Hollywood Script

     June 10th 2008, a night that will live in infamy in my lifetime and a group of my boys, Hollywood United.  It was easily one of the best matches I have ever been apart of in my life, top 3...minimum.  Heres the play by play:

Hollywood United vs. Portland Timbers at PGE Park in Portland, First Round of the US Open Cup...

6:15am:  The troops fly out of lax on tuesday morning, the day of the match.  Everybody is in good spirits, we got new track suits (Puma), starbucks is being passed around, others are drooling on the seats at gate 31A and we are off to Portland.

7:00:  oh wait, there is a delay on the plane.  One of the engines isn't working correctly and the boys have to wait for our hotel beds another hour.   

9:20:  We land in Portland and can't wait for our beds, breakfast can wait.  

10:00-2:00:  Sleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep

2:00:  The boys gather downstairs for a quality team lunch and pre-game meal at the hotel restraunt.  I had a pesto vegetable pasta dish and a few cups of joe and copious amounts of water.  

5:00:  Met downstairs in the hotel lobby and headed off to PGE Park

5:30-6:15pm: Boys get taped, pre game line up and speech and off to our warm up.

7:00: kickoff

     It was a match for the ages.  The boys fought like warrior poets (Braveheart).  After going down 1 nil midway through the first half Matty Taylor equalized just before half time from the pk spot.  The half time talk was classic United.  The boys believed we could go on and win the match without a doubt.  Anthony LaPaglia, our owner and famous actor (Without a Trace) came into the locker room with his actor buddies.  They just flew up on Pags private jet for the match and took off right after back to LA.  Once they entered the locker room it was hugs all around, laughs here and there, stories and a quality speech from Pags to get the boys up for the second half.  Then the final two minutes the gaffer gave us some tidbits here and there that we needed to work on and it was off to the races again.  

     The second half we didn't start how we wanted.  We quickly went down 2-1 on a soft header that we should have dealt with better.  Then what was clearly a make up call from the first half, the ref gave a soft soft pk to Portland and the chance to go up 3-1.  My boy Javier Barragan was in the nets and the fate of the team was on his shoulders.  Me and Javi played on Chivas USA together in 2005 and I can't tell you how stoked I am to be reunited with the man.  He is my cafecito brother as we always get a good cup of joe and conversation in on our travels.   Not to mention a quick congratulations on getting engaged and will be married in two months time.  Go on son.   

    Anyways Javi made a massive save to keep the boys alive and let the dream continue. Minutes later we were awarded another pk and like a true forward Matty Taylor stepped forward and bagged his second goal of the match, but most importantly leveled the score and gave a much need boost to the squads morale.  

     I entered the match shortly thereafter around the 65th minuted and came in on the right mid position.  Our stellar and rock in the back Nasser came out on the wrong end of an awkward challenge and did his ACL and MCL right as I was prepared to come in.  My thoughts are with Nas (Get Well Buddy).  We did some shuffling in the back and midfield and game on.

      After a back and forth last 25 minutes of the game we were put into dreamland.  In the 92nd minute, Earl the Pearl on maybe his 5th touch of the game got the ball on the top of the box,  put it on his patented left and buried it over the goalie and sent the squad into ecstasy.   We had just beaten the Portland Timbers, a professional team in the USL-1.  Not bad for an amateur squad, who are manager describes us as "a little better than a pub team."  

      When the whistle blew it just felt right.  The boys never had one doubt that we were going to lose this game, even when we first heard the draw.  And to top it off, lets just say the boys went big in downtown Portland afterwards.  You gotta love these pub teams right?

      So its on to Seattle for the 2nd round against the Seattle Sounders, also of the USL-1.  A far more proven and seasoned team, but I tell you what with these group of guys, anything is possible in Hollywood.         

updates

      Life has been pretty hectic since I moved back home.  I have been coaching three teams and playing on two others.  My first team is my u13 boys team.  I wasn't sure how much of a challenge this was gonna be until last week when we played in the Cerritos Memorial Tournament.  Granted we were playing up in the silver division but we were clearly out of place and the results proved it.  We gave up an astonishing 20 goals against and did not score one single goal.  I can only count on one hand the amount of decent chances that we did have to score.  It is a huge difference working with this age of boys to what I have been used to in the past.  I really am going to have to go back to the basics of soccer and start from the ground up.  The room and possibility to improve with this team is huge, however it will take a lot of work from not only me but the players as well.  I told them that if they wanted to get better not only as a team but also individually, then they will have to do a whole lot more than just train with me twice a week.  Another major problem in the American soccer system that these kids only touch the ball twice a week and they expect results.  It will never happen.  Soccer is a full time job and if you don't have the commitment then I don't want you on my team.  I had to release a player from this squad last week.  It is a tough situation to be put in when you have to release a 13 yr old.  Mainly because he will probably never play soccer again, and I don't want to do that to any kid.  However this kid just wasn't cutting it in training and in the matches.  When he did show up to play, he was actually a decent player.  However most of the time his head wasn't in the game or practices and it wasn't fair to the other boys.  It is not the glamorous part of the job releasing players, yet it is part of the job.

       My second team is my u18 boys gold team.  It was a lot of work because with the help of a couple key guys (Eddie Soto), we had to rebuild this team up again.  I am happy with what we have.  I feel we are very solid in goal, in the back, and in the midfield.  I do feel that we lack a little of that killer instinct up top and a forward who is gonna be the difference maker in big games.  However its a good group of guys who work hard for me and it should be a good year.  

    My third team that I will be working with is the Santa Ana College women's team.  More to come on that end in a bit.  

    As far as playing goes not much has been going on with the Galaxy lately.  We were supposed to have a reserve match on June 8th against Colorado but unfortunately it got cancelled.  Sometimes the reserve league can be such a bit frustrating.  I mean I have played many games in the reserve league when I was with Chivas USA.  It's tough to be in the reserves that's for sure.  The money, the way you are treated, the way you get looked over.  So I have taken the opportunity to play for a club called Hollywood United.  A men's league/amateur team that plays here in SoCal.  Just from my initial experiences with the club I know I am going to love playing with these guys.  And I will tell you why....