Well, at least partially. I've copied the release from the CFR and added my own comments. [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=+1]The Boys are Back in Town!!! [/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]The final paperwork is into the USL, the Chicago Fire Reserves are pleased to announce the following returning players from the 2003 season.[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Nick Pollard - South West Missouri State[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Dasan Robinson - University of Dayton[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Chris Rolfe - University of Dayton[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Alex Odwell - University of Akron[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Patrick Grange - University of New Mexico[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Jed Zayner - University of Indiana[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Brad Guzan - University of South Carolina [/size][/font] [size=-1]Nick Pollard and Dason Robinson are two thirds of the returning back line for the Reserves. They played in almost every game during the regular season. Dasan missed the end of the season after suffering a shoulder injuring in Thunder Bay. Nick was a stalwart during the playoffs.[/size] [size=-1]Pollard came on strong toward the end of the season and became the starter at left back. He plays in the midfield at SMS.[/size] Robinson is a quick, tenacious right side player who saw his 2003 CFR season cut short by injury. A solid two-way player with a bit of nasty, he started at both midfield & defense last summer. [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Chris Rolfe, Alex Odwell and Patrick Grange were all regulars on the front line for the Reserves. They all contributed tallys during the regular season and the playoffs to lead CFR to a National Championship appearance.[/size][/font] Rolfe & Odwell saw plenty of action as both starters & subs, Grange saw somewhat less playing time. Rolfe missed half of the college season, yet was the Flyer's second leading scorer. The year b4 he won first team Great Lakes Region honors. The speedy Odwell hails from Northampton, England. He played mainly right mid/forward for the CFR and bagged a hat trick as a substitute in one match. [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Jed Zayner is the 'Hometown Hero' for the Reserves. Graduating from Carl Sandburg High School as one of the top players in the state. He appeared in several games for the CFR. He was also a member of USSF National u-18 team, called up frequently last summer to appear in games all over the world.[/size][/font] Zayner was a starting center back on Indiana's 2003 NCAA champions and was named to almost every NCAA best freshman team . He's good, read more here: http://iuhoosiers.com/menssoccer/roster/zayner.html [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Brad Guzan is a graduate of Providence Catholic HS in New Lenox. He appeared breifly with the CFR last season. In 2003 he was named MVP of the University of South Carolina mens soccer team as a freshman.[/size][/font] [size=-1]He's good too - also made many NCAA best freshman teams. He's a commanding presence in the penalty area. First freshman MVP at USC. Not Josh Wolff, Clint Mathis, or even Henry Ring did that.[/size] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Additionally the Reserves are pleased to announce the signing of two very talented players with deep roots in Chicago soccer.[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Jason Acres returns to Chicago after playing for the Richmond Kickers in the A-League last year. He is one of the top players in Judson College history. He was a player and coach of the Chicago Eagles Select during their existence in the PDL.[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Jason will probably coach some this year as well. A class veteran.[/size][/font] [font=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular][size=-1]Also returning to the field, one of the original CFR, Hamid [/size][/font]Mehreioskouei. He is one of the top scorers in the PDL during the 2002 season with the Reserves. He completed an outstanding career at Bradley University and was selected by the LA Galaxy in the 2003 Draft Hamid was hampered with injuries his last season at Bradley & during the Gals 2003 pre-season. He passed up a chance for a developmental contract in favor of law school. Hamid hails from Schamburg and is well known in Chicagoland soccer circles. He scored a PK shootout goal in the Chicago Sockers' legendary win over the Kansas City Wizards in the 2000 US Open Cup. He's good enough to play in MLS.
Re: Fire Reserves Roster Released Guzan and Zayner were two of the top freshmen in the country last year and are definite and legitimate pro prospects. Bet the farm that Sarachan will make a point to evaluate both closely.
Re: Fire Reserves Roster Released As fast I can type it, the rest of the roster on www.firereserves.com.
F-Boyzzz Khumalo - Costal Carolina University This guy, running with Joesph Ngwenya (now of the Galaxy) tore up UNC's defense in the NCAA playoffs last year. Ngwenya was good but I thought that Boyzzz was the best player on the field. Anyone know if he's related to early MLSer and fellow South African Doctor Khumalo?
All I know is any guy with the name "Boyzzz" had better damn well be good. See same for guys named "Dipsy".
I'm pretty sure that Boyzzz is pronounced like the capital of Idaho. Looking at the whole roster, this is a very talented team with several future MLS players. Guzan, as I mentioned earlier, was one of the best freshmen GKs last year. I thought he was THE best but since his team sucked, he didn't make Soccer America's All-Freshman team. And, Zayner was a starter, as a freshmen, on IU's NCAA championship team and he did make SA's All-Freshman team. As mentioned by someone else, Khumalo was Ngwenya's partner in crime and put up great numbers after transfering from NAIA power Lindsey Wilson. That he is in Chicago playing PDL ball shows he's serious about playing at the next level and getting exposure to the pro scouts. Remember, Ngwenya played PDL ball for league champs Cape Cod last year and he rode that momentum into the first round of the draft. I understand that Khumalo is a little bit more of a passer/creater type than Ngwenya. The other GK, Chris Dunsheath, has been a stud in his two seasons at Bradley and as a frosh in 02, College Soccer News named him to their all freshman team. It will be quite the battle for PT in the nets on this team as both these guys have MLS potential. Drew Moor might be best known player on the team. He was part of IU's national championship team last year as a sophomore and played for the US on the U20 team in the World Youth Championships last year in the UAE. He started several games for the US at right back and supposedly passed up a P40 offer to go back for his jr. year. Danny O'Rourke is one of my favorite players in college soccer. Not the most skilled, but nasty, tough player. Think a bigger version of Richie Williams or Dema without the skill. He usually plays D-mid for IU but when they were injured or the situation dicated, he dropped back into defense, including in the Final Four when he marked Santa Clara's top forward out of the game. Chris Loftus is an interesting player for no other reason that he's 6-5. He was switched back and forth at Duke between target forward and the back and it will be interesting to see where he settles in. Obviously, if he chooses the back there will be comparisons to Chicago's gangly red head. Cameron Knowles is a defender from New Zealand with good size who was a member of the Kiwis U17 team that participated in the world championship the same year Beasley, Countess, etc... reached the semis. He's be an all-conference performer at Akron, as has teammate Alex Odwell, a MF from England. I don't know much about the rest of team but there is a lot of talent on this squad, particuarly in the defense, and if they come together they could contend for the PDL title again. (FYI, Boulder and Mid-Michigan are also loaded with college and youth national team stars and Cap Cod is always tough no matter what and Fresno has most of the players from the NAIA national runners-up.)
Luke Kremawhatever was on the Edwardsville team that destroyed the most talented HS team that Illinois has seen in a while in the state final. Grabavoy along with probably 8 other div 1 starters were on that team. I've only seen him play twice, and all I remember is that he has a damn good shot. Jimmy Klatter is another Magic product to play with the reserves. He's a very skilled player, but perhaps not the most athletic guy there is. I'd say he'd kinda like Mike Magee. As much as I hate Guzan because he's a huge prick, I agree that he's an excellent goalie. He's pretty much got the perfect goalie build, and his reactions aren't too shabby. Zayner is one of the most composed players I've ever had the pleasure to play with.
Khaled El Ahmad(CB) I beleive is planning on joining up with the Reserves after he returns from Sweden and Czech Rebublic later this summer. He was on the wrong end of one of the worst hacks I've ever seen last year when playing for the reserves and is back to 100%. Last I knew he had decided to give it a go again with the reserves this summer.
Kreamalmeyer looked every bit the player that Grabavoy was in that championship game, but Ned had the rep . . . . He's had a good, but not great college career thus far. Loftus won the Class A state title two years ago with Sacred Heart Griffin, spanking Guzan & Providence in the title game 6-1. Sanders was among his conference's leaders in scoring as a freshman & was named second team all-WCC. Nash had a big 2002 at Creighton, but fell off the map a bit (injured?) last season. Jaman is from Kuwait, but says he wouldn't mind having a chance to play for the US. Here's a photo & a nice story on Nowaf. http://www.westerncourier.com/news/2003/09/29/Sports/On.The.Offensive-507310.shtml Khumalo played several seasons with the West Michigan Edge, seems he's been around forever. Nice to see El Ahmad will be back this year. He's one guy I think could make a switch from center back to center forward. The man can definitely hold the ball under pressure. I heard UMW capocannoneri & fellow Swede Antou Jallow might come aboard as well.
I think Kreamalmeyer looked better than Grabavoy in that game. I think that's when a lot of his critics got more vocal about him working hard. Providence had no business in the state championship. That happened a year after I graduated, but both years we I played against them I was on the better team (Lemont) and we were not even close to being the best single A school. I suppose having Geneva and Benet bumped into AA helped their chances.
Depends what day you ask him. He is going home to Sweden this summer at least until July, after that he might come back here to play for the reserves.
nice to see another griffin grad make the fire reserves... hopefully loftus will do more than the previous guy (hell, that guy might still be on this team... i can't recall his name)... his brother was the keeper (and a few inches shorter than chris) for probably the best griffin team ever, but that was back when there was only one class in illinois soccer... that team was loaded with talent, they went out the round before state with a lot of luck, perhaps we can have our second alumnus make mls... you might know the first... played several years with the *cough, hack, spit* dallas burn *cough, hack, spit*... ted eck eck and his brother pretty much created the program at griffin (back then it was an all boys school, since it's merged with sacred heart and thus known as sacred heart-griffin... today, eck's brother is the head coach of the university of illinois at springfield, with ted (i think still) as an assistant... it's naia, but they've won a few national titles in it... springfield may be a long ways from chicago, but there is some damn good soccer there... springfield high has won the class a title (aa school now), griffin has won it a couple of times, and i think rochester ("burb" of springfield) won it or got second place...