- East Bay Prep Corner
Boys Soccer: League Races, Rankings, Standings, Stats
By Matt Smith
Sunday, January 20th, 2013 at 11:02 am in Boys soccer.
Last week we looked at the playoff situation, so this week we’ll breakdown how the league races are shaking down.
BVAL
Right now it looks like a three-team race, but it will be interesting to see if Freedom hangs in there after losing Cendejas. Pittsburg is perched on top like many expected, but Antioch is hanging with them. The league will hit it’s halfway point on Tuesday, and if DV and Liberty get results against Freedom and Heritage, and if Pitt and Antioch draw, then we have a four-team race.
Scenario: Pittsburg wins if it wins out. Antioch needs to win one of the two matchups with the Pirates.
DFAL
Mathematically, Dublin and Dougherty Valley are still alive in the DFAL (so is Miramonte) but realistically, Campolindo is the only team that has a real chance to catch Acalanes this year. Six points separates the two teams, but with no head-to-head games left between the two, the Dons are in prime position to capture a fourth league title in five years.
Scenario: Four wins in their last six league games clinches no worse than a tie for the league title. Campo needs to win out.
DVAL
Halfway home and Ygnacio Valley has a fairly commanding lead in the DVAL. At this point, only College Park and Concord can catch them. Northgate is still mathematically alive, but would need a lot of help. If YV draws against CP and Concord, they should be fine by not allowing them to gain points.
Scenario: YV beats both CP and Concord, and the league is wrapped up. If they draw against them both, it is also likely a done deal.
EBAL
It’s starting to turn into a two-team race in the EBAL, though San Ramon Valley has three games this week and if things went right for them, they could find themselves on top of the league. If California gets healthy (they are more banged up than most) then they could stick their nose back into the title race.
However, right now Monte Vista holds the biggest lead anyone has held this year in the EBAL, a three-point cushion over DLS as those two teams have to be considered the favorites at this moment.
Scenario: If Monte Vista wins twice this week, they’d have at least a four-point lead over SRV (if they win all three) and would be up six on DLS. It would be the Mustangs league to lose.
MVAL
Just over halfway, and Newark and Logan have identical league records. It’s going to make for a fun finish between those two. However, a surprise Kennedy team is in the thick of the race, just five points back and could be just two points back on any given day if things went right. Washington has drawn a lot this year, but a week with two wins puts them right into the race.
Scenario: In all likelihood, if there is a winner of the Newark v. Logan game on Jan. 30, they will win the league.
OAL
Oakland Tech has started league play with two nice wins and seems to be the team to beat. They will always have a handful with Skyline and the winner of those matchups likely wins the league.
TCAL-Rock
Richmond isn’t running away and hiding, but they do have a comfortable lead at this point. Four points gives them the comfort of having a slip and still being in control of their own destiny. St. Mary’s is the only other team mathematically alive, with two league games left.
Scenario: A win over Salesian or St. Joe’s and the Oilers win the league.
TCAL-Stone
Say hello to the first league champions of the 2012-2013 campaign, the Hercules Titans. They have won this league resoundingly, and are going to be a handful for anyone in the NCS playoffs.
WACC-Foothill
Mt. Eden is the only team with a realistic chance to catch Berkeley at this point, sitting eight points behind. To do so, the Monarchs need to get wins instead of draws. They have not lost a league game, but have as many wins (5) as draws. Berkeley needs four wins, or three wins and three draws, to clinch the league. Castro Valley and Bishop O’Dowd need to win out and hope Berkeley only wins once more.
Scenario: If Berkeley wins a couple of games this week, including Friday’s game against Mt. Eden, then it would be hard to see a situation where the league is not wrapped up.
WACC-Shoreline
Hayward is still in control, but by getting seven points this week, San Lorenzo is back in the hunt for the league title. It’s really going to come down to the closing skills of the Farmers. If they get wins, they put it away. A four point lead right now is giving the Farmers some wriggle room.
Scenario: The Rebels have been coming on strong of late, and if they keep the pressure up, then the end of season game between them and Hayward could determine the league title.
Rankings
Eleven wins in a row has the Berkeley Yellowjackets in the top three and threatening for the top seed in the Division I playoffs. And they move into the top three in the rankings.
The top two stay the same after a good showing by both sides, while YV falls down one spot after a draw with Concord. De La Salle is back in the top five after a solid week.
San Ramon Valley lost one-goal games to the top two teams, and with two losses in a week has to drop, but just a little bit.
Newark is back in the top 15, Logan is just outside waiting to get in and San Lorenzo appears in the consideration list for the first time this year.
1. Monte Vista (12-1-4)
2. Acalanes (15-0-2)
3. Berkeley (13-1-3)
4. Ygnacio Valley (11-1-4)
5. De La Salle (9-3-4)
6. Pittsburg (7-2-4)
7. Foothill (8-3-5)
8. San Ramon Valley (10-4-2)
9. California (13-3-2)
10. Campolindo (12-5-1)
11. Richmond (9-3-5)
12. Hayward (11-3-2)
13. Concord (8-1-5)
14. Amador Valley (10-6-2)
15. Newark Memorial (9-3-6)
Others considered: Logan (8-5-5), St. Mary’s (8-2-3), College Park (7-7-4), Northgate (9-3-4), Hercules (14-3-1), Mt. Eden (9-4-5), Antioch (7-3-4), San Lorenzo (6-2-3), Kennedy-Fremont (7-5-1), Washington (4-3-8)
Standings
BVAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Pittsburg (7-2-4, 3-0-1) 10
Antioch (7-3-4, 3-1-0) 9
Freedom (8-7-2, 2-1-1) 7
Deer Valley (6-6-2, 1-2-1) 4
Liberty (4-5-1, 1-3-0) 3
Heritage (2-9-2, 0-3-1) 1
DFAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Acalanes (15-0-2, 7-0-1) 22
Campolindo (12-5-1, 5-2-1) 16
Dublin (6-8-3, 4-4-0) 12
Dougherty Valley (7-5-0, 4-3-0) 12
Miramonte (3-8-2, 2-5-1) 7
Las Lomas (1-8-4, 1-5-2) 5
Alhambra (7-6-3, 1-5-1) 4
DVAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Ygnacio Valley (11-1-4, 6-0-1) 19
College Park (7-7-4, 4-1-2) 14
Concord (8-1-5, 3-0-4) 13
Northgate (9-3-4, 3-3-1) 10
Berean Chr. (3-6-2, 2-3-1) 7
Mt. Diablo (1-7-0, 1-6-0) 3
Clayton Valley (0-15-1, 0-6-1) 1
EBAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Monte Vista (12-1-4, 6-0-2) 20
De La Salle (9-3-4, 5-1-2) 17
California (13-3-2, 4-3-1) 13
San Ramon Valley (10-4-2, 4-2-1) 13
Foothill (8-3-5, 2-3-3) 9
Amador Valley (10-6-2, 2-5-1) 7
Granada (4-7-4, 1-5-1) 4
Livermore (3-11-3, 1-6-1) 4
MVAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Logan (8-5-5, 5-0-3) 18
Newark Memorial (9-3-6, 5-0-3) 18
Kennedy (7-5-1, 4-3-1) 13
Washington (4-3-8, 2-1-5) 11
Irvington (3-5-7, 2-3-3) 9
Moreau Catholic (2-6-4, 2-3-3) 9
Mission San Jose (3-8-6, 1-4-3) 6
American (2-9-3, 0-7-1) 1
OAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Oakland Tech (2-3-1, 2-0-0) 6
Castlemont (0-1-0, 0-1-0) 0
Fremont (0-1-0, 0-1-0) 0
Oakland (0-0-0, 0-0-0) 0
Skyline (0-0-0, 0-0-0) 0
TCAL Rock
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Richmond (9-3-5, 6-0-2) 20
St. Mary’s (8-2-3, 5-1-1) 16
Albany (5-8-3, 4-4-0) 12
El Cerrito (4-12-1, 3-4-1) 10
Salesian (3-3-2, 2-3-2) 8
St. Joseph Notre Dame (3-12-1, 0-8-0) 0
TCAL Stone
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Hercules (14-3-1, 8-0-0) 24
Pinole Valley (8-5-1, 5-2-1) 16
De Anza (6-4-1, 5-2-1) 16
Kennedy (3-7-0, 3-5-0) 9
Swett (2-7-0, 2-6-0) 6
St. Patrick-St. Vincent (0-9-0, 0-8-0) 0
WACC Foothill
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Berkeley (13-1-3, 9-0-1) 28
Mt. Eden (9-4-5, 5-0-5) 20
Castro Valley (4-6-5, 4-3-3) 15
Bishop O’Dowd (4-6-2, 4-4-1) 13
Alameda (5-8-4, 4-5-0) 12
Arroyo (4-8-4, 3-5-2) 11
WACC Shoreline
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Hayward (11-3-2, 6-2-2) 20
San Lorenzo (6-2-3, 5-2-3) 18
San Leandro (3-8-3, 3-4-3) 12
Piedmont (3-9-1, 2-7-1) 7
Tennyson (1-12-4, 1-6-3) 6
Encinal (0-8-0, 0-8-0) 0
Stat Leaders
Name School Goals
Montes, Richmond 25
Ayala, YV 19
Romero, Hercules 18
Gala, Dougherty 17
Cendejas, Free 17
R. Castillo, Hayward 13
Al. Marques, Hercules 13
Berumen, Pitt 13
Solomon, Berkeley 12
J. Maldonado, Alhambra 10
Reiter, CP 10
Sako, EC 10
Raygoza, Logan 10
Williams, Mt. Eden 10
Sandoval, Pinole 10
Name School Assists
Damian, YV 14
Gomez, Hayward 13
Murgia, Pitt 13
Alvarez, Richmond 9
Bramvila, Richmond 9
Lindgren, Acalanes 8
Raynor, Cal 8
Clark, FH 8
Foster, Ngate 8
Bolender, Ngate 8
Aguilar, YV 8
Croze, Acalanes 7
Berumen, Pitt 7
Montes, Richmond 7
Espinoza, St. Mary 7
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January 20th, 2013 at 11:40 am
Another tough week of play is on the horizon for EBAL fans. The classic scramble for top spot starts again on Tuesday as Sparty takes on Granada at Winton Drive and then a classic Away battle with Monte Vista on Thursday. And to add more to the mix DLS also will take on Deer Valley on Saturday. SRV will be coming of a bruising game with Acalanes to then face Cal. EBAL soccer at its best.
January 20th, 2013 at 11:41 am
Mission san jose has 2 wins not 1 win. I don’t know how they went from 7 points down to 6 haha. Their league record is 2-3-3. 9 points in league
January 20th, 2013 at 11:44 am
The MV DLS game on Thursday should be a great one. Both MV and DLS are hot right now and it will be crucial in the EBAL title race for both teams.
January 20th, 2013 at 11:50 am
Mission has lost one of their league wins due to forfeit, that’s why their points went down.
January 20th, 2013 at 12:04 pm
POY is basically a goal tally. You will have teams that have 6 players with 5 goals each and team with 1 player with 30. Who has the better player or has the better team?? Yes a POY can be a defender or Keeper but the play and leadership needs to be of the charts. You have to be honest also that certain team and leagues the speed and intensity of play are a noticeable step down from others and the goal tally just keeps on ticking for the 1 or 2 skilled players.
January 20th, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Upcoming games…
BVAL
Tuesday
Pitt v. Antioch
Heritage v. Liberty
DV v. Freedom
Thursday
DV v. Heritage
Liberty v. Antioch
Pitt v. Freedom
DFAL
Friday
Alhambra v. Dougherty
Acalanes v. Miramonte
Las Lomas v. Dublin
DVAL
Monday
CP v. Ngate
Berean v. Concord
Clayton v. YV
Friday
CP v. Berean
YV v. Mount
Northgate v. Clayton
EBAL
Tuesday
FH v. Granada
Livermore v. MV
DLS v. AV
SRV v. Cal
Thursday
Cal v. Livermore
SRV v. FH
Granada v. AV
MV v. DLS
Saturday
SRV v. Granada
MVAL
Wednesday
Irvington v. MSJ
Moreau v. Newark
Logan v. Kennedy
Washington v. American
Friday
American v. Irvington
Kennedy v. Washington
Moreau v. Logan
MSJ v. Newark
TCAL
Tuesday
Hercules v. De Anza
Pinole v. St. Pat
Richmond v. Salesian
St. Joe v. St. Mary’s
El Cerrito v. Albany
Kennedy v. Swett
Thursday
Pinole v. Swett
Richmond v. St. Joe
St. Mary v. El Cerrito
Albany v. Salesian
De Anza v. Kennedy
Saturday
St. Mary v. Salesian
WACC
Wednesday
Hayward v. Alameda
Tennyson v. BOD
Encinal v. Berkeley
San Leandro v. Mt. Eden
Piedmont v. Castro Valley
San Lorenzo v. Arroyo
Friday
Tennyson v. Hayward
Berkeley v. Mt. Eden
Castro Valley v. Arroyo
BOD v. Alameda
SLZ v. Encinal
Piedmont v. San Leandro
NON-LEAGUE
Monday
El Cerrito v. Dougherty
Wednesday
Campo v. Hercules
Alhambra v. YV
Miramonte v. Clayton
Saturday
Swett v. El Cerrito
St. Joseph v. Berean
DLS v. DV
Pitt v. Albany
Campo v. Hayward
Foothill v. Richmond
January 20th, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Goal leaders by league…
BVAL
Cendejas Free 17
Berumen Pitt 13
Hernandez Pitt 6
DFAL
Gala Dougherty 17
J. Maldonado Alhambra 10
Helfrich Acalanes 9
Croze Acalanes 8
Kilwien Campo 7
Mirner Acalanes 6
Adkerson Acalanes 6
DVAL
Ayala YV 19
Reiter CP 10
Bolender Ngate 9
Foster Ngate 9
Alman Berean 7
Mendez YV 7
B. Kearney Ngate 6
EBAL
Grixti Cal 9
Clark FH 9
Raynor Cal 8
Greenberg MV 7
Maul SRV 6
MVAL
Raygoza Logan 10
Sandoval Newark 9
Alvarado Logan 6
TCAL
Montes Richmond 25
Romero Hercules 15
Sako EC 10
Sandoval Pinole 10
Helmut DA 7
Espinoza St. Mary 7
Ramos Richmond 6
WACC
R. Castillo Hayward 13
Solomon Berkeley 12
Williams Mt. Eden 10
Mendoza Hayward 9
Luis Castillo Hayward 9
Villegas Mt. Eden 9
Gonzales Berkeley 8
Fink BOD 8
Gray Hayward 8
Gueye Berkeley 7
Udavd Hayward 7
Hamdouni Berkeley 6
Speegle Castro 6
January 20th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
Northgate will need to have it all together this week with CP and Clayton. You never quite know whats up with CP and Clayton is getting hungry.
January 20th, 2013 at 12:50 pm
Assist leaders by league…
BVAL
Murgia Pitt 13
Berumen Pitt 7
Cendejas Free 6
DFAL
Lindgren Acalanes 8
Croze Acalanes 7
J. Maldanado Alhambra 6
Diaz-Valdes Campo 5
Maghsoodnia Campo 5
Kilwien Campo 5
DVAL
Damian YV 14
Aguilar YV 8
Foster Ngate 8
Bolender Ngate 8
Hernandez CP 5
Zumaya YV 5
EBAL
Raynor Cal 8
Clark FH 8
Goldstein FH 6
Greenberg MV 6
Gratsch MV 6
Maestre SRV 6
Pangia AV 5
Grixti Cal 5
MVAL
Torres Moreau 6
Raygoza Logan 5
Alvarado Logan 5
Ramirez Newark 5
TCAL
Alvarez Richmond 9
Bramvila Richmond 9
Montes Richmond 7
Espinoza St. Mary 7
E. Moreno EC 6
Dull St. Mary 5
WACC
Gomez Hayward 13
Solomon Berkeley 6
Hebert Berkeley 6
Goswell BOD 6
Luigi Castillo Hayward 6
Makela Berkeley 5
Daza Garcia Berkeley 5
Hamdouni Berkeley 5
Guzman Castro 5
Luis Castillo Hayward 5
Ortega Hayward 5
Mendoza Hayward 5
January 20th, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Foothill also plays Richmond at Foothill Sat. 2pm
January 20th, 2013 at 1:04 pm
That’s right. The reschedule. Thanks for the reminder.
January 20th, 2013 at 1:04 pm
Also, last week might have robbed us of 300 comments, so I’m going to ask you guys to get us to 500 comments this week.
January 20th, 2013 at 2:01 pm
To get 500 we need controversy, something like:
EBAL is overrated.
See? The valley started steaming as a whole when I typed it.
January 20th, 2013 at 2:21 pm
Slz actually has 18 points
January 20th, 2013 at 2:40 pm
EBAL teams are deep with skills and talent–that’s why you don’t see unbalanced goal and assist leaders in EBAL- the level of play is so competitive and its simply tougher to score goals in EBAL.
For a player to make any level of All League is an enormous accomishmemt – heck even getting a spot on a varsity roster in EBAL requires a lot more than other leagues in NCS-
How’s that for steam? Bring on 500…
January 20th, 2013 at 2:44 pm
@FL Help me figure out how SLZ has 18 points. I know I have their league record correct because they’ve reported every game. Four wins and four ties is 16 points.
January 20th, 2013 at 3:04 pm
@MVAL Soccer Fan which forfeit?
January 20th, 2013 at 3:34 pm
They’ve had to forfeit the game against Irvington which they initially won.
January 20th, 2013 at 3:46 pm
Watch Richmond…they like to hone an edge with EBAL teams, even though they don’t go out of area they are willing to take a challenge and face it head on, which in turn makes them a better team. Hats off to the Coaches and Players that have made the program very respectable.
January 20th, 2013 at 5:34 pm
Richmond has struggled with EBAL teams this year losing to Monte Vista, DLS, Amador and tying SRV. Lets see if they can turn that around next weekend against Foothill.
January 20th, 2013 at 6:22 pm
My point is Richmond is willing to take on a tough challenge.
It really helps the younger guys as to say trial by fire and get that experience.
January 20th, 2013 at 6:38 pm
I sure don’t see EMO,I mean EBAL teams flocking to other areas to play anybody. Blood pressure up yet Sparky fans?
January 20th, 2013 at 7:00 pm
I love Pithy.
January 20th, 2013 at 7:19 pm
@matt slz got three points of bishop
January 20th, 2013 at 8:29 pm
Hello Matt,
My name is Alex Marques, I am a forward for Hercules High School (number 7) and I have just noticed that I am not on your “Top Goals” list. I have a total of 13 goals. This can be confirmed by calling my coach; Hilberth Diaz via: (510) 620-4363
Thank you
January 20th, 2013 at 9:34 pm
@Rebel Thank you. Looks like BOD’s website says they had to forfeit. I guess it was originally a tie.
@TCAL Thanks for letting me know. I will update the stats.
January 20th, 2013 at 9:59 pm
@matt smith Thank You
January 20th, 2013 at 10:07 pm
Hello Matt,
I was just wondering what you think of Hercules High School and also ndo you think they will go far in ncs? Also who do you think is Hercules key players?
January 20th, 2013 at 10:52 pm
Fridays game mt eden vs Berkley can’t wait
January 21st, 2013 at 12:15 am
@TCAL,
I have been hearing very good things about the Hercules boys soccer team and I am looking forward to seeing the Titans this week at Campolindo.
Congratulations to the Titans for the 2012-13 league title, stay focused on your team goals and keep up the great work.
See you at the pitch!
January 21st, 2013 at 1:04 am
Hey Matt,
Bear with me on this one, as you know how I operate. Cheers!
I am preparing “The Sweeper’s list of over-rated and under-rated teams.” I need a few days to process your extensive database of information and analyze the results.
At first look, I have preliminarily concluded that in D-I the Yellow Jackets and the Spartans are over-rated. And Richmond and SRV are under-rated.
In D-II, I need to see the Hercules @ Campolindo match to throw down the gauntlet.
I expect at least 2 inane comments from Yellow-Jackets’ fans and 300 comments from Spartans’ fans (300 get it? HAH!). Anything less is WEAK!
BTW, Acalanes is my overall #1 team despite yielding a season-high two goals to SRV at home on Saturday. The Dons beat SRV, my #2 D-I team, behind MV. DOH! The Wolves have had “regular” defensive lapses, but if they figure that out, their offense is quite offensive. They are like the Baltimore Ravens, go figure…
Bring it on boys, and if you want specifics, so be it!
See you at the pitch! I will be there, will you?
January 21st, 2013 at 2:30 am
Sweeper, I like it. Looking forward to it.
January 21st, 2013 at 2:35 am
@SoccerGod I think Hercules can go very far in NCS. I’m very impressed. Dangerous up top, creative in the midfield and physical defensively. Very fast everywhere.
I like the whole team, but I think Jeremy Romero and Cesar Mendoza are the keys along with the Marques brothers.
Speaking of Romero, does anyone know his accurate goal total? Not sure if 15 is right.
January 21st, 2013 at 7:24 am
Dear Sweeper
1 of 2 Berkeley Comments
I know you caught some of the Clayton Valley Berkeley game
which they barely escaped with a 1-0 win. The Jackets were missing 3 starters, maybe you should go Friday night for a free meal with the relatives and see the Mt Eden game before you pass judgement.
January 21st, 2013 at 7:32 am
My third eye picks top 10.
1. Monte Vista
2. De La Salle
3. Acalanes
4. Newark
5. Richmond
6. Ygnacio Valley
7. Foothill
8. San Ramon
9. Amador Valley
10. Hercules
January 21st, 2013 at 7:51 am
@ El Pata…
The only people who would say the EBAL is over-rated are those not in the EBAL. Once again, as any EBAL observer will tell you….EVERY game is the game of the year in the EBAL. You are not allowed to take a breath…circle a game on your calendar where you can chalk up a win. The honest Northern California high school soccer observer would admit this. Look at the history of the past NCS winners….enough said.
That said, I must give props to Acalanes. Earlier this season, when most were touting them the second coming of Man U, I expressed my doubts about a D2 school being compared in the same breath with a D1 school. I watched them play last week…they are legit, and could definitely hang in the EBAL….albeit this year.
January 21st, 2013 at 7:58 am
I have consulted with the Great Karnak
And the 10 are ???
Envelope #1. De La Salle effective 7:30pm 1.25.2013
Envelope #2. Acalanes
Envelope #3. MV
Envelope #4. YV
Envelope #5. SRV
Envelope #6. Foothill
Envelope #7. Richmond
Envelope #8. Newark
Envelope #9. Pitt
Envelope #10. Amador Valley
January 21st, 2013 at 8:24 am
Re EBAL..even Matts top 15 has five teams from EBAL..That alone holds up the fact that the EBAL is one of the toughest leagues. Nothing against other leagues or schools but records and stats do tend to hold the truth.
January 21st, 2013 at 8:56 am
Clearly EBAL is consistently a top league and often produces the top overall team but the point others are trying to make is that there should not be a foregone conclusion and let the season play out. If non-EBAL teams are good enough and prove it on the field then they should be rewarded in the rankings without some built in assumption that they can never be ranked ahead of the top EBAL team(s).
January 21st, 2013 at 9:12 am
That is one reason I respect Richmond..they are not afraid to venture out and take on teams from the EBAL. It only helps to improve the overall game for both participating teams. Just like at DLS why do they venture to the south land and take on top teams each year? It is not to prove that DLS is the best but they go after the best challenge to sharpen the team as whole.
Never turn down a challenge, just give it your total best shot and learn and improve. In other words bring it on and go for it.
January 21st, 2013 at 9:20 am
Apparently tongue in cheek does not translate. Read it again, was giving mr smith pointers in sensationalist journalism to stoke the fires of commentators.
January 21st, 2013 at 9:38 am
@El Pata I picked up on that, but I’m glad it got the argument going.
January 21st, 2013 at 9:39 am
Would Like to see Acalanes and De La Salle play some Footy. But wait a DII program would get schooled by a good EBAL team. Or was that an anomaly the the other night with SRV ? Maybe NCS should invite the top DII school into the DI based on strength of schedule and overall record…the surprise at large slot.
January 21st, 2013 at 9:43 am
I guess I’ll be that 2nd inane comment. Berkeley tied Monte Vista and then went on to really man handle SRV in a 2-0. Their only lose came to Pitt early on in the season, when they were missing players and still figuring things out as a team. They have pace all over the field, with goalscorers, and a very tough back 4. There is a reason that Matt continues to rank them higher and higher. The game on Friday vs. Mt. Eden and next week against Richmond will shore up my claims.
January 21st, 2013 at 10:12 am
Berkeley is a very talented team. I actually think they are a legit NCS contender. Very, very fast all over the place. Creativity in the midfield with Gonzalez, a true finisher in Nigus. And even though I throw those two names around, they have about 8-10 guys I think could be on the All East-Bay team if I had room. Daza Garcia, Marletta, Hamdouni, Wright, Hebert, etc…
Don’t sleep on them. If they get past Mt. Eden and Richmond, this team will make a case for a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the playoffs.
January 21st, 2013 at 10:21 am
Is there a reason EBAL is “tougher” than other leagues? I mean is it skill or more training? I understand that each game isn’t a gimme but is there a reason why?
January 21st, 2013 at 10:21 am
#40
I do get that DLS goes and plays in the south to face top teams.
But Y…. year after year … do they not take on the challenge of playing YV.
I know that YV soccer has been improving year after year…. yet every year they turn down YV.
Don’t need to go south when they are only 200 yards away.
January 21st, 2013 at 10:41 am
It seems to me that DLS, Cal, MV, Richmond (outside of league) and others have a very firm stance on not playing Division II teams. To them, it is a no-win situation. Because the committee doesn’t understand the teams in the area, the risk of losing to a Division II team carries with it a lot more than the reward offers. It’s almost like if they win, then they were supposed to, and if they lose, it’s a terrible loss. The people who do the seeding are not like myself. If I seeded the teams, they would be rewarded for playing top teams from Division II, because they would get a higher quality game than from certain D I teams.
I have to give credit to SRV for playing Acalanes, but on that same token, Acalanes has a long history of winning and carries with it some weight, even with a clueless committee. I think Bishop O’Dowd is the same, and I think YV can get there if the program continues to grow.
What I think really needs to happen is for the strength of schedule to be determined by the quality of the side, not how many students are on the campus.
I would happily do the seeding, and happily set up an East Bay Champions League.
January 21st, 2013 at 10:46 am
Berkeley have a pretty good team . This is a team that you cant underestimate . Mt eden vs berkeley is ganna be a good game. Im hopping that im able to play vs Berkeley.
January 21st, 2013 at 12:15 pm
One thing EBAL has going for it is that they run a Frosh, JV and V squads. They all become part of the bigger & total system. I know other schools also do but many only have frosh/jv combined then a Varsity team. The other is the coaches are left to their own devices and the program basically is run with two separate identities which does not help the concept of “Total Program”
January 21st, 2013 at 1:21 pm
@upperv,
Berkeley played Pitt with everyone on their roster, not sure where you got your information from. Also it was way more early for Pitt than berk they already had 5 games in and Pitt only had one. I believe Pitt was still figuring it out more than Berkeley. Lets not take credit away from both teams but I believe Pitt dominated that game if I recall correctly.
January 21st, 2013 at 1:22 pm
De la sale will not play a team in our area that they believe they will lose too I.E. YV..it’s always been this way for them.
January 21st, 2013 at 1:54 pm
@Ncschamps,
When Berkeley played Pitt they were missing their star midfielder Gonzalez and starting center back lost early with a cracked rib.
But Pittsburgh did dominate that game and in my opinion could beat any EBAL team or other playoff bound team on a given day and should not be taken lightly
January 21st, 2013 at 2:55 pm
Dougherty 4, El Cerrito 2
January 21st, 2013 at 4:52 pm
@Waterboy, glad you got my joke, but your comment was not inane. Try again. Seriously, I may take your advice and trek to Berkeley on Friday, though I still remember the two goals scored by Hayward. It is a good thing #10 reloaded to win that match.
Meanwhile, the Spartan pundits disappoint. Too few comments with random rankings elevating DLS at #1 on their lists. Hardly creative. Please describe how you think “Sparty” will climb back to the top with some upcoming game-score predictions. And fix that MaxPreps schedule.
@11v11 has it right…200 yards! I guess that bragging rights on the same block don’t really matter.
See you at the Pitch!
January 21st, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Hey Matt,
Jeremy Romero has 18 goals so far this season.
January 21st, 2013 at 5:04 pm
@Upper V, Way to state Berkeley’s case. The Yellow-Jackets’ 2-0 win against SRV was big, and I forgot about the upcoming match against the Oilers. I guess we will know more after the 28th.
See you at the pitch!
January 21st, 2013 at 6:35 pm
DLS would have a case if they won their games this week vs. Amador and MV and then Deer Valley on Saturday. I don’t know if that should put them ahead of Acalanes, YV, or Berkeley though.
January 21st, 2013 at 6:53 pm
Nothing is a given yet, but I have to say that Berkeley and Hercules have both impressed me this year. I do believe that Acalanes, while VERY good indeed are beatable if one can find a way beyond the midfielders, and you cannot dismiss “sparky” or WHATEVER the kool-aid drinkers call them. Winning begets winning, and they are very good at pulling it in at the end of the season. Monte Vista, eh…I dunno.
January 21st, 2013 at 6:58 pm
@SoccerGod Thank you. Keep me posted if you can.
January 21st, 2013 at 7:01 pm
@Sweeper
I will try again, you go to so many games, and if you had seen all of the Hayward game you would have known that it had been 2-0 Berkeley and the Keeper called for the ball and dropped it, letting Hayward back into the game.
See you at the Pitch for the whole game!
January 21st, 2013 at 7:06 pm
Weak sauce there Waterboy. Hayward earned their way back into the game, plain and simple I mean really, what is it with you and those boys? Go pick on sparky or Saint Alfonzo .
January 21st, 2013 at 7:32 pm
Hey all I know is the Right Hand of Soccer God has residency somewhere near Winton Drive.
January 21st, 2013 at 8:38 pm
YV 5, Clayton 0
CP 2, Northgate 0
January 21st, 2013 at 8:56 pm
concord 2 berean 1
January 21st, 2013 at 10:41 pm
Waterboy,
I hear you loud an clear, and I am as hard-of-hearing as they come. But then again, Mudhen has it right.
I will make every effort to see the Yellow-Jacket’s matches with Mt. Eden and Richmond, in whole.
Having seen so many boys EBAL and DFAL matches for the time being, I did take a break tonight and take in a girls freshman match, and there were no Sweeper kids in the match (the grand-kids are just too young).
Tuesday night it will be the EBAL survivors match between Cal at SRV. The loser may end up on the road in the first round of the NCS playoffs.
See you at the pitch!
January 21st, 2013 at 11:03 pm
Borrowing from Mudhen, the “weak sauce” reference rings true as the “Sparty” crew invokes the “hand-of-God” reference. WOW!
All that I have to say is, “Thank God for Lionel Messi, so we do not have to listen to the babbling ‘hand-of-God’ frauds that have permeated FIFA legend since Maradona cheated in front of the entire world (except in the U.S., who saw the match in tape-delay with commercials inserted, DOH!).”
BTW, the best goal in the freshman girls match tonight was a Messi-like 12-yard slow-rolling redirected diagonal tap-in. The net never moved and it was beautiful.
See you at the pitch!
January 21st, 2013 at 11:25 pm
@Waterboy,
Not to be pedantic, but I did see the scoreboard when I arrived at Berkeley v. Hayward: B-2, H-0. As previously admitted, I am definitely hard of hearing, BUT I am not blind.
By my recollection, the Farmers did in fact win the second half in a hostile environment, 2-1.
See you at the pitch!
OBTW: we are not on a pace to 500 postings, ladies and gents. Unless you want to hear more ramblings from The Sweeper, YOU need to speak up.
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:17 am
@ All this talk about Berkeley, RIchmond, & Pittsburgh… and the EBAL.
The 6th place team in the EBAL (right now) beat Richmond, PIttsburgh, and finished above Berkeley in the Tri-Valley Challenge Tournament! So… is 7th or 8th place for those teams an anticipated finish in EBAL?
Since league play began, non-EBAL teams climb the rankings. And EBAL teams fall in the rankings only because they play each other.
So teams are ranked above EBAL, that EBAL has beaten just a few weeks ago! Go figure… but over in the EBAL, we know the truth.
Go 300!
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:06 am
Who has more talent yv? Or Dls??
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:14 am
YV has 3 very good players with an adequate support staff. EBAL typically teams have a better then avg support staff which helps them pull off wins. Deep benches have an element of pay-off.
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:20 am
Naco Dan you seem to conveniently ignore MV’s loss to Freedom and tie with Berkeley, Cal’s tie with Newark, SRV’s tie with Richmond and loss to Acalanes, Foothills ties with Alameda, etc. Nice to argue that EBAL are the only teams deserving of the top rankings but the results indicate that although EBAL may well be the toughest conference that is but one consideration in the overall picture and other teams with top records (Berkeley, Acalanes, YV and likely others) are fully deserving of their rankings
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:00 am
PS YV’s Damian was on a rampage against CV-C. Sad to see CV-C in this state, hopefully next season will be better.
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:02 am
Is Northgate hampered by injuries?? was expecting a bit more in game vs CP.
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:14 am
@70 raw talent > YV Dls.
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:27 am
Lets try this again.
Raw Talent YV / Dls has more balanced talent.
Then we start to get into variables like tactical training, Coaching staff and such.
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:33 am
@ El Pata….I’ll take my lumps for mis-reading your post above…:)
@ Soccerbro…there could be many reasons why people (me included) would market the EBAL as the toughest league in the area. Yes, each and every game is contested and there are no gimmees. That is a given. What’s more, with D1 schools, you have much bigger enrollments…i.e. bigger enrollment means bigget talent pool means more competition for spots means more competitive (better) teams. This is not always true, however (see: Acalanes..Richmond, YV, etc). The further debated issue on this is the socio-economic one..i.e. the EBAL schools produce kids from affluent areas which translates to better and more resources (i.e. money), better facilities to train, private training, etc etc etc. In my opinion…this one has some truth to it.
Bottom line..there are plenty of schools not in the EBAL that are just as competitive on a one-off basis. However, playing 14 straight games against teams that want to kill you each and every time does produce a very high level of soccer and an even greater competitive atmosphere.
Of course..my take only.
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:48 am
@Top Well said.
January 22nd, 2013 at 9:09 am
On the Hayward v Berkeley match. Hayward is a good team and played well. However, if you watched the whole match you would know that the better team won. I don’t have possession statistics but 65-35 Berkeley does not seem a stretch. Berkeley also produced way more chances, the score difference could of been greater. Hayward’s goals were due to lapses in concentration on the Berkeley side. Not to discredit the goals or excuse Berkeley’s lapses, but this may not happen if the overall game were a bit closer. Of course in soccer one never knows and Hayward to their credit was close to pulling out a draw, but the overall match was not that close. This is not to insult Hayward at all, they are good team and played well. This is also not to say Berkeley doesn’t still have a lot to prove. Against Hayward they that day they won and deserve full credit for a hard earned victory.
January 22nd, 2013 at 10:16 am
DVAL
Team W-L (overall, league) PTS
Ygnacio Valley (11-1-4, 6-0-1) 19 +3 Monday
College Park (7-7-4, 4-1-2) 14 +3 Monday
Concord (8-1-5, 3-0-4) 13 +3 Monday
Northgate (9-3-4, 3-3-1) 10
Berean Chr. (3-6-2, 2-3-1) 7
Mt. Diablo (1-7-0, 1-6-0) 3
Clayton Valley (0-15-1, 0-6-1) 1
YV
Ok, so the stronger team is still taking care of business. YV looks too strong for this league. Well rounded all around with a great coaching staff. Not strong when it comes to the bench players.
College Park
Big task ahead of them. If they want to do damage, they have to beat YV and still hope that YV to fail along the way. Still has to watch out for Concord. Coaching staff has moved pieces around and adapted to the competition in front of them.
Concord
A sleeper of a team. They don’t score much, nor do they get scored on. Needs for CP and YV to fail in the next few games. Don’t count them out. Who is scoring for Concord? New faces all the time. Who is the coaching staff? They are managing games well.
Northgate
Strong team, nevertheless falling short in the last few games of the build up they were getting. They are for the most part out in the running for league title. They would need too much to happen and for them to win out. Now for NCS, don’t take them lightly. They will cause damage or upset any team.
Berean
The best underdog team coming from nothing to something. They can hang in there with any team, but not having a deep bench for support could and has hurt them. These players are believing in the program being set forward by the staff. They never give up.
Mt. Diablo
They have the players with some to most playing club at some level, but the coaching staff is lacking.
It seems as if they are a first half team and then the wheels fall off. They need to restructure for next year if they want to overcome what they will have done this year. Good luck.
Clayton Valley
Young players with a new staff. Rebuilding, rebuilding, rebuilding ?? !!
They have a few players that with the correct molding for next year will make a difference to this program.
Only my point of view … please correct me if im wrong or let me know more.
Thanks
January 22nd, 2013 at 11:51 am
Matt, who are your top players in the east bay at this point? & favorites to win NCS ?
January 22nd, 2013 at 12:21 pm
SRV has played 6 of the top 10 (Matt’s rankings), … Have not played YV, PITT or CAMPO.
Based on our games, i wud say:
1. Berkeley – strong whole way thru
2. CAL – when healthy, best midfield by a mile
3. MV – most dangerous up top
4. Acalanes- great finishers but less depth than others
5. DLS solid D/Keeper- but lack scoring threats.
6. Foothill- Some great talent, but lack depth.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:04 pm
A lot of talk about the EBAL being the best league.
They are the only league in the east bay with all DIV 1 teams. (More kids to choose from) I also agree that they are the best league. Now to say that they have the best teams I don’t believe that at all.
Acalanes,Berkeley, and Ygnacio Valley can all play in the EBAL and win the league title. Not saying it will be easy but, they have the talent to do so.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:38 pm
NG started very strong. But their results recently haven’t matched that. Will missing the league title make them work harder or less? Still some excellent players on that team, though.
January 22nd, 2013 at 1:56 pm
@ Dfal1…
Very easy to say….very difficult to do. Having talent should be a given for any top team. However…those who purport the EBAL the top league, and yes, with the best teams, are aware that talent alone does not always win in the EBAL. Effort, desire, physicality, injuries…all of these are also givens in the EBAL that separate winning from losing. While Acalanes, Berkeley, and YV, and others may be good teams…to say that they could win the league title is nothing more than conjecture based on zero experience. Let those 3 teams play SRV, MV, AV, Foothill, DLS and Cal in successive games…and then tell me how they will win the EBAL????
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:07 pm
Im going to throw a wrench on #81 #83…
If playing D2 teams hurt so much…. or EBAL is that good then face those teams.
Why run… why hide under the “im getting hurt” for playing a D2 team… just play the game.
Your doom for not playing them and your doom if you dont.
No league titles are easy … you still need to many other components and variables.
Just play the team and play the game.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:12 pm
@ 11v11…
Not gonna say I disagree with you from a general, competitive standpoint. But, the fact is…when D1 teams are being considered for NCS, because there is SO much competition, it normally comes down to your non-league schedule strength. This means that if you have a non-league schedule with several D2 teams on it, WIN or LOSE, it does not work as favorably for you if you played D1 teams in non-league, WIN or LOSE. That is a fact. Do I think more D1 teams should play D2 teams in non-league? Yes. But, the system, for the most part, dictates how D1 coaches need to plan their schedules.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:29 pm
Heading out to MV-Liv game. Something tells me that the Cowboys may get a rope around the Mustang..however they will need to push it all 80 and not go flat.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:40 pm
@#79 Good review. CP is one of the most inconsistent teams around. Hot one game and Ice cold the next. They have solid talent but it is not used effectively
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:45 pm
#87
MV still recovering from injuries pretty widespread so I wouldn’t rule it out either, Livermore is better than what their record indicates.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:48 pm
Livermore is what I would call feisty.
YV vs Alhambra Wed location and time anybody??
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:51 pm
@Itsabob At Alhambra, 6:00 I believe.
And I agree, that Livermore will give MV all it can handle tonight.
January 22nd, 2013 at 2:54 pm
@top of the box
So what you are saying is that Acalanes playing Campolindo,YV, and SRV within 7 days isn’t hard? and if I recall, the only win is against of your best in EBAL
Berkeley also played CP,MV,PITT,LOGAN,&SRV in a 10 day span and the only lost was to PITT. Why isn’t the powerful EBAL beating this teams easily? I tell you why…
Every single team in EBAL has the same playing style.
big,physical,agressive, a team that can possess the ball and can move the ball around well like(yv) will give those teams a lot of problems. This teams aren’t EBAL so they must not stand a chance right?
January 22nd, 2013 at 3:52 pm
OK, I’m curious about the OAL soccer programs. I see three teams with actual games under their belts according to the data presented in this blog. Are the other teams not fielding teams of just not reporting results? They also have very few games posted in the standings (again according to this blog). Do the OAL schools participate in NCS in soccer? If so, D1, D2? Thanks.
January 22nd, 2013 at 4:08 pm
@Matt – Boy do I feel stupid right about now. It appears Jorge Cendejas from Freedom is eligible to play and actually never was never ineligible. So much for my good source. Apparently, someone was playing a very tasteless joke on him. Not cool. Apologies for sharing false information. But I’m happy that Freedom still has their heart and soul! Freedom is at Deer Valley tonight. DV gave Pitt a very tough time last week. Should be a good game!
January 22nd, 2013 at 4:34 pm
@Goalboy No worries! Just glad he’s playing!
@Neal OAL teams don’t participate in NCS. Winning the OAL is their big prize. And the reason you don’t see a lot of results is because Oakand Tech is the only who reports scores.
January 22nd, 2013 at 4:59 pm
@Matt, thanks for the response. Too bad I was hoping that would change. I have always wished the OAL schools would participate in NCS (same for AAA and/or CCS).
January 22nd, 2013 at 5:48 pm
Northgate is in its entirety a first half team, come second half they won’t scare you. This leads to the problem if they fail the first half, they have no second half to turn around. When they played YV the first time, they came out strong with a goal and were tied 1-1 at halftime. They fell apart the second half and let 2 in. The second time they played YV they were the better team the first half, Northgate was outplaying YV just last week. Come second half however, once again they fell off and let 3 goals in. Now just yesterday they played CP and went through the same scenario. Northgate was much above CP’s level the first half, and if they had been able to finish their chances the score would’ve been something like 3-0. Since they couldn’t though they lost the second half and finished the game 0-2.
However, the team has one of the strongest defenses I’ve seen. I’m endlessly amazed by it. Whatever their back line is being taught is working out tremendously for them. If you manage to beat their defenders (two of which are starting freshman), you’ve still got their wall of a keeper to get by.
Short story is, Northgate needs to work on their second half and finishing their shots. That team is scary first half, but that’s about it. The only aspect of their game that I feel improves second half is their goalkeeping, when in form he holds that line well. It’s pretty much pelt the goalkeeper and pray you can get one in.
January 22nd, 2013 at 6:17 pm
SRV 1 CAL 0 after 12
January 22nd, 2013 at 6:30 pm
SRV 2-0 after 27
January 22nd, 2013 at 6:32 pm
Ebal is more of a collection of very orgonized and shapped teams, whose coaches teach to always remain calm and never lose structure, and it works its very likely that this year’s ncs will be won by a team from that league, because thats a style of play thats common to that league and it keeps it a balanced league. But thats why u always hear about the schools and rarely the individaul talents in those schools that form that league. Their talents are structure, staying stable from game one till the last game, amd never losing form in defense, midfield and attacking…. But isnt that common? What schools are just as organized as them? And are not in the Ebal or in division one for that matter? And what about the schools with gifted play makers? And gifted and talent so raw you say that kid will make it pro, what about their schools? Are they not organized?
January 22nd, 2013 at 6:44 pm
2-0 SRV at half
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:06 pm
AV up 1-0 on DLS. Halftime.
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:23 pm
HERCULES 1 DE ANZA 1 16 MINS TO GO SECOND HALF
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:32 pm
AV 1 D.L.S 1 18 MIN TO GO SECOND HALF
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:34 pm
SRV wins 2-0. Lots of shots and lazy spells. Cal is not healthy…
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:47 pm
3-2 fh over Granada
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:55 pm
DLS 1-1 AV F
January 22nd, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Livermore up 3-1 on MV lasti heard.
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:01 pm
HERCULES 1 DE ANZA 1 FINAL
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:03 pm
Pitt 4-0 Antioch
January 22nd, 2013 at 8:38 pm
Looks like Ebal is becoming a 3 horse race..
MV-20 pts
DLS-18 pts.
SR- 16 BUT 1 game behind everyone else! Will play make up game vs Granada Saturday that could put them at 19 and in second. Interesting
January 22nd, 2013 at 9:04 pm
Livermore WINS! …. 3-1 over MV
Newcomer to Livermore and Ebal Evan Enzmann scored the 1st goal and got the assit on the 2nd goal by Jake Foscaini. The 3rd goal by Juan Alfaro had Livermore up 3-0 at half time. MV came out the 2nd half and pressed hard keeping the Cowboys on their heels most of the 2nd half scoring their goal. New GK to varsity Logan once again stayed cool under heavy pressure.
January 22nd, 2013 at 9:11 pm
114/500
Wow Livermore over MV 3-1
Once again on a given night you cannot take any team for granted!
January 22nd, 2013 at 9:22 pm
Wow Cowboys held onto the rope.
January 22nd, 2013 at 9:26 pm
Can you say cosmic force-field in front of DLS goal tonight. Rarely see a ball move and bounce in front of a goal and not go in about half dozen times. DLS could have hammered it down 3-1 but it was not to be.
January 22nd, 2013 at 9:29 pm
Richmond 6, Salesian 0- Two goals for Montes.
Other TCAL games…
EC 3, Albany 2
BVAL
Liberty 1, Heritage 1
DV 3, Freedom 1
January 22nd, 2013 at 10:04 pm
Richmond has won the TCAL Rock Division. The Oilers are league champs and are in NCS.
January 22nd, 2013 at 10:08 pm
Pinole 6, St. Pat 1
January 22nd, 2013 at 10:18 pm
@Stewie..”half a dozen times”, what game were you watching. I recall the DLS goal came from an obvious foul committed by the DLS forward, dragging the AV defender down from behind, then knocking the AV goalie down, then side kicking the ball into the net from the deck…
DLS did have a great chance late in the second half with the ball hitting the cross bar, then being headed away by the AV defense, but again it was just more sloppy soccer from DLS who seem content to continually launch the ball into the box off throws-ins, goalie punts, from the stands etc… whatever it takes, then have everyone crash the box aggressively and hope for garbage… not very impressive, or fun to watch.
January 22nd, 2013 at 10:21 pm
Foothill-3, Granada-2, Final, Bobby Sehrgosha 2 goals, Christian Clark 2 assists!
January 22nd, 2013 at 10:44 pm
Hey Matt,
Who do you think will win between Hercules and Campo tomarrow on Wednesday?
January 23rd, 2013 at 6:30 am
@SoccerGod Campo is fresh and not coming off a game and is at home, so it’s hard not to pick Campo. However, I think Hercules might have been thinking about this game instead of De Anza. I actually think it will be a draw.
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:08 am
What I saw was time wasting from Amador with lots of rolling on the ground , launching balls off pitch, a poor intimation of a diving team, and I went home with an ear ache from the constant whining.
Spartans were not quite on target with balls headed over the top and a Very good save by Amador Keeper on a well placed header. Some balls were just inches wide of post.
Game was equally physical but one team was not squirming on the ground.
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:29 am
Although the De La Salle Amador game was physical and rather typical EBAL game. Each team had some solid play. Both Keepers played well and both had some critical saves on well targeted shots. One player Nic Bob for the Spartans had a great game out in Mid Field his dominating presence was a huge factor for the Spartan to retain / gain possession and his distribution was played well.
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:40 am
@Stewie, just like @Soccerfan already stated, “what game where you watching?”…it was a great game that could have gone either way. I also saw a physical game that had no diving. In fact, if anything, saw plenty of shirt tugging and pushing inside the box from DLS on AV’s stronger offensive players but that is normally the way the game is played. Your bias to DLS is obvious. Thanks
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:02 am
@Stewie…you and I must have been at a different game.Amador went into DLS and went up early on goal by #17 Seitz…with an assist from #7 Pangia.From a strategy standpoint AV did what they had to do.They came away with a tie against a good DLS team.Well done Don’s!
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:59 am
Relax and have some more sour grape kool-aid Stewie.
I’ve seen Sparky flop like fish on the deck when holding a slim lead in the closing moments
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:17 am
Every team becomes a fish out of water in the closing moments… they all do it.
Looks like if DLS doesnt win… the blog begins to cry.
Its ok… next time , next time.
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:36 am
SRV was generally impressive against Cal, with numerous 4-on-4 or 5-on-5 charges at speed, forcing 8 saves by the Cal keeper, and there were no significant defensive lapses.
I am looking forward to seeing the Hercules at Campo match at 6:30PM tonight, my first look at the Titans. The later start is helps with the slog up 680.
See you at the pitch!
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:37 am
Stewie…others have said that DLS is beatable this year.Other than a good goalie and being fit the Spartans lack creativity and are not as fluid as some of the other teams in NCS.Look for a new champion this year!
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:37 am
This is too slow for 500 comments to be possible…
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:52 am
Looking forward to the Richmond vs Berkley game Monday the 28th. It’s going to be a very tough game for both teams!
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:03 am
130/500
Law students have to be patient.
Plenty to hopefully talk about before Sunday
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:06 am
@Waterboy My patience, with law school at least, is wearing thin
I think there will be plenty to talk about when I come visit you guys again on Friday.
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:09 am
@Matt
Better you reserve a seat for Sweeper in case he doesn’t get there until the 2nd half. I am actually looking forward to the big field in Richmond on Monday
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:38 am
What happened in the MV vs Livermore game? Thought MV would be a more dominate team with the addition of their injured middie.
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:54 am
I believe Eusebio is dinged up again… I could be wrong.
January 23rd, 2013 at 12:31 pm
500 should be a piece of cake…
With 60+ East Bay teams playing 2+ matches per week, that is 60+ matches where postings of halftime and final scores produce 120+ postings alone, not counting individual goal score postings or inane comments. We should see at least 300 inane comments per week, leaving under 100 insightful postings to reach 500.
Remember to post those scores and don’t blame your “smart” phone for your inane comments. 500 should be a piece of cake…
See you at the pitch!
January 23rd, 2013 at 12:34 pm
MV vs DLS tomorrow. Still 5 or 6 games left in ebal. Title is in a deep fog. NCS title will go to the healthiest team(and with the most shots on frame!)…
January 23rd, 2013 at 12:34 pm
@Mudhen Sparky? : In the U.S. Navy Sparky was a nickname for enlisted men who’s rating was Radioman. The name comes from the responsibilities of Radiomen to fix and work with Antennas, Radios, and other related equipment; It may also come from the Radioman.
Now S p a r t y is an endearing name for a Spartan.
peace love and so on. Thursday will be interesting to say the least.
January 23rd, 2013 at 1:04 pm
Ok Stewie, from now on it’s SPURTY!
January 23rd, 2013 at 1:44 pm
Acalanes is visiting the Dog House tonight at 6.
January 23rd, 2013 at 2:03 pm
@Stewie You mean YV, right?
January 23rd, 2013 at 3:06 pm
Must be something cosmic about Acalanes. Fri at Miramonte.
Yes YV at the Dog House tonight at 6
January 23rd, 2013 at 3:08 pm
For those who have not seen YV play, It will be worth the trip and the rain.
January 23rd, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Foothill’s Bobby Sehrgosha climbing the goal scoring leaderboard in EBAL now with 8 goals!
January 23rd, 2013 at 4:30 pm
@Ray Beck #127. Agree with your comments on AV/DLS game although I think first goal was actually unassisted as Seitz scored on scramble. In any event, Pangia, #10 and #12 all created several good opportunties for AV up front with great support from Seitz and midfield. We all know that DLS goalie is “all-pro” but the AV goalie held his own in this match and made several great saves. I was really impressed with how DLS moved the ball and kept their shape. I have now seen most top 15 teams play and still think DLS is team to beat for NCS.
January 23rd, 2013 at 4:43 pm
My EBAL predictions for Thursday night:
Cal 2 LV 0 (LV streak ends at 2 games)
MV 2 DLS 2 (tough match up so easiest thing to do is pick a draw)
SRV 2 FH 1 (FH “one” man team not enough for SRV depth)
AV 2 Granada 1 (AV gets just enough against solid team)
Another great night of soccer
January 23rd, 2013 at 4:54 pm
@Reality, Don’t count Livermore out just yet, the new Gk has been doing a real fine job in the net. The boys are finally finding a rhythm, moving the ball, and starting to “believe”. I think they will give Cal a good run.
January 23rd, 2013 at 4:57 pm
After news breaking late last week that Mission had to forfeit their previous victory over Irvington, the two schools meet agin today in what I’m anticipating to be a very intense match.
Kennedy also takes on Logan tonight in a battle between two of the tip three teams in MVAL.
This should be an interesting night here in the Fremont area.
January 23rd, 2013 at 4:58 pm
@Reality…Seitz did score un-assisted after scramble.#7 Pangia,#10 Tait-Mole and #12 Richwood created some nice offensive opportunities during course of game.Goalies for both teams played well.I disagree that DLS is team to beat in NCS.I have only seen a few teams that play in EBAL and i have seen a lot of parity.The Spartans rep precedes them.If you want to truly analyze them as I believe their goalie is very good and they do have a good team that play well together with no superstars.Which I suppose is the DLS way.If only some of the other EBAL teams could embrace the Spartan grit and desire they would elevate their game.Once again nice tie Dons.Lets get rolling as a team because your talent is there!
January 23rd, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Arroyo wins 4-1 vs San Lorenz.
January 23rd, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Hayward 3-2 Alameda
Arroyo 4-1 San Lorenzo
Farmers open up a five-point lead in WACC Shoreline.
January 23rd, 2013 at 5:42 pm
Can someone comment on Acalanes and how they would fare against DLS and the rest of the EBAL
January 23rd, 2013 at 5:44 pm
BOD 3, Tennyson 2
January 23rd, 2013 at 5:57 pm
@Stewie, Ray Beck, SoccerFan, Reality, etc..
Re: AV vs DLS
Must agree I saw a different game than Stewie. AV had the better chances. Pangia could’ve won the game by himself! He had to open shots on net that he would not miss again if he had the chance. The best one was even before the AV goal in the opening minutes. Walsh had the assist on a corner kick. DLS had to foul to score (clearly missed by the ref). They launched balls into the box, but there was no “building” or style of play.
3 one-on-one’s with the last man. 2 for AV, 1 for DLS. In all 3, the DLS player took down the AV player. No cards for any of them (by rule = card). DLS gets a goal, AV gets zero. DLS got all the calls, AV got all the cards. It was lopsided officiating at best. In fact, the ref kept DLS in the game. That’s why they continued to fight, cuz they were encouraged by the non-calls. One AV player came out bleeding after DLS clearly punched him. So some might say DLS could’ve won 3-1, I say AV could’ve won by more than that. You say AV whined and your ears hurt? I say DLS played dirty and my eyes hurt!
I will agree the big kid in the center mid for DLS was the only thing keeping them in the game. He got most every header that came his way. He distributes well too. Solid player. Think his name is “N. Bob”?
January 23rd, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Encinal 3-2 Berkeley
Don’t count Encinal out of NCS!
January 23rd, 2013 at 6:11 pm
Is that Encinal score right?
January 23rd, 2013 at 6:22 pm
Jk 10-0 Berkeley
January 23rd, 2013 at 6:50 pm
@ Left Bench… Lol!
January 23rd, 2013 at 6:52 pm
YV 1 Alhambra 0 at Half Time
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:03 pm
1 – 1 at Alhambra 35 min to go
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:08 pm
After watching Berkeley play a few times I am really impressed with the two junior center mids, Hebert and Hamdouni. They play with a lot of heart and seem to be the core of the team.
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:15 pm
Alhambra just scored again against YV score is 2-1
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:30 pm
12 min to go at Alhambra. They are still up 2-1 over YV
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:30 pm
Matt you going to a game this Friday?
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:41 pm
Alhambra defeats Ygnacio Valley 2-1
Huge win for the Bulldogs.
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:55 pm
@Yellow Jacket. I’ll be at your place.
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:57 pm
Good game at the Dog House. YV was caught by surprise and was pounded on relentlessly by the Dogs.
Alhambra should be proud of this one they put a total game together for 80 min and hung on.
YV should not drop games like these with the talent that is available.
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:58 pm
@Matt will you be at the MV game Thursday?
January 23rd, 2013 at 7:58 pm
Kennedy 2, Logan 1
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:19 pm
@ Matt, Awesome! Look forward to seeing you and Berkeley taking their final step to taking the league title. Hopefully the game will be interesting, as I would hope to have to bring up the Lakers…
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:23 pm
MSJ 1, Irvington 0
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:23 pm
@Yellow Jacket I beg of you not to mention the Lakers
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:27 pm
@Matt If only we had gotten Chris Paul..HA!
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:30 pm
I blame David Stern for what has happened, I kid you not.
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:31 pm
Livermore coach must be a wizard, magician, Jedi, miracle worker, (pick your favorite analogy) to have Livermore on a winning streak in the EBAL! Props to him and the team. Nice wins over MV & AV. Go Cowboys!
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:37 pm
#150 Cal has not scored a goal in 4 games and they have possibly the weekest defense in the EBAL. They will be lucky to win another game this year. You can’t wins games if you can’t score a goal.
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:38 pm
Did I really see this?…
Castro Valley 12-0 Encinal
Berkeley 10-0 Encinal
At what point do you stop scoring goals on a team you out-match? Isn’t double digits excessive? At what point does it become arrogant or classless?
In my opinion a team should never score more than 9 on a team. What is your opinion on the ‘etiquette’ of soccer? Sound off.
Go 500!
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:46 pm
@Nacho Don I doubt CV or berkeley kept their top players in the whole game. Do you suggest that the players who go in who normally don’t get a lot of playing time just go in the game and not try? Honestly to feel sorry and stop playing hard against an opponent is more disrespectful than scoring 20.
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:47 pm
@Laker Fans although I am not a fan of the Lakers (haven’t been since Magic days) I do agree that Stern meddled where he shouldn’t have! If he wanted to stop a stupid trade he should have killed the Gasol to Lakers deal. Now THAT was a joke!
Anyway, back to the fun stuff, Go Farmers (HHS ’73) and Go Dragons (son ’11, daughter ’08)!
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:49 pm
@Shinguard, I will be there tomorrow.
January 23rd, 2013 at 8:58 pm
@reality, a little harsh calling Foothill a one man team. Very deep team that has overcome injuries to surprise a lot of teams.Tied SRV 2-2 in their first match.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:14 pm
@Bobby
20 goals is worse than not trying? That assumes there aren’t other things you can focus on out on the pitch! Try stringing a number of passes together, put some limitations on, force the team to score only certain types of goals, try to feed a particular player, work on a new formation, let the other team work on their offense…
There a lot of things you can “TRY” without humiliating other humans. Really, your 20 goals is exactly the classlessness I was hoping our civilization was above. Was hoping we were more “creative” than that too. Was anything really learned or developed in those two matches? Other than Encinal isn’t good, and the other schools are uncreative & cruel?
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:16 pm
@Nacho Don Regarding the Encinal scores I remember hating the youth soccer league rule of pulling players once the winning team was up 4 goals. Reason being that if the team was that good they would continue to score even with less players. And I thought that was tougher to take. I wasn’t at the games you mention but if it was me and I was on the winning end of these scores I would make sure I pulled the starters and let the bench play a lot. But I would want them to play their best soccer. If I was the losing coach I would do the same, let my bench get in the game for the experience of competing. The kids on both teams train hard to play at their best and it would be difficult for a coach to tell them to back off if given the chance to play. I am not a coach so FWIW.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:26 pm
I don’t know what happened, but when I got to Campo tonight at 6:40pm, the lights were off and there was no match in the works. And there was at least a 10 minute stoppage delay on Moraga Road. I guess the joke was on me. If you were there you would know that it was too dark to, “See you at the pitch!”
Any insight Matt? Did they eventually play?
Speaking of jokes, Left Bench must be an amateur comedian. If you are going to post funny scores (ha-ha-ha) at least post the punchline like a comedian…count 1-2-3 then deliver the punchline. Timing is everything and the audience died on that one. NK!
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:37 pm
Campo 3, Hercules 1
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:38 pm
@Sweeper I guess they had three separate delays. I just got the score reported to me.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:39 pm
Anyone know the scores of Washington v. American and Newark v. Moreau?
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:39 pm
YV losing to Alhambra tonight was done with relentless workrate coming from the Dogs, showing a lot of heart. YV played the worst game all season with zero work rate, no heart, some injuries and un characteristic mistakes. If YV dont pick up their play then expect them to be out early in NCS. However if they pick up their game and play to their potential then no one will beat them.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:42 pm
Home or away, with or with out talent playing organized or just recklessly kicking a ball, a win is a win and upsets are just beautifull, yv lost they can cry about it and say they played bad, its better they learn from the bad games the had all season cause if u ask me, an under dog is taking ncs in both divisions and will see alot of upsets like acalanes losing first game last ncs, thats soccer.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:44 pm
Berkeley only played their starters about 30 minutes against Encinal tonight. 9 different players scored and the goalie played in the field. In the second half the coach told them they could only shoot from outside the box or with their head. It is tough to play possession on a wet grass field, but they tried. There is a fine line between respecting your opponents by toning down your attack and disrespecting your opponent by toning down your attack.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:46 pm
I see big,lopsided scores and i think there are two kinds of reactions by the “winning side”. One where the winners wince a little each time they score, knowing how the other team is feeling. And I see alot of where the winners yell and hoot and mock their opponents.
January 23rd, 2013 at 9:52 pm
Wow that is alot of goals by berKeley and castro valley hahaha bully’s! Hahaha i just hope they score that manny in ncs if they are that good
or will the level Of other teams just eliminate them like last season.
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:17 pm
There are several ways to deal with blow-out mismatches, and the priorities for the team with more talent should include:
1. Stay focused and avoid “dumb” injuries.
2. Challenge players to hone their aim, shooting for the entire frame including posts and the cross-bar, not just wide open nets.
3. Encourage finesse goals, and not 30 yard lasers. Think “what would Messi do?” Oh yeah, he the king of embarrassing defenses and keepers, never mind…
4. Sub early and often, at somewhere between 4-0 and 6-0, depending on the the threat of the opponent, the history, and the amount of time left.
5. Reduce the number of players playing forward on offense by holding 1 or 2 additional players back in defense.
6. Spread the field and work on back passes and long crosses.
7. Run plays to execute 5, 6 and even 7 connecting passes (not 1-2-3-shoot), and reset if the complete play is not executed, with no garbage shots/goals.
8. Let the defense play some offense, but don’t look foolish.
9. If playing at home, keep the clock running regardless of what the ref says, let the officials add time.
This is hardly an exhaustive list, but you get the idea, right?
While everyone will know what is going on, this is not disrespectful, and nobody should question your integrity (if that is important to your philosophy). In essence the match becomes a “friendly” though I never quite understood what that is…
See you at the pitch (when the sun is up or the lights are on)!
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:27 pm
Hey Matt,
Just a update that Jeremy Romero has 19 goals now.
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:37 pm
Matt,
Thanks for the update from Campo. Sorry that I did not make the short trek in the dark because I am in fact deaf but not blind, and I had the rain gear. It was stone dark but for the pool, and there were not many cars, so I did not think my updates would be interesting giving updates on the movement of the stars, I mean clouds…
The funny thing is that I can watch 100s of minutes of soccer per week (even per day), but I cannot tolerate delays, waits or stalling. And you know my thoughts about the half-time breaks and cold weather. And I seldom arrive for a match 5 minutes early. I guess that I have ADD or ADHD or ADDHD or ADDHD squared or something the such.
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:48 pm
Hey Matt,
Piedmont is 4-8-1 Overall and 3-6-1 in league play
Matthew Baringer has 6 goals and 5 assists. Should be in both lists.
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:52 pm
Sweeper makes some good points. There is no point in humiliating a team down by 5-6 goals. Also points out that “stats” should not perhaps receive the amount of focus folks are placing on them. Meaningful goals and assists in tough games vs. closely matched opponents or in games that decide league title, playoff berths or playoff games are more important and the best teams celebrate goals as goals for the team not the individual goal scorer.
This week also points out the fine line between the ” top” teams and other teams that put together 80 minutes of focused energy.
January 23rd, 2013 at 10:53 pm
I think I’m going to make the trip to Berkeley on friday to watch those Yellow Jackets once more! I have seen a lot of teams this year but none give me more interest and joy than Berkeley High.
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:20 pm
MVAL Alumni,
We are glad that you took the time to post, but please take the time to post in the here and now. Your posting on and old blog goes into never-never-land after 5 postings on the live blog, meaning this one.
And please keep posting for the Dragons.
Apologies for the terse comment, but not really. We are on the charge to 500 this week, by midnight on Saturday, right?
See you at the pitch and keep those cards and letters (postings) coming…
–The Sweeper
Cheers!
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:39 pm
Sorry Sweep. I’ll try and keep to the here from now on. Piedmont beat Castro Valley pretty decisively 4-1. All goals came in the second half. Matt Baringer had a hand in creating all of the goals. Castro Valley players were class acts with some good talent.
January 23rd, 2013 at 11:46 pm
Hey Matt, I haven’t posted in a long time. Been busy with work and family, and I’ve only been to a handful of games as a result. Based on what I’ve heard and seen from the few MVAL games I’ve been to, it looks like it will be Newark, Logan, and Kennedy for the title. My pick is Newark to win, but it should definitely be a close race.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:01 am
@MVAL Alumni,
No apologies required. We like all posts for the 500 cause.
I hope that you know me as MVAL friendly, despite the EBAL bias. When invited/challenged, I try to make the quality matches. I have seen 2 quality MVAL-related matches this season, and I am a HUGE fan of The Tak. One of the three best venues to see a match in the East Bay, and second to none when the local vendors are serving from the grill.
Shamelessly drop your MVAL-strong comments on the current blog, stay on point and finish strong (as the a-hole ‘Jim Rome’ directs, small “a” stressed, get it?).
See you at the pitch! 200++++ well on our way to 600 (500 is for losers…
January 24th, 2013 at 12:07 am
@204
And now for something completely different, The Tri-City Dude returns.
We welcome back the MVAL prodigal son. Kill the fatted calf and let’s feast on carne asada.
Seriously, I like the Newark call, but the top 3 are very close as you commented. Keep us posted Tri-City Dude.
See you at the pitch!
January 24th, 2013 at 12:53 am
Also, is there an explanation on why we were unable to post comments on this blog recently? I was hoping to post some things, but I had trouble along with most other people. And to help in your quest to get to 500 comments, I’ll do a review so far of the MVAL teams from top to bottom based on the current standings.
1)Logan- Very solid team led by Justyn Raygoza and Christian Alvarado. They also have two very solid goalkeepers in Alexis Sainz and Albert Marquez. Played a real tough non-league schedule that included a lot of EBAl teams, but that should make them battle-tested. Ties against weaker teams like MSJ and Washington don’t help their cause.
2)Newark Memorial- The pre-season favorite to win, they continue their recent successful run with another great season. Great offensive team led by senior strikers Joel Sandoval and Jacob Dougherty. One of the best goaltenders in the East Bay in Luke Lombana, who has 9 shutouts and counting. Not any real weaknesses here, which is why they are my favorite to win MVAL.
3)Kennedy- The surprise team of this league so far, and I think a lot of credit has to go to coach Rodrigo Mendoza for their turnaround this year. I don’t think anyone saw this coming, especially with their 1 win season last year. Don’t know the players that well because I’ve only seen them play once, but they do have a great defensive unit that inlcudes the goalkeeper (don’t know the name). However, they need to find their offensive game if they want to compete with Logan and Newark for the league.
4)Washington- This team did tie Logan and Newark in the same week; the problem is that they tie too much to be in consideration for the league title. Also lost to American today, so that only hurts their win-loss-tie total and their chance at league. Don’t know too much about this team either due to not seeing them as much as the other MVAL teams.
5)Irvington- Got a new coach in Eric Silveria, but it has not really helped Irvington improve in the standings. Weak offensive team, with Mohammed Raza being the only real goal scorer. Good goalie in Andrew Huge, who is really athletic. Also watch out for Tiger Chen; he’s only a freshmen, but he is fast, precise, and adept with the ball. Overall, they have a lot of non-seniors on the team that can make an impact next year for the Vikings.
6) Moreau- I don’t think the team was too hot in recent years, and unfortunately moving to the MVAL has been unforgiving also. Best player is probably Chris Torres, who is a very good ball distributor and does a nice job of moving the ball around. Goalkeeping has not been great, with Eduardo Rubio and Rogelio Castenada giving up goals in bunches. Both GK are young, so they have room to improve for next season.
7)MSJ- I know you thought highly of this team early on in the season Matt, but I just didn’t see them doing that well. They had respectable showings against Granada, AV, Alameda, and Mt. Eden, but that has not translated to wins in the MVAL. That’s too bad, because they seem like they have a decent team.
8) American- A really dissapointing season to say the least fot the Eagles. I thought Al McKay did a good job in turning the program around last season, but they have completely dropped off this season. The graduation of striker Khanh Ngyuen and goalie Phillip Kwong really hurt this team. One guy to keep an eye on is Bryon Morales for next year; when I went to see American play earlier in the season, he seemed to be the only player able to create any offense for the Eagles.
Overall, I would say Newark wins the MVAL, followed closely by Logan and Kennedy. 4th-8th respectively is Irvington, Washington, Moreau, MSJ, and American.
January 24th, 2013 at 1:03 am
Made a mistake with the smiley face next to American. Unfortunately, their season is nothing to smile about!
Sweeper, nice to see you also. I’ve been too busy to post, so I hope you haven’t missed me too much, lol!
Also agree with you praise of Tak Fudenna Stadium. It really is one of the better modern venues/facilities to take in any kind of game. On Friday night football games, there are sometimes local food trucks that are out near the entrance to the game, and there is usually good food. If you haven’t been to Tak for football, soccer, track and field, or even for graduation, I highly recommend coming here for any event.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:22 am
A week ago Matt wrote that Cal High was a lock for the NCS playoffs. Question: if Cal lose their remaining games as suggested in # 179, will that still be true i.e. will they still go to the playoffs (especially if they are losing every game 2-0 or worse)?
January 24th, 2013 at 7:45 am
@Old Soccer Head The simple answer is yes. Cal will go to the playoffs. No matter what.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:45 am
@ Tri-City Dude Welcome back! The blog was down for like three days last week.
January 24th, 2013 at 8:09 am
Matt you say no matter what. Is that based on their record? Or, their potential?
January 24th, 2013 at 8:50 am
OH BOY….
Matt –
A lot of moving around…
I still dont know why you took Acalanes from #1 … but that should change. Few more days of soccer until next standings but anything true below ?
MV drops ???
YV drops ???
Berkley up …
Pitt up …
SRV up …
DLS UP or same … blog votes say up… figures
January 24th, 2013 at 9:05 am
@SRVdad It will be based on their record. At worst, they end the year 13-9-2. Usually around 17-18 teams are battling for the 16 spots. Even if Cal ended on a terrible losing streak, they still have the resume to get a top 10 seed, i.e. quality wins and strength of schedule. There’s no way Cal doesn’t get in.
January 24th, 2013 at 9:09 am
@11v11 If Acalanes and Berkeley hold serve tomorrow, then there are your No. 1 and No. 2 teams. A good result for MV tonight probably doesn’t drop them much.
DLS/SRV jumps depend on how they do tonight. Foothill could also jump quite a bit.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:42 am
Sweeper, I agree w/ yer comments in #196 re blow-out mismatches esp #7 “run plays to execute to 5,6,7 connecting passes…” Actually, theres no reason the possession shouldn’t extend to to 20,30 or even more consective passes. IMO young US players really, really need to improve their skills in receeiving/trapping the ball & making precise, accurate, timely and intelligent passes (especially in very tight spaces). They can also use these games to work on their “weak” foot. Basically, our youg players need to step up their overall speed and quality of play. These type games may provide some opportunity to work on some of that.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:48 am
@Sweep
. I’m really happy to see American Boys finally have a consistent coach. For years after Jerry Lossen left to coach the girls they had a new coach each year. He’s doing a great job with that program.
I’ll gladly speak about the best league in the bay, the MVAL.
What I want to say is what happened to the MVAL. Outside of Newark and Logan, the Fremont schools have dropped off the map. I remember when Washington and Irvington were top schools in the bay. Is it because the Kinnears left? It seems the quality of players coming out of the Fremont programs just don’t have that quality like they did in the past, for example Jamil Roberts. There may be some players with decent quality, I haven’t seen many of the teams lately, however it seems like the league has dropped off significantly.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:00 am
MaxPreps is way out of whack for DLS soccer. Bad scores, missing matches and incomplete schedule. It has the AV match Tuesday as a 4-2 win for the Spartans, does not list tonight’s match at MV, and their overall record reported as 4-2-3.
How does that happen?
And how does this get fixed?
January 24th, 2013 at 11:15 am
Agree with you Matt that Foothill is getting better. Would not be surprised if they make a very deep run in the playoffs. Also, guess Livermore probably will not make the playoffs, but they may end up having the biggest impact on the seedings as I can see them beating a few more playoff bound teams before the regular season is over.
Predictions tonight;
FH 2-1 over SRV
Livermore 2-0 over Cal
Granada 2-1 over Amador
DLS 2-1 over MV
January 24th, 2013 at 11:17 am
219/500the
@Sweeper
Usually Coach or Team Manager of a team has Max Preps password and can manage the Schedule, I would guess that DLS has not worked on the site much.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:27 am
I think that I will go on an EBAL tirade given the fluid state of the East Bay Premiership League.
I will probably go to the match at MV tonight, but the match at SRV against Foothill is more compelling to me (more open play with likely higher scoring). This could end up a game time decision if we get any accurate update reports on players missing matches today (injury, illness, grades, benching, etc.).
With Livermore’s recent resurgence (promoted keeper and decent scoring), the match at Cal tonight gains credibility.
Meanwhile, Granada must win a majority of its matches to qualify for NCS, and AV probably needs to post 2 wins to qualify.
All four Premiership matches tonight have a decent story line, and any team can win.
See you at the pitch!
January 24th, 2013 at 11:34 am
@Waterboy #220,
Thanks for the comment, but that does not explain the posting of an incorrect (dare I say false) match score on MaxPreps. Somebody had to log in and post the score. And what does Amador Valley have to say about this error?
Something besides the score does just not add up.
BTW, we should be approaching at least 300 posts tonight so we will have to “get busy” on Friday and Saturday.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:34 am
Sounds like somebody got into maxpreps that should not of. Typically DLS keeps up to-date on MaxPreps.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:37 am
MVAL ALUMNI
Fremont schools have definitely fallen off but I wouldn’t say it’s because the Kinnears left. The Fremont league has fallen apart and now that it is MVU is just not the same as it used to be. Constantly contending for State Cups and more. It has had an effect on the high school teams big time.
Newark and Logan have been the stand alones for some time now with the Fremont schools fighting for who is not the worst. The days of Jamil Roberts, Jake Wilson, Jeff Stepan, Kupono Low, and Noah Delgado are long gone. But I have noticed some of the teams slowly improving. Although Irvington doesn’t have all the talent they do try to play some nice soccer from time to time. Washington and Kennedy play to their strengths with speed and one creative midfielder that they constantly try to find. But unfortunately the other.schools in my opinion play classic kick and run Hugh school soccer, and depend on high energy and physicality to win.
I look forward to the day a Fremont school wins this league again but I’m not sure when it is coming. Hopefully Logan and Newark can represent well for the league in NCS.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:58 am
@ Nacho Don, I stated much earlier that the 12 put in by Castro Valley was not cool. Believe me KARMA kicked them in the ass lastnite with a 4-1 loss to Piedmont. The team/program is in desperation mode now going on three years of spiraling with not much light at the end of the tunnel. I personally want to apologize (just a parent, son did not play in that game) to Encinal for that behavior and Encinal did show class regardless and never quit. That being said another year not making it to the NCS.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:06 pm
Everything that is posted on De La Salle web site is all up to date, schedule and scores. If you want the real deal go to the source.
January 24th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
@Sweep
It’s funny you mention the kick and chase game. I’ve watched quite a few of the WACC games and many of the teams play dump and chase. Berkeley, Piedmont and maybe Hayward are the few who focus on possession first. Still I saw Berkeley resort to long balls against Piedmont and same with Hayward against I don’t remember who.
BOD in the past was so strong because the players played possession soccer and managed the long ball game of the league. I saw Piedmont put on an excellent possession game versus Castro Valley Wednesday night. They are young from what I hear and make inexperienced mistakes.
Maybe that’s why the EBAL is so strong from top to bottom? I remember the teams played possession when I played against them. Is that the same style they play today?
January 24th, 2013 at 1:49 pm
I think the kick and chase vs possession all have their advantages. If defended high, let your speedsters out run their big and usually a tad bit slower backs. If you have talented players that can hook up more than 3 good passes, build from back. It begins with vision of the field. Not looking down at the ball at your feet
January 24th, 2013 at 2:52 pm
MVAL Alumni,
The EBAL actually has quite a variety of playing styles between the teams, but when the match starts the first tenet seems to be to impose your will on the other team before they do, leading to a frantic pace and physical play throughout much the match.
EBAL playing styles – let’s see if you can connect styles below with EBAL teams that you have seen (Matt, you can sit this one out as we have talked about these style nuances).
Kick and chase is one of the more basic approaches, but the speed differential between EBAL squads is not that pronounced. Certain EBAL teams lean toward more connecting passes with more diagonal play, at slightly slower but more controlled pace (STYLE A). Some teams focus on the middle of the field and back to the keeper, waiting for spots to make their strikes based on timed mismatches and overlaps (STYLE B). And other teams consistently use the whole field (sideline to sideline) to spread the field, and counter-attack in force at most every opportunity (STYLE C).
One recent trend that I have seen in several EBAL teams is more ground passing, even near and in the box, where 3+ years ago EBAL was very much an air attack league. As defenses have adapted to air strikes, the offenses have had to vary their points of attack leading to more ground attacks (the turf fields of course help with this situation).
As the season progresses, you see the defenses generally play tighter as a group, and scoring becomes more of a premium at the end of the season, leading to generally lower scoring, at least in D-I.
See you at the pitch!
January 24th, 2013 at 3:58 pm
@MVAL Alumni, the American boys have a solid coach in Al McKay. The problem is that they don’t seem to be experienced enough. They also graduated a lot of good players like I mentioned in an earlier post, so that hurts a bit also. Hopefully they will be back next year.
@MVAL Soccer Fan, One of my theories that the Fremont schools are not doing too well at least on the boys soccer side of things is that a lot of the kids are inexpereinced and have not been exposed to organized soccer at a young age. I used to play in FC Fremont (Fremont’s recreational soccer league) in the late 1990s to early 2000s and it definitely helped me when I was playing at a high school level. I have noticed that participation in FC Fremont has been a little down the past few years. I hear some kids say that they can’t pay the fee for the league, while other kids say that they are just more interested in other sports like football, basketball, and baseball. Whatever it is, there are a lot of kids in Fremont who have never played organized soccer unitl they get to high school, thus causing a lot of inexperience.
Of course, the girls soccer teams in Fremont are doing a lot better than their male counterparts (ex. Washington, American, MSJ), so maybe my theory is not exactly true. But it is something that has caught my attention in recent years.
January 24th, 2013 at 4:56 pm
@Sweeper
I believe the 4-2 score for AV/DLS was the JV score. Probably someone confused the entry. The score was 1-1. AV scored in the 1st half. DLS tied in the second.
January 24th, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Checking in from MV. This should be a doozy.
January 24th, 2013 at 5:58 pm
Kickoff.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:01 pm
Tino great save on a close strike from Greenberg.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:05 pm
DLS up 1-0 early on.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:13 pm
So far Cal and Livermore are 0-0 as are Granada and AV.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:23 pm
Greenberg equalizes for MV.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:26 pm
Cal up 1-0 on Livermore.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:34 pm
AV up 1-0 on Granada.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
Anybody at SRV?
January 24th, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Halftime at MV. 1-1.
January 24th, 2013 at 6:44 pm
Half Cal 1 – LV 1
January 24th, 2013 at 6:59 pm
Cal up 2-1.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:00 pm
SRV up 4-0 on FH.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Srv 4 – Foothill 0. Early second half
Not a typo
January 24th, 2013 at 7:09 pm
Still 1-1 here with about 20 left.
Cal up 3-1.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:12 pm
If the result holds here, and SRV wins Saturday, the Wolves take the EBAL lead.
That team is coming on strong. Could you imagine the Danville Derby for the league title?
January 24th, 2013 at 7:16 pm
DLS goes up 2-1.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:29 pm
AV and Granada tied 1-1 right now.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Srv 4 – foothill 0. Final
January 24th, 2013 at 7:42 pm
Final Cal 3 LV 1
Livermore came out flat, equalized before the half. Cal pressed hard the 2nd half beating LV on the 50/50 balls, however the ball seem to bounce more Cals way, LV did have several shots on goal and the Cal GK made several good saves to hold onto the lead.
January 24th, 2013 at 7:49 pm
Amador Valley 2-1 over Granada
Final
January 24th, 2013 at 9:00 pm
DLS 2 MV 1 Final
Matt hope to catch you at DLS
January 24th, 2013 at 9:25 pm
After playing soccer through my childhood and the collegiate level at center back, I have been looking at almost every team that’s come up on this blog trying to see if defending is still a part of the high school game after often hearing that defense in high school soccer is not what it used to be and nowadays it’s all about the fast and physical attack.
I think it still is an excellent part of the game in high school despite some claims. I have seen many good center backs this year and tonight after finally seeing nic bob. The kid’s good, but my personal OPINION on favorites goes to Kevin Fortney of College Park and Matt Marletta of Berkeley High. I think those two represent defenders who do it all for the organization and structure of the team, not to mention winning tackles. remember that’s just my opinion… (trying to get discussion started to get to 500!)
January 24th, 2013 at 9:31 pm
Deer Valley 7-1 over Heritage. Is Saturdays game with DeLa Salle in Concord?
January 24th, 2013 at 10:15 pm
Pitt beat Freedom 5-3.
January 24th, 2013 at 10:42 pm
@Bobby – I also enjoyed MV vs DLS game tonight. nic bob started dls season as center back but now plays defensive mid. This is his natural position. He is a good player in air and do win tackles. He has room to improve on his passing skills and vision of the field. dls plays 1-4-3-3. dls can be really dangerous if they build attack from their defensive third by using all 3 mid-fielders. You may have witnessed some of it tonight in second half. Most of the time their defenders play long ball in air and try to get up top to their forwards. Teams like MV, SRV, Foothill, and Amador are good in air; they win easily and turn it into counter attack.
I think Juan of Alhambra and Ceasor (#4) of richmond are very good center defenders.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:18 pm
Well now, Logan is down to one Keeper with Alexis Sainz as Andres Marquez has sprained his MCL, and is out for the remainder of the season.
January 24th, 2013 at 11:22 pm
@Soccer_commentator The oilers are the last team I need to see so ill check him out! The big rivalry I hear between berkeley and richmond is on monday. Thanks for the suggestion
January 25th, 2013 at 8:40 am
Deer Valley is Saturday @ DLS 1pm kick-off.
January 25th, 2013 at 10:35 am
@Sweeper, bobby, bob, etc.
re: running up the score
Your suggestions are exactly what I’m talking about Sweeper. There is so much more to soccer than scoring on a bad team. I was glad to hear Berkeley made an attempt to practice other things rather than pad the stats. Props to them. Castro Valley doesn’t seem like a team that could out score Berleley against any opponent. So I was wondering how they got 12, but BHS only had 10. Just seems double digits is over the top.
As for CV, it is always hard to replace an icon coach like Al Peacock. He was passionate & gifted. At least 2 NCS titles… But even he took a few years to get there. So CV can’t be expected to thrive its 3rd year with the new coach, or what say you?
January 25th, 2013 at 10:44 am
@Yellow Jacket & Matt Smith
If the Lakers played in the EBAL, they would loose too! And the strength of the EBAL is David Stern’s fault. Lol
January 25th, 2013 at 10:48 am
@Matt Smith
Early on you mentioned EBAL might have a shot at 7 teams in NCS. Doesn’t seem like Granada has pulled enough wins for that. Livermore either. I like either of their chances against any team outside The League once ‘in’ NCS, but your thoughts?
January 25th, 2013 at 11:10 am
Berkeley vs Richmond on 1/28 that’s the game I’m counting down the days for!
January 25th, 2013 at 11:18 am
@Nacho Don It’s not gonna happen for Livermore and Granada. They needed to win out starting last night. But you’re right, in another league, they are playoff teams.
Re: The Lakers… They’re terrible. And I blame everything on David Stern, even global warming.
January 25th, 2013 at 11:33 am
We are 800 min into the EBAL season with 320 min to go.
Round and round we go who will be on top nobody knows.
January 25th, 2013 at 11:45 am
Regarding min played..most teams are at 28 – 30 games + – not including NCS that is 2,320 + – min of game time.
NCS if one makes it all the way through add another 320 min of regulation time. That is a good chunk of time on the pitch.
January 25th, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Hey Matt, el cerrito lost to saint Mary’s and Albany tied Salesian last night. Who makes playoffs, el cerrito or Albany?
January 25th, 2013 at 12:14 pm
@Matt The Pitt vs. Freedom game was as exciting match as I’ve seen this year. Freedom, guided by Cendejas, held a lead twice (1-0 & 3-2) but they just couldn’t hold off the powerful Pirates offense headed by Berumen, Vasquez, Valencia and Murguia. Freedom’s Cendejas finished the week with 3 goals (1 vs. Deer Valley & 2 vs. Pitt). I believe he’s at 20 total. I was also able to catch a few minutes of the Antioch-Liberty game. Antioch didn’t look to impressive from what I saw. But they are very organized on defense and Julian (can’t remember his last name) is always a dangerous attacker for the Panthers. At this point in the BVAL, Pitt has everything in their favor to repeat as champions while Antioch, Freedom and Deer Valley are fighting for 2nd place. The second half of the season, which began last night, is going to offer some very good matches between these 3 teams. Antioch is at Freedom Tuesday. I expect an intense game where both teams will be going for the win.
January 25th, 2013 at 12:33 pm
@Goalboy Thanks for the report! I was actually wondering about you and Bkells the other day. Hadn’t heard much from you two in a while.
Pittsburg certainly has that firepower to outscore teams.
January 25th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
Will be interesting to see where the rankings come out this week, particularly the second half of the top 10. A lot of very close calls and fine distinctions will need to be made
January 25th, 2013 at 12:48 pm
@Matt regarding MV DLS game. Your question was on #25 Joey Jones..forward attacker. He is a Sophomore and was out for awhile with injury. Bright future with the Spartans. Both teams played well but the Spartans had a fire going into that game. Sparty had a good mix of possession with the forward attack.
January 25th, 2013 at 12:52 pm
Since my EBAL predictions were pretty accurate on Thursday night (#149), I have earned the right to predict next week’s scores with some credibility:
I had: Cal 2 LV 0 (final was 3-1)
MV 2 DLS 2 (was DLS2 MV1)
SRV 2 FH 1 (SRV 4 FH 0)
AV 2 Granada 1 (exactly!)
Will post on Tuesday as I need the weekend to review footage from last week’s games
January 25th, 2013 at 12:57 pm
And now for something completely different. I have to chime in on the Lakers talk.
First, they suck this season and I blame the former POTUS.
Second, it is no coincidence that Jerry West has taken another leave from the Lakers (in a down cycle, of course), and joined the Warriors as an advisor. The last time that Zeke from Cabin Creek “advised” another NBA team, he advised Pau Gasol right into the starting line-up of the team with the Minnesota-based nickname. I wonder what Warriors’ “asset” that he will trade for Gasol? Or is it Steph for Dwight? HAH! No conspiracy theory here…
BTW, Mr. West is a class act through and through, BUT he still bleeds “Forum blue.” Need I say more?
Speaking of nicknames, how about those Pelicans? Perhaps the Lakers could take a page from the New Orleans brand-book to sell more team SWAG, drop that goofy Minnesota reference, and rename the team…drumroll…
The L.A. Lackeys, as in Kobe’s lackeys.
The L.A. La-Las, speaks for itself.
The L.A. Lazys, can we get some real effort here?
The L.A. GaLAxy, no wait that’s taken.
And now, we return you back to your blog…
January 25th, 2013 at 1:05 pm
I am looking forward to seeing the Yellow-Jackets stake their claim to the top position. But the match tonight will probably not do it. They will have to wait until after the match on Monday. Or will they, Mr. Smith?
Sorry DLS, but you are a ways away from the top still. But keep on plugging in that Spartan style because, after all, #1 only matters one time per season.
See you at the pitch!
January 25th, 2013 at 1:10 pm
NBA….your killing me. At least talk about MUFC or Barcelona or the Germans.
This is just plain insult to those who love the beautiful game.
January 25th, 2013 at 1:11 pm
@ goalboy so who won the Antioch-liberty matchup? I see Deer Valley taking second in the BVAL. They started strong and had a mid season stroll due to injuries but they are coming on strong. Most of their first half games were away and have most of the remaining season at home except Freedom and DeLa Salle and possibly Antioch not sure about that one. After cendejas scored they changed their backfield and limited him to one possibly two shots on goal after his initial runs at goal. They have potential to upset some good teams.
Also don’t see many teams going to the EBAL and winning against their top three or four in NCS. As Yv learned you won’t get the calls just the fouls.
January 25th, 2013 at 1:12 pm
@Matt…Sweeper gets a instant RED Card
January 25th, 2013 at 2:12 pm
DOUGHERTY VALLEY @ ALHAMBRA 6:15 START
January 25th, 2013 at 2:27 pm
@Stewie,
An instant RED Card? That is quite harsh. My cleats were down, I played the ball, AND my language was clean. You’ll never referee in my league.
I promise not another mention of the ‘hand-ball’ “Association,” though I did hear that Steve Nash was a pretty good soccer player and a Hotspur fan to boot. To boot, get it? There now, back on topic.
See you at the pitch!
January 25th, 2013 at 4:23 pm
@Homeles any relation to Capt Ahab who sits in the Dawg Pound at Alhambra??
GO DOGS
January 25th, 2013 at 4:32 pm
You gotta love the passion and effort every team is showing for the race to the finish and not just in the EBAL. 2.23 is the ultimate target.
And yes to Capt Ahab and his boys in the Dawg Pound Make Some Noise. GO DOGS
January 25th, 2013 at 5:55 pm
@Sweeper I’ll see you in Berkeley.
@Stewie I want to talk Everton, if we’re gonna talk EPL.
@Going 4 3 Antioch won 2-1.
@Janitor I don’t see a way for El Cerrito to make the playoffs, mathematically. They are too far under .500 overall and in Division II, can’t get to .500 in league, because they needed to win their last game. I don’t think the TCAL tourney winner gets an autobid, so that doesn’t help.
Albany needs a little help. A win against Salesian would have done it, but now they can’t get to .500 in league. They are 5-6-1 in Division II games, so a win and a draw, or a couple of wins in the TCAL will get them eligible.
January 25th, 2013 at 5:57 pm
Matt,
In your opinion, who is the better team? The 2009-2010 Berkeley Yellow Jackets or this year’s team? The ’09-10 team made it to the semifinals before losing to DLS. Unless Berkeley wins NCS this year, I’d say the best Berkeley team belongs to Kamani Hill and his ’04 squad. Any thoughts?
January 25th, 2013 at 6:05 pm
CP 7-0 Berean
January 25th, 2013 at 6:08 pm
@Otherside I didn’t see Kimani’s team, but if I had to pick between this team and the team three years ago, I take this team hands down. They have so much depth, and on top of solid defending (as usual for Berkeley) they push forward as well as anyone in the East Bay.
January 25th, 2013 at 6:15 pm
Hayward 2-0 Tennyson.
January 25th, 2013 at 6:27 pm
Rigo scored twice for Hayward. That’s good news for them.
January 25th, 2013 at 6:29 pm
Berkeley just scored. 1-0.
January 25th, 2013 at 6:59 pm
YV 3-0 Mount Diablo
January 25th, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Irvington 2-0 American
January 25th, 2013 at 7:05 pm
Berkeley up 2-0. The WACC Shoreline is 33 minutes from being wrapped up.
January 25th, 2013 at 7:31 pm
Alhaambra just scored 21 min to go in game with Dougherty Valley Dogs are up 1-0 goal by Dominic Weir
January 25th, 2013 at 7:37 pm
less than 10min still Alhambra 1 Dougherty Valley 0
January 25th, 2013 at 7:39 pm
Late PK for Mt. Eden. 2-1 in stoppage time.
January 25th, 2013 at 7:42 pm
O’ Dowd 3 – Alameda 0. 3 game winning streak for BOD at the moment. Regarding the Berkeley team with Kamani Hill, that was by far the best team around at that time. I remember being in elementary school and watching him play absolutely dominating teams scoring tons of goals. One of the best players ever to come out of the Bay Area.
January 25th, 2013 at 7:43 pm
DV just scored 6 min to go, Now 1-1 at the Dog House
January 25th, 2013 at 7:52 pm
Draw at the Dog House with DV 1-1 > Final
January 25th, 2013 at 8:01 pm
Castro Valley 1 Arroyo 0.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:03 pm
Moreau 3, Logan 1
January 25th, 2013 at 8:05 pm
Dublin 1 Las Lomas 0 Final.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:12 pm
Big win for Moreau
January 25th, 2013 at 8:29 pm
Acalanes had a draw with Miramonte–0/0
Very entertaining match.
January 25th, 2013 at 8:32 pm
Just a little input about kamani once more, the dude had about 55 goals and 25+ assists his senior year. The guy would just dribble defenses like nothing
January 25th, 2013 at 8:33 pm
Anoop score for Dougherty?
January 25th, 2013 at 8:38 pm
Reality….nice picks well done!Look forward to seeing your predictions for next Tuesday.Were you @ the DLS vs MV game?
January 25th, 2013 at 8:41 pm
Kamani Hill was the best Hs player of the last 15 years. He fairly single handedly dominated a very well coached (Johnny kinnear) and talented (jamil Roberts, Jacob Wilson, etc.) Washington team in the final of NCS that year.
He stood out as above the rest even in the final.
January 25th, 2013 at 9:17 pm
Matt
Do you think mt eden would ofchange the game if they had juan villegas
January 25th, 2013 at 9:58 pm
Kamani Hill was an excellent player. I hated marking him. I do want to add another name on that list since goals are being mentioned. Michael Garrick was an excellent player for the Dragons in the old HAAL. I’m not saying he is equal to Kamani Hill but that kid was an excellent player.
January 25th, 2013 at 10:13 pm
Piedmont’s on a warpath!
January 26th, 2013 at 12:29 am
@Piedmont Fan What was the score?
@Soccerfan I think Mt. Eden would have been in better shape for the long run, but Berkeley played very well tonight and there was probably no stopping them.
January 26th, 2013 at 3:59 am
Kamani Hill is hands down the most dominant HS soccer player coming from the Bay Area that Ive ever seen so far
January 26th, 2013 at 6:44 am
@ Matt How did you become a fan of the Men at Goodsin Park?
January 26th, 2013 at 6:58 am
18 points is a bit out of the top spot help by the mighty MUFC
January 26th, 2013 at 7:22 am
@ Matt Take a good look at the Bundesliga some great teams and styles of play. FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. Fast attacks with creative use of the outer perimeter of the box and physical & athletic defending.
Good use of the rotating Diamond and Holding mid tactics. Last few years the game has opened and paced up substantially. Gone are the typical days of getting the 1 goal and dropping back 6 defenders.
January 26th, 2013 at 7:49 am
@Shinguard I became a fan of the boys from Merseyside because when I was getting into the EPL, I was looking for a team that was scrappy, always found a way to do better than they should based on talent, with an extremely passionate fan base and a manager that embodied all of that. I couldn’t have picked better. Moyes is great, Goodison is a special place and this scrappy team is always in the top eight.
I know they’ll never battle for the EPL crown with the Manchester teams, Chelsea, etc… But this year they are in the thick of the race for a spot in Europe, so it’s been exciting.
And I do like the Bundesliga, a lot. You pretty much nailed it with your analysis. I enjoy Dortmund and Bayern, and I really like Lewandowski and Thomas Muller.
January 26th, 2013 at 8:30 am
What time and where is Richmond game today?
January 26th, 2013 at 9:29 am
Matt did you see the group stages, of the chanpions? Or the death group? Dortmund not only tied big names like madrid and man city but also beat em to end up leader of the group, their style is wicked fast they got defenders such as hummels who turn defense into attack like if they were defensive mids this gives all the mids a chance to contribute to their fast pace touch touch touch shot action, and unlike barcelona borusia’s touch isnt boring.
January 26th, 2013 at 9:32 am
@ Matt…everything about Everton very true. Some of the best play & tactics comes from middle of the table teams.
Every game seems to be a battle especially when they have a chance to take on MUFC or City. TO get into any Euro play or Champions league is always a good deal.
U at Winton Drive today for Deer Valley game at 1?
January 26th, 2013 at 9:33 am
Back to high school…. Any good games this weekend? Or the next week?
January 26th, 2013 at 9:43 am
Richmond at Foothill 2 pm, should be a good one!
January 26th, 2013 at 9:43 am
SRV and Granada are today time ?
Tuesday 6pm at De La Salle VS San Ramon
Better then the NBA stuff that raised its ugly head on the blog
January 26th, 2013 at 9:46 am
Saturday Times???? Locations???
Swett v. El Cerrito
St. Joseph v. Berean
DLS v. DV 1pm
Pitt v. Albany
Campo v. Hayward
Foothill v. Richmond
SRV v. Granada
January 26th, 2013 at 10:55 am
Granada at SRV 3pm
January 26th, 2013 at 11:12 am
Richmond at Foothill now starting at 3 today
January 26th, 2013 at 11:30 am
Classic Battle of the Youngsters
Frosh Game at DLS 11 am DLS VS MV
January 26th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
NG beat CV last night 2-1, NG at Acalanes on Monday at 6:15!
January 26th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
Yes, CV v. Northgate final was 1-2. CV went up 1-0 early. NG scored 1 in second half until cv had heartbreaker own goal late in the game. Nice game cv, you finished with class.
January 26th, 2013 at 1:59 pm
NG shot on CV goal was going in anyway so it wouldn’t be an own goal
January 26th, 2013 at 2:06 pm
@Shinguard Couldn’t make it to a game today. Between law school and work, I have to choose my battles and spend some quality time with the lady
January 26th, 2013 at 2:52 pm
DLS beats DV 3-1.
January 26th, 2013 at 3:04 pm
Underway at Foothill
January 26th, 2013 at 3:24 pm
0-0 after 20, Montes is a marked tight.
January 26th, 2013 at 3:38 pm
Oilers’ #7 scores from 20 yards out, 1-0 after 32 minutes.
January 26th, 2013 at 3:44 pm
2-0 Richmond on a 25+ yard direct kick. Foothill has missed 3 open goal shots.
January 26th, 2013 at 4:07 pm
3-0 Richmond on Montes 20 yard direct kick. 32 left.
January 26th, 2013 at 4:36 pm
4-0 Oilers with 7 to play.
January 26th, 2013 at 4:53 pm
Richmond wins 4-1.
January 26th, 2013 at 5:02 pm
Any word on SRV…?
January 26th, 2013 at 5:10 pm
What’s the word on SRV vs Granada?
@Sweeper, thanks for the Foothill / Richmond updates. Sounds lopsided. Was Foothill better than the score implies?
January 26th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
1-0 Srv. The wolves are now in first place..
January 26th, 2013 at 5:17 pm
Srv 1 – Granada 0. Final.
January 26th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Hayward pulls a draw with Campolindo 0/0
January 26th, 2013 at 5:30 pm
Is anybody playing tonight?
January 26th, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Any details on the SRV game besides score??
January 26th, 2013 at 5:51 pm
@NachoDon – the match at Foothill was closer than the score indicates because the Falcons missed several close in shots. The Oilers’ defense was OK but hardly shut down good. However the result was appropriate.
On Monday Richmond hosts Berkeley and 2 goals may not win that match.
See you at the pitch!
January 26th, 2013 at 6:30 pm
Foothill/Richmond game not as lopsided as the score. Foothill missed some early chances and Richmond scored a couple of great goals on set pieces.
January 26th, 2013 at 8:05 pm
I think Ben Panconi should be Ebal player of the year
January 26th, 2013 at 8:18 pm
I watched campo vs Hayward today. It was boring. All I saw was kids playing kick ball and not real soccer. Have these guys heard of position soccer?
January 26th, 2013 at 9:12 pm
Wow 4-1 Richmond over Foothill. Set pieces, missed chances or not that’s pretty impressive. Foothill’s a good squad. Berkeley v. Richmond ought to be great!
@T.Powell thanks for the update on BOD. Glad they are on a nice roll. I went to the girls game instead. Good, hard fought game with BOD winning 1-0. Hornet girls put up a great battle. I know wrong blog for this news. Tell your folks hello.
January 26th, 2013 at 9:55 pm
Hey Matt
Do you know the tournament format for TCAL Leagues?
Who plays who?
January 26th, 2013 at 11:13 pm
Richmond Berkeley should be an interesting match. The Jackets are as close to an EBAL style school as one sees on the bay, , while the Oilers remind me of Hayward, albeit with more discipline in their back line. Berkeley is bigger, but Richmond is faster. I have to give my vote to the jackets tho’.
January 26th, 2013 at 11:19 pm
@Mudhen, also Berkeley is older than Richmond.
January 26th, 2013 at 11:29 pm
@#NotBenPanconi I think Ben should be cry-baby of the year.
January 26th, 2013 at 11:33 pm
@Soccer Dad I believe this will be the seeding…
Hercules, Richmond, Pinole and St. Mary’s will have byes.
De Anza v. St. Joe
EC/Albany v. Swett
EC/Albany v. St. Pat
Salesian v. Kennedy
January 26th, 2013 at 11:58 pm
@mudhen I would have to disagree with you. Berkeley is definitely faster than richmond and I don’t think they play anything like an EBAL school AT ALL. The big kickball game is nothing like Berkeley. From what I have seen, the play short passes and work it up the field with occasional long throw balls to their fast outside mids
January 27th, 2013 at 12:05 am
Uh, well…. shucks. Faster? No. Richmond are speed merchants compared to anybody I’ve seen on the Bay side, except for maybe Hayward.
January 27th, 2013 at 12:14 am
Richmond and SRV are each clearly on a roll as the season builds. Just ask a SOLID Foothill soccer squad. It is up to Berkeley and DLS, respectively, to stop these two offensive freight trains.
Berkeley gets the wide-field challenge visiting Richmond on Monday (my favorite pitch west of the dreaded tunnel, with The TAK a close second), while SRV has to eat the home cooking served at Owen Owens Field on Tuesday, aka the arena of Mr. Ladouceur (nothing but the utmost respect for an SRV grad).
See you at the pitch!
January 27th, 2013 at 12:32 am
Lame arguments aside, Berkeley and Richmond will show us who has more “speed” on Monday. By my eyes, the Yellow-Jackets have more pure speed, but the Oilers have more soccer speed. I saw Berkeley win 2-1 hosting Mt. Eden 30+ hours ago and Richmond win 4-1 at Foothill 8+ hours ago, so their team-speed is fresh in my feeble mind.
Gladly, this argument will be decided on the pitch on Monday.
See you at the pitch!
January 27th, 2013 at 12:34 am
1. Acalanes
2. Berkeley
3. MUFC
4. yadda yadda yadda
Top that Matt!
January 27th, 2013 at 12:38 am
Oh yeah, Everton is #4 ahead of yadda yadda yadda…
The Sweepers’ mistake, DOH!
January 27th, 2013 at 12:42 am
Matt,
I cannot speak for the rest of the peanut gallery, but I am too tired to type 138 more messages. My 30 or so have taxed my feeble hands and brain, plus my smart phone is complaining (Huh?).
Peace out.
January 27th, 2013 at 5:31 am
Amador had solid week….went into Concord and tied a tough DLS team 1-1 then beat Granada on the road 2-1.This upcoming week will exciting for the Dons having 2 home games against tough EBAL opponents MV and Cal.My prediction is AV beating MV at the Fabled pitch 2-1.Will save prediction for Cal on Weds.The Dons have the skill and depth to compete against all the teams in the NCS.What they do lack in games that I have seen is the inability to play as a cohesive unit that is always looking for open man.A few of the players play with their head down as opposed to looking up.A simple tweak and the Dons could be more explosive.Goals have eluded them.Looking for a breakout soon
January 27th, 2013 at 8:18 am
@ Matt
Piedmont 1-0 to San Lorenzo on Friday with a hostile San Lorenzo fan base. Piedmont’s gk made three phenomenal saves. Should have been 2 or 3 more for Piedmont. Defense looked tough to break down. Thats a 3 game winning streak.
January 27th, 2013 at 8:48 am
Me Knickers be in a bunch Mate’s, just like the race to the top in EBAL. That is Brit speak for a Wedgie
The way I see It is:
1. MUFC
2. DLS
3. SRV
4. Everton
*Honorable Mention “The Gunners”
Now on Sale at the EBAL Store Wedgie Wear by Stewie G.
January 27th, 2013 at 9:04 am
Haha @Stewie @Sweeper This is great stuff.
January 27th, 2013 at 9:45 am
Tuesdays game at DLS with SRV is the ticket for the week.
Big question is on who gets first blood and will the game submit itself to defensive tactics. Or will the game open up offensively until the final few min.
Regarding the other side of the Tunnel Richmond has style but have lapses in quality of intensity. They need to be rock solid for all 80min. Berkeley I think may be more tactically sound.
Matt, Cant wait for your new posting and rankings looking forward to your new set of comments.
January 27th, 2013 at 9:48 am
Not sure about the NCS possibilities but on the bright side Castro Valley hasn’t lost at home thus far.