Soccer By Ives

Ironmen's Opening Night

Guess who's back? Yes, I have to apologize for neglecting SBI all day today but it was a bit hectic, particularly tonight with the New Jersey Ironmen's home opener. I'm coming to you live from what seems like a mile above the field at Prudential Center and I must tell you it was a pretty fun night.

The Ironmen won, beating Detroit 8-6. Yes, pretty low-scoring for an indoor game, but the crowd was lively and the game itself is pretty fast-paced, even when the shots were mainly going wide or being saved by Tony Meola, who looked pretty good tonight.

The Empire Supporter's Club was in the house, providing hilarious songs and chants (A 'Just like the Metros' chant after the Ironmen gave up a goal was classic), though the group may not soon overcome b being outsung by the kids in attendance, which sang in full voice when the Spongebob Squarepants song came on.

It wasn't a complete sellout but it was a good sized crowd, many of which I feel came away feeling entertained. it was my first indoor game and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I spent the first half sitting behind one of the goals (and a few rows in front of the ESC) and it was a great vantage point for all that was going on.

Will the Ironmen be able to keep it up? That's the million-dollar question. I think they'll be able to draw some decent crowds because North Jersey soccer fans will find it hard to pass up the $8 tickets and fun gameday experience.

For those of you who want to know what the night was like, here is my column for the Herald News that will run in Sunday's paper:

Ironmen set to make home debut

 

If you are a New Jersey resident and have ever wondered what indoor soccer was all about, you will soon have your own team to watch.

The New Jersey Ironmen are set to make their home debut at the Prudential Center in Newark on Saturday night (7:30pm). Brazilian legend Pele will be in attendance and the team is expecting a sellout crowd for the opener.

Here is my feature in today's Herald News on the Ironmen's home opener.

I have never been to an indoor game before and have really never watched an indoor game on TV, but I will be at the Prudential Center on Saturday to experience it for the first time.

The Ironmen are off to a 3-1 start and look to be on of the top teams in the 10-team Major Indoor Soccer League.

Will you be going to the Ironmen home opener? Have you been to a indoor game before? Are you completely oblivious to the indoor game? Share your thoughts on the Ironmen's home opener and indoor soccer below.

Jose Angulo close to choosing MLS

Former high school All-American and St. Benedict's Prep standout Jose Angulo is very close to deciding on signing with Major League Soccer ahead of the 2008 MLS Draft in January.

According to sources close to Angulo, the left-footed striker has received strong interest from a top team in Italy but concerns about his citizenship status in MLS have Angulo leaning toward signing with MLS.

Szetela earns first start for Racing

Clifton native and U.S. Under-20 national team standout Danny Szetela earned his first official start for Spanish club Racing de Santander on Wednesday. He played 65 minutes in Racing's scoreless tie against Malaga in the fourth round of Copa Del Rey.

The start is a promising development for the former Columbus Crew midfielder, who hadn't made an appearance yet in a first team match since signing with Racing in August. The start on Wednesday is made even more significant by the fact that Racing had most of their top starters in the lineup for the match.

He may not have scored a goal, or played a full 90 minutes, but it is certainly a start.

What do you think of this news? Share your thoughts below.

Ian Joyce signs with Watford

Seton Hall alum and Don Bosco Prep product Ian Joyce has signed a contract with English club Watford FC. Joyce will join fellow American Jay DeMerit on the team currently running away with first place in the English Championship.

Joyce, who played for Seton Hall in 2006, spent time with English Conference squad Gray's Athletic before signing with Watford.

I saw Joyce play in high school a few times for Don Bosco Prep. He's about 6-foot-3 with good reflexes but was a bit on the skinny side at Seton Hall. Not sure if he's filled out or what but he's certainly a good young goalkeeping prospect who could join Watford in the EPL come August if he impresses enough in the spring.

Spotlight: St. John's midfielder Nelson Becerra

Hello all. For those of you who didn't see it, I wrote a profile on St. John's midfielder Nelson Becerra for the Herald News. It's a pretty interesting story on a kid who could eventually emerge as the next top midfielder to come from North Jersey.

Enjoy and share any feedback you'd like.

TGIF: On MLS Trades

Good morning all, it's a busy day for yours truly. I'm wrapping up my ESPN column and heading to my alma mater, Ramapo College, to speak to a class.

I wasn't going to forget TGIF though, and here it is. The topic is MLS trades. My ESPN column, which should be up later today, focused on the five most lopsided trades of the 2007 MLS season. Now lopsided might make you think of these big blockbuster trades, but I use the term to describe trades that worked out far more for one side than the other.

The deal with Giuseppe Rossi

Will he or won't he? That seems to be the hot question surrounding whether Giuseppe Rossi will actually consider playing for the U.S. national team and change his mind about playing for Italy.

Why the sudden spark in interest? It comes on the heels of Bob Bradley admitting that Rossi has been contacted about the possibility of playing for the United States. Here's the thing. There isn't much to this story aside from the admission that U.S. Soccer has been in touch with Rossi.

Szetela misses out on debut

 

Danny Szetela did not make the team sheet for Racing de Santander's match against Villarreal today. The former Crew midfielder is getting over a flu. He has yet to make his debut for Racing since joining from Major League Soccer last month but is expected to be in uniform soon.

Szetela also missed out on a reunion of sorts with childhood teammate, fellow Clifton native and Villarreal striker Giuseppe Rossi, who earned the start for Villarreal.

A better version of Giusfredi's long-range goal

Okay folks, I know most of you have already seen it but if you'd like to see a better quality video clip of Eliseo Giusfredi's goal from the midfield stripe, here it is. The clip starts with the post-goal celebration, which is a bit weird, but the actual goal comes up right after. Enjoy.

My column on Eliseo Giusfredi

Good morning folks. For those of you who haven't seen it yet, here is my column in today's Herald News on Seton Hall star Eliseo Giusfredi.

If you missed my post this weekend, here is the clip of Giusfredi's game-winning goal from near the midfield stripe.

Is the kid for real? The short answer is yes.

Video of Eliseo Giusfredi's goal from the midfield stripe

In case you missed the post earlier this week, Seton Hall forward and Paterson resident Eliseo Giusfredi scored a game-winning goal against Princeton on Monday that has to be seen to be believed.

Giusfredi midfield blast lifts Seton Hall

Eliseo Giusfredi has been Seton Hall's go-to goal scorer this season but even his teammates couldn't have imagined what he would do on Monday night.

The Paterson resident and Seton Hall junior took a back pass from the opposite side of the midfield stripe and blasted a 60-yard shot past the Princeton goalkeeper to give Seton Hall a 4-3 victory on Monday night. Props for MLSNET.com's Dylan Butler for pointing this out to me.

Giusfredi is only a junior but he's told SBI that he plans on turning pro after this season. MLS is a possibility but he could also return to South America. The Argentina native has the tools as a forward to be a first-round draft pick if he signs with MLS.

Szetela introduced at Racing

Clifton native Danny Szetela was presented to the fans of Racing de Santander today after completing his move to the Spanish club. Szetela should be available for the club's next match, on Sept. 16th against Levante.

Here is my column on Szetela's decision to sign for Racing in today's Herald News. I will try to get in touch with Szetela when he returns to the United States to sort out his move so look out for a story on his first impressions of Spain in the near future.

Szetela speaks

Danny Szetela will depart for Spain on Saturday to have his physical and finish off all details of his transfer move to Racing de Santander.

I spoke to Szetela Friday night and he is equally excited and relieved that this whole transfer saga is over.

Here is some of what he had to say:

Szetela to sign with Spanish Club Racing Santander

Danny Szetela is heading to Spain.

After Nearly two months of transfer speculation and negotiations, the Columbus Crew midfielder has passed up offers from Roma and Newcastle (among others) to play for Spanish First Division side Racing de Santander.

The Herald News has learned that Szetela has signed a three-year deal with the Northern Spain-based club, which began the La Liga season in solid fashion by tying Barcelona last weekend. Racing de Santander finished in 10th place in La Liga last season.

Szetela's days with the Crew are over

Danny Szetela has played his last game for the Columbus Crew.

No, he hasn't made a decision yet on which European offer he is accepting but all the teams in line to sign Szetela have agreed to the $150,000 transfer fee for his services, a fee that will send him to Europe by this weekend.

Szetela's decision imminent

   

Danny Szetela has not signed with Roma, Brescia or even new player Newcastle United. At least not yet.

Conflicting reports have the Clifton-born midfielder headed to everywhere from Rome to England but as of early this evening Szetela has yet to sign a deal with anybody. Sources close to Szetela insist that the Columbus Crew midfielder has yet to decide where he will move to next, but will decide by early tomorrow.

Szetela to Brescia?

Word is trickling down early this morning that Clifton native and Columbus Crew midfielder Danny Szetela is set to sign with Italian Serie B side Brescia. There are conflicting accounts about this situation, with sources placing Szetela in Italy while other sources say no deal is done yet. What is clear at this point is that Szetela's transfer future will be determined in the next 24 hours.

A source close to Szetela still insists that no deal has been agreed to yet and that Szetela is still considering options from England, Italy and Spain. With just one more European business day to make a deal during the summer transfer window, Szetela doesn't have much time left to make a decision.

Meola to sign with Newark Ironmen

Former MetroStars and Red Bulls goalkeeper Tony Meola is ready to play soccer again in New Jersey.

Meola is set to sign a deal to play for the New Jersey Ironmen of the Major Indoor Soccer League. No word on the terms of the deal have been released yet but the team is expected to announce the deal on Tuesday.

Meola spent the 2006 with the Red Bulls, posting a 2-9-9 record in his last of 11 MLS seasons. He finished his MLS career as the all-time leader in shutouts (68) and saves (1136).

The Ironmen kick off their inaugural season on Dec. 1st at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The latest on Szetela's Roma move

As you know by now the Herald News was the first to report that Clifton native Danny Szetela had reached an agreement with AS Roma on a transfer. Here is an update on the deal:

AS Roma is set to sign Danny Szetela to a three-year contract worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.2 to 1.5 million, which doesn't include the housing and car he will also receive from the Italian club. The details of the move have been finalized and, at this point, all that remains is for Szetela to fly to Rome to sign the deal.

As for the AP report stating that MLS was still a serious player in talks with Szetela, don't buy it. MLS was never going to come close to offering anywhere near what Roma offered but Szetela's representatives did still meet with MLS as a courtesy. It should also be noted that Szetela leaving for Italy during the summer transfer window is still a possibility, assuming Columbus and Roma can reach an agreement on a small transfer fee. I thought Szetela would stay for the rest of the 2007 season but that isn't a guarantee at this point.

If you're wondering why there were denials about a deal following the Herald News report, part of that had to do with Roma not wanting word of the deal to leak out before having Szetela signed to a contract. This was due in no small part to arch-rival Lazio also being in the running for Szetela. As it stands, Lazio did not come through with a comparable offer.

That is all for now.

Red Bulls to announce practice facility in Hanover

The Red Bulls are set to announce plans to build their permanent practice facility in Hanover, New Jersey. No word yet on a target completion date.

Hanover, located in Morris County, is near Florham Park, where sources say the team had originally planned to build a facility.

An announcement is expected later today.

Szetela to sign with Roma

Clifton native and Columbus Crew midfielder Danny Szetela has reached a contract agreement with Serie A power AS Roma and will join Roma once his MLS contract expires on Dec. 31st.

Szetela still has to go to Italy to sign the deal, which should take place in the next week or so.

Clifton native Giuseppe Rossi moving to Villareal

 

Clifton native Giuseppe Rossi has been sold by Manchester United to Spanish club Villareal for an undisclosed fee. Reports out of England have the transfer fee at approximately $14 million, which would be the highest transfer fee ever paid for an American-born player.

Villareal beat out Italian clubs Parma and AC Milan for the services of the 20-year-old striker, who will head to Spain on Wednesday to complete his move.

Rossi scored nine goals in a half season with Parma while on loan from Manchester United, helping Parma avoid relegation.

Rossi, who spent the first 14 years of his life living in Clifton, New Jersey, joins Chilean playmaker Matias Fernandez as two top-flight youngsters on a Villareal squad that will look to adjust to life without Diego Forlan and Juan Riquelme, who is expected to depart this summer.

What do you think of the move? Share your thoughts below.

Angulo in Colombia

Former St. Benedict's Prep star Jose Angulo's quest to become a professional soccer player has taken him to Colombia, where he is in the midst of a month-long training stint with Atletico Junior, the club his father starred for more than two decades ago.

Angulo is training under the watchful eye of Atletico Junior assistant coach Carlos Valderrama, who is a life-long friend and former teammate of Angulo's father.

Angulo, 19, will return to the United States in about a week and expects to make a decision on his pro career in the near future. Europe, MLS and South America are all possibilities for the left-footed striker.

Options growing for Szetela

 

Consider Danny Szetela's time in MLS close to over.

The Clifton native and Columbus Crew midfielder opened some eyes and increased interest in his services by scoring the U.S. Under-20 national team's lone goal in its 1-1 tie against South Korea on Saturday.

Currently in the last year of his original MLS contract, Szetela became free to sign a pre-contract as of July 1st and potential suitors are beginning to line up.

Who has expressed interest so far? Parma, Galatasaray and Glasgow Rangers are three top teams to have expressed interest in the 20-year-old midfielder. No English teams have yet to express formal interest, that includes Everton, the team that came close to signing Szetela before he chose MLS four years ago.

Another surprising absence among the interested parties is MLS itself. The league has yet to approach Szetela about a new contract, a rare situation for a U.S. youth national team player. Part of the reason for a lack of interest in re-signing Szetela is Crew coach Sigi Schmid's less than enthusiastic belief in Szetela as a serious prospect worth the kind of money he would be seeking. Schmid most telling statement came a few months ago when he told me "Danny could wind up in Europe, he could wind up in the A-League," when asked about what the U-20 World Cup meant for Szetela.

I'll keep you posted as new teams join the list of clubs interested in Szetela. There will be plenty of eyes watching the U.S. team's next two matches, against Poland and Brazil, so you could see that list grow considerably if he can put together some solid performances.

Red Bulls to sign Karcz

After clearing roster space by parting ways with three defenders on Thursday, the Red Bulls are set to sign Clifton native and former Rutgers forward Chris Karcz to a deal. I haven't received word yet on the type of deal he is being signed to but odds are he will slide into the developmental roster spot vacated by Hugh McDonald.

Karcz has spent the past two months training with the Red Bulls and secured a deal after proving that he was capable of staying healthy. Karcz has suffered three torn ACLs, including one a year ago, but has managed to stay healthy and has impressed Red Bulls coaches with his skill and work ethic at the forward position.

The signing ends a two-year saga for Karcz, who was drafted by the Chicago Fire in 2005 only to have a turn ACL end his chances of catching on with the Fire. After some failed trials in Europe, and a third ACL tear, Karcz's pro prospects looked bleak until the Red Bulls gave him a chance this spring.

The two remaining roster spots will be used to sign two new defenders, with Tony Sanneh, Chris Leitch and Mariano Fernandez in the mix to be signed.

Jose Angulo's next MLS Stop: Columbus

Jose Angulo, who is in the midst of a week-long training stint, has lined up his next MLS training stint. The destination is none other than Columbus. He will be joining the Crew later this month for a training, where he'll take the field alongside fellow Jersey products Danny Szetela and Eddie Gaven.

As I stated in the post about his training stint with New England, Angulo cannot be signed directly by an MLS team. As a player straight out of high school, Angulo must go through the MLS Draft, and must actually sign a pre-draft deal with MLS before even being eligible for the draft. If he can impress New England and Columbus coaches it will make landing an MLS contract that much easier.

Jose Angulo training with New England Revolution

Jose Angulo’s quest for a professional soccer contract has brought him to New England, where the former St. Benedict’s star and long-time Passaic County resident is training with the New England Revolution.

Angulo went through his first training session with the Revs on Tuesday morning and will spend the week with the club. The training stint is not a trial, because MLS rules prevent New England from signing a player directly out of high school.

Angulo, who is preparing to travel to Italy later this month to play in showcase tournaments with the hopes of securing a contract with a European club, has left open the possibility of signing with Major League Soccer and making himself available for the 2008 MLS Draft.

"I want to open the door to that possibility,” said Angulo, a Parade All-American at St. Benedict’s. “I still plan on going to Europe but I’m not going to rule anything out."

The training stint with New England comes less than a month after a disappointing one-day training stint with the Red Bulls. Angulo spent just 45 minutes training with the Red Bulls before having to cut his session short with blisters on both feet. Red Bulls sources said the team wasn’t impressed with his fitness and basically didn’t invite him back.

If Angulo can impress New England it would put him in position to earn a contract offer from MLS, which would make him eligible for the 2008 MLS Draft if he accepted. At this point, Angulo still has every intention of going to Europe to try and land a contract with a top club.

Angulo has kept busy in recent weeks. He just helped the Sport Boys Paterson Under-19 team win the New Jersey State Cup last Sunday, scoring both goals in the final. The 19-year-old striker recorded 32 goals and 17 assists in leading St. Benedict’s Prep to an undefeated season and No. 1 national ranking last fall.

My feature on Chris Karcz in today's Herald News

Hello all, I'm back after my recovery from knocking out the biggest Q&A session to date. I really appreciate you all contributing to that.

Here's my feature in Red Bulls trialist and former Clifton High star Chris Karcz in today's Herald News. For those of you who don't know I covered Karcz in high school and at Rutgers and he really is a testament to perseverance. He is closing in on a developmental deal with the Red Bulls after three pretty grueling years worth of injury setbacks. It's a story definitely worth reading (and not just because I wrote it.)

Not a great first day at Red Bull training for Angulo

As you may have read by now in my Jose Angulo story from today's Herald News, Angulo trained with the Red Bulls today. Unfortunately, his training session didn't last very long.

After some warm-up drills and running Angulo walked off the field after about 45 minutes with blisters on both feet. The combination of super-hot temperatures on the turf field at Montclair State coupled with Angulo not having played in months resulted in a painful and quiet exit from practice.

I did find out that Angulo will be competing in a showcase tournament in Italy next month. He will be joining an area select team that will be competing in Rome in an event that many top European scouts will attend. It will be his chance to show what he can do and to secure a contract.

Now some of you might have been wondering about the Red Bulls' chances of landing Angulo if he wanted to stay home. Well, the chances aren't good. I spoke with MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis today and he basically stated that if the league were to sign Angulo he would have to go into a lottery, meaning Angulo wouldn't be assured of going to the Red Bulls. This will change soon, with the new player development initatives that are going to be kicking in next year, but Angulo was never a part of the Red Bull youth system so he wouldn't have been able to sign directly with the Red Bulls even under the new guidelines.

I wouldn't bet on Angulo seriously considering MLS at this point anyway. He has seen former teammates land deals in Europe and many observers, me included, believe he has more talent than any of them. Whether he can translate that talent into a successful pro career is remains to be seen.

As for some other tidbits. Yes, he wants to play for the US national team. He has a green card and has submitted an application for citizenship, which means he can travel out of the country while it is being processed. I talked to Angulo after training and he said he would try to come back on Thursday. I'll be there to let you all know how he does.

My story on Angulo turning pro

For those of you who didn't stay up last night to here the news, St. Benedict's star and high-school All-American Jose Angulo will forgo his chance at a college playing career in order to pursue a professional contract. Here is my Herald News article on Angulo's decision.

Angulo counts Arsenal, Roma, Lazio and Hannover 96 among the first teams to express some interest, a group that should increase once he goes abroad and meets with more clubs.

Before Angulo embarks on his European mission he will spend some time training with the Red Bulls. I'm not sure how long the stint is for, but he will be with the team this week. The training stint will allow Red Bulls a closer look at him but I am pretty sure MLS guidelines would prevent the Red Bulls from trying to sign him since he has yet to graduate from high school. He would likely have to wait until January's MLS Draft in 2008, although the league might have changed the rules (they are, after all, written in pencil).

Angulo currently has his green card and is in the process of securing his citizenship. He sounds dedicated to becoming a member of the U.S. national team mix so add him to the list of solid prospects in the current U-20 age group. He won't have a chance to be in the current U-20 set-up for this summer's World Championships but if he lands somewhere in Europe and plays well he could eventually make a push for an Olympic team place in 2008. He just turned 19 so his career really is just beginning.

He's easily one of the five best high school players I have ever seen and probably the best striker. It will definitely be interesting to see where in Europe he winds up.

Jose Angulo turning pro

All-American St. Benedict's striker Jose Angulo won't be playing soccer in college. He will be taking his deadly left foot and bag of tricks to the pros. Angulo has signed with an agent and is about to pursue a career in Europe.

I know some of you are wondering about Angulo's national team status. He wants to play for the US national team and is in the process of securing his citizenship.

I won't get into any more details. You can read the rest on Wednesday morning (including which European clubs are in the mix). I know you Red Bulls fans are probably disappointed this wasn't related to your team but there is some Red Bull related info in the story.

For those of you who want to read a little more about Angulo I have attached a story on Angulo that I wrote back in October of 2005. It sheds some light into his background.

Enjoy:

Breaking news on a local star coming soon

I hate to be a tease but I figured I would give you die-hard SBI readers a heads up. I have a breaking story coming late tonight regarding an area soccer player. I won't say who it is or what it is about but I will say that some of you will have your curiosities fed.

Stay tuned....

Rossi scores late winner for Parma

Clifton native Giuseppe Rossi delivered another key goal for Parma, scoring a 90th minute winner to give Parma a 1-0 victory against Livorno.

I know some of you hate the kid because he chose not to play for the United States but Rossi is still American and still a Jersey kid, born and raised. Nobody can deny that, not even him.

George Zoffinger quits in the midst of ethics violation

George Zoffinger, the man regarded by area soccer fans as the sports public enemy No. 1, has resigned as head of the NJSEA.

The man repeatedly identified as the biggest opponent of the Red Bulls/MetroStars attempts to secure a stadium, Zoffinger is retiring and says he will plans to stay on his newly-purchased farm and raise horses, sheep and the like.

The potential ethics charge in question involves the fact that his son is a lawyer for a firm that represents the NJSEA and bills the NJSEA more than a million dollars a year. It actually doesn't sound like Zoffinger is guilty of anything here but you know what people say about karma.

The most amazing quote from the story regarding his resignation is his comments about how New Jersey politics have gotten too nasty:

"Politics in New Jersey is getting to be very nasty," Zoffinger said. "Who wants to be a part of it?"

WOW. This is the same man who personally submarined the MetroStars' attempts to land a stadium deal on more than one occasion.

Seton Hall's Giusfredi staying in school

Even when I'm trying to take a day off some soccer news seems to find me. I'm at the Kenneth Cole outlet in Secaucus when who do I see strolling in but Seton Hall sophomore forward and All Big-East selection Eliseo Giusfredi. I have done a few stories on him, including one last month about the possibility of him turning pro.

Giusfredi informed me that he is coming back to Seton Hall for one more season rather than taking his chances in either Argentina or with MLS. If all goes well for him at Seton Hall next year he will go pro after the 2007 college season.

For those of you who don't know much about him, Giusfredi is a super skillful forward whose technical ability was honed in the famed River Plate youth system. MLS would be wise to find a way to sign him for the 2008 draft. Unfortunately, if I were a betting man, and I am, I would put some coin on him going back to Argentina and landing a deal there when the time comes.