Soccer By Ives

Agbossoumonde joins RailHawks hoping to find form, playing time

photo by John Dorton/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Gale Agbossoumonde has accomplished quite a bit in his young career. At 20 years of age, Agbossoumonde has already received his first senior national team cap, played in Europe and won a U.S. Soccer Young Athlete of the Year award.

Even with all that on his growing resume, there's still something he desperately yearns for: Consistent playing time.

The search for minutes at the club level has been a constant theme in Agbossoumonde's career, with the centerback having spent time at five clubs prior to 2012. The time with those teams has not produced much in the way of minutes for Agbossoumonde, and it is for that reason that he finds himself back in the United States, where he will play for the Carolina RailHawks of NASL this season.

"I talked to my agents and they talked with Traffic. I wanted to play in the States, play close to home for a little bit," Agbossoumonde told SBI in an exclusive interview. "It will help me so I get playing time and be close to the family; just to get a good vibe back and help me build my confidence."

Agbossoumonde set for RailHawks loan

Photo by John Dorton/ISIphotos.com

U.S. Under-23 national team defender Gale Agbossoumonde is set to finalize a loan move to the NASL's Carolina RailHawks today, sources told SBI.

The 20-year-old Agbossoumonde has been on a constant quest for consistent playing time for the better part of the last three years, having stints with Sporting Braga in Portugal, Djurgardens IF in Sweden and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany yield few first-team minutes.

With Carolina, he does not figure to have that problem, and the move provides him a platform to improve while working toward making the U.S. Olympic qualifying roster and this summer's Olympic tournament, should the United States qualify. He'll be on loan from Portuguese second division side Estoril, which holds his rights through the summer of 2013.

The move to Carolina comes a couple of weeks after Agbossoumonde passed on a chance to sign with MLS. Instead of locking himself into a multi-year deal, like he did upon signing with Traffic in 2009, Agbossoumonde will see out the final year of his current deal in Carolina before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2013, a move that could pay major dividends with strong showings for the RailHawks and the U-23s this year.

What do you think of this development?

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Agbossoumonde passes on MLS move

U.S. Under-23 national team defender Gale Agbossoumonde has endured a rough road in his quest for regular playing time since turning pro two years ago. With a recent stint at Eintracht Frankfurt failing to deliver him playing time, Agbossoumonde looked poised for a move to Major League Soccer.

That move will not be happening.

Agbossoumonde, 20, rejected a contract offer from Major League Soccer this week, choosing instead to see out the final year of his current deal with Traffic Sports. He is expected to make a move to play for top NASL side Carolina Railhawks for the upcoming season, with an eye toward a potential move back to Europe as a free agent at the end of the year.

Afternoon Ticker: Balotelli and Richards scuffle, Rowdies return and more

By FRANCO PANIZO

Mario Balotelli and Micah Richards were anything but all smiles in Thursday's training session.

The two Manchester City regulars were involved in a scuffle near the end of practice following a heated exchange of words. Richards had to be held back by fellow teammates when he attempted to continue the argument.

It is being reported that Manchester City is considering the scuffle between the two teammates, who usualy get on well, to be minor. Richards further stressed that point when he tweeted,  "Me & mario are all good! these things happen in training & we shook hands after. It shows passion!"

While not major, the incident is just the latest example of Balotelli's concerning penchant of getting into trouble. In recent weeks, Balotelli was caught breaking curfew and accidentally set his house on fire by lighting fireworks through a bathroom window.

Here are more stories to help get you through the day:

NSC Minnesota holds off Fort Lauderdale to lift first NASL championship

By FRANCO PANIZO

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - NSC Minnesota Stars just could not beat the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers during the regular season, losing twice and tying twice in four matches.

Unfortunately for the Strikers, that trend didn't continue in the NASL Championship Series.

The Stars lifted the NASL championship trophy in front of 6,849 fans on a rainy Saturday night at Lockhart Stadium, winning the series 3-1 on aggregate following a scoreless draw in the second leg.

"It's such a moment for the (players)," said Stars head coach Manny Lagos, who danced and sang with his team and a dozen traveling fans in the southwest corner of the field after the game. "I wanted to share with them because they've been so amazing this year, credit to them."

Trailing Strikers feel optimistic heading into NASL championship finale

By FRANCO PANIZO

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The scoreline in the NASL Championship Series doesn't favor the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, but you wouldn't know that judging from the team's demeanor.

Down 3-1 as it heads into the second leg against NSC Minnesota Stars, Ft. Lauderdale is optimistic about its chances of overcoming that deficit and lifting the championship trophy at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday (7:30 p.m., NASL.com/tape delayed 10 p.m., GolTV). That may be a surprise to some, considering the Strikers' showing in Minnesota for the first leg last Saturday.

The Strikers fell behind early and struggled to find an offensive rhythm, with passes going astray and a lack of creativity in the final third plaguing their attack. In fact, Ft. Lauderdale's lone goal came when Justin Davis accidentally knocked the ball into his own net.

That isn't stopping the Strikers from feeling good about their chances, though.

"We feel like the pressure is on them, because they have a lead that they have to hold and we really have everything to go after them," said Strikers head coach Darryl Shore. "They've got to keep the lead, so we're going to put an attacking group out there and see what happens."

Stars take first leg in NASL Championship Series over Strikers

  

By FRANCO PANIZO

NSC Minnesota Stars picked a good time to get its first win over the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers.

After going winless in four regular season games against the team from South Florida, Minnesota defeated the Strikers in front of 4,511 fans at home in NSC Stadium in the first leg of the NASL Championship Series. 3-1. The second leg will be played on Oct. 29 at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale at 7:30pm.

Luke Mulholland scored the winner for the Stars a minute after an own goal had pulled the Strikers level. Lucas Rodriguez put the game away with an insurance goal that came off a low shot from about 15 yards out.

Strikers, Stars aim for victory in first leg of NASL Championship Series

  

 

By FRANCO PANIZO

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - In four meetings during the regular season, the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers went undefeated against NSC Minnesota Stars with a 2-0-2 record and 6-2 goal advantage.

That may have happened in the last few months, but it will seem like long ago to both teams as they attempt to get a win in the first leg of the NASL Championship Series at NSC Stadium in Minnesota on Saturday (8:30pm ET).

"Playing in a final, I don't think you can get overconfident," said Strikers head coach Daryl Shore. "Because the team that you're playing against, obviously, has done well to get to the final also, regardless of what your regular season results are like against them. You can throw all that out the window because it's a whole different season."

Minnesota advances to NASL final as shock run continues in win over Carolina

By JOHN BOSCHINI

For the second consecutive year, the Carolina Railhawks scored four goals in the return leg against the NSC Minnesota Stars. Only this time, it wasn't enough.

Minnesota advanced to the NASL championship series on penalty kicks despite losing a wild 4-3 game in Cary on Saturday. The Stars carried a 1-0 advantage into the return leg and, unlike in European ties, away goals do not factor into the aggregate score. Lucas Rodriguez calmly slotted the winning penalty past Brad Knighton after Johnny Steele was stoned by Joe Warren in the only miss of the shootout.

The loss technically breaks Minnesota's five-game unbeaten streak after the Stars needed a late surge to even get into the post-season.

For Carolina, an elimination caps off an epic collapse. The Railhawks rattled off a 13-game unbeaten streak in the middle of the season but couldn't recover after coasting into the playoffs on a losing streak. An offense that scored 50 goals in the regular season finally came alive with a hat trick from Pablo Campos but an equally dominant defense abandoned Carolina as the Railhawks failed to keep a clean sheet for sixth-straight game.

Strikers advance to NASL Championship Series with win over Puerto Rico

photo by Victor Palkaninec

By FRANCO PANIZO

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. - The Puerto Rico Islanders won't soon forget the name Brian Shriver.

A week after scoring the final goal in the Fort Lauderdale Strikers' 3-1 road win against Puerto Rico, Shriver bagged a brace in the second leg of the NASL semifinals series to give the hosts a 2-1 victory in front of 4,233 fans at Lockhart Stadium on Saturday night.

Shriver scored in each half to help give Fort Lauderdale a 5-2 aggregate score line and advancement to the NASL Championship Series. The Strikers will meet with NSC Minnesota Stars in the two-legged championship series after the latter team defeated the Carolina RailHawks in a dramatic match that ended in a shootout on Saturday.

"We knew we had a two-goal lead, but a two-goal lead in soccer is not easy to keep," said Strikers head coach Daryl Shore. "All week in practice we didn't even think about defending and defending. We talked about attacking and playing in their half of the field, and I think for the most part we did that."

NASL Playoff Semifinals: Second leg preview

By JOHN BOSCHINI

For all the dominance the Puerto Rico Islanders and the Carolina Railhawks enjoyed during the regular season, everything goes out the window once the playoffs start and both sides are in serious danger of being home in time for Halloween. 

The Puerto Rico Islanders were decimated by international callups and face a difficult task in overturning a 3-1 deficit in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday. Last weekend marked the first home defeat for the Puerto Rico Islanders this season. Exacerbating Puerto Rico's problems is the fact Fort Lauderdale has lost by multiple goals at home only once so far in 2011

Carolina returns home trying to regain an offensive form that has seemingly deserted them in the fall. The Railhawks are languishing in the middle of a five-game losing streak, scoring only once during their terrible run of form. The NSC Minnesota Stars are riding a much better streak, going undefeated in five games and have yet to drop a game to Carolina this season. The Railhawks need to overturn the 1-0 defeat suffered last weekend in Minnesota.

Here is a look ahead to the action in the NASL this weekend:

NASL Semifinals: First leg rewind

By JOHN BOSCHINI

If having a week of rest and a first-round bye is supposed to be an advantage it certainly didn't look that way on Saturday as both top-seeded Carolina and #2 Puerto Rico slumped to first-leg losses in the semifinals of the NASL.

For the Puerto Rico Islanders, an astounding 10 international call-ups could explain a 3-1 loss to the third-seeded Fort Lauderdale Strikers. It was the first home loss of the season for the Islanders, who surrendered a late goal which puts Puerto Rico in the difficult position of overturning a two-goal deficit in Florida this weekend.

Problems are harder to explain in Carolina as the once unstoppable Railhawks suffered their fifth loss in a row with a 1-0 defeat to the NSC Minnesota Stars. It was Minnesota's third victory over Carolina this season as the Stars extend their surprising unbeaten run to five games. Carolina needs to rediscover its offensive form soon or it could be an early exit for the regular-season champions.

Here is a look back at both of the games from the NASL.

NASL semifinals: First-leg preview

 

By JOHN BOSCHINI

Half of the teams in the NASL have already started their winter breaks while the four remaining teams are left to battle for a place in the inaugural NASL final.

The sixth-seeded NSC Minnesota Stars and No. 4 Fort Lauderdale Strikers survived the pressure of a one-off quarterfinal against No. 3 FC Tampa Bay and No. 5 FC Edmonton, respectively, last weekend to advance. The Stars welcome a semifinal challenge from the top-ranked Carolina Railhawks, while the No. 2 Puerto Rico Islanders play host to Fort Lauderdale with both games taking place Saturday.

After nearly playing its way out of the playoffs, Minnesota finished the season on a three-game unbeaten streak and pulled off a surprising 1-0 upset of FC Tampa Bay. The suddenly hot Stars have found a great deal of success against Carolina this season, winning two and drawing two in four contests with the regular-season champions.

Puerto Rico and Fort Lauderdale have been much more evenly matched during the regular season, with each team winning one and drawing two of the four regular-season games. Fort Lauderdale exploded in the quarterfinals with a five-goal thrashing of FC Edmonton but need to shore up an occasionally leaky defense to contain Puerto Rico.

Here is a look ahead to the first leg of the NASL semifinals:

NASL Playoffs: Quarterfinal Preview

There is no rest for the weary and no one knows that better than the quarterfinalists in the NASL playoffs.

Combine the physical toll of a long season with the pressure cooker of a win or go home match-up and fans are in for something special come Saturday. Florida will be the host for both quarterfinals as #6 Minnesota travels to #3 Tampa Bay and #4 Fort Lauderdale plays host to #5 Edmonton. #1 Carolina and #2 Puerto Rico have already booked their places in the semifinals and get an extra week of rest.  The Atlanta Silverbacks and the Montreal Impact were the odd men out in the six-team league.

The quarterfinals are a one-game round with extra time and penalty kicks coming into play. The semifinals and final are home-and-away taking place during October. Teams will be re-seeded after the quarterfinals based on regular-season points total so the Railhawks would face semifinalist with the worst record no matter what.

Here is a look ahead to the first round of the NASL playoffs:

NASL Week 25: A Look Back

By JOHN BOSCHINI

Minnesota nearly bungled their way out the playoffs with a near-epic collapse towards the end of the season but the Stars came up with a win when it counted, beating the Carolina Railhawks, 2-1, to book a place in the postseason.

Things aren't so bright for Carolina. The Railhawks backed their way into the playoffs with a four-game losing streak, scoring only one goal during that timeframe. Carolina still holds the number one seed heading into the playoffs but need to regain the confidence that made the Railhawks so dominate in the regular season.

The Montreal Impact charged late in the season but their atrocious opening half was ulimately their undoing. A 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Silverbacks was not enough to secure a playoff spot and Montreal ends its first and only season in the NASL outside of the playoff picture.

FC Tampa Bay secured the third playoff spot and will face Minnesota in the first round of the playoffs. Tampa downed Fort Lauderdale 2-0 on Saturday night to relegate the Strikers to the fourth seed, where they will face FC Edmonton.

Here is a look back at the results in the NASL:

NASL Week 25: A Look Ahead

By JOHN BOSCHINI

After a grueling season spanning nearly six months and consisting of 27 games, it all comes down to the final weekend in the inaugural season of the NASL.

The NSC Minnesota Stars and the Montreal Impact enter the weekend in a fight for the final playoff spot, while FC Tampa Bay and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers jockey for third place. Minnesota holds a narrow lead over Montreal but faces a difficult road trip to Carolina, while Montreal should have little problem with the despondent Atlanta Silverbacks.

Should Minnesota lose and Montreal tie, the Impact would go through on goal difference, because the two sides split their four contests. Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay meet on Saturday with the winner taking third place. Tampa Bay would finish in third should a tie occur.

The Puerto Rico Islanders and FC Edmonton have already wrapped up their regular seasons, finishing in second and fifth place, respectively.

Here is a look ahead at the final weekend of action in the NASL: