courtside

Really could have used a result against ND...especially against a team from the same region. Two ties I would have taken. A win and a tie would have been ideal. My buddy played at ND and had the scouting report for me. I was at a wedding this weekend and not around to post it....He is also UMKC assistant...and he told me how well they played Tulsa to a 1-1 tie...SLU will get Tulsa this weekend...and an SMU team that gave up four goals to both IU and ND in losses earlier this year. SLU MUST get at least a win and a tie this weekend. Two wins is very achievable and needed. Pounding the lesser A-10 will not make a difference without results in quality non-conference.

Brian saw a lot of time last year as well...His goal last week(disallowed due to offsides) was terrific one time header top left corner. His team is going to be lower half of EPL, not his fault. Reyna looked okay the previous weekend as well, much more fit than I have seen him. McBride incidentally was instrumental in bringing his Fulham squad over to play the MLS all-stars.

Interestingly enough, I recently e-mailed Timmermann in something unrelated. He wrote that SLU soccer was unranked in pre-season poll in Soccer America. The way he wrote it acyed is if there were no other polls. In fact pre-season SLU is ranked 20th and 25th in two other polls, including the highly respected Adidas Coaches poll. It was as if he didn't do enough homework.

Of course the Creighton website insisted Creighton "dominated" the game. I would like an unboased view from this forum. In other action IU and UCLA tied at 1-1..no O.T.'s were played..and by all accounts IU dominated. Maryland beat UConn 1-0 and SMU surprised by a fired up Akron at Akron 2-0.

A good start for your 05 Billikens Mens team with a 1-0 win over top ten Creighton last night at Creighton in an exhibition match. The game was shown on the internet thanks to Creighton. I was unable to see the game so hopefully someone who did can post. Statistically it was even. SLU played a lot of guys, and were missing a handful of veteran quality starters, making the result more impressive.

Creighton has been top 10 pre-season in every poll I have seen thus far. It should be a nice game for SLU. According to SLU website notes...Wileman will not play due to injury...and the status of Spiess and Grazier remain uncertain due to injury. On a side note...I did see quite a bit of the U.S. game last night...as most of the soccer folks know Brian McBride, SLU alum, scored a nice goal in the 2nd minute to win the game. John O'Brien played a terrific through ball to Bobby Convey who ran onto it and had a nice serve to Brian who one timed it in the corner after beating two defenders to the spot. McBride is now 5 goals from tying Eric Wynalda for all time U.S. lead. Good for Brian.

SLU comes in at 25. http://www.nscaa.com/docs/rankings/SeniorC..._ncaa_m_di.html

I just received my mailing...a week late as usual...and saw the article on Hughes. Mostly the back and forth of salary negotiations...and everybody waiting for Hughes to be a part of a team/take a team deep into post-season...and being an all around player in a non-contract year. Hopefully he is willing to play second fiddle to James...attention-wise...and he should do fine.

I counted six Billiken opponents in College Soccer News pre-season top 30 poll.(including 4 in top 15, #1 and #2) Obviously polls are for entertainment purposes and are always subject to change. SLU comes in at #20. Also included in the poll SLU pr-season exhibition opponent Creighton,...and in others to watch...Steve's very own GW. Plenty of other schools with STL ties in the mix. For soccer and non-soccer folks alike on this board, the HOME games that obviously stand out to go see, are: #2 Duke and Michigan. SLU will have to fare well in road games early, vs SMU, Tulsa, ND and IU before getting to the softer spots on the schedule. Not much different than past years. http://www.collegesoccernews.com/index_files/page0002.htm

Not until a wealthy soccer loving investor wants to build a 20,000 seat soccer stadium in St. Louis. There is little question of support for a team if STL had one, especially compared to some of the other cities that currently have a team. The advantage of some of these other cities trying to get one....they at least have had A league teams for some time and have better organization. It may take a Lamar Hunt type of person(not him) who owns multiple league teams, and wants one in STL.

Anyone catch Chelsea/DC United? A good one. I causght soome of the piece from Stone and Wynalda on Taylor Twellman, advcocating him for the National Team. The Long time successful Chicago Fire GM....resigned. He is heading up to his Milwaukee home town to head up a committe to build a 20,000 seat soccer only stadium and have an MLS team there in 2008. Saw it in Chicago paper this week. (sigh)....ahh the STL....It would be the second pair of league teams within 90 miles of each other....(Chivas and L.A.)

Great for Kevin. Played ball with Kevin, and went to school with him a little bit, he was a good teammate, and always has been a good guy, as have been all the Grawers I have come across. I wonder what Rick is up to these days.

An entirely different Panama team than the one CRUSHED by the U.S. in Panama a month or two ago. Granted the U.S. had a much different lineup as did other teams. Panama was much better in the Gold Cup. Davis came on as a late sub and created chances immediately. Good for him. Still wondering what Arena sees in Josh Wolff?

You lost me at Demetrious Johnson...couldn't read any further. Has he threatened anyone in the Parkway School district lately?

D-I athletes miss a lot of class time, and pretty much do most of their work on a different schedule.

Agreed. John d will have problems with size and strength, but...I thought he was dangerous up top last year. I am not convinced of Wileman's finishing and creative abilities. I know the pickins are slim. We agree wholeheartedly that Hemzagic needs to make an immediate impact. Is he an immediated impact player...or is he just going to be another highly touted prospect in any sport who take a year or two to develop, and is a solid player. He needs to be more than just a solid player.

One thing Balls....I do NOT want Wileman playing forward...and actually I am encouraged that in the Spring IU game Donigan moved him to center back to sort out the mess there. I do not have the alternative...but with Wileman's toughness and motor, and speed...I would like to see him in defensive midfield or back with Gasparovic...with Benne on the outside...

It takes a little luck to win anything. College hoops, College soccer. There are always fluke games....etc... Okay...STL high school age soccer players...a lot of depth for good nice players...but there are maybe 1-3 kids a year on average who are elite players who can play anywhere and make a significant difference anywhere. Most seasons...SLU is 2 elite players away from being a title contender, and some years they are title contenders. Elite players can come from anywhere. Most of the time SLU has gotten theirs in the Midwest. UVA was dominant under Arena...and Arena has continued that success with the national team. There is some excellent soccer in the Mid-Atlantic, VA, MD, NC....and also the Northeast, NJ/NY. What people need to understand is that there are more elite players all over the country. There are also more good soccer players in general all over the country. STL has its share. But there is a fine line between good solid starter, and college difference maker. A lot of STL high school age kids....may be on great high school or club teams...and be very good players...but they don't always translate into great elite best of the best college players. For the most part SLU is a top 20 or better team most years. Their abilty has been final 16 or quarterfinals...depending on matchups and home games...SLU needs a little luck, good matchup etc...to get to the final four. The final four is a crap shoot of 4 great teams most years. They have come close a few times in past few years....just missing the final four. They did make it a few years prior to that...and did make it a few times under Clarke...narrowly missing out. Why wouldn't a kid want to go to IU, or UVA or UCLA....etc...some pretty good schools with a lot to offer a kid. SLU can play with all the top schools most years. It is tough for anyone to win a title or make a final four. If SLU can continue to be a consistent top 20 program, and make a deep run sometimes...I would be happy with that, if I am a SLU fan... any OLD alum or OLD blue hair SLU soccer booster that thinks SLU should win titles every year...probably thinks it's your senior year in college Schasz. Donigan knows that it is easier to get local kids to go to SLU...he would love to get all of the elite local kids. He needs to get some of them some of the time. So far, I am satisfied with his efforts. If Vedad Ibisevic had stayed at SLU for his Soph year, SLU would have made a deep run into the NCAA's last year...a legit shot to win it...now they could have also lost in round of 16 or so...Ibisevic creates space for other players, like the highly talented Will John...and it all trickles down...he was a difference maker who commanded double teams...and was named the national freshman of the year...the team got rattled when he left just before the season started and goal scoring was a huge problem. SLU also had to replace a couple of key defenders. This upcoming season...the big question mark will be goal scoring. SLU needs to find a couple of finishers and a creative midfielder. They have a lot of experienced players returning who are solid in other areas. Early on SLU will sort out positions, moving a few guys around this year...can they get the creative midfielder they lacked last year, and one or two consistent finishers...? we shall see. If I was asked...I think SLU will make the NCAA's without question this year. Their conference is weak, so winning it, and the conference tourney are musts. Now that leaves the half a dozen or so big time out of conference matchups...ND, IU, SMU, Duke...etc...a couple of years ago SLU won many of those games. Last year they didn't. SLU is losing two "elite" players to the pros...one was only a Freshman, and the other a Soph. Tough to replace that in just a year. Part of the success of a program is what your kids amount to when they leave....Brian McBride, Martin Hutton, Jackie Jewsbury, Joe Hammes, Nick Walls, Will John, Tim Ward, Dipsy Seouwane, Brad Davis....etc...are all currently playing professionally....and others of recent memory...Matt Mckeon, Mike Sorber, Santel, etc...all had good pro careers too. BTW...this year's STL hs area player of the year chose Stanford...ever heard of it...? just kidding. Last year, the player of the year chose Vanderbilt(not a soccer power, an off the board choice, a "new" growing program in infancy)...but that is where he wanted to go to school. Not too many other schools can say the same.

My comment was more in reference to the original poster, and the above banter. Bob Warming has been no more successful at SLU than Joey Clarke and Danny Donigan and those are the facts. I do find it difficult to believe there is some big or vocal group that loves Warming. Perhaps I am missing something?

Schasz, yes you would be correct with Yeagley's stats....his son by the way was a star there and eventual solid pro player. But many of those titles have come within the past 11 years or so that Freitag has also been there. Yeagley is a legend in college soccer. It is important to note that winning a D I soccer title is SOOOOOO much more difficult than the old early 70's and before...for SLU...incredibly more difficult....and frankly makes IU's run all the more impressive imo.

To follow up one more thing Shasz...IU really hits on most of their recruits, and rarely misses. That isn't always the case elsewhere.

Pat Noonan...he would be the starting midfielder for the United States of America National team World Cup Qualifier last night in Panama. I know you stayed up to watch Schasz;-) Chris Klein...also in the national team pool and if it wasn't for a knee injury tear, would have been out there too. Mike Amberlsey, Harry Weiss, and so on....What do these players have in common? They all played at IU, and all are from St. Louis. (in fact all attended the same high school) IU has a beautiful campus, is a big school, a good academic school...a "destination" school for plenty of kids. SLU has a beautiful campus too these days, much smaller school, urban, etc... IU has always been good at soccer since Jerry Yeagley built the program. Yeagley retired two years ago...IU was good in the 90's and 80's too. They have turned the corner the past 10 years to win those big post season games. They play a great brand of team ball. Their talent level is very very high, but so are small griup of other top teams. IU has been well coached, disciplined, and tough. Their kids come from all over the country. They look at St. Louis and take only one of the very few elite kids, who also fit in to their academics, and culture etc...and they don't do it every year. They have built their recent program, sort of like a Duke hoops, they can pick and choose who they want. And in the past 10 plus years they have gotten great player after great player. Chicago has caught up in the soocer world for example, and they have had success there too...including 3 Parade All-Americans for next year. They also recruited stud St. Louis DeSmet keeper Joe Andrews for next year as well. Oh...did I mention defending national champion IU's head coach is Mike Freitag, a former IU player who served as an assistant for 11-12 years under Yeagley before taking over the reigns and leading them unexpectedly back to national title this past season. Mike freitag is from .....drum roll please....you guessed it Schasz....St. Louis Missouri.

I understand the difference in Clarke's last year and Warming's first. But don't the last three years for Warming count? He made it one more game exactly than Donigan, and only had that kind of success once. He then left chose to leave after 4 years. Warming also had Donigan on staff, while Joey Clarke didn't ahve a paid full time assistant. Perhaps someone should come in this season and make a great run this year, and who cares about the next three? Clarke made the final four multiple times. After a long tenure at SLU, he was shown the door because of SLU's first losing season. If SLU had gotten past Maryland and Stanford in different years perhaps reverance would be similar. Perhaps they could all wear the name "Warming" on their backs this fall?

Did I miss Bob Warming's national title at SLU?

In fairness to Bob Warming...he did do well at SLU and is a very good coach. And had great post season success his first year.....but SLU did slip in post season his next three. So far, I would say the post season results have been pretty comparable for Warming and Donigan. Sure Warming had the run to the four in his first year...but he had early exits too. Donigan was there with him. ....wanted to make sure my posts were not misunderstood...especially regarding Warming. As I said, if SLU misses the NCAA tourney the next two years...you can replace Donigan, and I would be fine with that. But expectations need to be realistic. SLU really is just two players away from competing for a title. And no I don't think they got them...but they will be ranked by the end of the year if not earlier, and they will make the NCAA's this year. I will go ahead on record for that. SLU again lost a lot....losing your best players after one to two years...year after year, takes its toll a little bit. They will be fine.