As with most weeks of late there's plenty to talk about around the league and now I am supposed to find the words to describe all of the fun. Lucky me, right? Seriously, though, there are several interesting news stories from around the league that should most definitely be covered this week so buckle your seatbelts, this is going to be a bumpy ride as we go careening through it all.
First of all, if you're anywhere near Blaine on Saturday get down to the Thunder's park for their game against Rochester. Why, you might ask? Simply because I can't be there to welcome Tony Sanneh back stateside so the rest of you should. Tony's returning to his old stomping grounds Saturday night and out of respect for his masterful job against the likes of Figo, Borgetti, and Ziege you should do your damnedest to show him your appreciation. Then again, those are just my opinions on the matter. Either way it should be a nice boost to Thunder attendance.
This match is obviously going to be significant in its own right because it is a rematch between past A-League champions. This match should give just as much indication about how "for real" the Thunder's title challenge will be this year. The Rhinos will be looking to show that they are still the favorites though despite looking a bit shaky a couple of games ago against Montreal.
It's been a big week already for the Rhinos front office as well with rumors out of the NHL linking Frank Duross with the Buffalo Sabres. The comments offered up so far by Duross indicate that he is willing to consider forming a group to purchase the NHL club that is currently in dire financial straits but at the same time he has acknowledged that any move for the hockey club is a long way off. It's just very interesting to take note that for once the major sports are coming to the soccer folks for help with their financial issues.
Speaking of big things in Rochester we almost heard an excruciatingly loud thud from Frontier Field as they began their Open Cup campaign in notorious fashion. The Des Moines Menace of the PDL paid a visit to Rochester on Wednesday where the Rhinos were very gracious hosts in allowing the visitors a 2-0 lead before finally winning in overtime 3-2. It took a goal from Lenin Steenkamp to win it for the Rhinos to complete the comeback against the PDLers and now they'll look forward to a match against Kansas City of MLS at the not so friendly confines of the Double F sometime around July 17th.
In other Open Cup action Charleston dispatched the D3 Greenville Lions 3-0 on goals from Diaz-Arce, Justin Evans, and Steve Klein. The sometimes-stunning Ricardo Villar slotted one past the D3 South Jersey Barons to get the win for Hampton Roads as they move on to the next round. Atlanta rode on the massive shoulders of John Barry Nusum and his two goals to down the PDL's Memphis Express 2-0. Seattle traveled to Utah and was able to overcome the Blitzz 2-1 thanks to the help of Leighton O'Brien. Minnesota demolished San Diego 6-1 behind Johnny Menyongar's 4-goal performance but we'll wait to see if the Gauchos appeal this result.
Yet there's even more Cup madness as Richmond kicked off their challenge by knocking off the PDL's Raleigh CASL Elite 3-0 thanks in large part to two goals from Josh Henderson. In the other Open Cup match Milwaukee drilled the D3 New York Freedoms 4-0 and will look forward to a visit from the Chicago Fire in the coming weeks. With those results in the matches for the next round shape up like this: the Metrostars will visit Hampton Roads, Dallas will play at Atlanta, San Jose will go to Seattle, Richmond will be away to Columbus, the Galaxy will travel to Minnesota, and the Colorado Rapids will visit Blackbaud to take on the Battery. These games are in addition to the previously mentioned meetings between Rochester and Kansas City and Milwaukee and Chicago.
So as you can clearly see it has been a busy week around our little nook of the sporting world. The U.S. men are back in country, so to speak, the Open Cup has really gotten into gear, and there are still compelling stories off the field to keep us interested. Oh yeah, there's also some sort of championship game being played really early on Sunday morning. Did anybody else hear about it or was it just me?
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