- East Bay Prep Corner
East Bay Boys Soccer Notebook: Feb. 8
By Matt Smith
Monday, February 8th, 2010 at 11:16 am in Boys soccer.
One last look at the North Coast Section’s boys soccer playoff picture as we head into the regular season’s final week.
Division I
Locks: De La Salle, Granada, Richmond, Berkeley, San Ramon Valley, California, Castro Valley, Newark Memorial, Clayton Valley, Logan.
Those 10 teams are going to the playoffs.
Eligible: Alameda, Amador Valley, Deer Valley, Antioch, Freedom, Liberty, Arroyo, College Park, Mission San Jose.
I don’t know if I have Mt. Eden’s record accurate, or San Lorenzo for that matter, so those two teams could make it 21 playoff eligible teams in D I. As of right now, the count is 19, meaning three of those teams are going to be left out.
Of those nine teams that we know are eligible (finishing at least .500 overall, in league or against division opponents) I would say that Amador Valley, Deer Valley, Freedom and Antioch (because they are leading the BVAL) are on the safest ground. Despite a rough patch, College Park has some big wins so I’d have to say the Falcons are probably getting in.
Division II
Locks: Bishop O’Dowd, Dublin, Acalanes, Albany, Las Lomas, Kennedy-Fremont, Piedmont, St. Mary’s, Ygnacio Valley.
All it takes is a quick look at the records of these teams to see that they are in safely.
Eligible: Campolindo, Dougherty Valley, Kennedy-Richmond, Concord, El Cerrito.
These four teams appear to be eligible right now, and with less than 16 teams it looks like they are safely in the post-season. I never like to assume anything, but these teams seem to be locks.
El Cerrito, appears to be eligible at 6-2-1 v. Division II opponents. They are 6-8-1 overall as of right now, but 0-6 against teams from Division I.
On the bubble: Alhambra.
Alhambra simply needs to win one of its final two games (the Bulldogs play Campolindo and Dublin) or they need to tie them both, to finish exactly .500 overall.
Let’s take a final look at the league races as well.
Berkeley is control of the ACCAL. If the Yellowjackets win out, they win the league. If they slip up and tie (or lose, obviously) then the ball is back in Richmond’s court.
In the wild, wild BVAL, Antioch, Freedom, Liberty and Deer Valley are still all in the hunt to win the league. Antioch plays Freedom at home on Tuesday. If the Panthers win, Freedom would not be able to win the league. But, Liberty and Deer Valley stay in the race with wins against Heritage and Pittsburg, respectively. This league will come down to the final day, with it still being possible that four teams could have a claim.
Clayton Valley is still very much in control of the DVAL. All it takes is one win in their final two games and they face Mt. Diablo and Northgate, who are a combined 2-14-1 in league. The only team at this point that could catch CV is Ygnacio Valley and it would take the Eagles losing or tying twice.
De La Salle is still very, very much in control of the EBAL. All the Spartans have to do is win one of their final two games, or they could tie both of those games and still win the league. Granada is the only team that could catch them, and the Matadors would have to win out and hope for the best.
With a six-point lead, all Bishop O’Dowd has to do to win the HAAL is win one of its final two league games. The Dragons first crack comes at home against Moreau Catholic on Wednesday.
Dublin has already won the DFAL, Albany locked up the BSAL and Logan is the champion of the MVAL.
Rankings
This week was the hardest week as far as ranking the teams. The message boards will go off, I am sure.
It was time to give Bishop O’Dowd another bump. The Dragons are still undefeated and are playing very, very well right now.
This isn’t a knock on De La Salle. When it’s all said and done, I still think the Spartans are the favorite to win the D I crown. But for right now, they settle in at No. 3.
San Ramon Valley lost and had a tie, but against good teams, so the Wolves had to drop, but just a little. I couldn’t move Cal above SRV, and Albany had to drop a little for tying an unranked team.
The Cougars are still undefeated, and might feel slighted dropping to No. 8, but they are the hardest team for me to rank at this point.
Despite winning the DFAL, Dublin drops just a tiny bit after a loss to Las Lomas. Still, Dublin remains a top ten team easily.
Berkeley benefits from teams losing and tying in the top ten. The Yellowjackets are 8-0-1 in their last nine and with an early season tie with SRV, they can play with just about anyone.
And some people haven’t been really happy about Amador Valley’s ascent up the rankings, and now that they are a top ten team, I expect words about this. All I can say is watch them play right now. Nobody will want to play this team in the D I playoffs.
1. Granada (15-2-4)
2. Bishop O’Dowd (16-0-4)
3. De La Salle (13-5-2)
4. Richmond (12-1-9)
5. Berkeley (14-3-2)
6. San Ramon Valley (10-3-8)
7. California (12-3-5)
8. Albany (18-0-3)
9. Dublin (17-3-1)
10. Amador Valley (7-5-10)
11. Las Lomas (14-4-2)
12. Acalanes (14-3-3)
13. Castro Valley (14-3-4)
14. Newark Memorial (16-4-4)
15. Clayton Valley (14-3-3)
Others considered: Logan (13-7-4), Ygnacio Valley (11-4-2), Deer Valley (10-6-5), Dougherty Valley (9-6-3), College Park (11-7-5), Campolindo (10-8-4), Liberty (7-5-6), Antioch (8-7-6), Freedom (9-5-6), Arroyo (11-8-1).
League standings
ACCAL
Team Overall League Points
Berkeley (14-3-2) 8-1-1 25
Richmond (12-1-9) 7-0-3 24
Alameda (6-11-4) 5-2-4 19
El Cerrito (6-8-1) 4-5-1 13
Pinole Valley (4-14-1) 2-8-0 6
De Anza (3-12-6) 1-6-3 6
Hercules (1-9-1) 1-7-1 4
BSAL
Team Overall League Points
Albany (18-0-3) 12-0-1 37
St. Mary’s (11-6-3) 9-3-2 29
Piedmont (11-4-4) 9-3-1 28
Kennedy (11-8-2) 8-4-2 26
Encinal (5-14-1) 5-8-1 16
Salesian (4-9-1) 4-7-1 13
Swett (3-9-0) 3-8-0 9
St. Patrick-St. Vincent (1-9-0) 1-8-0 3
St. Joseph-Notre Dame (1-14-0) 1-10-0 3
BVAL
Team Overall League Points
Antioch (8-7-6) 6-3-4 22
Freedom (9-5-6) 5-3-5 20
Deer Valley (10-6-5) 5-3-5 20
Liberty (7-5-6) 5-3-5 20
Pittsburg (6-12-3) 3-7-3 12
Hertiage (3-10-2) 3-8-2 11
DFAL
Team Overall League Points
Dublin (17-3-1) 8-2-1 25
Acalanes (14-3-3) 6-3-1 19
Las Lomas (14-4-2) 5-3-2 17
Dougherty Valley (9-6-3) 4-4-2 14
Campolindo (10-8-4) 3-6-2 11
Alhambra (6-6-4) 3-5-2 11
Miramonte (0-6-4) 0-6-4 4
DVAL
Team Overall League Points
Clayton Valley (14-3-3) 8-1-1 25
Ygnacio Valley (11-4-2) 7-2-1 22
College Park (11-7-5) 6-2-3 21
Concord (5-8-4) 5-3-2 17
Berean Christian (2-17-3) 1-7-2 5
Mt. Diablo (1-7-1) 1-6-1 4
Northgate (2-18-1) 1-8-0 3
EBAL
Team Overall League Points
De La Salle (13-5-2) 9-1-2 29
Granada (15-2-4) 7-2-3 24
California (12-3-5) 6-3-3 21
San Ramon Valley (10-3-8) 5-2-5 20
Amador Valley (7-5-10) 3-2-7 16
Monte Vista (5-11-5) 3-7-2 11
Livermore (2-11-2) 1-9-2 5
Foothill (5-12-4) 0-8-4 4
HAAL
Team Overall League Points
Bishop O’Dowd (16-0-4) 11-0-3 36
Castro Valley (14-3-4) 9-1-3 30
Arroyo (11-8-1) 8-5-1 25
Mt. Eden (8-8-0) 5-6-1 16
San Lorenzo (4-7-4) 3-5-4 13
Tennyson (3-6-4) 3-5-4 13
San Leandro (5-10-6) 3-8-3 12
Hayward (6-10-3) 3-8-3 12
Moreau Catholic (1-11-2) 0-9-2 2
MVAL
Team Overall League Points
Logan (13-7-4) 9-1-2 29
Newark Memorial (16-4-4) 8-1-3 27
Kennedy (9-6-2) 7-4-1 22
Mission San Jose (10-9-1) 6-6-0 18
Washington (4-13-2) 4-7-1 13
Irvington (6-12-3) 4-7-1 13
American (0-14-0) 0-12-0 0
Statistics
Here is the list of the players in the East Bay who are top ten in goals and assists.
Goals
Littleton, Piedmont 33
Borges, Albany 24
Chen, Las Lomas 17
Foster, Granada 15
Ramirez, Albany 14
Fuentes, Newark 14
Weir, Dublin 14
Thornton, Castro Valley 13
Romero, YV 13
Padilla, Clayton Valley 13
Zupan, Albany 13
Huang, Deer Valley 13
Rietz, BOD 13
Menezes, Dougherty 13
Hoster, Dublin 13
Assists
Gomez, Clayton 19
Borges, Albany 17
Montes, Richmond 15
Lopez, YV 15
Swafford, BOD 14
Thomas, Granada 13
Shiluck, Castro Valley 13
Martin, Deer Valley 12
Khorashadi, Albany 9
Hodges, Las Lomas 9
For questions, comments, to report scores, update standings or statistics, please email Matt Smith at mhsmith78@gmail.com.
[You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.]
February 8th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
de la salle s going to the championship for sure!!!i beleive berkeley is toughest team out there besides de las salle of course also richmomd looks tough…but i think they could both beat any team coming
February 8th, 2010 at 4:28 pm
Matt,
You are going to please your EBAL followers (5 out of the Top 10 are EBAL teams), piss off your DFAL followers, and probably have everyone in Newark saying “what the …?”
Starting with Newark #14, they beat both #5 Berkeley and #10 Amador Valley and tied #4 Richmond.
Moving to the DFAL, the top 3 in this league have shown themselves be match up with all teams this year and #12 Acalanes beat #5 Berkeley and tied #6 San Ramon Valley.
It’s hard to understand the rankings of Berkeley, San Ramon Valley and Amador Valley when you examine head to head results against many of their followers in the poll.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
You have been my biggest critic all year and it’s clear we don’t see eye to eye. In a rankings system, like college football, college basketball, etc… rankings will fluctuate. You can beat a team, but two months later be ranked below that team. It’s the way it goes. Stanford beat the living crap out of USC, in LA, but finished ranked lower. I’m sorry you don’t agree with a classic ranking system.
Now when it comes to seeding, I would arrange these teams differently. Seeding is treated differently. Rankings are more of a “What have you done for me lately.”
Berkeley has not lost in nine matches. In their last 10, Newark has lost twice and tied a very below average team, on top of two other ties. Now seeding wise Newark has a good argument.
In it’s last seven, Aclanes has two losses and two ties. Naturally, in a regular rankings system, Acalanes moves down. Does this mean they are only the 12th best team in the East Bay? Probably not. You have to take it for what it’s worth. Taking it too far kind of takes the fun out of it.
Amador Valley has not lost in eight matches, despite playing in the NCS’ toughest league.
This is how regular rankings work. You can’t go on a head to head game back in December necessarily. A lot goes into it.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:55 pm
Please don’t take it personally and, hopefully it’s all just for fun and more food for conversation on the blog. Your columns are a breath of fresh air for the soccer fans out here and I for one really appreciate your insights and comments. And, of course, we will see all these teams prove their worth on the field starting next week.
February 8th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
Matt,
If NCS started today do you think SRV would be seeded above Cal even if Cal finishes ahead of them in league?
February 8th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Definitely not taking it personally, I just feel that have the right to explain, especially when I put my heart and soul into soccer season.
And to answer Ebal Fan’s question, I think I would have SRV slightly ahead of Cal at this point as far as seeding right now. I think one spot in front, to be exact.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Matt,
If this in fact happened to be the same rankings as the ncs committee, who would play who and where?
February 8th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
Hi Matt,
The latest rankings look solid. Are the first round NCS games on the 16th or 17th for D1?
February 8th, 2010 at 7:37 pm
They start on the 17th, unless a team has to host on the 16th for some reason.
Thanks for the vote of confidence.
February 8th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Matt- solid job on the rankings with sole exception of Albany at number 8.Yes their record looks stellar and good arguments have been made on their behalf regarding strength of schedule and all of that ; and I have not seen them play. But still i wonder.Maybe I’m wrong. Any comments form the St Mary’s/ Piedmont nation?
BTW- when do the D2 NCS games start?
February 8th, 2010 at 7:59 pm
Granada, BOD, DLS and Richmond are the top 4 in my book. I have never seen Berkeley play so I will respect that choice for #5 I agree with SRV being one spot above CAL. I might have CV a few spots higher than #13 though.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
I’m pretty sure that D II starts at the same time.
And Albany is the hardest team for me to rank. I really can’t wait for the playoffs so we can truly see what they are all about. I gotta hunch they’ll do well.
February 8th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Matt, lets say Cal wins against Livermore, beats DLS possibly, would that secure them a spot ahead of SRV. DLS, Granada are the top two seeds for sure. SRV and Cal to me are right next to each other in rankings.
February 8th, 2010 at 9:03 pm
If Cal beats DLS, then I would have to put Cal ahead of SRV. But if the season ended today, I’ve got SRV one spot ahead. Can’t wait to announce my seed predictions on Saturday!
February 8th, 2010 at 9:52 pm
Premeireleaguefan,
If the NCS teams were seeded today according to my rankings, this would be the following D I matchups:
No. 1 Granada v. No. 16 Freedom
No. 2 DLS v. No. 15 Antioch
No. 3 Richmond v. No. 14 Liberty
No. 4 Berkeley v. No. 13 College Park
No. 5 San Ramon Valley v. No. 12 Deer Valley
No. 6 Cal v. No. 11 Logan
No. 7 Amador Valley v. No. 10 Clayton Valley
No. 8 Castro Valley v. No. 9 Newark Memorial
I think this is a decent idea of what the actual seeding will be like. I’ll make my actual seeding predictions soon.
I don’t have enough D II teams in the rankings to do the same for them.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Tuesday night’s game with Granada @ Amador Valley should be a nail biter. AV has not lost a match since losing to De La Salle back on 1/12. Then last week they tied DLS. The first time around, GHS and AV tied, 0-0. Granada has not given up a goal in their last 4 games, and only 2 in their last 7. Granada better play like they have the last 4 games in order to get a W against AV.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
Matt..Question that has been on my mind – how can Granada be ahead of DLS in the rankings if they are behind them in the standings? Just curious. I do think your rankings are accurate except I would have it O’Dowd, DLS, Granada. O’Dowd is for real.
February 8th, 2010 at 10:55 pm
Hey Scoreboard,
Thanks for the question, and the comment. Your analysis has been pretty much spot on all year.
The rankings are just a little different than league standings and stuff like that. It’s just all about how you’ve played recently. A perfect example was today in college basketball. Villanova was ranked a spot behind West Virginia, despite being ahead in the Big East. Rankings are all about when you lose. Standings don’t get effected by when, just by how often.
February 8th, 2010 at 11:34 pm
Scoreboard, & Matt,
Also, Granada beat DLS the last time they played, and GHS has not lost a game since their loss to DLS back in mid December. (14 straight)
February 9th, 2010 at 6:54 am
Matt, How do you see the D II team seedings shaking out? If D II NCS teams were seeded today according to your rankings, what would be the matchups?
February 9th, 2010 at 9:03 am
I don’t have enough D II teams in the rankings to do a full bracket, but if they were seeded by my rankings, the top eight seeds would be:
Bishop O’Dowd
Albany
Dublin
Las Lomas
Acalanes
YV
Dougherty
Campolindo
However, I think that is not even close how the seeding would go. My prediction, if the season were to end today would be:
1. Bishop O’Dowd
2. Dublin
3. Acalanes
4. Albany
5. Las Lomas
6. Ygnacio Valley
7. Kennedy-Fremont
8. Dougherty Valley
February 9th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Tahoe and Matt..Points well taken. I do agree that Granada is hot but if we use that rationale then Amador should be in the top 5 since they are unbeaten since DLS last beat them. Trust me I’m all for rewarding the hot team so perhaps I’m leaning towards agreeing with u guys
But I also feel the pressure from this blog that seems to be the new meeting place for the Granada parents…Either way, we will know more after tonight.
100
February 9th, 2010 at 11:08 am
Lake Tahoe Guy – I agree that GHS is most likely the best running D-1 team going right now. I also know how Matt is basing his rankings on and that he has used college situations to support it. No NFL team had a better record than the Cleveland Browns the last 4 weeks of the season. That didn’t make them one of the top ranked teams as they had dug too big of a hole earlier in the season to make the playoffs. Granada obviously is a far cry from the Browns situation but I also feel that DLS should be rewarded more if they win league. It’s not like DLS fell apart but rather lost 1-0 to a very good team on that teams home field.
With all that said, your team is getting it done in tight 1-0 games or via set pieces and moving well going into NCS. If DLS wins out in league and they still have two very competitive games left to play, then they should in my opinion be the # 1 seed in NCS.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:09 am
De La Salle will be the No. 1 seed in the NCS playoffs, and that’s really all that matters.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:50 am
Acalanes at the 3 seed? Im not disagreeing with you at all Matt. In fact I thought your seed predictions are spot on. But I can see some others (mainly the Albany and Las Lomas followers) being upset with that. Is it because they play in the DFAL or is there some other reason you know about?
February 9th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Matt – Not disputing your rankings on the best team running theory. I have seen BOD play 3 games and they should probably be # 1. There size creates match up problems for most teams. Granada has size but not the height and size that BOD has. DLS doesn’t have size but certainly makes up for it in intensity. SRV has the intensity and a little more size than DLS. I wonder how many goals does BOD have on headers from corners and crosses. In the 3 games that I watched, they must of had 7 goals via that manner.
Anyway, you do a great job on this subject and everyone I’m sure appreciates your hard work that your putting in to keep us entertained. Other than our own games, you see more matches than anyone else, so you are the best source for input.
Thanks
February 9th, 2010 at 11:58 am
You guys can disagree all you want
I just like to try and justify the rankings the best I can, if that is even possible. Without disagreement, there would be no banter so keep it up! Haha.
Tack, I just feel like Acalanes has too many quality results to not get the No. 3 seed. I really think it’s them or Albany, and the other will get the four.
Thanks for making this blog go off guys! I love it.
February 9th, 2010 at 12:36 pm
OK, a couple of points. I have stated before that I think BOD should be ranked #1.
In my post #19 I was merely relaying information that supports GHS being “ranked” ahead of DLS, NOT suggesting that GHS should be “seeded” higher than DLS when NCS begins. I am a firm believer that if you win your League, you are the higher seed than any other team in your League. That is why League games are so important.
I hope that clears it up…
February 9th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
thanks matt. all your hard work is appreciated!
February 9th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
Matt, Las Lomas beat Acalanes the second time and barely lost the first. Acalanes lost BOTH matches to The #1 team dublin, and Las Lomas beat them twice. How can you put Acalanes in front of LL. That makes no sense. it is clear LL is the stronger team
February 9th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
#29 has a point although whether LL is stronger is debatable. Both teams are pretty darn good but they play different styles.Either one,or both, should be seeded higher than Albany
February 9th, 2010 at 3:15 pm
it is very confusing with Dublin Acalanes and Las Lomas, all beating each other at various times, so the best way to decide the rank of these teams is just how league ends up.
February 9th, 2010 at 4:10 pm
Lover of the Game makes the best point. With these teams all beating each other, I think the order of league finish is going to be weighed more heavily. Normally I wouldn’t say that. Plus Acalanes’ results with SRV and Berkeley are gonna be enough. In my opinion, anyway.
February 9th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
Let me ask this question in this post since we’ve moved on from the previous one:
Any thoughts on coach of the year?
I am sure there are a few good nominees out there…
February 9th, 2010 at 6:49 pm
Amador 0, Granada 0 at half.
Very evenly played game so far.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:06 pm
Foster PK. 1-0 Granada.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:42 pm
Tonight #10 = #1 as Amador tied Granada 1 to 1. #1 was nice while lasted. Matt has all of the details.
February 9th, 2010 at 8:48 pm
I thought it was a very even game and both teams played very hard. The defenses tonight collapsed quickly on the ball and there actually weren’t that many really good opportunities. Cory Thomas for AV made a couple of really nice saves on headers, but there wasn’t much else.
I also thought the officiating was as poor as any match I’ve seen.
Anyone else have any thoughts?
February 9th, 2010 at 8:56 pm
DLS beat Monte Vista 2-1. Any scores from anywhere else?
February 9th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
Berkeley 3, Alameda 0
Deer Valley 1, Pittsburg 0
I’ll update them as I see them.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:07 pm
SRV 1, Foothill 0
Wolves completely outplayed the Falcons for most of this game particularly in the 2nd half. With only 5 seniors, Foothill looks young and will gain from this year’s experience. Reminds me of where Cal’s team was last year. However, the loss of Tanti in goal will be a huge loss to recover from.
Tell me if you’ve heard this before. SRV missed on numerous close-in scoring opportunities: 7 or 8 shots from within 6-10 yards, a shot off the crossbar that bounced on and cleared off the goal line, a shot off the post that rolled across the front of the goal and a PK on a great save by Tanti. Again, the Wolves are finding it difficult to put the ball in the net. Only SRV goal came off a throw-in that was deflected off the back of an SRV player’s head. I don’t think Tanti saw the ball in the mass of players. Tip of the hat to Tanti and the Foothill kids who played very hard tonight.
SRV must win on Thursday against to hold down a possible #4 or #5 seed. No doubt they will come out fired up with a lot on the line. As always, it should be a great cross town rivalry match.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:09 pm
Clayton Valley 7, Mt. Diablo 0. Clayton wins the DVAL.
Castro Valley 3, Mt. Eden 1.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:12 pm
Liberty 5, Heritage 0
February 9th, 2010 at 9:27 pm
Antioch 4, Freedom 0. The BVAL is controlled by Antioch. A win against Pitt and they win the league. The winner of the Liberty/DV match has a chance of Antioch loses or ties.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
Matt at post #37. Funny that you questioned the officiating. You trumped me by quickly posting the halftime score (didn’t know you were at the match), so I wrote a comment later on my Blackberry that basically said “Matt won’t say this, so I will: the foul that led to Granada’s PK was MUCH softer than several dangerous play mid-field challenges. It was a shoulder-to-shoulder 50:50 play and should not have resulted in a PK.” Then Amador scored before I could post, so I killed the comment and I wrote the #10 = #1 game ender.
Overall, a very even match and kudos to Amador for not packing it in after the tough PK call. The problem with the officiating was challenges inside or around the 18 were quickly whistled, while severe challenges near midfield were ignored, and the ref did not always communicate clearly with the players (Granada clearly took advantage of the situation). The result was 2 Amador starters left the game with injuries on no call plays, and Granada #11 got a second yellow (soft red), so G played the last 3 minutes down a man. Then Granada’s coach got a yellow for asking for an explanation. There had been confusion regarding a corner kick / goal kick at Granada’s end and G#11 did something to irk the ref. I did see both the ref and the AR clearly signal the corner kick from near the announcers booth, so I am not sure what the argument was between player and official. In addition, I have seen refs hustle more to be closer to the play, and was the action behind the ball in the midfield area.
Game grade B+, officiating grade D, tough circumstances for a quality EBAL match and NCS tune-up. Message to the ref, communicate early and often in EBAL matches and the players will adjust accordingly, and do not ignore fair questions from coaches.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Correction to #44 end of 2nd paragraph: “…and watch the action behind the ball in the midfield area.”
February 9th, 2010 at 10:23 pm
The Granada coach and the player in question told me that the ref pointed to the goalie, which made them think it was a goal kick. The ref told them he did that because he was saying it deflected off the goalie.
I realized it was a corner, but I don’t think that the center official did a good job in letting everyone know. The kid clearly thought it was a goal kick. He wasn’t trying to delay the game. I didn’t think he deserved a second yellow. That’s just my take.
I agree with Sweeper about the challenges being called inside the 20, but not near the midfield. I also thought Granada’s PK came on a kinda questionable call, but I thought there was a foul in the box about 10 minutes later that wasn’t called, so that evened out.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:28 pm
DLS – EBAL Champs
As usual, good game for both teams tonight. Monte Vista played hard on DLS senior night at DLS. It was good to see all the Spartans get in tonight, especially all of the seniors.
Winning EBAL is nice but doing well in NCS will be much more rewarding. I speak for myself but from top to bottom
(DLS – Foothill) in EBAL are all very good teams. Foothill has no wins in EBAL and Amador only 3 wins in Ebal (That says alot about EBAL). We all know about DLS/GHS/CAL/SRV but Amador could be a dark horse in NCS.
Good luck to all of the EBAL teams in NCS except when they play the Spartans of course.
February 9th, 2010 at 10:48 pm
Does a soft red mean the player is still out next game?
February 9th, 2010 at 10:53 pm
Matt, Thanks for the insight regarding the second yellow against Granada #11. If the quick goal kick led to the second yellow then I agree with you, no yellow. But if something was said to the center official, it was clear that he was in no mood for any feedback, from any player or any coach. All that I saw was the center ref and AR pointing to the corner, and it was in fact a keeper deflection, so that would also have been indicated.
I agree that there was a much stronger challenge later in Amador’s box. If I recall correctly, the 1st challenge leading to the PK was in motion toward the far post but a 50:50 ball, while the 2nd challenge was at an angle slightly away from the goal, but a direct challenge and not a 50:50 ball. This is a classic officiating dilemma and had the 1st one not been called, the second one could easily have been called.
I appreciate your candor regarding the officiating: a very delicate subject perhaps better left to the bloggers. Keep up the great work covering the season.
I guess that we are back to DLS ranked #1.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:08 pm
The Sweeper,
Does DLS winning EBAL make them #1 or is it just because Granada tied Amador because im pretty sure DLS tied Amador also?Can you please explain.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:19 pm
I’m leaning towards ranking O’Dowd No. 1.
No matter what happens on Friday, our NCS Division I top two seeds are set. DLS will be No. 1 and Granada will be No. 2. I will be shocked if it doesn’t go down like that.
As far as the soft red, I think he can play. But I know his coach is gonna look into it.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
IMHO, Granada needed to win out to maintain the “Official Matt Smith” #1 ranking. Technically, a mid-week tie will not result in an immediate downgrade.
I will defer to Matt for the official word after Friday’s games. But, from my perspective, Granada drops to #3 behind O’Dowd and DLS. You heard it here first.
BTW, if O’Dowd wins out in 2A, and DLS wins out in 3A, we will be arguing this one for the ages.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Dang it Matt, you beat me to the post again. 2 times in one night. Matt-2 Sweeper-1, but I’m gunnin’ for you.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Sweeper,
You are awesome. And you are right. If DLS and O’Dowd both win, I can’t wait for the who is No. 1 argument. Seriously, can’t wait.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:38 pm
Futbol If I might add my 2 cents and that is pretty much what it’s worth.
DLS is the only team to beat every EBAL team at least once during league. Granada could have accomplished that same goal with a win at Amador tonight.
Throw a blanket over these teams because that’s how close they are to each other as for ability. (DLS/SRV/GHS/CAL/AHS)
February 9th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
The silence from Granada is deafening.
Come on Matador fans, weigh in with gravitas. Yes, that’s right Granada gravitas (groan). The #2 seed in 3A has won 1 time since 2004 (DLS in 2005).
Seriously, best of luck in the playoffs, your team should go deep, if not win.
Cheers.
February 9th, 2010 at 11:55 pm
Matt,
I know a soft red can be subbed, but can the player play next game or does he sit out one?
Can’t wait for NCS! I think all of the EBAL teams can beat each other night in and night out, we’ll see how Richmond, Berkeley hold up.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:01 am
Matt.. I love how most people here try to rank with their heart(ranking the team they play for or used to play for) I play for a DFAL team and I still try to make
my comments the most unbiased possible.
Your rankings are spot on, let’s remember for everyone out there that it never ends til it ends. For DFAL there is still 1 more week and crazy stuff can happen, after all this is soccer we are talking about.
1. BOD – no discussion about that
2. DUBLIN – They don’t have a flawless record but they are DFAL champs
3. ALBANY – Their record says it all but the weakness of schedule and league puts them at 3rd
4. LAS LOMAS? ACALANES? – Probably the toughest seed to pick. It doesn’t matter how a team played against another on the first game or second, what matters is the stats. Both teams with equal number of victories but the shifting gears in favor of LL is the 2 victories against DUBLIN, who won twice against ACALANES and will be the seed #2 if nothing crazy happens. ACALANES has slightly stronger schedule but that doesn’t guarantee nothing. My guess is going to be how DFAL ends up. IF LL finishes in front they will get seed #4, if ACALANES finishes in front they will get seed #4.
5. ACALANES/LAS LOMAS
LET THE WAR FOR NCS BEGIN!!
February 10th, 2010 at 12:01 am
1. Bishop O’Dowd
2. Granada
3. De La Salle
4. Richmond
5. Berkeley
6. Amador Valley
7. San Ramon Valley
8. California
Amador Valley is coming on strong at the right time of the season….
February 10th, 2010 at 12:06 am
LakeTahoeGuy,
How are you going to rank Amador Valley in front of SRV and Cal, Amador hasn’t beaten anyone, they have tied.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:10 am
Sweeper, keep in mind that Granada is the only team to hand DLS an EBAL defeat, …ever. Therefore, IMHO, Granada stays ahead of DLS.
Both DLS and GHS tied Amador in their last matches. Amador is looking very dangerous now.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:24 am
Nice try LakeTahoeGuy and “friend of Granada.” Overall, DLS should be #2 with Granada #3, and Amador has not yet jumped SRV and Cal. If SRV ties MV and Cal plays DLS close, then Amador remains #5 in EBAL.
BTW, you have only 1 2A team (O’Dowd) and the rest 3A. What about the DFAL? Are you ranking overall or are you missing other top 2A teams? Just curious.
Add more comments on each selection and Matt the man will definitely hear you out.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:30 am
Ebal Fan,
Since losing to DLS on 1/12, Amador have not lost a game.
Both Cal and SRV lost to DLS and GHS since then, and Amador tied both DLS and GHS since then. In my mind, Amador is playing better soccer than Cal and SRV. Call me crazy, but I don’t thinnk anyone wants to face Amador in the playoffs. Tough defense and great goal keeping.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:37 am
Sweeper, I have not had the time to delve into the other top 2A teams, that is why I stopped at #8. I will leave that to you experts.
February 10th, 2010 at 12:53 am
Matt
I’m not sure about the first round but I’m leaning towards the over on PK shoot outs by round two of the playoffs. You heard it her first, three matches in round two will go to Penalty kicks for decisions.
What do you think?
February 10th, 2010 at 8:33 am
Last nights game was not how Granada would have wanted it the ref were crapy but hey it’s been like that throughout you never know how the calls will go. The PK in the box against Foster was a foul in the box soft hard or not it was a foul! Yes there were other fouls not called for Amador and Granada again the refs sucked. Amador came out and played a good game. As far as our player getting the stupid soft red car the ref did point at the goalie and did not make it clear it was a corner even though the linesman point to the corner it should have never been a yellow-red ridiculous!! It doesn’t matter about the rankings as Granada is well in the playoffs and that is where the time to step it up and go for it all the way. The odds of Granada keeping 1st with DLS playing Monte Vista was a definate win for them to clinch EBAL. Monte Vista has not been strong all season even if Granada pulled a victory against Amador.
One thing from Salazar defender after the game is they, “they would not have scored if they were on my side!” #9 had a great game.
See you all in the NCS playoffs and congrats to all the Seniors.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:42 am
A source that doesn’t want to be identified on the blog told me the Granada player will have to sit out the next game. That’s too bad.
Bambam, I was just thinking of that last night. It’s funny you bring it up. I definitely foresee a ton of overtime and shootouts in the playoffs.
Look at some of the top teams. Richmond has nine ties, SRV has eight, Amador Valley has 11. There are going to be a lot of close games.
February 10th, 2010 at 9:07 am
Hey BOD beat Kennedy(Richmond) 2-1 and they started losing the game until the last 10 minutes BOD scored the winmning goal so i think Albany should be on top of BOD and it was also at BOD field. What ya think?
February 10th, 2010 at 11:17 am
Matt, my sources are saying that that is not necessarily true. It all depends on how the Ref writes up his report. In H.S. Soccer, the “suspension” for a “Red Card” can be anywhere from the existing game, in this case the last 3-4 minutes of said game, to a multiple game suspension. Clearly, in this case, since it was a “Soft Red”, and a questionable one at that, a multi-game suspension would be totally out of line. Most viewers of the game, as you know, don’t believe any extra “suspension” is warranted.
February 10th, 2010 at 11:32 am
Kudos to both GHS and AV last night. The players were on their game and turned in a well played match. GHS is solid up and down and play a very disciplined game. Good ball control and movement without the ball. They will be tough for any opponenet during NCS.
And good job by AV to get the equalizer late in the game. That may be the first time all season they have had to come from behind to earn one of their many ties. And perhaps the first time they have started the same eleven players in consecutive games. There’s good chemistry developing with these eleven.
Lastly, IMHO, like the PK, the red card never should have happened. A clean clear on the former, and vague officiating on the latter (and former). But no harm to GHS: they did not give up a go ahead goal being down a player and will do just fine for one game without their long thrower… What a weapon!!
February 10th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
EBAl interesting stat
Top 5 EBAL teams through 13 league games
goals given up
1. DLS 10
2. SRV 14
3. GHS 15
3. AHS 15
5. CAL 19
February 10th, 2010 at 2:06 pm
Oh, the interesting part of that stat is that most of the teams on that list gave up more goals to last place Foothill than any other team.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
I thought Foothill and SRV were the most threatening EBAL teams I saw play, in terms of offensive power.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:26 pm
However, I did not see Granada play.
February 10th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
soft reds are always one game suspension. straight reds are up to 3 game
February 10th, 2010 at 5:04 pm
Lover of the Game, In “Club Soccer” yes. However, in H.S. Soccer, not “always”.
Check the rules, there are different types of “2nd yellows”. Those that violate “NCS Ejection Policy” and those that don’t.
We will have to wait upon the Ref’s report to actually determine the outcome.
February 10th, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Bambam #70
You GA are incorrect for SRV and AV. I’m not sure where you got those stats. According to MaxPreps below are the Top 5 EBAL teams
DLS 10
SRV 12
AV 14
GHS 15
CAL 19
Congrats to DLS for winning their 2nd EBAL title!
February 10th, 2010 at 5:50 pm
clarification: my previous post was referencing goals allowed through 13 EBAL games for the Top 5 in EBAL standings
February 10th, 2010 at 6:14 pm
Hey Matt, I’m not big on soccer but was just wondering what SLZ’s chances are on making the playoffs. According to Max Preps they are in third place in HAAL behind BOD and CV. They tied BOD twice and tied CV once. So what do you think?
February 10th, 2010 at 6:17 pm
Good question. I don’t have an accurate overall or league record because they don’t report all their games. As far as I know they are right around .500 in both and have an outside chance of getting in.
February 10th, 2010 at 7:50 pm
Final – Las Lomas 4, Dougherty Valley 3, fun to watch match. LL scored twice in the last 8 minutes.
February 10th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Indeed sweeper!!
What a great game!!! both teams played very well.. except for 1 bizarre goal from Dougherty Valey!
The LL defense that shut down Acalanes and Dublin just wasn’t on the game! Props for the coach who at the very end adjusted the team!
Dougherty Valley to be one of the tough teams to be beaten in NCS
LL too! Great game, one of the best in a long time
February 10th, 2010 at 8:30 pm
WOW. WHAT AN AMAZING GAME BETWEEN LAS LOMAS AND DOUGHERTY VALLEY!
probably one of the best matches i’ve seen in a long time. LL went down late 3-2 in the last ten minutes but 2 goals by Igor Charsov off of Ryan Chen’s assists in the last 8 minutes changed the game’s outcome and LL came back to win it 4-3!
Both teams are great to watch and have great qualities. They will be big contenders in NCS.
February 10th, 2010 at 10:14 pm
berkeley and richmond are both teams i seen play as a supporting dls dad and i was very impresed theyre both 2 teams people dont talk much about but will be very competitive in playoffs..matt what do u think about this?
February 11th, 2010 at 12:05 am
I think Berkeley is flying under the radar quite nicely as far as the respect they are getting. They’re gonna be a tough out for anybody, trust me.
And I wouldn’t want to play Richmond when they have it all going.
February 11th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
i agree with matt..berkeley played san ramon at san ramon and heard they were missing two of their captains and still gave us war…they look like a solid team..as for richmond i think they have what it takes to make it to the end
February 11th, 2010 at 3:48 pm
Just a reminder to all I am doing the live chat today at 4:00. Jump in and ask questions if you’d like.
February 11th, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Matt,
Do you have any idea what the BSAL or NCS records are for goals scored in a season?
February 11th, 2010 at 10:06 pm
Great question. Let me do some research.
February 12th, 2010 at 5:01 am
Cokito #72
I thought Granada, SRV and DLS were the most impressive EBAL offenses of all the games I watched this year. FHS and CAL are dangerous, but GHS, SRV and DLS were a non stop assault on the opponents goal
February 12th, 2010 at 10:35 am
What would the division 2 seeds be for NCS if today NCS started.. Who would have home games, etc.
February 12th, 2010 at 10:44 am
Dont under estimate Campolindo.. they have proved they can play with alot of the teams out there and they have already surpassed their expectations of this season. They have proved alot of people wrong by coming this far and doing as well as they have
February 12th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
I think that if NCS started today, the teams that would probably host, in no particular order, are:
Bishop O’Dowd
Albany
Acalanes
Dublin
Las Lomas
Dougherty Valley
Kennedy-Fremont
Ygnacio Valley
February 12th, 2010 at 12:51 pm
you think Kennedy-Fremont and Ygnacio Valley will both be hosting over Campolindo? You don’t think they could sneak in with a first round at home??
February 12th, 2010 at 12:52 pm
even DV is questionable?
February 12th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
1.Bishop
2.Albany
3.Dublin
4.Las Lomas/ Acalanes
5.Acalanes/Las Lomas
6.Ygnacio Valley
7.Piedmont
8.Dougherty Valley
9.Kennedy(Fremont)
10.Campolindo
11.Kennedy(Richmond)
12.St. Marys
13.Alhambra
14.Concord
15.El Cerrito
16.Salesian
Matt- If this were the matchups what games are to watch out for?
February 12th, 2010 at 1:30 pm
Right off the bat the one that jumps out to me would be Albany v. El Cerrito. A 2-1 game the first time and everything I’ve heard told me it was close. El Cerrito is a pretty decent team.
The possible Las Lomas/Acalanes v. Alhambra would be a slugfest, and I think Dougherty Valley v. Kennedy-Fremont would be a great game. Probably the best game of this group, if that is how the seeding when down.
February 12th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
Alhambra isn’t even guaramteed a spot in NCS.. why should DV and Kennedy be higher than Campo?
February 12th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
DV beat Campo twice, 3-0 and 2-1. That’s why. Plus DV is ahead of them in DFAL.
February 12th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
the 3-0 loss was by far Campos worst game played all year, no doubt about it. Campo in my mind deserves a first round at home.
February 12th, 2010 at 3:38 pm
Campo plays Alhambra @ Campo tonight and that game determines if Alhambra will even get in
February 12th, 2010 at 4:21 pm
Bishop 1 – Tennyson 1 at half.
Good half by both teams. Bishop has had more chances but is falling flat once they get into the attacking third. Tennyson is keeping up but Bishop is off today. Deffinitely not at a high level of play.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:52 pm
Tennyson 2, Bishop 1
BIG defensive mistake by back line #16 and a beautiful shot from Tennyson.
February 12th, 2010 at 4:59 pm
Bishop 2, Tennyson 2.
Controversial pk for Bishop, but weak defense from Tennyson
February 12th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
2-2 Final
February 12th, 2010 at 5:28 pm
Wow. What a game it sounds like. O’Dowd wins the league outright regardless of what Castro does now. And the Dragons stay unbeaten.
Nice work Tack. Thanks for the updates.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:22 pm
No problem. It was a temendous game by Tennyson.
And at half, Albany 1, Encinal 0
February 12th, 2010 at 6:24 pm
Make that 2-0.
First possession of the 2nd half Albany dismantled Encinal with a series of passes to score their second goal.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:36 pm
3-0 Albany.
It was all Borges. He took the ball from the 40, beat at least 7 people, turned in the box, and with an amazing left foot, put it in the goal.
He’s an amazing player and a true delight to watch.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:44 pm
Seriously, give it up for Tack today.
I have a rare Friday off, and this blog isn’t missing a beat because of this guy. Awesome.
February 12th, 2010 at 6:51 pm
DLS 1 – Cal 1 @ half
February 12th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Cal booth announced Livermore 1 – Ganada 0 @ half
February 12th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Thanks matt
It’s been my pleasure. Hope you are enjoying your Friday!
And 4-0 Albany. Once again it’s Borges with a wonderful cross for a header goal. And Albany isn’t done yet.
February 12th, 2010 at 7:05 pm
Guess they were done.
4 – 0 final
February 12th, 2010 at 7:16 pm
Albany ends the season with a nice win.
Now I can’t wait to hear about the finals Cal and Granada.
February 12th, 2010 at 7:46 pm
DLS 1 – Cal 1 Final
February 12th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
Wow what a sad way to see Granada take our first loss 1-0 Livermore. Livermore controlled the whole game. There goes our #2 spot in EBAL.
Well lets hope Granada can regroup for NCS this week was not there best.
February 12th, 2010 at 8:32 pm
Granada finishes in a tie with Cal for second place.
February 12th, 2010 at 8:36 pm
Matt – Granada & Cal are now tied for 3rd
February 12th, 2010 at 8:40 pm
Any idea on who scored for Cal or DLS?
February 12th, 2010 at 8:41 pm
Defense_mom,
Livermore did not control the whole game. The Granada coach told me they outshot Livermore 16-3. You cant really say they controlled the whole game when they were clearly outshot. Very good game by both teams but Livermore came ready to play. Just one of those games where you cant put the ball in the net. Lets see how Granada regroups in NCS after a defeat to cross town rivals. Lets see how seedings go. Cheers!
February 12th, 2010 at 8:45 pm
I stand corrected. Thanks for pointing that out, bystander. SRV takes second. My apologies.
February 12th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Matt – when will All-EBAL teams be announced? Voting should take place soon, right?
February 12th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
DLS 10-1-3 33 points
SRV 7-2-5 26
Cal 7-3-4 25
Granada 7-3-4 25
Despite two lackluster effort wins by SRV this week, the Wolves get two breaks tonight to finish in 2nd Place. Thanks Livermore. Nice consolation prize, but no one remembers who finishes 2nd. Congrats to DLS for surviving the EBAL grind!
All-EBAL teams typically announced after NCS playoffs, but are usually voted on before playoffs as part of Seeding Meeting.
February 12th, 2010 at 9:00 pm
Campo 1, Alhambra 0
DV 1, Acalanes 2
Alhambra is mathematically eliminated.. Campo home game first round?
February 12th, 2010 at 9:38 pm
futbol Livermore actually did control the game I was there. Yes Granada had many more shots on goal but Livermore earned this win they beat us to every ball.
Matt since Granada is now tied for 3rd will it come down to points and if so what is the tie bracker?
February 12th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
AV 0, Foothill 0. Foothill played solid – had 1 particularly good chance, but it was their goalie that played amazing. He had 2 amazing saves that should have been goals, esp a one-time going just under the cross-bar that he jumped up to punch out.
AV stormed the FH goal in the last 2 minutes and had a flurry around the goal with 30 secs to go, but could not find the net.
AV played with only 1 regular in the back – injuries really limiting them.
February 12th, 2010 at 9:54 pm
Shocking. Another Amador Valley tie…..
February 12th, 2010 at 9:58 pm
The EBAL boys soccer beat down ended tonight and now the teams have to regroup and get ready for the show. Who’s hot? Who’s not? Plenty of claims from players’ parents, but nobody really knows (Disclaimer: I am not the parent or relative of any NCS athlete this season). In the EBAL, it was a season of give and take, ebb and flow. Cal and Amador have shown late season improvement, but mostly by tying higher ranked teams and cross-town rivals (unlike cough-cough Granada).
For those who care, the DSL v. Cal match tonight was spirited at times, but not the highest level of overall play. DLS scored first early in the 1st half, and Cal leveled the score on a defensive misplay of a long cross that was well capitalized on. There was a careless goal kick by Cal with 20 seconds left in the 1st half that led to a DLS scoring opportunity and caused the field announcer to blurt out “What the heck was that?” the best call of the match. Cal’s few yellow cards were mostly for physical fouls, while one DLS yellow was for a foul of the mouth (verbal protest). Cal challenged DLS the last 10 minutes of each half, and DLS was lackluster most of the second half. DLS mostly dominated mid-field, but they did not mark tightly Cal #10, so he had a free run most of the night and was successful on more than 75% of his connecting passes.
Next up: the behind-closed-doors seedings. Good luck to all teams.
February 12th, 2010 at 10:09 pm
bambam,
I heard the Cal booth announce Livermore 1 – Granada 0 as I was leaving the match, not 3-1.
There is also a rumor that Amador returned to campus, turned on the lights and began preparing for the NCS playoffs with a 2-hour PK session. Now that is coaching strategy at its best. Can anyone confirm???
February 12th, 2010 at 10:13 pm
Cal-DLS
wow! If you’re a Cal fan you’ve got to love tonight’s game. Cal gave up an early goal on a DLS well executed free kick (#10) to the front of the goal which set up a perfect header that caught the GK coming off his line. The Cal goal came off a crossing pass which deflected off the DLS defender (swing and miss) and went right to the forward, Ben Danielson, for a 1-v-1 finish far post.
That finished the scoring. Cal dominated play pretty much throughout playing defense just like I would have drawn it up against DLS. Fill the passing lanes, stay tight on your man, maintain active feet and clear-clear-clear. DLS fans did not like the refereeing; Cal fans thought that it was fair. In any event, none of the calls or no-calls were game changers.
I’m sure that DLS would have preferred greater momentum going into the NCS. Cal feels pretty good about themselves right now.
February 12th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Sweeper – Thx for the correction on the Granada score. Tonight was senior night for most teams, which might have effected some play. What was your take on the officiating in the Cal game? I know #2 for DLS is aggressive but does that mean that every team has free reign on him to do what ever they want, especially in the box. Just no pk’s through the whole year for him seems odd. What is your take on that?
February 12th, 2010 at 10:21 pm
#132 U-mbi, you forgot the “What the heck was that?” playcall at the end of the 1st half (see #130). C’mon…I have just upgraded that to best announcer call of the season, to date. LOL!
February 12th, 2010 at 10:31 pm
hey Sweeper,
yeah! That was a riot! Except it was stronger than “heck” which made it even funnier. And what he said was what we all were already thinking. GK delivers a pass to CB who immediately returns it with a beautful shot on goal. OOPS!
February 12th, 2010 at 10:51 pm
for those not at the Cal game…
that shot that was supposed to be a pass by the CB (post #135) was a chip shot from 30 yards out where the GK had to drop back to field the ball, unable to use his feet and not allowed to use his hands. And he had a DLS player charging him. At which point the announcer uttered the soon-to-be-famous, if YouTube has anything to say about it, phrase.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:00 pm
U-mbi, I stand corrected. As I saw the play develop I said out loud “What the heck was that?” and then the announcer trumped me with “What the ’7734′ was that?” Do you know that old joke? Anyway, it was a riot. Call of the year. And the play was also a riot, in a frightening way for Cal fans. The keeper did in fact contain the play.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:26 pm
Bambam,
The Livermore score is only what I heard, I do not have first hand confirmation. But one Granada follower lamented on this blog about outshooting Livermore 16-3, so 1-0 is logical (but does not ‘make sense’ if you know what I mean).
Regarding the officiating tonight at DLS v. Cal, it was a tough match to call because the play ran in spurts as each team adjusted the intensity. I grade the ref a “B” on the game tonight, mostly because when he made a call it was decisive, and when he let play continue he indicated it right away. I do not recall any serious in-the-box fouls tonight.
It does seem odd that DLS #2 has no PK fouls against him this season. I like his style because his effort is always full-tilt and on the edge. He reminds me of Pete Rose in a totally complimentary way: “Charlie Hussle, I want him on my team and do not want to have to defend against him, a real pain in the rear.” However, if memory serves me, he received a yellow card for diving at SRV (a correct call at that time in my view) so he has a reputation, deserved or not. This can definitely affect how officials view a player. In addition, DLS #2 is all over the offensive zone, so he is subject to challenges from each defender. This can be a disadvantage for a forward if repeated contact from different defenders is not viewed by the ref as “repeat offenses”, as when two players match up all game long. By the way, #2 spits on the field a lot during each match, and very visibly, more than any player that I have seen in recent memory, and the officials and opponents can easily misunderstand the intent. All of that said, I always keep an eye on DLS #2 for his effort and skill.
February 12th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Wow, busy night. You guys lit up the message board tonight, and I love it. I was actually out with the girl that I was seeing that day I decided to announce to you guys that I was going on a date. We actually joked about how it became comment material on this blog.
Anyway, back to soccer.
Just to touch on a few things. Alhambra is eliminated. They needed at least a tie. As far as an EBAL tiebreaker, they might go with goals allowed since the head-to-head is split. And the home/away thing is even too.
I can’t find the post right now, but somebody asked if all the EBAL teams would host a first-round game. I will be shocked if they don’t. Amador will be a top eight seed.
And as far as the All-EBAL team, my guess is that it has already been voted on, or will be this Monday or Tuesday.
So should I setup a live chat for tomorrow night or Sunday morning? When should I do my seeding predictions?
Let me know what you guys think, because this blog is for you guys.
February 13th, 2010 at 12:38 am
Well, I have a date tomorrow night …
I think you should do your seeding predictions asap, and the live talk should be Sunday morning as the committee chooses the at-large and does the seedings.
February 13th, 2010 at 12:47 am
Matt,
I say post your seeding predictions later on Saturday, say 6pm-8pm, and let the blog go wild. Then open it back up at 1pm-3pm on Sunday, after the NCS senate-seeding convenes.
If you live blog during the NBA semi-All-Star game, I will be there. But come Sunday at 5pm it is all about my Valentine.
In 3A, Granada clearly drops below SRV, and struggles to stay above Cal due to lack of momentum. The loss to Livermore is brutal and totally unexpected. WTH???
Happy Valentines Day to all with sweethearts!
February 13th, 2010 at 12:50 am
Matt,
If the EBAL tiebreaker comes into play with goals allowed below are the season totals for goals allowed from the top 5 EBAL teams:
DLS: 11
SRV: 13
AV: 14
GHS: 16
CAL: 20
Also interest stat for EBAL Shutouts:
AV: 6
GHS: 6
SRV: 5
DLS: 5
CAL: 4
February 13th, 2010 at 1:23 am
One last stat on EBAL shutouts. I was curious to see which teams were able to record shutouts against their EBAL opponents. I doubt this matters for the NCS seedings, but it is interesting to see the head to head results.
EBAL Shutouts:
AV: 6 (SRV, GHS, FHS, MV, DLS, FHS)
GHS: 6 (AV, LHS, DLS, SRV, MV, FHS)
SRV: 5 (AV, CAL, MV, FHS, FHS)
DLS: 5 (GHS, LHS, MV, AV, LHS)
CAL: 4 (LHS, MV, LHS, MV)
GHS and AV both had 6 shutouts which included DLS and SRV.
I still think GHS is the team to beat in NCS D1. They hit a small bump in the road against LHS tonight.
February 13th, 2010 at 2:25 am
JJ,
Shut-out WINs are the telling statistic, not shutouts including ties. The ‘logic’ does not work. If all EBAL teams decided to pack it in, then nobody would score. Thank goodness, EBAL coaches do not fall for this logic.
Granada’s loss to Livermore was a total failure. GHS is on the ropes and needs to step it up. After the NCS brackets are published, we can then comment on the matchups.
Granada is glad that Livermore is not NCS qualified. LOL!
February 13th, 2010 at 7:43 am
Best of luck to all eligible schools for tomorrow’s meeting…I was at Cal – DLS and I dont think it was so much DLS had an off night, rather it seemed they were content playing low pressure and getting through the game with no injuries. Cal seemed determined to grab at least a point and were deserving of the one they got. As far as the ref, Cal did receive a majority of the calls but thats the way high school refs are for the most part. They struggle to pick up on the initial foul, rather waiting a few seconds too long and whistle for the retaliation. Plus the AR’s are useless, what happened to the days when they used to help out?!
Just messing with u guys-it happens!
Can’t wait for NCS to start…Lots of exciting games for a neutral supporter like myself. Although after last week of dominating this blog, why are all the Granada fans so quiet now?
100
February 13th, 2010 at 8:57 am
I heard Las Lomas tied Miramonte??
February 13th, 2010 at 10:47 am
#137 et al,
the video of the “what-the-hell” call is posted at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrHwgL9Q8so
February 13th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Sweeper,
I think you gave the best review of the Cal game. The first time around it seemed like DLS came out to guard #10 tightly while this game he was able to control the pace of the game, and connect a lot of passes to his teammates and working hard on the defensive end. Cal needs to release him more. My vote for MVP goes to him especially after the outing tonight.
Lastly, on DLS #2, the kid is solid but he does play a dirty game, he hits and doesn’t like to be touched as much.
February 13th, 2010 at 11:47 am
GHS is indeed on the ropes. They suffered a coaching failure last night. That team should have been pumped to play Livermore, and obviously came out thinking it was going to be an easy win once again. Surprise GHS!
February 13th, 2010 at 4:00 pm
Hey guys, I know the threads are spread out all over, but the seeding predictions are up, so let’s get the conversation going over there and make it light up.
February 13th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
what are the seeds?