drsoccer

Great job Cleveland.

I agree with the statement that at this level anything can happen. Cleveland is at state for the first time and the Raiders are a young team. That can work in their favor if they go out to have fun and play hard. I have seen some great teams lose in the first round of the state tournament many times.

I used to coach in Tennessee at various levels and am now in Indiana. The Indiana high school association allows on 6 players from one school to be on the same club or travel team. It is hard for rural areas or small towns to find other players and that then leaves some high school players with no team. We live in a town that has 3 high school teams in the immediate area and another fairly close. We still haven't formed a team because of rivalries or coaches not caring if their players play out of season. I hope this rule doesn't pass because it will hurt TN high school soccer.

As far as getting the ball first and then making contact with the player, a college ref once told me that it can be a foul even though you got the ball first. If you look at the rules, tripping or kicking a player is not mentioned as ok if you get the ball first.

CREE, It looks like this was a good wake up call before playoffs. Good luck!

Cumberland 2- Cleveland 1 I don't know anything about the game- I do know that the Cleveland team is young and playing at Cumberland is tough.

coach- I hope you feel better soon. The lads need you.

I can understand that but that wasn't the point he made. He mentioned that he had been coached for years to do those things. It is unfortunate when it is a reaction. That is tough on a young player. Hopefully it didn't cost the team the game. It's hard to refer to the post now that it was edited.

I have always admired CREE 's coaching ability and his class. Keep it up Coach!

It sounds like from your post that the ref is out to get you guys. A ref shouldn't ref a game which involves his school where he is employed unless it is an emergency. I also must mention that your coaches are wrong if they intentionally coach you to stop a goal by a handball etc. Tactically, you go down a man and who knows? The keeper may save the goal or breakaway or pk. The player may choke and miss. To intentionally coach young players to commit what the law of soccer is serious foul play and a redcard offense, in my opinion is wrong. This is really stating to avoid an inevitable bad result--break the rules. If soccer and other sports teach that philosophy and it is true that participation in sports is to help build good moral character(as well as other traits including physical ones), then the lesson is being given--when facing a bad result break the rules. If you are going to flunk a test, then break the rules andcheat. If you are not getting enough back from tax returns, then break the rules and cheat by making up false deductions. I hope that referee wakes up or is reported enough times, that he will lose assignments- but consider the intentional foul play part. Pos do not intentionally get red cards to stop a goal that often. They are severely penalized off the field by their association for that. I hope you understand what I am saying. I hope your team will get great officiating and you will win more games this year.

Doctn, Congratulations. Good people like you are needed in the classroom as well as on the field.

The visible effort by Cleveland was so much better than what I heard sbout the effort at the McMinn game. Cleveland was undermanned and went down fighting.

Sounds like Cleveland didn't do as well as the last couple times. What happened? Did either team have any injured players or poeple just coming back from one? PLease fill the rest of us in on the game.

It takes a very good or excellent team to beat a team 3 times in one season. Is MCMinn that good or will Cleveland say the third time is the charm? This year the two times they have met, hasn't Jared scored 4 of the 5 goals? What if he is shut down? Can the other scorers pick up for him? Will this be close again or a blowout or willcan Cleveland pull the upset? What are the keys to victory for each side?

At what point in the game did Ooltewah go down a man?