Delays, and more delays is not the way you want to go into an important match up. Not to mention when your squad is missing a starting center mid, team captain sitting out for a red card, coach in the stands for a red card, and winger out for the season with 3 broken bones in his cheek. Though, the Tornados knew that they had to perform well at Pennington Stadium Friday night.

The match started 30 minutes late due to lightening and Tornado watch. Though when the match started, the Tornados looked like they had great chemistry and were dominating the field. Paulo De Silva had a rocket shot go just above the bar in the 4^th minute to keep El Paso on their toes. Then in the 14^th minute El Paso was given a free kick about 23 yards out from goal. The El Paso midfielder capitalized on the opportunity by nailing the ball in the lower right hand corner of the net. Then 3 minutes later the referee called another 30 min delay of game due to lightning.

The Tornados came back on the pitch fired up and ready to play. They restarted where they left off by taking a corner kick that Steve McCarthy put in the back of the net with ease. 1-1, was the sore line until the 21^st minute when El Paso squeezed a through ball in behind the Tornado defense and put it in the back of the net. 2-1 at the half.

The Tornados came out the second half fired up but soon would have to deal with more adversity. In the 49 minute Dan Summers was given his second yellow/ red card and was forced to leave the match leaving the Tornados with 10 men on the field.. Aggressive play went back and forth until Arturo Ivo had a spectacular run and buried the ball in the back of the net tying up the match to 2-2. Things looked like they were going in the right direction until Rio Grande capitalized on their opportunities in the 65th,73rd,and 82^nd minute. The final score of the match was 5-3 El Paso. The Tornados next match up against Laredo, and the Tornados have two days to prepare for this tough match up. The ability is there, and this should be an exciting match up!

Determination, composure, and heart are the most appropriate words to describe the Tornados performance against the Austin Aztecs. The Tornados’ first game of the season was against the more experienced Austin Aztec, eventually suffering a 4-2 loss. However, that certainly wasn’t the case in this match up.

Austin came out shooting at all cylinders and hit the cross bar in the 4^th minute, showing that they weren’t going to go easy on the Tornados. The Aztecs new that they would have to play well to produce the same result as last time. In the 16^th minute, Austin produced a goal to boost their confidence. The Tornados kept their composure, and Dan Summers scored a volley in an empty net from 28 yards out to tie the game. Prior to Summers’ goal, the net was empty because the Austin keeper collided at the top of the box with his own defender and Brian Sajady. As a result of this collision, Brian Sajady broke his cheek bone in 3 places, and Austin defender Chris Spendlove broke his collar bone. Due to the seriousness of the injuries, the ambulance was called, and the game was delayed for approximately 25 minutes. It is very important to stay focused while having a game delay, especially after a goal. The boys continued to show poise and determination. In the 30^th minute, Adrial Adibe was given a questionable red card . Emotions flared but the Tornados still maintained their composure by playing well with positive attitudes. The half ended at 1-1.

The second half kicked off more intensely than the first. Both teams displayed their speed, precision, and ball control, so it was difficult for either side to score. In the 65^th minute, Austin took the lead 2-1. The Tornados were determined to tie the game. In the 72^nd minute, Dan Summers scored with a converted penalty kick. The score was 2-2 with lots of time left on the clock. Both teams were very aggressive during the last 20 minutes. Emotion, heart, and determination was radiating off the field into the stands. Then in the 80^th minute, a penalty kick was given for the Tornados. Dan Summers capitalized on this opportunity again for the goal , which gave him a hat trick for the night. The score was 3-2 with ten minutes remaining in the game. Then 2 minutes later, Austin demonstrated their quality and perseverance by scoring a through ball goal and tying the game at 3-3. The last 8 minutes felt like 8 hours. The Tornados had many chances to score, and Ron Gravely made a miraculous save from a header off a corner kick. The ball hit the post and was cleared out. The game ended with a final score of 3-3.

After having a player suffer a season ending injury, a player receive red card, and a coach receive a red card, the Tornados were still able to tie a team that beat them in the beginning of the season with ten men on the field. The Tornados next match up is against the Rio Grande Bravos. With the week to prepare, things are looking good for the Tornados.

 

After suffering a tough loss to El Paso, the DFW Tornados needed to get some points out of the next match against the West Texas Sockers.  West Texas would not by any means be an easy victory since they had defeated the Laredo Heat, who currently hold first place in our conference.

 

The game began with total Tornado domination.  They showed great resiliency and ability to bounce back from a loss.  In the 16^th minute, West Texas was awarded a penalty kick, and it seemed as if the game would begin going down hill from there for the Tornados.  However, goalkeeper Janrai Gravely stepped up and psyched out a West Texas player, who missed the shot completely.  As a result, Gravely sparked some much-need life into the Tornados game.  Then in the 24^th minute, Gravely stepped up again by  saving 4 consecutive shots inside the 6 yard box to pump up his teammates, who then began to produce some attacking play!  The Tornados tore through the West Texas defense and launched opportunities left and right.  However, in soccer, it doesn’t matter how many opportunities you have; its about how many opportunities you put away. That’s exactly what West Texas did in the 50^th minute.  A rebound off a bad cross resulted in a volley from the outside corner of the 18 yard box, which went past Gravely, near the post for a goal.  The score was 1-0, Sockers.  Since this game was the second home game for the Tornados, they didn’t want to suffer two losses in a row.  Coach Paul Robinson made the appropriate changes to prevent a loss at half time and in the second half.  With 4 forwards on top, the Tornados scored in the 79^th minute from a cross by Alex Fichera to Ricardo Scala.  Scala put the ball in the back of the net with a solid header. 1-1 with ten minutes to go.  Exciting, aggressive, fast pace soccer was being played with passion from both sides.  With a few questionable calls by the referee, including the first ever red card taken back because of “mistaken identity” by the referee that I have ever witnessed, didn’t discourage the players.  In the 89^th minute Dominic Castiallo made a rifling header from a cross to put the ball away, but credit went to the West Texas keeper (former PDL player of the week) for making a miraculous save.  The game ended with a final score of 1-1.

This game showed that the Tornados had a lot of heart and made the appropriate changes to attack when they needed to.  It’s one thing to try and score to win the game, but it’s another thing to score and try not to lose the game!  That is exactly what the Tornados did by stealing 2 points away from West Texas. 

 

This week the Tornados will be on the road to El Paso and then West Texas.  They will have to maintain their composure on the road in order to come away with maximum points!  With class, composure, and dedication to getting better, there is nothing that this squad can’t do!

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On Saturday May 23, the DFW Tornados took on a feisty and experienced El Paso patriot’s side.  El Paso had just played the previous night and came out ready to play form the start.  The game kicked off at 7:35, with a good amount of fans to support our DFW Tornados.  All that being said the game started with total possession and ball control by the Tornados for the first 9 minutes. Then, the back breaker of the momentum was a rifle volleying in the 10^th minute by El Paso to get the score 1-0.  The Tornados however didn’t let the score get to them. Then, El Paso was given a corner kick in the 12^th minute and capitalized on it with a lightning fast header that left DFW goalie Gravely out of position to make the save.  2-0 was the score line early on and not in the position the Tornados wanted to be in.  The game continued with aggressive play, passion, and a lot of missed Tornado chances.  Then, El Paso took advantage of the missed opportunities by the Tornados and put one away in the 42^nd minute.  A chip over keeper Gravely made the score line 3-0 at the half.  No team wants to go down at half time, let alone 3-0. Though Coach Paul Robinson made changes at the half to control the rest of the game.  Along with the rain, opportunities for Tornados to score kept pouring in. Though, the final outcome of the game was 3-0. It was obvious that El Paso had more game experience, and chemistry under their belt.  Once they had momentum, it was very difficult to keep possession or get the ball over their back line.  Though, that being said the Tornados had more than a hand full of opportunities to score.  With rest, focus, and discipline the Tornados will be ready to take on West Texas, Sunday May 24, 2009! 

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Tornados vs Houston 5-16-09

To measure the quality of a team is not to see how they perform and respond from win to win but to see how the team faces adversity in the eye in response to a loss or set back in their season.   The Tornados certainly displayed their “quality” and focus in the game against Houston this past Saturday.  I’m going to be honest; our ride down to Houston was rough.  We were also warned that the game had a chance of being canceled due to bad weather, making it even more important for the guys to keep their focus on the task at hand and forget past misfortunes.

1^ST HALF

The game kicked off 4 minutes earlier than scheduled with the Tornados controlling the flow and momentum of the game. By not just possessing the ball for a majority of time, we were also beating the Leones in the air.  We were the first to reach the ball, beating the Leones in foot races.  It was a solid performance from a solid team.  The game’s highlights are as follows.

We had high pressure to score against Houston from the start, and we had a moment of magic.  A quick lobbing shot outside the 18 caused GK Gravely to make an acrobatic save.  Gravely tipped the ball over the bar while landing on his back!  It was incredible how he managed to get up after the save.  Gravely proved not only that he can keep the ball out of the net, but he also proved he can put the ball in the back of the net of the opposing team.  In the 19^th minute, Gravely made a massive goal kick that traveled all the way to the opposing team’s goal with Dustiin Lemley  there to capitalize on Gravely’s kick.  Lemley sent a rifling volley into the back of Houston’s net.  The score was 1-0, with the Tornados in the lead and still coming at Houston with full pressure.  In the 27^th minute, we were surely going to be up 2-0 when Riccardo Scalla volleyed a shot into an open net.  However, at the last second and with an unlucky bounce, the ball went wide of the goal. Then in the 45^th minute, Alex Fichera was given a free kick roughly 35 yards out from goal. With a look of determination in his eye and wicked accuracy he put the ball in the back of the net.  The boys ran into the locker room with a 2-0 lead in the half.

2^nd HALF

The second half began with more fire power than the first half.  In the 3^rd minute, Diogo De Almeida set the tone with a powerful shot that hit the post of Houston’s goal.  As a result, the Houston defense was kept on their toes with their eyes open.  Then center back Dominic Casiato showed he had the ability to be used as an offensive player.  On back to back corners, Dominc made two volleys:   one going over the bar, and the other resulting in an acrobatic save from Houston’s keeper.   The Tornados felt that a 2-0 lead wasn’t good enough given all of their attempts on goal.  We were soon rewarded for our efforts through Mariano Sapien, Richard Oliva, and Justin Hay.  Mariano and Richard displayed great footwork by using “give and go” combinations outside the 18 yard box, which resulted in a rocket shot by Mariano hitting the post.  Coming to the rescue was Justin Hay, who put the rebound in the back of Houston’s net and ending the game at 3-0.

 

Head coach Paul Robinson said,” We learned a lot this week and we got things right. We pressed well, created a lot of chances , had a lot of chances  that we could have put them away… The boys have a great feel in camp and are responding well in training in what we are trying to do.”  It looks like the team is on the same page as Robinson, and it’s showing great results.  Coach Bryan Bird said, “ We improved from last week to this week by having a lot higher intensity, and we were executing better, hopefully we will improve and see where this season goes”.  Coach John had something to say on Gravely’s performance , “ He had a very solid and confident performance today.  He also had 3 game saving goals”.  Nothing but positive feedback from the coaching staff, and enthusiastic attitudes in the locker room after the game. We have a very packed week ahead of us with two scrimmages (one against FC Dallas), three practice sessions, and two games.  I can promise you that this win gave us the momentum we need to get better along with more confidence in our ability. 

DON’T FORGET TO COME TO OUR HOME GAMES THIS WEEKEND. This is a big week for the Tornados so stay posted with the BUZZ, and wish us luck!

 

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YES, its been a while but finally back.  I signed with the DFW TORNADOS.  They are a PDL team (Premier Dev. LEAGUE), and its the only league in the country where college players get professional experience, play with international players, and stay in soccer in the summer time in the country.  You get valueable experience, and it looks great on your soccer resume.  The PDL produces loads of professional players, nd the Tornados have sent 26 to the next level.  They also are givng me an internship hanling media/public relations/ and journalism.  So basically, I can now use this blog to let you guys know whats going on with me and the TORNADOS! STAY POSTED!

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Thank you for everyone sending me emails about when im going to write another blog!  I know alot of you have been asking me what happened with SMU, and thank you all for your support.  To make a super long story short SMU soccer and myself did not workout in the end.  I wasnt the "style" of player the coach was looking for and believed that they had alot of depth as it was.  I am not going to lie I was very upset for about two weeks, and I was questioning everything in my life as far as soccer, coaching, and what I want to do.  There was alot of pressure to make the team not because of my own dreams, but because of the community, media attention, kids I coach, families that believed in me, and the pressures of wanting to make a point that anyone can do what they want in life!  For those of you who read my newspaper interview I said, " If anyone said I was done with soccer if I didnt make SMU i would say your outta your mind"! Well I still stand by that quote.  I am currently talking with a few other schools, and have spots on their rosters!  I dont want to go to much into depth as far as witch schools/teams though I am training and feeling confident! Please give me some feedback and questions you would like answered and I would be more then happy to post them!

Tryouts for SMU soccer began last week so I have been extremely busy with that.  Wednesday and Friday were big days for me at SMU because those were the days that I needed to prove myself on the field.  I think I played well and moved the ball around with good speed.  As a result, the coaches invited me to come back for further evaluation this week, and my dad even gave me one of his rare compliments for my playing ability.  Tomorrow will be another day for me to fight for a spot on the team and I am ready to prove myself further.  I will keep you all posted on what happens this week.
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Well, this weekend I am in Austin.  Taking a break, visiting my girlfriend, and trieng to relax before the tryouts.  It is a good break for me and a way for me to get my mind of the stress of the tryouts.  I feel that for alot of atheltes, they can get too caught up in the stress of what they need to do. They have to get away from the field, to be able to comeback hungry for the field!  The newspaper "neighborsgo" section had a great section about me in the paper on Friday, and it was awsome reading it and getting alot of feedback!  I have to take it all with a cool head and keep my eye on the goal!  Thank you all for your support and this coming week is important for me so all of your words of encourgement mean the world to me ! Here is the link from the newspaper article ! http://www.neighborsgo.com/stories/30207 (more)

Coaching tip of the Day- Encourage flair…not ego.  It is okay to encourage a player to have pride, flair, take risks and enjoy the game.  Find the player they can be and have the style they want.  THOUGH, those being said, encourage them to have flair NOT EGO. A lot of times they go hand and hand and it is important to make sure they have a level head.

Parenting tip of the Day- Explain the situation don’t avoid/ sugar code it.  I can’t make it simpler than that. Kids are smarter than you think, and it’s important to explain big situations to them at times.  I.E., money issues, family choices, moving, or splitting up.  Make sure that you explain things to them don’t avoid it.  They will understand your choices and reasoning instead of thinking the negative of the situation.  Believe it or not they do come to their own conclusions a lot of times not the way reality is.

I can’t describe the feelings I have right now.  I have been looking forward to this time and opportunity for over 2 years.  Getting the chance to play in high level soccer again.  Though, I don’t know if it’s human nature, or if I'm just getting nervous at the last minute.  I have to try and coach myself, and that’s the hardest thing for anyone to do.  It’s easy to give advice… it’s hard to take your own.  I repeat confidence over and over to myself to make sure I’m prepared.  I believe I’m ready and want my chance to shine.  I will be meeting with the assistant coach tomorrow for paperwork/ details etc.  So, I will let y’all know how it goes.  These past few days have been simple for me.  Coaching, training, and focusing on what I need to do to make the team.  Your support and words of encouragement you all have been giving me means the world to me.  Thank you and wish me luck!