Ok folks. This is long overdue for those of you that actually care and for the others of you,
It was complied using first hand observation, industry contacts and input from some of you, my fellow fans.
Better late than never (unless you consider siad opinions to be rubbish
). Here is my Yanki-Yank Preview of our new home team:
The Preseason started of horribly. Seriously, the results were very discouraging considering the fact that management had us expecting a team that will blow away the competition.
True, I only saw one preseason game but I had my spies out collecting the data and feeding it to me.
The 0-0 tie against Navy was very disappointing. Sure the Navy keeper made some great saves in the second half and yes CPB did use a split squad, swapping the XI, using a completely different one for the first and second halves
but that result, even for a team playing only it's second preseason game--it gave me cause for alarm. No disrespect to the Middies--playing soccer is not their primary mission they have a lot more important thingsx on their plate--but c'mon: It's not like they were a dominant team last season. The CPB offense was very ineffective. CPB dominated but couldn't seal the deal. They should have had 4 or 5 goals and won that game easily. If I recall correctly, Navy used 5 subs or so. There guys were out of playing form and the best that our boys could do was a tie.
Getting waxed by Harrisburg, speaks for itself. The first time that they ran up against competition in their division and they got hammered.
A couple weeks ago, with the other games against Penn State and the amateur club, things started to go in a different direction which is good but those teams are not USLD2 clubs.
Here is my Yanki-Yank list of the hot players to watch (other than the obvious Brits being sent over):
Mateus dos Anjos, M-Brazilian kid with a good work ethic, good vision and an excellent instinct. I think this dude is going to be revelation. He's got heart, he's got grit and he is cool calm and collected.
Michael Behonick, G-AU alum comes back to the area to do his thing. Given his MLS reserve and USL experience playing behind some very good goalkeepers, this guy will dissapoint me if he does not finish the season with a performance that establishes him as one of the premier keepers in the division. That is saying alot considering the guys minding the net for Richmond and Charlotte and some of the other keepers that CPB will face. Behonick fell in CPB's lap after the Mariners' cruel death. He was in training camp with them, vying for the #1 position. This guy has nerves of steel. Just what you want in a 'keeper.
Sergio Flores, F-
Someone has got to score some goals for this team and thank goodness that Flores started doing it during preseason. He brings a fascinating mix potential and previous experience to the table. A former US Youth International and veteran of SOuth American professional futbol, his versatility should be an asset.
Shintaro Horada, M-My sources tell me that this guy is a going to be most likely to fill the offensive "playmaker" role on the pitch. His confidence on the ball and first touch are supposed to be excellent. His quality, work rate and J-League experience distinguish him. In short, he looks like he knows what to do with and without the ball. He is expected to be a key player in pushing the ball forward.
Alex Ughiovhe, D-He will be the defense director, the sweeper who will try to make sure that his teamates don't lose their marks and help clean up or make adjustments when they do. He excelled at Howard U and is no stranger to the role of field general. He also has MLS Reserve experience and a lot will be on his shoulders because the defense is going to have to face the likes of a league where some of the offenses that they face are explosive and very well organized.
Now that I have mentioned the guys who made the roster, i want to talk about guys who didn't make the final roster.
Much to my great disappointment, Alan O'Hara, ex Richmond PDL and Clemson standout was NOT included on the club's final roster. This was a huge shock to me. When i saw him play against Navy, I saw what I had heard--exactly what the Richmond Corner Kick and ACC faithful told me. The guy is gritty and an excellent defender. He is also a good field general and in unfrotunate case that Ughiovhe goes down, even if you didn't want to start him (which still puzzles me--but hey, I only saw him play once in person and two times last year on tv) then he still could be useful as a lateral defender or a substitute. That guy gets after it and he expects a lot of his teamtes. He also has a competitive spirit that every club needs. That dude is a grinder who plays like he has a chip on his shoulder--that is the kind of intensity that he brings. I don't know what happened but that guy will be an excellent addition to another club. He is of USLD1 quality and I still find it funny that the Railhawks passed on him after having a look. Especially after their preseason performances. Some place that guy is going to find an opportunity.
The other skinny is that I was amazed to see Brian Rowland was included on the club's final roster. My very inside MISL sources told me NOT to expect any Blast players to be loaned to CPB by the Baltimore MISL franchise. There were Blast guys who wanted to play with CPB for a lot of the obvious reasons like being able to stay in the same area and helping to promote professional soccer in the Baltimore area. Basically, some guys said that they wanted to play and the Blast said "Nah ah--not gonna happen!" Some of the guys will catch on with outdoor clubs elsewhere in the USL D1 & D2. I don't know why they made an exception for Rowland. Let's just say that there is a bit of saltiness about the refusal of the Blast--who often get players from USL on loan--not trying to make life easier on their guys by loaning them out CPB. Maybe it was fear that they would lose revenue during their soccer summer camps if some of the favorite players were not running them or maybe they were scared that CPB was going to eclipse them in the minds of the local professional soccer fans that actually were interested in supporting a club with Baltimore as part of his name. Of course this is completely conjecture on my part...
So there you have it, the Yanki-Yank Crystal Palace Baltimore preview. There is a lot of intel on the Brits so I didn't focus on them. I can tell you that in the words of CPB management, Spence is "worth a million bucks" alone. Sometimes great talent raises the level of play of the talent that surrounds it; other times, the quality just sticks out like a sore thumb and is unable to make the type of impact that one would anticipate and the greater talent gets frustrated. We will see how this plays out after the lads arrive from the other side of the "pond".
I think that we can make the playoffs--I really hope that we do but the payroll ca$h alone won't get it done. Hype won't get it done. The name on the jersey alone won't be enough. Our boys making it to the playoffs is no "given". If the defense doesn't play better against the type of offenses that it will face from the elite offensive temas in the D2 then they can forget about going too far into the USOC so that they can take on the MLS clubs that they have stated that their talent should be capable of defeating.
It should be interesting. Nothing like the opportunity to get in on the ground level with a new football club, especially when it is your hometown team. Should be exciting! Just don't believe all of the hype to come to fruition too soon. This club is going to need to gel and learn more about their opponents in the division before we are able to really take it to our rivals. I am looking forward to seeing this club deliver the glory that seemed like it was guaranteed in all of the preseason press releases. The question is how long will it take for the learning curve...
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