Hejda Allihop

Hej Allihop,

My name is Greg Rosenthal or Rosie for short. I'm currently living in Uppsala Sweden, and have been playing football for Gamla Uppsala Sport Klub (GUSK) for almost a year now. My club is located in Gamlis (old) Uppsala along with Gamlis' famous Viking burial mounds. Gusk currently plays in Division II, and taking third place last season we aspire to move up to Division I.

My football career started in St. Paul Minnesota when I was about six or seven years old. My Mom and Dad had me play with a recreational team called GRC. It was a new sport to me, and I actually found it troublesome understanding the concept. At that age it seemed like both teams formed a blob that was kicking and running after a ball. After a while I started to really enjoy football and eventually became very passionate about the game.

It helped having two brothers to always play with. We would be in the backyard for hours playing world cup, wall, pig, or just juggling. There was no greater competitiveness than brother rivalry. My older brother AJ always pushed me, and I always pushed my little brother Brian. Playing in the backyard with my brothers was the most fun I had playing football.

I entered the competitive level when I was eight with the St.Paul Blackhawks. Then within a ten year span I played with many teams moving from club to club, switching from position to position, and searching for the most competitive leagues. At this point it became my personal goal to reach the professional level. Each team shared an important roll in my development towards becoming a professional. I had the opportunity to play with some great organization in my youth like Bangu, Eagan, Twin-stars, St. Paul Central High, ODP Region II and for college the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. Playing for all these teams throughout my youth also gave me the opportunity to make some great friends including my fellow MNfutbol bloggers Van Hong, the Gibbo's, and Sippola.

Signing with Gusk in 2011 as a left/center back was such a gratifying moment in my life. I was very proud to reach my goal after so many years of hard work, and it opened many door for my future in the game. I'm still very passionate about football, and look forward to proving myself at this level.

In the past year playing with Gusk I've been written about a couple times in the local UNT newspaper, and also was voted Division II top defender. I will put some links in for you below, although everything will be in Swedish. Google translator works, but is not the best, so there will be some amusing translation. I look forward to sharing my football experience with you all.

hejda,
Rosie

2012 State Cup Preview

Should be an interesting and wide open tournament on the boys side this year with DAP players and teams not eligible for State Cup Play. Good luck to all the players, clubs and coaches!

I am looking for 2 U15+ girls and 2 U15+ boys to share there perspective on the State Cup competition by writing a blog post after each State Cup game. I am more interested in hearing about a players perspective on training, game preparation, team chemistry, excitement of the cup, etc. than match highlight stories. I will turn comments off for player's posting upon request. Please contact me at mnfutbol@yahoo.com if you are interested. Talk to your parents first as I will ask for their written permission if you are under 18.

Please direct State Cup chat to the new chat section to the right. Please be civil and do not call out any players by name unless you are complementing them. Thank you!

Questionable Decisions From MYSA and My Beloved U16

MYSA is soon to be a thing in the past. The association is ran by a group of incapable ego maniacs. Some may have some experience in soccer, some are just enjoying the droplet of power that they feel entitled to.

It is frustrating when incidences that have big consequences happen to you repeatedly. I coach a U16 team in St. Louis Park. When the boys were 13 they played C1. They were at most an average team. They finished the season with 25 percent of the max point that can be earned in a season.

The rule states that is a team earns 25 percent of the total points or more they will not have to face relegation. It took weeks for the decision to be made, and the final word from MYSA was...they had to move down to C2.

The kids worked their butts off! They won C1 tournaments locally and went undefeated and was promoted back to C1. There, they had a successful season as well. They won the league, finished C1 state runners up and was promoted to Premier, and so we thought until MYSA got involved.

Soccer Unites People

A few months ago, I had an opportunity of a lifetime to live in Mexico. I spent about five weeks volunteering at an incredible orphanage in Puerto Vallarta.

The first couple days of volunteering I traveled via taxi between my grandmother’s condo and the orphanage. On the third day of the experience, I gathered up enough courage to try to find my way home by foot.

The experience was both terrifying and exciting. I started on the right path, but suddenly I found myself going in circle. The more I walked, the faster my heart beat, and I don’t think it was because of my fitness. As a person who is scared of dogs, the combination of being lost and stray dogs were not calming to my nerves.

After being drenched in sweat from the heat and probably anxiety, I stumbled upon a futsal court. The sound of a soccer ball being crushed against the cement wall put a huge smile on my face, and my anxiety vanished.

There were two eleven-year-old boys taking turn shoot on each other. I stood there observing them for about five minutes, until I built up enough courage to use my Spanish to ask if I can just kick it around with them.

My first shot was pretty embarrassing. With a one step approach I skied it, and the ball sailed over the fence into the garbage filled river that ran underneath the court. Fortunately it got better after the first shot.

Shortly after, another one of their amigos joined us, and we started a two on two game. After about an hour of an intense match under the scorching sun we ended our game. One of the kids asked me if I played professional, I laughed and told him no. With some extra change in my pocket, I gave the boys 50 pesos to get a soda to share. After we started to part way one of the boys, Felipe, asked me if I was going to return the following day.

That day’s adventure was about being lost and found, but that experience was about soccer and how it can be such a powerful tool that can unite strangers. For all I know they probably thought I was Mexican, so I never told them I was Cambodian American.

Soccer: Not Just a Game!

Tears streamed down my face. Post-game treats didn’t taste good. Parents of my teammates used to tell me that soccer is just a game. But when I was young, soccer was never just a game to me.

I moved to the St. Louis Park, Minnesota from Cambodia when I was nine years old in 1998. Half a world away from home in a strange land and not being able to speak a word of English, I felt pretty small, scared and lonely. I carried on my shoulders these feelings for the longest time, until my gramma signed me up for traveling soccer that very spring.

Until this day I can never thank her enough. Soccer has been a footstool that has allowed my to stand eye level with everyone else that had a head start. It became a game that has helped define who I am today.

I can recall my first practice like it was yesterday. On a chilly spring morning my gramma dropped me off at Ainsworth Park in St. Louis Park. On one side of the field there was a great big hill, and on the other side was low-income housing. I showed up to my first practice in denim shorts and a grey tee shirt that read ‘World’s People’ across my chest. After the first practice was done, that was my history in the making.

Chat: 2012 European Championship

Chat: 2012 European Championship

Chat: '12 Boys State Cup

Chat: '12 Girls State Cup