Congratulations to that champions and all of the players, coaches and fans that qualified for the State Tournament!
* Anoka High School – Boys AA Champion
* Duluth Marshall HS – Boys A Champion
* Lakeville South HS – Girls AA Champion
* Totino-Grace HS – Girls A Champion
Brackets can be view here:
* Boys A bracket
* Boys AA bracket
* Girls A bracket
* Girls AA bracket
148 comments:
I will personally be rooting for all the underdogs - Way to many attitudes out there - All of these teams and players are desearving to be where they are at and it is anyone's game to win - Remember just that "it is a game". Enjoy and have fun!
Underdog MG!! Tommorrow is will be your last day!!!
Nice ATTITUDE and great sportsmanship!
...benilde lost 1-0..anyone see that comming?
That's what I love about the tournament--it's only one game; anything can happen.
I could see that coming watched Cathedral against Valley and it was a 1-0 game. I was surprised to see them an 8 seed.
Cathedral has been good all year, they deserve credit that was not a fluke.
I am hoping Fridley wins in A, I am tired of seeing Private Schools win State. Plus they had no players on the All State Rosters.
Way to go underdogs!
Coborn for Cathedral is a VERY special player. He may be the best individual player in the Class A tournament.
Nice job Cathedral
any update on the anoka game?
Anoka scored with about 2 minute remaining in the game to win 1-0.
EP wont be touched unless maybe maybe AV..Wayzata..EP is the deepest team i have ever seen. There center mids frusterated dave scheller for mg. They were very well coached also.
Maple who?
EP controlled the ball and totally looked like the better team. But in the second half MG started to look more like themselves and played much better. The second half was a really intense game. Anoka is going to have a very tough time with EP
MG goalie made several great saves or the score could have easily been 3-0 or 4-0
I watched the EP/MG game. Was interesting to observe the role of turf in the game. It changes the play of the game, and the teams that play on it all year clearly have an advantage. I wonder how many State Champs in the last several years have been turf teams.
MG didn't know how to play on the turf. EP did. Add to this that EP has a fantastic midfield--playing 5 mids on turf is a no-brainer, otherwise you give up lots of throw-ins. Mg should have pulled the mid--put a couple of defensive bruts in the mid to screw it up when possible. Otherwise, play kick and run with 3-4 forwards. Would have been a shoot out!
EP was the much better team. However, the MG forward who tripped on a breakaway? I had read that MG had no forwards--now I saw it. Put Sheller and 10 up top, skip the mid. EP is not super on D, and their goalie is going to be a problem. He sat on his line all night. MG should have scored on one of their kicks into the box. EP will have a tough time with the Anoka throws into the box. Otherwise they should dominate. Again, I can't see EP winning state with the casual play in their box. (I wasn't impressed with their D either.)
either way, EP was fortunate to beat a weaker team. Lucky--I'd say. I hope we have better games tonight!
I'd say player of the game was the MG goalie, who gave up a goofy shot for the only goal. He saved several others that were amazing/lucky. His punts were awesome. Kid is a junior. good luck to him for next year... He will probably get peppered, but this might help his chances of recognition for next year's awards.
Hats off the EP, Htyere going to slaughter Anoka. Ep is one of the best high school teams that I've played. I see Ep going all the way to the champion ship and winning it all. Good luck to EP.
i agree, if nobody exposes their achilles heal, the goalie
It's a strech to say the EP are well coached...they have the players and the athletes this year...even their mediocre coach can't screw this group up. They should do well against Anoka, who were lucky to win.
EP coach did a good job of rotating his players and keeping them fresh. MG coach subbed maybe 3-4 players in. Over heard that this is what they do all year. Tough to change or adjust your play with the same players on the field. It is very hard to go deep without a bench. EP should be well.
(By the way MG, boot and run doesn't work on turf ask Apollo)
Saw EP game. #22 made MG defense look stupid.
MG keeper did great. Even created scoring ops on free kicks.
Im just think I think that Hill Murrary is going to take it all. EP will lose in the semis.
WOW 3 outstate teams in the single A semis...how weak is single A?
AV - 1
Mayo - 0
the av game was extremely sloppy with great team defense from both sides making it very boring to watch. mayo had no opportunities for a goal. the next step will be huge for them playing probab;y wayzata
Hill was as weak as everyone thought. Hard to believe AV only beat an average at absolute best Mayo team 1-0. Wayzata will crush AV.
Wayzata and EP in the final and it should be a great game.
AV played exactly as advertised.If you call boot ball as great defense against a Mayo team that tried to possess the ball but not very well, you get a boring game where ball skills are not mandatory.Wayzata destroyed a skilled hill murray team with a a very intimidating goalie by doing what they do best. Get everybody involved thru Colin M and just finish!
AA Soccer top to bottom is better than A.... but Cathedral loses to AV 1-0 early in the season. The collection of private A schools always play competitive matches against AA teams. When 3 outstate schools make it to the semi finals, it means they are good. Give credit don't be so arrogant to assume that means Class A is bad....
Cathedral has a rockstar kid--10th grade. Russian adoption. Future star? Too soon to tell, but he eats up the competition.
i would call the av defense great yes. they gave up no shots to mayo and have given up 5 goals all year (1 with the backups in).... since nobody can touch that mark, i would say even with a boot ball style they are great.
the two AA games will be some of the best games of the year. Anoka and EP both very big physical and fast, while AV and Wayzata being led by a core group of players from a direct attack vs. a possession game. Excellent game to go see
I'd say the games will be crap, as most of them are in the dome. I hate the surface. I'm thinking Wayzata wins it all. On grass, AV.
I'm not surprised to much by the outstate teams that advanced in class A. Duluth had a premier team with this senior age group for a few years growing up and Mankato always had a solid Classic 1 team with a few players one year playing on an EP premier team. I also saw Cathedral play Valley this year and thought they were a very good team.
The AA games should be very good games for both semi's and whoever plays in the third place and championship. The top 4 teams all advanced at least for what most people thought were the top 4. How can anyone say the games will be bad or someone will get crushed like someone said earlier?
Agreed! I love the team X will crush team Y 4-0 or 4-1 predictions. This makes me chuckle--I hope they realize that there are good teams all over. And good teams don't give up 4 goals in October, even if they lose the game.
The idea that A soccer is bad is simply wrong, the top teams are good and just like AA the bottom teams are not great. Cathedral lost to both Orono and Monticello during the season and the fact is both teams had good seasons and are decent programs, There are alot of decent A teams, this is not like comparing Preimer to C3 soccer.
I'd say the best players are equal, but the depth of a team is not--it's more likely for a single player to carry a weak team in A. Most surburban AA programs will field a team of strong C1 kids, with some premier mixed in. That's why the better A teams still lose to OK big schools.
I can agree depth and overall quality
is not in question when comparing the 2 classes of High School Soccer. I just think there are a number of Class A teams that are very comparable to all but the top 6 or so
AA teams. The idea that only AA schools have decent players and teams
at times seems over stated.
I think AA is tougher too. I play at MG--we played several small schools. Orono 3-2 early in the year. We gave them two easy goals by being stupid. They would have trouble with any AA teams we played. Holy Angels--5-0. Our JV was better.
I think the Class A private schools have decent teams, mainly because they recruit players. Smaller out state school struggle with depth. Personnel think this is an unfair advantage to the private school. I sometimes wonder if schools should not be division by their enrollment but rather by the number of communities, they draw from. I think this has been a problem for a while but recent MHSL rule changes have exasperated the problem. It is an interesting topic, and would be interesting to hear others view.
Since we have a self-declared MG player on here, I'm wondering if you could answer the following:
At what point was the adjustment made to react to the 0 - 1 score. I understand if you don't want to answer, I just think it would be interesting to know. From the stands it looked like it was very late. Thanks...
goal post,
That would be all but impossible to monitor/measure for so many teams.
I agree the metro private schools tend to draw many players with MYSA Club Soccer experience giving them an edge on the outstate schools.
How about a seperate "class" for the private schools in addition to the current "A" and "AA"?
That might give the smaller outstate schools a chance to win a title.
I agree the private schools have had a advantage but maybe the new transfer rule will help. Maple Grove thanks for making my point. 3-2 Maple Grove vs Orono sounds like a good match.
Cathdral 0 AV 1 another good match.
Eden Prairie 3 Benilde StMargarets 3
all these matches make the point that
A schools do have decent teams. The AA schools have better teams top to bottom but it is silly to assume that schools outside the metro dont have decent players and teams.
I played for MG i am a senior so obviesly im done playing. But we turned it around when we stopped playing in our own half of the field and pushed everyone up leaving only 3 defenders. It was way to late in the game however to do any good
I am also an MG player who played against E.P.
We couldnt of changed modes if we wanted to. We just didnt have the talent that E.P. has. They worked us up and down the pitch as we basically watched in amazement. Thank you Jeff Webster(GK) for making the score look close when the game could have easily been 4-0
Whatya know we end up with the best four teams left in class AA. Anoka, EP, Wayzata, and AV are truly in a class by themselves and their depth shows. After that there's a bunch of teams who are just a notch below level below like hill, cp, osseo, lv north, mg, sibley, and st. louis park.
to say that private schools recruit for soccer is just simply not true. hockey is the state sport and thats the main sport schools care about. as to the depth of private schools, i think that the wayzata-hill game is a prime example. hills starting 11 played even with wayzata for most of the first half, however when hill began to tire and wayzata brought in subs, hill was forced to keep its starters out because of its severe drop off in skill from the starters to the bench
Wayzata 2
Apple Valley 1
Mr. Soccer puts a 30 yard rocket into the upper corner with 8 minutes left to win it. Apple Valley had more of the play in the first half thru sheer hustle. AV couldn't keep up that pace for the whole game and Wayzata's edge in skill showed in the second half. The Hutton's teamed up on AV's first goal and were a threat the entire game. Paulson also had great game for Wayzata. The ref was very inconsistent, at times he called it very tight and at times he let anything go. Wayzata had more than twice as many fouls even though AV was the more physical, aggressive team. AV had more shots than Wayzata which was a surprise after seeing Wayzata totally dominate HillMurray and seeing AV seem to have a little more trouble with Mayo than was expected.
Anoka up 1-0 as we speak...
the av-mayo game was not a good game from av, dont judge them off of only one game.
anoka 2-1. eden prairie had the run of the game and double the shots on goal but a goalie does matter at this level. egelseder (defender) for ep kept them in the game with a couple terrific goal saving plays
I saw that coming after the MG game, where EP dominated, but MG was close to scoring on a few rare plays. The goalie was a real weakness.
EP truly looked like the better team and even tho the score doesn't agree, they deserve to be in the championship. anoka got the two goals, but it was all EP from there. they hit at least 2 posts and had 18 shots on goal. obviously more skilled than the anoka team that houses a summer premier team.
WINGS U17 BOYS PREMIER IS GOING DOMINATE!!!
wings U17? they didnt even qualify last year for semifinals.
I'm guessing anoka will definatly get beat..their premier team is not very strong and wayzata moves the ball way to well. They also know how to stay composed in the attacking third. I've never seen more composed forwards.
^ you don't watch pro soccer?
wings U17. yeah right i played in the league last year on ep now im on Bangu. but the only two teams that have a shot this year are EP and a surprising Lakeville. Lakeville got some great new players and more are still to come. Wings probaly finish in 4th ahead of Edina.
EP were unfortunatley anchored by poor coaching. EP is the Mpls South of the past 2 years. Many outstanding players, but a coach who can't get it done with superior talent. Congrats to the boys and coach from Anoka in finding a way to get it done.
Please no cheap shots at players. Thank you.
Anon 7:48--I cant stand it when a poster asserts that his team should have won or should be in the final. They didn't win. Move on.
(Groan) No summer soccer yet please.
By the way check out Totonio, yah, don't think their some recruiting there? I'm sure KP wasn't recruited he just left Armstrong, and went to an expensive private school for no reason.
^ ya MOST people change schools for JUST sports... give me a break this is soccer in MN were talking about
You think KP was recruited to St. Bernards?!?!? You don't know the anything about him in the Robbinsdale district, do you? (Just read the newspaper?)
St. Bernards is soooooo far from a competitive soccer school. I doubt they ever won a section game before he showed up. And they will never win one again.
Totino? JY is their star recruiter--but he just does it on his own accord--his boys need someone to play with.
suprising lakeville?
do they have anyone at all?
anon 8:39 - I still don't get why jy will pay money to go play soccer in a private school when he can get the same soccer in public schools. LOL - the post must be from the poor family in EP/WZY/AV - very poor family just trying to make ends meet and have your kid plya soccer for bng or wngs.- have you ever thought that jy might place excellent education at TG you can't get at public school? you are a joke! are u the same guy I saw at BSM game after a loss and was wondering how it happned?
Anon 10:20--I think you are mixing posters. The 8:29 post wasn't critical of private schools at all. Someone else was complaining of recruiting. In fact, it went to great length to downplay St. Bernards as a sports school. I'd say it is a tier 3 private school.
Ha--I guess you are a private school snob. The seeding?!
Blake/Breck/SPA in tier 1.
Totino, BSM, Minnehaha, AHA, Cretin, St. Thomas etc. in 2.
St. Bernards, DeLasalle, St. Agnes etc. in 3.
Just follow the money, huh?
St. Bernards recruited him for both basketball and soccer.
I don't think he could continue at his previous district...
Yeah Lakeville picked up some new players this year. They got Ryan Shitler from Eagan, Jake Zemmanski from St. Thomas, used to play for bangu (Great inside mid) and are getting a goalie who has been training in Europe for the past 8 months supposed to be just amazing.
Why would a team that was lucky to stay up be so great with the addition of just 3 players no matter how skilled?
What do you think about the two Finals tomorrow? Can Anoka and Blake pull off undefeated seasonS? Looking forward to watching the afternoon session!
Lakeville was in the run for 3rd place last. They surprised everybody.
Obviously, You don't know soccer very well. Lakeville took a point from everybody in the premier league with a C1 team. They've had the chance to upgrade for 2008. One player can make the difference, I bet two or three will really be fun to watch with the guys that they already have. I suspect you'll get a nice view from the bench. By the way, Lakeville won the Lake Conference this year with those same lakeville kids.
Lakeville did surprize but on the other hand they were one goal from being sent back to Classic 1. They could have easily lost another match and they were at 33percent for League points. They got beat 3-0 by the last place team.
The only private school worth talking about is Hill-Murray. The others can go on all they want about beating up on the sisters of the poor and we won't care.
But they didn't. Don't loose any sleep over it. Maybe you should try-out with Lakeville and see if you could make the team. I know there still looking for someone who is good at keeping stats.
The championship game between Anoka and Wayzata should be a good one. Both teams possesss and attack as a team and if the referee lets them play, it should be a classic championship match.Good luck to both since they both deserved it. Put a kabosh that the best teams are from the lake conference or any team south of the metro.Let it all hang out!
KP had problems with the District, and that why he went to an expensive private school? If that the case what happens to the non-athletic kids that get in trouble in that school district? On the other hand, are you saying that because of academic trouble they were not going to let him play soccer? If that the case how can the private school allow him to play? That does not make sense.
Yes, JY recruits for TG, but they are also the school in the north district people send their boys if they got money and are serious about soccer. They send the girls to Meadow Creek, (good example is Worle, yeah her dad was the coach but he did not pull her from CR until he thought she was not getting show cased properly)
I guess my point in this discussion is the private schools not only recruit but also kids, adults and parents shop their kids around just like in summer soccer. To think it is not happening is just silly. Nevertheless, MSHL now allows some school to do it and other school not to. It creates and uneven playing field. For the AA school it does not affect them, as there are no AA private school that I know of. However, in Class A it means small public schools have no chance in being competitive in sports, because of the new rule. I am not just talking soccer either folk, soccer is small potatoes...take a look at basketball, baseball.
Hill-Murray is a AA private school. their main sport is obviously hockey though
KP gets tutored everyday, so he can stay eligible. He had behavior and academic issues. He looked at other districts in the area. He was not welcome everywhere.
The plain issue with public A schools is that most of them aren't rich. Duluth East, Orono are competitive--oh wait, wealthy too. How many kids from small out-state schools are playing in a competitive summer league? Breck/Blake student body plays in those leagues. St. Agnes or Brooklyn Center kids dont. The "recruiting" factor is overblown at private schools.
I wou't lose any sleep or try-out for Lakeville. I will have a chance to play against them this summer. I think they will be ok but get a grip they are not Bangu. They are like alot of teams. Last summer they earned their spot, hopefully they can play Midwest League and maybe you will get some perspective.
Unless they were recent changes Ryan Schlittler is playing with Bangu as is Jake Zemanski. The goalie that is training in Europe is an x-Bangu player that wasn't asked back because he would miss to much of the season while he is in Europe.
But as I said at the beginning they may have just made a recent move away from Bangu.
Dude, I am so excited to hear about these summer club dramas.
next summer's U-17 age group is weak the only good team in bangu, the rest of that league is weak, the U-16 age group is much better and far deeper, ive seen teams from the two leagues scrimmage many times before and the U-16 always win
Any update or score on Blake and Duluth championship game?
last i heard was 1-0 duluth. with 25 minutes left
Apple valley beat EP 1-0 for the third place game in AA
I don't recall anyone comparing Lakeville to Bangu, that would be foolish. Bangu is the team to beat and have a lot of great talent with great coaching. I'm sorry you didn't make the team. I've enjoyed blogging with you right up to the point when you thought you knew what you we're talking about when it comes to player personel. It's very clear you don't have a clue. It will be interesting to see how Lakeville does against your team...and who would that be? I hope those lucky Lakeville kids can give you a good game. Sounds like your team will be the team to beat this year.
Well there has been recent changes because ryan schlitter and Jake Zemanski are on Lakeville. And what team are you? Wings? And Lakeville tied Bangu in state cup 0-0 and could have maybe won.
bangu does indeed have a great coach, but has no team chemistry which is always taken for granted. This team will be up and down all year.
If Schlitter and Zemanski signed paperwork at Bangu, they won't be able to move for another year unless the club lets them transfer.
Wow lots of passion for that Lakeville squad, I am sure they will be great. Are you playing for Lakeville? If not are you a little obsessed? To be honest I only wanted to bring a little reality to the blog. Last summer they played hard and did well, but have a little perspective. They made Preimer because Bangu left and Bloomington chose not to. Tonka was a better team last summer and will be next.
Thanks for bringing a little reality and perspective to the blog. Is this the "stats" guy blogging again? You've actually brought zero credibility other than wowing us with a bunch of stats, history and reasons why a team made in to the premier league last year. Does it really matter how a team makes it up? It's if they get regulated down where the real story is. What position do you play? My guess is goalie.
relegated down?
I am on bangu, dont you talk about our team chemistry like you think you know my teammates anon 1:26, what a joke, everything that is said bad about our team is motivation for us to dominate, it will only make us better, so i should thank you, so thanks
My bad! Yes,relegated down. Thank you!
Congrats to Anoka! I didn't think they could do it, but they put together a solid game and made the most of their chances. Well done!
the huttons are leaving bangu to play for valley again I hear. and btw this zymanski kid is very average.
...i think they made the most of the chances that wayzatas goalie gave them...that game should have been 0-0.
have you guys heard anything about U17 champlin premiere? I wated them in the state cup last year and thye creamed every team, I also heard tha thave Pepe Jon as a coach now and they got some new players? Correct?
Who was that central defender for Anoka who took all of their throws? That guy is all state caliber if you ask me.
anyone would be if you can launch a throw 40+ yards.
Average...hmm. Ok anomymous! Yes, Champlin is very good and my guess they'll take out Bangu without question. It might be a lot easier now that the very average player has left them.
U17 champlin team did not cream teams at state cup ( I believe they were state semis) they are a very average team nothing more.
anon 7:22 i wasn't talking about throws.
Wow has this blog turned into a pissing match.....
The U17 age group seems to be the age group to hate. They are all average no talent players.
Anyone every think that for once we have an age group with lots of talent which makes it hard for individual player to stand out?
congrats to anoka and wayzata!! both are very good teams with good coaches and players.
also, concerning Banngu... nick and i are leaving, but the team is stil in good shape with great coaching, talent,and hard workers. The team will be very good.
u18 is a lot more even and more talented than the u17 age group by a long shot. u18 has at least three top notch teams, while u17 has bangu that just destroys the average u17 teams
The U-17 age group has some very good players, but as a whole the entire age group is one of the weakest I've seen in Minnesota in a long time, I agree that the 18's are much better and the 16's are loaded with talent, that is one of the deepest age groups Minnesota has seen in a while
Hmmm, I don't think you guys even know what your talking about.
Hmm, the 18's are loaded??? With what? The stand out players in that age group would be CM who played a year up and the Hutton's who played in the 17's. Remember looking for stand out players? Guess there are not that many of them playing in the 18's.
Bangu 16 regularly get beat by the 17 teams. We've all heard Rob Zahl and their center midfielder whine. In fact the only 17 team they beat was the Wings, who didn't make it out of pool at State Cup. JY team doesn't play the 17 because it much easier to trash them if you haven't played them. If their mouths match their soccer ability Man U would be in Mpls with some contracts. I've actually kick a ball around with their "stars" and again when they not whining about showing them respect they could actually be pretty good. So, stop trashing the 17's and start watching someone beside just your kid on the field.
Anon 6:17 What Bangu did you watch? Jake was a beast for Bangu and their leading scorer last year, as a middie. Premier and MWL are way different than high school. Huttons and McArthurs are great players, but at that level they play middie, cause none have burner speed to get around the corners at Premier or MWL. Bangu, which is a great program missed that last year and their coaches tried all these great players at striker with none having success. No offense against any of these outstanding players, but an outstanding striker at high school doesn't mean an outstanding striker at Premier or MWL.
The Boys AA championship match was played by two teams that were well coached and evenly matched.Congratulations to Anoka for exploiting the one advantage they had which was having an all state goalie vs an inexperienced backup goalie for Wayzata.The final four in AA all earned their way to the dome and hats off to Apple Valley for winning their consolation match!!
how do you grow ripe and juicy tomatoes if you don't enjoy gardening? I find this blog and the other MN soccer blogs to be a trashing site where we are our own worst enemies. We trash players (young or old), we trash coaches, and parents. It fits the stereotype of soccer fans in other parts of the world. How come we can't say anything nice about soccer? We seem to be so invested in slamming others that one would wonder if we truly enjoy the sport. If you were gardener, would you not like to enjoy a day at the arboretrum? If you were a tru hockey fan, would you not like to spend a day at an arena? We are the enemies - folks and soccer in MN or elsewhere will not grow when we can see the beauty of the sport and enjoy the fragrance of our youth participating in sports. A chance to travel to any soccer nation will tell you youth admire professionals and professionals admire youth. We have parents who can't step aside and smell the good fragrance of the sport. We sell only the negative stuff. If I was a sponsor and read this blog, why would I sponsor a soccer team when the kids are labeled unfit for high school? why would I invite a soccer coach to my company to motivate my employees when he/she is labelled as a devil? It is very surprising that people are still involved in the sport. Go to zimmerman and ask who ryan is and see if anyone cares about this kid. Yet the parents drive miles to get him to practice and games - that's sacrifice. yet ryan gets nothing but a good ass trashing from this blog. go to lakeville and ask if anyone knows the hutton and they will not even care. yet they get trashed on this site. go to wayzata and ask if the name monasterio means anything- yet he gets trashed. these are young people who have endured pain, bruises and sometimes broken limbs in a sport that they are not been appreciated. Who else will appreciate their efforts except a true soccer fan? I just can't believe it and so let's quit the bad mouthing and buy tix to thunder, call on companies to provide sponsorships, get on the passion train of soccer and let's not kill the roses in our own garden. I'll get off my soap box.
Anon 10:03 Thank you. i too also want to read about the good side of soccer in Mn. I cringe when people talk bad about a player. These are kids and they have feelings. lets not bad mouth them but instead encourage them and all other players.
I have been following the u-17 clubs for years so don't really know much about the other ages. Ryan is a great kid and a very good player. The Huttons were always very fun to watch because of their talent and zeal for the game. Yes, we played against them but I could still admire their skills. Coaches have a very tough time in this state. we have a long way to go to get to the level of other states but we can't give up. Parents need to view the games as a learning opportunity for their kids and lighten up on the screaming and yelling. I challange parents to approach a parent of another team and congratulate them on their sons performance. We are not enemies. We all share the same ideal. For our son to perform well and have fun. Maybe, just maybe, someday a parent on another team will congratulate you on your sons game.
These last few posts are a breath of fresh air. As I watched high school soccer this year, I saw at times a level of play that I previously had not seen. I observe more and more players with the technical skills required to possess (not kick and chase as I once did!) the ball and be creative and expressive with it. And the player seem to have a better understanding of the game and its beauty. Better technical instruction, better coaching overall, the increasing appearance of the game on tv and the internet, and maybe even some of the knowledge that passes through those fifa video games too -- all of it seems to be conspiring to give these boys and girls a shot at playing the beautiful game, and we get to watch it! Yet, in some of these blogs, it is as if the beauty queen insists on puking all over herself. This should really be a celebration of some great stuff, and thoughtful criticism where its due, not tearing each other part. I saw that Hutton kid's post above, and I would hope that the players themselves will see that as a positive example.
Congrats to Anoka. In hindsight, Wayzata's championship hopes were doomed when WHS's goalie collided with a St.LP forward and broke his jaw in the section final. He would have easily saved both goals in the final. All credit to Anoka though, most people would pick them fourth out of the semi-finalists in terms of talent but they got the job done. They played a great defensive game and did a good job of bottling up Colin M. Defense wins championships and Anoka played like champions.
Note on the Huttons. They seem to be a class act. One of them collided hard with Casey Bacso of Wayzata in the semi. Casey was down for a while (and played with a concussion in the final). Hutton stayed by Casey and made sure he was okay and then played the ball back to the Wayzata goalie on the re-start even though I'm not sure Wayzata had control of the ball at the whistle.
A question on Casey Basco playing with a concussion in the final. I'm sure he is like most athletes that will do whatever to stay on the field of competition but I would hope that he was released by a physician to play. Playing with a concussion could have been very risky to his overall health. If he was playing without a release wouldn't not only his coach but the school be at risk?
congrats to all the players who made the Wells fargo all tournment team. Quite the honor. enjoy the moment.
Casey was cleared by a physician to play but did have to pass another examination fromm a physician(I assume designated by the Mn high school league) that was at the game right before it started. The other significant injury in that game was Tyler Vint reinjuring his hamstring trying to one time a free kick right before the half.The game was won on good defense and capitalizing on a mistake which Anoka took advantage of.NO REGRETS, NO EXCUSES,Anoka earned it!
I've been watching club and high school soccer closely as a coach, instructor, ref and spectator for the past 11 years. My oldest son is currently a U16 player on a premier team.
What would currently be the U19, U20, U21 and U22 age groups were a peak in excellent play for boys soccer in the state of MN. As you would expect, high school seemed to follow along the same path. This year, even more than last year high school soccer had much more parity and few stand out teams. While the level of play this year certainly was bad, the stand out club and high school teams of more recent years are tailing off. That is not to say that their are not still a significant number of high level players, just that the number seem to be declining.
While the level of play in the premier level seems to have dropped with top teams play MRL, in contrast I would also say that the overall level of C1 soccer in MN has risen. More teams are choosing to play a posession and organized attack style of play. Probably due to more quality and experienced coaches and more training. I don't think the top 1 or 2 teams have necessarilty improved, but the 3-6 spots have certainly improved in C1.
There seems to also be a bubble of quality players and stand out teams at the U11, U12 and U13 age groups. I would expect we will continue to see some improvements and declines in boys soccer in MN.
Casey's parents see the big picture. Casey was cleared to play. They wouldn't have let him play if there was any danger.
I have been reluctant to post on this blog for quite awhile. The reason has been the very discouraging messages that became prevalent on this board. I am really pleased to see the last several posts that help to give me renewed energy and hope for our sport. We have had a wonderful year this year. We had an opportunity to see some wonderful young men play a beautiful sport. They are student athletes who have dedicated a lot of time, energy and effort to a sport they love. They have experienced the ups and downs of competition and we hope that they have enjoyed themselves. We hope that they have also learned some wonderful life lessons that they can take with them for the rest of their lives. I want to personally thank my son, Tyler, for the great joy that he has provided me and our family. We have enjoyed watching him over the years and we are most proud of the way he has conducted himself. He has always respected the game by giving it his all. We want to thank his teammates for providing him with tremendous support. We want to thank the coaches as well for the time they have invested with both of our sons. Soccer has been an important part of our lives. It has added to our life experiences. We hope that we can give back to the sport even a small percentage of what we have received. Thanks to everyone for the kind things they have said and to those others, I feel sorry for you. You are truly missing out. We look forward to continuing to sport the great sport of soccer in Minnesota!
It's too bad that 15,16, and 17 year old players here in america are stuck with high school soccer. It's hard to put your energy behind the game when it's being taught the wrong way... i.e. winning first technical ability second. The rest of the world has academies and clubs where players of similar age are trying improve to fight their way to become world class players against tough competition. Our country is continuously boosting the egos of kids... thereby making them set their sights lower.
pardon? players are more worried about winning and the team than their own talent and fame, and you are angry? seems a little flip flopped to me
I think Anon 5:43 is talking about the method used by some teams to win. AV and Anoka are perfect examples.
anon 5:43; kids here are not stuck with HS soccer. this is just one of the many avenues that this great nation provides. yes kids in outher parts of world are stuck in academies trying to play soccer and if they don't make it in soccer, they are left in the streets and become hopeless. we can create the american style and make it whatever americans want. all three major american sports are creations of the american people. we have to admit soccer will not become on of the big 3.5 and so we have to seek ways to improve what we have.
we had womens soccer and because we continue to bash it, the league died. wherelese will our young women play top pro ball? only american had a spot for young women to play beyond college and HS? we continue to let the sexist world and their anti women sentiments bash womens soccer and today there is no women's league.
the youth of today are vibrant, strong, and can do more, and have the physical attirbutes we never had - why not build on that. we have to admit this is a new generation and something amazing in the young people of today especially playing amidst the big 3.5.
good job boys and girls and keep your chin up. this soccer thing will grow when my kids have kids of their own and will bring me to the games as grandparent - that will be fun. can't wait for the day when it happens.
someone asked if there are MN kids who can play pros? the answer is yes - keep encouraging the kids and we will be mentioning not only one kid. andrew p was mentioned and yet we forget that that he was the same kid not even considered a top player coming out of MN. Bri S came out of MN, and noone gave her a chance to play college. She is still playing and causing controversy in WMT.
She is real class - spend five minuites with her and gain some insights on what it means to be rejected several times by our own fans.
good job to all HS players boys and girls, keep the soccer ball bouncing - you all are champions and pros for stepping out on the field to be challenged.
- Anoka boys - you did it - Russ G did you have a hand in this? RG (MNR prez) the great recuiter for Anoka HS. Wayzata will be back next year.
england has a women's league. they are affiliated with the mens EPL teams
I guess my problem is that the american high school kids technical ability is much inferior to his peers around the world. They should learn how to receive the ball or properly strike (yes sadly man high school kids struggle with this) it before we start handing out individual and team awards.
Apple Valley does not play "ugly" soccer as everyone here like to refer to it as, they play very aggressive and offensive style of soccer, yes they play the ball long a lot and try to score a lot of goals, but isn't the object of the game to score more goals than the other team. I think that people need to chill out with this ugly soccer term because its not ugly its just aggressive and offensivly based
whatever floats your boat. there is a reason why the best possession teams in the world are the funnest to watch.
this is high school soccer, not the world stage. anoka and av have the same style of play and both had successful seasons. so the teams with the most sucess are usually the "funnest" to watch. not the teams that lose trying to play possesion
who was the guy who said HS soccer wasn't a numbers game? In the State Booklet it shows enrollment numbers, and the numbers are telling:
1.Eden Prairie: 3099
2.Wayzata: 3043
3.Maple Grove: 2444
4.Anoka: 2375
5.Apple Valley: 2180
6.Rochester Mayo: 1628
7.St Cloud Appolo: 1165
8.Hill-Murray: 861
What are these numbers for????
My guess would be enrollment for the 4 grades. But what he should have done is put the number for what they rank in the state not of the eight teams if he was trying to prove a point.
Beside I think a more telling number is the amount of $$ the schools spend on their athletic programs. I'm pretty sure the Trib did an article on it last year.
If he's trying to prove that enrollment size determines how well they do in sports....CP, Anoka, CR, Blaine should have a team in the state tournament every year. Where in fact they rarely have a team go past sectionals.
Follow the summer clubs. The Northern burbs have never had much of a presence in sumer play. Any good players flee for a 1 hr. ride to Bangu or others.
If you didn't notice, EP and Wayzata both have about 700 more students than Anoka
I went back ans check last years standings and was suprised to find out you are correct. Boys Premier teams U17 Anoka (4th Place), U16 CP (1st Place), U14 Elk River (2nd) & Ramsey (5th). Girls Premier teams U17 CR (5th), U14 CR (4th). Is it that they don't have much soccer or that they don't have access to very good training?
I'm not sure that really a fair comparision because as far as community clubs go...that are sucessful consistantly in the Premier League you have EP in southwest, um PSA? and....
Then you have the "Premier" Clubs Bangu & well um the Wings. I don't know could this be the reason why we are not attracting an "ODP Academy"?
CP coach resigned last night. Anyone interested in coaching the 2nd largest high school in the state?
Did he resign or get fired? Based on his sportmanship ratings he should have been fired prior to sections. Figure he can resign and ruin another HS team come August!
Watched all the Big Ten tournament games. Great soccer. Great weather. Purdue wins.
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