Monday, June 15, 2009

R2D2 wins League Title !!! - By Nicolas

R2D2 3 Scala 2

CONGRATULATION TO R2D2 – WOMENS 2ND DIVISION CHAMPIONS

After a dissapointing 1-0 loss against the NY Smoking Aces last week, it was make or break for R2D2 this Sunday. A win would ensure that at worst, our Rovers would have a play off game against the Skulls for the title. That was of course if the Skulls won their game too.whether it was stress or just the early hour, R2D2 started the game confused and disorganized. Passes were scrappy, ball possession absent and the enthusiasm just somewhere else. Just 30 minutes in the game and the Rovers had allowed Scala to score twice. Not a great start. A great effort from Emily minutes before the end of the first half allowed
R2D2 to come back 2-1 and keep the suspense on. A few words from Omar (who was kindly filling up for Nicolas on holiday but glued to the
phone) at half time and a few adjustments in the line up and an entirely different Rovers team took to the field for the second half.
Within seconds R2D2 took control of the game and never lost it.
Captain Bridget having switched her usual sweeper's post for a stint as striker proved the legends of her past were true by quickly scoring for the tie. Then Steph took advantage from her offensive midfield game to take a great shot and make it 3-2. From there on, R2D2 never looked back and finished in control. 2 hours later, news came of the tie between the Skulls and Smoking aces and THE TITLE WAS OURS.
This is R2D2's first title. A great collective accomplishment for an always enthusiastic, cheerful and close knit team which has come a huge way in the past 2 years. With Rovers 1 having finished a solid 3rd in the A league, the ladies Rovers have promising years ahead of them.
For the stats fan out there, R2D2 finished 14 for 2 with 49 goals scoreds and 11 goals conceded making it the second best offense in the league and by far the best defense in the league.
Stay tuned for the big celebration to come soon!!!

Nicolas

Monday, June 08, 2009

BRFC Premier O'30's Match Report: League Semi-Finals - by Kevin O'Donovan

NY Dinamo 5 Barnstonworth Premier 2
Evander Childs High School
Nedgy Nazon 55' Duane Pena 60'

The Rovers Premier crashed out of the semis as they did two years ago against Pele Masters in their inaugural season. It was a bit like the Manchester United experience in the Champions League final: we started brightly and then got shellshocked. In the first 10 minutes, we created 3 decent chances but we were unable to convert. Dinamo, on the other hand, subsequently scored their chances with ruthless execution. We managed to contain the left footed #9 reasonably well this time, but it was their Latino striker that killed us today. In a spell of ~25 minutes, Dinamo virtually killed the game off with 4 unanswered goals, 3 by the aforementioned striker. It couldn't have been worse. Though it is no excuse, at least one, possibly two of the goals were offside but matter it did not. We were down and out.
But after Kendall's inspirational speech at halftime, we lifted it and played much better, forcing the issue on a Dinamo side that was likely sitting back a bit. First Nedgy scored on a looping ball over the keeper and soon it was Duane who scored the second after some nice work from Stav, Pompey and Chivon. 4-2 and we had belief. Carl, who had pushed up to attacking midfield, had a few headers go begging, Chiv had a shot go wide and later Carl's long range strike hit the crossbar. But it was not to be. We left ourselves a bit exposed at the back and eventually, their number 9 scored on 1v1 to make it 5-2. Game set and match. These guys were classy in victory, sharing beers and food (fresh Albanian byrek) with us post-match.
What the future holds for Rovers Premier is uncertain. Our workaholic manager Chivon Thornhill returns to his native Trinidad and Tobago next month and a large void he will leave. Love him or hate him, Chiv will be greatly missed by our squad as well as by the club. At one time or another over the years, your registration was probably taken care of by him, he probably gave you a ride to more than a few games all the while calling you 'sexy' and spamming you about his parties. In my experience, he would routinely drive in from BFE New Jersey, pick up carless Brooklynites and show up at the game in Queens on time with the uniforms, nets, ID cards etc. Perhaps only Zee is more selfless. Chivon, good luck in T&T.
Squad: Kevin, Maurice, Carl, Andy, Duane, Marc, Stav, Lex, Robbie, Kendall, Pompey, Peter, Nedgy, Chivon

Friday, June 05, 2009

BRFC o40's Bring Home the BEER ! by Ben Weiner




The winter gloom hung heavy into this past spring as the ranks of the Barnstonworth Rovers travelling squad withered one by one. Was yet another Rovers annual trip to be cancelled?!? Ladies and Gentlemen - This club has travelled to Finland, Ireland, Norway, Estonia, Hungary, and Argentina - but we could not seem to field a squad for international travel for the last 3 years. In the end a meager squad of six determined old men made the trip this last week to Barbados for the largest Master's O-40 Soccer Tournament in the world. This fateful lack of manpower would turn out to be the best thing that has happened to a Rover's travelling squad in its entire travelling history.

The trip was organized by Mastermind Mike Messmer so we all knew, at very least, we would have a few warm beers to drinks. While holding out that scenario as our "worst case" scenario, we ran into the Pele Master players at the airport (a perennial winner of our NYC league) all getting on the same flight to Barbados obviously going for the same tournament. In Barbados, however, they were known as the Vincy Masters and were last years champion. Our motley crew sighed, assessed our crippled status and diminished chances, and dreamt of warm beer.

Due to our lack of numbers, Mike had set up a co-joining of forces with a local team, Empire, to help swell our ranks and perhaps field a full squad for our first game. We knew nothing of them and assumed that the situation would be similar to NYC in that we would get a smattering of decent players who were friends of friends to maybe show up for the match. It would be disorganized and a hassle. We could not have been more wrong. Not only did they show up with more than enough players to play all our matches, but they showed us the finest hospitality and introduced us to a far better experience then we could have possibly had on our own.

They even came with a coach! - Coach Julian. Although most of us could only understand every third sentence he said in his thick Barbadian accent, his points always managed to get home, and he lead us to a very respectable showing in a tournament we fully expected to get trounced in.

The tournament itself was proving to be a fairly well oiled machine. In its 13th year and held mainly at the Wanderers clubhouse, our host "Starsky" (a native of Manchester - yes- nicknamed after THE Starsky & Hutch) kept a lively, organized, timely, friendly eye on everything. Another main organizer, Grant, sported pink colored cornrows to match his squads pink and black uniforms. These men and all the other locals we met in a drunken stupor on the final match day (having been eliminated at this point) showed us a little mercy and bestowed us with the "Fete Trophy". Basically it is given to the team that shows the best tournament spirit, but you can translate that into "which team drinks the most while maintaining a friendly disposition". Our pride of six Rovers drank like 20 men that day. I am so proud of each and every one of you! I believe this is the first international trophy that the Rovers can now display in their clubhouse.....if we had one.

After our first game (which we won with goals from Mackers, Weiner, and a Barbadian Striker who's name escapes me - sorry!) the best part of the trip began. The Empire team took us all back to their clubhouse. The experience was humbling and exhilarating. Empire Club was founded 95 years ago! Almost every club there was multiples of years older than Barnstonworth (a mere babe at 16 years old...). They had their own field and a clubhouse bar with changing rooms and showers. They had a room where they had tea and scones in the middle of cricket matches! They had rum and a local beer known as "Banks" that made us very drunk, jolly, and hungry. They solved all of this by giving us more drinks and showing us to the local rice, fish, and chicken shack round the corner from their clubhouse. They fed us, watered us, enthralled us with their history, and drove us home in time to rest for the next day's match. One of their most enthusiastic players known as "Tweety" even subdued Olli out of a minor rage with sweet words. For this brave deed we gave him his new nickname - "Conan the Barbadian".

Our second match was against the host team, the Wanderers. They were the heavy favorite in the match but we gave them a decent run for their money, holding them 0-0 at the half and even after they scored Olli managed to loft a direct kick into the upper right corner. They took the lead again in the final 3 minutes. 2-1.

Our third match was against the Combined Forces (police and army guys) who suffered from a lack of players as we might have without Empires help. They were beaten fairly easily by all their opponents and luckily we triumphed as well with 1 from Weiner and 2 from Conan the Barbadian himself. Apparently the first goals he has scored in years - the crowd went wild. This win got us 2nd place in our group and a thrashing the next day from the winner of another division, Black Rock 2-0. A respectable 2-2 finish for the tournament.

Did I mention crowds? On the day of the semi's and the finals, the crowd at the club slowly built until it peaked somewhere between 6-800 people - this on the only rainy day we had. Apparently a crowd of 2000 is not uncommon. In fact, once we were far enough into seeing double we were convinced they were going to run out of beer due to overcrowding so we hurried to drink faster.

We worked hard for that trophy. We earned every drop of it. I can tell you all one more thing - we'll be back to win the "Fete Trophy" again next year but at the same time we are going to go after the second most important trophy - 1st place. Although we will have even more old men over 40 by next year in the clubhouseless club called Barnstonworth, don't any of you feel forced into going because we and the Empire Boys can take care of business if you can't make it.

The proud squad of Rover diehards: Olli, Mackers, Weiner, Messmer, Artis, and Alexander (posing as a kit lady)

BRFC 1st Team Apps & Goals 2008/9

Name
1st Apps
1st Goals
Vidar Ekehaug 21 1
Randi Lee 21
Stephen Pugliese 15 12
Andy Abramovits 20 7
Einar Benediktsson 20 3
Jordan Chirico 18 3
Oren Nhaissi 18 1
Dave Borchard 18
Alfonzon Nanclares 16 1
Mark Kushemba 16
Colin Marshall 15 3
Sam Wiggin 14 1
Andrew George 13
Sam Minaya 20 1
Ron Baskin 9 1
Jon Nessa 9
Alex Cruz 11
Austin Harris 3 1
Yuri Krym 4
Michael Martocci 2
Alex Schardt 2
Bobby DeLeonibus 2
Yannick James 1
Arnor Arnarson 1
Mat Kaplan 1
Matt Borchard 1
Zach Chandis 1
Tamu Bowen 1

BRFC Reserves Apps & Goals 2008/9

Name
Res Apps Res Goals
Yannick James 17 8
Stavros Zomopoulos 16 5
Austin Harris 14 5
Daniel Cardozo 14
Stefan Lysak 14
Sam Minaya 13 2
Alex Carabano 12 1
Simon Caton 12 1
Mat Kaplan 10 1
Stash Rutkowski 10 4
Nick Reynolds 10
Andrew George 9
Hirofumi Takeuchi 9
Alex Cruz
8 1
Yuri Krym 7 2
Bobby Hanifin 7
Vilhelm Klareskov 7
Michael Martocci 5 4
Bobby DeLeonibus 5
Zach Chandis 5
David Ferguson 5
Randi Lee
3
Arnor Arnarson 3 1
Felix D'ambrose 3
Oren Nhaissi 2 1
Alfonzon Nanclares 2
Ron Baskin 2 1
Zach Rubin 2
Stephen Pugliese 1
Alex Schardt 1 3
Tamu Bowen 1 1
Jazirnhio Zont 1
Robby Davis 1

BRFC 1st Team Apps & Goals to Present

BRFC TOTAL Apps Goals
Stavros Zomopoulos 135 33
Ron Baskin 118 46
Par Holmberg 96 6
Mark Kushemba 89 -
Stephen Pugliese 88 62
Mike Alexander 88 4
Yuri Krym 83 3
Andy Horan 83 3
Andy Abramovits 79 23
Mattias Gustafsson 72 32
Chris Vega 71 16
Vidar Ekehaug 69 6
Bazza O’Driscoll 66 26
Martin Mackinnon 64 -
Jeff Martino 62 -
Mackers McLaughlin 62 18
Gary Sisto 61 7
Dave Borchard 60 -
Colin Marshall 56 11
Eoin Quane 53 -
Anto Howard 51 2
John Salvucci 50 5
Will Sykes 47 9
Eirnar Benedtksson 46 5
Patrick Wisnom 46 -
Jerome Albertini 45 12
Sam Wiggin 44 5
Lee Williams 44 3
Mark Artis 43 -
Doug Goodwin 42 3
Brian Nobie 41 3
Marvin Jones 38 5
Brendan Walsh 38 -
Dave Brooks 36 5
Tom Hertel 36 -
Gary Prott 36 6
Jordan Chirico 35 11
Diogo Dos Anjos Burgos 34 1
Randi Lee 31 -
Luc Perrot 31 1
Stash Rutkowski 31 2
Jorge Pirra 31 5
Tamu Bowen 30 7
David Bonthrone 30 1
Donnie Schreier 30 23
Karl Bateson 29 -
Jon Nessa 28 1
Musa Shannon 27 22
Aaron Samulcek 27 3
Scott Moulder 27 -
Bryan Wrightson 27 -
Sel-Rey David 25 2
Patrick Duff 24 -
Xavier Egurbide 24 2
Dixon Hayes 24 -
Nate Kipp 24 -
Alfonzo Nanclares 24 1
Jonathan Pillow 23 2
Scot Gallin 22 -
Sam Minaya 20 1
Alexander Berscheid 20 12
Thomas Sonberg 20 -
Marc Zigo 20 1
Andrew George 19 1
Bily Libby 19 1
Scott Martino 19 15
Michael Zahavi 19 1
Oren Nhaissi 18 1
Jason Godfrey 18 -
Michael Heinkel 18 17
Hector Rolotti 18 -
Gary Sofizade 18 5
John Keogh 17 -
Kieran Mahon 17 2
Felix D’Ambrose 16 1
Niall Donlon 16 1
Justin Geri 16 5
Steve Harrigan 16 -
Ralph Highnam 16 -
Steve Hutchinson 16 1
Richard Hyder 16 -
Jamie Macdonald 16 -
Eamonn Reynolds 16 1
Bill Siegmund 16 -
Giles Standing 16 -
Tony Touchene 16 -
Martin Zimmerman 16 -
Mika Tapio 15 -
John Beech 15 1
Jonathan Rea 15 1
Justin Saffold-Geri 15 -
Charles Sorel 15 -
Giancarlo Cavallo 14 1
Sean Horton 14 3
Rob Perman 14 -
Chris Repa 14 1
Dominic Gromley 13 1
Paul Brady 13 -
Colin Rand 13 -
Isamu Sumiyoshi 13 2
Danny Power 12 1
Nate Friends 12 -
Neil Lacey 12 2
Alex Cruz 11 -
Bobby Hanifin 11 -
Cidee Niang 11 2
Brian Gilroy 11 -
Paul Halcomb 11 6
Andy Mace 11 -
Edward Shamwana 11 3
Pascal Ambauen 10 1
Mat Levine 10 6
Sam Prentki 10 -
Brady Butterfield 10 1
John Dunne 10 -
Dean Elliott 10 1
Peter Majer 10 -
Zak van Buren 10 -
Alex Schardt 9 -
Brian Schmid 9 -
Kosuke Ikeda 9 -
Schappy Schaal 8 -
Tony Itouchene 8 3
Paul Nobile 8 1
Bernardo Nolfo 8 4
Martin Ryan 8 -
Phil Hobbins 7 3
Sharif Siddiqui 7 -
Rocco Rochester 7 -
Alex Marko 7 1
Andy McCarren 7 -
Kevin McMullen 7 3
Greg Michel 7 -
Colm O'Leary 7 -
Colin Reid 7 -
Jim Miller 6 -
Takamichi Saeki 6 -
Mike Zawada 6 -
Chivon Thornhill 6 -
Michael Boland 6 -
Davy Lane 6 -
Darryl Samuel 6 -
Etsu Taniguchi 6 -
Jessy Fellus 5 -
Scott Leber 5 -
Luis Rodriguez 5 -
Steve Tronzano 5 -
Olli Herrara 5 -
Brad Horowitz 5 -
Christopher Vollmer 5 1
Matt Borchard 4 -
Mahesh Subramanian 4 -
Anders Voigt 4 -
Martin Damsbo 4 1
Ian Felton 4 -
David Witchard 4 -
Zach Chandis 3 -
Tom Davison 3 1
Austin Harris 3 1
Gary Lingard 3 -
Matt Lowe 3 -
Andre Parris 3 -
Jason Partenza 3 1
Ivan Traykov 3 -
Michael Messmer 3 -
Ben Weiner 3 -
Henry De la Hoz 3 -
Ramin Ghiasy 3 4
Mick Zehavi 3 1
Paul Bryans 2 -
Bobby DeLeonibus 2 -
Mert Incekara 2 -
Vilhelm Klariskov 2 -
Timo Kost 2 -
Michael Martocci 2 -
Donald Robertson 2 -
Shadi Shahrokhi 2 1
Frank Arias 2 -
Illt'd Barrett 2 -
Ralf Daab 2 -
Manfred der Bomber 2 -
Allen Gillespie 2 -
Oded Polak 2 -
Newley Purnell 2 -
Elliot Rothstein 2 -
Ronan Wicks 2 -
Arnor Arnarson 1 -
Evan Bruno 1 -
Romain Couture 1 -
Andrew Dainoff 1 -
Fergal Ferguson 1 -
Vince Hamilton 1 -
Yannick James 1 -
Mat Kaplan 1 -
John Saunders 1 -
Daniel Seidler 1 -
Paul Stiell 1 -
Hirofumi Takeuchi 1 -
Christian Tate 1 -
Okey Ubudulu 1 -
Eddie Aleman 1 -
Eric Butte 1 -
Fionn Davenport 1 -
Eugune Kim 1 -
David Kramer 1 -
Brian Lloyd 1 -
Fergal O'Gorman 1 -
Alex Sisakovic 1 -

BRFC 1st Division, 1st Team Stats 2001 to 2009





BRFC

1st 1st Gl
Mark Kushemba 89 -
Stephen Pugliese 88 62
Ron Baskin 86 29
Mike Alexander 84 3
Andy Abramovits 79 23
Vidar Ekehaug 69 6
Stavros Zomopoulos 68 4
Chris Vega 67 16
Bazza O’Driscoll 66 26
Yuri Krym 65 2
Dave Borchard 60 -
Colin Marshall 56 11
Eoin Quane 53 -
John Salvucci 50 5
Eirnar Benedtksson 46 5
Sam Wiggin 44 5
Lee Williams 44 3
Jordan Chirico 35 11
Jeff Martino 34 -
Patrick Wisnom 33 -
Marvin Jones 32 1
Andy Horan 32 -
Stash Rutkowski 31 2
Luc Perrot 31 1
Randi Lee 31 -
Tamu Bowen 30 7
Jon Nessa 28 1
Musa Shannon 27 22
Alfonzo Nanclares 24 1
Xavier Egurbide 24 2
Nate Kipp 24 -
Patrick Duff 24 -
Dixon Hayes 24 -
Aaron Samulcek 23 3
Sam Minaya 20 1
Scott Martino 19 15
Andrew George 19 1
Bily Libby 19 1
Oren Nhaissi 18 1
Kieran Mahon 17 2
John Keogh 17 -
Par Holmberg 17 -
Felix D’Ambrose 16 1
Will Sykes 16 -
Mika Tapio 15 -
Giancarlo Cavallo 14 1
Dominic Gromley 13 1
Gary Sisto 12 -
Mackers McLaughlin 11 1
Bobby Hanifin 11 -
Alex Cruz 11 -
Mat Levine 10 6
Pascal Ambauen 10 1
Sam Prentki 10 -
Alex Schardt 9 -
Schappy Schaal 8 -
Phil Hobbins 7 3
Dave Brooks 7 2
Sharif Siddiqui 7 -
Brian Schmid 6 -
Mike Zawada 6 -
Jim Miller 6 -
Takamichi Saeki 6 -
Scott Leber 5 -
Brian Nobie 5 1
Steve Tronzano 5 -
Luis Rodriguez 5 -
Jessy Fellus 5 -
Anders Voigt 4 -
Mahesh Subramanian 4 -
Mattias Gustafsson 4 -
Matt Borchard 4 -
Austin Harris 3 1
Matt Lowe 3 -
Zach Chandis 3 -
Tom Davison 3 1
Jason Partenza 3 1
Gary Lingard 3 -
Ivan Traykov 3 -
Andre Parris 3 -
Cidee Niang 3 -
Shadi Shahrokhi 2 1
Michael Martocci 2 -
Vilhelm Klariskov 2 -
Donald Robertson 2 -
Bobby DeLeonibus 2 -
Paul Bryans 2 -
Chivon Thornhill 2 -
Danny Power 2 -
Timo Kost 2 -
Mert Incekara 2 -
David Bonthrone 2 -
Jerome Albertini 1 -
Yannick James 1 -
Paul Stiell 1 -
Hirofumi Takeuchi 1 -
Ben Weiner 1 -
Mat Kaplan 1 -
Arnor Arnarson 1 -
Vince Hamilton 1 -
Fergal Ferguson 1 -
John Saunders 1 -
Rocco Rochester 1 -
Michael Messmer 1 -
Romain Couture 1 -
Okey Ubudulu 1 -
Christian Tate 1 -
Daniel Seidler 1 -
Scot Gallin 1 -
Andrew Dainoff 1 -
Evan Bruno 1 -