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Stanford Soccer Rolls On - Strong Tournament Showing
 Update: Cardinal Men Out - Women Move on to Semi's
Articles Posted on Stanford.com
Stanford Women power past Boston College, 3-1, and now face UCLA in a PAC-10 semi-final showdown to be played in Texas. Read the full story here . . .
Cardinal puts perfect season on the line
by Paul Kennedy, Friday, Nov 27, 2009 8:30 AM ET
Stanford puts its No. 1 ranking and perfect season on the line Friday night when it hosts Boston College at 7 p.m. (Webcast)
Led by Kelley O'Hara (23 goals 13 assists) and Christen Press (19 goals and 13 assists), the Cardinal has the No. 2 offense in the country (3.25 goals a game), but it will face one of the nation's best young goalies in BC sophomore Jillian Mastroianni.
All 2,200 tickets were sold within five hours of going on sale Monday morning, making the game the sixth sellout of the season for the Cardinal.
Cardinal Men Face #1 Akron Saturday
Article Posted on Stanford.com
After a pair of NCAA tournament wins, the Cardinal will now travel to face No. 1 Akron on Sunday, Nov. 29, at 1:00 pm, PST. Stanford will enter as the underdog against the undefeated Zips, but should not be intimidated after a pair of impressive wins already in the 2009 NCAA tourney.
USA Ranks 14th on ESPN Soccer Power Index
| Stats wiz turns to soccer | | by Paul Kennedy, Thursday, Nov 12, 2009 7:00 AM ET |   Nate Silver, mostly recently celebrated for his political analysis and use of statistics to predict the outcome of the 2008 presidential election, has turned to soccer, compiling international rankings that place in the USA 14th in the world.
The Soccer Power Index, published by espn.com, ranks the USA No. 14 in the world in the most recent index.
Silver, an acknowledged soccer fan, admits there is a challenge compiling soccer ratings. "If a particular international team is not engaged in a major competition, such as the World Cup, it may play only a handful of meaningful matches each year," he says. "Compare that to a 162-game season in baseball, an 82-game season in basketball, or a 16-game season in American football. Many of these games, moreover, may be against teams of inferior quality, or may feature marginal lineups as many of a team's star players are engaged in club competition instead."
Silver, who first made a name for himself with his statistical analysis of baseball, says his ratings distinguish themselves from the FIFA rankings in that they take into account such things as margin of victory and home-field advantage. They also calculate the strength of the players in the team.
"If you had to bet your life on a soccer match, you would use SPI and not FIFA," Silver told the Wall Street Journal's Daily Fix.
SBI Index
1. Brazil
2. Spain
3. England
4. Netherlands
5. Argentina
6. Germany
7. Portugal
8. Chile
9. France
10. Uruguay
11. Ivory Coast
12. Italy
13. Russia
14. United States
15. Serbia |
Article copied from Soccer America Daily
SF Seals - Pyros U15B Team Holds Open Practice
September 11, 2009
 OPEN PRACTICE !!SUNDAY September 20th 10:00 AM
The “Pyros FC”, a new SF Seals Boys U15 Select Travel Team, is forming for the 2009-2010 season and seeking talented players to “get your game on” at a competitive level of play.
We are holding an OPEN PRACTICE this Sunday, August 30th, at South Sunset Turf Fields (40th Ave and Vicente). Start time is 10:30 AM.
We are coached by Shani Simpson – captain of the SF Seals and coach of the Seals’ U23 and U20 teams, as well as other competitive youth soccer teams. We emphasize the commitment to develop and excel competitively with talented teammates who enjoy training, playing and competing together.
All position players welcome. Also looking for a dedicated Goal Keeper.
SPREAD THE WORD!! And come on out and kick the ball around.
Please contact:
Bob Rosner: rmrosner@gmail.com
or
Our Everton Man - Anton Peterlin
August 15, 2009
I nterview by Paul Sheirich
With Introduction by Tom Simpson
When Anton Peterlin was 16 years old he called himself "Alex" and played for the San Francisco Seals U17s. That must seem like ages ago to the 22 year old Anton Peterlin who just signed a contract with Everton. Yes, that's "Everton," of the better known team, of the English Premier league (EPL). Anton played for the Seals almost exclusively over the next 5 years during the Spring and Summer seasons until last Summer, 2008. That Summer he hooked up with the Ventura Fusion and Coach Graham Smith who introduced him to Everton FC, of the English Premier League.
One might ask: how does a local San Francisco kid, who is virtually unknown in the larger world of soccer, sign with a team like Everton, a near impossible achievement? The EPL has strong barriers to the entrance of Americans into their football leagues. Anton, though, is not just an American. He's also a Danish citizen and his European passport allowed him to circumvent the strongest barrier to Americans who are trying to break the "iron curtain" of EPL football. But Anton needed more than a passport. He also needed to break down another formidable barrier than seems as strong as the EPL formal restrictions that keep out almost all Americans except for a few members of the United States National Team. Anton needed to convince the Brits that he can play the game. That's a tough one. That means credibility. The handful of Americans currently in the EPL struggle (except for our goalkeepers who are among the world's best). Undeterred by all this, and rejected by the Chicago Fire and the San Jose Earthquakes, Anton took off for England and tried out. To nearly everyone's amazement, except for those who are familiar with Anton's exceptional determination, not to mention his growing acumen in the sport, Everton signed him to a contract.
But this is not a simple story: Just about anyone who knows anything about soccer, or "football" as it's called nearly everywhere else in the world, wants to know how does an American make it to the Big Show in England. Make no mistake, it's a Big Show, considerably bigger in profile, fan fever, and cash spent than the American brand with the same name.
Seals Update
July 11, 2009
A Seals team partially depleted by recent developments (5 injuries, 2 red cards and 2 players who left the program) faced a rather impressive array of players from the PSA team last night at the Jewish Community Center in Los Gatos. Most notably among the PSA roster were an abundant number of players from the Frogs team of recent years and some of Santa Clara University's top players, including Jalil Anibaba, a much honored and highly touted player. The Seals, in contrast, feature 2 barely high school players from San Francisco, and a number of 18 and 19 year olds, a few cast offs from local colleges, and couple of older Seals players, asked to fill in for injured regulars, who had a hard time playing more than 1/2 the game. It seemed like two very outmatched teams, but the young Seals players didn't agree.
The PSA scored once in the first half off a perfectly placed free kick from about 20 yards out by David Frank. However, that was all they could come up with. The momentum turned gradually and the Seals began to win possession time in the second half. At about the 60th minute, Nick Cashmere, who only two days earlier came up with a big goal against Hayward Morelia, slipped by the left defender to pick a pass laid between the defender and the goalkeeper by Imaan Kerchgani (a Cal defender just picked up), and tied the game 1-1. At the 80th minute, Nick,once again tested the PSA back line, pushing the ball by the central defender who was given little choice but to pull him down or let the Seals go ahead by a 2-1 score. The defender pulled a red for his efforts and the PSA team went to 10 players. His sacrifice was good enough to preserve a tie for the host team. By the end, the Seals players did seem outmatched, and walked away with a sense of accomplishment, having faced a physically superior team, a much older and experienced team, and tying the game with a comeback goal on a field which is not fit for U12 soccer. The field is a postage stamp size, about 58 X 90 yards, with tire tracks in the muddy areas, potholes filled by soil, and the most uneven surface this side of a cow pasture. PSA seemed quite comfortable on this horrible surface and to the credit of the Seals players, they mastered the terrain enough to give the big boys a run for their money.
Games this Weekend:
Saturday: The U23s play Sac United at Granite Regional Park with kickoff at 6:30 PM. Take 50 towards Lake Tahoe, exit Howe, go South to Cacamonga and turn left into park area.
Here's a map:
Piedmont: The Seals Juniors Camps have expanded to new territories.
As a result of the efforts of a few Piedmont families, the Seals will stage a camp that starts next week at Whitter Field in Piedmont. The camp runs from 9 AM to 3PM. Interested families can contact us at sfseals@gmail.com
Upcoming Camps: The Seals will stage a soccer camp for San Francisco based children at South Sunset Field, located at 40th and Vicente in San Francisco, from July 20 to 24. The camp will run from 9 AM to 3PM. Interested families can contact us at sfseals@gmail.com
Walk-In Clinc: The Seals Juniors Walk-In clinic continues daily at Speedway Meadow at 4PM in Golden Gate Park. The session is 2 hours and the Walk-In rate is $25.00. There are passes available which substantially lower the daily cost.
Inter-Milan Tickets:
The Seals have some tickets for the Inter-Milan v. Club America game at Stanford Stadium on July 19th and 4PM. Interested individuals must submit their requests today. This is last notice for the tickets. Money will have to be delivered immediately. To make arrangements for the tickets, write us at sfseals@gmail.com
Seals News & Update
July 6, 2009
The Seals only played two games this past week. On Thursday, the Seals U23s played the Salinas side at Contra Costa College. Salinas fielded a strong side but the Seals managed to stay organized and patient. Frankie Beauchamp came up with two goals after managing a hat-trick on the previous Sunday against the Nor Cal Elite team from Sacramento. He now leads the Seals with 8 goals on the season, going ahead of Stevie Cordova who was on a tear until he suffered a knee injury. The Seals beat Salinas 3-1, but a missed pk and some missed one-on-ones suggested a bigger difference between the two teams.
Sunday (7/5) the Seals U20s traveled to Vacaville to face a testy Rampage team that managed to keep the Seals out of the goal for 88 minutes. Possession was highly imbalanced in favor of the Seals, but they just couldn't put anything away. However, the Rampage defense couldn't hold up in spite of a sterling performance by their goalkeeper and a feisty defense. In the last two minutes, the Rampage broke down to permit Camacho Francisco to score twice. Camacho has 6 goals for the season and is tied with Stevie Cordova in second place for the goal scoring title. Matt Lambert picked up his 6th assist for the season.
The Seals total record is 9 wins, 3 losses, 1 tie. Not bad for a team featuring a host of 17 and 18 year olds. The Seals U20s are: 5W and 2L. The Seals U23s are: 4W, 1L, 1T.
Schedule this week:
Tuesday (7/7): 7:15 U20 Game vs. Hayward at Contra Costa College
Thursday (7/9): 6:30 PM U23 Game in Los Gatos vs. PSA
Saturday (7/11): 6:30 PM U23 game vs. Sac United at Granite Park, Sacramento
Sunday (7/12): 5:00 PM U20 Game vs. Patterson, Gilman Field, Berkeley
Masaniai has Trial with Earthquakes
June 23, 2009
Monday, June 22, Rawley Masaniai had a tryout with the San Jose Earthquakes. Rawley has been playing for the Seals for the past four seasons and has been a standout performer as a defensive midfielder.
Rawley is also a client of SAA ProServices, the player representation agency, that was established by the Seals parent corporation, San Francisco Soccer Development Corporation.
SAA agent, Tony Alejandre, presented Earthquakes head coach, Frank Yallup, with the proposal of looking at Rawley as a central defender which Rawley played prior to joining the Seals. The Earthquakes recently released Nick Garcia and have little depth at that position at the moment. Yallup took the offer and had a look at Rawley yesterday.
Rawley has been participating in the Seals Summer Program in preparation for pro tryouts. He was injured in May last year and has been in recovery over much of the past 12 months. His form, however, has come around and the timing is right.
We wish Rawley, a Seals player, and a product of San Jose State, the best of luck. This weeks schedule Thursday: U20 Game, 7:15 PM, vs. Davis at Contra Costa College
Sunday: two games in Sacramento. First game is U23 game at Cherry
Island at 11 AM. This will be followed by 3 PM U20 game at Natomas
Stadium (nor far from Cherry Island).
Seals Matches Sat & Sun 6/20-21
Game, 2PM, vs. Juventus of Redwood City
Sat Jun 20 2pm – 4pm
(Timezone: Pacific Time)
Gilman Field in Berkeley (Just off of 80, Just South of the Racetrack) (map)
Calendar: sfsealsmarketing@comcast.net
This is a U20 game. Game, U23s, vs. Sonoma Sol
Sun Jun 21 5pm – 7pm
(Timezone: Pacific Time)
Gilman Field in Berkeley, on Bay Side of Highway 80 at Gilman (Just South of Racetrack) (map)
Calendar: sfsealsmarketing@comcast.net
Owner/Creator: sfseals@gmail.com
This is a U23 Game vs. the Sonoma Sol U23s at 5PM.
Seals on a Roll
June 14, 2009
 The Seals teams have had some good results lately after a rocky first game. Once John Brooks and Shani Simpson sorted out some positions on the field, things have jelled.
On Thursday night the Seals, using primarily a U20 roster, the Seals beat Marin United. Then on Saturday, using primarily the same roster the Seals handed Placer United a 1 nil defeat then a few hours later beat the Estrellita Eagles 9 nil. There we no field subs available for that second game. It's not common to play two games in a day at this level and win them both. Congratulations Seals, especially to Stevie Cordova who has notched 5 goals in his first four games.
Here's this week's schedule:
Wednesday, 7:15 PM, Game: Seals U20 vs. Bay Oaks team at Contra Costa College.
Thursday, 7:30 PM Game v. Santa Cruz Breakers at Watsonville High School.
Saturday, 2:00 PM, Game: Seals U20 at Gilman North Field in Berkeley California.
Sunday, 5:00 PM, Game: Seals U23 at Gilman South Field, Berkeley California.
Roster Updates:
Josh Leon joined us, just in time, to provide a fresh player for our Sunday match in Galt. Josh is assigned to the U23 team but will get some time with the U20s.
Tyler Barry started his first game in over 6 months after having ACL repair surgery. However, Tyler suffered a knee injury in the first half and had to leave the field. We don't know the severity of his injury at this time.
Derek Brown of Cal Poly SLO joins us this week. Derek will give us added support in the backline. Derek is still eligible for U20 play but will certainly get time on the U23 team.
Later this week, Cole Dietz, Bryan Connolly, and Evan Seale, all Westpoint cadets, will join us. Cole is captain of the Army team and all three seniors will be important part of Army's soccer team.
Seals Filling Summer Rosters
May 24, 2009
The San Francisco Seals Summer Program is well underway. Of the 50 spots available in the Seals Summer program, there approximately 10 spots remaining.
Five players are on the pro pathway. Twenty-eight will play or are playing with college teams. Six are high school juniors. The list below is the most complete list, though some names are not finalized.
This program is about the player, not the competition. Our goal is to prepare players for their personal agendas. The program has four areas of focus:
1. On the ball training
2. Strength and Conditioning
3. Competition
4. Didactic sessions on effective communication and tactical comprehension
Here is the schedule for the next 10 days:
- Monday: On the ball - 2hours
- Tuesday: testing aerobic and anerobic status. Anerobic, aerobic and plyometric work.
- Wednesday: On the ball - 2 hours
- Thursday: testing aerobic and anerobic status. Anerobic, aerobic and plyometric work.
- Friday: On the Ball - 2 hours
- Saturday: Strength and Conditioning (2 hours); Futsal (2 hours)
- Sunday: practice game
- Monday: testing aerobic and anerobic status. Anerobic, aerobic and plyometric work.
- Tuesday: On the Ball - 2 hours
- Wednesday: Game at Stanford
Note: Games start the following week and will average 2 games per week.
Seals Announce Clinics and Camps for Juniors
May 1, 2009
 The San Francisco Seals announce the Summer schedule for Seals and Camps. This year the Seals have expanded their Walk-In Clinics and Camps for young soccer players. The Seals Junior Walk-In Clinics have been well received for two reasons. The primary reason is that no registration is required. Any child who walks up to the clinic can participate and no child is turned away. The other reason is the clinic's philosophy, which is stated clearly in the first paragraph of the Registration Announcement: " Our clinics are loaded with support and guidance. The ultimate goal is to get the skill right. Winning a game is not the objective though we use small sided games in a pressure-less setting to put the skill into real-time practice." The problem with competitive soccer is that size, speed, strength and gender trump skill and understanding of the game because players are inexperienced and often poorly trained . Success as a result has two downsides: the characteristics that brought success are maladaptive in the long run and children who do not have these qualities are driven away from the sport. Skill, in the long run, trumps these characteristics which become increasingly irrelevant as the young player matures. By focusing on skill, the Seals Junior Walk-In Clinic prepares the child for a long term relationship with the sport.
This year the Seals will hold clinics at two locations at the same time: John O'Connell High School in the Mission district and Speedway Meadow in Golden Gate Park. The program starts Tuesday May 26 and runs every weekday until the end of the Summer vacation period in late August. The clinic starts at 4PM and ends at 6PM. Interested individuals can find out more information by clicking the link at the top of the home page, "Junior Seals Clinics," or they can go to the Seals Juniors Google Group Site, http://groups.google.com/group/san-francisco-seals-juniors, and join the group. For information write to sfuscsoccer@gmail.com or contact the program administrator, Anna Livesey, at sfuscadmin@gmail.com or call her at 415-395-4955.
Seals Junior Camps will expand significantly this year. The Seals have arranged for fields for 8 weeks during the Summer period. Last year the Seals Juniors staged their first camp and it was tremendously successful. Even though there were mixed ages and a nearly equal mixture of girls and boys, all the children had a great time and the feedback from the parents was very positive. The philosophy of Seals Junior Walk-In clinics was and will continue to be the philosophy of Seals Junior Camps. Attention to the individual needs of players and thoughtful guidance are the hallmarks of the approach.
This year the Seals will also host its first High School Camp. The camp is open to ALL high-school aged players, male and female, looking to fine-tune their skills and tactical abilities, and jump-start "getting their game on" for the upcoming school soccer season. It is the inspiration of Dave Nugent, a San Francisco soccer enthusiast and parent, and Zeke Lopez, the Athletic Director of San Francisco Waldorf High School. The two of them got together and decided that a high school camp to prepare the players for the Fall season made sense. The Seals coaches are looking forward to helping these high schoolers get ready for their soccer season.
The Seals Clinics and Camps are managed by SFUSC, the Seals 501c3 affiliate, and the coaches are all current or ex-Seals players.
Joe Enochs Fairwell Game
March 31, 2009
Story by Tom Simpson
On March 28th, 2009, History was made!!! Joe Enochs was the first American soccer player to be honored in Europe for his life long contribution to the game. Osnabruck VFL staged for Joe Enochs, the Abschiedsspiel, the fabled Farewell Game, an honor reserved for the very few, for Joe’s contribution to his team. When the soccer world thinks of American tenure in European soccer, names like Brad Friedel and Casey Keller surface immediately. Who among the readers have ever heard of Joe Enochs let alone associated him with the highest honors of European soccer (“football” on that continent). I venture to say, it will be the rare student of sport who knows the answer to any riddle with that question in mind. But it will be the name of Joe Enochs that surfaces when the history of the sport is written in years to come.
Joe Enochs had a humble start, indeed. In 1987 he came to a Seals youth team training session. We were then called the San Francisco United Soccer club. He was a young kid from Petaluma and Kimtai, my son, said that he really liked Joe. Could we give him a shot? He wanted Joe to play for our youth team and join us on our European tour for the Summer of 1987. In those days, Joe was all about enthusiasm and work rate. And Joe had, from the first day, what only one-in-a-hundred, maybe a thousand, has. Joe turned every 50:50 ball into a “no contest.” I mean, he never lost the challenge. And you know, even today, when I’m listening to the pros talk about one of their peers, they still say the same thing: “I hate playing against Joe Enochs.” And those pros who play with him say, “I hate playing without Joe Enochs. We’re all going to have to work that much harder.”
Seals Summer Program
March 28, 2009
The goals of the Seals Summer Program include the preparation players for the upcoming college season, the evaluation and preparation of professional candidates for tryouts and resumption of professional careers, and the rehabilitation of injured players.
This is a 10 week program that has three components: intense, competitive on the ball training using small sided games as the center piece preparing a player for a wide variety of tactical capabilities, a strength and conditioning program that combines the goals of college coaches and individual players under the guidance of a certified professional, and competitive games in formal competition. There is a single fee that covers coaching, field fees, other facilities, uniform, equipment, insurance, referee, league fees, and more. The program is for serious college and professional players motivated to ready their game through hard work and disciplined training. Professional candidates are welcome. Career advice and representation are offered when appropriate.
Two age groups are being addressed as part of this program:
U20 (16 to 19)* and U23 (20 to 22)*
(*Both teams are permitted 3 over aged players)
Dates for the program are: May 19 to July 31
Training sites include 1) Contra Costa College in San Pablo, 2) John O'Connell High School in San Francisco and 3) Dominican University.
Head Coaches are John Brooks (U20s) and Shani Simpson(U23s)
Instructions:
Download and review the documents below. The first document is for your information. The second, "How to Apply" document explains the procedure and provides additional informaation. Use the Adult Registration form if you were born before Jan 1, 1989 and use the Youth Registration if you were born after Jan 1, 1989. Once you send the registration form , a photo, and make the payment, you're done. If you wish to pay by check, make the check payable to "SFUSC" and send it to: 120 Magellan Ave, San Francisco, Ca 94116.
Send your inquiries to sfseals@gmail.com
Player Payment - Players being rostered for the 2009 Seals Player Development program choose this link to make their registration payment online.
Former Seals Great Joe Enochs Retires
March 15, 2009
 Enochs Retires after 15 years of play in Germany
Joe Enochs is retiring this month. He has played more games for Osnabruck than any player in the club's history, and he's an American. "I have always been proud of Joe's accomplishments," stated Seals coach and General Manager Tom Simpson. "Not that I was surprised by it. I'm planning on going to the retirement game on the 28th in Osnabruck. So are a couple of players who played for us in our youth days (SFUSC)."
Joe played for our youth teams from 1987 to 1990. After finishing his career with Sac State, Enochs signed with the U.S. Third Division (USISL) San Francisco United All Blacks, and played until the summer of 1994.
In 1994, Enochs received a phone call from a former Sac State teammate Mark Baena. Baena was playing in Germany and was looking for a room mate. Enochs decided to take Baena up on his offer and moved to Germany. Enochs later explained, "I was going to come home after the first year [in Germany], but I was having too much fun." In 1994, Enochs signed with St. Pauli. The team placed him with its Fourth Division amateur farm team. The next season, Enochs and his team mates had moved to the Third Division for the 1995-1996 season where he played in thirty-four games, scoring one goal. He performed well enough that he was offered a position on St. Pauli's first team, but he decided to move to Third Division club VfL Osnabrück in 1996.
Enochs quickly established himself at Osnabrück, seeing time in thirty games in the 1996-1997 season. He never played less than twenty-nine games a season as he was selected as team co-captain. In 2000, Osnabrück earned promotion to the Second Division, but was back in the Third Division the next season. The team won promotion again in 2003 and again in 2007, this time in the last game of the season. Enochs broke the club record for games played on May 19, 2007. In June 2007, he signed a one year extension to his contract Enochs won the "goal of the month" award of German television network ARD in September 2004 for his strike against Bayern Munich in an early round of the German national cup competition. Among the VfL fans, Enochs is widely considered to be the most popular player. His industrious style of playing football has certainly contributed to this fact. At the beginning of the 2007/08 season his club opened a special section for children on the West stand of the stadium, that is named after Enochs. Joe retired at the end of the 2007-2008 season.
Enochs earned his only cap with the U.S. national team in a June 7, 2001 scoreless tie with Ecuador. Enochs came on for Tony Sanneh in the 62d minute. He left the game in the 91st minute after suffering a gash to his forehead during a collision. Richie Williams came on for him.
Enochs met his wife, Gunilla, a few months after he arrived in Germany through a blind date. That led to marriage and the birth of his daughter, Emily. In 2008 Enochs opened a bar in the historical part of Osnabrück.
Note: The main content of this article was extracted from Wikipedia
Former Seals McDonald Signs with Quakes
March 22, 2009
Former San Francisco Seals, and San Jose Frogs player Brandon McDonald was signed to the San Jose Earthquakes developmental squad this past week. McDonald came to the Seals in the 2006 season while playing for the University of San Francisco where he had started 13 games for the Dons before having his season ended after suffering an off-field injury.
McDonald started 5 games for the Seals in the 2006 season, including the season opener against the California Gold. He had one assist for the Seals. In 2007 he played for the San Jose Frogs in 10 games, scoring one goal.
In 2008, McDonald was drafted 48th overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy, and earned several starts.
Read the full Earthquakes release here . . .
2007 PDL MVP Campos Signs with Earthquakes
February 11, 2009
2007 PDL MVP Pablo Campos was signed by the San Jose Earthquakes this week. Campos played with the Fresno Fuego in 2007 (15 appearances) , and for 10 games in 2008. He was a consistent scoring threat. In 2007, Campos lead the entire PDL with 18 goals, and 3 assists. This past season Campos was on a pace to exceed his 2007 numbers as he recorded 14 goals and two assists through the 10 appearances for the Fuego.
"We always had a tough time defending him," said Seal GM & Head Coach Tom Simpson. "He would draw fouls, often earning himself a PK, and if you let down on him he could beat your defense for the score."
Campos left the Fuego this past season to play in Sweden with GAIS Göteborg of the Swedish Premier League. There he had 7 appearances with 4 starts, and no goals.
The 26 year old player was born in Rio de Janeiro, and played college ball in the United States for Oklahoma Baptist University and Fresno Pacific University. He was named to the 2007 NSCAA/adidas NAIA Men's All-America Team.
Read the Earthquakes announcement here . . .
PDL 2009 season details announced
USL News Release
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues announced the details for the 2009 USL Premier Development League season. Among the details finalized recently at the 2008 Annual General Meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Tampa, FL were the alignment, schedule structure and playoff details for the 2009 competition.
The PDL will consist of 68 teams in 2009, playing in eight divisions that comprise the four conferences.
Expansion teams that have been formally announced to date are the Real Colorado Foxes, Rochester Thunder, Forest City London, Portland Timbers U23, Victoria Highlanders, Rio Grande Valley and Midland (TX). Three additional expansion teams are yet to be officially announced.
The league will also play a 16-game season for the sixth straight campaign with games based primarily upon their divisional alignment. The season will open May 1 and conclude July 19.
Western Conference
Northwest Division: Abbotsford Mariners, Cascade Surge, Kitsap (TBA), Portland Timbers U23, Seattle (TBA), Spokane Spiders, Tacoma Tide, Vancouver Whitecaps Residency, Victoria Highlanders, Yakima Reds
Southwest Division: Bakersfield Brigade, BYU Cougars, Fresno Fuego, Lancaster Rattlers, Los Angeles Storm, Ogden Outlaws, Orange County Blue Star, San Fernando Valley Quakes, Southern California Seahorses, Ventura County Fusion
The Breathmobile® For Prescott Joseph Center!
January 24, 2009
A call for help from Tom Simpson
 As you may remember the Seals Junior program has an affiliate in West
Oakland called the Prescott-Joseph Center. We provide coaching and equipment
for their soccer program. Last Summer many of you donated money and tickets to
the children of Prescott-Joseph so that they could attend the Earthquakes -
Galaxy game. They haven't forgotten that generous gift.
The children of Prescott-Joseph are some of the most under-served and neglected
children in California. This is an extraordinarily poor community in material
wealth but more so in emotional and physical health. One of the biggest health problems the West Oakland children face is asthma.
Asthma is highly prevalent in poor communities because of allergens that
provoke asthma in the homes of these children.
Dr. Washington Burns has taken the initiative to do something for these
children. Dr. Burns is a modern day saint. He's tireless and has no limit to
his generosity. He's a Mississippi born black man who was born during very
difficult times, but he has accomplished tremendous things in his career as an
MD,a family member, a supporter of soccer and his support for the West Oakland
Community. He deserves the help of people who have the benefit of wealth and
opportunity because he has no other purpose than to return that help to a
community in great need.
I know times are tough but if they're tough for you, imagine how much
tougher they are for a forgotten community. These kids get the dregs. It's
difficult to imagine without seeing it. So, please, if you can, dig into your
pockets and make a contribution. If you reach the attached letter, Dr. Burns is
asking for $20 from each donor. He's using the money to fund a Breathmobile
that aims at asthma as it's primary target. However, getting children into a
health program will do far more than just address the health focus. As you will
read, the Dr. Burns will not limit the use of the Breathmobile to benefit just
the children of West Oakland. Children in Berkeley, Emeryville and Bay View/
Hunter's point will benefit as well.
The address for Prescott-Joseph is 920 Peralta Street,Oakland, Ca 94607.
If you send in something, please remind Dr. Burns that you are a member of the
Seals Junior Seals. He'll appreciate knowing that.
Regards,
Tom Simpson
Seals Lose to Ambassadors 0-1
January 18, 2009
 It was the very first game ever played by the new NPSL team, the BayArea Ambassadors, but they managed to out play the Seals and take the win with a goal in the second half of the match, and the only goal of the game.
"We had 100 different players come to three different tryouts," said team owner, Arif Khan. "We've got that down to about 30 players we are looking at now, and we are really pleased to have the Seals here to help us evaluate these players." Former San Jose Earthquakes player, Joe Silvera was recently announced as the Ambassadors head coach for the 2009 season. He will be joined by Paul McCallion, Jerry Losson, Aslam Ali and Ron Chell, the goalkeeper’s coach.
The Ambassadors had several good opportunities throughout the match, but some shots were just wide, and the Seals keeper Lewis Sweeney managed to defend the net well. "We've got a mesh of players out here today," offered Seals GM & Head Coach Tom Simpson. "We've got some Glenn's players, PDL Seals, and U21 players all out here today."
Joining Sweeney from last year's PDL Seals team were Shea Whelan, Shani Simpson, Peter Lovell, Mike Balogun, Steven Cordova, Richard Duru, and Rawley Masaniai.
Seals to Play Bay Area Ambassadors Sunday
January 16, 2009
 The Seals will play the Bay Area Ambassadors this Sunday (January 18th) at Chabot College in Hayward. Game time is 1pm. The Bay Area Ambassadors are the newest NPSL team in the East Bay. The game will represent the first for the Ambassadors who are getting ready for their season. This will be an opportunity for them to get a look at their players in a game situation.
The
Seals will not be participating in the PDL this season, but will continue to operate with three teams. Two teams (U21 and U23) will play in the NorCal Premier League and a professional team
that will only play exhibitions for one or two years before going back
to a minor league which may be PDL.
"The Bay Area is a tough market," stated Tom Simpson, General Manager and coach for the Seals. "Like the Frogs, we just had a tough time finding enough support. Ticket sales covered less than 5% of the expenses in 2008. While we had reasonable relationships with some of the youth clubs and had some good turnout with club fundraisers, the consistency just wasn't there. In addition, I don't believe the current
PDL format is that good of a fit for college players who cannot commit
to the team until too late. I think that this new amateur program will be be a better fit. We will be dedicated to their
preparation for the college season, and I think it just makes better sense."
SFSDC, the San Francisco Soccer Development Corporation, the parent corporation of the SF Seals has created a player representation business called SAA Pro Services and currently represent six players, announced today that Rob Gallo joined SAA as a players' agent. "Rob brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the SAA team," announced Simpson. For more information regarding SAA Pro Services, visit our website at http://saaproservices.com
Stephan Frei Honored as one of Four PDL Stars to Join Generation Adidas
 Cruz, Frei, Marosevic and Zakuani set for MLS Combine
Thursday, January 8, 2009
TAMPA
– Four players who honed their skills in United Soccer Leagues Premier
Development League last season announced yesterday that they would
enter the professional ranks for the 2009 Major League Soccer season.
Danny Cruz (Des Moines Menace), Stefan Frei (San Jose Frogs), Peri
Marosevic (Chicago Fire) and Steve Zakuani (Cleveland Internationals)
make up four of the nine Generation adidas players for the 2009 season.
Three of the four players, Cruz, Marosevic and Zakuani, hail
from the PDL’s Central Conference, while Frei played in the Western
Conference. Of the four, Zakuani logged the most time in the PDL last
season, appearing in 11 of the Internationals’ 18 matches. In nearly
900 minutes of action, Zakuani accumulated 22 points from nine goals
and four assists.
Read the full story here . . .
Seals Players a Key Factor in Cal Berkeley Playoff Win
November 24, 2008
 
Seals players Chris Deal and Dimitry Omprhoy were key figures for the University of California Berkeley in a 3-0 win over the University of San Francisco last week. Cal, ranked number 9, managed to take the lead in the 35th minute as he knocked in a ball that was deflected by USF keeper Jeremy Coupe on a shot from Cal sophomore Andrew Wiedeman (San Jose Frogs). Deal led the Bears with four shots, two of which were on goal.
USF came out strong with the first four shots on goal, and finished with eight overall. Another Seals player playing for USF, Victor Cortez, had the lone USF shot on goal. Speaking of the quality of the Cal Bears team, USF head coach Erik Visser noted; "You have to capitalize on your opportunities and we were unable to do that today."
Just over four minutes after Deal scored what turned out to be the winning goal, Omphroy put a nice move on Coupe as he dove for the ball, and found the net with his shot.
Wiedeman finished the scoring in the 85th minute, and the Bears moved on to the second round of the tournament.
The game also marked the final match for USF seniors, and Seals players, Eric Conner, and Kyle Schlumpf.
Cal next plays UC Santa Barbara (#15) at UCSB Harder Stadium Tuesday, November 25th, at 7:00pm. The game marks the third time the two teams have met in the playoffs, with each team taking a win.
Follow the NCAA Playoffs here . . .
Quakes & Houston Get it ON!
September 17, 2008
 It was a rough & tumble match last Saturday night as the San Jose Earthquakes and the Houston Dynamo's played to a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium. Both teams scored in the second half, but Houston had to come from behind against these upstart Earthquakes who lately, just don't seem to have the word "quit" in their vocabulary. The last round of player acquisitions they made have really paid off well. Since July 5th, the Quakes haven’t lost a regular season match (they did lose to the Sounders back on September 2nd). Their play has them in the thick of the race for a playoff spot. Yallop seems to work his magic best in San Jose. There was some serious physical play out there, but it was Houston who tallied up the cautions, with a total of six to San Jose's 1. Two of the cautions went to Houston's Eddie Robinson, who may be sitting it out the next time these two teams meet (the game on 9/20 is showing postponed on the MLS website). All together there were 31 fouls (San Jose 12, Houston 19). Brian Ching reportedly came off the field after scoring his tying goal shouting at the sellout crowd and pointing to the Dynamo crest on his jersey.
"We're the ones who put two stars on their jersey," Ching said, referring to the championships the Earthquakes won before they moved to Houston, and which are claimed by these expansion Earthquakes. "I told them to show some respect."
Fat chance.
Seals Players Score for St. Mary's
August 29, 2008
 Goals from Samy and Claycomb not enough in St. Mary's Loss
 Anapolis, MD – The Saint Mary’s men’s soccer team opened the 2008 season with a 4-2 loss to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County in the Navy Invitational on a rainy Friday afternoon from the Naval Academy. Saint Mary’s got goals from Yousef Samy and Joe Claycomb (who played for the Seals U21 team this summer), but it wasn’t enough as UMBC's Andrew Gillis came off the bench to tally four points on a goal and two assists.
The Gaels took the pitch and put some early pressure on the UMBC Retrievers defense, as freshman Justin Grider and freshman Joel Fumia had good scoring opportunities within the first 20 minutes of the game. Unlike the Gaels, UMBC did not miss on their first two shot, as John Paul Waraksa fired a wide-open left-footed shot from the top of the into the right corner of the goal. Andrew Gillis set up the Waraksa goal in the 21st minute on a give-in-go from 18 yards out.
Gillis would set up the second UMBC goal, on a very similar play as the first goal. This time it was Levi Houapeu on the receiving end of the pass. Houapeu shot came from about 20 yards out and beat SMC goalkeeper Jason Badger to the upper left corner at the 34:12 mark. The Retrievers held the 2-0 lead into halftime.
Read the Full Story . . .
Other Notes:
Players from the San Francisco Seals will match up against The Santa Cruz Beach Soccer Club on Saturday, August 30 at 11am at the Main Beach in Santa Cruz in a Beach Soccer Exhibition Match. More . . .
Frogs Francise Shuts Down
August 24, 2008
The San Jose Frogs have decided to close down their franchise. The reason is not unfamiliar to the Bay Area - lack of fan support.
There is a large amount of passionate soccer fans in the Bay Area, but the interest to support teams playing at the higher levels seems to be less than required to support those teams for the long haul. Perhaps it is a lack of available time to attend. Perhaps it is a lack of understanding that soccer is a professional sport that young men and women can play in this country, and elsewhere through the opportunities the PDL, USL, and MLS provide.
Whatever the reason is, it is a fact.
In the past two years the Frogs and Seals had developed quite a rivalry. The Seals wish to thank Hartmut Esslinger for bringing a class organization to the Bay Area. They put together strong teams in each of their three years (one in the NPSL), and their players had considerable success, with 10 players drafted by MLS and European teams.
Read the full story on the Frogs website . . .
Thunder Bay Wins PDL Championship
 Saturday, August 9, 2008USL News Release
LAREDO, TX – The Thunder Bay Chill endured all the elements on and off the field Saturday night in Laredo to cap one of the most remarkable turnarounds in league history to become the first-ever Canadian champions of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League. The visitors survived 100-degree heat, an initial deficit and a second half red card as they battled the defending champions to a 1-1 draw before capturing the title in penalties 4-1.
Two years ago, Thunder Bay only posted two wins on the season for a team-worst 2-11-3 record in nine years of play. Saturday night, it was two saves in penalties by Stephen Paterson that put the Chill down in PDL and USL history in front of 3,451 at Texas A&M International University.
You would not have expected the final result given Laredo controlled much of the possession in the match, allowing the hosts to get the initial scoring chances of the game before Thunder Bay began to find their own opportunities.
PDL Championship Saturday Night on FSC
August 7, 2008
On Saturday, August 9, the Laredo Heat will play host to the Thunder Bay Chill in the Premier Development League Championship live at 9:00 pm ET on Fox Soccer Channel. Both teams will be out to make league history by claiming the title. Having already made history as the first team to reach the PDL Championship game three straight years, the Laredo Heat will be looking to become the sixth team to repeat as league champion and the lowest seed to ever capture the title. The 13th-seeded Michigan Bucks beat the Heat in the first of back-to-back meetings in 2006 to set the previous mark for lowest seed. The other five clubs to win back-to-back championships are the Cape Cod Crusaders (2002-03), Chicago Sockers (1999-00), Central Coast Roadrunners (1996-97), Carolina Dynamo (1993-94) and Colorado Comets (1989-90). On the opposite side of the ledger, the Thunder Bay Chill, in their ninth year, have found unprecedented success in their franchise history and are looking to cap a remarkable two-year turnaround in which the club has gone from a record of 2-11-3 in 2006 to a mark of 17-2-1 overall in 2008. The Chill are only the second Canadian team to reach the final (Calgary 2001) and could be the first to win the PDL championship. Canadian teams have only won five previous championships in overall USL history. The Montreal Impact have two USL First Division titles (1994, 2004) and the Vancouver Whitecaps have one USL-1 title (2006) and two W-League championships (2004, 2006).
Prescott Joseph attends Earthquakes - Galaxy Game
August 5, 2008
The Seals Junior Clinic sponsored 17 tickets for children from the Prescott-Joseph program in West Oakland to attend the Earthquakes - Galaxy game at the Coliseum on Sunday . This is a photo of some of the children.
We sold tickets at retail price for this game to members of the Seals Junior Academy. The Earthquakes allowed us a discounted rate for this purpose. The difference was used to pay for the tickets for the Prescott Joseph children. The total amount raised was $925. This amount was sufficient to sponsor 17 children to watch the game. There was $90 left over. A check for that amount will be sent to Prescott-Joseph for their soccer program.
Donors were Juan Kong, who provided 4 tickets, Emily Green ($100 donation), Kenyatta Scott ($25 donation), and ticket purchasers: James Gray, Jacy Crawford, Patrick Mcguire and Issac Thrupp.
We are very grateful to these generous individuals who made it possible for the children of Prescott-Joseph to attend the Earthquakes - Galaxy game at the Oakland Coliseum on Sunday, August 3rd.
Yuri Morales, staff member of the SJ Earthquakes, made the arrangement possible.
The Prescott-Joseph soccer program is a West Oakland program. Seals coaches who run that program include Paul Aigbogun, Shani Simpson, Rawley Masaniai and Aziz Dieng. The program is funded by the Prescott-Joseph Center. It's a 6 week program that provides the children of Prescott-Joseph a daily exposure to soccer skills and training during the Summer. Prescott-Joseph, under the leadership of Dr. Washington Burns, MD, intends to expand the Summer Program to a year-round program. Dr. Burns hopes to start the program this coming Fall. Interested donors can send their support to Prescott-Joseph Soccer, c/o SFUSC, 120 Magellan Ave, San Francisco, CA. SFUSC is a non-profit affiliate of the San Francisco Seals that was established to support and initiate soccer programs for inner city children.
Vancouver Out - Thunder Bay to Meet Laredo in Final
August 2, 2008
  By Simon Fudge/whitecapsfc.com
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency fell to a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat at Thunder Bay Chill in the USL Premier Development League semifinal on Saturday evening. In the first-ever all-Canadian semifinal in PDL history, a crowd of 1,546 at Thunder Bay's Chapples Park saw a dramatic contest between two conference champions, with the game's decisive moments taking place in the four minutes of second-half stoppage time. After a goalless first half, Scott Milroth gave Thunder Bay the lead just after the hour mark, but just as he did one week ago in the PDL Western Conference semifinal against San Fernando Valley Quakes, Randy Edwini-Bonsu equalized in the final minute to seemingly set up extra time. Yet, the  extra half-hour would not be required, as the Chill's Alvaro Zendejas headed home a corner in the fourth minute of stoppage time to secure Thunder Bay's first-ever berth in the PDL championship final.
Laredo Heat 3-peat - Downs Austin
Laredo Heat Website Story
ORLANDO, FL -- Saturday’s Southern Conference Final between the defending PDL Champion Laredo Heat and the first-year Austin Aztex was a match-up between two clubs with a great friendship. Then the whistle blew. And, just four minutes later, the referee issued two yellow cards following a 10-player melee at midfield that also saw a player on the bench sent off.
Speaking with Austin’s owner Phil Rawlins before the match, things were expected to play out a bit differently.
“Laredo has been extremely helpful in our efforts to develop a competitive PDL team,” said Rawlins. “Shashi and JJ were supportive and helped us to prepare for this season. When we went down to Laredo, we arranged to bring both of our second teams to play a match prior to our PDL match. That was good for both of us.”
“Next season, when we move up to USL-1, our relationship with Laredo will be important,” added Rawlins. “They are focused on player development. Any time we want to send a guy down they will be an option for us. Likewise, if they have a guy they think is ready to play at the next level, we are an option for him to move up.”
One thing Rawlins was dead on about was his pre-game prediction.
“The first time we played it honestly could have gone either way,” said Rawlins. “The second match opened up a bit. Today is going to be our toughest game of the season. They are the reigning champs. That’s not a title they are going to give up very easily. It will be tight, a low scoring game.”
Chris Rodd Enjoying the Good Life in Norway
August 2, 2008
Last December the Seals announced that two successful seasons with the Seals and USF, defender Chris Rodd has signed a three-year contract to play in Norway for the Bryne Fotballklubb, a pro team that plays in the Adeccoligaen division, the second highest division of the Norwegian professional football league. Prior to 2005, and Adecco investing in the league, the league was known as Division 1.
"It's a dream come true," Rodd said at the time. "I was fortunate to have things happen this way. To get seen during my college days and to be signed by Bryne is amazing." We are pleased to report he is doing well, and living well.
Chris is currently in the middle of his first season with the team.. Currently in 11th place, the team was in 3rd place a few weeks ago, and are now only 8 points from the 3rd place team too right now in a pretty tight race.
"I have learned a lot, and the style of play is completely different than I have ever played in," said Rodd. "When you get the ball, the first thing you are supposed to do is go forward as soon as possible and every game has at least 40 crosses into the box so heading and clearances are a big part of my job as a center back."
Rodd made his debut in December in negative 5 celsius weather. "I had to wear pants, long underwear, gloves, neck warmers, etc. It was a shock in just the clothing. We wore pants in games all the way until the end of March and played in snow a few times as well," Rodd told the Seals Newsletter. "I have traveled to 3 countries to play teams and have even had the chance to play against Brann, which is in the UEFA cup this year."
 It's not all easy, and Rodd has learned that professional sports can be tough. "I have played in 11 of 16 games so far in the league and cup play. I was benched for a short period for not performing up to expectations so I had to play in the reserve games."
Not everyone can transition from the U.S. to Europe. Perhaps the most notable failure was Landon Donovan, who simply didn't enjoy the culture differences, among other things. Not so for Rodd. "I am really glad I made the decision to come play here. I live a very good lifestyle and I use my free time to learn Norwegian, read, and play the guitar. I have met some amazing people on the way too. The biggest difference I have to deal with every day is the pressure of winning and performing very well. Games are very important to the team, investors, and the community so there is a lot riding on everyone's shoulders every day."
We are glad to hear from Chris, and wish him continued success!
Vancouver Advances on 4-1 Win Over Tacoma
July 28, 2008
Vancouver Whitecaps News Release - www.whitecapsfc.com
 Sunday, July 27, 2008
FRESNO, CA -- Vancouver Whitecaps FC Residency captured the USL Premier Development League Western Conference title with a comprehensive 4-1 win over Tacoma Tide.
As was the case in Saturday's 3-1 victory over San Fernando Valley Quakes, Residency striker Randy Edwini-Bonsu was the hero, as he scored two goals and set up a third.
The two regular season encounters between these Northwest Division rivals had both been explosive affairs. Tacoma won big on home soil with a 4-0 result at the start of June, as the Washington State club handed Thomas Niendorf's youngsters their worst defeat of the season.
Three weeks later, Vancouver returned the favour, crushing Tacoma 5-1 at Simon Fraser University - much to the chagrin of the Tide coach, who is none other than former Whitecaps star Fran O'Brien.
Sunday's clash was the all-important rubber match, with the Western Conference championship on the line. With both teams playing their second game in as many days - and far from home at Fresno, California's Chukchansi Park with the temperature past 36 degrees Celsius - it was as much a test of character and resolve, if anything else.
Southwest Teams Eliminated from Playoffs
July 26, 2008
The Fresno Fuego and San Fernando Valley Quakes were eliminated from the PDL Playoffs today in the first round.
The Tacoma Tide and Fuego squared off at 7:30 pm in Fresno in a rematch of last years playoffs when the Fuego defeated the Tide 4-1. This year was a different story.
Tide forward and team captain Rory Agu was looking forward to coming in to Fresno and avenging last year's loss. Agu, who had 11 goals and 3 assists for the season did not score in the match, but he got his satisfaction. The first goal came just 19 minutes into the match with a long throw in from Dennis Sanchez to Daniel Scott.
Scott out leaped the Fuego defenders to knock the ball up into the air, and then got up over everyone a second time, to knock it into the net.
The Fuego brought the heat throughout the game, and stepped it up in the second half, getting off eight shots, but Tide keeper Jordan Jennings only needed to make one save. The Tide defended well, and took their opportunities when they could. In the 76th minute Tide forward Spencer Schomaker got the ball at his feet, turned, made a few cuts to defeat the Fuego defense, and slotted the ball past keeper Ryan Kenny his 10th goal on the year.
The Tide's final goal came off a Fuego corner kick when all 10 Fuego players were up for the corner, and Chase Tangney found himself alone on his own half to receive an onside pass from the clear. He took
the ball to the Fuego box and blasted the ball into the net to secure the 3-0
win.
The Quakes faced the Vancouver Whitecaps Residency at 4:30 pm also in Fresno. With temperatures hitting 102 degrees, this match was a tough one as the teams battled each other and the heat.
San Fernando Valley thought they had the match in the 82nd minute when Ferguson Agwa put the ball in the net for his 4th goal of the season. As time reached regulation, their hopes were high, but the game was leveled in the 90th minute when Randy Edwini-Bonsu put the ball in the net for his 10th goal of the season.
The Whitecaps finished off their victory in overtime with two more goals when Edwini-Bonsu got his second of the match in the 110th minute, followed by the Whitecaps third goal from Drew Russell in the 116th minute.
Sunday, July 27th Tacoma will face off against the Whitecaps in Fresno at 7:00 pm.
Burgos and Carr Named All Conference
July 25, 2008
The first round of PDL Honors were announce Friday, July 25th, and two Seals players were recognized for outstanding play this season: midfielder Efrain Burgos (Junior), and defender Doug Carr.
Carr ( Sonoma State) was solid in defense all season for the Seals. Playing typically in the center right, Carr supported Rich Halvorsen on his left, and Yousef Samy on his right. Carr played more minutes than any other Seals player throughout the season, as his 1,307 minutes was 140 minutes more play time than Rich Halvorsen who was second in play time with 1,167 minutes on the pitch.
Carr was often seen standing up the attack, ripping the ball away from an attacker, or effectively defending the net against a shot. Once he had the ball Carr was into the attack, bringing the ball up through the midfield and delivering the ball to the forwards or out the the wing.
"Doug was really solid for us," head coach Tom Simpson stated. "A real asset to us in defense."
Junior ( San Jose State) came on strong as the season progressed. Finishing the season with four goals and two assists, Junior earned himself 10 points. Always dangerous with the ball whenever he was near the goal, Junior also helped create chances. "I love this kid," said Seals forward Peter Lovell. "He sees the field so well, and his passes are incredible. Right on. He gives me so many opportunities with his play and passes - I just love him. I wish he were always in the game for me."
One of Junior's specialties is the free kick on goal. His ball has a great curve, and goalies have to be extra sharp.
Junior became an integral part of the Seals offense as the season progressed. "His work rate increased, and defense improved as the season went on," said Simpson. "We had several key games that really turned around for us when Junior went in there. He had a big impact in our match in Bakersfield."
Congratulations to both players!
PDL Playoff Schedule Set
July 21, 2008
The USL announced the PDL playoff schedule today as follows:
(All times listed are Eastern)
Central Conference
7/22: Kalamazoo @ Chicago – 5:00 – Divisional
Round
7/22: Colorado @ Thunder Bay – 7:30 – Divisional
Round
7/23: Toronto @ Cleveland – 7:00 – Divisional
Round
7/26: Divisional Winner 2 vs Divisional Winner 1 – 5:30 –
Conference Semifinal
7/26: Divisional Winner 3 vs Michigan Bucks* – 7:30 –
Conference Semifinal
7/27: Conference Championship – 7:00
Eastern Conference
7/25: Cape Cod vs Brooklyn – 5:30 – Conference
Semifinal
7/25: Newark vs Reading* - 8:00 – Conference Semifinal
7/27: Conference Championship – 7:00
Southern Conference
7/25: Bradenton vs Austin – 5:00 – Conference
Semifinal
7/25: Laredo vs Central Florida* - 7:30 – Conference
Semifinal
7/26: Conference Championship – 7:00
Western Conference
7/26: Vancouver vs San Fernando Valley – 7:30 – Conference
Semifinal
7/26: Fresno* vs Tacoma – 10:30 – Conference
Semifinal
7/27: Conference Championship – 10:30
*Denotes conference tournament host
Read the Full Story . . .
Seals Season Ends in 3-0 Loss to Frogs
July 20, 2008
 With the perfect scenario in hand - two games at home in perhaps the most beautiflul setting in all the PDL at USF Negoesco stadium, and needing one win for a playoff spot, and two wins to earn a division championship, the Seal were unable to come thru with so much as a single goal, in two games while giving up four goals to their opponents.
The Frogs came out sharp right from their warm-up routines, which were crisp and focused. When the whistle blew it only took the Frogs five minutes to bag their first goal.
Frogs midfielder Dan Oka stole the ball from the Seals, and putting a move on the Seals defense he broke in behind on the Seals defensive left and made a terrific shot into the far side of the net past Seals keeper Eric Conner. This has been a recurring theme for the Seals. Despite a defense that has been in the top ten all season with fewest goals allowed, most of those have been scored in under the first 20 minutes of play.
The Seals seemed a bit stunned, but as usual they picked up the tempo, and the defense got tough. I the 13th minute Seals left back Josh Leon came in hard with a defense play that caused him to receive a yellow card and a trip to the hospital. It appear Leon suffered a broken nose, and left at half-time to go to the hospital.
So . . . It Comes Down To Sunday vs Frogs
July 18, 2008
 Seals Struggle - Lose 1-0 to Bakersfield
As the song says; " No body said it was easy . . ."
Despite a significantly more powerful attack, despite an onslaught of 13 shots of which 9 were on frame, despite four extra minutes that Bakersfield graciously extended to near six after wasting time that did not fool the referee, the Seals could not buy a goal.
The Seals looked pretty good for much of the first half of the game in particular, though as has often been the case, the tough defense of the Seals gave up the only goal early. It came in the 14th minute of play.
Bakersfield was on the offensive, and as the ball came into the box in the air Seals defender Rich Halvorsen had his focus on the ball. Bakersfield forward Quincy Amalikwa crashed into Halvorsen knocking him down and giving Amalikwa an uncontested play against goalkeeper Eric Conner. Amalikwa won that confrontation, and it was all that was needed.
"That was a tough play right there," said Seals veteran Shani Simpson. "The referee could have easily called a foul as he clearly played the man. But that guy (Amalikwa) is the kind of tough player that everyone knows is dangerous before you take the field. Rich got caught not knowing where he was, and he was unprepared. Had Rich been aware of the player I'm sure that guy never gets the ball or a chance. Rich would have taken care of him."
In the 25th minute the Seals thought they had tied it up. Peter Lovell knocked in a goal off the play of Brigade goalkeeper Eric Franco who had saved a strong shot. Fans, and this writer standing on the defensive line of play, thought Lovell was clearly onside when the shot was taken. Franco made a solid save by diving and punching the ball out, but Lovell was charging, and put the ball into the net. But, the assistant referee saw the play differently, and the goal was disallowed.
"Unfortunate," stated coach Tom Simpson.
Sunday's match against the San Jose Frogs always was a meaningful game, as two wins this weekend would give the Seals the Division Championship. While that is still possible, it depends on other games. Now, the Frogs match is about making the playoffs. It is a must win for the Seals to ensure a playoff spot.
Reminder: Sunday's match is at USF Negoesco stadium, and game time is 7:00pm.
One Win = Playoff Spot - Two Wins = Championship
July 17, 2008
The Quakes and Fuego both won tonight which was the 2nd best scenario for the Seals. The Fuego losing and the Quakes winning would have been the best.
The Fuego defeated the Southern California Seahorses in commanding fashion by beating them 5-2. Fresno took the lead in the 10th minute on a goal by Jesus Santiago. Amaury Nunes scored the first of two goals for the evening in the 42nd minute off an assist by Fabricio Codeceira. The goal was Nunes' sixth of the season, and the assist was Codeceira's 10th. The Seahorses came back in the 46th minute, but three straight unanswered goals in the 66th, 80th, and 86th minute decided the game for the Fuego. The win gave the Fuego first place with 29 points, and one game left to play.
In San Fernando Valley, the Quakes held on against the Ventura County Fusion as the Quakes came burst out with three straight goals in the 44th, 51st, and 56th minute. Ventura got two back in the 73rd and 90th minute (an own goal), but it was too late for the Fusion, and the Quakes held on for the win.
But since the Quakes and Fuego both play each other the last game of the year that
means all the Seals need is one win in their last two games to clinch a playoff
spot.
Of course, two wins gives us the division.
So while we control our fate we also have a mulligan if needed.
Come on you Seals!
Next Up - Brigade & Frogs - Final Weekend!
July 16, 2008
Note: Start time for BOTH games this weekend have changed to 7:00pm.
The Bakersfield Brigade will come into Friday's game at USF Negoesco stadium having lost to the Seals in an ugly match in Bakersfield 2-0. They blame the Seals, the Referee's, and . . . whatever. The Seals felt lucky to get our of a very unfriendly atmosphere with the win, and with reasonably healthy players.
We don't want to kid ourselves, that this is anything other than a good team struggling with a poor outcome for the season. They will want to play spoiler, and will come out ready to play a hockey game if necessary.
"I'm not exactly sure how this got to be such a heated rivalry," said Seals head coach Tom Simpson, "But it is perhaps the most heated rivalry in the Conference."
The Bay Area knows cross town rivalry. We have the A's and the Giants, the Raiders and the 49ers, the Earthquakes and . . . Ok - they don't have one. But PDL soccer DOES, and it's the Seals and the Frogs.
You can bet that the Frogs would take consolation in playing the spoiler role for the Seals if they can. They are another team that had high expectations for the season, but have not had the same success as last year. It's been tough.
They started the season with a 3-1-1 record, and looked like they were going to pick up right where they left off last season when they just missed the playoffs. June was a struggle, and the Frogs finished just 1-3-2. July hasn't been any kinder. They will play the Brigade after our match with them on Saturday, and then play us on Sunday.
We hope to see you at USF this coming weekend as we tackle these two tough teams, and make our final effort for a playoff spot!
Peter Lovell Receives PDL Honors
July 16, 2008
The USL today announce the PDL Team of the Week Honors. Peter Lovell was recognized for his three goal weekend that helped put the Seals in first place in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference putting their playoff hopes fully in their own control.
"This is a great position to be in at the end of the season, your final weekend of play ahead of you, and you control your own future," said Tom Simpson, head coach of the Seals. "But we have to be prepared because these two teams have nothing to play for except to knock us out of the playoffs, and that makes these two strong teams very dangerous for us."
Lovell, who came to us from a recent stint in Italy, was born in Southern California, but was raised in Brazil. Lovell is the second Seals forward to receive a place on the PDL Team of the Week (Kellan Wilson received two honors earlier this year). Last week keeper Eric Connor received Team of the Week Honorable Mention for his performance against the Brigade with a 5 save shutout.
Read the Full Story . . .
Seals Take Charge of their Future
July 13, 2008
Two Wins, Six Points, Fusion Loss, All Combine to Put the Seals in First Place
 On Saturday night the Seals beat the Los Angeles Legends at USF in a dramatic win when Junior Burgos and Peter Lovell put away goals at the 82 and 89th minute of the match. This was a key win for the Seals who had to beat the Legends to keep in the race for top honors. This was not small task.
The Legends have been hailed as the class of the division for most of the season. The game was marked by an even battle for most of the match, with both teams exchanging shots on goal. The difference in the last minutes of the game was made possible by the addition of an aggressive striking crew that included Junior Burgos, Demetrius Omphroy, Kellan Wilson and Corey Woolfolk. Kellan Wilson's runs and shots on goal clearly put fear into the Legends defense. The attacks led to a direct goal from about 35 yards out that was stuck so hard by Junior Burgos the keeper did all he could do to prevent his hand from going with the ball into the net.
The Legends continued to press and shortly afterwards, Corey Woolfolk put a pass through to Peter Lovell that put the game away.
Sundays match against the Lancaster Rattlers at Chabot College was the second played by the Seals in 24 hours. The Seals haven't won two games within 24 hours this whole season. It's a very difficult task. After 45 minutes it looked like the Seals would run away with the match. Peter Lovell came up with 2 goals and Kellan Wilson a third. The Seals looked lethal with a 3 nil lead.
However, the Rattlers were not done. They continued a ferocious attack throughout the match putting the exhausted Seals under duress. To their credit the Rattlers came up with two goals against the historically stingy Seals defense. However, the Seals were battling for goal differential in this match and the effort to increase the goal differential combined with the exhaustion from two matches in two days worked against the Seals. The Seals did have a number of opportunities to extend the lead in the second half, so it wasn't one sided. There were three of four great opportunities, including a "shoulda-been-a-pk" that the referee missed. Or so we feel. Anyway, the Seals outlasted their opponents and the match ended a 3-2 win.
After the match, the Seals learned that the Ventura Fusion lost to the Orange County Blue Stars. The Blue Stars were near the bottom in league standing. However, as the Seals know well, you cannot underestimate any team in this division. All the teams play with pride and with intensity, from top to bottom. The Lancaster team has only won two matches in the 14 they've played, yet for much of the second half of this game, the Rattlers looked like one of the strongest attacking teams in the league.
The Seals next match is Friday night (July 18th), at USF Negoesco stadium against the Bakersfield Brigade. Game time has just recently been changed to 7:00pm.
The Seals will finish their season against the San Jose Frogs on Sunday (July 20th) also at USF, and that game too has been changed to a 7:00 pm start.
Both teams will be looking to play spoiler, as neither team has a chance to move on.
The Chase is On!
July 12, 2008
 We break down the Seals chase for the playoffs in the Western Conference
With the Frogs loss last night to the Orange County BlueStar they are now out of the
picture, leaving just five teams in the chase.
With a win tonight the Seals would eliminate the Legends from the race
which would leave only four teams standing: Fresno, Ventura, Seals, and
Quakes.
Fresno is in control of it's own destiny while the Seals and Ventura are
currently two points behind the leader's pace, with the Quakes are another three
points back. Ventura currently holds the tie-breaker over the Seals with a
superior goal difference of +11 vs. the Seals +5, so technically the Seals would
be in 3rd place with a win tonight.
The Quakes are currently the hottest team in the division and have two
games with Fresno over the final two weekends of the season. A split in this
series would serve the Seals well and position them for a division title run.
Ventura ends the season with tough road games against the Quakes and
Legends.
But it all hinges on the Seals picking up at least four points this weekend
and the full six could leave us in the driver's seat depending on the outcome of
the Fresno-Quakes game tonight.
Come on you Seals!
Next Up - LA Legends & Lancaster Rattlers
July 11, 2008
 Big Games this Saturday and Sunday
The Legends will come into Saturday's game at USF Negoesco stadium having played 14 of their 16 games. A win can go a very long way to securing a playoff spot. It will be a match between a stingy Seals defense (PDL top 10 with fewest goals allowed) and a powerful Legends scoring team (PDL top 10 in goals scored).
Two weeks ago the Legends swiped a victory from the Seals when some very bad calls by a referee gave the Legends a goal and took one away from the Seals. Hey, that's football!!
The Legends tied the Southern California Seahorses on Sunday night (July 6th), and take on the San Fernando Valley Quakes on Thursday night (July 10th).
"This week we'll make some luck work our way," voiced Seals head coach Tom Simpson.
Half-time entertainment will be provided by Seals supporters band The Clarence's
Also present at the match will be General Manager Jim Fitzpatrick of the San Francisco Bay Bombers roller derby team will be in attendance at the Seals-Legends match this Saturday. He will be available to sign autographs, and will be promoting the Bombers next home match at Kezar Pavilion on August 23rd vs the Chicago Pioneers at 8pm. Jim is a former Bomber skater and now the GM.
---------------Sunday's Matchup---------------
 On Sunday, the Seals won't forget that last year the Rattlers came into San Francisco and bit them - hard - they took a 2-1 win away from us here at home. This year the Seals escaped with a 1-0 win in Lancaster. "We need to be more dominant this time around" stated Simpson. "These next two weeks will show what we are made of." Note: Sunday's match has been moved to Chabot College, and will start at 4:00pm.Half-time entertainment will be provided by Justi*fy
 A portion of the proceeds from this match will go towards the Chabot Soccer program. We hope to fill the stands for the Seals AND for Chabot Soccer!
Player Highlight - Keeper Eric Conner
July 8, 2008
 You may recall that Eric started the season in the #2 position behind Dan Benton, who ultimately went to the Earthquakes after three matches with the Seals. In the seven games Conner has started this season for the Seals, he has 32 saves*, and 4 shutouts. Conner is now sporting a .857 GAA after 7 games with the Seals.
A record that any goalie would be pretty proud of, and frankly, is deserving of a look from the MLS as well. Of course, we hope that will be at the end of the season!
Eric is in his second season with the Seals. His performance this season is on a track to exceed his performance of the 2007 season, and his performance then earned him honorable mention for the PDL team of the year honors.
It hasn't been an easy road. A lot of players who have faced the challenges that Eric has faced would have quit. But that's just not a word he uses, nor an attitude he has. Read More About Eric . . . ------------- *Note: 32 saves in 7 games is correct. Our Newsletter incorrectly reported 20 saves in 7 games.
Conner Earns PDL Team of the Week Honorable Mention
July 9, 2008
The USL named their team of the week, and Eric Conner's performance was recognized with an Honorable Mention for his performance in goal against the Bakersfield Brigade.
The Seals were also recognized by the league for their accomplishments this year, and the challenge that faces them this season.
"Receiving an honorable mention between the pipes was the San Francisco Seal’s Eric Conner, who posted the same five save/shutout game as Patovic in a 2-0 win over the Bakersfield Brigade. The Seals are now positioned for a playoff run that, if successful, will be their first appearance since the PDL Seals lost in the 1996 final. Conner will assuredly be doing his part in helping the Seals to reach that plateau, he currently ranks 10th in the PDL in both Goals Against Average (0.857) and Shutouts (4).
To reach the playoffs the Seals must navigate the annual logjam that is the Southwest Division. The Fresno Fuego are looking to take the division for the second season in a row, but that feat will be a little more difficult given the departure of 2007 PDL MVP Pablo Campos on Monday, July 7 to Gothenburg, Sweden. Even without their top scoring threat, Fresno (26 points) holds a four point advantage on the second place Los Angeles Legends (22 points). To bypass the Legends, the Seals (21 points) must take three points away from Los Angeles this Saturday, July 12. One thing on the Seals have going for them is that all of their remaining matches are (at home)."
Seals Continue to Support Adult Soccer
July 2, 2008
Part of the Seals mission is to
promote soccer throughout the Bay Area, and to work with adult teams and clubs
to better promote the game.
We are pleased to announce a partnership with
the San Francisco Soccer Football League (SFSFL). The SFSFL teams are located
throughout Northern California. Games are primarily played in San Francisco at
the Polo Fields and Beach Chalet in Golden Gate Park, Crocker-Amazon Grounds,
and Boxer Stadium (formerly Balboa Stadium), but fields are also located in
Hayward, Portola Valley, San Jose, Pleasanton and Santa Rosa.
The SFSFL
season runs from March until November each year. There is a mid-season break
usually from mid June to late July. Games are played on Saturdays and Sundays in
the mornings and afternoons.
As part of this partnership the Seals will
donate a portion of all ticket sales purchased through the SFSFL website to the league.
Look for other events with the SFSFL as well.
The Seals also promote
adult women's soccer. Read about the Golden Gate Women's Soccer League
. . .
Seals Win in Bakersfield
July 6, 2008
 Competition for Playoffs Heats Up
The competition for the playoffs heated up for the Seals with a 2-0 defeat of the Brigade in Bakersfield Saturday night. Keeper Eric Conner kept the Seals in the match with five saves from eleven shots last night. Conner had three in the first half as the Brigade put pressure on the Seals stingy defense.
It took until the final seven minutes for the Seals to make their mark against the Brigade. Peter Lovell, who has been on a mission to help the Seals score goals since playing his first match for the Seals against the LA Legends on June 20th, scored the winning goal in the 83rd minute of the match. Justin Kim fed Lovell the ball for the finish.
Since joining the Seals three games ago, Lovell has scored three times, and had an assist. His performance has been outstanding, and came at a good point in the season, with Kellan Wilson off to Europe to watch the Euro 2008 (Kellan attended three matches!). "We had every opportunity to win a point in the game against the Legends," said Seals head coach Tom Simpson. "In the end our defense, who played well, just couldn't keep them out long enough. Peter's performance was certainly impressive against a tough defense like the Legends."
Kellan Wilson, back from his Euro 2008 trip, got the assist just three minutes later as Efrain Burgos (Jr) notched the insurance goal. It was nice to have Kellan back on the pitch, adding to the offensive pressure the Seals have been able to generate this season.
Keeper Eric Conner is now sporting a .857 GAA after 7 games with the Seals. You may recall that Eric started the season in the #2 position behind Dan Benton, who ultimately went to the Earthquakes after three matches with the Seals. In the seven games Conner has started this season for the Seals, he has 20 saves, and 4 shutouts. A record that any goalie would be pretty proud of, and frankly, is deserving of a look from the MLS as well. Of course, we hope that will be at the end of the season!
Next Up - Bakersfield Brigade
July 1, 2008
This Saturday night in Bakersfield will be the
most important match of this season. The Seals played very well in
their last game against the Seahorses and not bad the day before
against the Legends.
The Seals with one game in hand is essentially in
striking distance of 2nd place. This sets up the Bakersfield match as
the most critical match we have played to date. With the recent play of
strikers Peter Lovell (2 goals v. the Legends) and Anthony Grillo (2
goals v. Seahorses) as well as the welcome return of Kellan Wilson and
possibly Rawley Masaniai, the Seals should be well equipped to face a
stubborn Bakersfield defense.
The
Brigade are a tough club to figure out at the moment. Overall, they
are sporting a 3-2-7 record . . . yes, you read that right. The
Brigade have tied in seven games this season, and done so against some
of the toughest teams in the Division, including the second place
Legends (6-3-3) and the first place Fuego (8-3-2).
Read the Full Story . . .
Note: Our July 13th match against the Lancaster Rattlers has changed to 4:00pm at Chabot College in Hayward.
Seals in the Race - Resting for Final Month
June 28, 2008
The San Francisco Seals have a bye weekend at the end of June. Sitting in third place within striking distance of the playoffs is a good place to be, and resting up for 5 games in three weeks is equally useful.
"We've had a number of injuries here mid season, and this weekend will help our players heal a bit" says Tom Simpson, Seals Head Coach, and General Manager. "We have not been happy with some aspects of our game in June. This is a league with some really good talent, and you see the parity when you look at the standings. You can't make mistakes, or they'll cost you. We've just had a few too many of them at the wrong time. A play here or there, and the Seals are on top of the standings. So, our final games will be the judge and jury for us this season. I'm confident these guys can get the job done," added Simpson.
The Seals have 18 points from 11 games, and are just three points behind the LA Legends in second place, and five back from the leaders, the Fresno Fuego. Fresno has played 12 games to date. The Legends host the Fuego tonight, and come to play the Seals on Saturday, July 12th at USF Negoesco Stadium.
The next match is July 5th in Bakersfield against the Bakersfield Brigade.
Seals Win! Defeat Seahorses 2-0
June 21, 2008
Updated 6/27/08
After a heartbreaking loss in the last minute of the match against the Legends Friday night, the Seals defeated the Southern California Seahorses 2-0 with a goal in each half tonight.
San Luis Obispo's Anthony Grillo put two balls away for the Seals to secure the victory over the Seahorses on Saturday night. His first came in the 30th minute from an assist by forward Peter Lovell.
Lovell had a solid weekend for the Seals, as his assist in this game came on the heels of a two goal outing the night before against the tough defense of the LA Legends.
Grillo scored again in the second half, taking it on his own in the 54th minute.
Game Recap . . .
Seals Fall to Legends 2-3
June 21, 2008
The Seals made a strong showing last night in LA as they took on the LA Legends, who have been very impressive this season. Coming off a weekend where they only got 1 point out of 6, and needing to earn points this weekend on the road, the Seals scored first in the 5th minute of the game.
The lead held through the first half. Holding the Legends to a goose egg in the first half was quite a feat, considering they had scored 22 goals (second to the Fuego with 29) so far this season through 9 games coming into last nights match.
The Legends were frustrated. Among the best defense's in the entire PDL through 8 games, having only allowed a total of 6 goals against, the Fuego had just pummeled them for 6 goals in a 2-6 loss just the night before in Fresno. They seemed vulnerable. Then, in the 54th minute the Legends Davis Paul struck for a goal.
Tied 1-1, the Seals would have been content to take a point from the match. As the game went on, it seemed possible. But in the 8st minute Legends forward Ross Schunk hit the back of the net, and the Legends were on top.
The Seals did not quit, and Peter Lovell, who had scored the Seals first goal came right back to tie the game just two minutes later.
The Defense of the Seals has been stout most all the season. Mistakes have been costly, but we have had faith in our defensive play.
This night was a heartbreaker, as in the 89th minute Legend midfielder Bryan Fakkema struck for the winning goal.
Tonight (6/21) the Seals play the Southern California Seahorses at 7pm.
Game Recap . . .
Seals gain only 1 point of 6 available this past weekend
 By Coach Tom Simpson
The Seals finished the most difficult weekend of the season and ended up on the short end of a 6 point stick.
We knew this weekend would be tough. Kellan Wilson, who accounted for our seven of our first nine goals and already named PDL player of the week once and member of team of the week two weeks later, was absent because of a planned trip to the European Championships, Rawley Masaniai is nuturing a groin strain, and Eric Conner was on a planned visit to Canada. That presented us with a challenge which we did not measure well against.
We played 180 minutes of football this weekend. Defensively, we were horrible for the first 20 and adequate enough to shut our opponents out for the next 160. That was one of the few bright spots for the weekend. Another was the concerted effort of our guys who mustered up a strong attack against a resilient Quakes team who benefited early in the game from our sloppy defense. However the attack wasn't strong enough to outdo the Quakes who managed, with some luck, to keep us out of the net. Some individual play worth recognition was Stephen Cordova's header goal at the 12th minute of the match off Josh Leon's long cross from the left flank. Rich Halvorsen was nails on defense. Substitute midfielder Jeff Cosgriff provided a surge in mid-field control and helped organize the attack. Tyler Barry also came off the bench and helped plug the holes created by the early Seals defensive sloppiness. In the end, it was a case of too little, too late, as the Seals walked away with their second loss of the season.
Sunday's game against the Southern California Seahorses ended in a 0-0 tie. Although the Seals managed a point in this game, there was a frightening statistic that told the story. The Seals managed only one shot on goal in 90 minutes and could not convert on multiple corners. The bright spot in this game was our resilience: even though we played the day before while our opponents rested, we didn't give up a goal. Team captain, Rich Halvorsen, once again provided his usual strong work. He paired well with Tyler Barry. Doug Carr played his second game at defensive mid and performed well in place of the sorely missed Rawley Masaniai, and Lewis Sweeney notched a shut-out with solid goalkeeper play.
The coming weekend the Seals play the Legends in Los Angeles on Friday night and the Seahorses, once again, on Saturday night.
Quakes Game Recap . . .
Quakes Game Photo's . . .
Seahorse's Game Recap . . .
Seals vs Seahorses Today!
June 15, 2008
June 15th at USF Negoesco Starts at 2:00 pm
Father's Day Special! Any youth player who brings their Dad or Mom today can get their entire family in for only $4.00 each!
After a tough 2-1 loss yesterday against the San Fernando Valley Quakes, the Seals are up against the Southern California Seahorses today. The Seahorses are struggling this season. After six complete matches they are in ninth place with only 4 points from a 1-5-1 record. Friday evening they visited the San Jose Frogs who defeated them . The Seahorses record shows they can be tough, as power house LA Legends only managed one goal against them in a 1-1 draw played just two games back on the 31st of May. Only two teams have scored more than 2 goals against them this year. No one player has dominated their offense this season. Four different players have scored, and only one (Christian Rus) has two goals. For the Seals, today's game is a must win. A win will keep the Seals in a great position as we compete for the Conference Title going into next weekend when we travel south to meet the LA Legends and the Seahorses, our second double header weekend in a row.
Player Highlight - Yousef Samy
June 10, 2008
Yousef Samy joined the Seals this season, and has been a significant contributor as part of the defense, playing predominantly as right back, but also serving in the center from time-to-time. He has played every minute of all six games in which he has appeared. "Yousef is calm back there" acknowledged coach Tom Simpson. "He is smooth and confident. He's been a great contributor for us." Samy was born in Berkeley California 22 years ago. Both his parents were both born in Afghanistan, and as a result, Samy holds dual citizenship status. In 2007, Samy got a chance of a lifetime - he was called to play for the Afghanistan National Team! Read the Full Story . . .
Next up - Double Header Weekend @ USF
June 8, 2008
Saturday - San Fernando Valley Quakes
June 14th at USF Negoesco Starts at 2:00 pm
 This match is the first of two for next weekend (6/14 & 15).
With seven games completed, the Quakes find themselves with nine points from a 2-2-3 record.
Over their last three matches they are undefeated, with a 1-0-2 record. The lone win coming against a struggling Lancaster Rattlers in a 4-2 come-from-behind win at home.
Currently, the Quakes are in 7th place behind four teams tied with eleven points. Last season the Quakes finished in second place with 32 points, and were eliminated in the first round of playoffs by BYU.
The Match Sunday is the same day that the San Jose Earthquakes play at the Oakland Coliseum against the LA Galaxy. Many of us are making it a double header day, and anticipate that only the San Jose Quakes will come away as a winner!
------------------------------
Sunday - So. Cal. SeahorsesJune 15th at USF Negoesco Starts at 2:00 pm The Seahorses are struggling this season. After six complete matches they are in ninth place with only 4 points from a 1-4-1 record. they will visit the San Jose Frogs on Friday (6/13) before playing the Seals on Saturday. Their last three matches have been encouraging for them, as they have only one loss while putting together a 1-1-1 record. No one player has dominated their offense this season. Four different players have scored, and only one (Christian Rus) has two goals. Our goal is a win from both matches, which will put the Seals in a great position going into the following weekend when we travel south to meet the LA Legends and the Seahorses, our second double header weekend in a row.
Wilson Earns PDL Honors for 2nd Time
June 4, 2008
Kellan Wilson was named to the PDL Team of the Week for the second time this season for his goal scoring performance in the Seals away win last Friday (5/30) against the Orange County Blue Stars.
Wilson setup the first goal of that match in the 20th minute when he received a thru ball and split the Blue Star defense of Joel Smith and David Sias.
Wilson was on the run between the two defenders and appeared to have last man Sias beat on the way to the ball when he was taken off his feet about 25 yards out. “I thought he should have had an automatic red,” stated Head Coach Tom Simpson. “He was obviously the last man, and Kellan would be one-on-one with the goalie.”
Wilson encouraged referee Alejandro Mariscal to pull the red card, but Sias got off with a yellow card. Efrain Burgos Jr. (Junior) knocked in the goal.
Wilson scored in the 39th minute on a header with the assist coming from Junior. That goal tied the game at 2-2.
The winning goal, and Wilson’s second of the match, came in the 74th minute on an assist from Rawlston Masaniai. Wilson had pulled his man wide, and Masaniai put a thru ball behind the defense when Wilson’s man stepped up to challenge Masaniai. “I got in behind him, took a look, and just managed to power the ball past the keeper” said Wilson. “It was a great ball from Rawley, and it felt great to get that win!” he added.
Read more about the PDL Team of the Week . . .
Fusion Get Their Revenge – Defeat Seals 1-0 in Ventura
June 1, 2008
The San Francisco Seals suffered their first defeat of the season today in Ventura as the Fusion defeated the Seals 1-0.
Before the game Fusion Head Coach Graham Smith stated “. . . we are planning a revengeful evening for the cruel result we suffered at the home of the Seals last week. Strange officiating decisions saw us lose by the only goal in a very attractive game played by two sides that were determined to produce good open soccer.”
Apparently he hadn’t seen the video replay on line at the Seals website showing the Seals had suffered from that “strange officiating” by having a goal called back.
Never-the-less, in the 44th minute an open Bryan Byrne, who last played for the New England Revolution, headed in a corner for the game winning goal.
Seals keeper Eric Conner seemed to get a hand on the ball to make the stop, but the ball spun into the goal. Eric Lafon tried desperately to block the ball on the line, but was just a fraction late.
Read the Full Story . . .
Seals Give Orange County the Blues
May 30, 2008
 Come from behind 3-2 win
It was a game of ups and downs, but in the end it was the San Francisco Seals who were feeling up, and Orange County were left down with the Blues, as the Seals came from behind twice to defeat the Blue Stars 3-2.
Kellan Wilson struck again - twice - and Efrain Burgos Jr. (Junior) got his second of the season, and an assist as well.
Orange County got on the scoreboard first in the 20th minute with a goal by Fernando Monge as he shot the ball past keeper Eric Conner. Three minutes later the Seals tied up the score.
At times in the first half the Seals played like . . . well, like they had just had a 10 hour trip in a car, got out, stretched, changed, warmed up a little, and started to play . . . which is exactly what they had done. "It was a grueling two hours to get through LA to the field," said coach Tom Simpson. "But it seems like there is some magic in that formula. I don't think we've ever lost an away game when we've done that," he added.
The Seals pulled it out in the end. "It felt great!" said Wilson.
The Seals remain undefeated for the season, and move to Ventura for a 5pm game on Sunday night.
Keeper Dan Benton Signs with Earthquakes
May 28, 2008
 Seals keeper Dan Benton signed with the San Jose Earthquakes this past week. “Dan has been working out with the Quakes all season. In fact, he worked out with them in preseason as well. He’s done a terrific job for us in goal this year, and I can only wish him the very best!” said Seals Head Coach Tom Simpson.
At the time of his signing, Benton was 4th on the PDL Goal Keeper chart for saves this season with 20, and is sporting a 1.000 GAA (Goals Against Average) for the three game appearances this season.
“We are fortunate to have a terrific backup keeper, Eric Conner,” added Simpson. Conner has already had one shutout this season, and had three last year while making 51 saves, and finishing with a 1.153 GAA. Conner has had two starts for the Seals this season, and has already recorded two shutout's and 11 saves.
Conner was a runner up for the PDL All Star team last season.
Seals Lead Conference - Defeat Fusion 1-0
May 26, 2008
 On another cool night here in San Francisco, and the second home game of the season, the Seals earned a one nil victory over the Ventura Fusion to elevate the team into first place in the Southwest Division of the PDL. Efrain Burgos Jr. scored the winning goal on a PK, and that was all it took for the Seals to take their third win of the season, and remain undefeated. The win also marks the third shutout of the season for the Seals, as Goalkeeper Eric Conner recorded his second shutout in as many starts. Conner was starting in place of Dan Benton who was signed by the San Jose Earthquakes earlier in the week. Conner had an outstanding season for the Seals in the 2007 campaign, and received an honorable mention last season for his play. The Seals were more on target in this match, especially in the first half, as the Seals out shot the Fusion 17 to 12, with 5 of 9 shots in the first half on goal. Conner had a total of six saves with three in each half. Read the Full Story & View Video . . .
Seals to Participate in AYSO National Meeting
May 20, 2008
AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization) - one of the world’s largest youth sports organizations with over 650,000 players, 250,000 adult volunteers and 50,000 teams - will be holding its 2008 National Meeting in San Francisco during Memorial Day Weekend. For two days prior to the Meeting, May 22 & 23, hundreds of visiting AYSO delegates and local volunteers will be participating in community mprovement projects in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point community next to Monster/Candlestick Park. The 2008 goal is to exceed 1,000 man-hours of volunteer time.
Projects include restoration, improvement and beautification at Bret Harte Elementary School, Gilman Playground and Alice Griffith Community Garden. There will also be a youth coaching class, two pro soccer games, soccer celebrities, two BBQs and pub crawl. In addition to AYSO, participating organizations include San Francisco Seals soccer, San Jose Earthquakes soccer, San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department, Bret Harte Elementary School and America SCORES.
As part of the Kick-off night Soccer Clinic Thursday night, the Seals U21 team will hold an exhibition match at 5:30pm, and the coaches & players will be available afterwards for Q&A. We look forward to the event, and to working with the AYSO in the future.
For more information about Kick-off night & the Soccer Clinic click here: Kick Off San Francisco
Learn more about:
* AYSO at www.soccer.org
* AYSO Section 2 at www.section2.org
* America SCORES at www.americascores.org
Seals & Orange County Draw 1-1
May 17, 2008
Updated May 19, 2008
On a foggy night in San Francisco . . . for something completely new & different . . . the Seals and the Orange County Blue Stars played to a 1-1 draw. The Seals took the early lead in the first half on a brilliant pass from Dimitrius Omphroy to Stephen Cordova, who finished the ball with a great shot.
Cordova thrilled the crowd of 340 with a cartwheel and back flip in celebration.
As happens in soccer, within ten minutes the Blue Star made it an even match on the board.
The Seals remain undefeated through four games this season, but needed a win Saturday night to keep pace with the San Jose Frogs who have played and won all their games except for the match against Seals in which we tied 0-0.
Bill Robertson Update - From Austrailia
May 12, 2008
Player of the Year & Youth Academy Team Finalists
 Bill Robertson was on of our standout players in the defense last season. When the Seals were done, Bill found himself in Austrailia playing for the Canterbury United FC Dragons and heading up the Academy team there (see article: Bill Robertson's Great Adventure).
Recently Robertson was awarded Canterbury's Player of the Year for his outstanding contribution to the team.
But Robertson's success was not limited to just his play for the team. As Academy Director and Head Coach, Robertson guided the Youth Academy team to the Finals in the the New Zealand National Youth League.
Wilson Strikes Again! Seals Win 1-0
May 9, 2008 - 11:30 PM
 Updated - 5/12/08
Kellan Wilson struck in the 83rd minute for the lone goal of the match, as the Seals take win number two in Lancaster.
The goal gives Kellan Wilson three for the season, as he continues to establish himself as a force to be reckoned with in the PDL. The goal also keeps the Seals undefeated in three matches so far this season, as the Seals have two wins and one tie.
Wilson earned player of the week this week for his play against Fresno Fuego, when he came on late in the match to score twice, and lead the Seals to a 3-2 come-from-behind win. Wearing a big grin on his face, Kellan was to the point: "Yea, that was pretty fun."
We hope to bring you more details of the game this weekend as we get more details from the coach and players.
Kellan Wilson PDL Player of the Week
May 8, 2008
 TAMPA, FL – United Soccer Leagues announced today the USL Premier Development League Team of the Week for the third week of the USL season, honoring the San Francisco Seals’ Kellen Wilson as the Player of the Week.
Wilson upstaged his Team of the Week companions by coming off the bench in the 54th minute of a then 2-0 game in favor of the defending Southwest Division Champion Fresno Fuego. The Seals promptly staged a three-goal turnaround and defeated the Fuego 3-2 on their own Chukchansi Park turf.
The tide began to turn on Fresno in the 64th minute when pressure from San Francisco in the Fuego’s defensive third caused the referee to award a penalty kick. The Seals’ Carlos Diaz converted to make it 2-1 Fresno.
Continued pressure in the 80th minute saw Diaz find his way into the scorebook for the second time, this time on an assist to Wilson. And just four minutes later, the Seals took the lead for good on Wilson’s second strike of the evening. That goal was assisted by Stephen Cordova. (Note: the USL article states incorrectly that the assist was from Fabricio Codeceira).
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PDL Team of the Week
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Pos
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Name
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Team
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Highlights
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G
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Miguel Gallardo
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Austin
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Four saves in 0-0 draw at El Paso
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D
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Eric Winblad
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Los Angeles
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Assist in 1-0 win at Orange County
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D
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Brandon Howell
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Lancaster
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Goal in 2-2 draw against Bakersfield
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D
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Oliver Skelding
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Long Island
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Led team in 1-1 draw at New Hampshire
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D
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Matt Delaney
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New Hampshire
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Led team in 1-1 draw against Long Island
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M
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Mathew Davis
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San Fernando V
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Assist on winner in 3-1 win over So. California
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M
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Eric Dominguez
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Houston
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Three assists in 3-0 win over New Orleans
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M
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Michael Galland
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Bakersfield
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Goal, assist in 2-2 draw at Lancaster
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*
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F
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Kellen Wilson
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San Francisco
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Two goals off bench in 3-2 win at Fresno
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F
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Carlos Araujo
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Central Florida
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Two goals in 2-1 win over Panama City
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F
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Jacob Sagare
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Yakima
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Two goals in 3-0 win at Spokane
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