Soccer Talk

Soccer, Futbol, Calcio... whatever you call the greatest sport in the world, it is just that - a great sport. It has been a passion of mine since I was 5 years old, and I am surprised I haven't posted about it sooner. Nonetheless a few things have happened in the sport recently and I'd like to share some thoughts.

I would first like to take the time to honor one of Major League Soccer's (MLS) best strikers who was recently forced to retire due to a concussion suffered a couple seasons ago. Taylor Twellman, a scoring-machine on the New England Revolution retired last week after years of post-concussion symptoms that hinder his day-to-day life, let alone playing soccer. A true competitor on the field and a great guy off the field - Twellman was an ideal player. If you were a fan you loved watching him score goals, reaching the 100-goal mark in fewer games then anyone else. As a coach, you loved his skill, effort, and willingness to sacrifice his body. For his teammates, he was an offensive target (ask fellow great Steve Ralston about this one), a leader, and a great guy to have around the locker room. It is unfortunate Twellman had to deal with so many injuries throughout his career. I can only imagine the numbers he would have put up, the continued success of the Revolution - the part that was most important to him, and potentially seeing him sport the Red, White and Blue of another team playing in the World Cup.

Twellman #20 - he is the reason I once chose #20 for my soccer jersey and remains my jersey and favorite number. It was an honor seeing Twellman play, and I wish him the best going forward in whatever he pursues.

Please visit here to see his retirement speech: http://beta.revolutionsoccer.net/videos?id=10210

I've also attached a video of of Twellman's highlights with the New England Revolution, enjoy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQIK50WRoj0


Staying on the subject of MLS, we are currently in the middle of the 2010 playoffs. Unfortunately the New England Revolution did not advance this year. Sadly enough, this was a common theme throughout the Eastern Conference. For those of you unaware, 8 teams make the playoffs - and this number does not have to be evenly split between the Eastern and Western Conferences. This year, only 2 teams came out of the East, while 6 from the West. In this case, MLS has put two Western Conference teams into the Eastern playoff bracket. Sound crazy? You bet. Imagine having a team in the AL East (MLB) play in the NL. Very awkward to think about. Well a funny thing has happened after the first round, no Eastern Conference teams have advanced. This means that all 4 teams left in the playoffs are out of the West. This is the only league where this occurrence could happen, and it is not right. Yes the conferences may be lop-sided on a given year, but that shouldn't affect the playoff format. Allow 4 teams from each conference, and let them play it out. Who knows what could happen..


The final comment I'd like to make takes us across the pond... well kind of. Most folks, even those not very interested in soccer should know of one of the most famous teams in the world. That would be Liverpool FC, in the English Premier League. Now if you follow news, and are from the Boston area, you would know that the owners of the Boston Red Sox, recently purchased Liverpool FC from it's struggling owners. These same owners brought 2 World Championships to Boston, and our hoping have similar success again. Prior to their takeover, Liverpool was struggling and on the bottom of the EPL standings. Since then it has been all success, and the season seems to have turned around. Have the new American owners brought a sign of hope to the Reds and their fans? I think so. I wish them all the best, and can only hope more games are brought to Fenway so that we may all enjoy the thrill of watching the best in the world in our backyard.

Cheers and see you on the pitch!