I have been insanely busy lately as a handful of you know of my involvement with the Kansas City Shock (WPSL team kicking off towards the end of May (May 25th to be exact)) and have tried to watch the Sporting games to the best of my ability but even coaching both my two son's soccer teams has sometimes made it difficult not to mention my normal day to day, or as I've been told I can call it "bill paying", job to watch the games as closely as I would like and then be able to update my blog to reflect the game. Upon all these emotions and thoughts lately though I have realized that I think I've been approaching my blog post about post game (or in the past pre-game) thoughts all wrong and I need to make sure that I am using more of my own opinion about the games and just let it all out there, but I will still be trying to keep them short. With that being said let me quickly post my thoughts on the NY Redbulls and LA Galaxy games.

NY Redbulls
Sporting played pretty much how I expected them to play and got the result that I expected them to get. I am also not surprised that it was Collin that got the lone goal as he was pretty much due for a goal any time now. There was some issues towards the end of the game and if you know Sporting as well as some of the Sporting fans (like myself) or I guess you could view it more of an analyst (as I am also a very detailed and analytic type of person) you should have known that Jimmy was completely fine and but was selling it pretty good as it did get a Redbull player sent off but more importantly for Sporting it wasted a lot of time which I think is what Sporting was really trying to do.

LA Galaxy
Unfortunately this game also went the way I expected it too. I was really hoping that Sporting would be able to pull of a draw, possibly even a 0-0 draw and allow the shutout streak to continue, but I'm not in the business, or hobby for that matter, to say what I hope Sporting will do otherwise I would say I hope they win every game and which Sporting fan doesn't want that?

FCKC seemed to get off to a fast start scoring in just the 3rd minute with a nice run by Cuellar who should be a good player in this league if she can continue the same work that she started with. KC may have gotten to a fast start but seemed to just catch the Thorns off guard to start the game as the Thorns kept the ball in KCs half of the field for most the remainder of the 1st half and a good portion of the 2nd half as KC was only able to get a handful of runs at the Thorns goal, but couldn't keep the Thorns from attacking their own goal and slipping just a little too much and giving up a penalty kick that was smashed past Barnhart who dove the wrong direction.

FC Kansas City was lucky that the game only ended 1-1 as Barnhart made some really good saves which you could see why she is the back up GK for the Women's National team and with an injured Hope Solo has been getting some extra playing time. This was just the first match and their is a long season ahead of them but a lot of people are expecting good things from Kansas City, which would be good to see even more soccer doing well in the area with Sporting also off to another good start.

Sporting really did seem to dominate this game although they did give United a few chances that could have been costly but were able to keep their recent form going and get another shutout and although I don't like talking about streaks for fear of messing them up but I must point out that Sporting and their current GK in Jimmy Nielsen are making a case to break the shutout streak, previously set by Wizards in 2000 when my other favorite GK in Tony Meola was the GK. I'm sure it feels like there is a long way to go being that they are just over 400 minutes and need almost 700 minutes to break that record.

Can Sporting accomplish it? It is possible but they sure don't have an easy road ahead of them as they have both NY Redbulls and LA Galaxy coming up.

Minutes 1-15
Both teams started pushing fast and what else should you expect when you have two teams of this caliber the Impact are off to a great 4-0 start to the season and Sporting continues to be a dominating team. Its easy to see why one of these teams was able to get an early 5th minute goal and luckily it was Sporting, which now ended a scoreless streak.

16-30
Pretty good play between the two teams besides CJ taking an unchecked elbow to the small of the back and having to be carried off the field. Sporting saw a few more great chances with one of them no better way to go up 2-0 but Bieler just got a little ahead of himself and sent the ball sailing over the goal.

30-45
Sapong was luckily able to return to the field and is most likely looking for a bit of pay back. Hopefully he was good to go for the rest of the match but time would tell. Half closed out pretty solid as Sporting seemed to slow down a bit and take the 1-0 lead into halftime.

46-60
The Impact came out for the second half a bit more aggressive than they played in the first half. Probably realizing that they are currently the "better" team and would like to keep their winning streak going. Sporting being the "dominant" team they keep fighting to ensure they come away the victors, even getting a few chances themselves.

61-75
Well it was good to still see Sapong in the game, but the pressure from Montreal was making me nervous, but Sporting was fighting attack after attack. This game may have ended 1-0 or 1-1 but it was a good match by both teams. Sporting was holding on as much as they could and attacking when they could.

76-90
Thank You! Sporting got another goal and were riding a bit more comfortable and forced Montreal to adjust how they were playing but almost more to defense as they were almost acting as if they didn't want to conceed more goals. Sporting did what they tend to do in these situation and kill time and almost put on a clinic on time killing during a game.

Any way Sporting was coming into this game after a pretty brutal lose in Toronto and were looking to right the ship and get back on the winning side of their record. Well they didn't exactly do that but now have one win, one loss, and one draw for a total of 4 points in the league. The disappointing thing about this game is that it was their home opener and it was against what is considered one of their rivals in the Chicago Fire, a team that notoriously gives Sporting problems.

It must be said that Sporting was absolutely the dominate team control about 75% of possession and with the Fire going into a very tight defensive shell for most of the game there is no question about that. The Fire did have a few counter-attack chances but luckily Nielsen was able to make the save or Sporting's defense was able to recover and stop the attack.

That's not to say that Sporting didn't have some good chances themselves but most of their good shots were right at the Fire's GK and the ones that were shots but not all that great weren't fast enough to sneak by the GK as he was able to quickly gather the ball and redistribute.

Sporting next head off to play the Revolution in New England, a team that has begun struggling as of the last few seasons and could be a good chance to to get another three point decision but they will have to do it a little short handed, so it should be an interesting game to say the least.

1st Qtr
You know how a lot of times teams start off slow to try and feel each other out to see how they might play? Well this wasn't one of those times. Both the Comets and the Blast got after each other very quickly. Most likely because they wanted to try and get the early lead which worked for the Blast as the 1st quarter ended 6-2 withe the Blast on top. All four goals did come in the first half of the 1st quarter, so hopefully that isn't telling as to whether this game would be slowing down or not as that could hurt the Comets especially if they carry it into the next game.

2nd Qtr
I don't want to say it was looking bad for the Comets but it wasn't looking good as the Blast continued dominating the play of the ball. I don't know if the Comets just weren't ready for this level of game but the Blast appeared as if they were playing on a whole different level all together and the finished out the 2nd quarter 2-14.

3rd Qtr
Well at least this quarter went a bit better for the Comets with them cutting the Blast lead down to just 8 as the Comets found some form scoring three goals and allowing only one goal. 3rd quarter ended 8-16 with the Blast still on top. Hopefully its not because the Blast are trying to go into cruise control because the Comets will fight till the end.

4th Qtr
And fight the Comets did all the way till the just about the buzzer as Assadpour spent about half of the 4th quarter in as a 6th attacker and I believe that everybody just spent about as much energy that they could spend trying to get some sort of result but literally just fell short getting as close as trailing 12-18 and fighting off several 3 point shots until they just couldn't get back in time against two attacking Blast players with less than 10 seconds on the clock which would then see the game end 12-21.

The Comets started off very weak but were able to slowly develop some form as the game went on and if they want to have a chance at this this championship trophy then they need to keep that form in the next game and the mini series and it will still be a fight.

Mechack Jerome - Mechack has been in the game day 18 for the 1st game of the season for Sporting Kansas City and made an appearance as a sub for Myers. With that evidence and the fact that I highly doubt that Sporting KC would sign a player just to loan him back from where he came from.

Christian Duke – Christian was drafted as a supplementary draft pick after spending time with Sporting Kansas City academy. Has not appeared for Sporting KC on the first team yet in his young career. Would not be shocked at all if he does in face go on a loan to Orlando City.

With the two additional players and seeing the game day 18 for two games it is a bit easier to have an idea on who will be going to Orlando City on the season loan. I fully expect to see Dom Dwyer, Kevin Ellis, Kyle Miller and Yann Songo’o be the four players to go on loan. Could see Mikey Lopez but with his Generation Adidas contract that would surprise me.

The Comets and the Wave meet again for the third time in as many years with the Comets looking to finally make it to championship series most likely against the Baltimore Blast yet the Wave was looking to win their third championship trophy in a row. This series would have been better as the championship series but that just isn't the way things worked out as these two teams fought hard and one team was able to come out alive but quite possibly not completely unscathed.

Game 1
Comets got off to a very hot start at 8-0 just before half time, but the Wave being the Wave were able to withstand the onslaught and gradually fought back taking the game into overtime where they were able to just barely sneek the golden goal ball past Comets GK Danny Waltman late in the OT period. I wouldn't have really expected anything less from these two teams as they are both high caliber teams even though the Comets had their struggle throughout the season and the Wave started off the semi-final series very rough missing shot after shot and not even being on target.

Game 2
I missed the beginning of this game and most of the 2nd quarter but didn't seem to miss too much as it appeared there was quite the defensive battle going on. The second half was very entertaining with the Comets slowly catching up then falling behind then finding the way to tie the game then with just a few seconds left on the clock the Comets were able to get the go ahead goal to then tie up the series at one game a piece in the unique fashion that each team had won their initial game at the other teams arena. This then meant that there would be a tie breaker game.

Tie Breaker
This tie breaker is a short 15 minute game to see who leads at the end of it and would be moving onto the championship series against the already determined Baltimore Blast. Well the Comets again got off to a hot start with a three point goal but the Wave battled back, much like the Wave do, and were topping the Comets. The Comets having been in this position far to often against the Wave put it all out there and were able to get another late goal that would seal the victory for the Comets and their first MISL Championship Series since the MISL was reformed three years ago.

The first game will be against the Baltimore Blast on Thursday March 14th at the Independence Event Center and this should be an interesting series to say the least.

1st Half
Sporting started off very shaky as the Union were dominating the match for the first 20 minutes even netting a goal against the 2012 top XI GK Jimmy Nielsen who had already made a couple of great saves and it was surprising that the Union weren't possibly up 3-0 within the first 25 minutes. Sporting being Sporting the last two season were able to settle down and thanks to no other than Zusi, with help from the new DP Claudio Bieler, was able to help Sporting get level at 1-1 before halftime.

2nd Half
Sporting was able to come back out and maintain the level of play they left the field from the first half and controlled the play of the game and netted two more goals with the third coming from Bieler late in the game to seal up the three points for Sporting and get a huge win in the first match of the season and on the road which is the real interesting thing to me.

I will have to admit that I was nervous going into this season with Sporting making as many moves as they did and then to start the first 20 minutes being on their heels I was starting to think that my assumptions were right, but I was really glad to see Sporting right the ship, and in mid play as well, and get any sort of result. Hopefully my fears are wrong but it was only the first game of the season and there are still a lot more to go.

1st QTR
This quarter started off much like the last game which saw the Comets playing well but not even getting shoes off, but allowing the Wings to score three goals and take an 0-6 lead. The Comets needed to quickly change things or this game could have easily ended the same way as the previous match.

2nd QTR
Not sure what the Comets Head Coach said during the break but the Comets found the spark they needed and took the lead in under two minutes of the 2nd quarter which included two 3-point goals from Brian Harris. That was pretty much it though besides both teams trading a lot of fouls. The Comets seemed happy to take an 8-6 lead into the half.

3rd QTR
Again before I forget Comets GK Danny Waltman had some huge saves that the Wings really should have scored on and was sure to be frustrating the Wings and the harder they tried the worse it seem to get but the Comets weren't pushing back enough and the Wings were finally able to net a tieing goal.

4th QTR
Started off a bit nerve racking as the Wings retook the lead only 30 seconds into the 4th quarter. The Comets then seemed to gain a calmness about them and just took care of business netting three more goals to include a late 3-pointer to finalize the victory over the Wings 15-11.

With this win the Comets were able to secure their spot in the playoffs although it is not finalized as to wheter they will be playing against the Blast or the Wave, which should be determined after their final match up against the Chicago Soul which they recently played against before this Wings match up and hopefully they are looking for a bit of payback, but they may try to go light and just get prepared for the playoffs.

1st QTR
Well GK Danny Waltman sure got a workout as the Soul were able to take 0-4 lead. They weren't playing bad but both goals came at bad times, one of them being from a restart. The Comets were able to get several shots on Chicago but their defense was playing very solid and the Comets were having a difficult time breaking them down and netting a goal themselves.

2nd QTR
This quarter unlike the first was pretty brutal as the Soul seemed to figure out how to play against the Comets and the Comets after playing decent in the 1st quarter seemed to actually play worse during the 2nd quarter and were fortunate to have only allowed two more goals and be trailing 0-8 at the half.

3rd QTR
This game is about as odd as you can get. Rarely does a team go three quarters without scoring yet the Comets trailed the Soul 0-11 at the end of the 3rd. Leo Gibson was sent off and he is one of the leading scorers for the Comets so an come back would have been even more difficult. This match up has just not been a good one for the Comets as most of the shots were will off target.

4th QTR
I think its safe to say that the Comets were just completely outplayed in this match up and the only highlight was GK Waltman's shot on goal that just missed. Thats even with Brian Harris getting the long goal, with just 6 seconds left, for the Comets and at least keeping the Soul from getting a shut out.

Obviously the Comets came into this game needing just one more win to ensure a place in the playoffs and come out of this game still needing just one more win, but now have only two more games to get that win to include a rematch against the Chicago Soul in Chicago to close out the season before the playoffs start. Ideally it would be nice to see the Comets win both games and at least finish out the season at .500 winning percentage.

1st QTR
Comets came on very strong but Milwaukee were able to hold off any close attempts. I say close attempts but it could have also been viewed as the Comets were not finishing their chances. Playing against a team like the Wave, who are hands down one of the best teams in indoor soccer, you have to come ready to play and finish any chances you you get otherwise you'll have hell to pay and the Comets had just that as were down 0-4 at the end of the 1st quarter.

2nd QTR
I thought this was going to be a lot of the same as the 1st quarter but Mr. Comet himself, lately, Leo Gibson came alive and just about got a hat trick in the 2nd quarter, but was able to net two goals which allowed the Comets to level the score 4-4 at the end of the 2nd quarter. Really the Comets should have pulled ahead possibly 8-4, as Milwaukee didn't provide much offense but a little, but were not finishing their chances still.

3rd QTR
Before I forget to write this down I want to make sure I say that GK Danny Waltman saved the Comets asses with a huge save about halfway through the 3rd quarter that was quite possibly a game changer as the Wave should have scored when Assadpour and another Comets players failed to track back in time to cover defense. The Comets over all played really good this quarter despite the long goal netted by the wave, again players didn't track back to play defense. The Comets however were able to net two more goals for themselves and take an 8-6 lead.

4th QTR
Comets were looking to end this game smartly and kept pushing more so after the wave nearly tied it up. And even eventually brought out their sixth attacker, which for the most part was ineffective. The Comets took a 14-9 lead for most the 4th quarter and netted a Wave sixth attacker open goal with six seconds left in game to seal the victory and tie the season series at two a piece.

These two are sure to meet each other in the playoffs and/or and most likely the best scenario the finals to finish out the MISL season. The Comets still need to win one more game though to ensure that they make it into the playoffs and there are three games left with two of them being against the Chicago Soul.

The topic of what players are loaned with being discussed between both teams and this is done with no insider information.  I have went through the roster of Sporting and come up with 18 players that I see as having no chance of going out on the loan.  These players are Jimmy Nielsen, Eric Kronberg, Chance Myers, Matt Besler, Aurelien Collin, Seth Sinovic, Lawrence Olum, Josh Gardner, Graham Zusi, Peterson Joseph, Paulo Nagamura, Oriol Rosell, Benny Feihaber, Teal Bunbury, C.J. Sapong, Bobby Convey, Jacob Peterson, and Claudio Bieler. All of these have the potential to start or be a key sub. That leaves Jon Kempin, Kevin Ellis, Ike Opara, Yann Songo’o, Michael Thomas, Kyle Miller, Mikey Lopez, Soony Saad, and Dom Dwyer as the four players that could go on loan. Here is a short look at all the players.

Jon Kempin – Jon played in one first team game, verses couincely Orlando City SC in the US Open Cup, he also did play in some reserve league games this year and the past.  I can see him being loaned if the OCSC goalie is not back but if goalie is back then there is no reason to loan him out to sit on the bench.

Kevin Ellis – Kevin seems to be the primary back up to Myers on the right hand side unless Peter Vermes deems that Josh Gardner can cover Right Back also.

Ike Opara – Ike played in half of the MLS regular season with San Jose. Would seem to be the four ranked, fighting with Lawrence Olum third rank position, Center Back on the team and with Matt Besler getting United States Men National Team looks I would be surprised to see him go on loan.

Yann Songo’o – Yann is a new player to the team and MLS.  With him being young, not a whole lot of experience and at a deep position on the team in Center Back, he would be a player that the loan could be good for.

Michael Thomas – Michael is one of the easier players to predict on where he will end up , the fact that he played some in the first team and would the sixth Midfielder on the team should help him.  He could benefit from playing more but with Zusi and possibly Feihaber playing some USMNT this year is more likely to stay.

Kyle Miller – Kyle made no first team appearances and while having some time in reserve league and the two friendly’s he would be a good choice to send to Orlando City if Sporting feels that he can make a difference in a few years.

Mikey Lopez – Mike is a hard choice to be made, could he grow by going on loan absolutely but being a Generation Adidas player his contract doesn’t count against the salary cap. I can see this going either way and depending on what other players are going who knows where he will end up.

Soony Saad – Sonny is a player that I almost had on the safe list but one that I would be shock to see go on loan.  He played in a few games with the first team and with Kamara leaving I don’t see him leaving.

Dom Dwyer – Dom was denied a loan to St. Mirren of the Scottish Premier League. At the time was the partnership between MLS and USL known by Sporting? Possibly, which may be the reason why the loan was denied.  Even with Kei Kamara on loan for the first of the year and maybe the whole season, Teal Bunbury hurt until the summer time, I still think Dom Dwyer will end up being one of the players on loan to Orlando City.

After looking at each player listed above and also taking into account the USMNT games through the World Cup Qualifies and Gold Cup and first team schedule with League, Open Cup, and CONCACAF Champions League, Sporting only having four players on loan instead of a full reserve league schedule is a good thing.  When both teams get together it will be interesting to see what they both need and who they want to send down to further develop and help Orlando City.  Unless there are some incoming players through Free Agency or Supplemental Draft pick signing, i.e Christian Duke, with this roster I think Yann Songo’o and Dom Dwyer are locks to head down to Orlando City.  The next most likely player to be heading south to me is Kyle Miller he is the odd man out with Mikey Lopez in the Midfield some due to Mikey Lopez’s contract as a GA and his ability to play in more of the attacking role.  The last player could be a couple different players but if Orlando City is interested I think Sporting would like to send Jon Kempin to get some playing time if Orlando City is not full at goal keeper if not Jon Kempin then Mikey Lopez would be the logical choice.

The Comets then traveled to Milwaukee for second time this year to play the Wave for the third time this year and although the score ended 29-15 the match was a lot closer then the score indicated as the Wave were able to net a few late three point goals during the time that the Comets were pressuring to try and level up the score and had no goalkeeper in the net to keep the easy three point shots from going in. This was a very enjoyable game to watch and the Comets have to play the Wave one more time back in Missouri and we will most likely see these two playing each other in the playoffs as both teams will most likely be getting into the playoffs as long as the Comets can finish out the season strong at least.

No longer able to be an athlete, not wanted on anybody's team. Unable to be an honor student, not need welcome around school. Not the same person as before the accident, no longer a joy to be around. Still interested in taking advantage of the things that are given to you? The situations of life are always changing, yet are you ready for the next change?

Parts of life were so easy: sports, school, relating to people. Now what do, how to a live that is totally different. How does a person find success in this new life? There is only one thing that has bridged the gap for one life style to the next for.

In Isaiah 53:10-12, we read about someone who came to the Earth to allow us to join a team that we can never be taken off of no matter what. Jesus denied the most key part of Himself to come here and make up the parts of our lives that are lacking the most. So that during the parts of life that seem good or bad, He is there making those parts perfect.

Through Jesus a person can find their purpose and identity. No matter what happens in life, the source of our strength and the identity with which we life from must always be Jesus. He will help us to find balance and meaning from the time we are blessed with on the planet.

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

Let's start off with the low so I can get that out of the way. There isn't very many actually come to think of it there really is only one.

- The passing of my last blood related grand-parent. Everybody called her Granny and anybody that ever met her loved her. I was fortunate enough along with most of my family got to spend one last excellent time with her as we went out for a nice Mother's Day dinner with her and she even gave me a hard time about having not shaved. Hard to imagine that she wouldn't be with us even a week later, but she had a very good life with lots and lots of family members that loved her dearly.

Now to the high's.
- One of the biggest moments of my 2012 was forming the Kansas City Shock. Everybody involved with the Shock came together in February and its been a non-stop ride ever since and are hopefully getting close to locking down a home venue which will then allow us to start pulling in some sponsors.

- Taking my two son's to Florida to include visiting Disney World and Universal Studios for Halloween. It will hopefully be something that they remember for a lifetime and it should be as it was also their first of hopefully many, many more family vacations.

- NSCAA Convention in KC was my first one and I have since started calling it comic-con for soccer people. There are panels, discussion and sessions to check out from the time it starts till the time it ends.

- Finally being able to get out of the craptastic house that was our old home and get closer to the rest of our families. Our neighborhood that we were living in was started to become a not nice area even to the point that I was nervous to go jogging at night and I have military training.

That about sums up the biggest highlights for this year. There is obviously more, but I am trying to write a blog post and not a book.

1st Quarter
I mentioned something about being interesting before and the first quarter didn't dissappoint. The Comets took an early lead and it was clear that this game was going to be physical. The Comets saw three blue cards and a yellow card in the first quarter which is something you normally don't see in an entire game. Regardless the Wings were able to take a 7-3 lead over the Comets with one of their goals being a 3 point goal that took a deflection off Leo Gibson who seemed to be trying to get out of the way for GK Waltman to make the save but just didn't work out.

2nd Quarter
Just as entertaining as the first quarter was the second quarter was as well but quite a bit milder as the Comets were able to keep all their players on the field for the entire quarter. That helped the Comets to pull ahead of the Wings 14-9 at the end of the second quarter. Sosa scored two fo the five goals in this quarter which gave the Comets a huge lift.

3rd Quarter
I mentioned that this game would most likely get an ejection and with the way the Comets kept getting fouls against the Wings I would of figured it would have been a Comets player. Well actually it was a former Comets player and current Wings player Geison that ended up being ejected. This was a good thing as the Comets continued to play much like they did to end the first half netting three more goals all being two pointer, but more importantly the Comets kept the Wings scoreless to take a 20-9 lead to end the third quarter.

4th Quarter
Luckily this game ended with only one player being sent off, which is really quite surprising but also a good thing as I'm also surprised there was no major injuries. The Comets were able to finish off the Wings scoring another two goals and only allowing the Wings to score one goal in this quarter. The Comets are probably pretty happy to string together two wins back to back as they closed out this game 24-11 and get set to play again shortly against the Wave.

Winning can be contagious and hopefully the Comets have been able to catch it and can get themselves back on track to make a run into the playoffs and potentionally at the championship, but there are still a lot of games left and time will tell.

1st Quarter
Comets were off to a fast start dominating and controlling the ball on both sides of the field with Syracuse seemingly having no answer to stop the Comets or even net a goal themselves as the quarter ended 6-0 with the Comets on top. I'm starting to wonder if the Comets finally got sick and tired of struggling like they have, which who wouldn't be, but those were some tough loses against the Wings and Soul.

2nd Quarter
Wherever the Comets started Syracuse picked up as they were able to finally pick up two goals with one of them being a three point goal. Not sure where the Comets stellar start went but it needed to be found again and in a hurry because Syracuse is a team that will drown anybody given the chance.

3rd Quarter
Third quarter was even different than the first half as both team were not exactly looking like fire starters. Both teams traded goals and then Syracuse was able to net a late goal to take back the lead. Not exactly the way either team probably wanted to start the second half.

4th Quarter
The Comets came out fast and hard retaking the lead in under two minutes and continued to dominate and control the rest of the game. The Comets did so well in the fourth quarter that they were able to even score a goal while being down a player while Cristiano was sitting in the penalty box for two minutes for tripping. It is a good accomplishment if you are able to keep the other team from scoring while being shorthanded let alone scoring a goal.

We can only hope that with the way the Comets were able to close out this game that they are able to turn things around and hopefully keep the momentum going and put together a series of wins and their next match up will be against the Wings for a fourth time this season. The Wings are just under the Comets in standings but the Comets really should be the better team and should be able to win their next game but they should never take the Wings lightly nor do I doubt that they will.

Really the Comets have just seemed to be really off this season in the losses that they have suffered, which usually if the game is close in score the play really isn't that close as the Comets have been getting dominated by the other teams that they have lost too. Now on the flip side of things when the Comets when they have completely controlled the game and in some instances have just put a drubbing on the other team, but the further we get into this season the less we see or even realize that was just a month ago.

I'm really hoping that the Comets can work their issues out and get back on form so that they can have another chance at making a run towards the MISL Championship game which they have easily made it to the playoffs the last two years but have fallen just short of being able to make it to the final game. At the rate they are going this season they could very well struggle to even make it to the playoffs. I think if any team can turn it around though it is the Comets and once they stop traveling so much we will see them get back to being the solid team that they have been the last couple years.

FIRST QTR
The first quarter of play was probably a good indicator of how the game was going to go for the Comets as they were subject to either some stellar plays or luck plays and were kept scoreless in the first quarter for the numerous time this year. The Wings again looking for redemption did look to be a bit aggressive and were quite physical against the Comets almost seeming to get away with some questionable calls in this first quarter as it came to an end 4-0 in the Wings favor.

SECOND QTR
The Comets started this quarter pressuring hard and almost suffered dearly for it as they went down 6-0 during the quarter but Alvarez was able to finally get the Comets on the board but their seemingly errant play and the Wings surprisingly good play just continued and the Comets despite their efforts just couldn't seem to figure out how to get things fully going and they ended the half with the Wings leading 6-2.

THIRD QTR
Comets still being down by two goals came out and seemed to finally get their act together holding the Wings scoreless for the entire third quarter and were able to add another goal to end the third quarter down only 4-6. This really should have been the quarter that the Comets could of taken the lead and most likely should have but the Wings did go into a defensive shell and with the help of their GK were able to fight off wave after wave of attack to even include the Comets GK Waltman coming up to the midfield line from time to time to help in the attack.

FOURTH QTR
Do or die time for the Comets as the final 15 minutes of play were a very interesting 15 minutes as the Comets still including the GK Waltman kept pushing to even try and tie the game but the Wings defense and GK were still able to hold strong and with a few, again almost lucky but could be good plays, attacks after defensive stances score a couple more goals to put the score at 10-4 as the final horn was blown and the Comets fell hard.

This was a rough game for the Comets and the upcoming series will be no different as they play two games again on Friday and Saturday night and even worse are playing in Chicago and then back home against Syracuse who is a team that has given the Comets problems twice already this year and hopefully being back home the Comets can have a third times a charm win of the Silver Knights.

Friday - Syracuse Silver Knights
The Comets came into this game having not being able to fair very well against the Silver Knights in recent match up and this game wasn't much different. The Comets did come out trying to knock out the Silver Knights early but just wasn't happening. It just seemed like it wasn't the Comets night as they allowed Syracuse to score off three power plays which is something that they hadn't done all season. I believe that part of the reason why the Silver Knights were able to continuously to hold off the Comets from game to game is because right before this match up Syracuse signed two former Comets to their squad to include Neto, who scored a few of the goals for the Silver Knights in this match up. Combine that with the fact that the Silver Knights are apparently a pretty physical team and the Comets just had no answer for the Silver Knights as the Comets fell 18-8 for the final score.

Saturday - Baltimore Blast
Well there may not be a lot to say as this game was against the Baltimore Blast who heading into this match up were still undefeated and the Comets failed to be the first team to take them down on the second try and lost 15-9. Comets had a lot going against them in this match up. They were playing the top team so far in the MISL, they had played the night before against a good Syracuse Silver Knights team, which also meant that they had to travel and pretty much immedietely play with very little rest. This ended up just not being one of those games that you want to remember as despite the Comets best efforts in the fourth quarter and scoring 7 points just wasn't enough of a comeback being that they hadn't scored a single point/goal in the first three quarters of play and that is what really put the Comets down. It is however good to have them continously fight even when getting down in the games and having it be late they keep pressuring to get any sort of a result.

UPCOMING GAME
The Comets next match up consist of again traveling to their closet competitor but also probably their biggest rival in the Wichita Wings. These two battled it out at the beginning of the season in back to back games with the Comets being the victor in both match ups but have been on the slide down as of late and just being right at .500 winning percentage. Luckily the Wings have struggled even more and it looks like the Comets might be able to get in another win in the lone game that they have this weekend and come back home for some rest.

FIRST QTR
Very back and forth as both teams wer most likely trying to feel each other out and see how they played. The one score that happened, by Chicago and former Comet player Bato, was a well executed back heel and held to that as the first quarter ended 0-2 in favor of Chicago.

SECOND QTR
Saw the Comets mostly dominate by getting on the score board in the first two minutes with the addition of three other goals, but were also letting the Soul hang in there with the Soul adding another goal as well. Soul could of easily scored more but both the Comets defense and GK Pardo came up big.

THIRD QTR
Soul tried to fight back early in the third quarter by adding another early goal even despite the Comets defense and GK Pardo's best efforts stopping a few shots before finally allowing the goal. This quarter was a lot like the first quarter with a lot of baack and forth but this quarter seemed more like it was because both teams defenses were coming up when needed.

FOURTH QTR
Was interesting to say the least as the Comets seem to try and put away the Soul, as they should have been trying to do, but the Soul wasn't having it and continued to fight even after going down 12-6. The comets held strong even after the Soul brough on their sixth attacker, and keeping him on even though they swithced when a free kick for the Comets inside the arch was coming, though it was probably too little too late in order to give the Soul a proper chance at a come back.

This was a really good game for the Comets to be back into the winning side of things and was fun to watch. No offense to the Soul but there was really never any concern that the Soul would probably watch this game and even despite their fight the Comets pretty much controlled and dominated this game. The key now though is to see if the Comets will continue which they should have a good test coming up very quickly as they head off for a double header weekend against Syracuse Silver Knights and the Baltimore Blast.

COMETS
Good: Their defense looked very strong as they were able to keep the Blast from scoring until only a few minutes left in the 2nd quarter and for the most part continued to play well as a defensive group for falling behind in the score as the defense had to keep tracking up and down the field in a faster pace to keep the Blast from furthering their score.

Bad: Not scoring while keeping the Blast from also scoring. The Comets this season have had to come from behind in most of their games and I mentioned a couple post ago that continuing to do that is going to come back to bite them in the ass and the Blast might have completely exploited that in this match. Hopefully and I would like to think that they could but the Comets should be able to rebound from this stumble and push through.

BLAST
Good: Continued their dominate form from last year as they were able to hold the Comets from scoring just two goals the entire time and both of them in the 2nd half of the game. The Blast look to be one of the strongest team again this season and it will be interesting to see how they play against each other in the other three match ups this season.

Bad: Were unable to get past the Comets defense earlier in the game like some of the other recently played games that the Comets have had to include Syracuse. Yes the Silver Knights might not of shown a lot but they were able to get on the score board before the Blast were against the Comets. Hopefully that isn't going to become a trend for the Blast. I'm sure we will see the Blast back in the post season though this year and most likely pushing for the title again.

I have frontal lobe damage from a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). I have trouble communicating with people and dealing with people as a result of my injury. Which makes birthday parties, family reunions, and the holidays a very difficult time. I do not look forward to these times of the year, because I know the most likely outcome of the events.

I have problems with how I communicate that are out of my control because of the damage to my brain. Which causes unintended problems with people about 70% of the time when I communicate. The problems occur with either how the other person responds to my communication or my response to their communication. The only thing that I ask for is some leniency, because of my injury.

On any given day, I deal with people who totally understand my situation and still struggle with mis-communication problems. On specials days or holidays, I have to deal with people that have no clue or are not use to my situation. This leads to a lot of really bad situations for me. So I end up just going and sitting in a room by myself so that I do not have to interact with anyone.  I do not want to be the cause of the problem on a special day or holiday.

Yet, because I take myself out of the room I am viewed as being anti-social. Or because I have trouble communicating, I am labeled a trouble maker or mean or judgmental.  Then if I stay in those rooms I start to get stressed out because I try to be perfect and I just cannot do that.  So that situation and the environment starts to stress me out.  I do not think that people understand truly how unfair a special day or holiday gathering can be to someone like me.

On August 17, 2006, I left for the United States Army as one person.  When I returned home on December 15, 2008, with a TBI and some broken bones, I was a totally different person. I did not become a different person by choice. I became a different person because of the injuries that I sustained while serving the United States of America.

All that I ask is that you give me a break and have a little bit of compassion in dealing with me.  I go to therapy and I try to get help. I truly understand that something is wrong with me.  I know that I might not always be the easiest person to deal with and I do sincerely apologies for that.  Please remember that I do not choose to be mean, judgmental , critical, or a jerk.  And most importantly please help me remember what I was like, because I cannot.

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

Comets
Good: Comets continue to battle back in games and get the result they need. It is still early in the season, but this is an important part of playing the game that the Comets need to make sure they focus on as it is impossible to win games if you get down early and just let everything go. It also won't just effect the result of that game but mostly the next game and if it continues then the next game as well. Because the Comets are continuing to battle back early to get the results we should see them continue to battle back if they get down in other games as well. It may not always work out in their favor but the important part is that they are battling back.

Bad: Just as it is good that they continue to battle back it is also a bad thing as it can be quite exhausting on the body to continue to do so. It is also bad because simply the Comets should not be starting all their games off in the hole. This game wasn't as bad as the first two games as the Comets were able to keep the game close for most of the game, so it wasn't nearly the same battle they had in their first two games. I believe that these next three games to close out November could be telling to see how the rest of the season will go.

Wave
Good: The Wave being the all time leading champion and having won the last two years championship looked very good and the argument could be that they should of won this game, but they were playing against one of the best GKs in the MISL and the Comets defense when focused can easily dominate. The Wave with one of the best Head Coaches in the league and doubles as the US Futsal National Team Coach should be able to have yet another decent season and should expect any meeting with the Comets this season to be a good match to see.

Bad: Simply they let the Comets come back and even win the game. The Wave to me seems like a team that will just try to coast if they have any sort of a lead and if a team ties it up will just go and get another goal to regain the lead. It usually works for them obviously but as good as the Wave tend to be really should be able to go out there and just tear apart most teams.

As I look at my own life, I can see how my own will has been the unbreakable toy. My will is the driving force to compete to be the best, to never give up, to never give in. Although at the same time my body is the breakable toy. The thing or item that is paying the price no matter what the cost. When there was a conflict between my will and my body, the will always wins outs. This leads to the destruction of the body everytime.

If an unbreakable toy hits a breakable toy only once or twice, the breakable still has a chance to be fix. But after repetitive striking, the breakable toy will be utterly destroyed. I have mistreated my body and have almost utterly destroyed myself. I have not been able to control my will.

I am either going at 100% or at 0%. I struggle to function at anything in the middle. That is why I have always been great at sports in which I can play on the edge of control.  I block out any problems my body is having and just go about accomplishing the task at hand. In those moments the only thing that I can think about is the task at hand. I am unable to think of how my actions will affect my body in the future.

This type of tunnel vision is a benefit and a problem. While serving in the military and playing sports, this attitude and will was a  huge benefit. But now with a body that is broken from years of abuse and miss use, I continue to make the same mistakes. Will I ever learn? At some point I must tape together the pieces of the breakable toy and just sell the unbreakable toy. I must accept this plan if I going to salvage what is left of the body that I have.

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

There seemed to be some concern that if Sporting had another huge let down that it could of damaged the reputation of the club in the Kansas City area and people would of started looking at them yet again as team similar to the Chiefs and the Royals but honestly with the way this last game was played they might of yet again gained an even bigger following. For example my father's side of the family has always been big soccer fans, but throughout the course of this season my mother and step-father seemed to also convert to being soccer fans to include asking me several questions and talking to me about it while we were recently on vacation. Even my wife has become a big Sporting fan and really gets into the games and excited for game days and has technically demanded me to get her some girly Sporting gear, so I guess I have my work cut out for me. Now if I could just start to get my blog to start being followed a bit more and start receiving feedback and what not. Kind of like how Thad Bell at the Backpost.net does and Mike Kuhn at Down the Byline. These are two individuals that I feel like I get along with and inspire to be similar to. Regardless I will continue to do my blog post and maybe during the Comets season and can further hone my skills and get back to some things that I was doing before that I thought worked well.

I fully expect Sporting to come out and control this game much like they have most of the year and firmly believe that they can win this game but how much can they win by and will it be enough to see them advance. I believe that it would be wise of Sporting to try and win this game out right even in extra time as I believe if this game goes into penalty kicks that the result might not be favorable. I've seen Nielsen in a penalty shootout but I have yet to see Tally Hall in one and although Jimmy is considered one of the best goalkeepers in the league that is considered more during regular matches and doesn't calculate shootouts as shootouts normaly don't happen and I'm afraid that Hall might have the slight edge at stopping penalty shots. But in a shootout you must also take the possible shooters into consideration in which case I firmly believe that Sporting and the Dynamo are probably just about level. This will be a very interesting matchup to say the least and I for one am ready for it to get started so we can see how it ends. Sadly I won't be able to actually be at the game tonight as I have a meeting to attend, but should be able to still watch it or at least listen to Callum Williams make the call on WHB 810.

I believe if the Wings, or as I have kind of called them Comets B squad as they have four former Comets on their squad now, keep up playing like they play then they should be a solid squad all year long and could be pushing not only for a playoff spot but possibly for a finals spot depending on how the Blast and the Wave do this year as well. Regardless it is just the beginning of the season and both the Comets and the Wings have to play each other a couple more times and we can fully expect those to be big games, unless something drastic and bad happens, and these teams will continue to duke it out whenever they play each other and those will be matches that you don't want to miss.

I obviously watch the Comets as closely as I can but I think this year that I am going to have to try and keep close tabs on the Wings and how they do during the season so that I can be more informed and thus be able to inform all my fellow readers even more besides just all my Comets knowledge. This season has just gotten underway but I am still super pumped and will enjoy every minute I can of this season and only hope that I can provide good coverage of each game I get to watch. Luckily a lot if not all of the games will be streamed live on so if you get a chance, and I suggest you find the time, to watch some games then I seriously suggest that you do that.

Sporting has just one more chance to get some sort of a result and possibly move onto the next round. This round of the playoffs each game is played at each other's home stadiums with the higher seeded team getting the second home game as if the aggregate score is tied after the second match the two teams will play extra time and then to penalty kicks if needed. It has already been well talked about amongst Sporting fans that several years ago the then Kansas City Wizards losing their first game 2-0 were able to come back home and win 3-0 and move on in the playoffs. Well I really hope that people are not expecting the same result. Would it be awesome? It absolutely would, but to expect the same result would be a bonkers idea. This is not that time any more and Sporting is going to have to bring their A+ game from the start whistle till the game is decided whether is be in regular time, extra time or even penalty kicks.

These two teams always seem to play each other very closely even though the Dynamo seem to always have Sporting's number even when Sporting is at home. Add that on top of this game isn't just on National Television but it is on NBC. Not just NBC Sports (formerly versus) but NBC a channel that everybody gets so anybody that turns on the TV to watch this first game is going to see Sporting taking on a team that have yet to lose at home, but Sporting was able to be the first team to go into Red bull arena and take down the New York team that had also yet to lose at home and late in the season. So with all that being said this game is sure to be a very interesting one to say the least although it may not be as interesting as the first leg of the DC United vs NY Red Bulls game.

I am not even going to even attempt to think of an outcome because really I think it is just too difficult to do when these two teams play each other and I'm nervous enough as it is for this series to be over and hopefully see Sporting advance to the Conference Finals again this year against either DC United or NY Red Bulls which again either team will cause Sporting to continue their top play if they even want to have a chance at making it to the MLS Cup final this year and with any luck San Jose will get knocked out and Sporting will have a chance at hosting the MLS Cup right here in Kansas City this year, and on December 2nd which will be as cold as one could imagine.

The Wings again looked like the better team for most of the first two quarters playing very aggressive but surprisingly both teams kept it very clean in those first two quarters as nobody was ever sent off with a Blue or Yellow card, even with both teams getting, not a lot, but a few amount of fouls between each team. Wings seemed to come in fully ready for the games and found a rhythm early that the Comets just couldn't seem to get into to also include Danny Waltman the Comets star goalkeeper. The Comets just seemed to be lacking something until very late in the second quarter when they were able to start their 16 point unanswered run. The Comets continued to dominate the game with a very good rhythm for the last two quarters of the game and completely shutting the Wings out in the third quarter and the first twelve minutes of the fourth quarter only allowing the one PK.

The Comets seemed to play a bit of a different game then you see most indoor teams play and tried to keep it as slow as they could with times of aggressiveness. That tactic doesn't seem to often work for the any indoor team but the Comets were able to find a way to make it work and as long as they keep teams from scoring, not to include the first two quarters of play, then they should do alright. This was definitely an interesting game just as I suspected to say the least and these two teams play each other again in just a couple of days on Sunday but this time it will be in Wichita for the Wings home opener.

Sporting got the result and finished top in the Eastern Conference for a second year in a row but they better tighten up their play because if Sporting plays the same way they did against the Union during the playoffs then they may not last very long regardless of how many saves Jimmy Nielsen can make. Espinoza should be back in the lineup though which is good especially if Nagamura is going to be out and that would mean that you have Zusi, Espinoza and most likely Cesar in the midfield which with the top three and back four should give any team fits all over the field even against a team like Houston who for some reason they give Sporting some of the biggest problems. Although so does Chicago and to an extent New York. The bad thing is that all those teams are in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year. This post season is sure to be an interesting one for sure.

The Comets have been able to return most of their team that allowed them to make a decent run in the playoffs last year along with signing a few new players including Craig Rocastle who signed with the Comets for a day last year before heading back to Greece to play for the rest of the season. Craig had played a few seasons with Sporting and should really help the Comets with adding some hight over the competition in the MISL. I fully expect the Comets to have a season much like last year possibly with a few missteps but every good team will recover from those steps and become even better and because of that I believe they should have a better chance at making it to the MISL Finals this season.

First Sporting does have to ensure that they don't lose tonight which this Philadelphia Union team could be looking to get some payback after being beat up the last couple times by Sporting. I foresee another Sporting draw to close out the regular season as the only thing Sporting really has to play for at this point is that top seed in the playoffs for the Eastern Conference. But knowing Sporting they could easily be looking to put on a show for the fans in this match up and could possibly be holding nothing back as Sporting won't be playing till November 7th for their first playoff match. The only thing the Union are really looking to play for is the upset role as if they could win then Sporting would fall to the 2nd position in the Eastern Conference and would not have the homefield advantage in the Conference Final come towards the end of November.

Regardless tonight should be a fun and entertaining match up for all to watch and enjoy.

Sporting has already guaranteed themselves a spot in the playoffs and the Red Bulls are more than likely going to make it into the playoffs as well and they stand a very good chance I believe of meeting each other again in the post season and that will truly be an or some epic matches to see.

I really think that this game will end in a draw or quite possibly and more likely in my opinion NY being at home will get the win quite possibly 2-1 and will give Sporting the focus they need to go into their last regular season match and into the playoffs and hopefully make a good run at the MLS Cup.

After this match up Sporting only has two more matches left. Neither of which will probably be very easy as the next match up will be against the New York Red Bulls again in New York and they will be looking for payback as Sporting gave the Red Bulls a good whooping in the last match up, even if the New York fans don't know how to spell but we won't hold that against them as I know I'm not the best writer.

Picture from MLS Facebook page

I didn't get a chance to post my preview post but as I was thinking about it before I didn't post it I had a good feeling about this match up. Sure it is easier to say that I was thinking that now, but in all honesty I was thinking that Sporting had a good chance at winning this game. This entire match save about a 15 minute period Sporting just seemed to completely control much like they have most of the season. I say that there was a 15 minute period that they didn't look good because I believe that the Redbulls having just gone down 2-0 and were trying to do everything they possibly could to try and get something going before halftime. Sporting was able to hold off every attack that the Redbulls brought to them even though you could argue that they really should of scored, but Sporting could of possibly scored more as well. I'm not saying that the Redbull played terrible because they didn't. It just seemed like it was not their night and the final stat line showed the same thing. Sporting has to be careful though because they are scheduled to play the Redbulls one more time this season and again it will be in New York. It will be the second to last game and hopefully by then Sporting will have the Eastern Conference sealed up and be slotted in the top spot and possibly even in the top spot for the league and just trying to secure the Supporter's Shield.

I went to this game in a spectator aspect this time and so I did not stay for any of the press conferences but I would imagine that both coaches could not be happy with the way the offciating was for the entire match as I know I say several things that the officials just failed to call or not call. That seems to be a thing that has its moments. There are times that the officials can call really great games and then there are moments where they do terrible. The odd part is that it just isn't for one game or for one team, but it tends to be league wide and can carry for several games. Regardless the regular season is about to draw to a close and the officiating better get back on par.

For both Sporting and Houston there are just a handful of games left and the playoff race is still pretty much wide open. It will be interesting to see how the end result comes out. It appears that Sporting will be able to make it into the playoffs with ease but they have a difficult road ahead of them these last few games that could see their overall seeding change a bit.

This is sure to be an epic clash. Even if the game ends in a lopsided affair it will still be a game to watch minus all the goals. Both these teams are great teams with Sporting having a better season than Houston but you can never count the Dynamo out until its all over and it is still far from over. I am fully expecting Houston who is missing one of their key players to still be bringing lots and lots of pressure and this is sure to be a game that will have Sporting's defensive line fighting off attack after attack all night long. That can't go without saying though that Sporting won't be getting their own fair share of offensive moves down the field. I'm very interested to see what the stat lines will be after this game as it could be very high or very low. Luckily for Sporting the weather is not suppose to be in Houston's favor and Sporting can possibly use that to their advantage and if not at least get a draw at home sneak out with another three much needed points to stay in the hunt for the Supporter's Shield against the San Jose Earthquakes who continue to have a stellar season as well. This game like many for Sporting this year will probably come down the wire and I'm hoping for at least a draw, but much like a lot of games lately I am very nervous to see the end result.

Again this game makes me nervous much like it did a couple weeks ago and this time Sporting is at home and it would be a bad thing for Sporting to get upset by a team like Toronto at their own home especially with Sporting playing so well lately and racking up all sorts of points for their playoff push. Games like this make me nervous though as they are pretty much considered a trap game. Add that with Collin being out for accumulated yellow cards and any sort of other factor you could think of and this game becomes a very interesting match for Sporting. Toronto at this point really doesn't seem have much to lose at this point in the season and so win, lose, or draw Toronto will probably walk out of this match with their heads up as long as they don't get completely smoked by Sporting. Sporting on the other hand keep building up pressure and tension that will eventually have to burst before the playoffs otherwise I feel like the playoffs could be a huge let down for all the Sporting fans. I know that Sporting doesn't want that as they have seemed to work so hard this season for just their fans and it would be a huge upset to see Sporting not possibly make it to the MLS Cup. I could possibly be wrong and maybe Sporting is just getting warmed up, but these next several weeks will be very telling for Sporting and how they might be viewing and expecting to do in the playoffs.

The Red Bulls really didn't do much in this game and missing Henry might of had something to do with that, but really they just seemed to struggle defensive much like they have the last couple seasons. Normally that doesn't matter because they still get their chances offensively but tonight was not one of those nights. I will say that for not being great defensively that they were able to bunker in most of the match and just try to get the draw despite Sporting's best efforts, like normal, and held their own against one of the most high powered offenses in MLS.

This game got very chippy amongst both teams which could prove for some interesting match ups in the upcoming month as Sporting and the Red Bulls will square off two more times against each other but in New York.

I feel like I have been saying it a lot lately, but this game is another one of those games for Sporting KC that should be a huge through down as Sporting is looking to continue their dominate run in the MLS that is seeing them just a few points shy of league leaders San Jose but will be going up against a team that is chasing them down in the points in their own division and both teams will be fighting for first place in their division this match up and in the upcoming weeks. NY is sure to do everything they can to try and take out Sporting this match as it is almost sure that both of these teams will be duking it out in the upcoming weeks to try and ensure good seeding for the playoffs.

With both these teams trying to knock each other out I would almost expect this game to end in a draw, but I'm sure one of these two teams will be able to get at least one goal and hopefully for Sporting they will be able to get one past the new goalkeeper for NY who has had four shutouts in just seven games which is a pretty impressive stat, but the redbulls have not had to play Sporting yet who just seems to be playing a different game then most teams of late. Regardless this is sure to be a very entertaining match and good on television experts to realize that and have the game on ESPN 2 and ESPN 3 online.

Sporting has continued to prove themselves throughout the entire season only losing a handful of games over the course of the entire season which currently not only puts them in place for a good playoff run but also a run for the Supporters shield at the end of the season. I was throughly impressed to see Sporting handle Toronto FC pretty easily in a game that could of and most likely should have been a trap game for Sporting. I believe that it is games like this that is having Sporting really prove that they are one of if not the top team in the league this season. Now we just need to get to the playoffs and see how things pan out.

Its games like this and being right after such a huge game that makes me and I'm sure most of the Kansas City area if not the Country believe that Sporting could possibly go deep into the playoffs again this year and hopefully with any luck can get in the MLS Cup Final and hopefully even win it this year. I am starting to think that Sporting could potentionally win all three major US titles this year in the US Open Cup, Supporters Shield, and the MLS Cup but only time will tell on the other two. Regardless this was a big win for Sporting and again at home.

(Q) You were just in Kansas City a short time yet you decided to return here after the year in Greece is there any particular reason or just something about the city hit you the short time you were here?

(R) Coming to Kansas City in 2010 my plan was to be here for a long time and despite my injury in the Gold Cup June 2011 which ended my 2nd season with Sporting KC I still considered Kansas City as home. I met my girlfriend here and we've just had a baby girl May 2012. I did return to my former Greek team in January 2012 for their 2nd half the season to play games and get my form back after the surgery.

(Q) From what I have been able to research of your career this is your first time that you will be playing indoor soccer are there part that you are looking forward to and also part you are not looking forward to?

(R) As explained to a lot of people soccer outside the United States is really the number 1 sport so growing up you play it every day, everywhere possible. So yes I’ve never played indoor as a profession but it is something I’m very comfortable doing. The Missouri Comets is a great organization, who have treated me so well and I’m hoping to repay it back with success.

(Q) If the chance came up would you like to return to a team that plays outdoors?

(R) I had options but I needed to make the best option for my family and this deal after 3 months of thought made the most sense for all parties involved. Being a parent you have to provide stability and there is a lot of places I would not want my child to grow up in and there are also places where my girlfriend could not continue her career in. We are all very happy with the decision made it is a new beginning.

(Q) As you climb in years above 30 and your career start to wind down is there one last football goal you haven't reached yet that you can see you accomplishing?

(R) There is nothing I have not done in my career so far that I did not dream about doing. I am grateful for what I have achieved and I'm sure I'll continue to achieve more because I'm healthy and still have the hunger. I have just started my coaching session’s #FocusOnTheGain which is doing well so far and I hope to expand this into a small academy in the near future.

(Q) After your playing career is coaching what you envision and want to do and would you focus more on academy age groups or do you want to get in a professional level?

(R) Both! Right now I'm coaching all ages on a 1 on 1 basis and also coaching a U9 team at Topeka Select 'Comets' and I really enjoy it. I've been approached to do a lot more now I've decided to stay in Kansas and I'm exciting about building my academy in the near future.

As for the professional side of things I'm building my coaching portfolio and getting the necessary qualifications to be certified so if an opportunity at a professional level is there I'll be ready to accept.

This is one of those matches that could go down in history. Seattle was going for their record setting fourth in a row US Open Cup while Sporting was trying to win just their second Open Cup ever. The build up to this game was insane with both teams having really incredible matches all the way to the final with some very impressive wins over some really good teams that we could see making some of their own runs in the next few years.

Everything seemed to just be going in Sporting's favor though in an odd way as the game was delayed after already having a late start to allow for Seattle fans to be able to watch on TV. I believe that Sporting though was getting some good signs before the match up started as the rain allowed for not just an incredible beautiful rainbow to fill the sky, but there ended up being two full rainbows [insert youtube comment here about a double rainbow all the way] which just seemed to cover the entire LIVESTRONG Sporting Park which gave spectators, if you were sitting in the right areas that didn't include Sounders fans, a great pre-game entertainment as I saw probably close to 100 pictures online from various people, including myself, online whether it be Facebook or Twitter.

Once the matchup finally got under way both teams had some really good plays, but to not sound like a homer, Sporting really did seem like the dominate team having a majority of the attacking while Seattle just seemed to bunker in till late in the match to tie it up pretty much right after Sporting scored and send it to extra time possibly thinking that they could out do Sporting when it came to penalty kicks, but really the Sounders probably should of known better than to rely on that tactic. It seemed like Seattle would come out of it on top as Sporting failed to convert on their 2nd and 4th PKs but then the Sounders went on to miss two of their last three PK attempts and another one saved which then allowed Sporting to come out on top and wind their first US Open Cup since 2004. Sporting don't seem to be done either as they have continued their play and quite possibly be looking to earn some other awards from MLS whether it be the Supporters Shield or MLS Cup or quite possibly both and give themselves all three major US Soccer titles this season which is something that just doesn't happen very often.

This could potentially be viewed as a trap game for Sporting KC as Toronto FC has been struggling all season long and has only won five games all season long and here we are two thirds of the way through the season now kind of heading into the home stretch of the season where we will see teams starting to make their playoff pushes. Right now Sporting is sitting on top of their division alone, but they are going to have some very tough matches ahead of themselves.

Luckily for Sporting KC they have finally gotten a full week break after playing 17 games in the last nine weeks. So I'm sure they were ready for a much needed break and hopefully they used this time to get some rest, but this team acts like they are not done even though they have won the US Open Cup. After that win just a few days after winning the cup they were able to come out and beat one of the teams in the MLS that has been doing really well lately in DC United. That told me that they want more than just the Open Cup, they want everything they can get which can still include the Supporters Shield and the MLS Cup. They still have a long way to go for that, but I believe that last weekend was the start of that and look at them to continue their dominate play of any and everybody they can the rest of the season and into the post season today against Toronto FC which realistic should not be a challenge for Sporting but lets just hope that Sporting KC doesn't take the game that way and they come out looking to just tear apart a team if given the chance.

I don't want to say that Sporting will completely dominate Toronto but really they should and we could easily see a 3 or 4-0 scoreline in this match up giving Nielsen yet another shutout and showing that this team is out for more than just one trophy. They want the double or possibly even the triple this year. Sporting has tasted victory and now they are looking to prove that they are one of the best teams in the MLS to go along with the likes of a LA Galaxy or Seattle Sounders.

I treasure the time that I get to spend with my daughters and the chance that I have in helping out in their education. Yet, I find that at times I struggle with changing hats back and forth for each girls. The girls also have different levels of achievement. Although, I find myself sometimes expecting the two to be at the same.

We have developed a very good communication system for the girls to help me out. For the times that I am struggling or am not teaching in a way that one of the girls can understand, the girls will plainly look me in the face and tell me, "Dad,  I do not understand what you are trying to teach me." That is my signal to change the way I am communicating the information. We really struggled for a semester trying to work out this communication pattern.

There is definitely an "Art to Teaching." Yet, I think the 'Art' is constantly changing and developing. If you do not work at developing the skills or keep up with the times, the 'Art' you have will be out of touch. This is going to be another great school year at Gramling School of Learning!

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

New England did fight as hard as they could especially knowing that they just got a scoreless draw just a few weeks before. It obviously wasn't in the cards for the Revs in this match though and honestly I believe they are in need of some major restructuring in the near future which they seemed to already start right before this match up in trading away their long time captain. So I am interested to see how the Revs finish out this season and get ready for next year. They have been a very good team for quite a while and I expect them to come back hard.

I almost forgot that I wanted to add something and just about forget and that was that I saw a much different Sporting team and that they had quite a bit of aggressiveness to them and I don't mean in the way that they have been playing, but physically as well and I think if you didn't notice then you were not watching the game.

Now this ended up being the type of match that most people would expect from an international friendly between a MLS club and any European club team that is in their top tier much like Montpellier is. Montpellier came out early dominating pretty much the entire match much like Sporting has against their MLS counterparts and got thumped 3-0. Now it must also be said that Sporting pretty much put all their reserve players out to the slaughter, but really that was probably a really good thing. I say it was a good thing because it got those guys great experience against a top flight team in Montpellier so here in the home stretch of the MLS regular season Sporting knows exactly what they possibly have on the bench. For Montpellier they seemed to be really working hard and most likely to keep that top status in their league. I don't know what the rest of the French league is like, but I would imaging that barring injury (maybe even if they do suffer a few minor injuries) that they are expected to be in the top of the table again.

Well we are finally to the US Open Cup final and the hype and tension seems really high right now and could just about snap, but the players from both sides will have to wait till 7:30 to kick off. We should all expect both teams to be going all out and this match could be more like a boxing match with players from both sides going back and forth with each other and having several rounds of trying to knock each other completely out. Sporting is playing in their first US Open Cup final since 2004 when they won it and the Seattle Sounders are going for a record fourth US Open Cup championship in a row, which is obviously something that nobody has done. (Other teams have won more than 4 championships being that the US Open Cup started in in 1914.)

I have been trying to get better at making predictions for this blog post but I am not touching this game as I could speculate all sorts of results but I would almost definitely be wrong and even what I am partially thinking about is most likely inaccurate. So I too am really interested to get this match started and see how it pans out.

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

When I would teach a lesson as a Youth Pastor and try to totally rely upon myself, I would have moments of epic failure. I can remember a instant were the Lord wanted me to teach one lesson, but I wanted to teach another. So I taught my lesson with flawed examples and even defended my flawed examples when proven wrong in front of the class. Such low moments in the life of my ministry when I think back on them.

Yet, there are all kinds of stories of ministers that have relied on their own logic or power to try something. And every time that they do, a failure is the result. There are always moments of learning that follow the failures and a sense of understanding. The understanding that apart from the Lord truly nothing can be accomplished.

Although, I feel that I have noticed a very disturbing trend lately for some ministers. The Bible is the Lord's Word given to us from Him. The Lord wrote the Book, we did not or too say no human came up with it. The Lord choose the people that He would write for Him, but He still chose the Words. Yet, people treat the human writers as if we should be disciple of those writers instead of the Lord.

The Bible is very clear on who are to follow and who we are not to follow. The human writers of the Bible are no different than anyone else, they are sinners just like the rest of us. There has and will only ever be one perfect person to walk the face of this planet. I think we would all be better off remember who that person was.

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

It should be an interesting match up and I do foresee some of the recent players that have just gotten playing time to get more playing time and allow some of the main starters some more resting time, but who knows. Vermes may think that some of those starters should probably be in there playing and getting themselves ready for this Open Cup final which I would completely agree with.

I look to see Sporting take this game a little bit more seriously then their match against Montpellier just a week ago that saw Sporting get thumped by the French team 3-0. Looking at the line up though for tonight it seems like Sporting is focusing on resting their main starters and will be starting all reserve players with a couple of the starters most likely just hanging out on the bench for the entire match.

Guess it is a good way to have the reserve players particpate in some more difficult matches so that they can be ready for some regular matches if need be in the near future, like possibly in their playoff push.

This is a preview of a match that is just a friendly. I would like to think that Sporting would take this game seriously, but it is a friendly and they are missing three of their starters in team captain Jimmy Nielsen, defender Aurelien Collin and midfielder Graham Zusi. So we will definitely see quite a bit of a mix up in the starting lineup for Sporting. Honestly though I think that is probably a really good thing because the players that Peter Vermes will be putting out there will be out to prove that they can compete on an international level and against a team that once the French League 1 Championship.

I would like to be able to say more about Montpellier but I simply do not know anything about them besides [insert conehead voice here] "we come from France." (If you don't get that reference then you are too young or you just don't watch movies.) I'm sure they will be not taking this game lightly though and will be possibly out to prove that MLS players can't hang with them. Plus this is like preseason for them and could possibly be looking to try some new things themselves, but most of us won't have any clue if they are or are not.

Yet for myself, I find it very difficult to be honest a majority of the time. I have a migraines, a back injury, and an ankle injury, which means on any given day something hurts. People will ask me how my day is going or how I am feeling or if anything hurts? So normally I will respond with I am doing good and feeling ok, which is not the truth. But when talking with the people that are really close to me, I feel like all I do is complain about my injuries when I am being honest.

I know the people would not ask how I am feeling, if they did not truly care. Yet at the same time, do they really want to here about my pain day after day? I begin to feel like a burden on people. Which leads to not being honest with those individuals about how I am truly feeling.

I do not know a solution to this problem. But, I have found a very bright spot from all of my injuries! I have been able to relate and talk with people who are going through similar situations. For I do know that we are given everything for a reason. I know that my injuries have come to me for a purpose. I must only surrender myself to the Lord and allow Him to use me for His glory.

**To the Ends of the Earth**
Red Beards

During the tenth Doctor's adventures he was able to save the running torch from falling on the ground and then ran the torch up to the main torch and lit it to start the 2012 summer olympics in London for this summer's olympic games.

The Doctor and his then companion visited this time and area to watch the start of the even, but wherever the Doctor goes trouble just seems to appear. During this time the Doctor finds out that an immature Isolus (A tiny alien that travels through space) has crashed to earth. The Isolus then takes control of a young girl and creates havoc. The Doctor figures out that the Isolus crashed because it lost power to its pod and figures out that it needs heat and emotional strength to power it and throws it into the runners torch to start giving it power. The alien leaves the young girl's body but the pod still needs more power before it can take off. The runner who is headed to the main torch stumbles and so the Doctor grabs the torch and completes the run. This gives the pod enough power to leave earth and rejoin it family.

Enter the eleventh Doctor who during his transformation into the eleventh Doctor is also causing the TARDIS (Time And Relative Dimension In Space) which is his Space/Time travel machine to also have a series of explosions. I believe that because of these explosions which to what you could consider the engine of the TARDIS that it would also cause the TARDIS to possibly jump from time frame to time frame (in lets say half second clips, thus meaning that nobody would even see or hear the TARDIS doing this in order to understand this you have to know a lot more about the Doctor then we currently know right now. To include the exact moment when the Isolus pod was also crashing to Earth. This would mean that the tenth doctor would never of had to pick up the torch as the torch runner would of probably never stumbled then for whatever reason. The Isolus pod could of easily collided with the TARDIS thus re-powering, because let's all admit that the TARDIS is a lot more powerful then even the Olympic Torch, thus sending the Isolus pod immediately back to its family.

I'm no Russell T Davis or for that matter Matthew Graham but this is just my opinion as to why we won't see the tenth Doctor lighting the Olympic Torch to start the 2012 Summer Olympics. Now of course it would be really interesting to see it happen, but seeing how the Olympic committee most likely take things seriously and see Doctor Who as just a silly show in their eyes I highly doubt that we will see David Tennant lighting the torch. Especially since he is Scottish and they would probably want a proper member of the UK lighting the torch and not just a member of Great Britain

I am very interested to see how this game even starts being that a lot of Sporting's players may not even be on the bench for Sporting and this game could be a real struggle for what I'm expecting to most mostly a reserve side for Sporting going up against what I can only imagine Peter Vermes isn't taking the Revolution seriously, but I am also certain that he is pushing his squad or whoever he plans on using for this match up. Sporting has been playing a lot of matches lately and has some more important ones coming up very soon.

I think Vermes really is just trying to play it as smart as he can and cycle some of his players around to get some much needed rest that in a normal MLS season a team will get, but this obviously isn't a normal season for Sporting and they are going for broke without actually breaking anything. Sure the players are probably right on the edge of completely exhaustion but I've noticed with this team this year that they are in it for the fans and luckily the fans see that and I believe will be happy with this team no matter the result because it's not like they just lie down and get themselves ran over. Even in the 4-0 loss to the Union some weeks ago they were fighting to get back into the game till the very end and that game wasn't even at home.

Now for this match up I think that Sporting could easily win it even with a mostly reserve squad playing, but because of that same reason we could and most likely will see the Revolution try their hardest to get a road win. A game like this could mean a major turn around for either or both teams as another lose from a currently lower level team could see Sporting start to spiral downwards especially after such a long stretch of games that has pretty much seen them play two games a week for the past month and they are still a couple of weeks out from actually getting a whole week's worth of rest.

So really I would be expecting a draw in this match up but I seriously doubt that it will be a nil-nil draw like they got against the Dynamo here a couple of weeks ago. If I had to put a guess on it then I would go with possibly 3-3.

Honestly I just don't have to say about this game besides the Crew at least never gave up and upon watching the highlights I believe that it possibly just wan't the Crews night as they did have some really good chances, but I also believe that Sporting didn't take this game too seriously and was in a relaxed mode as they have been playing a lot of matches of late and have several more coming very soon to include some very big matches.

Sporting was also able to secure the rights to have the game at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park which will now be against the Seattle Sounders on August 8th and it is sure to be an epic match as the Sounders are trying to win their 4th Open Cup title in a row which would be a record.

Then in a dark room behind closed doors with no one looking, we offer an apology. There are a lot of examples in the media that we could point to. How many news papers have ran front page stories about someone that were wrong. Only to run back page retractions. Or how many times has someone been accused of something publicly and found not guilty because someone made the story up. Yet the person is not made to apologize for the dragging the person through the mud publicly.

Yet, the underlying issue here is the guilt that builds inside a person for not apologizing. In the book of Lamentations 5:15-16 we read, "Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned." Sin in our lives will fester like a wound that is not treated. Unconfessed sin will suck the joy right out of your life. At first things might not seem that bad, but given enough time that unconfessed sin will become a big deal.

Why not take the time to make things right between you and the Lord. Then between you and someone that you might need to apologies too. I had to apologies to someone just two weeks ago for something that I did several years ago. I had said some things to him that upon reflection were not nice things. I did not handle the situation that I was in very well. So I had to go to him and apologies face to face. And please remember this very important step, ALWAYS apologies in person if possible. Never apologize through a text message or via email.

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

Well this could turn out to be a very interesting match and hopefully nothing like the Union game did a few weeks ago. Sporting is coming off an enormous US Open Cup Semi-final win Wednesday night also against the Union and will be playing in Columbus for this match up. Sporting has seemed to be getting back into their stride that they mostly saw at the beginning of the season but there is still a lot of season left and I am hoping that they are not peaking too early. Columbus has improved of late and are always tough at home regardless. I'm sure Sporting will be doing everything they can, but they have played a lot of matches in just over a month and are probably ready to just get back to having a week between games as after this game they will not have another match until the following week.

I am not entirely sure how I think this one will turn out, but I know that they will be pushing Espinoza pretty hard as he will then be leaving to help represent Honduras in the 2012 Olympics this year. Really I think if Sporting can get a draw then it can pretty much be chalked up as one pointed earned and having dropped two points won't be a question as it won't be two points dropped. Which really isn't a bad thing since they are in Columbus and you always hope to at least draw when away from home.

Well this should definitely be an interesting match up being that Sporting, one of the top teams in the MLS, was just in Philadelphia a few weeks ago and lost 4-0 to the Union, one of the lower teams in the MLS, but this obviously isn't your normal MLS regular season game. This is the US Open Cup Semifinal and the winner of this game will be headed to the final. Sporting trying to get their second US Open Cup trophy since 2004 and the Union the chance to make it to their very first Open Cup final. I fully expect this game to be a complete drag out knock out match with both teams bringing their A+ plus game to the match. I would even be willing to bet that somebody gets sent off in this match and this game could potentially go into extra time but if it does I believe that it will be decided during extra time and there won't be a need for PKs.

If Sporting comes out and plays pretty much like they have the last couple of matches with just a few less flaws then they stand a very good chance to advance to the final. They really are the better team and I really believe that the 4-0 loss that they suffered just a few weeks ago was a fluke and even if Sporting does lose in this match up then it won't be nearly as bad as it was the last time they played the Union.

If Sporting wins and advances to the final then the final match, which I'm betting will be against Seattle unless Chivas USA can continue their magic, will be held at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park on August 7th or 8th.

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18 (NIV). I set myself up for failure with my thinking. The Lord was the one who had been guiding me all along, I was only riding His coattails. Yet, here I was out in front claiming these great abilities and skills. So the Lord took care of busy in March of 2007 and let me fall. I was so full of pride that I was in for a large fall that hurt bad!

I thought I was in the Army to do big things. Yet, my pride was a stumbling block and cost me. If I am truly to be Christ-like, I must have a change in attitude. Mark 10:42-45 gives us all we need to know about the attitude that we should have. For Christ came here to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. Here I am trying to put myself in the front of the line, but Christ is putting Himself in the back of the line.

I must humble myself and serve people. I must willing go to the back of the line and allow other people to take a stop at the front of the line. Seeking greatness is not something that Christ did, so that is not something that I should do. Being a humble servant and meeting people's needs what I should be doing.

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Red Beards

When a person starts to evaluate their own life, one must be honest. We have to look at the different areas of our life and compare those areas to each other. Does this object deserve to be above that object, is that cause really the most important cause in my life, what about this object makes it the most import object in my life. Truthful and honest self analysis will start us down the path towards ending apathy in our life.

As a Christian how can I allow apathy into my life? I cannot, that is the simple answer. And if I do, then I become a hypocrite. For being a Christian is striving to be Christ-like and there is nothing about suppressing passions of my faith or showing a lack of interest that are Christ-like. We must not be like the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46), who Jesus asked to pray with Him for only an hour. Yet, they fell asleep and were not interested or concerned for the task at hand.

I speak as a modern day example of letting everything else get in the way. If we continue to move the Lord to the back of the line, apathy will set in our lives. Yet, how do I tell someone you need to live for the Lord will all your heart when I myself am not? What kind of witness am I being for the rest of the Church? After self analysis, I realized that I am that person that I had always complained about. So the question is, how do we fix the problem? What is the solution to the Apathetic  Hypocritical  Christian?

Here are the steps that I am trying to follow. Step one: I turned to the Lord and cried out for forgiveness for wasting His time and talents. Step two: Admit to some of the people that you have hurt the most the mistake that your have made. A person must have a close group of friends to keep them accountable. Step three: start stripping away the useless things in your life that you thought were more important than the Lord. The Lord is and will always be the number one thing in your life! Step four: push hard into the Lord every chance that your get. We as humans can never full grasp or get all of the Lord, but full understand that He can have all of us. So do your best to make sure that He gets all that you have. Final step: be fully aware that you fail at some point. You will stumble and fall. The Lord fully understands that we will make mistakes. That is why Jesus Christ died on the Cross of Calvary. When you make a mistake pick yourself up, talk with the Lord and keep moving. Do not wallow in self pity and give up.

Always remember this, "...Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more." Luke 12:48  We have all been given something and are expected to use those gifts that we are given.

**To the End of the Earth**

Red Beards

Well lets see if I can get this one a little more accurate then my last preview blog post. Sporting is coming off a huge come from behind win in Montreal and this coming up match is sure to be a big one as the Dynamo was the team that knocked Sporting out of last year's playoffs and kept them from going to the final against the LA Galaxy. Most of the players are saying that they are not looking for revenge, but I would like to think that they would be looking to prove that they are one of the top teams in the MLS.

Sporting is getting to that point in the season where they really have to get all the little slip ups and errors past them and have to just about be flawless in order to prove themselves and ensure that they get into the playoffs. I would like to think that this would be the match to do that, but really I think that the match against the Fire where they did everything right and still didn't win and then followed it up with a bad start against Montreal but then turned it around and came out of Montreal with what almost seemed like an easy three points.

I really expect Sporting to come out much like they have most of the season, but look at them to get into a passing groove very early and testing the Dynamo's back line and goal keeper who as a team have started doing better lately but for the most part have struggled this season and I look at this game to be a very dominating game much like it was against Chicago, but hopefully Peter Vermes has realized what needs to be done on the defensive end of the field as Jimmy Nielsen can only come up big so much and he has done more than his share this season and I only see him continuing to do it but the defense not taking games off will really help, it doesn't matter what type of game they are playing or how good the team is or isn't.

FIRE
Despite letting Sporting control most of the match, and by all means they did, the Fire played fairly well but their stand out player was by far Sean Johnson who continued to make save after save and to get a huge shut out for his team despite Sporting's best efforts to try and score. The rest of the team like I just mentioned pretty much let Sporting control the game, but at least you can say they made the most out of what they got and was able to get the lone goal from a perfectly executed counter-attack. Which with the way Sporting plays is the only way any team seems to get anything on Sporting. Well besides that fluke game against the Union.

SPORTING
Sporting has obviously noticed that they can be easily exposed to a well executed counter-attack and up to this point have been lucky most of the time to not have a team make Sporting pay and usually come up short themselves. The Fire is not a rival just because they are close. They have for a long time been a thorn in Sporting's/Wizard's side and if anybody is going to show Sporting where their weaknesses are it will surely be the Chicago Fire. Sporting played their game just like they do and did everything they could to win the game and for all reasons they really should of won the game but as we keep saying, that's why they play the game.

Let me first just say that I find it highly irritating that a USA team is having to play in Canada on the 4th of July! Now to what the actual post is suppose to be about. I am looking at Sporting changing some offensive things up a bit to give some of their top offensive players a break because they have to turn around and play again on Saturday against a team doing a little bit better then the Impact. The Impact has struggled defensively all season long and I think that even the reserves should be able to put enough pressure on the Impacts back line to create the chances that they need. Sporting's back line had a pretty decent game in their 1-0 loss to the Fire, but I am going to be looking to see if maybe one or two of the defensive members stay back a bit more to keep from getting burned on a counter attack much like what happened from the Fire. I am also expecting Sporting to get a little bit of revenge from losing to Montreal the first time they played each other this season and that was at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park. Look at Sporting to return the favor on this patriotic day that is our Independence Day.

Sporting came into this game after just getting stomped on by the Union and were looking to make somebody pay. Unfortunately the Dayton Dutch Lions were the next team to play Sporting in the quarter-finals of the US Open Cup. This game to me seemed a lot closer then the score indicated at the end of the match.

DUTCH LIONS
Personally I saw some really good combination play from the Dutch Lions and really thought that they were going to score earlier in the match to bring the game at the time to a 1-1 draw which could of seen them push even harder then they did to get a result, but the Sporting defense held their ground and the Dutch Lions defense was eventually worn down with the high powered offense that is Sporting and that would be the ultimate down fall of the Dutch Lions.

SPORTING KC
Definitely stepped it up from what had happened to them in Philadelphia after losing 4-0 to the Union. The offense came out firing pretty much like they do in every game, but the part that really stepped it up was the defense which has really seen an up and down season and only seem to step it up when it really matters which they really need to stop doing. The offense has been doing a good job at getting their shots which will see the goals come. The defense still leads the MLS in fewest shots allowed, but that was because at the beginning of the season they were so strong, but if they don't buckle down and get back to that then they will quickly rise up those charts and possibly struggle towards the end of the season when they should be getting ready to enter the playoffs.

Lets try to make this quick shall we? I believe... that we will win, I believe that we will win... Oh sorry I got side tracked there. I do believe that Sporting has a very good chance of winning this match up as they are still not over what happened in Philly against the Union and Tuesday was way too easy for them. Combine that with the this match up being against Chicago Fire which is pretty much like a rival and the last time Sporting played the Fire here was the home opener where it ended in a 0-0 draw and I'm sure Sporting would like to make up for that as well.

So this game should be a really good one and I foresee both teams getting on the board but hopefully Sporting will be getting on the board and with players like Kamara, Bunbury and Sapong all starting up top it is sure to be an exhausting night for the Chicago Fire back line.

I really hope that Sporting doesn't fall in this stage much like they did last year to the Richmond Kickers. They shouldn't as they seem to really want to keep advancing this year and you could possibly say are going for broke? With Collin out we will most likely see Olum and Warzych start or possibly see Cesar move back to defense from midfield where he has been playing most of his matches lately.

It should be a good match to watch and I also think it is safe to say won't be nearly the same weather as it was last year especially since it was raining cats and dogs last year and we saw a 40+ minute rain delay followed by Sporting losing 2-0 to the Kickers. Lets hope neither of those things happen in this match.

UNION
Philadelphia having only 4 wins this season were desperate to make something happen and seem to just come out for this game and do what Sporting has been good at most the year and that was put on the pressure early and never really back off and it paid off in a big way for them. Sporting just couldn't seem to get anything going and the Union took advantage of that the entire match and good on them. I'm sure there were a few things you could point out that weren't so good but win you win 4-0 over one of the top teams its kind of hard to notice those kinds of things.

SPORTING
Well what can you really say? Honestly there really didn't seem to be any strong points except for maybe Zusi looking somewhat decent. Normally this year if the defense has struggled the offense is able to help pick up the slack but this match nobody seemed to look good and there really wasn't even a stand out player. Just about everything looked awful, but the good thing about that is that it isn't an important game. In professional sports it is not always about how you lose, but when you lose and I really think that this couldn't of been a better time to lose for Sporting. Now they come back home and can focus on those recent misques and should be back to dominate form these next two matches which one match in definitely important and I would believe that the MLS match against the Chicago Fire is as equally important especially with the way the last match ended against the Fire.

Photo by Rod Mar of Seattle Sounders

This game pretty much turned out exactly how I expected it to include Sporting using quite a few different players then they normally use. My only guess is because if they lost then they had a reason in not using a full squad, but at the same time Sporting has to be smart as they also have a game on Saturday and then again on Monday and then another on the following Friday which means they play four games in just 10 days. With this line up I really think that Seattle should of done a lot better, but maybe Sporting is this team that everyboyd is hoping they are and now even their reserve players are able to step it up when called upon giving Sporting that depth that they have needed the last season.

SPORTING
Sporting did a good job putting a lot of pressure on Seattle's back line early even with not using their normal starters with the exception of Teal Bunbury who I think Seattle probably focused on a bit too much and left players like Soony Saad and Jacob Peterson to cause havoc. Peterson was able to score an early goal and then it seemed like the Sounders decided to start playing and started causing problems of their own and the Sporting defense that has seemed shaky of times lately started becoming shaky again with the exception of Collin who seems to step it up when needed too, but had to get himself into that mode quite quickly especially after Seattle was able to tie it up midway through the first half. The other stand out player on the defensive side of the field was Olum who didn't do a lot, but had the save of the game that ended up allowing Sporting to get the draw on the road.

SOUNDERS
Seattle who I think really should of won this match missed some really key oppurtunities as I think they really could of kept Sporting from scoring the loan early goal by marking everybody and not just Bunbury. The Sounders also missed out on scoring a second goal which meant that this game easily should of been 2-0 in the Sounders favor. Guess there is something to be said that Seattle was able to at least get the draw after going down so early to a Sporting team that in the last two matches have seemed to be overly luckily and not allow as many goals as really should of been scored.

What I'm looking for from Sporting is much of the same play obviously that we saw against Toronto FC, but I would really like to see some of the defensive lapses sured up as Seattle is a much better team even if they haven't won a MLS match in their last five matches to include a recent 4-1 loss to the Montreal Impact this past weekend. Although Seattle has a lot to prove especially being at home I think that Sporting has more to lose then Seattle does because I believe that more people are wanting Sporting to continue with the way they have been playing and if they really want to show that they are a possible MLS cup contender then they cannot leave Seattle with anything less then a draw.

Photo by Kory Briton for Sporting KC and Upper 90 Photography

Sporting KC and Toronto FC came into this match after both having an extended MLS break. Sporting had played more recently in their US Open Cup win over the Colorado Rapids, but the real story is Toronto FC came into this match with a brand new head coach after the team won just one game in their first 10 matches with the most recent match being a victory but it was obviously too little too late. Sporting pretty much had everything to lose, but would come out looking to dominate play and for the most part did that.

SPORTING
For all the dominating play that Sporting had there were also some moments that you could almost say that Toronto just as easily been in Sporting's position with the scoring. Sporting did miss a lot of their own chances and could of also easily won 5-0, but had to hold Toronto for most of the match as Toronto was doing everything they could to just get on the score board and Sporting's defense really in my opinion let the rest of the team down, but luckily the GK/Captain Nielsen and the goal post, yes both of them and in one shot, saved the defense from having to pick the ball out of the back of the net. I did think that Sporting's offense was on fire and besides the two goals that they did score could of easily had three more goals but that is why you play the game.

TORONTO FC
Wow! That is really all I wish I could say about this team in this match up, but then I wouldn't be much of a writer, for the little amount of a writer that I actually am, and so I will now tell you some of the things that I saw. I will come out and say that I did like the offense that Toronto was creating and they really should of scored and with a little bit better of a team they could of easily won this game. Its easy to see how they could of been this decent team to make it into the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League. For as good as they looked they looked equally if not more bad. Most of the shots they took were bad, although you could say that they just had a bad night with finishing their shots, but obviously it has been a problem for them otherwise they would have more than just one win now after playing 11 games and that does not include any draws as they don't have any others as well.

This game really, in the words of Toronto FC's new head coach "A tale of two halfs", but Toronto just couldn't get anything to go in their favor even when they get the onside call and are clearly offsides yet still bang the ball literally off both post and then in another instance get a break away and have Sporting's GK Nielsen make a shutout holding foot save that could of easily swung the momentum in Toronto's favor.

I make the turn off the highway and now both legs are seizing up. Now I know that I am in real trouble. I look up and the stop-light is green, but I have no real control over the speed of the car. My right foot just keeps bounces off the gas pedal. I make it through the light. Yes, one challenge down! Next, I see a car about a half a mile in front of me. This could be trouble given my current state. My seizure has now expanded to both legs and my right arm.

I am just using my left arm to keep the steering wheel straight. I have no control over either of my legs and over my right arm. Through Divine-intervention the road I am on is straight. The seizure to this point has lasted for about 2 minutes and then the seizure just stops. Now the fatigue sets in for the event that just took place. I am still slowly driving the Galaxie towards the house. Now I have to decided if it is best to stop and call my wife or not. Fearing the worst, I decide to press on and keep driving to the house.

I finally get the Galaxie safe and sound back to the house. Yet, the scary events of the road have left their mark on me and will not let me drive for at least six months. The next morning I tell my lovely wife the events of the night prior and about my stubborn refusal to call for help. That day I have to turn in my car keys and have been a passenger every since.

This is not my first time as a passenger along for the ride. This is my second or third time to sit on that side of the car. There is something different about this trip around the car, something that feels more permanent. Driving is always thought of as a right and not a privilege. Yet, I think this privilege has slipped my grasp.

I would like to leave you all with these thoughts to consider. Enjoy that first cruise of the summer with the windows down and the music up. Cherish the last drive of the fall with the windows down and your friends in the car. Treasure the times you think are normal, because normal is what you will miss the most. You will always say "Remember when..."

Red Beards

**To the Ends of the Earth**

Photo by Kory Briton for Sporting KC and Upper 90 Photography

Sporting came into this match probably more relaxed then they did against Orlando City, but that was because they were going up against another MLS squad in the Colorado Rapids. I'm not saying that they came into this match too relaxed because by the way they played it was obvious that they are after that cup and want to continue playing the way that they have while Colorado on the other hand is possibly a different story. I'm sure the Rapids didn't want to go out the way that they did, but I'm sure that Sporting had no problem sending them out with a 2-0 victory and advancing onto the quarter finals of the US Open Cup.

SPORTING KC
- Put on the field what would most likely be their normal starting line up with the exceptions of the players that were missing on international duty. More specifically the on the defensive side of the ball. Sporting started their normal GK in Jimmy Nielsen and all four of their normal starting defenders. With those five players on the field for defense for Sporting any team is going to have a hard time as most teams that Sporting has played with those five players in the line up just can't seem to fully break them.

-There are obviously a few things that Sporting could of worked on, but I would like to think that it is because they were using players that have not seen a lot of playing time and really for the most part I don't think that anybody could of asked for a better match from Sporting.

RAPIDS
- Fought and fought as hard as they could just to try and send this game into extra time, but like I mentioned before just couldn't seem to break through Sporting's defensive line as Collin really stepped up his game from the previous match and did a lot of shutting down.

- I am almost thinking that the Rapids could of won this game, but I just have this feeling that they really didn't care. They played like they did and if they happened to win then great, but if they lost then they didn't care because it wasn't a regular MLS match up. I hope for the Rapid's sake that is what is what happened otherwise they are going to be in for a long rest of the season if they continue to play like they did. Yes they had their chances but they were not finishing any of them.

XBLA Arcade of summer was also announced with great titles such as the redesign of Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD, Hybrid, Wreketeer and more. This fall is shaping up to be another great one for microsoft and all who are part of our family. Hard to type this as I'm in the middle of Nintendo's Briefing which looks fantastic with it's Wii U looking just great. Sony seems to be absent this year and with good reason. Just a hand full of games and hardly any announcements goes to show that it is slowly sinking away.

With what I see Nintendo is looking to reclaim the place that it held early in birth and once again become that powerhouse and I have to say it is looking to be that juggernaut it once was.  Stay tuned for my complete report from day 2 as it is finished. Whew what a day so far.

ORLANDO CITY
- Came out doing everything they could to possibly beat Sporting from the GK making some really incredible saves to Sporting's GK (Kempin) having to make some game saving blocks. Their offense especially stepped it up and really did try to score on several attempts and this game could of easily gone the other way.

- Despite how hard they tried they are just a USL Pro team and thus lack quite a bit of expensive. This team more so than others as Orlando City was really just founded in 2010 albeit from other club, but still they don't have a ton of experience on this team as most of the players currently on the team came from lower teams not MLS teams and are still just tying to play soccer somewhat professionally.

SPORTING KC
- Sporting put out a semi full squad from what they have been using regular season games but I really think that the whole team played like the MLS team that they have been and wanted to ensure that they got the victory for the 12,000+ crowd (Which is a huge number for a US Open Cup game on a Tuesday night) and didn't disappoint. Yes there were some moments that probably made everybody nervous, but Sporting stayed calmed and didn't let the pressure that Orlando was putting on them get to them even after they tied it up 1-1 and then later when they came back 2-3 against Sporting late.

- The defense I think really struggled in this game and made some really poor decisions in this match up. This game should not of been as close as the score indicated but for some reason the defense were struggling. That or Orlando City just has that good of an offense. Yes Orlando City has a decent offense, but Sporting's defense should be able to play a lot better then that especially since they started with three of the normal four starters and ended with four of the normal four defensive players.

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I think that this Sporting team could go really far and expect them to at least make it into the quarter-finals as they have to play Colorado Rapids next and this is sure to be another great game, but if Sporting can play like they did in this match up then it shouldn't be too difficult, but that is why the game is played right?

SPORTING
- As I mentioned before they pretty much came out firing on all cylinders and were two times the better team in the first half and with the way Sporting was playing in the first half the score could of easily been more than 2-0, but it was only 2-0 at half and Sporting was probably having a case of deja vu.

- Sporting never really let down at all during the match, unlike last week, but there definitely seem to be some sort of momentum swing towards the Earthquakes for a while and Sporting just couldn't seem to do anything to really contain San Jose completely and did allow a goal that quite frankly was placed perfectly and not much could of been done about it, but Sporting seem to keep it right there and not let the Earthquakes get too much more after that.

EARTHQUAKES
- Have to give them extreme credit for really stepping up for this game having just played the Galaxy less than a week ago. They did everything they possibly could in order to try and win this game. There was a short period that I was concerned that this match would end the exact same way as the previous match for Sporting and that would of been for the Earthquakes to get one more goal and to have this game end in a draw which would of been very disappointing for Sporting.

- As good as they did do, they also did that bad in the first half and it seemed like Sporting were completely controlling the flow of the game, but according to the stats it looked pretty even, but watching the game I'm sure everybody would of thought otherwise.

RAPIDS
- Have to give the Rapids credit for battling back with an early deficit like that and still being able to get some sort of result. There is something to be said about a team that can come back like that through out the course of a match, but lets not forget that the Rapids are just one season removed from winning the MLS cup themselves.

- Honestly with the way they battled back I look at it as Sporting took the early 2-0 lead and then went on the defensive and just tried to see if they could hold the Rapids off. Had Sporting of kept playing like they did in the first 15 minutes then I think the Rapids wouldn't of even had a chance to battle back like they ended up doing.

SPORTING
- Good on Sporting for getting up early for this game and from who else then Mr. Teal Bunbury who has really struggled of late and I'm sure people were really starting to question him, but he definitely did everything he could in this match to make sure Sporting got the result and for the first 15-20 minutes of the game I believe the rest of the team did, but the game isn't only 20 minutes long.

- I was seriously shocked to see Sporting go somewhat into a defensive shell after getting the 2-0 lead almost like they were afraid of running up the score. This is professional soccer and you are suppose to try and crush your opponents will for even tying to go up against you. I really think that if Sporting would of continued to pressure and play the same way that they did in the first 20 minutes that this game would of been no contest but I guess I shouldn't question Peter Vermes too much?

SCOTLAND
- Would like to point out that they did come to play and its not like they just rolled over and let USA beat them. They fought pretty hard through out the match but sometimes it just isn't your day and I firmly believe that this was one of those days for Scotland.

- Obviously you would like to think that they should of kept USA from scoring five goals through out the entire match up, but they just couldn't seem to do any thing to stop the USA. A good portion of the first half was pretty relaxed, but then the USA seemed to come out in the second half and just turn the afterburners on against Scotland.

USA
- I seriously couldn't not believe they way the USA side seemed to be playing and they seriously looked like a really good squad and could be set for some really good things in the near future and we all can only hope that something like this continues.

- People would like to take this game seriously but it also appears that Scotland is one of the lowest ranking (depending on how you would like to look at the FIFA and ELO rankings as I know several people that think both are a complete waste of time) teams that the USA has played recently and the game looked just like that as well.

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We will really see how serious this USMNT team is in their next match up as they play against Brazil who as everybody, even people that don't follow soccer know, is one of the top powerhouse teams in the world over the last several decades.