Stephanie Ricketts joined Adrian in 2007 and was an integral part in the development of a squad that has cemented itself as one of the top teams in the MIAA and Central Region.  She served as the interim head coach during the program’s leadership transition in 2008, and was responsible for the recruitment of the incoming class of 2008… a class which includes All-MIAA goalkeeper Stevie Burns, and All-MIAA defender Kellie Irwin who was voted team MVP in 2009.

Coach Stephanie Ricketts will join Westminster College as an Assistant Coach in 2010

Stephanie will be leaving Adrian to accept a Graduate Assistant Coach position at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.  While at Westminster, she will have the opportunity to earn a Master’s degree while working with Head Coach Girish Thakar, an eight year veteran with a career winning percentage of over .700, five PAC championships, and four NCAA DIII Tournament appearances.

“Steph has worked tirelessly over the past three years to help transform Adrian’s program into what we are today,” remarked Adrian Coach Ali Alamdari.  “She poured every once of energy that she had into this team, and her impact can be seen in the quality of the student-athletes that we have in this program.  One of her career goals is to be a head coach in the next few years, and having the opportunity to have grad school taken care of while coaching in another top DIII program was a great fit.  It’s a bittersweet moment for certain, but we couldn’t be more proud and grateful for Steph and can’t wait to watch the next step in her career.”

Lindsay Chitwood completed a stellar playing career for the Bulldogs in 2009, being named Adrian College Senior Female Athlete of the Year, and she graduated in 2010 with degrees in Business Administration and English.  She is the leading scorer in school history, a four time All-MIAA selection, and will work directly with the team’s attacking players as Adrian looks to reload after a historic run in 2009.

Coach Lindsay Chitwood will move from the field to the sideline at Adrian College this fall

Lindsay was offered the position after a nationwide search in May and June.  Dozens of qualified candidates applied, but ultimately after conducting a series of phone and on-campus interviews, the choice was clear.

“Coach Chitwood wowed the hiring committee with her understanding of the game and passion for the position,” said Alamdari.  “She has a great grasp on our grassroots recruiting efforts, and we know that the leadership that she provided on the field will easily translate to leadership on the sideline.  For incoming players, they’ll have the ability to work hand in hand with a player who knows exactly what it takes to be successful at this level.”  Along with her Assistant Coach duties, Chitwood will serve as the program’s Recruiting and Fundraising Coordinator and Head Coach for reserve matches.

Members of the Bulldog Soccer family, please leave a comment below for Coach Ricketts and Coach Chitwood as they begin the next stages in their soccer careers!

These quarterfinals had extra meaning, as there has been a great deal of talk about how the South American sides might be ready to knock Europe off the pedestal of football domination.  Not so fast…

Netherlands 2 – Brazil 1

The orange were brilliant, eventually… after losing their key center back to a knee injury mere minutes before kickoff, they conceded a goal right off the bat.  By halftime there was little doubt that Brazil would coast.  However, as our Adrian team saw firsthand on our European Tour, the Dutch have a way of developing a style of play that matches up against the biggest and best.  In what some would label a “David vs. Goliath” match, it was fitting that a 5’7″ mid scored the game winning header.  Kind of reminded me of Tessa Kellar’s unlikely 4th minute header in a 1-0 win against Albion last year.

Uruguay 1 – Ghana 1 (Uruguay Wins Shootout)

I’ve wondered for a long time about the ethical implications of a goal-saving handball… but I had never seen a scenario fit the loophole so clearly.  Last play of the game, go home or take your chances saving a PK… and it all rested on a split-second decision.  The plot was scripted flawlessly by my favorite talking point, Luis Suarez… or should I say “Santo” Luis Suarez as he will be known in Uruguay for decades.

It’s a shame for Ghana to have had their tournament ended by an intentional act of cheating… but with an 84% chance of scoring the game-winning PK, they definitely have to shoulder some of the blame.  That said, one of the oddities of sport is that while PK shootouts are pretty much a coinflip, momentum is such a huge factor… in the pit of your stomach, after the way extra time ended, there was just an overwhelming feeling that it wasn’t meant for Ghana to advance.

Germany 4 – Argentina 0

Whoa.  Didn’t see that coming.  When I filled out my ESPN Bracket before the tournament began, I did think that Argentina would slip up.  Maradona, (hand of) God love him, is not a technical genius.  But to be this completely unprepared to play against a disciplined side such as Germany was disappointing.

Before the game, I texted our men’s coach to say that I wanted to see Uruguay, Holland, Argentina, and Spain advance.  After watching this match, Germany has fully earned my interest… I want to watch them play more.  Then again, it would wreck my prediction of a Netherlands/Spain final… hmm.

Spain 1 – Paraguay 0

Rounding out the most exciting quarterfinal round that I can recall, the second half of this match was maybe more unbelievable than the Uruguay/Ghana match.  Two PK’s given, three taken (after Alonso’s was retaken), and still 0-0 heading into the final minutes of regulation.  Villa once again with a piece of magic… rebound off of the post, shot, post again, across the goal, other post, and in.  If you watch the shot in slow motion (something ESPN/ABC has provided very well throughout the tourney) you can see that the shot was more difficult than it looks… he was off balance with the ball caught beneath him a bit… the placement was more instinct than anything.

On the subject of goalkeeping, a lot of writers were listing Brazil’s Julio Cesar as the best keeper in the tournament.  Absolutely not.  The best, unfortunately, could have been Buffon who sat out for Italy with a back injury.  The homers might vote for USA’s Tim Howard, but I found him to be average after the first match.  Casillas is my pick and his PK save with no rebound was clutch.  I expect heroics against the Germans… and Spain might need it to advance.

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Uruguay 2 – South Korea 1

Remember what I said about Suarez?  The guy is on the fast track to a big club payday.  I think his game is suited well for Spain, but the lure of big money offers from England might persuade him to take his chance in the more physical league.  Ajax is in the business of nurturing young talent and cashing in, so I expect them to sell high this summer.

Ghana 2 – USA 1

Two days before my wedding in 2006, I was in my local Kalamazoo pub (Gallagher’s on Stadium) when I watched Ghana eliminate the US from the World Cup with a 2-1 win.  In 2010, I was at a recruiting event in Kalamazoo and decided to head back to the same old spot to watch the rematch.  Not a good decision.

On the tactical side, I am a Bob Bradley fan but I don’t know why Clark and Findley were in the game.  Findley’s yellow cards took him out of the Algeria match and the win seemed to be the perfect way for Bob to move on without him.  I stand by what I said before:  Bocanegra’s move to the middle was needed (and the leadership helped DeMerit improve dramatically), but Altidore is not a world-class striker yet.

It will be interesting to see what changes are made in the aftermath.  I expect Klinsmann to get a crack at the US coaching job by the end of summer… and I expect US Soccer/MLS to give him whatever he wants, unlike their failed move to hire him in ’06.

Germany 4 – England 1

In one of the few times that I have ever agreed with Alexi Lalas, his comment during England’s group stage struggles  that “maybe they’re just not that good” was spot on.  Joe Hart should have been the keeper all along, but that really had no impact on the overall fact that this team’s expectations didn’t match their cohesiveness and mental strength.

Hopefully Capello gets another 4 years to get some youth in the side, and as Adrian College philosophy professor Dr. Tony Coumoundouros puts it, maybe he’ll have the guts to pick between Gerrard and Lampard and not try to squeeze them both into the same lineup.

Argentina 3 – Mexico 1

Impressive win over a previously invigorated Mexican team.  I’m intrigued by the impending match with Germany… could be a great battle worthy of a final, or maybe one team will be exposed as a fluke.  Hopefully Messi finds the scoring touch soon… he was great in the group, just couldn’t put it in the net.

Netherlands 2 – Slovakia 1

No surprise with the win, but you might expect the Dutch to have had an easier time.  Not the resounding result you hope for going into a match with…

Brazil 3 – Chile 0

That’s more like it.  I worried a bit about possible momentum loss with the decision to play kickball with Portugal for 90 minutes to wrap up the group, but they look ready to roll.  Beat the Dutch and it’s a clear path to the final.

Paraguay 0 – Japan 0 (Paraguay Wins Shootout)

Didn’t catch much of this game, but seemed to be about what most would expect… really exciting for the teams involved, but probably won’t have an impact in the overall tournament.  As a side note, I think I heard of more CSKA Moscow players than any other club this tourney… expect them to cash in, with Keisuke Honda being linked with AC Milan, Arsenal, and others.

Spain 1 – Portugal 0

It broke my heart when Manchester United couldn’t get Villa to join them after Cristiano Ronaldo left, and it’s only getting worse.  Barcelona will have arguably the two best players in the world in Messi and Villa starting this fall… I’ve never been a huge fan of Spanish soccer, but I may drift to La Liga a bit more this year to watch these two work together.

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Group A

I was very fortunate to see Luis Suarez play for Ajax in Amsterdam this March and I was left feeling like I just watched the world’s greatest unknown player.  He wasn’t just good, he was dominant… I mean, the guy scored 35 goals in a 34 game season.  FC Utrecht scored a total of 39 goals as a team, and finished a respectable 7th place out of 18.

He’s no longer unknown, and combined with Forlan’s unbelievable run of form, expect Uruguay to be the team to beat in the easiest quadrant of the tourney.

Group B

What started out looking like a potential group of death was anything but.  Greece and Nigeria were disappointing, and South Korea earned the right to play in the knockout.  Argentina looks unbeatable, but we have to keep in mind that their opponents may not be adequately preparing them for the rest of the tourney.

Group C

Donovan’s goal was one of the greatest moments in American soccer history, and it firmly places our sport at the forefront of the casual fan’s interest.  However, we need to separate what we did from how we did it.  I am very concerned that we struggled constantly to get out of a group that we were supposed to advance from all along.  World class teams don’t need heroics every game… maybe we can put on the cruise control against Ghana.  Hopefully.

Group D

As much as Group B was all about underachievement, the opposite could be said about Group D.  Of the 16 groups in the 2006 and 2010 World Cups combined, this was the only one in which every team earned a win.  In the end, Germany made it to the top spot and the US is lucky to avoid them in the first round.  England might end up paying a hefty price for stumbling out of the group stages with this matchup.

Group E

Cameroon was a dark horse and failed miserably.  The Dutch are cruising.  At the US/Netherlands match on March 3rd, we managed a respectable 2-1 scoreline, but the game was anything but… make no mistake, most of the game looked like a training exercise and they are continuing their form on the big stage.  The potential quarterfinal matchup against Brazil could be a great one to watch if both teams take care of business and get there.

Group F

While everybody saw France’s demise coming, nobody expected this out of the Italians.  To finish dead last in the group is a national disgrace… but credit goes to all three other teams for making this one of the most entertaining groups to watch.  New Zealand exits the tournament with an unbeaten record, and deserve full credit for a series of gritty results.

Group G

Of the entire World Cup, I was the most disappointed in the way this group played out.  Drogba’s injury clearly affected the Ivory Coast and the awesome matchup between Brazil and Portugal was unfortunately scheduled last… inducing a snoozefest 0-0 draw as both teams limped hand in hand to the knockout stages.  Had they played in the second round of group games, it could have been one of the best of the tournament.

Group H

Heartbreak for the Swiss as Honduras kept them from joining Spain in the knockout.  Frankly, I don’t know how that happened… but the “reward” of playing either Brazil or Portugal might have been enough for the perennial neutral to step aside.

That’s all I’ve got for now, I’ll be back after the Round of 16.

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Today has to be one of the most entertaining days in recent Cup history.  A dynamic Germany squad fell victim to terrible officiating and a storm of yellow cards that turned red.  Vidic almost “handed” them the equalizer, but a huge PK save gave Serbia the three points.  I don’t understand why everybody thinks they’re Maradona, swinging arms around in the 18 trying to slyly misdirect the ball.  It seems to me that it’s a risk that is ludicrous unless a goal is imminent, not just possible.

The US/Slovenia game was another up and down (or should I say down and up) game to watch.  As easy as it is to get caught up in the emotion of the comeback, and the disallowed goal, I am very concerned about our shoddy defense and offensive threat.

Allow me to get a little “coachy”:  Onyewu is understandably not up to speed after his knee injury, I wouldn’t mind bringing Bocanegra central for a bit more cover… they have a history of playing together back there and Carlos brings a more vocal presence than Gooch.  In the midfield, I know we like the luxury of Donovan/Dempsey on the outsides, but we need to come to the realization that we’re just not good enough to pull that off.  Altidore is not primary target material yet (maybe in 2014)… he needs to be paired with Dempsey up top.  Dempsey can handle the role better and Altidore will be free to create chances like he did on the game-tying goal.  Findley shouldn’t see the field again, but that took care of itself after his second yellow card ruled him out against Algeria.

Finally, the England/Algeria draw adds a ton of intrigue to the matches next Wednesday.  Everybody has a chance to advance… the US moves on with a win, and maybe even a tie (definitely if England loses to Slovenia, and probably if England ties Slovenia).  If England fails to advance past the group stages out of what their papers widely labeled as an “EASY” group, it would be considered a national crisis.

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Nigeria fell victim to a mix of poor decision-making in the heat of the moment and perhaps some overzealous officiating.  I know that officials are instructed to be extremely picky, but I have a hard time watching the number of fouls that become yellow cards, and yellows that become reds, just because it’s the World Cup.  I don’t know of another sport where it is so easy to be thrown out of a game than soccer… and automatic suspensions in future games just rubs salt in the wounds.  In the meantime, the real problem of diving and going down with minimal contact goes largely unaddressed.

On a positive note, good for Greece… they looked awful in the first game and it was nice to see a little fire as they took advantage of the situation and got a W.  Dr. Coumoundouros was proud, I’m sure.

And now for two “revelations”: Mexico is good and France stinks.  Every four years the world is astonished that a CONCACAF team or two makes it through the group stages.  I’m not saying the US or Mexico is ready to win the whole thing, but I think both are adequate to make it to the quarters… maybe even an outside shot at the semis if the tourney bracket works in their favors.  As for France, they are the perfect example of the whole being less than the sum of its parts.  There is no cohesion or motivation, and it’s crazy to think that they were finalists only four years ago.

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On a sad note, a 3-0 loss by South Africa will probably end their chances of advancing to the group stages.  One of the most remarkable things about this African World Cup is the brotherhood between the African countries.  I have no doubt that the remaining African teams will have the entire continent’s support.  I don’t think the same could be said with the US/Mexico fans if one team advances further than the other.

Congrats to our Swiss tennis coach Emilie, it’s cheese and chocolate for everybody!

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On to the group of death, it’s a shame that at least one of Brazil/Portugal/Ivory Coast are guaranteed to go home after the group stages, but it always happens to one group.  0-0 was fair in the Portugal/Ivory Coast match, though it would have been nice to see Ronaldo live up to the hype on the international stage.  His blast had a chance of being the goal of the tourney had it not dented the post.  As much as I hate Chelsea, I have to admit I’m a Drogba fan… his cameo was set up for glory, it’s amazing how matches revolve around him whenever he’s on the field.

North Korea is one of the oddest stories of the tourney.  Most of their players have played and trained in relative secrecy, and they are content to defend and counter… getting a goal against Brazil in a close defeat would usually be a moral victory and help a couple of the tiebreakers down the line, but in this group I don’t think it will matter.

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Italy’s draw should see them through this fairly easy group.  They aren’t nearly as dangerous as the team that won in 2006, and Buffon’s injury in goal may open them up to be the next to be victimized by a questionable goal or two, but I don’t see them being challenged until the group stages.

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A draw between Slovenia and Algeria would have been ideal, but a pretty major goalkeeping gaffe gave Slovenia the win.  The keeper made a pretty common technical mistake… he was caught between two diving techniques and chose the wrong one.  The Jabulani ball may have had a bit more to do with this one than the Robert Green howler, but it’s still a fairly easy save.  Fortunate points for Slovenia, makes our match with them a big one.

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