LISC U14 Boys European Tour 2009

Sociology- a lesson in human behavior

2009-07-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

Wikipedia's definition of Sociology is "a branch of the social sciences that uses systematic methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop and refine a body of knowledge about human social structure and activity, sometimes with the goal of applying such knowledge to the pursuit of social welfare. Its subject matter ranges from the micro level of face-to-face interaction to the macro level of societies at large." The simple definition, "the study of social human behavior." Yes, you can get your Doctorate degree in Sociology, but I'm not going there. There must, however, be hundreds of lessons learned on this trip and one of the greatest will have been simply learned observing the interaction of others. Of course one of our first is our parents, and I'm convinced it was as hard or harder for the parents than the boys as many experienced their first separation anxiety from home. There's the foundation of 'trust and validate' that the players put in their Coach as they left the US, and the same if not greater that the Coach put in a tested and proven relationship on the other side of the world to provide the essentials of life, like a place of rest and food...and that could not have gone any smoother! Thank you Sven-Erik!! There's the culmination of 50,000 people from 62 nations in one stadium with things they cannot change like their birth place and color; along with things they can, like where they live, the language they choose to speak and how they choose to interact. Of course we saw some who chose to live a little different, and those whose job it was to be a little different (Stephan new best friend). But the single thing that brought us all together on this journey was the love and passion for 'futbol', or as we call it in the US, 'soccer'. Another one of the lessons learned was how 'interactive' football is at a world-class level. Our lack of aggressiveness was pointed out by the referee in our last game of the Dana Cup as a lesson we had yet to learn; or more appropriately, yet to apply. Yes, this was evidenced on its own when fighting for all you're worth because of a distinct advantage one must overcome, like height, when playing a team like Norway's Teie (Yes, that's a player between Diamond and Saul and no, the Teie player between Cian and Jon is not on anyone's back). But there's also the communication/ interaction required of any sport between the Coach and its players to convey that message, and in a way that builds up the players without breaking their spirit.

But even with two games a day, that's only 4-6 hours a day of 'soccer'. There's almost 20 additional hours of social interaction after the games and with those from other teams. Take for instance the evening when we were wrapping up ice cream on a grassy hill and some Swedish girls were going back to their dorm. Swedish girls would all appear to be natural blondes, have a particular fetish for American boys and as we quickly learned, LOVE Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We also learned how our boys have yet to master our national anthem while they could almost sing theirs in perfect harmony?! But that didn't stop them from exchanging their 'good nights' and even the distribution of an LISC business card so they could keep in touch (I have yet to link the video of them singing). Just like there were pictures after every game with the two boy's teams mixed together, there were as many interactions with boys and girls. Of course not all interactions were in groups. Joey, for instance, had a pair of Swedish girls, Belle & Moah, that took a liking to him. If you're looking ahead faster than you're reading, you're likely asking where the Chaperones were on this one. Well I assure you it was all controlled and in the open and yes, there's a reason why there were so many photos. Stephan's camera was acting up and he insisted they repose for another take. You counted right, there were three takes after it was all said and done and the best I can tell, Stephan and Joey were not in kahootz.

A neat encouragement of social interaction in Gothenburg, Sweden was designated zones, maybe 6' x 6' square, with a sign posted promoting a particular behavior. As an example, there was a 'byte-zone' or swap zone intended to encourage the trading of an iPod for a chicken. Ya, it took me a little bit to figure it all out, but you get the idea :-). Here's another, a 'kram zon' or hug-zone; and how better to demonstrate than a mother and her son. Okay, you're right...you're still thinking about Joey. One of my favorite interactions had to be between Denise, a blonde, and the cutest little girl named Gabrielle while at Alvsborg Fortress. Gabrielle's cute laughter at herself is seen here after asking Denise if she spoke English. The only problem, as her father brought to her attention, was she was asking it in Swedish?!

Of course there were several other language barriers and cultural differences that just disappeared. Take for instance the interaction among our team alone representing the nations of Bosnia, Greece, Hong Kong, Zambia and the Ivory Coast. Then add the close quarters of a classroom with cots lined up next to one another like Sardines, different metabolism rates and maturity levels and what could have been a recipe for disaster, became a huge team building experience. The language barrier sure didn't create any problems as our boys were racing arcade games with the girls from Norway?! Nor did it affect the interaction between the Swedish girls and our boys on the ferry ride from Gothenburg to Fredricksburg. Or even greater, the apparel swapped among Saul and Wiley and the Zambian Eagles who went on to win the Gothia Cup B14 class. Or bigger yet, the relocation of a family of Italians from Italy who opened a WONDERFUL Pizzeria in Hirtshals, Denmark. Not only did they experience a huge cultural change, but the Chef even gave up his personal dinner that night so Mac could have his appetizer.

Not all interactions were international. Many were with other American teams like the 365 Teams that only came together a couple weeks before the tournament, yet from all different States of the Union. Which really is summarized and memorialized on our US coinage with the latin phrase "e pluribus unum" meaning out of many comes one. We experienced this during the Opening Ceremony at the Gothia Cup, the Opening Parade at the Dana Cup and probably really 'hit me' while walking through the bunkers of Hirtshal and talking with one of the volunteers. He shared with us how thankful he was for his freedom because of what the Allies did for him and his people in World War II. He summarized it as 'taking a stand for freedom and what is right, and then being willing to fight for it, even to death' as he reminded us that there are still Danes fighting in Afghanistan for people we don't even know just so they can have what we have. So as we wrap up two weeks of World-class Football, I'm disappointed that we didn't win a Cup, but full of the greatest appreciation for those who have given their 'all' to make this trip happen...the founders of the tournaments, the organizers, the volunteers, the parents, the players, the coaches, the referees and citizens. But, I also go to bed tonight with a much deeper and greater appreciation for our soldiers because they not only have given their 'all', but too many have given the ultimate sacrifice so we could be here today competing. To have won a Cup and not learned this lessen would have been worthless. However, to have not earned a Cup, but learned this lesson I deem 'priceless'. Take this to heart and live it to the fullest and you will not be returning home empty handed, but instead still return home champions!!

TEK

Dana Cup game 5 Thu am 7-23

2009-07-23T02:25:00.000-07:00

The playoff game(game 5) ends with the usual team gathering at the center of the field. LISC did not advance.

Cian Wingo cuts a pass from the attack and starts the counter attack.

Wiley Jones puts the ball downfield to the other LISC players even with pressure from all sides.

George Voulgaris prepares to switch fields.

Tarik Koric passes the ball forward with Joey Lund(right) supporting.

Dana Cup game 5 Thu am 7-23

2009-07-23T02:21:00.000-07:00

Joey Lund just before he crashes for the ball. He won the ball.

Zach Moore(left) wins the 50-50 ball and drops to Brennan Kraft(right).

Freddie Stavins gets ahead of the defense.

Mac Leverenz passes the ball before the pressure gets a chance to cut the ball.

Paul Seeley changes course to continue the attack.

Dana Cup game 5 Thu am 7-23

2009-07-23T02:17:00.000-07:00

Paul Seeley heads the ball away from the attackers.

Saul Downie keeps close control of the ball.

Patrick Wong(facing) prepares for a run while Mac Leverenz(2) and Saul Downie(7) advance.

Brennan Kraft closes space on the attacker.

Diamond Williams(11) splits the defense with the support of Tarik Koric.

Dana Cup game 5 Thu am 7-23

2009-07-23T02:14:00.000-07:00

Malik Bridgewater sprints with the ball up the sideline.

Joel Shea drops out the pass to continue the attack.

Dennis Freeman contends for the ball.

Andy Drackley (goal keeper) routinely stops a shot and puts down field for the counter attack.

Both teams greet at the start of the game.

Dana Cup game 3 Wed am 7-22 LISC v Teie IF

2009-07-22T14:43:00.000-07:00

LISC(orange) v Teie IF(blue) with the total team photo at the end of the match. Teie IF wins this contest. Height differences are very evident here.

Dana Cup game 3 Wed am 7-22 LISC v Teie IF

2009-07-22T14:38:00.000-07:00

Cian Wingo moves into position to take number 11 out of the play for a quick pass.

Cian Wingo sends the ball over to Wiley Jones(right).

Diamond Williams(11) cuts the ball from the attacker.

Wiley Jones(14) moves into position defensively to support Cian Wingo(8).

Joel Shea prepares for a header while George Voulgaris(15) moves in to support.

Dana Cup game 3 Wed am 7-22 LISC v Teie IF

2009-07-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Wiley Jones kicks it into high gears to win the ball.

Joey Lund contends for the ball to slow the attack.

Mac Leverenz under complete control moves the ball out of our defensive area.

Zach Moore (13) takes a quick look before crossing the ball into the box.

Saul Downie cuts the ball from the attack and looks for players downfield to play to.

Dana Cup game 3 Wed am 7-22 LISC v Teie IF

2009-07-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

Freddie Stavins prepares to send the ball up to the mid field.

John Muwana on the break away.

LISC team defends a corner kick. They did not score!

Brennan Kraft on the defensive header.

Dennis Freeman takes a quick look for support as he advances the ball forward.

Dana Cup game 3 Wed am 7-22 LISC v Teie IF

2009-07-22T14:20:00.000-07:00

Malik Bridgewater sends a header up towards his support.

George Voulgaris fakes the defense and moves ahead at full pace.

Diamond Williams(11) shows some fancy footwork.

Malik Bridgewater contends for a 50-50 ball. He wins it.

Diamond Williams keeps control of the ball just before passig up.

Dana Cup game 3 Wed am 7-22 LISC v Teie IF

2009-07-22T14:15:00.000-07:00

Paul Seeley given a hand up by his team mates after a strong defensive stand.

Patrick Wong (16) on a break away.

Tarik Koric goes up for a defensive header with strong support.

Malik Bridgewater puts a full lean into his throw in to Diamond Williams.

Teams with the start of the game greeting.

Dana Cup game 3 Wed am 7-22 LISC v Teie IF

2009-07-22T10:22:00.000-07:00

Paul Seeley given a hand up after a strong defensive stand.

Patrick Wong (16) on a break away.

Tarik Koric on the defensive header.

Malik Bridgewater(21) putting it all on the line for a strong throw in.

Both teams on the opening game greeting.

Dana Cup game 4 Wed pm 7-22 LISC v St. Christopher (Kenya)

2009-07-22T02:12:00.000-07:00

LISC and St. Christpher (Kenya) meet in the middle of the field for a team picture. LISC wins.

Wiley Jones(with ball) gains control.

Dana Cup game 4 Wed pm 7-22 LISC v St. Christopher (Kenya)

2009-07-22T02:07:00.000-07:00

George Voulgaris(15) sets up to switch fields as Diamond Williams(11) supports.

Brennan Kraft after his goal.

Freddie Stavins cuts the ball from the defender.

Cian Wingo(8) heads the ball to John Muwana(left).

Freddie Stavins(22) gets into the mix for the ball while Cian Wingo supports.

Dana Cup game 4 Wed pm 7-22 LISC v St. Christopher (Kenya)

2009-07-22T02:03:00.000-07:00

Malik Bridgewater(21) approaches a loose ball.

Joel Shea takes control of the ball.

Mac Leverenz(2) fires a shot.

Dennis Freeman(17-left) heads the ball back into play with LISC support.

Zach Moore turns inside toward the goal.

Dana Cup game 4 Wed pm 7-22 LISC v St. Christopher (Kenya)

2009-07-22T01:58:00.000-07:00

George Voulgaris(15) prepares for a cross.

Saul Downie(with ball) moves from pressure while Diamond Williams(11) and Dennis Freeman(back) support.

Diamond Williams goes for the ball while Joel Shea(19) supports.

John Muwana moves the ball into attacking territory.

Dana Cup game 2 Tue 7-21 LISC v Varegg Nordness

2009-07-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

Diamond Williams-right- and John Muwana-right- contend for the loose ball.

Both teams pose for a group picture. Varegg Nordness wins.

Saul Downie-right- and Mac Leverenz-2- and John Muwana-right- on the attack.

Patrick Wong switching directions on the attack.

Tarik Koric goes up for the header as John Muwana-33- Diamond Williams-11- Saul Downie-2nd from right- and Patrick Wong-right support.

Dana Cup game 2 Tue 7-21 LISC v Varegg Nordness

2009-07-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

Zach Moore-13- challenging for the ball while Diamond Williams-right- and John Muwana-left- support.

Andy Drackley sends the ball back into play.

Freddie Stavins-left-Tarik Koric-20- and Mac Leverenz-2- close the attacker down.

Mac Leverenz goes up for the header.

Brennan Kraft-18- wins the header.

Dana Cup game 2 Tue 7-21 LISC v Varegg Nordness

2009-07-21T07:07:00.000-07:00

Dennis Freeman takes control of the ball.

Diamond Williams-with ball- Saul Downie supporting.

George Voulgaris with the slide tackle.

Saul Downie moving the ball from pressure.

Both teams meeting before the second match between them. This one counts for the Dana Cup.

Dana Cup game 1 Tue 7-21 LISC v Pors Grenland

2009-07-21T04:36:00.000-07:00

Both Teams gather at the end of the contest. LISC(orange) v Pors Grenland(blue) . Pors Grenland wins.

Joey Lund with the ball as Freddie Stavins(left) and Dennis Freeman(center) support.

George Voulgaris takes the ball forward with little resistance.

Freddie Stavins(right) and Mac Leverenz(left) switch as the defense trys to follow.

Dana Cup game 1 Tue 7-21 LISC v Pors Grenland

2009-07-21T04:30:00.000-07:00

Tarik Koric(right) follows the play.

Diamond Williams creates confusion in the defense with his quick movement.

John Muwana prepares to go up for the header.

Wiley Jones keeps his eye on the ball before heading it defensively.

Dennis Freeman puts the ball back into play.

Dana Cup game 1 Tue 7-21 LISC v Pors Grenland

2009-07-21T04:25:00.000-07:00

Cian Wingo moves into position.

Zach Moore(13) contends for a 50-50 ball.

Patrick Wong advances the ball outpacing the defense.

Brennan Kraft(center) sets to receive the ball from the air.

Tarik Koric pushes the ball just out of reach from the defense while Patrick Wong(16) supports.

Dana Cup Game 1 Tue 7-21 LISC v Pors Grenland

2009-07-21T04:22:00.000-07:00

Andy Drackley starts the play with a goal kick.

Saul Downie keeps the ball close as he moves between the defensive players.

Mac Leverenz crashes during a header.

The team prepares to take the field.

The coin toss and team greeting starts the contest.

Dana Cup mini game 2 Mon 7/20 LISC v Varegg B14 of Norway

2009-07-20T23:19:00.000-07:00

Zach Moore prepares to send the ball into the box.

Andy Drackley keeps the goal from being scored. A steel wall he is.

Dana Cup mini game 2 Mon 7/20 LISC v Varegg B14 of Norway

2009-07-20T23:16:00.001-07:00

George Voulgaris heads the ball.

Joey Lund-5-heads the ball.

Malik Bridgwater brings the ball forward.

Freddie Stavins-22- wins the ball.

Saul Downie-7- looks to send the ball forward to Dennis Freeman.

Dana Cup mini game 2 Mon 7/20 LISC v Varegg B14 of Norway

2009-07-20T23:16:00.000-07:00

Tarik Koric-20- moves the ball forward.

Zach Moore-13- supports Brennan Kraft-18 as he gains control of the loose ball.

Mac Leverenz clears the ball.

Joel Shea passes the ball past the defender.

Dana Cup mini game 2 Mon 7/20 LISC v Varegg B14 of Norway

2009-07-20T23:11:00.000-07:00

Andy Drackley-goal keeper- puts the ball back into play

John Muwana positions himself to stop the attack.

Patrick Wong heads the ball while other LISC members prepare to recieve it.

Wiley Jones-with the ball- gets support from Diamond Williams-11- and Tarik Koric-right.

Mac Leverenz-2-watches Dennis Freeman start the play with a throw in.

Denmark- Hirtshals, Hjorring & Parade/Opening Ceremony

2009-07-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

I'll add a little more text later, but here is Denmark from a few different perspectives. Hirtshals, the city where the parents are staying, is about 17 Km (10 miles) North of Hjorring. A vacation (Holiday) spot for the Danish, a port city to the North Sea as well as a collection of bunkers from the days of Hitler.

A sign ot just a "round about", but a "double laned round about". Granted, nothing compared to the 5 lanes around the Arch of Triumph in Paris, but still the opportunity for multiple fender benders.

Downtown Hjorring. Here is the laundry brigade. The cleaning crew of the Fyrklit ended up using every available washing machine in Hirtshals to complete the laundry in one night for the 18 players. They were most embarrassed at the 92 Kg of laundry and commented that they had never done that much before at one time. The cost of $600 to complete embarrassed us just as much?!

Pictured walking away in the blue and towards the world flags is John Robert Larsen, the founder of the Dana Cup and Tournament Manager, now in its 28th year.

Parade and Opening Ceremony- Everyone loves a parade and the this was not exception! Everyone in the town gets in the action. The older generation comes to watch the parade. Generation X is competing and marching in the parade and Generationg Y is selling to them all! Here is a little more elaborate 'lemonade stand', but they are on the right path!

The parade was opened up with a Danish marching band and there was another one about midway through from Norway.

Our players were right behind Germany along with the other US team that marched in the parade from North Carolina. Venezula brought up the end of the 30 minute walk that was a little more than a mile in length.

The group Alien Beat Club performed a free concert that was a great mix of genre from all around the world.

The school the boys are staying is more modern, all on one level and in one building...showers, meals and the sleeping room.

And to finish off the day was the end of the rainbow. I imagine the 'other end' is in Illinois based on the weather forecast for the coming day.

TEK

Dana Cup mini game 1 Sun 7/19 LISC v New Battle of England

2009-07-19T23:11:00.000-07:00

Both teams meet before the game.

Patrick Wong-with the ball- splits the defenders with a pass to Dennis Freeman-17.

John Muwana wins the ball and looks downfield to advance the ball.

Mac Leverenz wins the 50-50 ball and advances it forward.

Dana Cup mini game 1 Sun 7/19 LISC v New Battle of England

2009-07-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

Tarik Koric pressures the attacker while Diamond Williams postions.

Brennan Kraft sends the ball down field.

Dennis Freeman advances the ball.

Saul Downie-left- drops the ball back to Joey Lund-right.

Freddie Stavins-left- and Saul Downie-right- set up to defend a throw in.

Dana Cup mini game 1 Sun 7/19 LISC v New Battle of England

2009-07-19T23:02:00.000-07:00

Coach Wingo talks witht the team at halftime.

Diamond Williams-11- crosses the ball.

George Voulgaris heads the ball to Joey Lund-left.

Wiley Jones passes the ball to John Muwana-33.

Joel Shea moves the ball past defenders to cross into the center.

Dana Cup mini game 1 Sun 7/19 LISC v New Battle of England

2009-07-19T22:58:00.000-07:00

Cian Wingo 8 touches the ball up to Zach Moore-right.

Tarik Koric-facing- starts the game with a touch to Zach Moore-13.

Diamond Williams-with the ball- moves in for the attack.

LISC team prepares to take the field.

Both teams meet before the game begins.

On to Denmark’s Dana Cup via StenaLine Ferry

2009-07-19T03:23:00.000-07:00

After celebrating for the Class 15 Girls of Real So Cal, an American team from Calabasas, CA, as they took the stage to receive their gold medals and the G15 Gothia Cup, we watched the Class 15 Boys final game between Norway and Sweden. A very competitive game showing that even with at least a visible 8” difference in height advantage of the Swedish, it is truly skill and teamwork that makes the difference as they tied 2-2 and went into PK shoot out. Final score was 4-7 after PK with the Swedish making all of their strikes under a heavy downfall of rain. We now leave a beautiful county, both the scenery and the people, and are off to Denmark via motor coach and on to the dock where we travel the North Sea via a 3-hour StenaLine ferry (www.stenaline.com) to Fredrikshavn, Denmark.
Dana Cup is Denmark’s largest sporting event and the world’s 3rd largest, but most ‘international’ youth soccer tournament with 850 teams from 45 different nations. The Dana Cup was established 27 years ago as a subsidiary to the women’s soccer club Fortuna Hjorring and the profits from the tournament go to benefit the youth portion of the club. Their Mission statement is to “offer experiences to active people from all around the world, based on sports and cultural events.” More than 16,000 soccer players, plus family, coaches and referees will converge on the town of Hjorring, Denmark during the week to essentially double the town’s population of 25,000. The 179 specialty shops of Hjorring, Vendsyssel’s largest commercial town, have made special arrangements to be open Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm and until 8 pm Monday. In addition there is a special bus service every 30 minutes to the shopping mall Metropol with 35 shops, a fitness center, an internationally recognized library and restaurants. Sunday they will also host the Circus Nietski.
We will begin with an Extra Cup, essentially two extra friendly games, before the Dana Cup. Our first game is Sunday at 5:00 against New Battle England, the other Monday at 11:00 versing Varreg of Norway. The Dan Cup begins Tuesday with 90 teams in our Class Boys 15, five in our Group 03 comprising of Norway & Kenya. The boys realize fully the competitiveness of participating in a World Class soccer tournament. They watched the Final game of the Gothia Cup while sitting in the seats of the stadium they had hoped to be playing on the pitch. I have heard it from many of the players now…they are ready to play in the stadium and walk across the red carpet to receive the B15 Dana Cup! Follow us at www.danacup.com

We have checked into the Feiercenter Fyrklit in Southwest Hirtshals, Denmark; about 17 Km North of Hjorring and right on the coast. It is a beautiful vacation, they call ‘holiday’, resort with kitchenettes, 3 pools, water slide, a miniature golf course, laundry mat and activity center. Careful though, unlike in the US, the residents of this resort get to do all the work that we so often take for granted, like bedding your mattresses, making your breakfast and clearing your tables. The temperatures are much cooler, problably only a high of 60 degress, but our spirits are high and we are ready for the week!

The Fortress- Nya Älvsborgs Fästning & Maritiman Museum

2009-07-18T18:17:00.001-07:00

With the extra time the boys had a lot they wanted to do. But with any group of almost 30, they were as many options as there were individuals. They solution was relatively simple; decifer what they wanted to do with when they wanted to do it and overlay that with when it was available to be done. Our execution become much more complicated as some who chose to watch the Nigerians play learned it was at field much futher away and not by the Heden Center where others thought they could meet up with other teams (girls). In addition the time to catch the tram was fast approaching, just as the departure time of the boat to the Fortress. In the end it all worked out well and over the two days all of the boys got to experience what they wanted to see.

The Nya or ‘New’ Alvsborgs Fortress was built in the middle 17th century to replace the original built in the 14th century, but is nothing but ruins now. However, out sleuthing boys were able to find a few artifacts and interesting tidbits in and around the curtain walls. The fort was built as a first line of defense to protect Sweden, but also Gothenburg, from invaders off the North Sea. Even though on two occasions the Danes conquered the fort and Sweden had to pay dearly to recover it. At one point it was even used as a prison, though the rumored ‘torture chambers’ were never to be found or proven on our voyage. The Governor’s home has been beautifully preserved and it is currently owned by the State and since 2007, Stromma Turism & Sjofart AB (or National Property Board) has had operations of the fort and the boat traffic to & from the fort.

The Maritiman Museum is the largest collection of Swedish vessels that opened its doors to the public in 1987. Over the years, the fleet has gradually changed to the current configuration of ships, boats, barges and a submarine of both military and civilian types. Maritiman is operated as a private foundation, which in addition to entrance fees, is dependent on its partners, government, municipalities and industry. There are 20 vessels to walk and crawl through and even areas to enjoy lunch, relax, watch a video and/or operate the dials and valves. A few of the notable boats include the Lightship No 29 FLADEN built in 1915 as a floating light house before light houses were permanent structures on the shorelines. The largest preserved warship in Scandinavia is the Destroyer HMS SMALAND built in 1952 at Eriksbergs Mekaniska Verkstad, right in Gothenberg. We saw the old delapidated ship yard on the way to the Fortress, but it is now part of an extensive land reclamation program for a variety of housing and light commercial real estate development. We scoured almost every inch of the destroyer from bow to stern including the forecastles (large gun turrets), the depths of the two engine rooms, the upper bridge and sleeping quarters. The large number of manicans and rooms with recordings made you feel as if you were at war. And of course, one can hardly visit a maritime museum without traversing a submarine. No, they're not Michael Phelps and I don't think they will pass for a human torpedo. but I’m sure you wouldn’t be able to do that in the US.

As we wrapped up the Maritiman Museum, a quick run through the Alvrummet where they had a brief history of Gothenburg and the metro area. The most facinating was a 1:400 scale model of the area along the river and Inon Vallgraven (the walled area inside the moat). As mentioned earlier in this post, you can see the Ericksberg crane used for ship building. The beige wooden structures are current buildings already built. The white sytrofoam buildings are those planned for the next 5-10 years. You can learn more at http://www.alvstranden.com/images/uploads/file/alvrummet_klimat_09_lag.pdf, but I think you get the idea and probably have a greater appreciate why nothing looks run down in Sweden...everything has a plan before it gets to that state. And there's probably no better time than now to throw in this picture. It's the trash can in our hotel room, however most places there's not just 1 receptacle, there is almost always three?! Needless to say it would put our minds in a spin to throw a piece of gum away! Is it other, or because it is wrapped in paper, paper???? No sleep lost on this one, but I did find it a little over the top even for my anal brain.

All in all a great time to review a little history, learn a little Swedish culture and a experience a tremendous overview of naval ship configurations. On to Denmark!

Nya Älvsborgs fästning - Old Fort

2009-07-17T11:46:00.000-07:00

Most of the LISC players on a tour of the old fort.

The old fort was part of the sightseeing tour for the team.

(yes, the fort.)

Coach's Corner VI - Game 4

2009-07-17T01:44:00.000-07:00

The confidence that we carried from the Kungsbacka game was more substantial, more resilient than that which we had gained from our 5-0 debut. This had been a severe test, and we had passed in all respects but for the final score. Our impression of the magnitue of our achievement was confirmed by several of the Swedish spectators, who by now had sufficiently adopted our cause so as to be fairly called our fans. None of them had expected a smaller, younger American team to contend with one of the strongest teams in the region, and they were sincere in offering us their heartiest congratulations.
Our reward for this achievement was to play the other "titan" among southern Swedish clubs: Onsala BK. Onsala has a tradition of dominating the regional leagues at the youth level, frequently 'feeding' its best players to the larger metropolitan clubs. It currently boasts two players on the Swedish Under-16 national team. This was a formidable foe indeed.
We returned to our school after the morning game against Kungsbacka, ate lunch, and rested for nearly two hours before riding the train back to Inlag. Spirits were high. We seemed to have adopted the right approach. This was a challenge to be welcomed, not feared. These were the games in which we could gain the very best assessment of our real improvement. This would be a competition in the truest sense of the word - two teams striving together to bring out the very best in one another.
The script by now must seem wearisome to you readers. As we lined up for the pre-game handshake, our players were on average half a foot shorter than their internationally experienced opponents. We could be very thankful that it was a soccer match, and not a tug-of-war that we had agreed to contend.
We opted for the same line-up as the morning's game, counting especially again on the strength of our back four to gain us a legitimate foothold in the game. They did not let us down. George and Patrick proved the equals of any of the battering rams thrown against us centrally. But Onsala were more varied in their approach than Kungsbacka had been. Once they saw that things would not be as simple knocking our front wall down, they entertained a second option. With tricky wingers on both flanks, they began to isolate and attack our outside backs. Brennen was not flustered, and his assured defending increasingly forced Onsala to try our right side. Malik held the fort until receiving a knock on his hand that required Freddie to enter as a sub. John was put in at that side of the midfield to help as well, and did a great job both cutting off entry into the Onsala wingers, as well as calmly distributing the ball out of trouble from that side when it was won by us.
This game was also not the hesitant tactical affair of the earlier match in the day. Both teams were committing players forward in hopes of getting that all important first goal. Dennis found space along our right flank and beat his defender several times to deliver dangerous crosses that were just cut out by the Onsala goalkeeper. Tarik managed to knock down a few aerial services; one of these was strongly met by Mac, whose shot was accurate but saved. Tarik then showed the other side of his skills, using turns on his defender and well-timed runs into spaces to gain us more chances. A deflected shot from one of those chances fell to Joey, but would not sit up enough for Joey to meet as brightly as he normally does. At the other end, Andy was twice forced to bravely intercept a through ball before it could be met by a sprinting Onsala forward. Neither collision diminished his resolve to continue. Later he fisted out a dangerous low cross that was headed for an unmarked attacker at his far post. We held firm. The game was completely level. There was nothing to choose from between the two teams.
The scoreless draw meant we headed directly into a penalty shootout. This, of course, is soccer's perverse version of a lottery, where neither victor nor loser ever feel quite deserving of the title. My distaste for these arbitrary skill contests is such that I will not comment much upon the details, other than to say that the moment proved too great for our nerves, and we could not overcome our two misses. Onsala advanced 4-3 in the shootout.
The Onsala coach was both reluctant in accepting congratulations for winning in this manner, and effusive in his praise of our spirit and skill. Tears were promptly shed.
It seems a pervasive rule of life that we are most passionate about those things which carry the most risk of devastating us. Or, perhaps more precisely, our greatest passions carry with them the risk of bringing us our greatest disappointments. Soccer was the conduit through which we were reminded of that lesson today.
We had finished the tournament both undefeated, and unscored upon. Maybe unfair, perhaps even tragic, but also strangely uplifting and definitely galvanizing. For this is the other side of passion: when you choose to approach something you love with the desire this team now approaches its soccer, and when together you give everything you've got not for your own aggrandizement, but for the sake of the other 17 warriors at your side, when you have become a part of something bigger than you could ever become yourself, then you have achieved real satisfaction, a lasting fulfillment.
The boys recognized this quickly. We spent the best night yet together at the school. In between games of hangman and trivia, we spoke about the meaning of our achievement. We had advanced farther than any other U.S. team in our age group. We had played on even terms with the best Europe had to offer. We had reached a critical moment: would we allow this to be the culmination of all we had first embarked upon last summer? No, we decided instead that we were only now beginning to understand and feel what it meant to be a real team, and we were eager to see how much farther that might take us. On to Denmark ......

LISC 0 Onsala BK 0

Shots (on goal): LISC 11 (6) Onsala BK 11 (6)

Onsala BK advance 4-3 on penalty kicks

2009-07-16T16:51:00.001-07:00

Coach's Corner V - Game 3

2009-07-16T07:33:00.000-07:00

The results of the first two match days guaranteed our passage into the "A" playoffs, thus ensuring that we had met our first goal in this tournament. But we clearly wanted more. With a win against Kungsbacka IF, we could win our group, and gain two advantages: a small trophy, and a weaker 2nd place finisher as our first opponent in the knockout playoffs.
The day started off with a steady drizzle, as most in Gothenburg have this week, before the sun reluctantly accepts its invitation to appear around mid-morning. We had benefitted from a good night's rest, and didn't mind having to arise at 6:30 am to make it to the game in time. The rain was beginning to let up by our arrival at Inlag, but the improved visibility was most unwelcome, because it offered us a clear glimpse of the home side: Kungsbacka IF. I may have been mistaken in calling the Alvsjo players "spruces", for that leaves little room to describe the lads from Kungsbacka. Not only tall, but chiseled, this was a mature team with, as we later learned, a reputation for being a consistent contender in the youth league of southern Sweden.
I felt it was time to adjust to circumstances. We had to match like-for-like at least in front of our goal, so the back line was reconfigured to include (from right to left) Malik/Freddie, Patrick, George, and Brennen. Their courage and cohesiveness were exemplary. Kungsbacka were obviously used to playing directly and often aerially in to their forward duo, and with 12 goals to their credit in their first two games, no one could argue with the logic of continuing that approach. But our back four were resolute, and no aerial service went unchallenged. If I could remind everyone of the meager display we gave in the air when we first played in the Milwaukee tournament last August, the improvement in our challenges for headers since then would be enough to bring a flush of pride, as it did me in watching this game. Our midfield stayed tightly organized as well, leaving few second balls to be won. Mac was restoring his confidence from game 1, distributing the ball efficiently and patiently. Diamond was frustrating their entire left flank with his tireless ball-winning. But perhaps most inspirational of all was Saul's effort, raising repeated cheers from his bench as he took down (fairly) players literally three times his size on a number of occasions.
Along the front Dennis, Joey, Zach, and Joel ran their socks off to help us defend as well as provide wide options on the attack. Tarik was his usual relentless force, making the Kungsbacka central defenders work harder than they wanted and even forcing a mistake or two.
And all of the above might have been for nought without a great save made by Andy in only the 3rd minute, deftly turning a 30 yard laser heading for the top corner over the crossbar. That shot was a clear indication that the quality of this opposition was in a different category altogether than those we had played before, but it was also a call to our team that Andy expected no let up in the fortress we had established in front of our goal.
The game ebbed and flowed, with good possession soccer from both sides, but very few clear chances created. The frustration of the Kungsbacka forwards was an inspiration to us, but we could not find a way through ourselves. After playing the best defense I have ever seen from our team, all that effort seemed unfairly forfeited when Kungsbacka were granted a penalty three minutes from time after we challenged for a 50-50 ball near the edge of our area. I suppose we'll never know whether Andy's previous heroics had anything to do with the Kungsbacka shot being pulled wide, but it seemed imminently fair that our boys be rewarded with at least a point for such stellar display.
The result places us second in our group, matched against the 1st place finisher from Group 53. There is no doubt that another step in the maturation of this team was reached today.

LISC 0 Kungsbacka IF 0

Shots (on goal): LISC 5 (1) Kungsbacka IF 3(2)

Coach's Corner IV - Game 2

2009-07-16T06:06:00.000-07:00

After our first game, we found ourselves sitting in second place in our group, trailing the leaders Kunsbacka IF by goal difference (+7 to +5). We would have to maintain that position to reach our goal of qualifying for the "A" playoffs.
There are debates that rage about what a coach's job actually comprises. Some feel coaches should only teach. Others would add "motivate", "analyse", and "discipline" to the list. The one thing I am sure all coaches would include is "worry". Just as players can always rationalize their mistakes and omissions no matter how devastating the consequences, so too can coaches always find a reason to agonize no matter how well things seem to be going.
Such was the state of my mind on the second game day. The previous day's big win had left our boys buoyant, and I was very proud of course, but I hoped we weren't expecting such an easy time the rest of the way. It did not help my state of mind to know that the boys were aware that today's opponent had been beaten by 7 goals in their first game. The situation provided fertile ground for complacency to grow. It didn't help my concern that the night before the team had reveled in the joyous opening ceremony, capping the late evening off with a moonlit ice cream picnic in the park neighboring the school. By the next morning, they were still swooning from the magic of the previous night more than they seemed to be focused on the day's task.
I decided to try to inject a dose of reality by taking the team to the Heden Center to see a showcase game in their group between IF Brommapojkarna of Sweden and FC Praha of the Czech Republic. The Swedish team were dazzling. Speed and technical proficiency at every position were combined with collective movement that created gaping paths through the Czech defense at every turn and in every part of the field. It seemed that every Swedish position created a real threat to the Czech goal. Moreover, every chance thus created was efficiently placed on goal. Only the heroic efforts of the Czech keeper prevented the score from being more lopsided than the final 8-0. This was what we had come to see, and to have a chance to play against. I hoped that the boys recognized it would take a better effort than that of the day before to earn such a chance. I hoped the boys recognized that the Swedes had shown us how well I expect us to play one day.
We returned to Inlag, and repeated our routine of the day before. Today's opponent were Alvsjo AIK FF, a large club from Stockholm. They too had their share of "Swedish spruces", tall and robust fellows, but they also had a nifty if small central midfield #10 who unsettled us with his dribbling forays. We were clearly the more skilled team overall, but as opposed to the day before, our play was more selfish and disorganized. Apparently expecting the easy game I dreaded we'd expect, we repeatedy held the ball longer than necessary. We were no longer willing to trust our teammates by playing the ball to spaces, often being punished by loss of possession when the in the same situations a day earlier we would have found a way to play someone in. Our own goal was rarely threatened, but there was no rhythm nor variety in our play. Even the good chances we created were squandered by the extra, unnecessary touch. Our first goal came fortuitously when a headed clearance from our back line by George eluded their outside back. The ever-alert Patrick swooped in to finish before the charging Alvsjo keeper could close off the angle. A 1-0 lead at halftime seemed a paltry return, given our technical superiority, but the second half proved no easier. We allowed them a foothold in the game which they were only too happy to accept. Urged on by our frustration, they continued to use their physical presence to deny us space, while counting on #10 to provide a spark that might cinch an equalising goal. But after a goalmouth scramble resulting from a missed clearance, George pounced on the loose ball to gain a 2-0 lead that both looked, and proved, secure.
Two games in, two victories, and no goals conceded, yet I had not shaken my worry. On the whole this effort was a step back from the day before, and our hardest games were just around the corner. Clearly, we would need a better effort the next day against Kungsbacka who, by defeating IFK Valla 4-0, now stood atop the group by goal difference (+11 to +7). We spent some of our time at school that night talking about trust in one another, about playing for the group rather than for our individual selves. We went to bed early with renewed commitment.

LISC 2 Alvsjo AIK FF 0

Shots (on goal): LISC 18 (12) Alvsjo AIK FF 5(1)

LISC Goals: Patrick, George

LISC Assists: George

Coach's Corner III - Game 1

2009-07-16T03:36:00.000-07:00

Monday marks the start of the actual Gothia Cup competition. By then we had already felt quite settled. We knew where the showers were and where meals could be obtained. We found the latter to be plentiful and tastier than expected. We had made friends with Zambian, Malaysian and British boys; Canadian, Kenyan and Swedish girls, all at our school. We realized that they found us of great interest, and we also realized that they had much to tell us about parts of the world we had never before imagined. We knew how to navigate the tram system, and wondered how cool it might be to be able to get around so far, so quickly, so safely, and all together back home. We roamed along the main avenues of this city of 600,000 as comfortably as we might roam along ...... well, I guess there aren't any analogous places for us to convene arm in arm, and chat, walk, and giggle in the clear cool night back home.
There was only one place left for us to make ourselves 'at home': on the soccer pitch. Our group games would all be held at Kungsbacka, an affluent suburb and former royal retreat about 30 miles south of Gothenburg proper. We boarded a fast train at the Central Station, and found an entire well-kept and comfortable car to ourselves for the 30 minute journey. Smiles were prevalent everywhere you looked. The boys were not only enjoying themselves, but really learning to enjoy each other.
But no matter how well prepared you might be, no matter how comfortable your hosts have made you, the first game of an international tournament always brings with it some unease, if not outright anxiety. How good are these Europeans? Do we really belong on this stage? Will the crowds appreciate us, or conspire against us? Just how different will this feel from the tournaments we play back home?
The differences were quickly in evidence. As we alighted from the shuttle bus that transported us to the Inlag complex, we were met by a full ice hockey rink and clubhouse complete with locker room, trophy room, and dining area, all for the benefit of a community less than the size of Champaign-Urbana. Teams were warming up in a practice area that was smoother and better groomed than any we have played games on back home. As we proceeded further along the path bordered by trees and hedges, the playing complex emerged: seven manicured grass fields and 1 artificial turf field bisected by a hedgerow.
We had arrived early enough to get used to the surroundings. As compared to American tournaments, most of the noise we heard came from the teams themselves rather than from the spectators. Chants and songs in a variety of languages were heard in a ritualistic effort to inspire teammates.
We warmed up with energy and purposefulness. If there were jitters, they were not noticeable. Our bench was alive, our supporters (including the just-arrived Voulgaris family) were alive, and our chant reverberated as loudly as any other as the game began.
Our opponents were IFK Valla from Hjalteby, due east of Gothenburg. Their chant went "En for alla, Valla", meaning "all for one, Valla". They were cut from the traditional Scandanavian cloth - big and eager to be physical. They intended to boss the game, to impose themselves upon their smaller American rivals. After trying to play the ball around their back four early on, however, they were surprised by our athleticism and quickness. We were winning balls before we could be pushed off them. We established a good passing tempo from the start, and the movement off the ball became incisive. A through ball to Tarik lead to a late tackle in the box, but our appeals for a penalty went unheeded by the referee. The pattern of play had been established nevertheless, and it was not long thereafter that Patrick was played in by Diamond. After an excellent first touch to beat the recovering outside back, Patrick left no doubt that this chance would be finished for a 1-0 lead. Valla were clearly rattled. They replaced the left back with a more athletic player to deal with the threat Patrick had shown himself to be, but this proved fruitless, as within minutes, another great run by Patrick resulted in a low cross to the far post that was expertly directed in the goal by a sliding Tarik. We were up 2-0 in our first international match! I exhorted the boys to keep up their tempo, keep up their intensity, and they rose to that challenge. Tarik found himself on the end of a more central attack before half, and smartly pulled the ball back for Mac to finish after he had made the necessary run to the penalty spot.
The second half saw little change in our domination despite several line-up changes. We kept the ball well, and our goal was never threatened. Increasingly, Valla had to resort to bringing back the bigger players they had hoped to threaten our goal with in order to defend their own. Patrick scored his second goal after great work on the left flank by Dennis, whose low shot could only be parried into the path of our opportunistic #16. Similarly effective flank play by Brennen provided George an opportunity near the top of the box, which he finished left-footed after an elegant turn of his defender.
A 5-0 win in our first game in Europe was beyond our expectations, but nothing more than we deserved. We played soccer that was pleasing to the eye, and showed that we had a skill set that could offset the physical disparities we were sure to be up against while we are here. We had proved that we belonged. By the end of the game, we had attracted the attention of many Swedih fans as word of the quality of our play spread through the complex. Several of these fans, as well as referees who had watched, congratulated us on our outstyanding play.

LISC 5 IFK Valla 0

Shots (on goal): LISC 20 (12) IFK Valla 2(1)

LISC Goals: Patrick 2, Tarik, Mac, George

LISC Assists: Diamond, Patrick, Tarik, Dennis, Brennen

Coach's Corner II - The Lead Up to the Games

2009-07-16T02:35:00.000-07:00

My apologies to those who have been awaiting details of the trip from the team's perspective - I have simply been without internet access until now.
As much as I might expect to be used to it by now, after 4 previous trips, I am still amazed by the extaordinary hospitality with which we are greeted every time we come. The trip itself went extremely well. The boys were eager and accomodating, and we arrived without incident in Gothenburg early on Saturday. We arrived at the ISGR (International School of the Gothenburg Region), delighted at the courtesy our host Sven-Erik Jensen had shown us by moving us there. The room was spacious and directly across the hall from the very helpful tournament staff that is present 24 hours/day. We were the first team at the school, giving us a decided advantage in acclimating ourselves in comparison to trips past. We quickly arranged and assigned our cots, then took a much needed three hour nap in an effort to mitigate our jet lag. It seemed to work a charm, because no sooner had I awakened the slumbering masses than they begged to be shown the main tournament sight: the Heden Center. Final preparations were still being made there. The concession stands were being assembled, the flags of the participating nations were being raised, the grounds were being groomed ..... and the fields were open! So what better way to spend your first afternoon in Sweden than to have an 9v9 game with a mini-ball on an FieldTurf surface. It was only the need for food that caused the boys the reluctantly give up their session after an hour. We met the parents at their hotel, found a Pizza 'Butik', where the boys struggled with, but eventually enjoyed, deciphering the variety of toppings on offer.
Although it had reached nearly 9 pm by our return to the school, there was still plenty of daylight to have a light training session at a nearby park. We ran through about thirty minutes of individual ball skills before noticing two women watching us. They stayed for the remaining half hour before coming over to introduce themseves as two of the Swedish referees who would be working the tournament. They wanted to stay in order to tell the boys how impressed they were by the level of their skills, and how in all their time in Sweden they had never seen such skill in a team so young. Needless to say, the boys were beaming.
The first night in the school was predictable: between their excitement and their biological clocks telling them it was only early afternoon, sleep was hard to come by. But eventually it did come, and there was little difficulty in raising them the next morning, apart from the jitters that come with the inaugural trip to the common showers. That hurdle gratefully cleared, we met the parents for breakfast and a day at the Liseberg amusement park, before returning to Heden for a two-hour training session. With Malaysian, British, and Norwegian teams surrounding us, the boys were inspired to give a great effort as we rehearsed some of our attacking patterns learned over the past three weeks. The boys were making it clear: they were ready to play......

2009-07-15T22:08:00.000-07:00

LISC v Onsala BK Game 4 - 1st payoff game ending with Onsala BK winning in PK's. Tough game for both teams. Good luck moving on Onsala BK.

Tarik Koric at the PK line.

The LISC PK line-up focusing on their roles in the next minutes.

(L to R) Mac Leverenz, John Muwana, Freddie Stavins, Saul Downie, and Patrick Wong all closing in on the defensive play.

Saul Downie(7) moving into a supportive position for Freddie Stavins(22).

LISC v Onsala BK Game 4 - 1st playoff game

2009-07-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

(L to R) John Muwana splitting the defenders while Diamond Williams and Mac Leverenz support.

(L to R) Saul Downie, John Muwana, Mac Leverenz, and Diamond Williams taking all of the space from the Onsala attacker.

Brennan Kraft closing space and keeping the attacker from going inside.

Paul Seeley(10) supporting Freddie Stavins and Saul Downie(2) on the defensive play.

(L to R) Zach Moore and Paul Seeley(10) setting up to receive the cross from Tarik Koric (R).

LISC v Onsala BK Game 4 - 1st playoff game

2009-07-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

George Voulgaris keeping clear of the defender's slide tackle.

Paul Seeley putting the corner into play while Dennis Freeman(17) and George Voulgaris(15) approach the goal keeper's space.

Paul Seeley(10) moving the Onsala BK attacker into defensive support.

Freddie Stavins stepping up to gain control of the loose ball.

Dennis Freeman closing space.

LISC v Onsala BK Game 4-1st playoff game

2009-07-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Freddie Stavins sets up defensively as the attack approaches.

Zach Moore(13) challenges for the header while George Voulgaris looks on.

Joal Shea moves the ball between two defenders as Tarik Koric(20) checks to the ball.

Saul Downie(7) changes course to prevent the attacking team from setting up a wall pass situation.

John Muwana takes the ball and steps up the pace to set up for the cross on the attack.

LISC v Onsala BK Game 4 - 1st playoff game

2009-07-15T22:02:00.000-07:00

Tarik Koric(20) and Zach Moore(13) move into position to support Joal Shea(19) on the attack.

(L to R) Brennan Kraft, Taric Koric(behind attacker), and Saul Downie close down the center of the attack while Asst. Coach Stefan Wingo looks on in the background.

Dennis Freeman breaks away on the attack.

Captain Andy Drackley from LISC(green) awaits the coin toss for the start of the game with Onsala BK (white).

LISC and Onsala BK greet each other at the start of the 1st playoff game.

The Players Interacting and Learning New Cultures

2009-07-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

LISC v Kungsbacka IF Game 3

2009-07-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

Post Game 3 teams photo. LISC v Kungsbacka IF. TIE game 0-0. Well done boys! (Both teams!)

Freddie Stavins (left) advancing the ball to Mac Levernz.

George Voulgaris (kicking) to put the ball into play. Paul Seeley positions for support.

Tarik Koric splitting the defenders before sending the ball into the attacking third.

LISC v Kungsbacka IF Game 3

2009-07-15T05:54:00.000-07:00

Tarik Koric challenging for the ball with no let down on the attack.

Wiley Jones (14) following his pass up to George Voulgaris with Saul Downie (7) switching fields with George for support.

Freddie Stavins(22) opening up to receive a pass while Mac Leverenz(2) and Brennan Kraft(18) support.

George Voulgaris (up for the header) keeps the ball out of our opponents attacking zone with the help of Patrick Wong.

George Voulgaris(15) puts another header into play with Mac Leverenz(left) and Diamond Williams(right) positioning for the ball.

LISC v Kungsbacka IF Game 3

2009-07-15T05:52:00.000-07:00

George Voulgaris preparing to put the ball into place with a set piece.

Diamond Williams clearing the defensive set up to move the ball up field.

Paul Seeley(with the ball) controlling the ball in the middle of the field while Brennan Kraft(middle) and Tarik Koric(right) support.

Tarik Koric(20) slide tackles the ball away from an attacking player. Diamond Williams suppports.

The Captains, Brennen Kraft and Andy Drackley, shake hands at the start of the game with the Kungsbaka IF Captain and presents our team colors.

The City of Gothenburg- A summary.

2009-07-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

The City of Göteborg is the Swedish version of the city name founded in 1621 by King Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden. Gothenburg is the Dutch, German and English version of the name, but I have noticed many of the new buildings use Gothenburg in the name. Gothenburg is the second largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm, with a population of around 500,000 for the city and a little more than 900,000 including metro area.

The Gothenburg harbor is largest in the Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) and well known for its trade to the west. The impact of Swedish emigration to North America is not only reflected in the construction of this elaborate building where many immigrants left for the US during the 1920s, but also with naming of towns in the US like Gothenburg, Nebraska.

With a lot of Dutch influence the town was designed after cities with a moat (Göta Canal) or canals like Amsterdam, and interestingly enough, the blueprints for the canals are the same as Jakarta, Indonesia. In addition the town was very well protected with a city wall just inside the moat. We viewed the last portion of the wall still standing while taking a boat tour around the original city via Padden Site Seeing tours. In first seeing the boat it was commented, “That’s pretty lame.”, but in learning why some of the bridges had names like the ‘Cheese Slicer’ and the ‘Hair Dresser’ we had a greater appreciation for the simple low profile boat. In the picture you can see how Garrett 'hit the deck', with Mac Sr. behind him and Stephen (in red cap) ensuring everyone was going to make it.

There are three major companies manufacturing plants in the area including SKF, Volvo & Ericsson. SKF Group is the leading global supplier of products, solutions and services within rolling bearings, seals, mechatronics, services and lubrication systems. They are also the main sponsor of the Gothia Cup again this year. Volvo provides transportation related services and products including divisions for cars, trucks, buses construction equipment, aero, boats and financial. It s equivalent to GM in the US, though not going through bankruptcy. Ericsson (headquarters pictured to the right) is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and related services to mobile and fixed network operators globally. Interestingly, John Ericsson was originally from Sweden, worked in England, U.S. and Sweden, but is best known as the inventor of the propeller and the famous warship “Monitor”, the first submarine used in American Civil War.
Transportation in and around Gothenburg is like a well oiled machine. The hub of all of the transportation is, of course, Central Station (left). The high speed electric trains run about 150 km/hr (90 mph) between towns and stop every 5 kms or so. It is about 20 miles between Gothenburg and Kungsbacka where we have been playing our games and even with 5 stops along the way, it only takes 30 min to travel. From the Kungsbacka station (right) we transfer to a city bus and arrive at the fields about 5 minutes later. There are also electric trams within Gothenburg that stop every few blocks. Of course with our glacier scraped flat terrain in Central US, we forget about things like hills and inclines, but the Swedish have that figured out as well with tunnels. In addition, unlike American rails, the V-shaped rails for the trams are flush with the road so buses can share the same pathways as the trams down the middle of the throughfares, which frees up the outside lanes for automobiles. And of course the extra wide granite stone sidewalks for bicycles and pedestrians are well obeyed, only crossing with the green ‘walk’ light. The meticulously maintained buildings, transportation systems, university studies, national health care and infrastructures are all paid for via a a 63% income tax and 25% sales tax.

And with a western port and one of the largest in Scandanavia, one can’t talk about transportation without noting the maritime transportation. Gothenburg is home to Chalmers University of Technology, one of the world’s premier maritime universities. We even saw one of the structures used to train maintenance, repair and offloading of life rafts from a ship. There is also Gotaverken Cityvarva, the restructured ship builder, that does major repairs and restorations of ships from all over in its massive dry dock system. The harbor is definitely an impressive blend of 20+ ancient ships in the Maritime museum, modern yachts, cruise and cargo ships coming and going, all caught with the backdrop of the Pricewaterhouse Cooper building (red & white high rise).

Rounding out Monday's activities was the Opening Ceremony which was held at Ullevi Stadium, the largest outdoor sports arena in Scandinavia. Gothenburg is the birthplace of football in Sweden and the first football match was played in 1892, so how appropriate that it also be the host of the world’s largest youth soccer tournament. The ceremony hosted 52,000 participants, was emceed by Johan Boding, had stars like the 2005 Swedish Idol winner Agnes Carlsson and the world's largest Guitar Hero competition. This was all done in the midst of introducing all 62 countries, counting down the world's 10 most popular songs, the Gothia Cup oath recited in six different languages, a tribute to coaches and parents and an explosive fireworks display for the finale. You can see more at http://www.gothiacup.se/eng/index.php/2009/07/openingceremony/ or

http://www.gothiacup.se/eng/index.php/home/gothia-tv/ .

Lastly, as we prepare for bedtime, is our (the parents') accomodations; a four-star hotel chain called Scandic that has about 150 locations throughout Scandanavia, a WONDERFUL 100-item breakfast and all the amenities one could ask for including jacuzzi, gym, bicycles, free internet, a library and the list goes on. We have won the important two games thus far; the first 5 to 0 against IFK Valla, the second 2 to 0 against Alvsjo FF 2. Tomorrow we play Kungsbacka in the morning and then our first playoff game in the afternoon.

Enjoy some action shots from the two games in the following posts.

TEK

LISC v Älvsjö AIK FF 2 - Game 2

2009-07-14T13:55:00.000-07:00

Game 2 ended with all players uniting for a group photo. The end score 2-0 LISC winning.

(l to R) Zach Moore, Mac Leverson (with ball), and Cian Wingo on the attack.

Zach Moore advancing the ball.

Malik Bridgewater controlling the ball with Tarik Koric supporting.

Patrick Wong receiving the header placing the ball in the box. Malik Bridgewater(L), Patrick Wong, Diamond Williams, and Tarik Koric out number the attackers to control the area.

Opening Day Ceremony

2009-07-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

The ending of the Opening Day Ceremony was topped off with fire works.

During many times of the ceremony, the players would be united as one.

More players showing their friendship with each other and other teams.

This was a picture taken to show that our Coach Wingo supports the German teams as well. LISC first, of course.

Opening Day Ceremony

2009-07-14T13:46:00.000-07:00

USA! USA! USA! the chant was loud and proud! The St. Pauls Blackhawks team represented the USA to walk into the stadium with their colors.

Center stage was where the action was for this night.

One of the teams in their native dress singing for the other teams to see.

The team gathers for a quick photo before going into the stadium for Opening Ceremony.

The walk from the hotel(for the parents) was about 10 minutes. The players coming from the other direction, also about 10 minutes walk.

LISC v IFK Valla Teams photo

2009-07-14T13:45:00.000-07:00

Game 1 ended as all players show their respect for each other. LISC winning 5-0 in this contest on Monday.

LISC v IFK Valla

2009-07-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

Patrick Wong on the attack.

Andy Drackley shows how strong our Goal Keepers can be with a strong drop kick.

A set piece starts to unfold. Tarik Koric to kick as Brennan Kraft (18) crosses the path to confuse and Saul Downey on the wall to control the flow.

Cian Wingo prepares to throw in the ball keeping the attack advancing.

Patrick Wong moments before he finishes with a goal.

LISC v IFK Valla game 1

2009-07-14T13:42:00.000-07:00

Diamond Williams (11) penatrates the defense with Patrick Wong (16) supporting.

Patrick Wong at mid field on the counter attack.

John Muwana shows his technical skills with complete control of the ball.

Joey Lund(5) comes up to support Brennan Kraft to take the ball from the back third and start the counter attack.

Dennis Freeman starts his corner kick placing it in the box for his team to finish.

LISC v IFK Valla

2009-07-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Mac Leverenz(2) receiving a pass from Malik Bridgewater.

Dennis Freeman(17), Wiley Jones, and Tarik Koric(left to right) prepare to receive a cross from an undentified LISC player during an attack.

Captains Brennan Kraft and Andy Drackley(keeper uniform), shake hands with the head referee and the IFK Valla captains before the game.

Stephen Downie fills bottles with water(with others) to keep the players hydrated before the game.

Stephen Downie proudly displaying the team banner on the way to the first game. Let the European Tour begin! LISC! LISC! LISC! Good luck boys.

The Players Get Acclimated and Have Some Fun

2009-07-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! Here it is the end of a weekend and although we’ve only slept in a bed one night, we have already experienced three full days of international sensory overload. Everything is going extremely well, it’s just extremely difficult to post a ‘little snippet’ to describe all that is being seen and absorbed. Speaking of absorbed, the weather has been a beautiful 70 high, 55 low with an occasional 30 minute light shower, but the sun will pop right back out and it appears this will continue throughout the week. The 26 astro turf pitches are going to prove their worth this year as every team is quick to want to put their foot on a ball, whether it’s raining or not. They are about all set up for the Gothia Cup; the streets are lined with flags, the tents are set up and the teams are about all here now. Almost every building in downtown Gothenburg is a masonry 7 story historic piece of architecture. The streets are four lanes of paved asphalt divided by a double set of tracks for the electric trams down the middle and lined with extra wide granite sidewalks. We were one of the earlier teams to arrive, which was great to overcome the jet lag and provided us a chance to experience the local cuisine. Pizza Butik was an excellent test of learning our first entrée; ost = cheese, champinjoner = mushroom, skinka = ham. After passing the ‘translation’ test, came the ‘conversion’ test…you guessed it, the math in paying for it. Most meals are running about 79 Kronors, or with the 7 Kr to $1 conversion, a little less than $12 with the 25% tax already included. Note in the picture that the smallest bill is the 20 Kronor, then it drops to a 10 Kr small brass coin, a larger in size 10 Kr coin and the popular 1 Kr, which is about the size of our quarter.
The boys are staying at the ISGR school, about a 15 minute walk from the Scandic Crown Hotel where the parents are...and the hub of the week’s activities (both the Heden Center and Ullevi Stadium) is right between us. ISGR stands for International School of the Gothenburg Region, dates back to 1906 and sits quite a bit above the downtown area. Though more than a 100 years old, it is very clean, well maintained and the boys acclimated quickly to it being their home away from home. You may recall reading Coach’s blog on Wed, July 8th, “(if rumors can be believed) making some bad choices at the barber shop” and then seeing him pictured Fri, July 10th? The picture with Mac’er and the welcoming cardboard figure w green Mohawk outside their classroom demonstrates how the trend continues. Sunday was spent taking in the sights and sounds including the first ride on the tram to Liseberg, an amusement park very similar to a Six Flags. You can learn more at liseberg.se, but the experience can best be summarized on polarizing ends of a spectrum with fun & enjoyable on one end and exhilarating terror on the other as a few experienced their roller coaster on the Balder (similar to the Screaming Eagle). Judged by the fact they were ridden more than once; the log flume, bumper cars and Lisebergbanan (another roller coaster) also proved to be favorites of the 35 rides and countless games with mega-packaged candy as their winnings. A view from the gardens within Liseberg shows a reflective contrast of the historic wooden windmills with the only two new, modern all glass high rise buildings in Gothenburg called the Gothia Towers. This contrast was a reminder of how far we’ve come in luxury and technology as developed countries on this earth, but it was also brought to our attention how some countries appreciate the basics we may take for granted, like our freedoms and independence. This was evidenced by the parents as we were drawing the evening to a close after eating dinner on the main drag named Kungsportsavenyn. Everywhere you turn there are teams traveling in packs and some even have chants or songs they sing. However, one was unique in that after singing they would clap almost as if to applaud themselves. It wasn’t until we noticed a bed sheet they had written on, that we felt a huge lump in our throats. It read, “Thank you USA and Sweden” from the Kosovo/Albanian team. So as we head to bed tonight, we are again reminded of the meaning of peace. And as I am getting asked, "Does it really get dark?", "How dark does it really get?, I close with a photgraph on a very slow exposure showing the Northern sky at 1:30am...the 'dark' of the night. Tomorrow's a full day with finding our fields via Speed Train, playing our first game and enjoying the Opening Ceremony. Til then, "goot net"!

TEK

The Flight Across the Big Pond

2009-07-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

The flight was quite an experience for most of the boys. As if Monticello Bus Company’s Prevost motor coach wasn’t modern enough with its air suspension, 47 reclining seats and eight television monitors; the Airbus 330 was over the top! First, it had two ‘hallways’ with two seats on the outside rows and four seats down the middle for a total of 261 seats. In addition to the eight overhead plasmas, every passenger had a personal touch screen monitor in the back of the seat cushion in front of them, with a pillow, blanket, bottle of water and headphones in each seating area.
As we boarded the plane all of the monitors had the world map displaying the shadow line showing day and night across the longitudes. No more were the players seated with their seat belts on, then the retractable controllers started coming out of the armrests. Some were seeking one of the 30 channels of music, others exploring the 26 movie options, yet others, the dozen or so games…all at no cost and rated PG13 or younger. Although on most planes only the pilots have the forward view, as we taxied to the runway for our timely 4:30pm departure, the favorite view on everyone’s monitor was the 'forward camera'. The 'down camera' view provided a wonderful view after takeoff as we headed North over Chicago, Lake Michigan and Canada.
The first several minutes were truly exhilarating and culminated at about 3 hours of the 8 hour flight with the chicken dinner. The time passed quickly as we flew 550 mph and a 37,000 feet cruising altitude. Clocks were adjusted 7 hours ahead for Scandinavian time, but at this latitude and altitude we never saw darkness outside the plane, only a dimmed cabin with all of the window shades pulled.
The most uncomfortable part of the flight was about the time we were crossing the International Date Line through Great Britain. At this point the air on the plane had become very dry. A few were snoring, but most were coughing. And those still awake were coming to the realization that they had not gone to sleep yet with the 7:30am arrival only a few hours away. It was the classic oxymoron of the body telling the brain it wasn’t tired, but the brain telling the body it needed to sleep. At 7:00am the cabin started coming to life with the flight attendants serving breakfast in a bag, the window shades revealing a bright sun and the view from the 'down camera' starting to make out streets and fields.
All in all, a wonderful first trip for everyone…those who had never been on a flight and as well as the frequent flier. After navigating the terminal at Stockholm, we made it through security again, to Gate 40 and on to the second leg of our flight from Stockholm to Gotenburg via a Boeing 737. This was a much quicker flight and most spent the hour or so sleeping. We arrived on time in Gotenburg, Sweden, our baggage made it all the way through and Sven Erich met us at the baggage claim just as planned. We loaded up on the baggage and are off to our hotel and school.

We have arrived!!

TEK

LISC Players Depart for Chicago via Motor Coach

2009-07-10T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, they're off! All 18 players, 2 coaches and 8 parents (okay one child) pose for a quick picture at the Schnucks parking lot. Departure was a little ahead of schedule, leaving shortly after 10:00am CST.

Monticello Bus Company got us to the International Terminal of O'Hare in near record time arriving before 1:00pm. The check in process went real smooth even with many being their first time. We grabbed a quick meal, made it through security and are now waiting to board the SAS A300 airplane.

It's neat to see a former player, Stefan Wingo, come along his father as the Asst. Coach for the team. Though a new perspective on the side of the pitch, this will be his fifth trip to Sweden along with his father.

TEK

Gothia Cup- A Summary of the World's Largest Youth Soccer Tournament

2009-07-09T15:55:00.000-07:00

The Gothia Cup is touted as the ’World Youth Cup’. It was started in 1975 and has had 126 different nations represented throughout the years. This year there are 1602 participating teams from 62 nations. There are 212 teams in our boys’ age group we call U14, for under 14 years old by 1st August in the US, which they call Class Boys 15. There are 62 boys and girls teams representing the United States, second largested representation only to Germany, however there are only five boy’s teams in our age class from the US.

The name Gothia Cup was invented by Mr. Bengt Bjerned from the club Gais. Gothia is the old latin word for the area where Gothenburg, Sweden is situated. In the Gothia Cup at least 80% of all boys games are played by teams from different countries. The girl’s soccer has more countries and should be of better quality than any other tournament. By having close to 70 countries every year that participate in the Gothia Cup, it remains the world’s most international tournament.

Much like the Olympics, the Gothia Cup has an opening ceremony of more than 500 dancers, chorus and solo artists in front of 50,000 spectators in the Ullevi Stadium and at a cost of $300,000 to produce. The Club Gothia Disco at Svenska Massan is one of the largest discos in the world with almost 5000 guests every night. This year they have also added Club Gothia Foam, a unique disco based on music and foam (yep, bubbles & more bubbles...not designed for those who don’t want to get wet) and take 1500 guests per evening.

The LISC players will be staying at a school with the classroom becoming a dorm setting, the locker room their bathroom and the cafeteria their meals away from home. There are 15 teams staying at the school in Gothenburg representing Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Greece and Spain. After a day of playing on the pitch (soccer field) they come back for dinner and barttering in the hallways. Each of the players have pins, stamps, cards, etc that will get exchanged with players from other countries. Of course with only four hours of ‘night’, the key is getting it all shut down and in bed for the next day’s game.

More information can be learned at the official website http://www.gothiacup.se/ , but to

get a real feel for what's in store, view the promotional video at http://www.gothiacuptv.com/.

TEK

Coach's Corner I

2009-07-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

The excitement has predictably built to a feverish pitch. After a rain-shortened training session on Tuesday, our preparations for our European adventure are now complete. With the enormity of the challenge ahead of us, it has been easy these past few weeks to maintain our focus as we've gone through tactical organization and set-piece patterns at a dizzying pace. We are confident now in having a constructive option capable of meeting almost any situation on the field. All that is left is to bring a sense of self-belief to the sport's biggest stage and an eagerness to demonstrate our joy while exhibiting the skills we've worked so hard to develop.
Sleep now will not come easily, even though we are already trying to adjust to European time. Our bus leaves for O'Hare early Friday morning, and tomorrow will undoubtedly be spent packing, watching the clock move too slowly, and (if rumours can be believed) making some bad choices at the barber shop.
We would like to sincerely thank all of the many family, friends, and LISC supporters who have made this opportunity possible for us. We are determined to make you proud of us, by the quality of our play, and by the dignity and sportsmanship we exhibit as we represent you. We hope you will enjoy following us on this blog as our adventure unfolds.

WCIA 10:00pm News- LISC U14B Preparing for Europe

2009-07-08T01:19:00.000-07:00

This is the broadcst of the WCIA 10:00pm news June 30th, 2009 about the LISC U14 Boys preparing for Europe. Interviews include Joey Lund and Andy Drackley.

It can be viewed via Youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_wQmW6P8ao.

TEK

WCIA's Jenny Gastwirth interviews Andy Drackley(white) and Joey Lund(orange) @ June 30th Training

2009-07-02T06:26:00.000-07:00

Joey Lund answers questions from WCIA's Jenny Gastwirth as Coach Mike Wingo conducts the training session in the background.

Andy Drackley puts the finishing touches on the interview just in time for this to be aired on the 10 o'clock news.

Team meeting/dinner at Coach Wingo's home

2009-06-28T20:36:00.000-07:00

John Muwana stands proudly with his mother.

Stephen Downie displays the LISC team banner created by Coach Wingo that will be presented to the challenging teams.

Saul Downie shows off his team's crest.

Coach Mike Wingo explains some of the important details of the trip.

The potluck dinner was a success! The families and small children had to stay out of the way of the hungry players.

President's Cup, Madison, WI June 12th - 14th, 2009

2009-06-28T14:05:00.000-07:00

US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup

The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup provides a progressive, competitive experience to US Youth Soccer teams from the state to regional to national level. The Presidents Cup gives players an additional opportunity to compete against teams from across the country at a high level for the joy and the challenge of the game. It provides the chance to experience a unique US Youth Soccer event with camaraderie, community and competition through sport.

Regional qualifiers, known as US Youth Soccer Regional Presidents Cup events, will determine the teams competing in the President Cup Finals, July 16-18, 2009 in Raleigh, N.C., at the WRAL Soccer Complex and feature boys and girls teams in the Under-14 through Under-17 age groups.

US Youth Soccer Region I Presidents Cup Kirkwood, Del.
Kirkwood Soccer Complex
June 20-21, 2009

US Youth Soccer Region II Presidents Cup Madison, Wis.
Reddan Soccer Park
June 12-15, 2009

US Youth Soccer Region III Presidents Cup Greer, S.C.
MESA Soccer Complex
June 12-14, 2009

US Youth Soccer Region IV Presidents Cup Tri-Cities, Wash.
Tri-Cities Youth Soccer Complex
June 11-14, 2009

US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup Finals Raleigh, N.C.
WRAL Soccer Complex
July 17-19, 2009

Note: The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup is a separate series of events from the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series.

With only one team being selected from each State for each age group, LISC was well represented with both the U14 Boys team and U14 Girls team competing in Region II. Unfortunately, the U14 Boys team from Missouri won 2:1 against LISC to advance to Finals. However, the LISC U14 Girls team, who also competed in Regionals this same weekend, won and now advance to Raleigh, NC for the Presidents Cup Final Four, July 17-19, 2009.

It was great to have George Vulgaris back for this tournament as we now have all 18 players practicing and playing together in preparation for Europe. The picture above is all 18 players and Coach Wingo.

TEK

Support the LISC U14s at they Head to Europe

2009-06-22T13:24:00.000-07:00