"Best of" 2016-17 MASL - Mid-Season

Closing out on 2016, having had a holiday bye-week, let's take a look at who your dear authors recognize as the best of the season so far, both here in the City of Five Seasons and around the MASL. We will do this hockey style, and announce the three stars in each category. Without further ado, here they are..


Best Player -

1st Star: Christian Gutierrez - Atletico Baja.
Franck Tayou may lead the league in points per game, but no player is more critical to his team's success than Gutierrez. Without Gutierrez's league leading goal and point totals, Baja is simply not in a playoff position without him. If that wasn't impressive enough, he also is one of the league leaders in blocks on the other end of the field.

2nd Star: Taylor Bond - Chicago Mustangs
When Taylor Bond plays well, the Mustangs win. Period. The big man is a force both passing and scoring when he is on the field, and is a big part of why the Mustangs raced out to a hot start.

3rd Star: Franck Tayou - Soles de Sonora
Very close to another MVP year. It is the defensive work of the above players that puts him here, but what he does is score goals, and do it well. Tied with Gutierrez for league lead for game winners scored.


Best Defender  -

1st Star: Stephen Basso - Harrisburg Heat.
Basso is a big part of the reason why Harrisburg has had arguably the biggest turn around in the league. His 22 blocks are second only to Chris Mattingly of St. Louis and Harrisburg has gone from a 1 win team a year ago to challenging for a playoff spot due to this massively improved defense.

2nd Star: Chris Mattingly - St. Louis Ambush
The league leader in blocks is relied on a lot, and has that huge number of blocks to prove it. St. Louis would be looking at an even tougher year without him.

3rd Star: Ernesto Luna - Atletico Baja
His teammate has one more block than he does for third in the league, but what separates Luna is his two way play. His 4 goals and 4 assists make Atletico a dangerous team to try and stretch.

Best Goalkeeper -

1st Star: William Vanzela - Baltimore Blast
The only goalkeeper in the top four in each major goalkeeping category. The champs have the top man in goal.

2nd Star: Chris Toth - San Diego Sockers. 
League leader in save percentage, second in goals against average, and solid in goal for another stellar Sockers squad.

3rd Star: Stephen Paterson - Kansas City Comets
The only goalkeeper in the league with both a goal and a shutout, Paterson is right with the other two at the top of the league leaders for goalkeeping categories.


Best Rookie -

1st Star: Brett Petricek - Cedar Rapids Rampage
Among the top five in each of the three main goalkeeping categories, Petricek has been a sometimes spectacular rock in goal ever since his surprise start in the season opener. His consistency is key for this Rampage team.

2nd Star: Hector Eugui Jr. - El Paso Coyotes. 
With Five goals and six assists, the son of the El Paso Coyotes manager has proven a bright spot on a capable offense in El Paso.

3rd Star: Jon Pachar - Cedar Rapids Rampage
The midfielder who had a breakout season in the PLA has added a level of hustle and awareness that goes beyond his two goals and three assists on the stat sheet.


Other Awards


Best Playmakers -

1st Star:  Leo Gibson - Kansas City Comets

2nd Star: Tony Donatelli - Baltimore Blast

3rd Star: Gordy Gurson - Cedar Rapids Rampage


Best Coach -

1st Star: Hewerton Moreira - Cedar Rapids Rampage

2nd Star: Armando Gamboa - Chicago Mustangs

3rd Star:Denison Cabral - Harrisburg Heat


Best Goal -

1st Star: Ricardo Diegues - Florida Tropics (vs. Kansas City Comets)

2nd Star: Stephen Paterson - Kansas City Comets (vs. St. Louis Ambush)

3rd Star: Pat Kelly - Cedar Rapids Rampage (vs. Milwaukee Wave)


Best Breakout Player -

1st Star: Cameron Brown - Dallas Sidekicks 

2nd Star: Ricardo Diegues - Florida Tropics

3rd Star: Hugo da Silva -  Harrisburg Heat

When Grumpy Crows Fly: What Minneapolis City SC leaving means for the PLA and Rampage United

  Word has broken today that Minneapolis City SC (nicknamed "Twitter SC" for their, shall we say "vociferous" social media account) will be taking their ball and smack talk to the larger and truly national NPSL. The NPSL seemingly has ambitions to become the 3rd Division in American pro soccer, now that the USL would seem to move up in the wake of NASL II's demise. They are agressively expanding their national footprint, particular in the midwest. Interestingly, they had a presence in Eastern Iowa for a few years with Quad City Eagles, which haven't fielded a men's team since 2013. Rumors swirled that Cedar Rapids Rampage United would join the NPSL, but it appears this won't come to fruition. So, where does that leave the PLA and Rampage United? 

  The answer to what does this all mean is quite clear if this is a single-defection: not much. With Muskegon Risers SC joining the PLA next season, the most logical conclusion is that Aurora Borealis SC moves to take Minneapolis' place in the West. Risers addition also means the league is large enough to qualify it's champion to the US Open Cup as it did last year. With any more defections, they would need to add a club to each defection in order to maintain that automatic qualifying spot. It appears to be an isolated team, but stay tuned...

Cedar Rapids Rampage SC 2016-2017 Season Preview: The Sophomore Season Front

Soccer will soon be heating up the Iowa Corridor's winter for a second season of the MASL at the US Cellular. Following a rocky 0-7 start in the club's debut season, the second half saw key roster additions push Cedar Rapids to a respectable second half of the season and a 5-15 finish. Highlights of last season included a thrilling home win over an excellent Syracuse Silver Knights squad at home, and a gutsy come-from-behind road victory in Detroit. The team rode that momentum into a successful summer season with Cedar Rapids Rampage United in the PLA, where they qualified for one of the outdoor league's four playoff spots. Here is our second annual take on the season and the good, the bad, and the ugly in store this coming season...

The Good

Hewerton Moreira - After proving himself a capable man manager during the Rampage United season, reigning MASL assist king Hewerton gets the nod as player-coach for the indoor squad. A Brazilian national indoor team man, Hewerton has brought a number of Brazilian's on board to give this season's roster a bit of samba seasoning. However, it isn't attacking talent he brought from Brazil, but savvy veteran defenders Jonatan Santos (from San Diego Sockers) and Pablo Da Silva (from Milwaukee Wave) and a very promising young goalkeeper in Rainer Hauss (Kapinos having moved to Ontario Fury). Moreira has played under some of the best coaches in the game, including two who have won the league's Coach of the Year award, Keith Tozer (father of Rampage SC's Alex Tozer) and Mark Pulisic (father of USMNT wunderkind Christian Pulisic). Jeff Kraft did his job in building a roster that could compete and played with heart. He had done this successfully elsewhere before, and built winners. Hewerton is a logical replacement to get to that next step, with his prominent profile in today's indoor game.

Roster Additions - Besides the aforementioned Brazilian trio, USANIST's Joshio Sandoval of the Chicago Mustangs also provides more help for a defense that was probably the weak link in last year's team. Former South African national team man and Milwaukee Wave veteran midfielder Jonathan Greenfield should provide some set-up play for Gurson, Hewerton, and new forward Derek Huffman. The highest profile addition on offense is undoubtedly Hewerton's former teammate on a championship Detroit Ignition side, Jamar Beasley. Beasley is a former league Rookie of the Year (w/ Kansas City Comets) and league MVP (w/ Detroit), as well as a member of the US Soccer Futsal team at the Futsal World Cup. In outdoor soccer, Beasley was the first high school player ever to jump directly to MLS with the New England Revolution (landing a feature story in Sports Illustrated), and later starred for the Chicago Fire in the early 2000s. Beasley was a force as recently as 2015 with the Ontario Fury, where he scored a hat-trick in their first round MASL playoff match. If Hewerton, Gurson, Beasley, and Greenfield all work at rounding into form, and Patrick Kelly, Bobby Hurwitz, and Derek Huffman put in the workmanlike hustle that they have shown they are capable of, the Rampage could be an exciting offense to watch this year.


The Bad

The Schedule - Not that there aren't a great variety of Friday, Saturday, and Sunday matches, but that the difficulty level will be even higher this year. Milwaukee has reinforced their team with some of Detroit's best players, St. Louis played very well in the second half of last season under new owner-coach Tony Glavin, Harrisburg Heat will be improved after some upgrades, the Florida Tropics look solid on paper, and of course the reigning champion and indoor dynasty Baltimore Blast are now on the schedule, visiting in January. It will be an even tougher sophomore schedule.

The Ugly

Sophomore slump in attendance? -  Hopefully it was a combination of being a preseason match, still nice weather outside, and some market saturation with these two international matches, but the attendance the first game is worrisome. For a franchise that had some very nice crowds around 3k in their debut season, a crowd in the hundreds (even during pre-season) was a little worrisome for some fans. We won't panic yet, but the Rampage front office and ownership are going to need to market their butts off these next couple weeks. Be at events, get pocket schedules out all over, "GAME DAY!" signs out all over town on home dates, get media appearances, social appearances, civic appearances, AYSO/youth soccer, advertising (especially lots on the US Cellular Center boards for the thousands on I-380 and downtown to see every day), etc. and not let Cedar Rapids forget for even a day that there is a soccer season around the corner. It would be a shame with all the work that has gone in to the on-field product. And fans, do your part and spread the word!

Players OUT:

Alex Megson (Tacoma Stars)
Jayme Kapinos (Ontario Fury)
Joey Kapinos (Ontario Fury)
Corey Adamson (St. Louis Ambush)
Chile Farias (retired)
Armando Tello (Florida Tropics)
Elmo Neto (Harrisburg Heat)

Players IN:

Jamar Beasley (Ontario Fury)
Jonatan Santos (San Diego Sockers)
Pablo Da Silva (Milwaukee Wave)
Jonathan Greenfield (Milwaukee Wave)
Joshio Sandoval (Chicago Mustangs)
Rainer Hauss (Chicago Mustangs)
Angel Curiel (Monterrey Flash)
Phibo Arriaga (Seattle Impact)
Kyle Neisen (Rookie)
Derek Huffman (Rookie)
Brett Petricek (Rookie)

Why Cedar Rapids Rampage United are Massive Underdogs in the PLA Playoffs...

The Cedar Rapids soccer community had an outpouring of joy on social media last night as the first year PLA franchise clinched a berth in the PLA Playoff Semifinals with a 4-2 win over Minneapolis City. This blog alone saw a spike of dozens of visitors after the Sunday Night Spotlights aired on KCRG had announced the team had made the playoffs (and we haven't been active in months1). Facebook Likes, Shares, and congratulatory comments came from hundreds of fans via posts from coaches, players, and media. It's a great achievement for a first year squad, but its only the first seasn-long goal in the books. As anyone who has climbed a mountain knows, its the last push to the summit that is the hardest, and each step up gets more and more difficult to take. The summit of the PLA Playoffs will be no different. It will be a next-level challenge the team has yet to face. Let's look at the opponents and the significant challenge each poses...

RWB Adria - Undefeated champions in the league a year ago, this Croatian-American club out of Chicago has won national amateur titles in three recent years (2011, 2013, 2014). They've been there, and done that. Two seasons ago they made a great run in the Open Cup to knock off some bigger clubs, and this year suffered a first round loss in penalties. They will be hungry to return to the Open Cup to avenge the loss. They will not be wide-eyed or timid coming in.

Toledo United - If one team has a case to be even a tougher match-up, it is Toledo United. As if being the regular season champions weren't intimidating enough, Toledo has bested RWB twice this season, AND get the massive boost of having home field advantage. They have to be the favorites to win it all, but there's pressure in that. Expect Cedar Rapids to go for the win this weekend over Minnesota United FC Reserves so as to avoid a semifinal match-up with Toledo, but it's pick your poison from the East.

Milwaukee Bavarians -  Another club that has been doing this for over half a century, Milwaukee is the one team that has seen CR up close and suffered their only loss of the season to date to Rampage United. The revenge factor makes the Bavarians a scary prospect in the final, as they will be fired up and confident, having beaten one of the two teams above.

So there you have it. Cedar Rapids are the Leicester City of the bunch, but sometimes it's the big boys who are out-"foxed". The dream is that the final friendly match with AAC Eagles is turned into a championship homecoming party, complete with a confetti-throwing trophy lifting ceremony that turns Clark Field into a mini-King Power Stadium.

Wish List 2016 - Top 10 Things We Want to See Happen for Cedar Rapids Rampage SC and Cedar Rapids Rampage United...

10) A vibrant match day atmosphere in the Irish District for Rampage United matches. With Mahoney's Pub within walking distance of Clark Field, there is a natural supporters home base in the vicinity, Hopefully the pub embraces this opportunity as the home team bar.

9)  A carpet free of football-lines for Rampage SC. We realize there is logistics and economics to this with the Titans, but there is no doubt the product looks better on a clean green rug. Look at our turf vs Missouri, St. Louis, or Detroit by comparison.

8) A start at looking for a soccer-specific home for Rampage United. We have highlighted the area just two blocks behind NewBo Market as a potential home. There is also a big patch of flood-plain land just across the river from the Cellular Center. This could be a city/franchise partnership project that brings dollars into these surrounding businesses, and give soccer players in the area a home to play in either New Bohemia or downtown. Imagine walking from the bars and restaurants at NewBo Market area, to a match, on game night weekends.

7) A vocal supporters' section marketed by the team. We are thinking the bleachers opposite the main stands. We had some drums and colorful costume by mid-season indoors, its time to organize it into a section outdoors. With the help of the front office, we hope to see numbers grow.

6) A continued recruitment effort of talent from smaller MASL clubs. Rampage SC have made themselves a players destination with the atmosphere at the US Cellular Center. Star players on smaller teams pulling in only a thousand fans can be pulled in with the prospect of playing in front of 3X the amount of fans AND the added benefit of a job playing outdoor in the summer. The front office did this wonderfully last season with some mid-season additions (none bigger than Gordy Gurson) to make the team winners against some quality teams down the stretch. The work of building isn't done yet though, and there are even clubs in our division that Cedar Rapids can offer more than.

5) On that note, a known winner of an indoor coach. Or even a known winner as a player that wants to transition. A change in coaching mentality and philosophy can produce big results. This is obviously the biggest off-season decision in the hands of Rampage SC.

4) A packed house for matches at Clark Field. File this under a no-brainer, but if crowds come out to the Coe campus like they did the Cell Center, the club will have resources to re-invest and build the future upon.

3) Rampage United qualifying for the US Open Cup. For those in the know, there is simply nothing else like this tournament in American sports. Iowa soccer fans had the thrill of seeing the Des Moines Menace at Livestrong Sporting Park, in front of a packed house, in a meaningful cup game against Sporting Kansas City of MLS, with thousands watching the broadcast. Such an event would be the biggest event in Eastern Iowa soccer history.

2) Rampage SC making the MASL Playoffs. In the Central, easily the deepest division in the league, it will be a tough task. But as the second half of the season showed, its not impossible to make a run at it this year. Winning sooner in the season is, of course, vital.

1) A title for either Rampage United or Rampage SC. Which should ALWAYS be number 1 on the wish list. And hey, if Leicester City can challenge for the English Premier League title, why can't we be ambitious enough to win the Premier League of America. ;)

VOTE: Cedar Rapids Rampage Fan Awards: Inaugural 2015-2016 Season

Game of the Year -

12/9 vs. St. Louis Ambush - With the Rampage down 7-2 at one point, Alex Megson records what is believed to be the second fastest hat-tick in major indoor history (an astonishing 41 seconds) to bring the Rampage back in the 3rd quarter. Chile Farias then struck game tying and winning goals for the Rampage first ever victory.

1/16 vs. Syracuse Silver Knights - The first team without a losing record the Rampage beat, and an eventual Eastern Conference Finalist (giving top seed Baltimore all they could handle and then some in a multiple overtime playoff), the Silver Knights had to have thought they had repeatedly slayed the dragon. Yet like a story book foe, they just kept refusing to die quietly. Four times Syracuse took the lead in from late in the 3rd on, and each time Cedar Rapids responded. Eventually tying the game with just over 3 minutes left, Rampage SC would go to overtime where Gordy Gurson first-timed a Hewerton cross to send Rampage fans to euphoria with a franchise first back-to-back victories.

2/21 @ Detroit Waza Flo - After conceding a late game-tying goal, Gordy Gurson makes a goal-line block with under a minute left to take the game to overtime, where Hewerton Moreira hits a one-time finish from close range for the victory and a franchise first road win.

Goal of the Year -

1 - Chile Farias' game-winning, top corner rocket on the power play for the franchise's first win, 12/9 vs. St. Louis Ambush.

2 - Blake Ordell turns and hits a rocket upper 90 in the 4th quarter against Syracuse from well outside the area to make it 5-5 and show the Silver Knights they would be in a dogfight 'til the very end.

3 - Alex Megson records what is believed to be the second fastest hat-tick in major indoor history with a wallascora assist from Farias, to turn a 2 to 7 runaway for the Ambush to a 5 to 7 nail-biter and keyed Rampage SC to a 9-7 first victory.

Defender of the Year -

Sam Guernsey - The hard nosed defender came over from Tulsa Revolution to consistently add tough defending with the occasional goal.

Patrick Kelly - The man with arguably the highest pace in the league, his grit on both ends made him one of the best two-way players for the Rampage.

Alex Tozer - Honorable mention on the MASL All-Rookie Team, Tozer proved to be adept in tight space and a vital man-marker.

Getting to Know Your MASL Opponents - Syracuse Silver Knights

Founded: 2010

League Championships: None 

Arena: Oncenter War Memorial Arena

History:

   
The Syracuse Silver Knights are a relatively new franchise in the world of indoor soccer, having began at the dawn of the last incarnation of the MISL in 2010. Syracuse immediately made a splash by signing former MLS star forward Diego Serna and later perennial star Jamar Beasley, but it was the spine of  their team; defender Nelson Santana, midfielder Marcos Chantal, and forward Elmo Neto (now with Cedar Rapids) that made the Silver Knights relevant in the soccer hotbed of central New York state. Having missed the playoffs their first two years as an organization, the last two years have seen SSK (as they're abbreviated) make the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, nearly reaching the finals two seasons ago.



Today:

The Silver Knights are staple in the city of Syracuse, averaging over 3,000 fans regularly and seeing crowds occasionally hit the 4,000 mark. More importantly, the excellent Silver Knight Foundation has helped hundreds of under priveliged children near their home in urban Syracuse.

Notable Players/Coaches:

Machel Millwood -This lanky Jamaican goal scorer got his start in outdoor professionally with the second division Syracuse Salty Dogs and later the Atlanta Silverbacks. However, it was with indoor powerhouse Baltimore Blast where Millwood made his name, most notably scoring the Championship winning overtime goal against St. Louis in 2006. 

Slavisa Ubiparapovic - Former Red Bull forward, and fancy footwork specialist, Ubi is adept at creating goals as well as scoring, and won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2012.

Corey Elenio - A former Columbus Crew forward in his rookie year, Elenio looks to replace dynamic Elmo Neto at forward. 

Owner/Coach Tommy Tanner has guided the Silver Knights in the right direction each year he has been in charge, in large part due to steady netminder Bryan O'Quinn.

Getting to Know Your MASL Opponents - Harrisburg Heat

Orignally Founded:1991

League Championships: None (Runner-up in 1995 NPSL Finals, Regular season winners in 2001)

Arena: Farm Show Complex

History:

      Harrisburg Heat were introduced as a National Professional Soccer League expansion team in 1991 with Jim Pollihan as Harrisburg Heat’s first coach. Pollihan was named NPSL coach of the year after leading Heat to a 24-16 record and a second-place finish in the American Division. Franklin McIntosh was second-team all-league, scoring 130 points. By 1992 the Heat were drawing over 7,000 fans to games, led by Goalkeeper Brett Phillips who would be named NPSL rookie of the year. By 1995, the Heat were drawing well over 8,000(!) raucous fans at the unique and now legendary Farm Show Arena (built for the very events it sounds like) and only lost the final to a now famous St. Louis Ambush rally in the NPSL Finals. Consistently among the league's best, the 2001 Heat won the regular season with a 24-16 record. The Heat went on hiatus with the demise of the NPSL, but re-emerged in the PASL, before moving up to the MASL post-merger.



Today:

      The Heat have had dwindling fortunes on the field while at the same time growing at the gate. The 2012 team advanced to the Cup Quarterfinals and had a respectable 6-10 . Though crowds had grown enough to necessitate a move to the larger arena at Farm Show, the Heat's win total has steadily dwindled for a franchise with a proud history.

Notable Players/Coaches:

Adauto Neto - Not to be confused with Cedar Rapids' Elmo Neto, the OTHER Neto has been a scoring force with Baltimore Blast among other franchises. His scoring and assisting threat make the Heat dangerous despite a recent poor record. The Heat narrowly lost to the undefeated Blast as evidence.

Tyler Witmer - A solid two-way player, Witmer can get hot on both ends of the field. Recorded a 6 goal game last year in win vs. St. Louis.

Val Texeira - A former Crystal Palace and Baltimore defender, Texeira captains a defense that will be among the stingiest Cedar Rapids will face all season.

Cedar Rapids Rampage SC Images of 2015: Scores, saves, and spectators. (Courtesy Photographer Jaimee Warbasse)