Merry Christmas and a Happy and Healthy New Year
From all of us at the Sergio Soccer Foundation, may your New Year be filled with lots of goals, no red cards, and all good wishes
Jon Kanovsky
FDNY 1 NYPD 1 – FDNY Wins 5-4 on PK’s
The FDNY regained the Mayor’s Cup after a hard-fought, thrilling contest this past Saturday that was decided on Penalty Kicks. Over 2,000 fans cheered on both teams at RedBulls Arena on a hot, muggy night.
The first half was tightly played with both sides feeling each other out, but the FDNY Club took the lead with less than a minute left in the first half on a beautiful cross to the 6 yard line which was headed in.
The NYPD Club came out on fire (sorry, boys) in the second half and completely dominated play. Chance after chance, however, was turned aside by a FDNY squad determined to avenge last year’s 3-1 defeat. The pressure proved to much and with 8 minutes left in the second half, a beautiful run down the left hand side was rewarded as an NYPD forward beat the FDNY goalie and tied the game. FDNY had one last chance in the final minutes but the NYPD came up with an incredible save.
The friendly came down to penalty kicks and the FDNY was perfect and ended up winning the Mayor’s Cup with a 5-4 advantage in PK’s.
Over $5,000 was raised for the FF Sergio Villanueva Soccer Foundation and the Widow’s and Orphan’s Fund. A huge thank you to the RedBulls staff for hosting this great contest.
Battle on the Pitch – FDNY Soccer vs NYPD Soccer
The 3rd Annual Battle on the Pitch returns this Saturday, Sept. 24th at RED BULLS Arena in Harrison. The Battle will take place immediately following the RedBulls vs Portland Timbers game which starts at 7:30.
The FDNY Club will look for revenge after last year’s 3-1 loss. Both teams are practicing hard and expect both squads to come out fired up.
A portion of each ticket will benefit the FF Sergio Villanueva Soccer Foundation.
Please contact the foundation at number10@sergiosoccerfoundation.org or call the RedBulls Ticket Office for more information.
Truly the World’s Game
Tassilaq Soccer Stadium
This summer I had the opportunity to travel to Greenland to enjoy a 10 day backpacking trip. The last thing I expected to find during my adventure was anything related to the world’s game. Much to my surprise I was mistaken.
After a 2 hour plane ride and a 90 minute boat ride through pack ice, I arrived in the town of Tassilaq (pop. 1900). The center of town is dominated by a regulation soccer pitch. This pitch is lined on Friday and is used by the whole village from dawn to dusk on Saturday.
I then took a 2 hour boat ride and a 10 hour hike thru a valley to Kuggermit Point. We camped here for three days and previous guest left a soccer ball. You are viewing what possibly be the only shot of our Executive Director kicking a soccer ball
The next day would truly illustrate to me why we call soccer the World’s Game. After a 20 minute boat ride, I arrived in the little village of Tinnit. This coastal outpost is 20 miles south of the Polar Ice Cap and has a population of 125. After a short hike into the middle of town, I came across the school kids of Tinnit warming up for their daily soccer game. It would be foreign to most of us to play on a small dirt pitch with wooden pallets as goals with a large boulder on the right side of the field (home field advantage), but these boys and girls outfitted in UMBRO pinnies wearing uniforms of Brazil, Barcelona, and Chelsea know no other way. After inviting me to warm up, (which consisted of a 2 mile run through the hills of Tinnit), and running a little more than 150 yards, I told the trainer that I would wait by the pitch. After their warm up, the kids played a spirited game of football where skills, honed by hours of practice, were displayed. I felt honored to view this game that was played with the tenacity of most Premier League matches and now truly understand what is meant by the WORLDS GAME.
Past Scholarship Winner named Puerto Rico Player of Year
4 Year Sergio Villanueva Scholarship recepient -Hofstra defender Richard Martinez (Highland, N.Y.) was named the Puerto Rico Men’s Soccer Player of the Year by Primera Hora newspaper for the 2010 calendar year.
Martinez earned the honor after a terrific season with the Puerto Rico Islanders of the USL Conference of the United States Soccer Federation Division-2 Pro League. He helped the Islanders defeat the Los Angeles Galaxy in the CONCACAF Champions League with a 4-1 win in Los Angeles, spending much of the game marking United States national team member Landon Donavan. The Islanders finished third in the group stage of the Champions League after its upset win over the Galaxy.
In addition, the Islanders went on to capture the USSF D-2 Pro League with a 3-1 aggregate win over the Carolina RailHawks in the final round. The championship represented another big upset, as Puerto Rico finished fifth in the regular season in the USL Conference
Heads Held High
It was a busy day for the Hofstra Soccer Program this past Sunday.
The men were playing in the CAA final vs William and Mary after an incredible win in the Semi’s on Friday. Playing a man down, Hofstra scored 2 goals in the final five minutes (game winner on PK with 5 seconds left) to vault themselves into the finals. HU played W & M to a 0-0 first half tie, but once the Tribe scored HU pushed forward allowing a few easy goals to end up with a 4-0 final. Nevertheless, great applause to Coach Nuttall and the boys for never giving up, demonstrating great work ethic, and their effort would make Sergio proud.
The ladies played on Sunday after a routine win against perinniel power UConn. A quick goal gave them a 1-0 lead that was never relinquished. The game against BC in the round of 32 was much closer than the 5-0 opening day loss. The ladies proved much tougher this time out going down to a 3-1 defeat. The ladies finished 19-3 and we at the foundation are proud to share in their success as 3 scholarship winners (Tiffany Yovino, Brittany Butts, and Nikki Choeffel) played major roles in the success.
Coach Riddough and Coach Nuttall have been extremely supportive of the foundation and have always been willing to lend an extra hand when necessary. Well done lads, Cheers on two great season
Seasons Extended
This weekend is a big one for the Hofstra Soccer Programs. 4 scholarship recipients will have extended playing time this year
The Men’s team play in the CAA tournament this weekend and while their task is not easy, two wins will allow them to qualify for the College Cup. The boys have played brilliantly down the stretch, going 4-0-2, to move from 11th place to a 3rd place finish in Conference play. Good luck to Coach Nuttall and the boys.
The women travel to Boston College on Friday to play in the NCAA Women’s College Cup. First round play opens up at 7 pm vs Connecticut at Boston College. A win versus the Lady Huskies will allow the women to avenge their opening day loss as their probable opponent will be Boston College. The ladies have had a remarkable season finishing at 18-2. This team is comprised of some special young women who have shown incredible heart all year. I welcome all our fans in the Massachussets area to come out root for the women. Good Luck to Coach Riddiough and the Ladies
Paying Dividends
When we first endowed the Sergio Villanueva Scholarship at Hofstra University, we knew that we would have an impact on the lives of many young men and women. We hoped that these young men and women would exhibit the work ethic and dedication that was a hallmark of Sergio’s life. 2008 scholarship recipient Tiffany Yovino, as well as the whole Hofstra Women’s Soccer team, has exceeded our expectations this year. 17 straight wins, a regular season conference championship, and a national ranking of 17th in the country only tell part of the story. This group of young women, most from our area, have heard me talk the past 4 years on a variety of subjects including this years theme of overcoming hardships.
The 2010 Womens Team has not faced many obstacles in 2010 but when challenged, they have stepped up. Tiffany, while only 5 ft tall, has stood tall, and was named CAA player of the year for her outstanding play. Coach Riddiough was honored with CAA coach of the year.
The ladies know their season will not be complete without an NCAA tourney bid and hopefully a long run in the tournament. While a bid is not guaranteed, it would be hard to deny the women a bid this year. A conference championship this weekend might give them the opportunity to even host first and second round games.
An article in today’s New York Times highlights their accomplishments:
www.nytimes.com/2010/11/05/sports/soccer/05hofstra.html
CAA tournament play starts today at 4;30 with JMU vs George Mason, followed by Hofstra playing Georgia State at 7.
Winners will meet Sunday at noon. All games played at Hofstra University Soccer Stadium.
All of us at the foundation are extremely proud of the entire Hofstra University Women’s Soccer program and wish you luck the next few weekends
Trust
While the Hofstra University Women’s Soccer Team has enjoyed unparalled success this year (more about that in a post later this week), The Men’s Team has struggled at times to find an identity. With Coach Nuttall trying to blend youth and experience the Pride had remained down in the lower depths of the CAA Conference standings. While their back line remained solid, goals were hard to come by for Hofstra. With half the conference season over, the Hofstra Pride found themselves in 11th place. It would have been very easy for this young team to have thrown in the towel, gone through the motions and gotten ready for next year. Coach Nuttall would not allow this to happen.
That is how I found myself standing in front of approximately 20 young men in the visiting locker room at George Mason Stadium. The boys had forged a 3 game unbeaten streak that had vaulted them from 11th place to a 5th Place tie with 3 games left and only the top 4 teams qualifying for the conference tournament. Over the past 8 years, Coach Nuttall has allowed me to address the team during pre-season. These talks focus on Sergio and his dedication as well as a life lesson. While I had addressed the women’s team earlier in the year, scheduling troubles had delayed my talk to the men’s team until last Wednesday night.
This year’s talk focused on trust and how Sergio and his fellow firefighters had trusted each other on 9/11 and throughout the years. Being part of a team must include trusting your brothers and giving maximum effort even when things look bleak. Trust was an important element as the members of the New York City Fire Department entered the WTC on 9/11. Trust was the calming factor as these brave men and women climbed countless stairs to thier untimely death.
I hoped that the team would understand a little bit of what I tried to teach that night and it was soon evident that they did. A George Mason goal mid way through the first half would give the Hofstra team an opportunity to question their trust, but that was not the case. Their second half effort was relentless and an equalizer would come in the latter stages. Their hard work was further rewarded with a goal in the second overtime vaulting the Hofstra Pride to a 2-1 win and into 2nd Place in the CAA.
A home 0-0 draw with the 17th ranked Tribe of William and Mary College allows the Pride to control their own CAA playoff hopes with a win next Saturday at James Madison. I am confident that if the boys continue to trust each other and play with maximum effort, that they will secure a playoff spot.
9 Years Later
As the 9th anniversary of 9/11 approaches, my thoughts turn not only Sergio’s family and loved ones, but of the friends who have come into my life since 9/11. Joe Brosi and the members of the FDNY Soccer Club have been there for me time and time again. They have sacrificed thier own time to help support my family during our own time of crisis and have been their to offer their selfless support for the foundation. The foundation has traveled the world preaching our message of world peace and reaching out to children worldwide hopeful for a more peaceful future.
I will be spending 9/11 with my family at the Army Football game tomorrow as West Point honor’s America’s Heroes. These selfless young cadets have chosen to attend the US Military Academy knowing that they will be on the front lines defending our freedom upon graduation. I am sure that Big Daddy would think of no act more brave than the decision that these young men and women have made.
To all of the friends we have made and those who have helped us remember Sergio each and every day, thank you for helping ease the pain of Sergio’s loved ones.
I wish all of you a peaceful day.
