FC Tampa Bay Owner and President Andrew Nestor has confirmed that the club has signed 21-year-old Chinese forward Long Tan.
According to an online report, Tan had taken part in open tryouts for MLS’s Philadelphia Union, but did not get called back after the first round of workouts.
Tan played last summer for the USL’s Atlanta Blackhawks in the Premier Development League, scoring seven goals in 12 games for the club. He had previously played for Shanghai’s Pudong Zobon in the Chinese First Division, and according to the Blackhawks website, scored six goals in 16 games for the club in the 2008.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Friday, January 29, 2010
Preps: Sickles leads way on Wharton Invitational All-Tournament team
Sickles led the way with three players named to the Wharton Invitational All-Tournament team, defender Gil Davis and midfielders Matt Brown and Boris Simeunovic all being named when the list was released on Friday.
Brown scored both goals in the Gryphons 2-0 semifinal victory against King, and added an assist in the final against East Bay, while Davis led a defense that conceded only one goal in five games over the tournament.
Finalist East Bay and King each had a pair of players named, David Castillo and Miguel Cerveleon being honored for the Indians and Jacob Baker and Christopher Lewis honored for the Lions.
The full team is listed below:
Keenan Kushner, Wharton
Gil Davis, Sickles
Jacob Baker, King
Christopher Lewis, King
David Castillo, East Bay
Boris Simeunovic, Sickles
Joey Perfetto, Newsome
Matt Brown, Sickles
Miguel Cerveleon, East Bay
Kofi Forkuoh, Hillsborough
Esgar Montelongo, Plant City
Brown scored both goals in the Gryphons 2-0 semifinal victory against King, and added an assist in the final against East Bay, while Davis led a defense that conceded only one goal in five games over the tournament.
Finalist East Bay and King each had a pair of players named, David Castillo and Miguel Cerveleon being honored for the Indians and Jacob Baker and Christopher Lewis honored for the Lions.
The full team is listed below:
Keenan Kushner, Wharton
Gil Davis, Sickles
Jacob Baker, King
Christopher Lewis, King
David Castillo, East Bay
Boris Simeunovic, Sickles
Joey Perfetto, Newsome
Matt Brown, Sickles
Miguel Cerveleon, East Bay
Kofi Forkuoh, Hillsborough
Esgar Montelongo, Plant City
Preps: Plant shakes region hex, will face Palm Harbor
It took overtime, but Plant's run of disappointment in the region playoffs is over.
The Panthers girls advanced to the Class 6A-Region 2 semifinals last night, a header by Amy Werdine in overtime from and Ellen Moore corner kick giving them a 1-0 victory against. Countryside.
The St. Petersburg Times' Eduardo A. Encina was at the game, with both Werdine and Plant coach Steve McGill expressing their relief at finally making it through.
The Panthers' opponent on Tuesday, Palm Harbor University, also needed overtime to get past Bloomingdale, Catherine Brinkman giving the Hurricanes victory. The Times' Bryan Burns writes that the Hurricanes thought they got their toughest test this season from the Bulls.
Not every game was as thrilling as the area's two 6A quarterfinals. Newsome, for example, trounced Ocala Forest 7-0 as Liz Haumschild had a pair of goals and three assists for the Wolves in Class 5A-Region 2. The Wolves will get a rematch with district rival East Bay in the semifinals, Delaney Poli scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Springstead.
Freedom had as little trouble advancing into the Class 5A-Region 3 semifinals as they had winning the district title last Friday, The Times' Joey Knight writes, dispatching Manatee 5-0. The Patriots will now face Venice, who were held at bay for a half by Hillsborough goalkeeper Amber Davis before earning a 4-1 victory behind Kelly White's second half hat trick.
In the other half of that region, East Lake and Seminole will again face off after the Eagles defeated Largo 1-0 and the Warhawks routed Northeast 9-0.
Steinbrenner remained undefeated, but was made to work for its 4-2 win against Palmetto after the Tigers rallied back from a 3-0 deficit before CiCi Gonzalez put the game away with her 30th goal of the season, writes The Times' John C. Cotey. The Warriors will face another undefeated side in the region semifinals, as Lakewood Ranch blasted Robinson 9-1.
There were another pair of routs in Class 3A-Region 3 as Berkeley Prep needed just one half to defeat Frostproof 8-0, while Clearwater Central Catholic set up a district final rematch with a 9-1 win on the road at Lakeland McKeel.
Colby Maffei recorded another hat trick, giving her 44 goals for the season, as the Terrapins defeated Shorecrest Prep 3-0. The Terrapins will face Bradenton St. Stephen's in the semifinals after the Falcons defeated Indian Rocks Christian 5-1. St. Stephen's won 2-1 when the two sides met in the regular season.
The Panthers girls advanced to the Class 6A-Region 2 semifinals last night, a header by Amy Werdine in overtime from and Ellen Moore corner kick giving them a 1-0 victory against. Countryside.
The St. Petersburg Times' Eduardo A. Encina was at the game, with both Werdine and Plant coach Steve McGill expressing their relief at finally making it through.
The Panthers' opponent on Tuesday, Palm Harbor University, also needed overtime to get past Bloomingdale, Catherine Brinkman giving the Hurricanes victory. The Times' Bryan Burns writes that the Hurricanes thought they got their toughest test this season from the Bulls.
Not every game was as thrilling as the area's two 6A quarterfinals. Newsome, for example, trounced Ocala Forest 7-0 as Liz Haumschild had a pair of goals and three assists for the Wolves in Class 5A-Region 2. The Wolves will get a rematch with district rival East Bay in the semifinals, Delaney Poli scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Springstead.
Freedom had as little trouble advancing into the Class 5A-Region 3 semifinals as they had winning the district title last Friday, The Times' Joey Knight writes, dispatching Manatee 5-0. The Patriots will now face Venice, who were held at bay for a half by Hillsborough goalkeeper Amber Davis before earning a 4-1 victory behind Kelly White's second half hat trick.
In the other half of that region, East Lake and Seminole will again face off after the Eagles defeated Largo 1-0 and the Warhawks routed Northeast 9-0.
Steinbrenner remained undefeated, but was made to work for its 4-2 win against Palmetto after the Tigers rallied back from a 3-0 deficit before CiCi Gonzalez put the game away with her 30th goal of the season, writes The Times' John C. Cotey. The Warriors will face another undefeated side in the region semifinals, as Lakewood Ranch blasted Robinson 9-1.
There were another pair of routs in Class 3A-Region 3 as Berkeley Prep needed just one half to defeat Frostproof 8-0, while Clearwater Central Catholic set up a district final rematch with a 9-1 win on the road at Lakeland McKeel.
Colby Maffei recorded another hat trick, giving her 44 goals for the season, as the Terrapins defeated Shorecrest Prep 3-0. The Terrapins will face Bradenton St. Stephen's in the semifinals after the Falcons defeated Indian Rocks Christian 5-1. St. Stephen's won 2-1 when the two sides met in the regular season.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
A look at the Rowdies new signings
Not familiar with some of the names announced by the FC Tampa Bay Rowdies at their press conference on Wednesday? Here’s a look at the 13 players signed so far by the Rowdies.
Jason Beardsley, defender – The 20-year-old Englishman is a product of the Derby County youth system, but saw more playing time for Notts County, where he spent the 2008-09 season on loan, making 11 appearances in the league two in the League Cup.
Jeremy Christie, midfielder – An experienced international, Christie has made 20 appearances for the New Zealand national team, and is expected to be named to the country’s World Cup squad. Previously a captain of the New Zealand Under-17 team, Christie began his professional career in England with Barnsley. He then returned home to play in New Zealand, playing for two stints with the Australian A-League’s Wellington Phoenix in addition to a spell with the Perth Glory.
Adam Nowland, midfielder – Nowland made his professional debut aged 17 for Blackpool, and since then the 28-year-old has played for a number of English clubs. The most prominent of those was West Ham, with whom he spent just under a year before a 250,000 pound transfer to Nottingham Forest. He returned to Blackpool last summer on a non-contract basis, but was not retained by the club.
Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, forward – A former second-round pick of the Colorado Rapids in 2008, the former George Mason standout most recently played for FC Viikingit in the Finnish First Division where he scored four goals in nine games. With the Patriots, he scored nine goals and added seven assists in his senior season, earning All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team honors.
Dwight Barnett, forward – A third-round pick of the Chicago Fire in the 2008 draft, Barnett had a goal and two assists for the Montreal Impact in the USL First Division in 2008. He also previously played for the USL PDL’s Cape Cod Crusaders while in college, scoring 24 goals in 34 games for the club that as the Portland Phoenix will be a reserve team for the Rowdies.
Scott Buete, defender – A University of Maryland grad, Buete has experience at the MLS and USL Division 1 level, playing last season for the Charleston Battery where he scored three goals in 28 appearances. Buete began his career with the Chicago Fire, spending two seasons there, before signing with USL-1’s Atlanta Silverbacks for the 2006 season. Buete has also played in the MISL, since 2007 with the Baltimore Blast.
Yendry Diaz, defender – A former Cuban under-23 international, Diaz is maybe best known for his defection in Tampa during the 2008 North American Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The 22-year-old Diaz played last year for the Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Division 2, making 10 appearances.
Joe Donoho, defender – A Tampa native, Donoho was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2007 while at Bradley. At 6-foot-3, Donoho was a strong presence at center back in both of the Rowdies’ Tampa combines. A graduate of Jesuit, Donoho actually chose to play basketball for the Tigers, developing his soccer skills with the Tampa Kickers club (now RSL Florida).
Mozesh Gyorio, midfielder – A former Canadian under-20 international, Gyorio was born in Backatopola, Serbia before his parents moved to Prince Edward Island, Canada. Professionally, Gyorio previously spent time in Holland with NEC Nijmegan.
Aaron King, forward – A 2005 NSCAA Second-team All-American, the bulk of King’s professional career has been with the USL-1 Charleston Battery, with whom he scored 11 goals in 51 games over the 2007-08 seasons. After moving to the Carolina Railhawks for the 2009 season, King scored three goals in five games after a free transfer to Miami FC last season.
Pascal Milien, forward – A two-time Division II All-American at the University of Tampa, Milien led the Spartans with 12 goals and seven assists in 21 games as a senior. A native of Haiti, Milien moved to Auburndale when he was 15 and led the Bloodhounds to a state title in 2005.
John Raus, midfielder – A right-winger, Raus led Seton Hall with nine goals and eight assists in his senior season before beginning his professional career with Poland’s LKS Lomza, a second division side. More recently, Raus played for Fisher Athletic, a Blue Square South side in England, where he had six goals in 28 appearances.
Graham Tatters, defender – A native of Scotland, Tatters played college soccer for the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, redshirting his sophomore year when he was diagnosed with lymphoma before making a full recovery, detailed here by the Wilmington Star News. He turned professional last year with the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Second Division, making 13 appearances.
Jason Beardsley, defender – The 20-year-old Englishman is a product of the Derby County youth system, but saw more playing time for Notts County, where he spent the 2008-09 season on loan, making 11 appearances in the league two in the League Cup.
Jeremy Christie, midfielder – An experienced international, Christie has made 20 appearances for the New Zealand national team, and is expected to be named to the country’s World Cup squad. Previously a captain of the New Zealand Under-17 team, Christie began his professional career in England with Barnsley. He then returned home to play in New Zealand, playing for two stints with the Australian A-League’s Wellington Phoenix in addition to a spell with the Perth Glory.
Adam Nowland, midfielder – Nowland made his professional debut aged 17 for Blackpool, and since then the 28-year-old has played for a number of English clubs. The most prominent of those was West Ham, with whom he spent just under a year before a 250,000 pound transfer to Nottingham Forest. He returned to Blackpool last summer on a non-contract basis, but was not retained by the club.
Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, forward – A former second-round pick of the Colorado Rapids in 2008, the former George Mason standout most recently played for FC Viikingit in the Finnish First Division where he scored four goals in nine games. With the Patriots, he scored nine goals and added seven assists in his senior season, earning All-Colonial Athletic Association First Team honors.
Dwight Barnett, forward – A third-round pick of the Chicago Fire in the 2008 draft, Barnett had a goal and two assists for the Montreal Impact in the USL First Division in 2008. He also previously played for the USL PDL’s Cape Cod Crusaders while in college, scoring 24 goals in 34 games for the club that as the Portland Phoenix will be a reserve team for the Rowdies.
Scott Buete, defender – A University of Maryland grad, Buete has experience at the MLS and USL Division 1 level, playing last season for the Charleston Battery where he scored three goals in 28 appearances. Buete began his career with the Chicago Fire, spending two seasons there, before signing with USL-1’s Atlanta Silverbacks for the 2006 season. Buete has also played in the MISL, since 2007 with the Baltimore Blast.
Yendry Diaz, defender – A former Cuban under-23 international, Diaz is maybe best known for his defection in Tampa during the 2008 North American Olympic Qualifying Tournament. The 22-year-old Diaz played last year for the Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Division 2, making 10 appearances.
Joe Donoho, defender – A Tampa native, Donoho was the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year in 2007 while at Bradley. At 6-foot-3, Donoho was a strong presence at center back in both of the Rowdies’ Tampa combines. A graduate of Jesuit, Donoho actually chose to play basketball for the Tigers, developing his soccer skills with the Tampa Kickers club (now RSL Florida).
Mozesh Gyorio, midfielder – A former Canadian under-20 international, Gyorio was born in Backatopola, Serbia before his parents moved to Prince Edward Island, Canada. Professionally, Gyorio previously spent time in Holland with NEC Nijmegan.
Aaron King, forward – A 2005 NSCAA Second-team All-American, the bulk of King’s professional career has been with the USL-1 Charleston Battery, with whom he scored 11 goals in 51 games over the 2007-08 seasons. After moving to the Carolina Railhawks for the 2009 season, King scored three goals in five games after a free transfer to Miami FC last season.
Pascal Milien, forward – A two-time Division II All-American at the University of Tampa, Milien led the Spartans with 12 goals and seven assists in 21 games as a senior. A native of Haiti, Milien moved to Auburndale when he was 15 and led the Bloodhounds to a state title in 2005.
John Raus, midfielder – A right-winger, Raus led Seton Hall with nine goals and eight assists in his senior season before beginning his professional career with Poland’s LKS Lomza, a second division side. More recently, Raus played for Fisher Athletic, a Blue Square South side in England, where he had six goals in 28 appearances.
Graham Tatters, defender – A native of Scotland, Tatters played college soccer for the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, redshirting his sophomore year when he was diagnosed with lymphoma before making a full recovery, detailed here by the Wilmington Star News. He turned professional last year with the Wilmington Hammerheads of the USL Second Division, making 13 appearances.
Preps: Heaberlin's absence doesn't faze Berkeley girls
TAMPA – For some teams , losing a U.S. Under-17 International at what may be the most critical position on the field would be a devastating blow.
But Berkeley Prep’s girls soccer team is undaunted by the absence of Bryane Heaberlin, who is in Miami to train with the national team, because in back-up Morgan Orobello they feel they have a goalkeeper who is more than up to the task of helping them get to the state final four.
“Morgan was with us last year, and played five games for us,” Buccaneers coach Ken Roberts said. “And four of them were ranked teams. This year, she played three matches, and it was St. Pete Catholic, a 1-0 win, and Tampa Prep the first time around, a 1-0 win, so Morgan has the ability to keep us in a game just as much as Bryane does.”
The Buccaneers open the Class 3A-Region 3 tournament tonight against Frostproof at 7 p.m., and while Orobello said she was a little nervous after Wednesday’s practice, she believes she can get the job done for the side.
“I feel like (my teammates) think I can do it,” Orobello said. “I feel like I know I can do it.”
Of course, having players like sweeper N.D. Ubezonu, and defenders Taylor Richardson, Anne Kelly and Brooke Banning in front of her won’t hurt, Roberts adding that the side wouldn’t change anything as far as their approach to the game.
“We still expect to play the ball back to (Orobello’s) feet, she’s strong with her feet,” Roberts said. “We’ll keep everything status quo. We’re more worried in going into the playoff games about us, about how we play and playing our style than we are about what our opponents are going to do. If anybody thinks they’re going to get an opportunity on her, they’ve got to get by the whole team before they get to her.
“It’s a team game. It’s a team game on defense just like it’s a team game on offense. One kid doesn’t do it all, and one kid can’t do it all once you get to this point in the season.”
But Berkeley Prep’s girls soccer team is undaunted by the absence of Bryane Heaberlin, who is in Miami to train with the national team, because in back-up Morgan Orobello they feel they have a goalkeeper who is more than up to the task of helping them get to the state final four.
“Morgan was with us last year, and played five games for us,” Buccaneers coach Ken Roberts said. “And four of them were ranked teams. This year, she played three matches, and it was St. Pete Catholic, a 1-0 win, and Tampa Prep the first time around, a 1-0 win, so Morgan has the ability to keep us in a game just as much as Bryane does.”
The Buccaneers open the Class 3A-Region 3 tournament tonight against Frostproof at 7 p.m., and while Orobello said she was a little nervous after Wednesday’s practice, she believes she can get the job done for the side.
“I feel like (my teammates) think I can do it,” Orobello said. “I feel like I know I can do it.”
Of course, having players like sweeper N.D. Ubezonu, and defenders Taylor Richardson, Anne Kelly and Brooke Banning in front of her won’t hurt, Roberts adding that the side wouldn’t change anything as far as their approach to the game.
“We still expect to play the ball back to (Orobello’s) feet, she’s strong with her feet,” Roberts said. “We’ll keep everything status quo. We’re more worried in going into the playoff games about us, about how we play and playing our style than we are about what our opponents are going to do. If anybody thinks they’re going to get an opportunity on her, they’ve got to get by the whole team before they get to her.
“It’s a team game. It’s a team game on defense just like it’s a team game on offense. One kid doesn’t do it all, and one kid can’t do it all once you get to this point in the season.”
Rowdies Stadium to be built downtown?
Veteran Tampa Tribune and now TBO.com columnist Tom McEwan got some very interesting comments from FC Tampa Bay Rowdies owner David Laxer, who also owns the renowned Berns Steak House, in regard to the club's stadium plans in this piece.
McEwan quotes Laxer directly, the crucial part bolded for your reading pleasure:
“We are working closely with Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, sons of the Yankee owner, and Felix Lopez, Steinbrenner’s son-in-law. We think the setup will be wonderful and after a couple of seasons, we will move to a new facility to be built near the University of Tampa, in downtown Tampa. This is truly exciting,” said Laxer.
As tight-lipped as Andrew Nestor and all concerned with the Rowdies have been so far, this may be as big a revelation as you could hope for. What do you guys think of this idea?
McEwan quotes Laxer directly, the crucial part bolded for your reading pleasure:
“We are working closely with Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, sons of the Yankee owner, and Felix Lopez, Steinbrenner’s son-in-law. We think the setup will be wonderful and after a couple of seasons, we will move to a new facility to be built near the University of Tampa, in downtown Tampa. This is truly exciting,” said Laxer.
As tight-lipped as Andrew Nestor and all concerned with the Rowdies have been so far, this may be as big a revelation as you could hope for. What do you guys think of this idea?
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Preps: Roehn's first appeal of suspension denied, but process not over yet
Berkeley Prep standout T.J. Roehn has had his appeal of a three-week suspension for a red card against Lakeland George Jenkins denied by the FHSAA, but Roehn said late on Wednesday night that the appeals process was not over, and there was a chance he would be able to return in time for next week’s Class 3A-Region 3 tournament quarterfinals.
“There is a second level of appeal, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Roehn said. “We’re still working on it, it’s not over for sure yet.”
The second appeal should happen early next week ahead of Thursday’s region quarterfinals. The Buccaneers defeated St. Petersburg Catholic 9-1 in the Class 3A-10 tournament semifinals on Wednesday to earn a berth in the region tournament.
Roehn said he and fellow captains Jake Felman and Jordan Tannenbaum talked to the team before the game and emphasized the belief that the team was good enough without Roehn to still succeed.
“We basically just sat them down and talked to them, just told them how everything was on the line and how we could do it without me,” Roehn said. “I’ve heard talk around school and other people saying it wouldn’t be the same without me, but I told them that, and it brought them up, and they all stepped up, especially Theo (Wells), he had four goals tonight. I know they can do it without me, they just have to go for it.”
Should Roehn’s second appeal fail he would still become available if the Buccaneers were to reach the region final. Berkeley will face Clearwater Central Catholic for the district title on Friday night.
“There is a second level of appeal, and that’s what we’re trying to do,” Roehn said. “We’re still working on it, it’s not over for sure yet.”
The second appeal should happen early next week ahead of Thursday’s region quarterfinals. The Buccaneers defeated St. Petersburg Catholic 9-1 in the Class 3A-10 tournament semifinals on Wednesday to earn a berth in the region tournament.
Roehn said he and fellow captains Jake Felman and Jordan Tannenbaum talked to the team before the game and emphasized the belief that the team was good enough without Roehn to still succeed.
“We basically just sat them down and talked to them, just told them how everything was on the line and how we could do it without me,” Roehn said. “I’ve heard talk around school and other people saying it wouldn’t be the same without me, but I told them that, and it brought them up, and they all stepped up, especially Theo (Wells), he had four goals tonight. I know they can do it without me, they just have to go for it.”
Should Roehn’s second appeal fail he would still become available if the Buccaneers were to reach the region final. Berkeley will face Clearwater Central Catholic for the district title on Friday night.
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