Pre-Season

We began our season on August 1st with our annual Club Camp. We took the opportunity to have DI introduce the appropriate techniques for our new warm-up and injury/ACL prevention program - "FIFA 11+". “The 11+” is a complete warm-up package for soccer players. The program was developed by an international group of experts. In a scientific study it was shown that female youth football teams using “The 11+” as a standard warm-up had significant lower risk for injuries than teams that warmed-up as usual.

The season transitioned into our annual Crew training event in the Columbus Crew stadium with the Crew staff, an evening that concluded at The Ohio State University vs. University of Kentucky Women's Soccer game.

Pre-season concluded with our annual Cincinnati United Cup, an event made possible by the volunteerism of our families and the leadership of Bobby Puppione. We were very proud of the play of all of our teams, all of which performed well over the weekend. Multiple CUP girls' teams reached the finals and/or won championships.

Our staff is grateful to have so many wonderful families and players in our organization, and we are eager to continue the season and make all of our players better.

Tournament Fever

What a great time to be a CUP player! With five teams competing for a Region II Championship and the United States winning their group and advancing to play on Saturday, our players have plenty of games to play and enjoy supporting! The United States kickoff on Saturday (June 26th) at 2:30 on ABC.

As for CUP...

U16 Girls
Saturday - 8:00 am Field #8 vs. Hawks (MI)
Sunday - 2:00 pm Field #8 vs. Sockers FC (IL)
Monday - 10:00 am Field #5 vs. FC Milwaukee (WI)

U14 Boys
Saturday - 11:00 am Field #17 vs. Cedar Rapids (IA)
Sunday - 8:00 am Field #17 vs. South Dakota United (SD)
Monday - 1:00 pm Field #14 vs. Sockers FC (Ill)

U16 Boys
Saturday - 8:00 am Field #4 vs. Elm Grove (WI)
Sunday - 2:00 pm Field #3 vs. JUSC (WI)
Monday - 10:00 am Field #4 vs. Grand Rapids (MI)

U17 Boys
Saturday - 2:00 pm Field #1 vs. Elm Grove
Sunday - 12:00 pm Field #1 vs. Pacesetter (ON)
Monday - 12:00 pm Field #1 vs. West Des Moines SC (IA)

U18 Boys
Saturday - 4:00 pm Field #5 vs. Elm Grove (WI)
Sunday - 8:00 am Field #6 vs. KCFC Spartans (KS)
Monday - 4:00 pm Field #6 vs. FC Pride (IN)

Click here for field map layout

The World Cup

In the coming weeks our players will have the opportunity to enjoy watching the World Cup. Some players will watch every game, while others may not watch one. While most players are not as passionate about watching the game as they are playing it, the tournament once again presents a learning opportunity for our players.

Each of us will be cheering on the United States, beginning with Saturday's showdown against England. While we may not be watching other games with the same kind of passion, hopefully our kids will find favorite players in other games to model themselves after.

We are kicking off our World Cup celebration at Geeters on Saturday, June 12th at 2:30. Hope to see you there!

Champions League Final

The next seven weeks will be every soccer fan's paradise, beginning with the Champions League Final on Saturday May 22nd at 2:45, and concluding with the World Cup early this summer.

Saturday's final will be a chess match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich. Both teams are full of many of the greatest players in the world. Many of the faces you will see on Saturday will be seen in the World Cup weeks later. The match will be a learning opportunity for the players who choose to watch.

As you watch the match, seek to understand the moments Inter Milan looks to counter attack. Is there a specific pattern or visual cue? Which players do they counter with and which players choose not to get forward? Finally, which player do you believe had the greatest impact on the game - - and why?

Understanding why a player had an impact on the game for their team may help you understand how you can better make an impact on the game for your team.

Champions League - Arsenal vs. Barcelona

This Wednesday (March 31st) at 2:45 on the Fox Soccer Channel, or played again later at 5:00 on Fox Soccer Plus, Arsenal will square off against Barcelona for the first time since the 2006 Champions League final. We will update this posting when the final time and date for this Champions League match is announced.

This game will be your chance to watch two teams who play the most entertaining soccer in the world. This match presents an opportunity to observe how some of the greatest players and teams in the world solve problems tactically and technically.

Watch and learn how...

Lionel Messi (Barcelona/forward) attacks on the flanks. Describe what the field looked like in the moments he penetrated wide and the moments he penetrated by cutting inside. What moves were most effective?

Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal/midfielder) controls the tempo of the match. Describe what the field looked like in the moments he penetrated and the moments he possessed. Can you tell whether he is predominantly right or left footed?

Carles Puyol (Barcelona/defender) changes the point of attack for his team. Describe what the field looked like in the moments he switched the field. What surface (laces, inside, outside) did he use the most when he connected with the other backs?

Manuel Almunia (Arsenal/goalkeeper) starts the attack for his team. Describe what the field looked like in the moments he chose to build from the back by distributing via rolling or throwing the ball.

We encourage you to first focus on observing the player that plays the position you predominantly play.

After making your observations, please share them with your coach or with the viewers of this blog by making a 'comment'.

On a different note, while the rest of the world makes hundreds of millions of dollars selling the front of their jerseys as advertising space - - Barcelona made a special choice that stands apart from the rest. To learn more visit www.unicef.org/media/media_35642.html (Futbol club Barcelona , UNICEF team up for children in global partnership)

Why We Blog

The purpose of our blog is two-fold.

First and foremost, it will be used as another teaching tool for our players. We will post discussion items about the game that challenge the thinking of our players, and will give them the opportunity to do the appropriate research and share their thoughts with other players and staff coaches.

Second, it will provide an additional avenue to communicate to our parents some of the activities within our dynamic training program designed to develop players to play at the highest levels.

Stay tuned as this process will unfold in the coming weeks...