Hello Soccer Fans!
Well, it's playoff time and my team, the Cincinnati Riverhawks, are not in the finals. The following is my synopsis of the 2002 season for the Hawks.
Everything was looking great from the Hawks in the preseason. There were 6 games against college squads and not 1 loss. There were 2 draws imbedded within the wins but the team was looking good and scoring goals. Having watched the 4-1 win against Xavier University I was quite impressed with the new players on board. With the likes of players such as Eastman, Edozien, Lindenmayer, and Ueltschey partnered up with veterans Lowey, Pickup, Wanamaker, Matis, Rockey, and Roettker the team was shaped to make a playoff run.
The start of the season got underway. The season was to be started at new home grounds, 'The Hamilton County Fairgrounds'. This was delayed due to government dealings and the weather. Although we had those setbacks I feel the ground could have been made ready if the correct manpower was put into place to get it there. I stopped by the field numerous times only to see no one there preparing it. On a couple of occasions I would see 1 guy on a bulldozer getting the field level so that the sod could be laid. Meanwhile, I believe the sod had already been ordered and was being stored someplace waiting to be put down. Due to length of time it took to prepare the field for the sod most of it had died. This caused a further delay.
Due to the field not being ready the team was forced to play its games at High School fields. Most were too small in size to handle the professional level of the game and the play on the field showed it. Also, prior to the first game Eastman left the team and went to Hampton Roads. I was told that he left due to a disagreement on duties to be performed in the front office. Eastman contended he was there to play soccer. With the Hawks, players have to perform other duties within the front office I presume. The season got underway with the team getting 3 wins out of the first 5 games played. They were looking good in all the games as well.
The month of June came and the team only managed 1 win in the month but they were playing very competitive ball and were still in the playoff hunt. Finally on the 22nd of June the Hawks played their first game at the Fairgrounds.
The pitch was not in good shape and half of the turf was dead. Watering of the turf left the field very soft in places and players from both teams were very surprised that the referee was allowing the game to continue. The game did continue but only to see Minnesota win 2-1. The play was very sloppy with both teams having to contend with dangerous footing. After the June 30th game with Seattle the pitch could get worked on and be ready for the FOX SPORTSWORLD broadcast of the game on July 13th.
During the month of July, the team had 3 wins and 4 losses but several changes were taking place within the team. On the 13th of July I arrived at the field at 2 PM to assist FOX with the graphics for the game. The pitch was still in horrible shape and paint was being applied to the brown turf. Extra lighting was brought in (all temporarily run by generators) to help light the field of play. The game with El Paso was an exciting match but El Paso came out on top with a 2-1 win. Near the end of July the team started losing players.
I started asking questions and I was told that the players were told that their contracts were null and void and a new contract would have to be signed offering far less money. With this, many of the players had no choice but to leave.
During the month of August only 1 win was recorded. This was against Indiana, 4-3. The Hawks were now out of the playoffs with talk of the team not being back next season. At the Calgary game in Cincinnati the Hawks fielded just 11 players. In the lineup was assistant coach Oliverio and he played that match on the scoresheet under Nick Glaser's name. This was done so the team could field 11 players as no subs were available.
I was going to attend the final game in Pittsburgh but family commitments kept me home. The team ended up losing in Pittsburgh 7-0 so it would not have been pretty to watch or an enjoyable ride home.
With all that has happened this season, I hope for a change. The people of Cincinnati deserve a team that will properly plan things and give them a team that they know will be there from start to end. Several of the office staff from the Hawks, I feel, are leaving and I will miss working with them greatly. Also, for the players that stayed on till the end, THANK YOU! I'm sure your commitment and talents will be recognized and you will be rewarded for it. Some people may have bitter feelings towards me for this article but hey, when you have a passion for this game, you want to see it done right and for the right reasons.
Yours in Soccer,
Mike Senger
A-League.com Match Reporter
