Word to the Waza

        As I pour myself a generous shot of my favorite liquor and think about what I should write about next I can't help but raise my glass and toast to the Detroit Waza Flo.  To me, Detroit is the grassroots gem of the PASL.  It is owned and operated by the Scicluna brothers, whose passion for soccer is next to none, and their dedication to youth development, both on the field and in their lives, warrants praise and respect.  Most importantly, the Detroit Waza Flo have a distinction that no other team in the PASL has;  Detroit is a charter member of the PASL.  After initially starting their first three seasons in the PASL around .500 and never earning a playoff berth, Detroit screamed into the PASL spotlight in the 2011-2012 season, and it looks like they are here to stay.

        In the 2011-12 season they took control of Eastern Division, finishing an impressive 13-3 season with 2 playoff wins before falling to the Sockers in a hard fought Ron Newman Cup final in San Diego.  In the following season the Waza again claimed the top spot in the East finishing with a 14-2 record before racking up another 2 playoff wins and defeating the San Diego Sockers at home in front of a enthusiastic crowd to claim the US Open Cup Championship.  They then finished out the season losing once again to the Sockers in another great Ron Newman Cup final that showcased the level of play in the PASL.
    
         The quality of the PASL has improved every year, and for the Detroit Waza doubly so.  I watched them via the internet beat the Sockers for the first time and raise the US Open Cup over their heads in celebration.  Next, I watched them at the VVCC beat the very skilled Rio Grande Valley Flash in tight game that began with a flurry of goals in the first half, which ended 3-5 in their favor, and finished in a defensive showdown with a single goal in the third quarter, and a single goal in the fourth.  In overtime Miki Djerisilo scored the golden goal to win the game and put the Waza Flo into the Ron Newman Cup finals.  Even though they lost in the finals against the Sockers, they were able to put on an impressive come back to tie the game up at 6 in the 4th quarter.  They played great indoor soccer in those last three games that I watched, only losing to the Sockers off of a shot deflection in the 4th quarter in a game that could have gone either way.
     
        I also like the Detroit Waza because they are a nice group of guys.  I talked to Dominic Scicluna for a little in 2012 when the Waza came to San Diego for the championship playoffs and he was nice enough to take a picture with me.  I even talked to him after the championship game last season after the fans had stormed the field.  I could tell that he was disappointed with the loss, but still proud of what his team had accomplished, and he looked totally worn out from being sick.  I told him how classy the speech that he gave after winning the US Open Cup championship against the Sockers a week earlier was and he thanked me.  After leaving the Sports Arena, while having some more celebratory drinks in the parking lot with my crew, the Zellers and Dan Ryan, Worteh Sampson and Mario Scicluna walked by on their way back to their hotel, so we invited them over for some beers.  Sampson and Mario were both extremely gracious and friendly and hung around and chatted with us for a while, I really respected and appreciated that.  Thanks guys.
     
        The Detroit Waza Flo are a special team in the PASL for being the only original team left in the league and for rising to the top of the league on a limited budget.  I think that the Detroit Waza will once again find success, rise to the top of the Eastern Division, and make the trip out to San Diego for the playoffs.  Lately it has been too easy for people to join in on the negative speech surrounding the city of Detroit and all of the hardships it is going through, but hope can be found when teams like the Waza Flo and the Scicluna brothers set the example for others by investing in the community bringing quality instruction to the local youth, both in soccer and in life.