Friday, December 27, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #9

0-7 Sacramento Surge @ 2-5 Turlock Express  I doubt Turlock gives up a game at home to the always defeated Surge.  Turlock -4 over/under 14

0-7 Tulsa Revolution @ 5-1 Dallas Sidekicks  Dallas haven't beaten the Revolution by more than 2 points all season, why should this game be any different?  Dallas -2 o/u 12

0-6 Texas Strikers @ 0-7 Tulsa Revolution  I think that the Revolution are the better of these two always defeated teams, but their game the night before could play a factor late in this game.  Tayou gets the hat trick in the Revolution's first win of the season.  Tulsa -2.5 o/u 14 

6-3 Cleveland Freeze @ 3-4 Harrisburg Heat  Of the Heat's 4 losses, 3 of them have come at the hands of the Cleveland Freeze.  Cleveland should be favored in this to win, but look for the Harrisburg upset and their first win against the Freeze.  Cleveland -1.5 o/u 15

2-4 Cincinnati Saints @ 3-4 Detroit Waza Flo  Detroit desperately needs to get a win at home after dropping 3 in a row. Detroit wins this one with ease.  Detroit -2 o/u 14

1-6 Illinois Piasa @ 7-0 Chicago Mustangs  The Chicago Mustangs finish the year out at 8-0 and in control of the Eastern Division.  Chicago -6 o/u 14

2-5 Ontario Fury @ 5-2 San Diego Sockers  The Sockers have struggled at home so far this year, and have the terrible habit of letting up and giving the opposition a chance to get back in the game.  Brian Farber told Craig Elsten that it was because Evan McNeley controlled the music at the half and it was throwing off their game, but the "Sockers Let Up" has a history that at least goes back to March 13, 2010.  A Sockers loss would not surprise me, especially if the Sockers let the Fury back into the game after leading at the half.  Sockers -1 o/u 15

0-7 Sacramento Surge @ 4-4 Bay Area Rosal  Bay Area with ease.  Rosal -5 o/u 13 

5-1 Dallas Sidekicks @ 6-1 Hidalgo La Fiera  This is probably the game of the week and a good litmus test of who the true powers of the Central Division really are.  La Fiera will be well rested, they have a great keeper in Juan Gamboa, and are led by the experience of Chile Farias.  Dallas needs to prove themselves as a true contender by beating a team with a winning record, something that they haven't done all season.  Hidalgo -2 o/u 12

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Power Rankings after Week #8

        Happy Holidays from the Indoor Outhouse!  First of all I would like to thank Dominic Scicluna, Brian Zellers, Emmy G Arteaga, Xochitl Meza, Ricardo Gandara, Nasir Rafidia, Greg Ponto Suttie, Melissa David, and Tom Andrews for reading and responding to my last Power Rankings.  A lot of people thought that the Chicago Mustangs were ranked too low, and you were all probably right.  I will take your suggestions into consideration this time around.

        In the Power Rankings I will, first of all, put the top ten teams in my Stable.  Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order).  Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.



THE STABLE

1.  Monterrey Flash  The Flash just beat the Fury and the Strikers at home with the greatest of ease.

2. Chicago Mustangs  The Mustangs were underrated last week after winning two back to back games on the road, a feat that many teams have struggled with this year.  They are the only undefeated team in the PASL, they have the second best penalty kill in the league, and are led by goal scorers Wilo Martinez, Miguel Vaca, Bryan Velazquez, and Luis Ortega who have a combined 51 goals on the season.  

3. San Diego Sockers  The Sockers are still lacking in some aspects of the game, mainly finishing goals, and finishing games without letting up and putting the opposing teams back in the game.  In their win against Turlock they looked great in terms of ball control, time of possession, and defense.  Unfortunately, they struggled with fouls and controlling their emotions with the refs, who did seem to be calling the game oddly, but most of all they had 4 or 5 opportunities that should have been in the back of the net. 

4. Dallas Sidekicks  I think that the ease of the Sidekicks schedule is hurting them more than it is helping them.  After playing the winless Tulsa Revolution for the third time in four games on Friday, a team in which Sidekicks have been unable to beat by more that 2 points, Dallas will play Hidalgo on Sunday.  I will wait and see what happens in that game and make adjustments accordingly in next weeks Power Rankings.  

5. Hidalgo La Fiera  They did not play and were moved down, which I don't like doing, but next weeks game against the Sidekicks will be a litmus test for the Central Division.

6. Las Vegas Legends  The Legends dispatched the Bay Area Rosal at home with the greatest of ease, and the Legends get to take a break and rest because they don't play again until next year, when the play host to the Turlock Express.


7. Cleveland Freeze  The Freeze go from #10 to # 7 after winning at Illinois and then beating the Heat at home.  The Freeze were able to rest Eller, Ostergren, Ball and Grossman for the Piasa game and let some other players get some work in on the turf against a bad Piasa squad.  Then in the Freeze's next game, those 4 players logged a combined 6 goals and 6 assists against the Heat.


8. Saltillo Rancho Seco  Saltillo has won their last two games and have one of the hardest schedules in the league.  They are only 2-4, but have played the Flash twice, Hidalgo, Ontario, and Dallas.  They will also face Monterrey 2 more times, Hidalgo 3 more times, and San Diego once.


9. Detroit Waza Flo  Detroit has lost their last three games in a row, along with being knocked out of the US Open Cup.  The Waza will face the Cincinnati Saints next match in an attempt to catch the 2nd place Freeze since the undefeated Mustangs are well out of reach in the Eastern division. 

10. Ontario Fury  The Fury, who have just lost 5 consecutive games, the last two on the road, are struggling this season.  They have one of the hardest schedules in the league this season and will play their next game in San Diego.  Luckily for the Fury, San Diego has struggled at home all season long, and this could be an opportunity to pick up a huge road win and turn their season around. 


THE HERD
  • Mexico Toros
  • Harrisburg Heat
  • Cincinnati Saints
  • Turlock Express
  • Bay Area Rosal
  • Wichita B-52's
  • Sacramento Surge
  • Tulsa Revolution
 THE DEUCE

1. Texas Strikers  Texas just went 0-2 on a 2 game road trip where they only saw the back of the net 4 times.

2. Illinois Piasa  The Piasa are so bad that Head Coach Doug Montroy is on the brink of madness.  I could see his eyes burning red with anger on the fuzzy out of focus America One broadcast as he chased the refs off of the field like a possessed bull at Plaza Monumental de Playas de Tijuana.  Hector Marinaro acted as el matador and headed off Montroy as the refs quickly escaped out of the gate before Montroy turned and headed for the auxiliary gate, where a shaky gatekeeper trembled in fear as Montroy demanded the passage be cleared and his access to the throat area of the ref could be grasped and squeezed without interference.  Luckily for the refs, the gatekeeper stood his ground and kept that ragging bull from being released into the defenseless public.  It would have been a massacre.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week # 8

4-3 Cleveland Freeze @ 1-5 Illinois Piasa Cleveland is coming off of a big road win against Cincinnati and should have no problem handing the Piasa their third straight loss at home.  The St. Louligans will probably put up the best defense for the Piasa, so hopefully Mike Mason, the keeper for the Freeze, has bad hearing and thick skin. Cleveland -2.5 over/under 11

0-5 Texas Strikers @ 2-4 Saltillo Rancho Seco  Saltillo is playing the first game of a 6 game home stand and need to start it out with a win, which they will, before facing off with some of the best teams in the league, namely Ontario, Monterrey, Hidalgo, and San Diego.  Saltillo -3 o/u 15    

2-3 Ontario Fury @ 7-1 Monterrey Flash  The Fury, who I think has one of the hardest schedules in the PASL, are coming off of a win against the San Diego Sockers Premier which ended their losing streak and put some wind back in their sails.  The Fury haven't won a game on the road yet, and I don't think that they will pull it off against the Flash at home.  Monterrey -1.5 o/u 14

4-1 Dallas Sidekicks @ 0-6 Tulsa Revolution  If you want to beat Tulsa all you have to do is stop the 6 foot 2 inch offensive powerhouse that is Franck Tayou.  The big Cameroonian forward has scored 1/3 of the Revolution's total goals, leads the team in assists, and has also logged the most penalty minutes on the team.  Dallas, on the other hand, hasn't blown anybody out since their first game of the season, and won the last meeting with Tulsa 7-5.  Dallas -3.5 o/u 14

3-3 Detroit Waza Flo @ 2-3 Harrisburg Heat  Detroit needs a win after dropping 2 straight to Chicago, but Harrisburg has beaten the Waza in Detroit this season, and will not give up a win easily.  The Waza should be able to walk away victorious.  Detroit -2 o/u 16

4-3 Bay Area Rosal @ 6-1 Las Vegas Legends  This is the true test for Bay Area, who is on a 3 game winning streak.  If Rosal can pull off a win in Las Vegas, they will truly considered a legitimate force in the Pacific DivisionVegas -3.5 o/u 16  

0-5 Texas Strikers @ 7-1 Monterrey Flash  The Strikers might pick up their first win of the season in Monterrey, and I might be a Chinese Jet Pilot.  Monterrey -5.5 o/u 17

2-3 Turlock Express @ 4-2 San Diego Sockers  San Diego has not won a game at home this season, but Sockers' fans smell blood and will be circling the halls of the Valley View Casino Center like starving sharks, wild with hunger, howling with bloodthirstiness, perched on the edge of self control and crazed uncontrollable animal instinct.  Turlock had better hope that the crowd's vicious hunger is satisfied, or their bus might not leave San Diego in one piece.  Sockers -6 o/u 16  

1-5 Illinois Piasa @ 2-4 Cincinnati Saints  The Seven Hills Crusaders will not go home hungry after this match.  Illinois still hasn't won a game on the road this season.  They actually haven't won a regular season game on the road since 2011, but this could be Piasa's best chance of the season.      Cincinnati -1.5 o/u 15 

2-3 Ontario Fury @ 2-4 Saltillo Rancho Seco  2 games in 2 days for these 2 teams, but Saltillo has the advantage of playing at home for both of their games.  If Saltillo is as dirty as classless as Allen Harris is claiming, then the Fury are in for a rough and physical game.  Lets just hope that their are no injuries at the Rancho Seco home field.  Ontario -1 o/u 12

2-3 Turlock Express @ 3-3 Mexico Toros  This is the first time these two teams will play each other this season, and both teams are fairly evenly matched, but Mexico has a better offense that can score goals, and they are better on the penalty kill.  Mexico -3 o/u 15

2-3 Harrisburg Heat @ 4-3 Cleveland Freeze  Both these teams will be looking to end their weekend with a win, but the Heat will be worn out from traveling, and the Freeze will be prepared to take on the Heat.  The Wampus should be hungry to see a win after last weeks blow out at home, but the Heat will be ready to play after their last two embarrassing losses to the Freeze.  Cleveland -2.5 o/u 14.5

Monday, December 16, 2013

Power Rankings after Week #7

        First of all, I would like to thank Dominic Scicluna, Karen Johnson, Zane Johnson, Emmy G Arteaga, Tammy Rich Jones, Sixth City Wampus, RJ Pooch, Marty Costello, Sydney Nusinov, Marty Glaenzer, Mike Hardy, Greg Ponto Suttie, Craig Elsten, and Jay Berlo for reading and commenting on my last Power Rankings.  I didn't do a Power Rankings for last week because there was only one game that mattered, Detroit at Chicago.  Unfortunately for Detroit, the game came at the end of a long road trip and a match the night before.  I felt that #8 Chicago should have moved up to #7, where Hidalgo was, but La Fiera didn't play, so I didn't want to move them.  I also didn't think that the loss warranted moving #6 Detroit down to #8.  So I thought to myself, "Why not wait until after next week's 13 games?"   So here we are.

        In the Power Rankings I will first of all put the top ten teams in the Stable.  Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order).  Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse. 

THE STABLE   

1.  Monterrey Flash  I decided to keep the Flash at the #1 Spot because a loss on the road to a quality La Fiera squad in overtime is not that terrible, especially when you recall that La Fiera lost an overtime match in Monterrey at the beginning of the season.  I also felt that moving the Flash down would be a knee jerk reaction.  Instead of moving the Flash down, I think that Hidalgo should move up.

2. Dallas Sidekicks  In week #5 I predicted that the Sidekicks would finish the season at 14-2 and win the Central Division.  Dallas only have 2 teams in the remainder of their schedule, Hidalgo and Las Vegas, with winning records, and the Legends game is late in the season at the Allen Events Center.  What makes the season even more of a cake walk for the Sidekicks is that 5 of their next 11 games are against teams that haven't won a single game yet this season.  Their weak strength of schedule makes me want to move them down, especially if Dallas isn't blowing out the Deuces.  What does my reader base think? 

3. San Diego Sockers  The Sockers are in good form after winning 4 straight games on the road in the Pacific Division.  Their offense is still left wanting in comparison to previous seasons, but as the old adage goes, "defense wins championships." 

4. Hidalgo La Fiera  And speaking of defense, Hidalgo has been holding their opponents to an average of 5 goals this season, plus they are good on the penalty kill and have one of the best goalies in the league in Juan Gamboa, who has a league leading 3.67% goals against average and 6 wins under his belt.  La Fiera is on a 6 game winning streak, but will face the Sidekicks in their next game.     

5. Chicago Mustangs  The undefeated Mustangs are on a roll at 7-0 on the season, and could go the whole season without a loss considering that the only team that they play for the rest of the season with a winning record is Cleveland.  This last road trip they came off was very impressive, and it is possible the Mustangs are ranked too low in the Stable, but none the less they have punched a ticket for the postseason.

6. Las Vegas Legends The Legends suffered a bad loss at home to the Sockers, but they were without 2 key players in the line up.  They still have a potent offense and are one of the top 10 teams in my book, and deserve to be in The Stable.

7. Detroit Waza Flo  The Waza have lost 2 games in a row to the Chicago Mustangs and are sitting on a 3-3 record, which puts them at the #3 spot in the East.  Detroit plays nothing but divisional games from here on out against Cleveland, Harrisburg, Cincinnati, and Illinois.  Their chances to win the Division are minimal considering that the Waza are 3.5 games back from a team that could easily go undefeated.  Detroit needs to take that #2 spot from Cleveland, but the Freeze won't be losing anytime soon. 

8. Ontario Fury  They looked completely flat against the Sockers and they have a losing record, but Ontario is a team, in my opinion, that is still a few clicks short of dialing it up as a real contender.  We shall wait and see how the Fury does on the road against Monterrey, Saltillo, and San Diego during their upcoming three game road trip.  A good road trip could be what it takes to put this team back on track after losing three straight.  But a bad road trip could put them 6 games back with only 8 games left in the season, and 4 of those against San Diego and Las Vegas.

9. Bay Area Rosal  The Rosal seem to have found the missing link in goalkeeper Jakubek to boost the squad to the 3rd spot in the Pacific Division.  Bay Area have 3 game in a row and look to make it 4 as the Rosal travel into Las Vegas to try and hand the Legends their second straight loss of the season.  A win in Vegas would be huge for the Rosal and keep them in the #3 spot in the Pacific.

10. Cleveland Freeze  The Freeze got the pants beat off of them at home by the Mustangs, but recovered and traveled to Cincinnati to hand the Saints a loss in the Battle for Ohio.  Cleveland is the King of Ohio and will hold that title until February 8th when the two teams face off once again.  Cleveland is 3rd in the league in converting power plays, and are currently in the 2nd spot in the Eastern Division, and could hold that position given that their next 4 games are against teams with a combined 3 wins.  The true test for the Freeze comes when they play Chicago, Detroit, and Cincinnati in their last 5 games.

THE HERD


  • Mexico Toros
  • Harrisburg Heat
  • Cincinnati Saints
  • Saltillo Rancho Seco
  • Wichita B-52's
  • Turlock Express
  • Texas Strikers
  • Sacramento Surge
THE DEUCE

1.  Tulsa Revolution  They had a chance to win their first game of the season at home but failed to get it done.  Then they went on the road and were held to only 2 points in Wichita.  Franck Tayou is the only one on this team who seems to have any clue how to play indoor soccer.  Things look bad as they play the Sidekicks two time in a row, but maybe they can pick up their first win against the win less Texas Strikers.

2.  Illinois Piasa  Not only can they not win on the road, they have been loosing at home, and to teams that are not in the league.  The AAC Eagles came into "The Field" and handed the Piasa a huge loss a home.  Now the Piasa have to try and salvage their home stand by beating the Freeze next week. 

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #7

2-2 San Diego Sockers @ 2-2 Ontario Fury  The San Diego Sockers, after a 19 day break from action, make the 2 hour trip up to the Citizens Business Bank Arena to take on the Ontario Fury for the first of four games this season.  The Fury have a high powered offense that can put points up on the board and a solid goalie with plenty of experience.  San Diego needs to gain some ground in the Pacific Division, and the way to do that is to start with a win in Ontario, and then move on to Vegas.  Ontario is coming off a loss in Tijuana that despite being dealt to a seriously depleted Ontario bench, still shows up in the L column, and neither the Sockers or the Fury can afford it.  I expect a great game.  Ontario -1 over/under 15 

6-0 Monterrey Flash @ 0-4 Texas Strikers  I expect the Strikers to get blown out once again at home, but this time by the Flash.  Monterrey -14.5 o/u 18

1-3 Saltillo Rancho Seco @ 0-4 Tulsa Revolution  Rancho Seco makes their furthest trip up North of the year to take on the Tulsa Revolution at home.  The Revolution have yet to win a game this year, and this could be their chance to win their first game of the season at home.  Tulsa -1 o/u 14

2-3 Bay Area Rosal @ 2-2 Turock Express  Rosal recently beat the Express in a low scoring affair, but now it is time for the Bay Area side to travel to the home of the Turlock Express, where the venue, field, and sometimes even the officiating crew seem to be in favor of Turlock.  Both teams have played each other twice this season with each team getting a win, and they will play each other 2 more times this season.  I expect another low scoring game between the two teams.  Turlock -1.5 o/u 12

5-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 3-2 Cleveland Freeze  The Battle for the East continues with undefeated Chicago Mustangs making the trip out to Cleveland to take on the Freeze.  This is the biggest test for the Mustangs so far, traveling to Cleveland, and then going to Detroit for a rematch with the Waza.  Cleveland is looking to hand Chicago their first loss of the season, but the Mustangs have the chance to seize control of the East with to wins on the road.  Chicago -1.5 o/u 17

3-2 Cleveland Freeze @ 2-3 Cincinnati Saints So far in the "Battle for Ohio" both teams have one win, and the winner of this game gets to claim the title of "King of Ohio" until a rematch on Feb 8th.  These two teams always play each other close, so this will be a fun game to watch.  Given that the Freeze will play the night before, and have to travel to Cincinnati for the game, the Saints will have the slight advantage.  Cincinnati -.5 o/u 15

2-2 Mexico Toros  @ 0-6 Sacramento Surge  Mexico is coming off of a big win at home and will make the trip north to take on a terrible Sacramento Surge.  Mexico -3 o/u 17

5-0 Chicago Mustangs @ 3-2 Detroit Waza Flo  The last time these two teams met, Detroit was the road weary team that had just played a game the night before.  Now the Waza Flo look for some revenge at home against a weakened opponent.  I expect a hard fought game from both sides, but I am interested in seeing how the Mustangs respond as a team to Detroit's physical style of play, especially late in the game when fatigue becomes a factor.  Detroit -2 o/u 16

0-4 Tulsa Revolution @ 2-4 Wichita B-52's  This will be a good game between two mediocre teams in the Central Division.  Tulsa will be coming off of a game at home before making the trip to Wichita, so look for some slowing in the Revolution's step late in the game.  The B-52's are coming off a 2 game road trip where they picked up a win against the Illinois Piasa, but lost to the Chicago Mustangs in a hard fought match.  Wichita -1.5 o/u 15

1-3 Saltillo Rancho Seco @ 3-1 Dallas Sidekicks  Dallas fans are going to be whipped up into a savage frenzy at the AEC, screaming at the top of their lungs for the sweet release that only comes with watching the home team devour a lesser animal in front of a bloodthirsty crowd, a dark guilty pleasure that Sidekick fans have not felt for a month.  It is hard to tell if this will be a complete massacre, or if Dallas will work the crowd like some skilled gladiator, keep it close and build  suspense to some glorious climactic finish.  Dallas -5.5 o/u 17    

2-2 San Diego Sockers @ 6-0 Las Vegas Legends  This will be the second difficult game of the weekend for the Sockers.  I don't have much to say about the game, other that this will be the first time the Legends face a high quality defense.  Las Vegas doesn't want to lose their first game at home at the Orleans, but SD needs to hand Las Vegas a loss to try and gain some ground on the Pacific Division leaders.  Las Vegas -1 o/u 14    

2-2 Mexico Toros @ 2-3 Bay Area Rosal  Mexico has beaten the Rosal once this season, but this second game will not be as easy.  Rosal will keep it close and I think the game will have less goals than last time.  Mexico -1 o/u 12

6-0 Monterrey Flash @ 5-1 Hidalgo La Fiera  Hidalgo lost to the Flash last time they saw each other in a tight match that went into overtime.  La Fiera would love to enact revenge on Monterrey at home, but the Flash will not go down without a fight.  This should be a physical match with a lot of fouls and power play opportunities, but the game will ultimately come down to who can score on the man advantage, and who can stop the other team from converting power play goals.  The team who stays out of foul trouble wins this game.  Monterrey -1 o/u 14

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #6

Hidalgo @ Texas  La Fiera is great on the penalty kill, killing 12 out of 17 penalties so far.  They also have a top goalie in Juan Gamboa, who has a league leading 3.81 GAA among keepers with more than one game.  Hidalgo have only lost one game so far, and that one was on the road against the Flash, in overtime.  Texas, on the other hand, is one of the worse teams when they are on the man advantage, and they have the fewest goals collectively as a team with 9 total goals this season.  Last time these teams faced each other, La Fiera cruised to victory 13-1.  Hidalgo -8 over/under 14  

Dallas @ Wichita  Last time the B-52's faced the Sidekicks, Dallas walked away with a 15-3 victory, but that was at the beginning of the season.  Both teams have come a long was since their first game, but the outcome of this game will be similar to the first game, given the full Dallas Squad travels.  Wichita gives up too many goals, the most in the league, to be able to hang with the Sidekicks, but I think that the B-52's will at least control the hemorrhaging in this match, and keep it a little closer than last time.  Dallas -6 o/u 16

Sacramento @ Las Vegas  The Surge are 0-5.  The Legends are 5-0.  Las Vegas -10 o/u 18

Detroit @ Illinois  Illinois plays the second game of their so far disappointing 3 game home stand against the Waza Flo.  The Piasa, who lost last week to a visiting Wichita team 8-7, will face a quality Cleveland bench next week to close out their stint at "The Field."  Detroit is in an interesting position though, which adds a little intrigue to the game.  Detroit has to travel 8 hours to play the Illinois Piasa on Saturday, and then turn around and travel 5 hours to Chicago to play the Mustangs.  If the Waza are lucky they will get 10 hours of rest in between games.  The question is, who do the Waza rest against the Piasa, and keep for the Mustang game?  My guess is that Dominic plays against the Piasa and maybe rests a Costea Decu or a Miki Djerisilo while at the same time limiting Byrds playing time, saving him for Chicago.  Detroit's still wins, but not by much.  Detroit -3.5 o/u 15         

Detroit @ Chicago  No matter what, Detroit will be road weary, and will have to get ready for this game in little time.  This is the must watch game of the week as Detroit looks to hand the Mustangs their first loss of the season, but Chicago will not go down without a fight.  The Waza Flo lead the league with a 67% power play percentage, but Chicago has a league leading 92% penalty kill record.  The most important thing is that this is Chicago's first true test of the season playing against their first top ten opponent. Detroit -2 o/u 16

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Power Rankings after Week #5

        I would like to thank RJ, Dominic, Bryan, Sydney, Steve, and Patrick for reading and commenting on last weeks power rankings.  Given that only half of the teams in the PASL played last week did not play (DNP), and only 9 teams play next week, the Stable will not change drastically.

        In the Power Rankings I will first put the top ten teams in my Stable.  Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture (in no particular order).  Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.

THE STABLE

1. Monterrey Flash  DNP

2. Dallas Sidekicks  DNP

3. Las Vegas Legends  DNP
 
4. Ontario Fury  I just don't feel right, knowing what I know about Ontario's roster, moving the Fury after their loss to Mexico.  This is in no way a jab at the Toros.  I know how difficult it is for teams to travel to T.J. and play that squad, but this game just screams "Bogus!", given that Tiguinho, Majel Aterado, Sanaldo, and Miguel Sanchez didn't play.  This game could come back to bite the Fury in the butt, since it will be chalked up in the loss column, and things look like they could be tight in the Pacific division at the end of the season.   

5. San Diego  DNP

6. Detroit Waza Flo  A solid win at home against a quality Cleveland team, Detroit stays put.

7. Hidalgo La Fiera  DNP 
 
8. Chicago Mustangs  Still undefeated, but the Mustangs have yet to play a team in the Stable.

9. Cleveland Freeze  The Freeze were behind 0-4, on the road, against the defending Eastern Division Champs, and came back to tie it up and give the Waza a tough game.  

10. Mexico Toros  Why not, they have a .500 record, they just picked up a win at home, and they are tied for second in the Pacific Division, along with three other teams.

THE HERD 

  • Bay Area Rosal 
  • Harrisburg Heat
  • Cincinnati Saints
  • Wichita B-52's
  • Saltillo Rancho Seco
  • Turlock Express
  • Tulsa Revolution
  • Sacramento Surge

THE DEUCE

1. Illinois Piasa  If you can't win on the road, you need to at least win at home.

2. Texas Strikers  The Strikers didn't play, so they are just place holders right now.     

Friday, November 29, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #5

Cleveland @ Detroit  If their is such a thing as a divisional game with importance 1/4 of the way through the season, than this is it.  I could go into why I think this, but I will save that for my next write up.  Just know that Detroit is 1-1 on the season, with 2 games against Harrisburg, and Cleveland is 3-1 with 2 wins against the Heat.  Cleveland is rolling along with a 3 game win streak, and Detroit still needs to get their first win at home.  In my opinion, this is the must watch game of the weekend.  What is even better is that this game can be seen live and for free at http://golivesportscast.com/
Both teams are solid, but I have to go with the proven veterans at home.  Detroit -1 o/u 16

Cincinnati @ Harrisburg  After earning their first win of the season in their first game of the season, the Heat have failed to find the win column ever since.  Harrisburg is halfway through a winless four game home stand, and need to get a win before ending their home stand in a game against the Waza Flo.  Harrisburg has been a dull team unable to finish a game, and Cincinnati has either inched out games or lost by a single point.  Harrisburg -.5 o/u 14

Wichita @ Illinois  Wichita is a much improved team since beating Illinois at home Nov. 9th, but the Piasa are desperate for a win at home after losing 3 straight on the road.  The Piasa will start a three game home stand on the 30th against the B-52's, and follow it up with a game against Detroit, and then one against Cleveland.  The B-52's are the weakest team of the three that the Piasa will face, so it is a must win for a team that can't win on the road.  The only thing that Illinois has in their favor is that Wichita is terrible at killing penalties, the worst in the league.  Illinois -1 over/under 12

Turlock @ Bay Area  Both teams are coming off of home losses, and Turlock has yet to play a game on the road.   So far Turlock has been in charge of the Nor Cal Triangle, but look for Bay Area to put up a good fight and maybe walk away with the win.  Turlock -2 o/u 14

Ontario @ Mexico  If Ontario thinks they can walk into Unisantos Park and easily get a win, they are mistaken. Adjusting to the size of field, the bounce of the walls, and the size of goal will present a challenge to the visiting Fury.  Mexico will put up a good fight and keep the fury on their toes, but Ontario has too much firepower not to win.  Ontario -3.5 o/u 16    

Wichita @ Chicago  The B-52's will be travel weary and fatigued from their previous game against the Piasa to put up a good game at the Odeum.  The Mustangs haven't lost a game yet, and I doubt a weary Wichita will hand Chicago their first.  Wichita has given up the most goals this year, besides the Surge, and the Mustangs has too quality of goal scores to not have a feast on a weak defense.  Chicago -4.5 o/u 16    

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

The Legends Take Their Place

        I packed the family into the car and took the hour and a half drive up to Ontario to see the last two undefeated teams in the PASL battle it out at the Citizens Business Bank Arena.  I gotta say, the CBB Arena is really nice.  CBB Arena is close to the interstate, it is super easy to get to, and their is plenty of up close parking.  Unfortunately, they charged $5 to park, I had to buy a ticket for my 2 year old, and there is a $2 "venue" fee for tickets, making general admission $12 instead of $10.  If they are going to charge $12 per ticket, they should advertise that on the website.  The inside of the arena is really nice, the food and drink selection was good, but sadly one of the restaurants I wanted to try was closed.  Our seats were nice and comfortable, and the view was clean with no obstructions, and the picture on the screens above the scoreboard was really crisp.  Bathrooms were always close by, and the staff was very friendly and on top of their game.  When some Legends and Fury fans got a little saucy with each other, the staff was quick to respond to the situation.  The thing I liked the most, and I wish they had this in San Diego, especially down in the Players Lounge, were the TV screens all around the arena that showed the game live.  When I had to step away from the action it was nice to still be able to see what was going on.

       The game was really fun to watch, with plenty of scoring and enough action to keep my 2 year old interested.  He was just a little confused that I wasn't screaming and cheering after any of the goals.  Las Vegas has some fast players on their team, and are dangerous in breakaway situations.  Enrique Tovar is obviously "The Man" on the Legends squad.  He is the one directing traffic, setting up the defense on set pieces, and distributing the ball to the rest of the team, and the numbers show it, Tovar had 1 goal, 5 assists, and 2 blocked shots against Ontario.  I don't think the Legends are the same team without Tovar in the lineup.  Las Vegas leads the league in power-play conversions, and it showed in the game when they went 3-4 on the man advantage.  Felipe Gonzalez is still the go to guy on the power play.  He netted 2 of the 3 Las Vegas power-play goals, and leads the league with 7 power play goals.  Alex Caceres had a great second game with the team, netting 3 goals, one of them on a power-play, and blocking 2 shots.  Las Vegas looked good as a team and will carry a lot of momentum from this overtime win into their next game against Sacramento.

        I was equally impressed with the Ontario Fury, who have a quality roster and will only get better as a team as the season progresses.    Tiguinho is a dominate midfielder who seemed to always be involved with the action when he was on the field.  With a goal and 2 assists in his first game with the team, it follows that he and the team will both improve with increased familiarity.  Tino Nunez and Israel Sesay are offensive threats that keep Jesus Molina jumping and diving all night.  Nunez is a natural goal scorer whose awareness and touch foiled the Legends defenders, while the speed and quick feet of Sesay kept the Legends defense scrambling to keep up.  The only thing hampering the Fury is their Special Teams.  They have struggled so far in killing penalties and converting on the man advantage, and it showed in the game.

A Cold Front in the East

        I watched the Cleveland Freeze take on the Heat in Harrisburg with some friends and family Saturday night.  The Freeze iced the Heat for the second time this season, and for the first time on the road.  Hector Marinaro has a solid squad that is playing quality indoor ball and looks to take control of the East, but Detroit is going to have something to say about that next week when the Freeze make the trip to Melvindale Arena to take on Dominic Scicluna and the Waza Flo.  The Detroit Waza Flo are old hands at this indoor soccer thing.  Costa Decu, Miki Djerisilo, and Joey Kapinos will surly show the Freeze a few tricks, but as long as Marinaro's side can keep their heads down, not get thrown off by Detroit's physical style, and keep to their own style of play, they should be able to hang with the Waza Flo.

San Diego's Struggles

        I watched both of the Sockers' games, by hooking my computer up to my flat screen so it had that big game feel, and wasn't impressed enough to feel good about the next two games the Sockers play in Ontario and Las Vegas.  Even though the Sockers beat Turlock at home, their win wasn't very impressive and their play had some rough spots that need polishing.  The Sockers had foul trouble early in the game against the Express, and struggled to find the back of the net in the first half.  Against Sacramento the Sockers went 0-3 in man advantages, averaged 25% on their shots, and again got into foul trouble in the 4th quarter.  The only thing that separates the Sockers from teams like Ontario and Las Vegas is our defense, which I believe is the best defense in the Pacific Division.  Toth is definitely one of the top 3 keepers in the league, our penalty kill percentage is at 80%, and we have proven defensive assets on our team like Ze Roberto, Scotty Martin, Evan McNeley, Eduardo Velez, and now Antonio Sutton.   

        The addition of Antonio Sutton to the Sockers defense is a huge pick up that brings even more veteran leadership to the team.  With him wearing the black and blue strips for San Diego, our defense just got even better, but we are still struggling offensively.  The Sockers are killing the penalty with the best of them, but lamentably have been held to 3 goals in 12 man advantages.  I still think the Sockers are a step behind as a team.  Who knows? Maybe the addition of Sutton to McNeley, Farber, Susi, who all played with each other in Stockton, will be the spark to ignite the fire underneath the Sockers' behinds and they will start getting some wins and gain some ground on the undefeated Legends.      

Monday, November 25, 2013

Power Rankings after week #4

        First of all, I would like to thank Brian Zellers, Craig Elsten, Greg Ponto-Suttie, Ed Dravecky, Brian Reddick, Ed Hromatka, and Martin Glaenzer for reading and commenting on the Rankings, and Dominic Scicluna and Emmy G. Arteaga for reading and liking.  I also need to mention that Dominic has been giving me and my blog plugs all over the place and I really appreciate it, Thanks.
        In the Power Rankings I will first of all put the top ten teams in my Stable.  Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture.  Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.  Considering that not all teams played this week the power ranking will not change drastically from last week.

THE STABLE

1. Monterrey Flash  Still in #1 at 6-0.

2. Dallas Sidekicks  I can't in good conscious move the Sidekicks on a week were they didn't play a game.

3. Las Vegas Legends  A good overtime win on the road against a quality Ontario Fury team.

4. Ontario Fury  An overtime loss to the Legends at home, but the team still looked good in their first game against the Legends.  The next time these two side will face each other will be at Ontario on February 8th, I will again make the trip up north to see this game, it will be awesome when both teams are firing on all pistons.

5. San Diego  2 wins against a mediocre team and terrible team puts the Sockers at 2-2.

6. Detroit Waza Flo  Detroit didn't play this week so I will not move them.

7. Hidalgo La Fiera  An overtime win in Tulsa and a shootout win in Wichita are still two road wins, putting La Fiera at 4-1.

8. Chicago Mustangs  Despite what I said last week, the Mustangs didn't play this week so I will not move them.

9. Cleveland Freeze  A strong showing and good road win at Harrisburg moves the Freeze up to #9.  The true test comes next week when the Heat go to Detroit to face the Waza Flo.

10. Turlock Express  The Express move down a notch after a home loss to the Sockers.

THE HERD 

Harrisburg Heat
Cincinnati Saints
Wichita B-52's
Saltillo Rancho Seco
Illinois Piasa
Bay Area Rosal
Mexico Toros
Tulsa Revolution

THE DEUCE

1. Sacramento Surge  In the Surge's game against the Sockers they struggled to have any structure to their offense.  Even after being in the league for over a year, Sacramento still struggled to execute set pieces and other basic functions of the indoor game.

2. Texas Strikers  Win-less, and it looks like they will stay that way until after Christmas.    


Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #4


Saltillo @ Monterrey  1-2 Saltillo Rancho Seco makes the short drive into Monterrey to take on the 4-0 Flash.  Saltillo has only had one win on the road against a mediocre Texas team this year and won't be getting their second win on the road in Monterrey.  The Flash are on a roll so far this season under the direction of Genoni Martinez, who is leading the league's defenders in assists and shot blocks, which has helped the Flash kill 13 out of 15 penalties as a team. On the offensive side Birche, Andrade, and Tovar have a combined 18 goals this season and will continue to rack up goals as The Flash's main offensive threats.  Monterrey -4 over/under 16 

San Diego @ Turlock  0-2 San Diego needs to get the first win of the season, but the 2-0 Express aren't going to give up their first home win easily.  Turlock is doing a good job so far scoring when they have a man advantage, but San Diego is also doing well in killing the penalty.  Both teams have only given up 11 goals so far this season, but Turlock will have to stop a Sockers offense that has the second lowest goal total in the league and is looking to break out as a whole.  Sockers -3 o/u 16

Hidalgo @ Tulsa  0-3 Tulsa needs to right the ship and get their first win of the season at home, the La Fiera are just too good of a side to give up a win against a bad team on the road.  La Fiera has only lost one close game against Monterrey, and lead the Central Division in goals at 34.  Tulsa has improved in their 3 games, but not enough to hold off La Fiera.  Hidalgo -4.5 o/u 15      

San Diego @ Sacramento  Sacramento looks to fend off their 5th loss of the season at home against the Sockers.  San Diego -5 o/u 15
 
Hidalgo @ Wichita  Hidalgo will travel up to Wichita after playing at Tulsa the day before.  Hidalgo will be fatigued from travel and the previous game the day before, so the B-52's will keep it close.  Hidalgo -2 o/u 14

Cleveland @ Harrisburg  2-1 Cleveland travels to 1-2 Harrisburg to try and hand the heat their third loss of the season.  Cleveland is 50% on the penalty kills, and 50% on the man advantage.  The Freeze are lead by Allen Eller who has 9 goals and 4 assists. Cleveland takes a second win from Harrisburg in a close one.  Cleveland -1.5 o/u 14

Monterrey @ Texas  The Texas Strikers are heavily out matched in this game.  Monterrey -5 o/u 15

Mexico @ Bay Area  Mexico makes a long journey up North to play the Rosal at home.  Mexico hasn't killed a single penalty all season, but are good on the man advantage.  Bay Area has scored more than 3 times as many goals as the Toros this season and should handle Tijuana at  home.  Bay Area - 3 o/u 16

Illinois @ Cincinnati  Illinois hasn't won on the road for a long time, and their first win will not come in the Buckeye state.  Cincinnati -4 o/u 15

Las Vegas @ Ontario  4-0 Las Vegas is killing it on the power play led by Felipe Gonzalez who has 5 power play goals, and Enrique Tovar who has 11 assists.  Vegas leads the league in both goals, with  47 total goals,and on the man advantage, scoring on 10 of 16 advantages.  The only knock against Las Vegas is that they have only faced mediocre teams.  2-0 Ontario, who beat the Sidekicks at home, will play the Legends for the first of three times this season.  The winner of this game will be put in the lead of the Pacific Division and will start what will be an exciting race to the playoffs between the Fury, the Legends, the Express, and the Sockers.  Ontario is a solid team that is equally distributing their goals among players, with no real standout goalscorer.  Ontario will put up a good fight at home, but I am favoring the Legends because of their past in the league.  This game is still a toss up.  Las Vegas -1 o/u 13

Monday, November 18, 2013

"Sure it is safe. Trust Me."

"Is it safe?"

"Sure it is safe. Trust me." I said, "We can just make a run for the border, go to Caliente,"

"What's Caliente?"

"It's this casino and sports book in Tijuana.  We will just go to the border, park, catch a bus across the border to the casino, and then we go to the sports book and place a bet."


"On who?"

"Any home team, it doesn't matter, Chargers, Kings, Xolos, Ducks.  The Lakers are terrible, we don't even need bad luck for them to lose.  All we have to do is bring you to the game, let your bad luck ooze around the building, and we will cash in big time.  You are such bad luck, it's awesome."

        Before having this conversation with my brother-in-law after San Diego's loss to Monterrey on Saturday night, months before, I had been chatting him up on how awesome indoor soccer was as a sport and what a great team the Sockers were and how we had won all of these Championships as a team.  I told him that he was going to have to come to a game with us and check out what San Diego indoor soccer is all about.  He then informed me, "yeah I will go, but I gotta warn you, I am bad luck, every game I go to, whether it is the Padres, Chargers, or Ducks the home team always loses."  "Ha ha, you're funny," I said, "don't worry, you won't bring bad luck to the Sockers," I said, "The Sockers don't need luck."

        The Sockers game plan had definitely changed from last week against the Sidekicks, from the start against the Flash the Sockers were playing a controlled game with little offensive pressure.  It seemed like they were just passing the ball around and waiting for the Flash to make mistakes and give up the power plays and set pieces, and for three quarters it worked.

        The Flash are a good team.  Genoni Martinez can deal the ball out to find the open man ready to score.  Birche is a solid defender that can strike the ball and find the back of the net. And Erick Tovar can score, it is that simple.  What is even scarier is that the Flash supposedly have even more good players that haven't even taken the field for the Flash yet.  Sydney Nusinov, the Director of Operations at the PASL, mentioned on Facebook after the game that the Flash didn't even suit up Omar Tapia and 3 Liga players that are on the roster.  It will be interesting how things pan out in the Central Division with teams like the Flash, the Sidekicks, and La Fiera battling for the top spot.

        After taking my brother in law, "Dolla Bill$", to the first and second home games of this season, and watching the Sockers lose at home for the first and second time, I realized that in fact he is a "Cooler".  My horse's ass of a brother-in-law is bad luck.  I know you are reading this Billy, and yes the Sockers losing is your damn fault!  But back to my earlier conversation with Billy.  After realizing that indeed my brother in law is bad luck, we decided that all we have to do is place money on the home team to lose, and then drag him into the stadium where his cooler magic will twist the hands of fate, producing a loss at home and money in our pockets.  FOOLPROOF I tell ya!  FOOLPROOF!  My only concern is going back to T.J. to get the money, if Bill$ bad luck follows us their, things could get dicey crossing back over the border.    

Hughes Blues
        Of the two acquisitions that the Sockers made in the off-season, McNeley has came the farthest so far fitting in with the Sockers.  In the game against Monterrey, McNeley had some huge stops that saved Toth from being in a few breakaway situations, and was rarely caught off guard and out of position on defense.  Jeff Hughes, on the other hand, is struggling.  None of my cohorts feel that Hughes has been very impressive since donning the Sockers uniform this year.  It seemed like every time Hughes had the ball last Saturday he was either squandering a goal opportunity, making a bad pass that caused other Sockers players to give chase and compensate, or turning it over in the most sheepish of fashion.  Even my friend Mau made the comment that "Hughes looks JV.  It looks like he doesn't belong."  Hopefully Hughes can find a rhythm in the Sockers system or this is going to be a long and frustrating season for the former MVP.

        The other thing that I don't understand, and maybe someone who reads this can fill me in, is why Riley Swift didn't get rotated into the line up for the game?  It could be an injury, I don't know, but that is what I will assume.  Toth is a great keeper, don't get me wrong.  There have been times in the past where I felt Toth should be playing and not Swift, but I was expecting Swift and Toth to switch off games during the season.  I know that there was no way of knowing that the game was going to go to a shootout, but I think Swift would have handled the shootout differently than Toth.  I am not saying that Phil should have switched goalies, or that Toth is a bad goalie, but I think Swift is the more aggressive goalie, sometimes to a fault.  In the shootout it seemed that Toth was off of the line fast, but then slowed up and waited for the shooter to make his move.  Toth was waiting for the shooter to act and then he was reacting.  I have a feeling, based on previous penalties kicks and other displays of aggressive keeping, that Swift would not have even let the opposing player get a second touch on the ball.  I think Swift would have committed, even before the whistle blew, and attacked the ball without hesitation.  Goalies are always looking to cut down the angle of a shooter, and Riley would have done that by throwing his body on the ball, and probably on the opposing players legs as well.  Who knows, this is all speculation.  All I know is that both Toth and Swift are both proven commodities in goal, and I am bummed we lost.

        Since I am still talking hypotheticals in my Speculatorium, I must say that when my cohorts and I were trying to guess who would be the three Sockers to take the penalty kicks, Reza was not on any of our lists.  I immediately thought Chiles, Medina, and Velez.  Others thought Susi, some thought Wunderle, a few even threw out Rovira and Ze.  Of the three shooters, Reza looked lost.  It looked like he didn't have a plan, but instead was trying to wing it and see what happened.  Susi, who took the last shot, was just a few inches from having what would have gone down as the craftiest indoor penalty goal that only a veteran like Susi could have pulled off in that type of situation.  My phone buzzed in my pocket at the critical moment, I pulled it out and I read the text. "Too High Susi!!!"    

         Where do the Sockers go from here?  On the road, up North, to Turlock, where the Sockers are going to have to adjust to the Turlock arena, and the Nor Cal style of play.  If the Sockers think that they can cruise to victory in the next two games they are dead wrong.  Turlock can beat the Sockers, especially if they keep up the struggling act of the past two games.  After that they play Ontario and Las Vegas on the road, and by the way Turlock, Ontario, and Las Vegas haven't lost a game yet this season.  Injuries are also in play, Farber was practically a no show last game with only a few minutes, and Chiles was obviously dealing with leg problems throughout the game.  For now I will hold my breath for the next two road games, two wins could be what the Sockers need to boost morale in the locker room and bring back some of that old "Sockers Magic", but the last two games of the road trip will really paint a picture of what the Pacific Division is all about.           

Power Rankings after week #3

        First of all I would like to thank Greg, RJ Pooch, and Hank for commenting on the Power Rankings last week.   In the Power Rankings I will first of all put the top ten teams in my Stable.  Then, I will put the rest of The Herd out to pasture.  Finally, I will name The Deuce, the two teams in the PASL that are stinking up the outhouse.

THE STABLE

1.  Monterrey Flash  I put Monterrey on top because they are 4-0 and have beat a quality La Fiera at home and the Sockers on the road.

2.  Dallas Sidekicks  Only one loss to a quality Onatrio team, but they let a bad Tulsa team hang around.

3.  Las Vegas Legends  4-0 against some mediocre teams, but they are still a quality side who will face their first true test when they take on the Fury.

4.  Ontario Fury  2-0 so far and a win against the Sidekicks, the Fury have a chance to make a statement in their next game against the Legends.

5.  San Diego Sockers  The Sockers have lost two games in a row at home against the #1 and #2 teams in the league.  This upcoming 4 game road trip will allow them either to catch up with some wins, or will set them back so far that the playoffs might be out of reach this year for the 4 time defending champs.

6.  Detroit Waza Flo  Winning on the road against Harrisburg Heat moves these guys up one from last week.  They now set their sights on the Cleveland Freeze in their bid to dominate the East.

7.  Hidalgo La Fiera  A solid beat down of Saltillo puts them up a notch from last week.

8.  Chicago Mustangs  3-0 so far against teams in the East.  Chicago has the opportunity to go 4-0 with a home game against the B-52's next week.

9.  Turlock Express  The Express have proven their dominance of the Nor Cal Triangle, but their true test comes next week when they face a desperate Sockers team at home.

10.  Cleveland Freeze  They are tied up 1 and 1 in the Battle for Ohio, but two home wins in a row puts them at #10.  Next week they play a Harrisburg side looking for revenge.  The Freeze need a win next week if they are going to hold Harrisburg and Cincinnatti out of the #10 spot.

THE HERD

Harrisburg Heat
Cincinnati Saints
Wichita B-52's
Saltillo Rancho Seco
Texas Strikers
Bay Area Rosal
Mexico Toros
Tulsa Revolution

THE DEUCE

1. Illinois Piasa  Unfortunately, the Piasa can't play all of their games at home.  Last week was their 15 strait road loss (If my calculations are correct) dating back to 2012.

2.  Sacramento Surge  One win in their history as a team, and none so far this season.

Friday, November 15, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #3

        The third week in the PASL begins with the Wichita B-52's flying out to play Enrique Tovar and the Las Vegas Legends.  I mention Enrique Tovar because he is already having a stand out season with the Legends and leads the league with 8 goals and 8 assists.  Wichita is coming off of big win at home against the Piasa and regained some confidence after being blown out in Dallas.  Vegas is scoring on 63% of their power plays and Wichita has given up a goal every time they have been shorthanded.  Wichita has a pair of Midfielders, Clare and Pittman with a combined 7 goals, who are seeing the back of the net, while the Vegas side has 2 midfielders, Tovar and Gonzalez, and 2 forwards, Campos and Benitez, who have a combined 22 goals.  Las Vegas -4 over/under 15

        Detroit goes into Harrisburg for a rematch from last week when the Heat bested the Waza Flo 8-7 in Detroit.  Harrisburg inched out a win in overtime when Mellor scored a goal off of a Schofield pass 40 seconds into overtime.  Detroit is not going to let that happen again.  Harrisburg is at home so I will give them the -1, but look for a Detroit win on the road.  Harrisburg -1 o/u 12.5

        The Piasa travel to Chicago to take on Efrain Martinez and the Chicago Mustangs.  The Piasa have a nine game road losing streak going and I don't think it will end in Chicago.  Chicago is doing well in killing penalties this year giving up 1 goal in 7 penalties, but Illinois is no slouch either at 3 goals in 7 penalty kills.  Piasa, on the other hand, are doing better in power play opportunities than Chicago, with 3 goals in 5 power plays.  Chicago -2.5 o/u 13 

        Cincinnati travels to Cleveland where the 2nd game between these two teams in the Battle for Ohio.  Cleveland is coming off of a victory against a good Heat team and will look to even the score with the Saints.  Cincinnati is coming off of a close loss to Chicago and both teams are sitting at 1-1 and want to break .500.  This will be a good game to watch, Cleveland -1 o/u 15

        Tulsa makes the somber and lonely journey to Dallas, like cattle in a livestock truck on the way to the slaughterhouse, where the inevitable butchering awaits.  Sidekicks fans might want to leave the children at home on this one and bring plenty of BBQ sauce.  Dallas -9.5 o/u 17

        Saltillo Travels to Beaumont to have a shot at the Texas Strikers.  Texas is coming of a loss in Hildago where they only put up 1 point but gave up 13, and I don't think Rancho Seco will go any easier. Saltillo -7.5 o/u 12  

        The Monterrey Flash come to the VVCC to take on the San Diego Sockers at home.  Monterrey is a quality side that 2-0 coming into a San Diego house that witness their team lose at home for the first time in the PASL.  Both Monterrey and San Diego are perfect in fending off power plays having killed a combined 14 penalties, but Monterrey is struggling to find the back of the net when they have the advantage only scoring on 1 out of 7 opportunities.  Monterrey is coming into San Diego with  some steam, but I doubt SD loses two in a row at home.  San Diego -1.5 o/u 14

        On Sunday the Flash make the 20 minute trip to take on Tijuana after playing the Sockers the night before.  Both teams will be used to the type and size of arena that Mexico plays in so the game should have some fluidity.  Mexico is no beginner side, and can win at home, and given the record so far of teams playing two games in two days, I'd say that the Toros have a shot. Monterrey -1.5 o/u 12

   
       Sacramento goes to Ontario where they will try and fend off a score happy Fury side.  Sacramento is looking for there first win of the season, but Ontario will not give it to them.  Ontario will most likely run up the score like they did against the Toros in the pre-season.  Ontario wins by a landslide.  Ontario -8 o/u 16

        Saltillo will travel to Hidalgo to take on La Fiera.  Hidalgo is hot right now and are in my stable, I would not be surprised to see La Fiera cruise to victory with the greatest of ease.  Hidalgo -3 o/u 14

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Power Rankings after Week #2


        I had to wait until after week 2 to do this because I really am just blindfolded throwing darts out of a hot air balloon into a pool where sitting under 12 feet of water  is a list of PASL teams in which I am trying to put in some sort of order, and I needed each team to play at least one game.  I will rank the top ten teams of the PASL in my Stable, throw the rest of The Herd out pasture, and identify "The Deuce", the two teams that are stinking up the outhouse.

THE STABLE


1. Dallas  I put the Sidekicks at #1 because they beat SD on the road and then less than 24 hours later played and hung with a talented Ontario team. 

2. Las Vegas  They are 3-0 against mediocre teams, but I think Tovar is leading a quality team with his impressive play in the first two weeks.


3. Monterrey  I put them here because they beat La Fiera and then beat a good Rancho Seco team.

4. San Diego  A loss to the Sidekicks and a sloppy start to the season puts the Sockers down to #4

5. Ontario  A win against a tired Dallas side is still a win against a great team.

6. Harrisburg  Beating Detroit on the road puts them in #6

7. Detroit  They are last years divisional champs, but a home loss to Harrisburg is tough to swallow.

8. Hidalgo A close loss to the Flash and a throttling of the Strikers puts them at #8. 

9. Turlock 2-0 against the Herd and a Deuce.

10. Chicago 2-0 against the Herd and a Deuce.


THE HERD (In no particular order)
Cleveland
Illinois
Cincinnati
Wichita
Saltillo
Texas
Bay Area
Mexico


THE DEUCE

Tulsa Revolution  Tulsa gets the honor for going 0-2 and showing that they don't know the indoor game, and things will only get worse as they go into Dallas for week #3 

Sacramento Surge  The Surge went 0-3 in 7 days and will travel to face a quality Ontario team that is riding high after edging out a win against the Sidekicks.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

The Agony of Defeat

       If you read what I said in "And it starts with a BANG!" then you know that I am not completely  surprised at the Sockers loss to Dallas at home.  I gave San Diego the -1 only because they were playing at home and are the defending champions, which goes to show that last season was last season and the PASL has changed considerably since then.   I was even singled out before the game as a "Jinxer" in the parking lot for saying that the Sockers would probably lose.  When I sat down it all panned out how I imagined.  Everyone was hyped on the championship ring giveaway,  players were smiling, laughing, and joking around, everyone was in a good mood and enjoying all of the back patting that was going on.  Everyone was celebrating the Sockers past, while the Sockers future stood calmly by in white and purple and waited.

        It was a time for celebration, or "Celebratin" as I was calling it in the parking lot with my 12 pack of Tecate, my brother in law Billy, Mau, and the whole Zeller crew, and of course the unstoppable Dan Ryan and his cohort of mud runners, because things had already changed for me in a very permanent fashion at midnight that same morning, or as we called it in the Military, "Balls" (00:00).  I knew that the ninth was a day to anticipate because of the Sockers home opener, and believe me I had been waiting for it, I just didn't expect the festivities to begin at midnight on Friday.  But they did.  I would like to give Craig Elsten a thank you and a shout out for giving my wife and newborn baby girl, who were watching the game in the hospital, a shout out.  Thanks Craig.

      The Sockers looked pretty bad in their home opener, but that is expected when we play a team like Dallas.  Last year we throttled a terrible Sacramento side 15-2 at home, and the year before that we went to a brand new Anaheim Bolts team and beat them 10-6 in our first games of the season.  Austin and Mink, my in game analysts, concluded that our first touches were off, we had trouble holding the ball and racking up consecutive passes in our drives, and while on the power play we gave away too many breakaway opportunities to a shorthanded side.  Fatigue and frustration reared its ugly head towards the end of the game and got the Sockers out of sync.  Dallas' defense kept the Sockers to only 3 goals, but at least two of those goals were from San Diego newcomers Hughes and McNeley, who hopefully broke the seal and will continue to score for the Sockers.

        The positive things to take away from the game are that for both sides the goalies played good games.  The final score could be a lot higher if it wasn't for the skilled play of Sagu and Toth.  Also, the Sockers kept the Sidekicks scoreless in power plays, killing 5 penalties in all.  The Sockers also went into two power play opportunities and scored on one.  The one thing that I am unsure of is that our defense lost 3 key guys in Sutton, Krause, and Antoniuk in the off season, but we only brought in McNeley to fill the gap.  Is our defense able to compete with just Martin, Velez, Ze Roberto, McNeley, and Mercuriali?  I don't think that McNeley and Mercuriali are yet proven assets on defense, and Martin, Velez, and Ze are as tough as any defender in the league, but their combined height averages 5 ft 9 inches, where a team like Dallas averages around 6 ft on their defense.

        In sizing up Dallas I have to say that they have some weapons.  I was really impressed with Nestor Hernandez, his speed and skill had the Sockers defense out of sorts.  He was always moving to places that exposed our defense and forced the Sockers to adjust.  Dallas also has a lot of guys who can put the ball in the back of the net and were generous in goal distribution with 5 different players scoring 5 goals.  The Dallas defense was also able to keep San Diego in check keeping the Sockers scoreless in the first and third quarters.  Dallas was the better team and they showed it.

        It was pretty surreal seeing the Sockers lose in person, something I have never seen since becoming a season ticket holder in 2009.  I still had a big smile on my face, but it would have taken a lot to wipe that grin off of my face that day.  I think that the Sockers losing the first game is a nice change of pace from last year when the Sockers won their first 9 games with Scores like 15-2, 11-5, 18-3, 14-4, 15-5, and 14-3.  Boring.  I am glad that the Sockers got their first home loss out of the way at the begging of the season and shook off the extra pressure of a streak like that.  Dallas should be celebrating their victory at San Diego now, because they might have just set the table for a possible rematch here in San Diego in the playoffs.  As I explained to my crew out side the arena before the game, "Sockers fans need to see the Sockers lose, because tasting the agony of defeat makes the thrill of victory taste that much more sweeter."      

        So where do the Sockers go from here?  Well hopefully the win column, because a home game against an experienced Monterrey side followed by a 4 game road trip could put the Sockers in a terrible position 6 games into the season.  Monterrey (2-0) sits atop the Central Division and could easily upset the Sockers at home for the second time in a row.  The road trip starts up in Turlock (2-0) where the Sockers will have to adjust to a smaller arena, and then follow it up with a game the next day against the Surge (0-3).  The Sockers then travel to Ontario (1-0) to take on the Fury before going into Las Vegas (3-0) for a rematch of last years semi-finals.  I wouldn't say that the Sockers will lose all of these games, but they could easily be sitting on 3 wins and 4 losses by Christmas if they aren't careful.

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #2

         On Friday, the 8th of November, the Bay Area Rosal travel to Turlock to take on the Express.  Both the Rosal and Express play in smaller arenas with smaller goals and are both familiar with the style of play required with smaller arenas.  Turlock is coming off of a win against Sacramento at home and look to establish their dominance in the Nor Cal Triangle that is Sacramento, Bay Area, and Turlock.  But don't count out Rosal, who gained some valuable experience playing an experienced Legends Team. This one stays close at Turlock -2.5 over/under 15.

        Texas plays it's first game against La Fiera in Hidalgo on the 10th.  Hidalgo is coming off of a close overtime loss to the Flash in Monterrey and will get the win at their home opener.  La Fiera -5.5 o/u 13.5.

        Also on the 9th, Dallas travels to San Diego for the San Diego home opener.  Read what I said about this game in "And It Starts With A Bang!" at  http://theindoorouthouse.blogspot.com/2013/09/and-it-starts-with-bang.html.  The best part of this game is that it's the first game of the season. The worst part is that it is the first game of the season.  Both teams will not be performing at the kind of caliber they will be later in the season, and I think that frustrations will become present at the end of the game.  San Diego -1 o/u 11  And for an extra bonus, o/u 1.5 ejections, o/u 1 person wins the Frisbee toss

        Monterrey, who is coming off a big overtime win, will make the short trip to Saltillo to take on the Rancho Seco.  The game Monterrey had against La Fiera had little offense in the first half, but Monterrey began to find the goal in the 2nd.  The Flash are carrying momentum from their home performance in front of a crowd of 10,000 and will light it up in their second game. I say Monterrey -3.5 o/u 15.

        Illinois Piasa, who struggled on the road last year, make the trip to Wichita for the B-52's home opener.  Dallas gave the Wichita squad a sound beat down at the Allen Events Center, and I think that they will struggle against a Piasa squad that is coming off a win, and look to improve as a traveling squad.  Piasa will have to adjust to the Hartman Arena's size, but will have the indoor knowledge to walk away with the win.  Illinois-2.5 o/u 14.

        The Detroit Waza Flo open things up at the Melvindale Arena against the Harrisburg Heat.  The Harrisburg side has worked out their first year jitters and look to knock Detroit out of their position as reigning Eastern Division Champs.  Detroit gets the win but in a hard fought game where both teams will be knocking the off-season dust off of their squads in the 1st of 4 games that these teams will play each other.  Detroit -2.5 o/u 12.

        A Chicago Mustangs Squad that is also looking to take control of the East faces off at the Tri-County Soccerplex where the Saints inched out the win against the Cleveland Freeze.   The Mustangs bring a salty squad that knows how to play quality ball.  Chicago -2 o/u 15.

       Also in the Nor Cal Triangle, 0-1 Bay Area goes into Sacramento to take on the 0-2 Surge.  Sacramento is looking to fend off going 0-3 in the first 7 days of the 2013-2014 season and will inch out the win at home.  Sacramento -1 o/u 13.

        On Sunday Harrisburg goes into Cleveland for an early 3:00pm game and their second game in so many days.  Cleveland lost a close one in Cincinnati and will have the advantage of opening at home.  Harrisburg will be playing their second game in 17 hours.  Top that off with 10 hours combined travel time, and I think fatigue and stiffness will be a factor later on in the game.  I will stick with Chinapoo's Squad against the Freeze. Harrisburg -2 o/u 14.

        Las Vegas has their home opener against the Toros at the Orleans Arena.  Las Vegas is already 2-0 and will start a two game home stand against a Tijuana side that will be seeing it first regular season game.  Las Vegas -3 o/u 14.5

        The week ends in Ontario when Dallas plays the Fury at the beautiful Citizens Business Bank Arena.  Dallas will travel 3 hours from San Diego after playing the Sockers in their home opener the night before.  I have to go with the veteran Sidekicks side on this one, but Ontario will keep it close.  Dallas -2 o/u 12.5. 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Lavishly's Lines Week #1

        I decided to begin handicapping PASL soccer so that when indoor soccer becomes a universally  recognized sport and the PASL is raking in the dough from it's lucrative television contracts, I will be as legendary as "Ace" Rothstein in Vegas for being the original PASL handicapper.  Even though I have been successfully handicapping San Diego Sockers games at the expense of my friends for years, and I would like to thank them for their generous donations in the form of food and alcohol, this season will be the first time I will attempt to be a league wide odds maker.  And so here we go.

        For the opening week in the Professional Arena Soccer League 8 new teams will play in the PASL for the first time, and three of those will be home openers for Cincinnati, Bay Area, and Monterrey.  The first game on the PASL schedule happens to be on the first Friday of November, and it is a lock for the Illinois Piasa, who host the new Tulsa Revolution.  The Piasa have added a number of international and collegiate standouts to an already veteran Illinois team looking to make their mark on the 2013-2014 PASL season. On the other hand, according to the Tulsa website, the Revolution have signed a pickup truck with a fancy paint job and 12 cheerleaders.  I assume the truck will be a solid goalie, but only suiting up 12 cheerleaders will cause a considerable amount of fatigue late in the game.  Illinois is the favorite at home at -3 with the over and under at 13.5

        On Saturday Cleveland begins it's PASL experience at Cincinnati.  Cincinnati's roster has experience and talent and has the advantage of playing at home, Cleveland has not posted a roster, but they do have a legendary goal scoring coach in Hector Marinaro.  I say Saints -4.5 and o/u 15

        On that same Saturday, Las Vegas travels to the Bay Area to face Rosal.  Rosal is a team with a history together and some success, while Las Vegas is a quality team with a new coach and a few new parts.  Rosal keeps this close at +1.5 and o/u 13

        Playing their second game in so many day,  the Tulsa, evolution take on the Chicago Mustangs at their new home, the Odeum.  Even with the loss of Nestor Hernandez, the Mustangs are a quality team that will be determined to start their tenure at their new arena with a win.  I think Tulsa will start out the season with two losses in two days, but they will gain a lot of experience that will help exponentially with their home opener on the 22nd against Hildago.  Chicago -5 o/u 17

       Wichita doesn't stand a chance at the Dallas home opener Saturday night.  The San Diego Sockers are the favorites at 1:3 to win the Ron Newman Cup because they have done it the last four years in a row.  But I believe Dallas is right behind them at 1:7 to win the championship this season.  Even though it will be a loss for the B-52's, the experience will pay off at their home opener.  Dallas -5.5 o/u 16

        Sacramento was not as strong as they would have hoped last season, and I believe they will start off with a loss at the Turlock home opener.  Even though Turlock lost 2 key players, they will still have a strong third season as a team. Turlock -3 o/u 16

       The first of two Sunday games begin when Hildago travels to Monterrey for a home opener with a little history behind it.  Monterrey will be looking to impress a fan base with a home win at their new home, Arena Monterrey.  My guess is a good hard fought defensive grudge match between the two sides.  Monterrey -2 o/u 11

        Las Vegas and Sacramento play their 2nd game in so many days at the Sacramento home arena where fatigue will play a role in the outcome of the game.  If I was going to pick an upset on the first week of the season I would pick Sacramento gaining a victory at their home opener against Las Vegas.  Travel and fatigue will deal a definite heavier hand to Las Vegas, who will be playing the second of two away games in two days a days travel from the perennial neon daylight of home.  As the odds maker I say Las Vegas - 3.5 o/u 11.5, but look for the Sacramento upset to finish off the first week of  PASL play.

Week 1 Update:  I realize that a lot has changed roster wise since I have written this article, and I mean no disrespect to Tulsa or Cleveland.  Given that the season hasn't even started, I am basing these predictions on the slimmest of data, gut feelings, and insider tips from my inside guy whose identity shall not be revealed at this time.  Besides, nobody is gambling on these lines.  Right.