William Jewell College Women's and Men's Soccer Teams Selected to National Championships; Jewell Hosts 1st Round Games on November 20th

William Jewell College women's team (14-2-2) and men's team (17-2) have each been selected to the 2010 NAIA National Championships. William Jewell College will host both a women's and men's first round game on November 20th. The WJC women will host Ashford-Iowa (15-4-2) at 4pm. The WJC men will host Concordia-Oregon (16-2-1) at 7pm.

KC Brass (PDL) featured on MetroSports (5/25/10)

KC Brass (PDL) Win Opener

Kansas City Brass won their season opening match of the PDL season 1-0 over the Springfield Demize on May 16, 2010 at William Jewell College. KC Brass forward Coleton Henning (St. Thomas Aquinas/Wizards Jrs/Furman) scored the game winning goal in the 60th minute. KC Brass goalkeeper Andy Fitzpatrick (Winnetonka/KC Pace/Oklahoma City U) recorded the shutout. The match doubled as the first of four KC Brass U.S. Open Cup qualifying matches.

The Brass will host the Des Moines Menace on May 19 (Wednesday) at William Jewell College. Kickoff scheduled for 7:30pm. Wednesday's PDL match will also double as a U.S. Open Cup qualifying match.

KC Athletics Qualify for U.S. Open Cup

May 16, 2010-Kansas City Athletics (USASA) men's team qualified for the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after defeating AAC Eagles (USASA) of Chicago in penalty kicks after the game was tied 3-3 after 90 minutes of regulation and 30 minutes of overtime. The KC Athletics earned one of two Midwest Region USASA U.S. Open Cup berths. KC Athletics player/coach Kyle Perkins (SM Northwest/KC Hotspurs/UMKC/KC Brass) scored two goals in the victory.

The Athletics Open Cup qualifier took place at Community America Ballpark immediately following the KC Wizards (MLS) 2-2 tie with the Chicago Fire (MLS). Wizards forward Kei Kamara scored both goals for the Wizards.

Open Cup notes: The Kansas City Wizards failed to qualify for the 2010 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup through Major League Soccer's qualifying process. The KC Brass (PDL) will play four regular season PDL games that will also double as Open Cup qualifying matches during the month of May.

Kansas City Screening of Pelada: May 17

Kansas City Screening of Pelada

Plus Q&A with director Ryan White immediately following the film!

Monday, May 17th at 7:00pm
Studio Movie Grill
7430 NW 87th Street
Kansas City, MO 64153Tickets: $10




Away from professional stadiums, bright lights, and manicured fields, there’s another side of soccer. Tucked away on alleys, side streets, and concrete courts, people play in improvised games. Every country has a different word for it. In the United States, we call it “pick-up soccer.” In Trinidad, it's "taking a sweat." In England, it's "having a kick-about." In Brazil, the word is “pelada,” which literally means "naked"—the game stripped down to its core. It’s the version of the game played by anyone, anywhere.

Pelada is a documentary following Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college stars who didn’t quite make it to the pros. Not ready for it to be over, they take off, chasing the game. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.

Player Ratings: Wizards Win 4-0 vs DC United

Photo: Kei Kamara scored the first goal of the season for the Kansas City Wizards

Wizards win season and home opener 4-0 vs DC United on March 27, 2010 at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kansas.

Kansas City Wizards Lineup/Player Ratings: Nielsen 7, Harrington 6, Conrad 6.5, Besler 6, Arnaud 7.5, Jewsbury 7.5, Auvray 6.5 , Smith 8.5 (Aiyegbusi NR), Espinoza 5.5 (Leathers 5), Wolff 6 (Bunbury 5), Kamara 7

D.C. United Lineup/Player Ratings: Perkins 3, Talley 4, Jakovic 4, Wallace 3.5, Najar 4.5 (Allsopp 3.5), Morsink 4, Quaranta 4.5, Simms 3 (James 4), Castillo 5 (Khumalo 5), Pontius 4.5, Moreno 5

Scoring:
KC – Kei Kamara 1 (Unassisted), 9th minute
KC – Davy Arnaud 1 (Smith, Auvray), 35th minute
KC – Ryan Smith 1 (Unassisted), 54th minute
KC – Jack Jewsbury 1 (PK), 70th minute
Misconduct:
DC – Dejan Jakovic (caution, reckless tackle), 26th minute
DC – Kurt Morsink (caution, reckless tackle), 28th minute
DC – Santino Quaranta (caution, unsporting behavior), 47th minute
DC – Julius James (caution, reckless tackle), 61st minute
DC – Jaime Moreno (caution, reckless tackle), 67th minute
KC – Kei Kamara (caution, reckless tackle), 83rd minute

Attendance: 10,385

Player Ratings by Jefferson Roblee, Associate Head Coach at William Jewell College and Head Coach of the Kansas City Brass (PDL).

Michael Thomas in Sweden

Although KC native Michael Thomas was drafted #19 overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes, he chose to sign with Halmstad BK of the Allsvenskan (Sweden's top league).

David Harris of Pro Soccer Weekly interviews Michael Thomas (St. Thomas Aquinas HS / KC Legends / Notre Dame / KC Brass):

Michael Thomas Halmstads BK - Exclusive Pro Soccer Weekly Interview
Recently, I had the opportunity to interview up and coming American player Michael Thomas, who just signed with Swedish Allsvenskan club Halmstads BK. Michael had a very solid career playing college ball with Notre Dame and in the USL PDL with the Kansas City Brass. Here is the interview and I hope that you all enjoy and learn a little bit about this up and coming American player.

PSW: Michael, tell us a little bit about yourself, specifically how you got interested in playing soccer.

MT: Well, I have been in love with soccer since I was about four years old. My brother, Eric, was playing soccer at the time and I hadn’t been to any of his games before. When the first game of the season rolled around, my parents took me to the game. I didn’t know too much about soccer, but after the game I went home and started playing with my brother’s soccer ball by myself in the backyard. I loved kicking the ball and chasing after it. Eventually, my brother and I would play in our backyard together and I loved the challenge of trying to score goals on him. I always tried to improve even at that young age. The feeling of being challenged and knowing that you can always improve is what got me seriously interested in playing soccer.

PSW: What are your strengths as a player and what position do you typically play?

MT: I believe that my greatest strengths as a player would be that I consistently work very hard, have good vision, and play the game simply. I enjoy working in the center of the field getting involved with the attack, but I also like getting back and helping my defenders as well. I typically play central midfielder, attacking or defensive. It just depends on what the team needs at the time and what type of formation we are playing. I would consider myself a very good two-way center midfielder.

PSW: What led you to play for Notre Dame, the Kansa City Brass, and now Halmstads BK?

MT: I was lucky to get noticed by the coaching staff of Notre Dame when I was playing down in Florida with my ‘88 regional team. We had four games over the weekend and I played a big part in most of them. The last day there we played Anderlecht’s youth team. It was a big game for us and they had been playing well so we knew it was going to be a tough game. I played the full ninety minutes and recorded both a goal and an assist. After that tournament, I received a letter from Notre Dame telling me that they were interested in me as a player and would like me to play at their university. After many months of hard thinking, I decided that Notre Dame was the best fit for me and I believe that it was the best decision that I had ever made in my life.

The coaches of one of my rival club teams, the Kansas City Pace, called me when I was a senior in high school and asked if I would like to play with the Brass for the summer. I was honored because of a lot of very good high school and college players in Kansas had played for the team before. I was lucky enough to get a lot of playing time my first year and that continued for the next few years.

I was in preseason with San Jose when I was contacted by my agent telling me that a team in Sweden was interested in me and would like to have me over for a trial. After many days of thinking about my future, I decided to go to Halmstads BK and give it everything that I had. It has been my dream since I was very young to play in Europe and this was the opportunity of a life time for me. I played well during the trial and impressed the right people. Eventually, my dream came true, and I received a contract offer from the club and signed for the team.

PSW: What was it like playing for the Brass in the USL PDL?

MT: Playing for the Brass was a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play with the team as much as I wanted to. I had a lot of conflicts with games because of club soccer and eventually summer school up at Notre Dame. However, whenever I was able to play with the team, I enjoyed it very much. A lot of guys I grew up playing with played for the team as well. So, practices were very fun, but the talent was exceptional at the same time. I liked the way the coaches, Jefferson and Lincoln Roblee, handled everything as well. They took it very serious, but let us all have a good time as well. It was a great experience playing for the Brass and I’m happy that I did.

PSW: What do you think that you will be able to learn from some of the veteran players on Halmstads who have played internationally with Sweden and other countries?

MT: It is good to be playing with some older players who have had a lot of international experience. Every single player brings something different to the table. We have guys from Sweden, Germany, Brazil, the United States, and the Netherlands. Everyone has been through different experiences and we are lucky to have a few guys on the team who have player with their respective country’s national team. Playing with these types of players can only help me mature into a better player. The team, especially most of these guys, demand high standards whether in a game or on the training pitch. To always play with these standards will only help me become a better player and the attitude of these guys will really help with that.

PSW: Does it help you to have a fellow American in Ryan Miller on the Halmstads team with you?

MT: It definitely helps to have Ryan here with me. He has played in Sweden for over seven months now so he knows a lot of things about the game that I am still learning. If I have questions or concerns about what we’re doing, he’s always there to help me out and let me know what is going on. Luckily, we’ve played together at the University of Notre Dame. So we both know each other’s game and feel comfortable playing with one another here. He has helped me out a lot off the field as well. With him being here everything is a lot more comfortable. We are able to enjoy each other’s company and have a good time off the field. Having someone here that I personally know has helped me ease out of my comfort zone a lot better.

PSW: What do you think it will take for soccer to become more popular within the world of American sports?

MT: I think it will always be hard to make soccer more popular in the United States because of how popular the other Americanized sports already are. There is a lot of history in these sports, such as baseball, football, and basketball. Soccer is still new to America, so there isn’t enough history with it to make it very popular right now. However, I believe that since my generation has grown up with soccer, as well as these other sports, it will be much popular in the future than it is right now. It seems like a lot of children are getting involved with soccer now. That is very good for the sport because they will continue growing up with it. Also, I think that soccer will become much popular in America once our national team wins a major honor, such as the World Cup and the bigger tournaments. This can only make the sport more popular and there will then be a standard set in America for what it takes for Americans to succeed in soccer.

PSW: Do you feel that top young players should play college soccer even if it doesn’t allow them to begin their professional career at the same age as players in other countries typically start theirs?

MT: At the end of the day the decision is always up to the player. If they truly believe that they are fully developed enough to play professionally and have plenty of confidence, then why not try it out. However, this rarely seems to be the occasion. Players around the age of eighteen can still fully improve on many things in their game. Playing another four years at a top university can only help them develop as a player. The way the system is set up in America makes it harder for kids to go professional at such a young age. The academy system is starting a new trend that may help players develop at a younger age which could be good for American soccer. Yet, I truly believe that college soccer can only help players who have the right attitude and determination to make it professionally. Four years of competitive soccer should never hurt anyone if they have the right mindset.

PSW: What do you think about so many of the top young U.S. players going to European clubs and how do you think this affects their development?

MT: I believe that right now is the best time for young players to try and play overseas. The uncertainty revolving around American soccer right now makes it tough for younger players to make a name for themselves here in the United States. Going overseas can only help the player mature and develop even faster too. The speed of play is quicker and the players are better technically. Therefore, you must learn how to make decisions quicker and understand the game better as well. Also, a lot of European clubs have reserve leagues or games year round. So, if you are not getting to play right away with the first team, you can still play in these games to keep match fitness and show your stuff on the field. This can be very beneficial to many players and can help them slowly ease into the style of play at European clubs.

PSW: What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment thus far in soccer?

MT: My greatest accomplishment has to be getting the opportunity to play here for Halmstads BK. It has been my dream since I was a young boy to play professionally and possibly overseas as well. Fortunately, I have been given this opportunity and can’t wait to contribute as much as I can this year. It will be an even greater accomplishment if I can make a name for myself here and help the team succeed during the season.

PSW: Going forward, what would you like to achieve in soccer?

MT: My number one goal is to represent my country one day. I know I have a lot of work to do and can still develop into a much better player, but I have the confidence that I could possibly get called into camp one day. I will continue to work extremely hard to make this goal of mine a reality. I just want to play well and help my team as much as I can. If I do this, then you never know what can happen in the future. PSW: Do you think that someday you would like to come back to the U.S. to play professionally?MT: I can definitely see myself coming back and playing in the MLS one day. I don’t know if that will be in one, two, or three years or in ten years, but I would definitely love to play a few years in America as well.