USWNT Defeat Denmark 5-0 in 2012 Algarve Cup Opener

Alex Morgan netted twice for the U.S. Women en route to their 5-0 win

against Denmark.

LAGOS, Portugal (Feb. 29, 2012) - The U.S. Women's National Team played to a 5-0 win against Denmark in the opening game of the Algarve Cup. Alex Morgan opened scoring in the 21st minute of the match and the USA was dominant throughout.

Abby Wambach netted for the U.S. at the end of the first half, and the team came out strong to score three more tallies in the second half. Carli Lloyd netted in the 76th minute with Morgan adding her second less than 10 minutes later. Sydeny Leroux finished the game off in the dying moments of stoppage time to seal the victory.

Dempsey's Goal Lifts USMNT Over Italy

GENOA, Italy — Jurgen Klinsmann celebrated his first ever win over Italy as the German's United States team inflicted a well deserved and memorable 1-0 defeat of the 2006 World Cup winners in an international friendly here on Wednesday.

Fulham striker Clint Dempsey's second half goal gave the United States their fourth successive victory while Italy suffered a second straight loss at home.

For Klinsmann this was a sweet result after his Germany side had come off second best to Italy in the 2006 World Cup semi-finals.

Italy's Sebastian Giovinco produced the hosts' first real chance when his effort forced US keeper Tim Howard into action.

Then the Italians had the ball in the back of the net on 25 minutes only for Alessandro Matri's shot to be ruled offside by Turkish referee Firat Aydinus.

On 37 minutes Italy captain and keeper Gianluigi Buffon - one of the few survivors of the 2006 semi-final win - could only palm away United States veteran Dempsey's stinging shot.

Thiago Motta saw his threatening half volley gratefully scooped up by Howard two minutes from the interval.

The sides went into the break after a first period in which the Italians were unable to capitalise on their superior possession against a committed US side.

On 55 minutes the deadlock was broken when against the run of play Jozy Altidore did well to set up Dempsey whose left-footed drive left Buffon with no chance at all.

Michael Bradley, son of Klinsmann's predecessor in the US hotseat, Bob Bradley, and the only Italy-based player in the visitors side was one of the stars for the United States and only his timely tackle stopped the lively Giovinco in his tracks.

The Italians were having difficulty breaking through the stout US defence led by skipper Carlos Bocanegra and Bundesliga-based Steve Cherundolo, and despite late pressure the US held on for a memorable win.

The loss will have given Italy coach Cesare Prandelli plenty of food for thought as he desperately searches for a strikeforce he can deploy ahead of the Euro 2012 finals in June.

Having successfully got them to the finals and rebuilt some of the damage done to their image after they became the first defending champions to exit at the first hurdle in the 2010 World Cup Prandelli has lost his three leading strikers.

Antonio Cassano is out because of a heart problem, while Giuseppe Rossi too is recovering after suffering a serious injury at the end of October and Cassano's replacement, Manchester City badboy Mario Balotelli, was dropped for his on the field behaviour.

Albert, Bears One Up Hot Soccer Moms

Coach Oscar celebrates Albert Martinez's game-winning goal Sunday night against Hot Soccer Moms.

In a game where both sides were evenly matched, despite a much younger and quicker Hot Soccer Moms squad, Club Bad News Bears used experience and team work to take the win 1-0.

It seemed as if the 0-0 tie would hold.  Both clubs had numerous goal opportunities, with every shot just sailing to the left or right.  Club Bad News Bears would shut down Hot Soccer Mom's speed with a solid defense.  Hot Soccer Moms would disrupt passes and breakaways with their youth.  At times, the game was pretty much a stand still, but at halftime, the Bears coaching staff saw an opportunity for victory.

"They are pretty fast," pointed out Coach Oscar, "but they are tiring themselves out.  They can't get past our back four."

The observation was spot on, as during the second half, despite a few scoring opportunities, Hot Soccer Moms' offense began to slowly deteriorate, and their defense breaking down one player at a time.  In the 65th minute, Albert Martinez took advantage of a deflected shot off the goalkeeper and send the ball at the back of the net to break the tie.

Hot Soccer Moms tried to push the ball forward with time slowly running out, but the Bears defense held off any attack.  In the end, the Bears held on to a 1-0 victory, to the satisfaction of the coaching staff.

"Everybody played their heart out," said assistant coach Scott.  "The win was well-deserved."

The Bears played with several new players on the squad, but the communication and team work displayed throughout the game ultimately became the difference maker tonight.

Club Bad News Bears will take on Katy SDA next week, March 4th at Bear Creek Park's Field #12.

MatchDay Preview: The Road to Soccer Immortality Begins Tonight

Club Bad News Bears (0-0-0) vs. Hot Soccer Moms (1-0-0)

February 26, 2012     8:00pm CST

Bear Creek Park Field #5

Houston, Texas

The road to soccer immortality begins tonight for Club Bad News Bears.  If the club is serious about finally hoisting a championship trophy over their heads, then no match is more important than tonight's against Hot Soccer Moms.  If the players are truly "on board" with Coach Oscar's new-found vision for the team, than this match is perfect for each and every player to show it.  Tonight, the Bears write their own story that will forever be remembered in soccer history.

As is always the challenge, both of these clubs have never met before.  With that, there are plenty of unknowns that both sides will have trouble creating strategy for.  Who are their best players?  What's their preferred formation?  What are their strengths and weaknesses?  Unfortunately for a coaching staff, those questions and more are answered during the game, but it will be the team who can react to these unknowns quickly and adjust.  The Bears have the advantage in this department, despite not doing so well on opening day against new opponents.  Assistant coach Scott is looking forward to the challenge presented to the club.

"It's not going to be a walk in the park tonight against our opponents, but I have the utmost confidence in our players.  With our speed and talent, we should be able to make quick adjustments to anything that Hot Soccer Moms throw at us."

Tonight's game will be a bit on the cooler side, as temperatures will be down in the upper 50s by game time.  There's a slight 10% chance of rain, but field conditions shouldn't be affected by the 8:00pm kickoff.

Club Bad New Bears:

• 1st meeting against Hot Soccer Moms.  Last game the Bears played was a 2-2 tie against Heatstrikers to close out the 2011 Fall season.
• The Bears will be without defender Ashley Castaldo (personal obligations). 
• With the release of a few players, including Lorena Reyes, the Bears will have to learn quickly on developing a team rhythm.
• The Bears should focus on smart passing; look down field and pass with a purpose.

Hot Soccer Moms:

• 1st meeting against Club Bad News Bears.  Won their last game 3-0 against Katy SDA this season.
• 1st season in the HWSA. 
• Posting a shutout during their first game, the Bears should find a way to get past a defense that hasn't allowed a goal this season.
• Since they are new to this league, they don't have a lot to lose.  The pressure is more on their opponents who have been in this league before.

Injury Report:

No injuries to report at this time.

Suspension:

No suspensions to report at this time.

Head-to-Head All-Time:

First meeting between both clubs.

Bears Conclude Practice Today

Several players get a final practice in at Bear Creek Park before their season opener tomorrow against Hot Soccer Moms

Coach Oscar Aviles and assistant coach Scott Machala were on hand for a co-op practice between several members of Club Bad News Bears and an all girls squad, led by former Bear and current TFC Thunder player Lorena Reyes.  The temperature was in the mid-50s this morning at Bear Creek Park, but it didn't stop those Bears in attendance from fine tuning their skills before the big game tomorrow against Hot Soccer Moms.

Coach Oscar is looking at having more of these practices made available to the team throughout the season.

"I can't force anyone to come out and practice, but the practices will be there.  Players who do show up will see how beneficial the practices are and that they do really help."

In attendance were Emilio Estevez, Rachel and Sophie Ammar, and Soso.

Assistant coach Scott seemed excited for those that did show up, but did appear a little concerned for those that didn't.

"I know that it's hard to accommodate everyone's schedule.  I hope that we can get more players out here next time.  The ones who did show up today really benefitted from all of the drills and scrimmaging today."

The Bears coaching staff is looking at having two practices a week throughout the season, one on Thursday evenings and the other on Saturday mornings.


 

Season Opener Venue Changed

Bear Creek Park has seen the most Club Bad News Bears games in the club's history, although no season opener wins.

Club Bad News Bears assistant coach and defender, Irma Sanchez, reported last night that the venue for this Sunday's season opener against Hot Soccer Moms has been changed.  Previously to be held at Houston Amateur Sports Park, Field #3, the match will now be played at Bear Creek Park, Field #5.

The Bears are 0-3-1 at Bear Creek Park on opening day, being outscored 3-13, this includes a 2-0 shutout loss to Growling Trout at field #5.  However, Bear Creek Park has seen the most Club Bad News Bears games, 35 to be exact, where the Bears hold a 15-14-6 record, outscoring their opponents 68-59.  The last time the Bears played at field #5, they tied Invictus 1-1.

Bears By the Numbers: Season Opener Edition

With the weather looking very favorable for this Sunday, Club Bad News Bears can finally begin their 2012 Spring season.  The Bears will open up the season against newcomers Hot Soccer Moms.  Although the excitement is building for both these teams to face off against each other, the Bears will have their work cut out against them, as historically, opening day has never been too kind for them.  Here are some interesting numbers for Club Bad News Bears on opening day that could give some insight into this Sunday's match against Hot Soccer Moms, their 10th season opener.

• The Bears have played against 7 opponents on opening day that they have never played against before.  The Bears are 1-5-1 when facing new opponents on opening day, being outscored 11-22.  Hot Soccer Moms will be the Bears' 8th newest opponent for a season opener.
• The Bears have never opened a season at Houston Amateur Sports Park, where this Sunday's match will take place.
• The Bears have played only 1 season opener at 8:00pm, where they lost 2-0 to Growling Trout.  This Sunday's game is at 8:00pm.
• February season openers for the Bears have not been kind, as all three games in the past have resulted in losses, being outscored 4-16.

Additionally, here's a look back at the Bears' past season openers:

February 8, 2009 - Spring Division 5 - Bear Creek Park Field #11
In the club's first ever match, Club Bad News Bears would take on their first opponent, TFC Thunder at Bear Creek Park.  Although the club would score its first goal ever, their opponents took advantage of the Bears' inexperience and put up a bold 8-1 score.

June 14, 2009 - Summer Division 5 - West Houston Soccer Complex Field #3
In the Bears' second season, the outcome would be a lot less painful.  Taking on Winners, the Bears would hold their own and keep the game close throughout.  In the end, however, Winners would live up to their team name and claim a 3-2 victory over the Bears.

September 13, 2009 - Fall Divisoin 5 - West Houston Soccer Complex Field #2
A monumental season opener for the Bears, compared to their first two.  The third season for Club Bad News Bears would finally break the first game jitters against Growling Trout.  Having played them twice before, both shutout victories, the Bears would finally give up one goal to Growling Trout.  However, the Bears would continue to their dominance over them with a 5-1 season opener victory, the first in the club's history.

February 28, 2010 - Spring Division 5 - West Houston Soccer Complex Field #2
Coming off their second straight 4-3-1 season, the Bears looked for a great start to begin the 2010 campaign.  Their opponent was the Golden Mavericks.  Both teams never met before, but after the match ended, the Bears were hoping they had knew them a little better.  Golden Mavericks made it hard from the start, putting the Bears away 6-2.

June 1, 2010 - Summer Division 4 - Bear Creek Park Field #19
Celebrating their 5th season, and getting promoted to Division 4, the Bears looked to turn things around, despite putting up a dismal 3-4-1 record the season before.  At Bear Creek Park, the Bears would take on a new opponent, FC Kilgore.  The match was close, but as in previous season openers, the Bears would fall yet again, 3-2.  The Bears would give up their 100th goal overall in this match.

September 26, 2010 - Fall Division 5 - Bear Creek Park Field #5
Back in Division 5, despite posting an impressive 5-3-0 record, the Bears needed to carry the momentum into this season.  To do that would mean getting by Growlingn Trout, who in their last season opener meeting, won 5-1.  Up until this game, Club Bad News Bears were undefeated against Growling Trout, outscoring them 12-1 in three matches.  The Bears may have taken their opponent too lightly as Growling Trout would come out on top with a 2-0 shutout victory.

February 13, 2011 - Spring Division 5 - West Houston Soccer Complex Field #3
With three straight opening day losses behind them, the Bears hoped that a fresh opponent could break their dry spell.  A new opponent would come, as the Bears were set to take on Heat Strikers.  Both teams played both sides of the field pretty evenly, but the Bears' efforts were not enough as they would begin 2011 with a 2-1 loss.

June 12, 2011 - Summer Division 5 - Bear Creek Park Field #1
Trying to shake off a 4 game losing streak on opening day, the Bears would open up their 8th season against a new opponent, Pluma Mountain Coffee.  Both sides played very aggressively, with both sides nearly scoring on multiple occassions.  In the end, however, both sides would walk off the field with a scorless 0-0 tie, the Bears first tie in season opener history.

September 11, 2011 - Fall Division 6 - Dyess Park Field #2
The 10th Anniversary of 9-11 saw the country keep their promise to "never forget" the events that happened that fateful day.  The Bears would look back at their past history of season openers, never forgetting their struggles throughout the club's history.  Facing Growling Trout for the third time in season openers, the Bears came out strong and determined, keeping the ball out their net the entire game.  Club Bad News Bears would claim a 3-0 shutout victory, as well as see the club's 150th goal scored overall.

Club Bad News Bears currently sit on a two game unbeaten streak.  Maybe the stars will be aligned just right for the Bears this Sunday so that future season openers are not dreaded, but embraced.

Coach Oscar, Bears Name Scott Machala Assistant Coach

Bad News Bears head coach, Oscar Aviles, is keeping with his promises of turning his team around for the upcoming 2012 Spring season. From bringing in new players to improving the team's performance and mentality, Coach Oscar is doing whatever it takes to get his team to the top. This includes the club coming to a deal with the top kickball player/coach in the world, Scott Machala.

For the few that are not familiar, Scott Machala single handedly turned a struggling kickball team around in two seasons, producing some of the finest teams and players the kickball world has seen. The club sees this type of direction rubbing onto Coach Oscar's goals for this season.

"Coach Oscar and I are both on the same page on what this team needs and I feel like I'm the right man for the job. I believe in this club and I see the things that need to change. I want to be there to make it all happen so this club can enjoy being at the top."

With the new job comes a bit of conflict, as Scott is married to one of the club's players, Marvette Limon-Machala. At the time, there was strong concern that their marriage could prevent Scott from executing his duties successfully.

"She's my wife until the day I die, but when we are on that soccer field, it's business. My game face will be on, just like everyone else on the team. I will make sure that everyone, including my wife, is on the same page before, during and after each game."

Scott has been a supporter of the club since the 2010 Fall season, and has temporarily filled in for Oscar when personal obligations have kept him away from the team.  He was very much in the know on team strategy, along with keeping up with players subs and being a second pair of eyes for Oscar.

"The club expressed how much of an easy transition this would be for both sides, as I am familiar with the team's direction, just as they are familiar with my strong desire to win and keep winning. Failure is not an option. We've passed that point a long time ago."

Oscar now has a complete staff that will go out and fulfill scouting duties for the Bears' upcoming opponents, a task that was rarely initiated. The focus can now be taken off of the players to fill in when Oscar is unable to attend games, and allow a permanent replacement to take over.

"Oscar is the head coach and it's his way. I am here to make sure that his new vision for the team is executed on the field. When he's not on the sideline, it'll be my job to have Oscar speak through me, keeping everything consistent, from the mentality of the players to the strategy of the team and everything in between."

There is plenty of excitement since the news has broken out of Scott Machala being named the Bears' new assistant coach.  Things are sure looking up for the Bears this season.  Will this be the year that the Bears bring bad news to their opponents?

Could FieldTurf Mean Bad News for the Bears This Season?

Club Bad News Bears will not only face 7 human opponents this season, but will take on its first synthetic opponent.  For the first time in club history, the Bears will play on FieldTurf™ during their Field #1 games at Houston Amateur Sports Park.  Before anyone gets excited, let's weight the pros and cons of playing on FieldTurf™.

Pros:

• FieldTurf™ is composed of rubber strings to simulate grass and tiny rubber pellets, which simulate dirt.
• FieldTurf™ is softer than AstroTurf™, which is basically playing on carpet that is on top of concrete.
• On wet conditions, your jersey won't get muddy (it might get a bit stained from the rubber pellets).
• Faster performance and more durable than real grass.

Cons:

• Tiny rubber pellets protect muscles and joints (since this continues to be widely debateable to the manufacturer's claim, this is a con).
• Turf burns.
• It's not real.
• More bouncy than real grass.

The Bears will need to find a way to make this adjustment (especially for those that have not played on FieldTurf™ before).  Although this is exciting as far as the experience goes, improper preparation will see another "should have been" season pass the Bears by.  So, how does one prepare?

Soccer cleats are not a problem, as cleats are proven to exceed players' expectations on FieldTurf™.  This means that traction should not be a problem, even on wet conditions.  The ball will be coming off the ground faster, meaning passes will have to be more controlled and defending the ball will need to come with more attentiveness.  FieldTurf™ is not forgiving, so any falls to the ground could leave you feeling this technology's "sting" for the remainder of the game (and then some). 

Preparation will be completely mental.  The field will still be the same dimensions and the rules will still be the same for both teams (hopefully).  The key is not to let FieldTurf™ get inside your head.  It may take a few team mistakes to become familiar with the characteristics of the field, but it's not impossible to be successful on the field.

Match Against FC La Masia Rescheduled; Venue Changed

Heavy rainstorms throughout Houston last week prompted league officials to cancel games at Dyess Park's field #2.  This week, the HWSA posted a revised schedule, placing the postponed game at the end of the season, extending the Bears' season to May 13th.  The venue has changed, as the game will now be played at Houston Amateur Sports Park.  This is exciting news for the Bears as they have enjoyed great victories over the past two seasons. 

Club Bad News Bears are 4-2-2 when playing at HASP, outscoring their opponents 27-25.  Although they have suffered a 10-1 crushing defeat from Invictus, their largest in club history, the Bears are currently unbeaten in their last three games at HASP.  Outscoring their opponents 14-4, including a 5-1 and 7-1 victories over Growling Trout and AFC Renegades, respectively, should be more than enough confidence to put into the Bears this season when playing at HASP.  Based on these numbers, the Bears' can improve them as they will face 5 opponents at HASP, including Growling Trout and twice against AFC Renegades. 

The Bears open up their 2012 Spring season at HASP, against newcomers Hot Soccer Moms, on February 26.

Heavy Rain Cancels Weekend Opener

Houston and the surrounding areas endured quite a bit of rain earlier today, more than enough for the HWSA to cancel all games this weekend, especially for Club Bad News Bears' season opener against FC La Masia.  The game will be rescheduled for a later date and time.

I guess that rain dance FC La Masia did work...

It's Now or Never for the Bears

If the Bears ever needed an opportunity to finally clinch a division title, this season would be it.  The schedule reveals no immediate threat, with teams like Invictus being promoted to higher division.  With 3 days until Club Bad News Bears begin their 2012 Spring campaign, the hot topic trending on all social medial platforms has created quite a stir in the soccer community.

"Will this be the Bears' year?"

Last season should have been the Bears' "year", but several factors played a part in the Bears' struggles during the 2011 Fall season.  Although they were able to finish the season with a 5-2-1 record and 16 points (their best performance ever), problems such as communication and commitment began to plague a season that "should have been".  The personnel was solid, the strategy was inpenetrable, the focus was unified.  So what went wrong, and more importantly, how do they fix it?

Communication is key in all forms of the word, especially when it comes to team sports.  The Bears' coach, Oscar Aviles, stresses this before, during and even after games. 

"Talk to each other guys!"

But as much of a role communication plays while on the field, it's on the sideline where the lack of such has trickled down, seeping into the team's infrastructure and slowly eroding at the key supporting elements.  This was seen last season during the team's "implosion" when an abrupt change in formation against Invictus led to a divide amongst the team.  Players were heated and clashes of words between players was border line out-of-control. 

It's all water underneath the bridge, now.  Several players are not returning, either by choice or by other means, but the strategy remains the same.  Coach Oscar aims to be more aggressive with the team, stressing a commitment level that needs to be displayed by all players.  The league will see a change in the team's personality; a change that is much needed and would have helped them last season.

One can argue that this is only amateur soccer and it shouldn't be taken so seriously.  And another could view that as an accurate statement, but you don't join a team to go out there to lose.  You go out there, try your best to win, and at the same time having fun in the process.

This is the Bears' season to lose.  The stage and teams are set, and the outlook looks very promising for the Bears.  There isn't any reason the Bears finish less than a perfect 8-0-0 record.  There isn't any excuse why the Bears can't control their own destiny this season.

It's now or never...