good touch and he works extremely hard.” The 6-2, 174-pound native of San Jose, Costa Rica, began his career in 2007 with Carmelita of the Costa Rican Second Division, where he appeared in 38 matches and scored 14 goals over two seasons. While at Carmelita, Vargas was noticed by storied First Division club Deportivo Saprissa which signed him for the 2009-10 season. While at Saprissa, he appeared in eight regular-season matches, scoring one goal. He also appeared in both CONCACAF Champions League matches against the Crew that year, including the Black & Gold’s historic 1-0 win at Saprissa’s famous stadium, known as the “Monster’s Cave,” on Sept. 16, 2009, which marked the first time an MLS club had ever won there. Vargas was loaned to Brujas F.C. de Desamaparados for the end of the 2009-10 season. In 2010 he was loaned to Herediano, which he guided into the 2010 Apertura playoffs and the final of the 2011 Apertura where it lost to Alajuelense in a penalty shootout. The signing of Vargas is the most recent series of transactions that could leave the Crew as the most improved team in all of MLS. The Crew also signed Chilean midfielder Milovan Mirosevic and made a contract offer to potential Homegrown Player Ben Speas. The 31-year-old Mirosevic, who instantly draws comparisons to Guillermo Barros Schelotto, joins the Crew from Universidad Católica of the Chilean first division. The signing of Speas, who spent time at the University of Akron before transferring to the University of North Carolina, is likely to be announced next week. Officials at UNC said that Speas tweeted a picture of him signing a contract and added that he has withdrawn from classes for next semester. It sounds like a done deal to us! Speas is a first-round talent that will be an asset to the Crew for years to come. The Greatest Boot Ever
The brand that bears his name is much of the same, making a splash in the football market from Day 1. But nothing has been more exciting or more heralded than the release of the Trinity football boots from Pelé Sports. What do you get when you combine hybrid polymers, Symbioskin™ materials, and Mucell Foam polymers? A boot that makes quicker contact with the ground for faster reaction, stability, and an accelerated release. A traction and sole plate that enhances the muscles of the feet by training them to propel faster, enhance coordination, and be more powerful. Simply put, the fastest and most innovative boot to ever hit the market. The Trinity boots are many things: trendy, durable, lightweight, and technologically advanced. The boots are certain to turn heads no matter where you play. Players will want them because of the look, but that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to an advanced boot that has undergone significant scientific testing. Lightweight football boots often have durability concerns as they can not stand up to everyday use at a premier level. This is not the case with the Trinity boots as they are still durable despite their 5.9 ounce weight. They feel great on, almost like they were made just for your foot. The Symbioskin™ material cradles your foot, allowing you to get a good touch on the ball and providing protection at the same time. You won’t get that with the other ultra lightweight boots out there, products that are prone to damage during physical gameplay. The light weight is not the only aspect that makes this boot super fast. An innovative stud pattern allows for quicker cuts, making this boot a favorite for everyone on the pitch (especially attackers). Most importantly, Pelé Sports have the data and research to back up our claim that this is the most advanced football boot on the market, maybe even the most advanced ever produced. The stud size and configuration has been found to minimize ankle injuries. A player tested with the boot "in a 10 second sprint arrived 1.5 meters further down the pitch." Again a gamechanging boot from a gamechanging brand. There have been many innovative ideas in the history of football boots: lightweight synthetic materials, Concave elements, fashionable designs, outrageous colors, and so on. But the Trinity boots take technology and make it practical for the elite footballer. Simply put, all of you at Nike, adidas, Puma, Lotto, Umbro…….. better luck next time. To purchase these amazing boots check out fine retailers like Chicago Soccer or Soccer.com.
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People throw around the term legend quite a bit. But we can tell you that Kevin Campbell is just that, a legend in the eyes of many. With over 500 professional appearances, including 224 appearances and 59 goals for Arsenal, Campbell deserves that title. His hard work on the pitch was always applauded by the fans and he saw success at every stage of his career, an illustrious career that spanned over 20 years in the beautiful game. Campbell was a force to be reckoned with at Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Trabzonspor, Everton, and West Brom. Simply put, he was a brilliant player. 
Have you heard this before? Yes, but Campbell and Gall have backtested their program and have gotten results, big results. And more importantly, they are committed for the long-term. PASS is not a one and done, grab your money and run operation.
Campbell and Gall are true professionals in every sense of the word, people that share a deep passion for the sport and will give it their all to see it succeed here in the States. 
While some clubs cling to a “win at any cost” mentality, Classics FC in Central Ohio leads the charge in delivering this new curriculum using the best coaches at the earliest ages. 
An emphasis on foot skills prepares players to be comfortable on the ball. He allows his players to make mistakes as individuals, but to learn from those mistakes as a team. While the team is very competitive, they still value sportsmanship. 
Placing a premium on the technical development of players and building from the back were positives for Furlong when asked about the current national team program.
North Canton’s Pete and Tyler Walters are a special pair, a father and son that give it their all in all things soccer. Tyler, a promising freshman goalkeeper at St.Vincent-St. Mary’s High School in Akron (OH), spends countless hours every week honing his skills on the pitch. At his side is his father, who does anything and everything to help his son get to the next level, collegiate soccer.
Pete shared his support for Robin Van Persie, but was quick to point out his disappointment on Samir Nasri’s move to Manchester City.
Pelé is a legend among legends, the greatest player to ever step on a pitch. He was an impact player, a gamechanger that forced his opposition to rethink how the game was to be played.
