Every year there's some sort of Cinderella story that grabs a few headlines for some certain length of time before fading off into the white noise that is the typical sporting news landscape. This season in the A-League one such story might just be the pseudo-reinvention of the Cincinnati Riverhawks. This is a team and organization that has been much maligned in the past and even today tends to suffer the pitfalls that plague many a professional soccer club. From instances of possible financial mismanagement to issues of personnel and overall morale this club has still come a long way.
Amidst the almost always-churning rumor mill around the A-League the Riverhawks have been able to maintain a course that has shown steady improvement this year. One of the biggest improvements has been in goal for the 'Hawks. Mike Ueltschey has been one of the more outstanding performers despite being on the bad end of more than a few pastings. When Riverhawks veteran defender Jon Pickup was asked about the rookie's performance this season he had this to say: "To be honest, the games we've won we would have tied and the defeats we have encountered would have been more severe if it wasn't for Mike."
After seeing a couple of Ueltschey's outings I am inclined to agree but it would be hard to see the rookie, who has had his share of mistakes, quite make it to the top of the league's goalkeeping hierarchy. He definitely belongs in this league and has at least as much potential as Bryheem Hancock in Atlanta if not more. "I don't really care if he is a rookie or has been playing in the league for years. If he can do the job, which he can, then he deserves to play. His goals against record does not do him justice. Every game he makes at least 3 world class saves." This further praise comes from Pickup as he addressed some of the questions about Ueltschey's ability.
I also took the opportunity to ask Jon about the team's relative success compared to last season and why he thinks they have performed better this season. This is what he had to say:
"I think the team is doing much better than last year for several reasons. One being the quality of players from the starting eleven down. In the past, the drop off from starter to sub during a game or even practice has been too far apart in my opinion. There is also healthy competition from the players in practice regarding attitudes and a willingness to work hard for each other. Granted everyone wants to play, but on the whole if someone is playing in front of you they do so with the backing of the benched player. Finally we have a good balance of players. The young players are willing to listen and learn and are always wanting to get better, whilst the more experienced players on the squad are more than happy to help in the development of the new talent."
So in general, it appears that the assessment one can reach from watching this team on the field is reflected in the actual atmosphere among the players on this team as it shows that they are indeed a team that supports one another.
In addition to Ueltschey and his performances in goal the Riverhawks have enjoyed steady seasons from both Simon Lowey and Pickup. While Lowey's not been spectacular he has been dangerous going forward and provided some good passing from the flank. Some might not notice Pickup unless he's narrowly missing their goalkeeper with a headed ball but he has taken up a more active leadership role after getting his "A" coaching license last January. "I've always had an active role with the players, even more so this year. As most people know, our owner is also our coach and he cannot always attend practices. This has given me the opportunity to train the team a lot this year which I have really enjoyed." said Pickup when asked about his extended responsibilities with the team.
When we talked about the team's attitude toward his leading practices he had this to say, "Finally in regards to the team, their professionalism alone is what has got them this far. Their attitudes towards myself whilst training them has been excellent, as it has been with our own coach." It's obvious with comments like this that these are different times in Cincinnati especially considering that some are even talking about the playoffs.
So how would some describe making the playoffs for this team? "A miracle had landed on our door step. Seriously, making the play-offs would be great for all parties concerned. From office staff all the way down the line, most of our players have never been that far and it would be something special for the players like Rocky, Lowey and Roettker as they have played for the Hawks for numerous years without success. Finally, as it is in all sports, success brings in the fans (which is) something that the Riverhawks need. Without success, trying to sell a product becomes very difficult." This according to Pickup and somewhere in the most callused of soccer supporters' hearts you have to be rooting for this group despite the many rumors and possible shady dealings that have been insinuated among the front office of late.
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