Virginia Rush Soccer

Goal Celebrations - One of the best

2010-08-11T09:44:00.001-04:00

One of the best goal celebrations ever

Men: USA vs Brazil - Match Report

2010-08-11T08:45:00.003-04:00

The US Men returned home for their first game since the World Cup to take on Brazil last night. Game Report

USA vs Brazil

2010-08-10T17:26:00.001-04:00

The US Men's National Team takes on Brazil tonight, 8:00pm on ESPN2.

Lyon defeat Auxerre with late second half goal

2010-05-06T15:54:00.001-04:00

A late second half goal by Lyon’s Miralem Pjanic was enough to give Lyon a 2-1 victory over visiting AJ Auxerre. Visiting AJA created several chances early including a hit post. AJA managed to break through and opened the scoring 15 minutes into the game when leading scorer Ireneusz Jelen stepped in front of a Lyon pass and finished his chance.Lyon would equalize just before halftime when AJA was called for a foul in the box and Lyon’s Lisandro Lopez put away his shot from the PK Spot.Lyon kept the pressure on in the second half and Auxerre’s league leading defense eventually cracked with Pjanic’s winner.The loss drops AJA into a second place tie with Lille, who holds the tiebreaker with more wins on the season. With two games remaining, Lille must still face Ligue 1 champions Marseille. A top two finish gives AJA an automatic Champions League birth while a third place finish would put AJA into Champions League qualifying rounds. If they drop to fourth, they would qualify for the Europa League. AJA will face Lens on Saturday.

Auxerre Win Third Straight

2010-04-27T13:16:00.001-04:00

Three second half goals propelled AJ Auxerre to their third consecutive win, the latest against Toulouse, and extend their unbeaten streak to an impressive 11 games. The win keeps Auxerre (66pts) safely in second place in Ligue 1, but a win by first place Marseille over Saint Etienne leave them 5 points up on AJA with 4 games to play.
Despite being statistically outplayed by Toulouse, AJA needed only 5 shots on frame to score its three goals and walk away with the victory. Benoit Pedretti opened the scoring 2 minutes into the second half and AJA leading scorer Ireneusz Jelen added twice to his total with goals in the 68th and 79th minutes.AJA’s chase of the elusive French title (only 2 teams have won over the last 8 seasons) will most likely come down to the next two games. They travel to Marseille on Friday for a chance to trim the lead to two points. 5 days later, AJA will face 5th place and defending League Champion Lyon.

Auxerre Win again, Eye Finish Line (04.19.10)

2010-04-19T14:24:00.000-04:00

A 4-1 win over Lorient over the weekend leaves AJA in second place (63 points) with only 5 games to play. First half goals by Dennis Oliech and Ireneusz Jelen followed in the seconf half by Valter Birsa and Cedric Hengbart, in addition to two red card ejections for Lorient, was plenty to propel AJA to their second straight Ligue 1 win. AJA will take on Toulouse (43 pts.) on Sunday as they prep for a tough stretch when they'll play first place Marseille May 2 and third place Lyon May 5. A top two finish in the league would put Auxerre into the 2010-2011 Champions League! With a third place finish, they would go into Champions League Qualification.

Players of the Week

2010-04-14T15:15:00.002-04:00

The Virginia Rush Players of the Week for the weekend of April 10 and 11:

Boys
Jack Saslowsky - excellent defensive performance in 0-0 tie with Churchland
Drew Ott - first half hat-trick in 4-0 win over FC Richmond
Andrew Barstow - stopped three 1v1 breakaways as a goalkeeper in U12 Academy game

Girls
Alex Askew - two goals in win against FC Richmond

Great job everyone for excelling in your games this past weekend.

AJ Auxerre weekly update

2010-03-30T15:04:00.000-04:00

AJ Auxerre had a great chance to position themselves solely atop the Ligue 1 tables on Monday when they took on AS Monaco. A 0-0 tie however, was all the away team could manage. The point gained in the tie though was enough to pull AJA even with Bordeaux and Montpellier on top of the French table with 56 points. Auxerre has beaten Bordeaux twice this season and have beaten and drawn with Montpellier. AJA will return to action on Sunday when they host Paris Saint Germain (40pts.). PSG upended Auxerre in a shootout in the Coupe de France last week. Bordeaux will play Nancy Lorraine (39pts) on Saturday (sandwiched between Champions League games with French counterpart Lyon) and Montpellier will host Monaco (45pts.)

2010-03-29T10:55:00.003-04:00

VSLI- U10 Girls, (Pat Stauch & Jason Roberts) A great 2-1 game! One of the best I've seen in my six years here! Isabelle Blomdahl scored off a great attacking header from a corner kick, Stauch Hurricane's came back to tie, before Blomdahol struck again! Both teams played outstanding soccer in this match and Regan was outstanding on the flank for Pat's group.

VSLI- U11 Robert Scotland. Another great Sunday afternoon game. After being down 0 -1 they tied it up with a great goal from Brian and then took the lead with a goal from the pk spot by Wilson. Baystars came back in the last minute in the match to tie the game.

VSLI- U10 Todd Riggs. Down 3-1 at half, score 4 second half goals to win 5-3 against Legacy, with game winner by Bobby O'Dowd

VCCL U13 Girls (Mike Raskys) A 4-0 smashing to start the league. Alex had 2 assists & 2 goals

VCCL- U11 Boys (Smith) A 4-0 drubbing. Patrick McCann tossed a 1st half shutout in goal, then opened the scoring in the second half!

Topdrawersoccer names top prospects for girls graduating in 2012

2010-03-29T10:53:00.000-04:00

Topdrawersoccer.com has named Lindsey Horan as the number 1 prospect for girls graduating in 2012!“This comes as no surprise to me. Her hard work has payed off and will continue to pay off,” commented Lindsey’s Head Coach and Rush President Tim Schulz. “I know Lindsey will be happy for this honor but her sights are set on the next world event (U20’s World Cup) and she will be back working hard again despite the tough loss against Canada (with the U17’s).Lindsey’s teammate on the U16 Nike team, Maddison Kiebel (No. 52) also made the top 100 of 2010 from TDS.Other players from around Rush Nation to make the list include:Caroline Casey – VA Rush (No. 34)Soraya Martinez – FL Rush (No. 78)Zoe Kilmer – OR Rush (No. 83)

Auxerre wins again

2010-03-22T14:00:00.000-04:00

Auxerre Wins Again, 1 Point From League Lead(03.22.10)
AJ Auxerre remain just 1 point off of the league lead after a 2-1 victory over Le Mans over the weekend. AJA took the lead 25 minutes in to the game off of an Ireneusz Jelen goal. Le Mans thought they had stolen a point with a 90th minute goal to pull level. Auxerre's Benoit Pedretti just 1 minute into injury time, scored a very important goal to keep AJA within striking distance of league leaders Bordeaux and Montpellier. AJA will take on PSG in the quarterfinal round of the Coupe de France on Tuesday before visiting AS Monaco next Monday.

It could get a litttle Messi!!!

2010-03-18T11:39:00.002-04:00

Barcelona versus Stuttgart - UEFA Champions League Highlights. It's an easy game if you think about it!!

Spring 2010 High School Game of the Week at the Sportsplex

2010-03-17T13:29:00.002-04:00

Player, parents and coaches,

visit the Rush website to find out when you favorite High School soccer team will be playing in the Sportsplex game of the week. Visit www.varush.com for more details.

USSDA Player Alex Vaughn Signs with ODU

2010-03-16T12:28:00.004-04:00

ODU announces Alex Vaughn, VA Rush/AJ Auxerre US Soccer Developmental Team, in their 2010 signings.

Auxerre Win Again, Ready for Bordeaux

2010-03-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

(03.08.10)

AJ Auxerre have rattled off their third straight win with a 1-0 victory over Valenciennes over the weekend. With the win, Auxerre have 48 points and are tied for 5th place with Lille in Ligue 1 with a game in hand. Ireneusz Jelen scored his team leading 7th goal in the win.

Auxerre will take on league leading Bordeaux on Wednesday. AJA upended the current French leaders 1-0 in October, the very same weekend that the partnership with Rush Soccer was announced.
Bonne chance AJA!

USSDA's U18/17 Richard Diaz a U of Akron Zip

2010-03-07T11:19:00.004-05:00

Akron University, 2009 NCAA Soccer finalists announce the depth of their 2010 Freshman class which includes our own Richard Diaz from the VA Rush/AJ Auxerre U18/17 US Soccer Developmental Academy team.

AJ Auxerre Win Second Straight

2010-03-03T14:35:00.000-05:00

A 2-1 victory over Lille on Sunday has kept AJ Auxerre in the top 6 of the French Ligue 1. Roy Contout scored in both the first and second halves to give AJA a big win over Lille (47 pts.) who are just ahead of Auxerre (45 pts.) in the standings. AJA are back in action on Saturday when they host Valenciennes (41 pts.)

Haiti Relief postponed.

2010-02-04T12:58:00.001-05:00

Haiti Relief Effort Postponement

Rush members,

The club would like to thank you for your overwhelming interest in the Haiti Relief collection project scheduled for this Saturday, February 6th. Unfortunately, the weather forecast for the weekend is predicting a major storm. With this in mind we have postponed the event until Saturday, February 20, 2010.

We will be in touch with all of you in the week before the event with final details and reminders. Please keep collecting anything listed on our website for donation. We look forward to your involvement on the 20th.

Thanks,
Virginia Rush Soccer Club

U16 ECNL Nike Women are Disney Champions. Way to Go!

2010-01-06T20:13:00.002-05:00

Interview with a National Champion. Ari Dimas, Va Rush Alumni and UVA standout

2009-12-19T20:24:00.003-05:00

VA Rush/AJ Auxerre's U.S. Developmental Academy Players Invited to Market Training Center for Player Identification

2009-12-15T17:03:00.002-05:00

The Market Training Center has been Canceled due to impending weather and travel conditions. Look for reschedule in January or February.

U.S. Soccer's Developmental Academy, in conjunction with the Virginia Rush and the VA Rush/AJ Auxerre Developmental Academy Program, is hosting a Market Training Center this Saturday December 19, 2009 at the VA Beach Sportsplex.

"The Market Training Centers are new programming that US Soccer has added to the Development Academy. We feel that they are very important in creating a learning environment that will help both the players and the Development Academy club coaches who attend. They also serve an important function from a player identification standpoint. Already this year, several players who have been identified in Market Training Centers have been invited into Youth National Team camps and training sessions" explains Chris Brewer, Technical Advisor for the South Conference. Chris oversees the seventeen clubs in the Atlantic and Southeast Divisions and is responsible for the programming and coaching of the Market Training Centers. He along with invited Developmental Academy staffing will train and evaluated the selected participants.

Saturday's program not only includes player evaluations of the U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy U15/16 and U17/18 age groups, but also for the 95/96 age players who will be the future of the Academy.

Player selection for these events is determined by both recommendations and the U.S. Developmental Academy Scouting network. A program where league and showcase games are observed by U.S. scouts on a consistent basis for player evaluation and identification.

"This provides greater opportunities for our players to be seen in their most natural playing environment and increases their chances for invitations of this type leading to potential Youth National Team call ups" remarks Jay Hoffman, DOC Academy coaching and U17/18 VA Rush/AJ Auxerre Developmental Academy Head Coach.

The VA Rush/AJ Auxerre Developmental Academy program will be represented by the following players:

U17/18: (91/92) Travis Brent, Kharlton Belmar, William Cason, Paul Dillon, Trey Saunders, Alex Vaughn

U15/16: (93/94) Bryan Causey, Alex Feliciano, Garrett Halfhill, Ben Lockler, Shaun Russell, Ben Tyler (95), Robert Kerby

95/96: Mason Duke (95), Cody Geroux (95)

Training times will be at 12pm – 1:45 for the the 95/96's, 2:30pm – 4pm for the
93/94's and 4:45pm – 6:15pm for the 91/92's.

U.S. Soccer's Developmental Academy program mission is also the development of the total club and Chris states that "By partnering with Development Academy clubs such as Virginia Rush who are hosting Market Training Centers, we feel that we are creating a proper soccer environment that will benefit players, coaches and clubs as we move forward."

NSCAA All Region Team Selections

2009-12-15T11:04:00.000-05:00

Congrats to Ali Boubouheropoulos, Nate Ott and Rory Mills for there selection to NSCAA All Region team.

Rush Alumni and US National Team member Conor Casey's interview

2009-11-30T12:05:00.003-05:00

Colorado Rush Alum Conor Casey’s list of accomplishments in 2009 would be considered a great career for most players. He was the second leading scorer in the MLS, named a starter for the MLS All-Star game, named to the end of season MLS Best XI Team, on the USA Men’s National Team for the Confederations Cup and World Cup Qualifiers and scored 2 goals against Honduras in World Cup clinching win. Conor recently took some time to talk about the success he’s had in 2009.

2009 has been a very good year for you on the soccer field. How would you describe the last few months starting with being named to the US squad for the Confederations Cup?
Confederations Cup -
Just prior to the Confederations Cup I was called in for the home World Cup qualifier against Honduras. First call up, never really know what to expect and then I got to start. Happy about getting called in and then to make the squad for the Confederations Cup where I didn’t get a lot of play time, but definitely had a great experience being in South Africa with the team and being there for the Spain game… that was pretty special. Ending Spain’s streak of wins, especially after losing our first two games then going out and beating Egypt big in the third game and having Italy lose big, all of the sudden we go through and we beat Spain to go to the final… up 2 goals at halftime in a major tournament against Brazil, hands down one of the best teams in the world. At halftime everyone was real quite, kind of surprised. Second half they obviously came out and got the game but all in all pretty cool. The celebration after the Spain game is one I’ll remember for a long time.
On recent World Cup Qualifiers -
More recently, I was called in for the qualifiers against Honduras and Costa Rica. Scored my first, and second, international goals against Honduras. To do it in that setting, in front of 40,000 crazy Hondurans and to clinch a spot in the World Cup was a neat experience. It was very exhilarating to get those goals and be a part of the celebration afterword.

You’ve scored a lot of goals in your career. Was that first goal against Honduras the most important you’ve ever scored?
Just the night in general scoring two goals. The two goals collectively were as important as I’ve ever scored for sure.

Playing with the US National Team is an experience that not many players ever get to have. How does it feel to pull on that USA jersey for the first time and step out on the pitch to represent your country?
It’s awesome! There’s a really strong feeling of pride; but there is also that feeling and expectation that you want to perform. It’s defiantly an honor but at the same time you want to honor the game by playing well.

Having spent some time in South Africa with the US team this last summer, how do you think the Americans can do in 2010?
Well I think that we performed well at the Confederations Cup. Anytime you go to any tournament, in any sport, anything is possible. We’ve proven over the last few years that we’ve made some big strides. Obviously we will need to see how the groups pan out after the draw; see what other teams are in our bracket. But everyone feels pretty good about where we are at right now and we feel we’re in a position to do really well.

Stateside you have had an outstanding year in the MLS. Named to the best XI Team and the MLS All-Star game. Being a Colorado guy, how does it feel to be able to come home and play with the Rapids in front of your friends and family?
It’s awesome. Coming back to the MLS I didn’t really know what to expect. But the level’s been a lot better than I anticipated. It’s a big difference living and playing abroad because when things go bad you don’t really have that support system to fall back on. So it’s been great to have my family here and all my friends, even some from high school, so it’s been nice.

Now that MLS is all wrapped up what are your plans for the off-season?
I get some time off so it should be a nice little break. I’ll be off till early-mid January. So I’m going to take a good 3-4 weeks off and rest up and recuperate before starting to prepare for next season. But I am definitely looking forward to a little time off. Travel and games and more travel, it all eventually takes a toll.

Having played overseas, what do you think about Rush partnering with French club AJ Auxerre?
It’s truly amazing how far the club has come in such a short period of time. I was there when Rush first formed from (Lakewood) Fury and (Club) Columbine. Now 15 or so years later, to have partners across the country and to have a unique partnership like Auxerre… they just constantly raise the bar. Having teams in the US Academy program and now players having a chance to possibly go over and get looked at in Europe is just huge.

Any advice for those young Rush players out there?
You’ve got to put the hours in to be successful. Tim (Schulz) and Dinger (VA Rush Technical Director Dave Dengerink) and Boomer (Rush Soccer Technical Director Andrew Kummer) at this level, those guys are as good as you can get. Any day that I wanted to train they were there to push me and train me. The opportunity they (Rush players) have is huge. If they want it, it's obtainable, they just have to make the most of what the club has to offer.

Dimas Nets Winner, UVa tops Portland 1-0

2009-11-29T17:53:00.002-05:00

Ari Dimas scored his first collegiate goal, which was enough for UVa to best University of Portland 1-0. The No. 2 UVa men's soccer team shut out Portland, 1-0, Sunday afternoon at Klöckner Stadium in the third round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament. Dimas scored the game-winner in the 46th minute for the Cavaliers, who advance to the quarterfinals and will face Maryland on Friday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. in Charlottesville.

Check out the full article from VirginiaSports.com, including Box Score an Video.

Photo Courtesy: Jim Daves/UVa Media Relations

Control and Passing

2009-11-20T10:15:00.000-05:00

Wanna Be Great?

20 RUSH Alums in the NCAA and NAIA National Soccer Tournaments

2009-11-19T13:49:00.006-05:00

TWENTY former VA Rush players are competiting in both the NCAA and NAIA National Soccer Championships this month.

NCAA hopefuls include two Division 1 schools with multiple players, UVA's TJ Cyrus and Ari Demias along with VA Tech's Jullian Johnson and Kristin Carden, and two Division 3 schools, VA Weslyan with Harrison Myrdal, Brian Witt and Kyle Anderson and Lynchburg College's RJ Good, Joe Sjaja and Scott Coleman.

Rounding out NCAA tournaments are Amanda Holmes, UNCW, Katie Carr, UVA, Kelsey Bergen, Lynchburg and on the boys side Jordan Cyrus, U of MD, Alexander Glyfason, UNCW, Hector Arellano, Loyola of MD, Eric Mackin, York College and Stephen Holmes of CNU. Competiting in the NAIA National Championship's are Robby Ford of U of Mobile and Becky Gold of Trinity Christian. We wish them all the best of luck!

Rush Alumni TJ Cyrus and Ari Dimas help UVa to ACC Crown

2009-11-16T11:49:00.005-05:00

Congrats to TJ and Ari, pictured here with current Rush players Jack M, JR H, Ryan R, Jayson C (TJ's brother), Austin S, Cole R (hidden), Alex C, Luke W.

VA Rush/AJ Auxerre US Developmental Academy Players Evaluated by US Soccer

2009-11-13T14:11:00.004-05:00

Nine players from the VA Rush/AJ Auxerre USSDA program participated in a combined Market Training Center for Development Academy Clubs from Virgina, Pennsylvania, Maryland and DC.

Market Training Centers (MTC) are being held througout the country by the technical department of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. These centers are designed to further identify and evaluate players for U.S. National Teams. Invitees are players who have been scouted and recommended from observations of the USSDA games and showcases, throughout the year. The focus of this particular MTC was the 1995's, Mason Duke, Ethan Scott and Warren Tyler, 1993's Garrett Halfhill, Alex Feliciano and Sean Christein and the 1991's Travis Brent, Paul Dillon and Trey Saunders. Tony Lepore, Director of USSDA Scoutng, USSDA East Technical Director and U15 Mens National Team Assistant Coach, headed up the staff for a day of training and competition.

Caroline Casey U16N Selected to Represent Region 1 1994's at Interregional Event

2009-11-13T13:54:00.005-05:00

Caroline who plays for the U16 Nike team and the VA State OPD team was selected from all the players within the 15 state teams making up Region 1 ODP for this age group. The games will be played at the North Community Park and Coral Glades High School Sportsplex in Coral Springs, Fla. Teams will compete Nov. 22-27.

The US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional will represent teams in the 1993 – 1995 age groups including the U.S. Under-15 National Team and Costa Rica Youth National Team.
Continuing its tradition of elite play, competition and player development, youth from the nation’s elite player identification and development program, US Youth Soccer ODP, will train and compete in front of national and leading collegiate coaches to maximize their exposure for scholarships and advancement.

US Youth Soccer ODP is known as the premier identification and development program for the nation’s youth seeking the opportunity to compete at the national and collegiate levels of play.
US Youth Soccer ODP is the original Olympic Development Program and the only elite player development program that can claim members of Women’s Professional Soccer and Major League Soccer as well as a majority of current and past national and youth team members, as alumni.

Hockey Canada PSA - Relax, It's Just a game

2009-11-12T09:54:00.003-05:00

Check out these videos from Hockey Canada from a few years ago. It will give you a laugh, but the message is pertinent!

REACHing into Africa

2009-11-12T08:40:00.001-05:00

Rush Soccer President & C.E.O. Tim Schulz is currently in Nkomazi, South Africa as part of Rush Soccer's REACH program. While Tim is on his trip, he will periodically send updates about his activites at Rush Soccer's newest club, Nkomazi Rush. Nkomazi is a large region located about four hours east of Johannesburg.

Vote O'Neal

2009-10-29T12:40:00.003-04:00

It is time for elections of all sorts. Cast your vote for Rush Alum Aaron O'Neal in his bid for America East Conference Player of the Year!

Rush Alumni Ariana Spiegel named Centennial Conference Player of the Week

2009-10-27T08:19:00.000-04:00

Utah Rush Receive 2010 Rush Festival and Summit

2009-10-23T08:58:00.001-04:00

Rush Soccer is excited to announce that the dates have been set for the annual Rush Summit and Rush Festival. The week of activities will be held just outside of Salt Lake City, Utah from July 25 till August 1, 2010. Click here for more details.

Rush Select Teams Announced for President's Day Tournament

2009-10-23T08:57:00.002-04:00

LITTLETON, CO – Rush Soccer has finalized the Rush Select Team rosters for the President's Day Tournament in Phoenix, Arizona, February 12-15. For the second consecutive year, Rush has bought together some of the best talent from Rush clubs across the country to compete in an Invitational Tournament. Click here to see the team and read more about the event.

Congrats to the five Virginia Players selected to the U13 and U14 Rush Select Teams!

Coach Hoffman and Paralympic World Cup

2009-10-20T10:34:00.003-04:00

The U.S. Paralympic Soccer National Team has been drawn into Group B of the upcoming CPISRA World Championship in Netherlands with Russia and Scotland. The U.S. will play first round games against Russia on Oct. 23, and Scotland on Oct. 25, at the National Sports Center – Papendal, in Arhem, Netherlands.

Rush partners with French Ligue 1 giant AJ Auxerre

2009-10-19T13:52:00.001-04:00

Rush Alumni leading U.S. National team

2009-10-15T11:13:00.002-04:00

(10.11.09)Casey Scores Two, Americans Advance to South AfricaConor Casey scored the first two goals of his International career and the US Men's National team beat Honduras 3-2 to clinch a spot in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.Conor tied the game 1-1 in the 55th minute after beating the keeper to a ball in the box and knocking a header into the back of the net. He would score again seven minutes later after beating the off-side trap and slotting the ball to the keepers left giving the Americans a 2-1 lead and quieting the hostile crowd. Landon Donovan would make it 3-1 with a well placed free kick just minutes later.A scrappy Honduras team that had gone 8-0 in home qualifying matches prior to the game, would score their second goal in the 78th minute and had an opportunity to tie the game from the penalty spot late but the shot went over the cross bar and the US held on for the victory."This is surely a defining moment in the career of Conor Casey. Scoring 2 goals in the game that clinched a World Cup birth is truly amazing," said Andrew Kummer, Technical Director for Rush Soccer.The big striker, and Colorado Rush alum, currently sits in second place in the MLS having scored 16 goals for the Colorado Rapids.The US will have on final match in qualifying against Costa Rica on October 14th.

Skill Skool - Wales U21 National Team Head2Head

2009-10-14T08:59:00.002-04:00

Two of Wales U21 National Team players go Head2Head juggling. New move in here.

Crossbar Challenge - Hibernian

2009-10-14T08:55:00.001-04:00

Hibernian FC (aka Hibs) of the Scottish Premier League take on the crossbar challenge.

U15 Swoosh girls are Kirkwood Champions

2009-10-13T09:36:00.002-04:00

Way to Go Ladies!

Meaghan Dullea standing out at VCU

2009-10-13T08:53:00.002-04:00

Rush Alumni receive College Soccer 360 Primetime Performers of the week honors

2009-10-08T10:40:00.005-04:00

Kristin Carden and Julian Johnson receive College Soccer 360 Primetime Performers of the week honors.

Arsene Wenger Interview

2009-10-08T09:53:00.002-04:00

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger gives an interview about his 13 year tenure in charge of the Gunners.
Time minute 9:10 - 9:35 I think is a very interesting statement / part of the interview.
DW

Crossbar Challenge

2009-10-08T09:07:00.001-04:00

Pro players from Chesterfield United attempt to hit the crossbar from the half way line.

Kristin Carden named NSCAA player of the Week

2009-10-07T22:24:00.001-04:00

Nike - Make the Difference

2009-10-07T14:15:00.002-04:00

Nike's advertising campaign, Arshavin, Rooney, Walcott and Ribery - where do you stand as a player?

Kristin Carden named ACC player of the Week

2009-10-06T10:07:00.003-04:00

Kristin Carden name to TopDrawerSoccer and Soccer America National team's of the week as well as ACC Women's player of the week.

Northampton Town Head2Head

2009-10-05T14:50:00.001-04:00

Two Northampton Town Academy players go Head2Head in a juggling contest.

Chelsea Academy Head2Head

2009-10-05T14:48:00.001-04:00

Two Chelsea Academy players go Head2Head juggling.

Carden named to TopDrawerSoccer Women's College Team of the Week

2009-10-05T14:06:00.001-04:00

Carden makes 10 saves and Va Tech defeats UNC on Sunday 1-0

2009-10-05T07:18:00.004-04:00

History is made as Va Tech defeats UNC on Sunday.

Carden and Johnson do it again as Va Tech beats UVA 2 - 1

2009-10-01T10:35:00.005-04:00

Carden saves a penalty kick and Johnson scores the game winning goal as Va Tech beats UVA on Wednesday night.

Kristin Carden earns first shutout for 2009 season as Virginia Tech beats NC State

2009-09-29T08:50:00.003-04:00

Two former Va Rush women lead Va Tech past Clemson

2009-09-25T07:43:00.003-04:00

Tranmere Rovers Academy Head2Head

2009-09-17T11:52:00.001-04:00

Two Tranmere Rovers Academy players go head2head juggling.

Skill Skool Returns - Charlton Athletic

2009-09-11T10:18:00.001-04:00

Two Charlton Athletic Academy players go head-2-head juggling.

Virginia Rush Alumni Making Headlines

2009-09-08T11:16:00.003-04:00

Two former Virginia Rush players, Aaron O'neal (Boston University) and Sean Flatley (College of Charleston), made the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for the week ending September 6.

Virginia Beach Sportsplex looks forward to new future

2009-09-03T22:44:00.002-04:00

Sandy Everett of the Hampton Roads Sports Examiner writes an excellent article on the Sportsplex and the future:

What used to be called a "money pit" for the taxpayers of Virginia Beach has taken the first steps toward a new future of increased use, increased revenue, and becoming the crown jewel of sporting events held within Virginia Beach's city limits. The Sportsplex was always meant to be the center attraction of the Beach's sporting events. However, lack of focus and neglect by public officials resulted in the facility's poor performance. The parking lots remain partially paved and when one drives up to the Sportsplex, they are left with the feeling that they are entering a sub-par facility.

Jump to the Examiner for the full article.

U12 Festival Videos

2009-08-31T09:03:00.004-04:00

The 2009 Rush Festival was a huge success. 28 teams from across Rush Nation attended the 5 day Festival in Olathe, Kansas from July 22-26. The week featured games, training sessions, ice cream socials and of course tons of fun! READ MORE>>>>

Video of days 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5 are now posted!

Katisha Brown Named to ECNL All-Tournament Team

2009-08-24T09:16:00.003-04:00

Congrats Katisha on being named to the ECNL All-Tournament Team. This team was selected at the Chicago Showcase and is comprised of the top 11 players from the U15, U16, and U17 age groups.

The Chicago ECNL Showcase marked the league's inaugural event and the first of five 2009-10 ECNL regular-season tournaments. Member clubs must select three of the five events to attend in advance of the 2009-10 ECNL National Championship, scheduled for July 15-18, 2010, in Seattle.

"I think this is just what the girls need," said U-15 Colorado Rush head coach Wes Hart. "I worked with the [U.S. Soccer Development Academy] teams as well, and I see them day in and day out getting quality games and no longer playing against the same teams you play in Colorado every season and in every local tournament. Now [with the ECNL] you're playing against the best of the best on a regular basis. The competition itself is pulling more out of our players."

The Logo is Done!

2009-08-15T18:53:00.002-04:00

Once the rubber is down, we are ready to go! This photo was taken Saturday afternoon.

VA Rush U12 Girls Conquer the Jefferson Open 3 vs. 3 Tournament

2009-08-14T18:16:00.003-04:00

The VA Rush team Mirror Donnas started off the tournament easily defeating the SOCA team "Quad" 8 to 4 with everyone on the Mirror Donnas team scoring at least one goal and with Jessica Cavolt scoring a Hat Trick.

The next game the Mirror Donnas battled the Strikers team "Allie’s Kats" to a 6 to 6 tie with most of the Mirror Donnas team scoring goals and Chandler Monk scoring a Hat Trick.

The final pool play game Saturday was another fierce battle between the Mirror Donnas and the Strikers team "Xtreme" resulting in a 4 to 4 tie. The fierce defensive and offensive play from Taylor Russ and Marie Shoen were key to securing this tie.

In the Quarter Finals, the Mirror Donnas defeated the Striker team "Flash" 4 to 3 in another impressive display of offense and defense by Marie Shoen and Jessica Cavolt.

In the Semi Finals, the Mirror Donnas had a rematch with the SOCA team "Quad" and this time SOCA put up an incredible fight. The game ended in a 5 to 5 tie thus sending the game into overtime where both teams scored 1 goal a piece to end the overtime period 6 to 6. In the game ending penalty kick shoot out, Chandler, Marie, and Taylor made 3 penalty kicks to the 2 made penalty kicks of SOCA in order to send the Mirror Donnas through to the Championship match. Erica Jackson was a goal scoring machine with 5 goals this game.

In the Championship match, the Mirror Donnas played the Striker team "Pink Daisy Frolickers". The regular game time ended in a 3 to 3 tie with Chandler Monk scoring her second Hat Trick of the weekend. In overtime, it was the intense defensive effort of Marie Shoen stopping everything in her part of the field and the two powerful offensive strikes by Taylor Russ and Erica Jackson that pushed the Mirror Donnas to a 5 to 3 victory by the end of the overtime period and making the Mirror Donnas the Tournament Champions of the U13 Girls travel division.

Brittney Kortz to lead ODU into 2009 season

2009-08-14T18:12:00.004-04:00

Former Virginia Rush Nike player Brittney Kortz was selected as team captain to lead the ODU Monarchs for the 2009 season. Brittney is a senior at ODU and has been a starting defender since her sophomore year. She will join other former Rush players this season on the Monarch line up including senior Sam Brennan, sophomore Victoria Johnson, and rising freshman, Gabrielle Carragino and Meghan Cozens. ODU will kickoff their season in Raleigh against the Wolfpack of NC State on August 21st before returning to ODU for home games against George Washington and High Point University on August 28 & 30. After the two home games, the Monarchs are off to Phoenix Arizona to face Arizona State on Sept 4 and University of Arizona on Sept 6 before starting CAA conference games. For more information on the Lady Monarchs schedule, visit the team site at http://www.odusports.com/sports/w-soccer/oldd-w-soccer-body.html.

Rush Home: Photos from August 14

2009-08-14T18:05:00.005-04:00

The turf is almost done! Check out the Logo! Once they get the sand and rubber down we will have a new home!

VA Rush U15, U16, U17 Head to Inaugural ECNL Event in Chicago

2009-08-13T20:34:00.002-04:00

Best of luck to our U15, U16 and U17 Nike Women as they travel to Chicago to compete in the inaugural Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) event this weekend.

Twenty-four teams from eight clubs will participate in the Chicago ECNL Showcase hosted by Eclipse Select Soccer Club, Aug. 14-16, 2009, at the Libertyville Township Soccer Complex.

The Chicago ECNL Showcase marks the league's inaugural event and is the first of five 2009- 10 ECNL regular-season tournaments. Member clubs must select three of the five events to attend in advance of the 2009-10 ECNL National Championship, scheduled for July 15-18, 2010, in Seattle.

The eight participating clubs in the Chicago ECNL Showcase are: Birmingham United (Ala.), Colorado Rush (Colo.), Eclipse Select SC (Ill.), FC Milwaukee (Wis.), Irvine Strikers (Calif.), SC Del Sol (Ariz.), St. Louis Scott Gallagher (Mo.) and Virginia Rush (Va.). Attending clubs will bring a U-15, U-16 and U-17 team to Chicago, with each squad playing one game on each of the event's three days.

"This inaugural ECNL event will serve as the foundation for what will be a highly-successful, competitive league that follows the appropriate framework for elite girls' player development," said US Club Soccer Executive Director Bill Sage. "Our staff is very much looking forward to contributing to this significant development."

"Everyone is tremendously excited to finally kick-off the ECNL season," said ECNL President Christian Lavers. "Over the past months it has become very clear that the member clubs are committed to making the ECNL a vehicle for positive change in female youth soccer. This weekend will showcase some very talented players, competing in some great games, and we look forward to it."

A complete schedule, as well as additional league information, will soon be available on the new ECNL Web site: http://www.eliteclubsnationalleague.com. Those interested will also be able to follow the action at the Chicago ECNL Showcase with daily updates and highlights at the Chicago ECNL Showcase event page.

Rush Home: Photo from August 12

2009-08-12T09:32:00.005-04:00

The Rush Home Project is well underway! This photo was taken early on August 12 and shows that the turf is being installed.

ESPN Rise: Saunders Makes Good on Second Chance

2009-08-06T16:16:00.003-04:00

Trey Saunders of the Va Rush U18 US Soccer Developmental team, discusses how one phone call, a second chance and his desire to be the best changed his life, forever. Read the full article on ESPN.

Rush Alumni Conor Casey named to MLS All-Stars Starting XI

2009-07-29T20:10:00.000-04:00

MLS All-Star First XI features seven first-time All-Stars
Columbus, Houston, Seattle each land two spots; seven nationalities represented
07/13/2009 1:19 PMMajor League Soccer Communications
Watch: All-Star Firts XI unveiled on ET 2009 MLS All-Star First XI MLS All-Stars to face Everton FC
Columbus' Guillermo Barros Schelotto led all players in combined All-Star voting. (G. Bartram/Getty)

Elias Sports Bureau 'Insider's Edge': July 29
East notes: Full slate
West notes: Return to full strength
MLSnet.com Power Rankings: Week 20
More Headlines >NEW YORK -- Reigning Volkswagen Most Valuable Player and this season's leading scorer, Columbus Crew midfielder Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Los Angeles Galaxy forward Landon Donovan, a nine-time All-Star, were among those unveiled as the MLS All-Star First XI this afternoon on MLSnet.com's ExtraTime. Seven first time All-Stars are included in the 11-player list and seven different nations are represented within the First XI. The 2009 MLS All-Star Game will be played on Wednesday, July 29 at Rio Tinto Stadium - home of Real Salt Lake - in Sandy, Utah when the MLS All-Stars play Everton FC of the English Premier League. The game will be televised live on ESPN and Galavision at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The First XI - consisting of one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders and two forwards - received the most votes at their respective positions from four groups - fans, players, media, and coaches/general managers. Schelotto led all players in combined voting, followed by Donovan and Conor Casey.

Donovan (LA Galaxy), Dwayne De Rosario (Toronto FC) and Shalrie Joseph (New England Revolution) return as All-Stars, while Schelotto (Columbus Crew) is scheduled to appear in his first All-Star game, after being selected for the inactive roster in 2008. Receiving the honor for the first time are two MLS Newcomers who are members of the expansion Seattle Sounders FC -- goalkeeper Kasey Keller and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg. Houston Dynamo duo Geoff Cameron and Stuart Holden received their first nods as a defender and midfielder respectively, while defenders Wilman Conde (Chicago Fire) and Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew) round out the three-man back line with Cameron. Partnering with Donovan as the second forward is Casey (Colorado Rapids), who ranks third in the Budweiser Golden Boot race with eight goals scored.

The First XI is reflective of Major League Soccer's diverse player pool, as seven nations are represented and the age range from 23 years to 39 years. Holden, 23, is the youngest member of the First XI, 16 years younger than the First XI's most senior member, 39-year-old Keller. Five members of the First XI have played for the U.S. Men's National Team, while four others have represented their countries at the senior level -- Schelotto (Argentina), Ljungberg (Sweden), Joseph (Grenada) and De Rosario (Canada).

On Monday, July 20, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear and his staff's selections will be announced. Two Commissioner's selections will complete the 18-man game-day roster. Kinnear earned the honor of coaching the MLS side by leading his team to the highest points per game average in the League through games on June 28.

The First XI is not necessarily the starting lineup. Kinnear will select the starters based on player availability and tactical considerations. If First XI selections are unavailable due to injury, international duty or other commitments, Kinnear will select alternates for the game day roster, but all First XI players are All-Stars. The inactive, or alternate All-Star roster, will be announced at a later date.

Rush Announces New Rush Home

2009-07-28T15:24:00.001-04:00

Hometown Sports Management and Virginia Rush Soccer announced a partnership today that includes converting the all-grass Sportsplex stadium field to quality synthetic turf developed and installed by Sportexe. Hometown Sports Management assumed management of the Virginia Beach Sportsplex in cooperation with the city of Virginia Beach earlier this year.

Rush Soccer will call the new Sportsplex home and become partners in the development of the Sportsplex as the center of athletics in Virginia Beach and beyond. The Rush is a regional entity that formed when three local clubs merged with Virginia Beach Soccer Club. There are 24 Rush Soccer clubs in the US.

The Virginia Rush is the only soccer club in southeastern Virginia to have developmental, advanced, competitive, and adult and many other programs under one club. The club is the only club in southeastern Virginia to be a member of the U.S. Soccer Development Academy and Elite Club National League, the top two national-level leagues in the country. The club currently has 4,000 players participating in various programs.

'This is the foundation for the Rush Home, an abitious project we have been working on since our inception,' said David Dengerink, President and Technical Director of Virginia Rush. 'After pursuing every opportunity, we are very pleased to partner with Hometown Sports Management in developing the Sportsplex into a first-class youth sports facility. The size and quality of the surface enables the club to improve the training environment and believe this will be a great step for soccer and sports in this community.'

Virginia Rush was able to enter into the agreement with the support of TowneBank and ten individuals who stepped forward to lend their financial support to augment the Rush Home Fee the club has collected over the years. This support, combined with the Rush Home Fee and the relocation of the Rush office space to the Sporsplex this summer will allow Rush to provide more service without increasing fees.

In addition to Bishop Catholic High School, the Sportsplex turf will provide Rush members use of the only two synthetic surfaces in the city. 'This addition triples our available training space. We saw great improvement in our training environment when we moved to Catholic High School and expect even more improvement this fall,' said Jay Hoffman, Academy Director of Coaching for the Virginia Rush.

'The Sportsplex is already a multi-sport facility, which we look forward to continuing, providing an athletic outlet for the youth of the city. We are interested in meeting with any athletic club in the city that is in need of field space or facility use.' said Dengerink. 'The potential to add more fields in the near future means we will have the space to continue our growth while providing first class training. The Rush would like to issue an open invitation to any organization interested in joining us in building one of the top youth athletic facilities in the country.'

Sportexe turf is the underfoot of prestigious teams like the New Orleans Saints, the Baltimore Ravens, University of California, Berkeley, University of Southern Mississippi, University of Alabama, St. Mary's University and many other teams and sports facilities around the globe. Over the past 20 years, Sportexe has earned an unsurpassed reputation for producing and servicing high-performance synthetic turf systems for every level of competition.

Established in 1989, Sportexe is the oldest synthetic turf company in the United States. Sportexe manufactures its own synthetic turf products, and they are installed by trained and certified Sportexe installation teams. Sportexe has installed approximately 400 full-sized athletic fields in North America. The University of Arkansas, M&T Stadium, home of the Baltimore Ravens and the Superdome in New Orleans have a Sportexe field. Currently, the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets (indoor and outdoor) and the Buffalo Bills use Sportexe in their practice facilities.

The Sportplex turf will be PowerBlade HP 2.0SR and is designed specifically for faster gameplay and has passed the testing requirements to qualify as a FIFA 1-Star surface. It contains a specially engineered sand/rubber ratio, which makes for a denser surface, enhancing speed and ensuring consistent ball roll. Monofilament lasts longer and plays more like natural grass. Extremely soft, yet durable with no post-fibrillation (fiber breakdown). It has a two-tone fiber which provides a more natural-looking field.

Festival Update, Part II

2009-07-24T23:46:00.002-04:00

Today was a great day, despite our results. Our players learned what it is to be a Rush player from Tim Shulz, Rush President and National Staff Coach. Tim spoke about what qualities are important and gave cool examples of those qualities. We struggled in our games, failing to score a goal or a win. After lunch, all the players at the Festival were broken into groups by position and did some functional training with coaches from across the country. Between the sessions we were visited by three Kansas City Wizards players, who told the players what they went through to get where they are and what it is like to be a pro. Many girls asked about David Beckham, who will play against the Wizards tomorrow evening. We closed the night with an Ice Cream social, where all the players came together and traded club items.

Tomorrow we have our final group game, street soccer and then we are off to the Wizards vs Galaxy game.

Everybody is doing very well and enjoying themselves. This will surely turn out to be one of the finest soccer experiences for our players.

Festival Update

2009-07-23T23:58:00.003-04:00

Once all the players, parents and chaperones arrived, we went to the field to train briefly prior to the Opening Ceremonies, which were attended by over 400 players from 28 teams from Rush clubs across the country. It was very cool to see all the players representing various states.

On Thursday, we had a very full day, beginning with the boys team beating New Mexico Nike and the two girl's teams splitting, beating Texas Swoosh and losing to Pikes Peak Nike. The Virginia kids clearly had the most support from one another, with goal celebrations, 'ole' cheered for consecutive passes and even lending support for other Rush clubs in need.

Following the games, we had lunch at the fields, then went to Target to get out of the sun. The boys then went back to the fields to train, the girls to the classroom on a talk on what it means to be a Rush Player. The two groups then swapped, with the girls training and the boys learning in the classroom.

Between the afternoon sessions, we had a special guest, Kevin Hartman. Kevin is the goalkeeper for the Kansas City Wizards and has seen some National Team games. He will be tending the net against Beckham, Donovan and the LA Galaxy on Saturday. There is good chance some of our players will be invited to join the players in the tunnel prior to the game.

We returned to the hotel for some pasta dinner and some swimming followed by phone calls home and bed. All the player seem to be settled in nicely, with anxiety waning, excitement building and the boy's rooms stinky and messy.

Look for some photos as soon as I can figure out how to get them off the new phone.

U12 Festival Begins Tomorrow

2009-07-21T17:04:00.003-04:00

Thirty-one Virginia Rush players will travel to Kansas City tomorrow to participate in the second U12 Rush Festival. The players will fly out tomorrow to partake in the opening ceremonies. 28 teams and over 300 players from Rush clubs around the country will spend the next four days training, playing and attending educational classrooms sessions. We are very excited to learn which other states we will play. Stay tuned to the blog for daily updates!

2008-09 U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY U-15/16 CONFERENCE STARTING XI TEAMS UNVEILED

2009-07-09T12:24:00.000-04:00

2008-09 U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY U-15/16 CONFERENCE STARTING XI TEAMS UNVEILED

Academy Starting Xi, Player and Coach of the Year to be Announced Next Week
Development Academy Finals Week Set for July 10-17 at The Home Depot Center
CHICAGO (July 8, 2009) – The 2008-09 U-15/16 Development Academy Conference Starting XI and Coaches of the Year have been unveiled as Development Academy Finals Week is set to kick off on Saturday, July 10, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. The U-17/18 Conference honors will be announced on Thursday, July 9, while Development Academy Starting XI and Academy Players and Coaches of the Year will be announced next week. All awards were voted upon by Development Academy clubs and national staff coaches.

A total of 44 players were selected to the four Conference teams, including 16 who participated with Development Academy Select Teams that competed against the U.S. U-17 Men’s National Team at the Spring Showcase on Memorial Day weekend. With 29 different clubs represented, 16 will be participating in Finals Week.

Of the teams heading to The Home Depot Center, the New York Red Bulls Academy leads the charge with three players, goalkeeper Keith Cardona, Brian Gallego and Victor Manosalvas, named to the East Conference Starting XI while head coach Rob Elliot also earned Coach of the Year honors. The New Jersey-based squad will be traveling to Finals Week after a successful playoff run that saw the team earn three wins while allowing just a single goal at Academy Playoffs in Greensboro, N.C.

Arsenal FC is the only team with four representatives on the conference teams as goalkeeper Adam Zepeda, defenders Ricardo Hernandez and Alex Arbollo and midfielder Ricardo Gonzalez were all named to the West Conference squad. CASL Chelsea FC Academy is the only other club with three players represented on the conference Starting XI teams in Spencer LaCivita, Eric Steber and Alex Givens.

Central Conference Coach of the Year Lars Richter from the Derby County Wolves led his team to a surprise run to the No. 1 overall seed heading into Academy Playoffs and with two wins and a draw at Bryan Park, the team successfully advanced to Finals Week. Reed Losee, who scored 21 goals in 24 appearances over the course of the season, will look to continue his impressive scoring rate in the Wolves campaign at The Home Depot Center.

Chicago Magic AS Monaco is represented by the duo of Billy McGuiness and Jacob Bushue. FC Dallas Juniors also send a pair to the Central Conference Starting XI in Bryan Levya and Ruben Luna. Both teams will be taking on Derby County in Group 1 of Finals Week.

Now wrapping up its second season, the U.S. Soccer Development Academy has improved the training environment, provided relevant, high-level matches on a consistent basis, increased the level and efficiency of scouting for the national teams and provided players, coaches and referees with structured programming.

Eight teams from each age group will face off at the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Carson, Calif., during Development Academy Finals Week from July 10-17. Two groups of four teams will play on the fields used by the U.S. National Team Programs, including the Men's National Team. Finals week will conclude with placement matches on Thursday, July 16, for the U-17/18 age group and Friday, July 17, for the U-15/16 age group. To advance to finals week, the 16 teams below finished atop a four-team group at the Academy Playoffs.

2008-09 East Conference U-15/16 Starting XI:
GOALKEEPER (1): Keith Cardona (New York Red Bulls)
DEFENDERS (4): Dane Kenny (Albertson SC), Marquez Fernandez (Baltimore Bays Chelsea), Taylor Washington (FC Westchester), Brian Gallego (New York Red Bulls Academy)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Scott Thomsen (PDA), Victor Manosalvas (New York Red Bulls Academy), Andy Najar (D.C. United Academy), Aaron Denis (BW Gottschee)
FORWARDS (2): Brian Span (FC Westchester), Juan Pablo Correa (Match Fit Chelsea)

East Conference Coach of the Year: Rob Elliot – New York Red Bulls Academy

2008-09 Central Conference U-15/16 Starting XI:
GOALKEEPER (1): Charles Lyon (Chicago Fire Academy)
DEFENDERS (3): Alex Sauciuc (Sockers FC), Jarret Kersten (Vardar), Billy McGuinnes (Chicago Magic AS Monaco)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Will Trapp (Columbus Crew Juniors), Brian Levya (FC Dallas Juniors), Jacob Bushue (Chicago Magic AS Monaco), AJ Corrado (Carmel United SC)
FORWARDS (3): Reed Lossee (Derby County Wolves), Manny Guzman (Chicago Fire Academy), Ruben Luna (FC Dallas Juniors)

Central Conference Coach of the Year: Lars Richter – Derby County Wolves

2008-09 South Conference U-15/16 Starting XI:
GOALKEEPER (1): Spencer LaCivita (CASL Chelsea FC Academy)
DEFENDERS (4): Eric Steber (CASL Chelsea FC Academy), Jeffrey Stezovsky (Miami FC Kendall), Javon Bostic (Clearwater Chargers), Alex Givens (CASL Chelsea FC Academy)
MIDFIELDERS (3): Frank Saunders (Virginia Rush AS Monaco), Christian Velez (Miami FC Kendall), Devin L’Amoreaux (Bridge FA)
FORWARDS (3): Andres Acevedo (IMG Soccer Academy), Vaughn Bandy (North Meck SC), Mamadee Nyepon (Greensboro Youth SocceR)

South Conference Coach of the Year: Jeremy Gunn – South Charlotte SA

2008-09 West Conference U-15/16 Starting XI:
GOALKEEPER (1): Adam Zepeda (Arsenal FC)
DEFENDERS (4): Ricardo Hernandez (Arsenal FC), Torey McGaw (Mustang SC), Alex Arbollo (Arsenal FC), Alberto Rosas (Real So Cal)
MIDFIELDERS (4): Nico de la Cruz (Washington Premier), Eric Gonzalez (Los Angeles Galaxy Academy), Riley Wolfe (Los Angeles Galaxy Academy), Ricardo Gonzalez (Arsenal FC)
FORWARDS (2): Victor Chavez (Real So Cal), Reed McKenna (Nomads SC)

West Conference Coach of the Year: PJ Brown – Arsenal FC

TREY SAUNDERS Named to USSDA STARTING XI South Conference

2009-07-08T19:12:00.004-04:00

2008-09 U.S. SOCCER DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY U-15/16 CONFERENCE STARTING XI TEAMS UNVEILED

VA Rush U15/16 USSDA midfielder Trey Saunders has been named to the South Conference Starting XI. Trey coming off, an all Academy selection to repersent the USSDA U15/16 team against the U17 National Team at the Spring showcase, a call up to the U17 Mens National Team, now adds the selection of being one of the top 44 players in the U15/16 USSDA to his resume for 2008/2009.

2009-06-25T10:50:00.001-04:00

Rush Coaches BC and Pato Earn USL Team of the Week Honors

2009-06-23T14:04:00.006-04:00

TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues announced the Team of the Week honors for the 10th week of the USL season, honoring Minnesota’s Brian Cvilikas as the USL First Division Player of the Week and Baltimore’s Machel Millwood as the USL Second Division Player of the Week.

After missing the first six games of the season, Brian Cvilikas has slowly worked his way back into the lineup and made just his second start over the weekend an eventful one as he helped guide the winless Thunder to their first victory of the campaign with a two-goal outing.

In the 13th minute, Ricardo Sanchez served a swerving ball on a free kick in from the right flank and Cvilikas found a hole in the Carolina RailHawks’ defense to redirect the ball in. Later in the 27th minute, a Rod Dyachenko corner kick found its way into the box, where Lawrence Olum got his head on it and Cvilikas directed it into goal off his chest.

The brace was his second of the week as he also struck for two in Minnesota’s come-from-behind US Open Cup victory over Nebraska’s 402. After falling behind, Cvilikas tallied the equalizer and later scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 3-2 decision.

Read Full Article

What is the Measure of “Player Development”?

2009-06-17T16:04:00.004-04:00

86 Virginia Rush Players Recognized for High School Soccer All-District/Conference, All-Region, All-State or All-American Teams

The Rush philosophy is centered on “Player Development”. But what is the measure of development, and how does it show? Player development is providing players with the tools necessary to reach higher levels of play beyond their youth club and into National and Collegiate programs. Player development is also providing a club environment where the standard of play demands a consistent level of performance. This level of performance allows players to shine as stars amongst their peers when they return to their local High School team.

This spring, the US Soccer Development Academy (USSDA) has truly lived up to its Development title for the Rush. Trey Saunders was pulled straight into National Team Camp. Kharlton Belmar, Alex Vaughan, Travis Brent, Hector Arellano, Jordan Grumney, Jordan Cyrus, and Paul Dillon were called into a Regional USSDA camp. In the High School ranks, the Rush USSDA produced 4 High School District “Players of the Year” in Paul Dillon, Jordan Grumney, Pat Thomson, and Rory Mills (Goalkeeper of the Year). Jordan Cyrus was named the Virginia Independent Schools Athletic Association (VISAA) State “Player of the Year”. 10 of 15 players named to the First Team All-Beach District came from the two Rush USSDA teams. 25 players out of the Rush USDAA earned High School awards.

Virginia Rush players dominated this year’s local High School awards:

Boys
Jordan Cyrus: NSCAA All-American; ESPN Rise Up All-American; VISAA State Player of the Year
All-State: Jordan Grumney, Alex Gylfason, Hector Arellano, Will Martin, Rory Mills, Spencer Henry, Kyle Nero, Nate Ott, Jordan Cyrus, Sean Christein
All-Region: Jordan Grumney (Region Player of the Year), Alex Gylfason, Hector Arellano, Will Martin, Rory Mills, Adam Soderholm, Earl Floyd, Pat Thompson, Taylor Brittan, Clay Newton, Mike McCann, Paul Dillon, Scott Coleman, Joe Skaja, Sean Christein, Connor Ayers,
District Players of the Year: Paul Dillon, Jordan Grumney, Pat Thompson, Rory Mills (GK)
All-District/Conference: Richard Diaz, Payton Lambert, Brant Hawkins, Will Cason, Earl Floyd, Jarrett Wallbanks, Alex Vaughan, Kharlton Belmar, Alex Gylfason, Hector Arellano, Clay Newton, Taylor Brittan, Will Martin, Mike McCann, RJ Good, Kyle Anderson, Trey Saunders, Alex Feliciano, Kevin Stolle, Kyle Vanwerkhoven, Rohen Gersalfi, Conner Ayres, Joe Skaja, Scott Coleman, Sean Christein, Travis Carlton, Cory Alexander, Wayne Howard, Eric Graf, Justin Davis, Aaron Prunty, Adam Soderholm, Steve Mallon, Josh Richardson, Michael Stolz, Seth Buckmaster, Spencer Henry, Kyle Nero, Nate Ott, Jordan Cyrus

Girls
Kate Heckard: NSCAA Academic All-American
All-State: Kate Heckard, Carter Tata, Isabel Shocket, Ariana Speigel, Morgan Dyson
(All-State Selections for public schools will be updated when they are released)
All-Region: Lizzy Callahan (Region Player of the Year), Allie Boubouheropoulos, Gabby Carragino, Amanda Holmes, Kelsey Boyd, Leslie Coates, Gayle Summerlin, Kayla White, Megan Cozens, Tara Kerns, Samantha Carmack, Allyn Potts, Christina Verhulst, Katelyn Christein, Sara Abrahams, Brianna Jasenek
District Player of the Year: Lizzy Callahan, Sara Abrahams
All-District/Conference: Amanda Holmes, Megan Cozens, Tara Kerns, Allyn Potts, Sydney Omweg, Uma Balakumar, Katelyn Christein, Natalie Robles, Julie Trumbolt, McKenna Martin, Brianne Roth, Katie Hopkins, Brianna Jasenek, Christina Verhulst, Annie Brooks, Robyn Brown, Allie Boubouheropoulos, Kayla White, Gabby Carragino, Kelsey Boyd, Samantha Carmack, Gayle Summerlin, Becky Gold, Natalie Massey, Beth McCabe, Caitlyn Bishop, Whitney Miles, Ally Brown, Caitlin Smith, Leslie Coates, Kelsey Bergen, Chloe Rento, Morgan Speight, Morgan Dyson, Kate Heckard, Isabel Shocket, Anna Cronin, Carter Tata, Ariana Speigel

U17/18 Development Academy Team Qualifies for Playoffs

2009-06-15T08:37:00.003-04:00

A 3-0 victory on Saurturday night against rival South Charlotte SC solidified a playoff birth for the VA Rush U17/18 USSDA team. The Developmental Academy playoffs will begin the weekend of June 26-29, 2009 in Greensboro, NC. Thirty two teams broken into eight groups of four with the eight group winners advancing will meet July 10-17, 2009 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, CA to determine the 2009 U17/18 US Soccer Development Academy champion.
The win on Saturday placed the VA Rush U17/18 USSDA team into third place in the Atlantic Division with a total of 23 points. The team then turned around, on Sunday, to defeat Birmingham United 5-0 in its final regular season game.

VA Rush US Soccer Development Academy Players Selected

2009-06-12T10:15:00.004-04:00

The first US Soccer Development Academy, Atlantic division training camp will be held this weekend, June 13 and 14, in Greensboro, NC. This camp, a new addition to the USSDA program, will bring together players identified by the Academy Technical advisors for both training and competition. These camps are designed to help USSDA players accelerate their development in the selection process for Men's National Team participation. Players selected from the VA Rush U15/16 USSDA team: Frank Saunders, Alex Vaughn, Kharlton Belmar, Richard Diaz and Travis Brent. U17/18 USSDA VA Rush selections; Hector Arellano, Jordan Cyrus, Jordan Grumney and Paul Dillon.

Trey Saunders selected for U17 Men's National Team camp.

2009-06-12T09:56:00.005-04:00

Trey is one of 11 players selected from the Development Academy Select Teams that played at Development Academy Spring Showcase in Sarasota, Fla. The two teams of 18 players were chosen by the U-17 coaching staff and Academy technical advisors and competed against a split U-17 MNT over two days. He joins fellow Rush player Zachary Foxhoven, of Colorado, in camp to compete for a U17 MNT roster position for the 2009 FIFA U17 World Cup, slated for Nigeria Oct. 24-Nov. 15, 2009.

Cox High School Boys Soccer Team wins States

2009-06-10T09:52:00.001-04:00

NEWS: Congrats to Cox High School Boys Soccer team for winning the High School State Championship this past weekend. Well done Trey Saunders, Corey Anderson, Brent Preti, Mark Nankervis, David Ellis, Chris Whiteside and Tommy Whiteside.

Academy Blue U12 Girls

2009-05-21T15:56:00.001-04:00

VA RUSH ACADEMY BLUE ANYTHING BUT

The Virginia Rush Academy Blue U-12 Girls team, coached by Kevin Carmichael, has reached the semifinals of the Virginia State Cup. To accomplish that feat the girls have won four straight games. In the first round, they faced their sister team – Virginia Rush Academy Black. The game began fiercely, like two girls fighting over the same boy. But Blue scored quickly on a beautiful one-touch volley by Emily Baragar and were never headed. Alexandra Connell (2), Sh’nia Gordon (2), and Brooke Mister also scored in the 6-2 victory. In the second round, the Blue faced the Great Falls Real Force. Blue dominated the action, controlling the ball and the midfield for long spells, and cruised to a 5-0 victory. Goals were scored by Connell (2), Mister, Gordon, and Marie Shoen. The Blue’s third game was against an aggressive Loudoun Black team. The play was largely even, though the referee called a very tight match, whistling the Blue for five fouls in the first half alone. With ten minutes left in the game, Gordon found Connell towards the right sideline. Connell sped upfield, juked the goalie, and played the ball in with a left leg that Rush Girls Director of Coaching Vyburt Silcott had described as “sick” or “broke.” Apparently, it healed at the right time.

In the quarterfinals, Blue played the Fauquier County Soccer Club Blackwatch Red. The Blue fell behind 1-0 early in the second half. With its tournament life about to expire, the Blue were rescued by Natalie Simon, who scored with only two minutes remaining. The teams played two scoreless overtime periods, and then went to penalty kicks. Maeryn Long, Shoen, and Baragar banged home three consecutive penalties to propel the Blue through to the semifinals.

Anchoring the Blue has been Jessie Cavolt in goal. In the words of Shakespeare, “though she be but little, she is fierce.” Cavolt has been in goal for three and half games, two ten-minute overtime periods, and three rounds of penalty kicks. To date, only one ball has crossed the endline into the goal. Amazingly, Cavolt has not trained as a goalie and usually plays midfield and defense. Her play against Loudoun Black could be described in one word: flawless.

Also tough has been the Blue’s defense. Catie Espinoza, Mister, and Maeryn Long have turned back all comers. Espinoza has demonstrated a knack for head balls, while Mister has personified coolness under pressure, effortlessly juking any defender in her path. Baragar, Mister, and Shoen have also dominated while alternating turns in central midfield. Gordon has worked tirelessly in the midfield, while Sarah Moore and Jordan Simon have filled in ably when needed. Through four games, the Blue’s coach, Kevin Carmichael, has remained unphased, inspiring the girls’ with his confidence and making the right tactical adjustments when needed.

Up next for the Blue is Loudoun Red, the top-ranked girls team in Virginia, Champions of the 2009 Jefferson Cup and the 2008 WAGS tournament, ranked No. 2 in the country by soccerincollege.com, and No. 19 in nationalsoccerranking.com. The Blue are looking forward to the challenge.

Trey Saunders selected to play against U.S. U17 Youth National Team

2009-05-21T15:38:00.000-04:00

Trey Saunders, of the VA Rush, has been chosen to be a member the US Developmental Academy Select Team. Trey, one of thirty-six players selected, from the U15/16 division of the seventy-four USSDA member clubs will play against the US U17 Youth National Team. Selected by the USSDA technical staff he will be in action this Saturday May 23, 2009 at the Spring Showcase in Sarasota, Florida.

Ethan Zohn, former Professional Soccer Player, comes to Hampton Roads.

2009-05-07T15:11:00.002-04:00

Register online at www.chkd.org/classes or call 668-7500 or 1-800-395-2453.
Ethan Zohn will discuss the importance
of character, where it comes from, why
it matters and how it can influence
important decisions in your life. He will
relate character building moments in his
own life, from his father’s death when he
was 14 to his experiences on the soccer
field and in college, to illustrate how
character is built and why it is important
to develop one’s character. Parents and
young people are invited to join Ethan
as he explains how to be a valuable and
contributing member of a community
and make a difference. Free
Character:
The Ultimate Survival Tool
Featuring Ethan Zohn, former professional
soccer player and winner of the
“Survivor: Africa” reality TV show
Speaker:
Ethan Zohn was a soccer goalkeeper at Vassar College and played
professionally in the United Soccer League and in Zimbabwe for
Highlanders Football Club. Using some of his $1-million first-prize
winnings from “Survivor,” he started Grassroots Soccer
to mobilize the global soccer community to combat
the AIDS epidemic in Africa. Zohn has served as
a sideline reporter for ESPN and later co-hosted
the Metro Soccer Report on the MSG Network,
a weekly show dedicated to major league soccer.
For his humanitarian efforts to provide HIV education
throughout Africa for youth and young adults,
Zohn received the Courage of Conscience Award
from The Peace Abbey in Massachusetts.
ONE MILLION DOLLARS, A SOCCER BALL
AND THE WORLDʼS GREATEST EPIDEMIC
What ETHAN ZOHN, winner of Survivor: Africa, did with
his reality-TV prize money will amaze your students.
A free lecture series on children’s
health and wellness
presented by
June 4, 7-8:30 p.m.
Salem High School
Auditorium
1993 SunDevil Drive,
Virginia Beach

Virginia Rush Accepts Invitation to Join Exclusive "Elite Clubs National League"

2009-04-14T14:10:00.004-04:00

April 14, 2009

Release:

The Rush is proud to announce that we have accepted an invitation to participate in the Elite Clubs National League (formerly Red Bull National League). The ECNL will be the highest level league of girls youth soccer IN THE COUNTRY! Currently 32 teams clubs have confirmed their participation with a target of 40 elite clubs to be named soon. Included in the prestigious membership are more than 50% of the 2008 Soccer America top 30 girl’s soccer clubs in the USA. League competition requires that each club field teams in the U15, U16 and U17 age groups.

As the 2008/2009 reaches the half way point our girls have already played against nationally ranked #3 SoCal Blues, #8 Colorado Rush, #22 Crossfire Premier, and # 27 CA Mustangs!

We look forward to being a charter member of a league that is spearheading opportunities for the development of competition for the best players in the country. We are thrilled to be able to offer these levels of national competition to the Rush U15, U16 and U17 girl’s teams and are the ONLY club in the area who was invited to join the ECNL.

Congratulations to the players who have laid the foundation for our invitation into the ECNL. You have risen above the levels local competition can offer and have propelled the Rush to playing on a National stage!

Letter of Appreciation for Rush Athletic Trainer, Chrissy Ames

2009-04-13T17:30:00.001-04:00

State Cup Games for Saturday April 18

2009-04-13T15:11:00.002-04:00

HRSC 13 @ 11am - U13B Swoosh versus Churchland Academy Orange
HRSC 13b @ 11am - U12G Academy Blue versus U12G Academy Black
HRSC 13b @3pm - U12B Academy Black versus Herndon Boca Jnrs

Robinson HS (Fairfax)
2:00pm - U12B Academy Blue versus Great Falls Cougars

Good Luck to all of our teams.

VCCL Select - U14 Boys

2009-04-13T13:12:00.002-04:00

Ethan Scott and Alex Lally from the U14 boys Nike team recently made huge contributions at both ends of the field in helping the VCCL Select team win the International Easter Tournament in Clearwater, FL.
Ethan scored 4 goals in four games, while Alex (playing in goal) conceded only one goal in four games on route to defeating Clearwater Chargers 94-95 Red in the Final. Congratulations boys on a job well done.

VCCL Select 6 - 0 Plant City Lancers
VCCL Select 7 - 0 Poinciana River Plate
VCCL Select 7 - 0 Simon Langton (England)

Final
VCCL Select 2 - 1 Clearwater Chargers 94-95 Red

Why I Love Football - Sam Allardyce

2009-04-09T09:35:00.003-04:00

Sam Allardyce, manager of Blackburn Rovers, explains why he loves the game. Not really surprised by his answer about "best thing about match day".

Swindon Town Player versus Coach Head2Head

2009-04-09T09:32:00.001-04:00

A Swindon Town Academy player goes Head2Head with one of their coaches in a juggling contest. Come on coach!!!!!

USSDA ADMITS FIVE NEW CLUBS, ONE VIRGINIA CLUB

2009-04-08T12:03:00.002-04:00

Joining the Academy in 2009-10 will be California Development Academy (Sacramento, Calif.), Houston Dynamo (Houston, Texas), Kansas City Wizards Juniors (Kansas City, Mo.), McLean Youth Soccer (McLean, Va.) and NJSA 04 (Holmdel, N.J.).

Soccer on TV

2009-03-30T13:02:00.003-04:00

www.livesoccertv.com is a very good site to find out what games are going to be showed on tv. Check out the video channel.

Coaching Education: When do you teach kids to pass?

2009-03-23T16:28:00.002-04:00

Mike Woitalla of Soccer America has a good article on when it is appropriate to teach young players to pass:

One of the biggest mistakes youth coaches can make is to force a passing game on children too early.

Discouraging dribbling in the early years is like telling toddlers to shut up when they're learning to speak. Young players should dribble as much as possible -- because dribbling is the first step to mastering all ball skills.

Coaches should resist temptation to shout at young players to pass the ball. Read Full Article

Crewe Alexander Academy Head2Head

2009-03-23T11:30:00.001-04:00

Crewe Alexander FC Academy players go Head2Head in a juggling contest.

Hull City FC Manager Phil Brown

2009-03-23T09:32:00.002-04:00

Hull City FC (English Premier League) manager Phil Brown discusses why he loves football (soccer).

Boys U14 Nike versus PA Rush Nike

2009-03-23T09:01:00.006-04:00

Put on your rain coat and mud boots - enjoy. Thanks to Bill Martin for the video.

Wednesday Night DOC Tournament

2009-03-20T09:48:00.003-04:00

Bryant 14, Pleasants 15, Kotarides 14, Wuchner 15, Dey 10, Ott 15, Everett 12, Shoaf 7,
Boling 11, Horbal 11, Gillies 14, Polen 8, Grant 9, Corner 11, Tompkins 12, Delabastide 13,
Nichols 8, Lundstrom 17, Geroux 12, Gresalfi 11, Lenahan 17, Lally 22, Waters 16, Tezza 13, Shoen 22, Hess 22, Piggott 13, Damico 7, Kerby 18, Blomdahl 17, Russell 9, Tucker 13,
Calderon 22, Duke 17, Benedict 10, McIntosh 15, Scott 23, Foster 10, Versprille 8,
Driscoll 16, Martin 21, Swingle 11, Butler 15, Parker 21, Feane 17, McKee 14, Stickley 7,
Shelton 7

RUSH PLAYERS IN THE NEWS

2009-03-19T10:54:00.002-04:00

Heath Saunders U15Nike team playing for VA ODP '93 boys at the ODP National Championships in Frisco TX. http://www.usyouthsoccer.org/news/story.aspstory_id=4215 The Wednesday Virginia Pilot Sport sections Spring Fling included: Kate Heckard (Rush U18N)and building the Norfolk Academy team. Kayla White (Rush U17N) and Beckey Gold (Rush U18N2) of Ocean Lakes HS and in the name game Alexandria Boubouheropolous (Rush U17N) and Izzy Shocket (Rush U18N) . Included the same section from the boys side Hector Arellano and Jordan Grumney (U18 Rush/Monaco AS USSDA) competing for Kellam HS.

Angie Giuffre's Blood Drive

2009-03-16T13:16:00.003-04:00

Angie is a member of one of our U9 Advanced teams. She is recovering from Aplastic Anemia and will be hosting a blood drive

Angie Giuffre's Blood Drive is 3/17 Tuesday at Alanton Elementary from 8am - 2pm.

Angie is an active participant in RUSH, GNAA BB, Holy Family Church and many others.

Please spread the word about the blood drive. Come support one of our own and help countless people who rely on blood donations.