Re: Dallas Texans Fall Festival U11 Applied Team List

by PG-Boy 11/20/2011, 7:29 pm

I'm going to add my seis centavos…

Game report; Ross Stewart Soccer Complex (Texans), Farmers Branch

It was a bit blustery, cloudy and the chill was colder than expected. I arrived wearing a t-shirt and shorts. I should've had pants and a jacket.

The sideline was packed end-to end. I really love to see a packed house for a youth match. Very nice ya'll. Even some of the parents from the Kansas team were present.

First, congrats to the two teams for making it to the Final. One squad was expected, the other was a complete surprise. They weren't even on the schedule a week earlier, now they were in the Final.

I arrived about 20 minutes into the first half. From the parking lot I could hear the racket from the Mexican matracas. I asked the Field Marshall the score, "1-0, I think," he responded. As I was speaking to him, a mom holding a matraca walked up angrily to the young fella to complain about the referee, "Go get your boss, this ref can't even run or see the play. She's too far away! She's just standing in the MIDDLE OF THE FIELD! How can she possibly see fouls when she's too far away from the action!" The young kid called someone on his walkie-talkie.

I hadn't really seen the game, yet. But it was already interesting.

The Texans looked smart in the white and black kits. Atlas had the red/black striped kits worn by the pro club in Mexico. The matracas were so loud I had difficulty hearing the kids speak to me.

We sat on the grass about three feet from the touchline on the South side. A perfect perch. The boys were full of questions and observations since they had played the Atlas squad earlier in the tourney.

Anyhoo; since Atlas was down 1-0… my first thought was, "Atlas is toast." There is NO WAY a team that plays a bunker defense will have ANY OFFENSE to make up the goal. They'll have no choice but to stick their necks out to equalize. AND THAT is exactly when the Texans will make them pay dearly.

Thus far, Atlas' script worked to their favor. But the more they games they played, the more they ceased being an "UNKNOWN" team. By now, everybody knew Atlas' strategy. The script was no longer a secret.

Bunker defense is ugly soccer, very ugly. No matter how its wrapped it will never be considered the beautiful game. Bunker defense is what gives our beloved sport a bad reputation.

If there is a team stacked to overcome a bunkered team, it's the Texans.

The emotion was intense. I could feel it in the air. The Atlas sideline looked worried and they were very vocal about the game and in particular the referee. She was the object of their affection, negative affection, that is. Everyone has an opinion of the referee, whether it was positive or negative depended on which team you supported.

Heck the referee was shorter than the tall Texan boy that everyone knows sets the pace. AND she did stand around. Either she walked or stood. She DEFINITELY didn't follow the play of action. She wasn't a runner or even much of a jogger. This is a Final, get a referee that can keep up with these boys.

My personal opinion; she was out of her league. U11 D1 boys playing in a Final deserve a first rate referee team. She was not a first rate referee. I don't care what anyone says.

The Texans clearly were superior in every aspect of the game. They attacked with gusto. Atlas had no choice but to react, not initiate. Atlas had the Texans impose their will upon them. They had no choice, they were down a goal with no offense attack of any type.

The big Texan kid sparkled like a blue diamond. He was so dominant the Atlas boys took turns swiping at him… with elbows, knees, feet, what ever they could use. The boy was too fast, too strong, and too big. He only laughed at their attempts to hurt him. No lie, he was laughing. He was a man-child playing against little boys. The Atlas parents lost their nut screaming about the big Texan.

He actually smiled and giggled as he caught and passed an Atlas defender with a ten yard head start.

The Atlas kids and parents were incensed and kept screaming that the big Texan couldn't possibly be ten or eleven.

The Texans shook-off the chippy hacks and kept their offensive attacks. I don't remember the Texans goalkeeper even touched the ball in the second half.

About 10 minutes before the game ended, I looked at the boys that accompanied me and said, "In about five minutes a fight is going to break-out. Atlas is frustrated and one of them will set off a fight."

A few minutes later the ball came out of the touchline directly in front of our perch. We were in a perfect spot to witness the upcoming scrum.

As the Texans lined up for the throw-in, the Atlas boys kept poking at the big Texan kid and another average-sized Texan with shoulders, elbows, etc. The Texan kid just smiled and laughed. Oh, he wasn't guilt free. He was doing his own "leaning and pushing". He was just a heck of a lot bigger.

My opinion; when the big Texan laughed outloud it triggered a deep seethe of anger from the Atlas boys. One of the little Atlas boys started shoving the Big Texan. Both started cussing in Spanish as they shoved and slapped at each others arms.

The referee was standing in the middle circle, about 35 yards from the tussle. The referee assistant was on the opposite side of the field. So no official was close to the action.

She made her way to the sideline and instead of carding both boys she instructed them to the sideline to their coaches.

The big Texan boy said something crass to the referee in Spanish. Or as the kids with me said, "X cussed at the referee in Spanish!"

The big Texan was not one of the two kids sent off the field. He was definitely in the middle of the shoving match. A smaller Hispanic Texan was sent off.

An Atlas mom loudly yelled at the referee, "Did you hear what that kid (big Texan) said to you?! Do you see what he is doing?!"

The referee lady raised her hand and stated to the Atlas mom, "Number X (big Texan" is doing nothing. I understand Spanish. NO MAS!" I video recorded part of the conversation on my iPhone. I was too slow to get all of it.

Obviously the referee didn't speak Spanish, because if she had, she would've red carded the big Texan.

The big Texan scored his third or fourth goal and celebrated. He raised his shirt to show and rub his six pack and laughed. The Atlas boys looked like they wanted to jump him, right there. The Texans celebration was obnoxious. They rubbed it in the face of the Atlas boys. Victory was already in the bag, they didn't need to shove it in the face of the Atlas boys, but some them did anyway.

Apparently, that was sufficient reason for the Atlas coach to pull his team off the pitch.

I don't agree with his action. He should've allowed the boys to complete the match. There's no shame in losing a very good squad like the Texans.

I may have some of the events out of sequence, but the events did occur.

Summary;
- the Texans were far and away the superior team. They deserved the victory.
- the referee was out of her league and her failure to be close to the play of action is a detriment to maintaining control.
- Atlas needs better sportsmanship, they can't win them all.
- Texans, don't be so arrogant. You're good, we all know your team is special. Don't rub in.
- the big Texans kid is a man-child playing with little boys. He completely dominates the entire offensive side of the pitch. He's unstoppable. The Atlas boys did everything physically possible to stop him, they could not. They just bounced off him.

by mplsnsg 11/20/2011, 7:47 pm

I am getting sucked in and hate it. I do not like calling or naming particular players on this forum. That said, the player you mention scored 1 goal in the afternoon finals, not 3 or 4. He did not play in the semi-final game against Solar red. I must admit that I forgot the show boating after the last score and certainly do not condone the behavior. I suspect the boys got tired of listening to the rants from the Atlas sidelines and having to deal with the foul play that they handled the situation like a 10 or 11 year old would do on the school yard. They are better than that behavior suggests. I will also say that Atlas had a few big boys of their own. Finally, the real final was played in the semis between Solar red and Texans 01. It was a much more competitive game, and either of those two (Solar or Texans) would have won the game against Atlas.

by trblmkr 11/20/2011, 8:44 pm

The big Texan as he is referred to, dribbled the ball into the net! Anyone know why? Because the atlas coach had ALREADY begged his players off the pitch and the Atlas keeper was about 20 yards away from his line jogging toward the coach. I saw him going over to the sideline and thought they were changing keepers. The "obnoxious celebration" was due to the fact the boys had just won the tournament. Not the goal.
In summary-
The big Texan scored only one, (not 3-4) because other team had already been told to quit by the coach as he dribbled toward net.
Celebration was because ref declared game over. (Like it or not)
people from atlas team ran all the way across the pitch screaming at 10-11 y/o boys on the Texans.

Texans have more than one or two players that can put the ball in the net. One just appears to be an easy target to talk about that's all. The big Texan may not even be leading scorer. One DEFENDER on DT Gall has found the back of the net more than five times since Classic has begun. Unlike mplsng, I absolutely love getting sucked back in... Love it.

by Rocketeer 11/20/2011, 9:06 pm

soccerisgood123 wrote:won't be long til rocketeer comes on to defend the "hard working parents and aggressive style of play" of the the atlas team.... good riddance atlas back to dirty mexican futbol for you...

Too busy watching Liverpool beat Chelsea 2 - 1 and Juventus beat Palermo 3 - 0.
and the Dallas Cowboys barely winning against the Washington Redskins.

I have missed enough Football this season and really enjoyed watching College and NFL football this weekend.

Followed all tournaments thru the website and kept up to date with the scores.

Luv it when teams from other parts of Texas show up and compete.

I like beautiful soccer and I like pack it in defense and counter attacks. I like the way Barca plays and I like long ball. Luv samba and luv accurate passing and movement.

Become a true connoisseur of the game.

by scrdad 11/20/2011, 9:34 pm

@PG-Boy, we must have seen a different game. The boy who was sent off scored two of the Texans goals, including the beautiful first goal. It was actually that boy that was involved in the scrum -- he had two different Atlas players sticking elbows into him and pushing when the scrum started, and those boys were being instigated by their parents.
As for the ref, is she great? No, but I have seen much worse. She is one of the "usual" refs you see around here. Did she and her crew make some mistakes? Yes. Did those go both ways? Yes, including what appeared to be a horrendously wrong offsides call against DT that cost them a goal. But she was in no way the cause of Atlas losing or acting like spoiled babies. Those parents were asking for any contact instigated by DT to be a foul and their BBs never fouled anyone the entire 50 minutes (well, at least the 45 minutes they played).
If my son played for the Atlas coach, he wouldn't after today. It was one of the most disgraceful things I've ever seen, and that's saying something with a couple of the coaches that we have around here.

by Ochocinco 11/20/2011, 10:03 pm

mplsnsg wrote:I am getting sucked in and hate it. I do not like calling or naming particular players on this forum. That said, the player you mention scored 1 goal in the afternoon finals, not 3 or 4. He did not play in the semi-final game against Solar red. I must admit that I forgot the show boating after the last score and certainly do not condone the behavior. I suspect the boys got tired of listening to the rants from the Atlas sidelines and having to deal with the foul play that they handled the situation like a 10 or 11 year old would do on the school yard. They are better than that behavior suggests. I will also say that Atlas had a few big boys of their own. Finally, the real final was played in the semis between Solar red and Texans 01. It was a much more competitive game, and either of those two (Solar or Texans) would have won the game against Atlas.

Why did he not play?

by PG-Boy 11/21/2011, 8:31 am

The truth is a matter of perspective. My perspective isn’t necessarily the best or worst, the most precise or least precise, the least or most biased. It just is… mine.

We all had different angles and perspectives. The scrum as an example; there was a lot happening at once. Multiple players, etc.

If you ask an Atlas parent or coach what transpired they’d have an entirely different viewpoint.

I'm no fan of Atlas. I didn't care for the bunker defense that led them to the final. It was effective… to a point. I'm certainly not a fan of the gamesmanship that played out from the beginning of the tournament. Little things to big things. Stupid stuff like trying to play a keeper with the same colored jersey as the opponent, followed by time wasting because the keeper tried to change jerseys without first removing his keeper gloves. Anybody ever try to slot a keeper-gloved hand through a long sleeved shirt? Time wasting so dumb, it's funny. I'm not even speaking of the Final match. Like I said, gamesmanship. A thousand and one little tricks in a bag.

As for the end of the game today, my bb enjoyed the hyped-up drama unfolding. He thought the Texan "in-question" was hilarious as he rope-a-doped the Atlas kids. He giggled when the Texan raised his shirt to rub his belly or what ever he did with his shirt up. My bb enjoyed the spanking the Texans placed on Atlas. My bb's team lost to Atlas, so you see, it's a matter of perspective.

As for the referee, she didn’t have control of the crowd. The Texans group was behaved. SDL, CAL, Classic, etc., have the N Tx parents trained in “polite soccer etiquette”. Atlas comes from a different environment. It’s no excuse for the crowd behavior, but it is a huge variable to consider. There was a definite culture clash.

The referee should’ve had control, she did not. Not on the pitch, not on the sidelines. This heightened the emotional outcome.

IF my bb's emotional reaction to some of the Texans laughing at Atlas was pure schadenfreude, then Atlas' reaction was quite the opposite. It incensed them. That was my point. The Atlas team lost their mind with anger and hurt. The anger and hurt was amplified because it was the Final. I didn't quite articulate this well enough, I suppose.

In the end, Atlas' thuggishness and trickery came back 100 times. What's that old saying, 'if you live by the sword, you die by the sword.' The Texans utterly humiliated Atlas. I believe that humiliation is the precise description to what unfolded on the field. Regardless, it's no excuse for abandoning the game. The team lost their composure. Atlas had a complete meltdown at the end.

Consider how much more boring the tournament would’ve been without the visiting teams. Houston and Kansas brought good teams. Two of the four semifinalists were from out of town. Was the Final a perfectly scripting game, no. But it was spicy.

The Final wasn’t between Solar and Texans. It was between Atlas and Texans. Those are the two teams that stepped on the pitch at the very end. The superior team won.

As for the Texan in question; I’m certain there is a plausible explanation for him missing the semi-final against Solar, right?

We didn't stay for the after-game fireworks. As we drove down Valley View Lane a Farmers Branch police vehicle zipped past in the opposite direction. I didn't even have to guess where it was heading.

by Guest 11/21/2011, 8:39 am

Atlas comes from a different environment. It’s no excuse for the crowd behavior, but it is a huge variable to consider. There was a definite culture clash.

Yes a culture of dirty play, bad sportsmanship, parents yelling obscenities in front of children and having the police called over a 10 year olds soccer game....absolutely pathetic

by Rocketeer 11/21/2011, 9:02 am

soccerisgood123 wrote:Atlas comes from a different environment. It’s no excuse for the crowd behavior, but it is a huge variable to consider. There was a definite culture clash.

Yes a culture of dirty play, bad sportsmanship, parents yelling obscenities in front of children and having the police called over a 10 year olds soccer game....absolutely pathetic

Last time I checked the following happens in all CULTURES

Obscenities in front of children
Bad Sportsmanship
Police being called or parents being ejected from games.

Would you like to give ATLAS any kudos for making it to a final that they considered important and showed true emotion for.

Granted based on what I read (cause I was not at the game) they are SORE LOSERS.

On the CULTURE of DIRTY PLAY , obvious you have not watched MEXICAN YOUTH SOCCER and how they play in their Under 18, Under 20 (or 21) National program,

Barcelona type passing, tremendous fitness, and dribbling skills.

Also go look at GREECE when they won the EURO championship, total defense and counter attacks to win against Holland (if memory serves me right). Because when you attack , one leaves gap's in the back. I use GREECE cause maybe one of yall might think that they are not mexicans but more Caucasians.

Really tired with the folks on this board that attack CULTURES, and do not understand SOCCER.

Hell ATLAS lost , the better team won, what's the issue ?

You know Ron Washington right. Let me steal a line with modification for you.

THATS HOW SOCCER GO ?

by Guest 11/21/2011, 9:06 am

and we get tired of teams that show up with kids 3 years older, parents yelling the f word in spanish, dirty play etc.......

by hunden97 11/21/2011, 9:41 am

soccerisgood123 wrote:and we get tired of teams that show up with kids 3 years older, parents yelling the f word in spanish, dirty play etc.......

Based on the latest census numbers and projections on future numbers, some folks better learn to accept certain "cultures" because they ain't going nowhere. Just saying...

by Guest 11/21/2011, 9:55 am

nope, all it means is that more paperwork will be required to catch cheaters, more monies spent on security to rein in the idiots who don't know how to behave, less freedom because people can't be trusted to have common sense............

by Ace70 11/21/2011, 10:33 am

Rocketeer wrote:
soccerisgood123 wrote:Atlas comes from a different environment. It’s no excuse for the crowd behavior, but it is a huge variable to consider. There was a definite culture clash.

Yes a culture of dirty play, bad sportsmanship, parents yelling obscenities in front of children and having the police called over a 10 year olds soccer game....absolutely pathetic

Last time I checked the following happens in all CULTURES

Obscenities in front of children
Bad Sportsmanship
Police being called or parents being ejected from games.

Would you like to give ATLAS any kudos for making it to a final that they considered important and showed true emotion for.

Granted based on what I read (cause I was not at the game) they are SORE LOSERS.

On the CULTURE of DIRTY PLAY , obvious you have not watched MEXICAN YOUTH SOCCER and how they play in their Under 18, Under 20 (or 21) National program,

Barcelona type passing, tremendous fitness, and dribbling skills.

Also go look at GREECE when they won the EURO championship, total defense and counter attacks to win against Holland (if memory serves me right). Because when you attack , one leaves gap's in the back. I use GREECE cause maybe one of yall might think that they are not mexicans but more Caucasians.

Really tired with the folks on this board that attack CULTURES, and do not understand SOCCER.

Hell ATLAS lost , the better team won, what's the issue ?

You know Ron Washington right. Let me steal a line with modification for you.

THATS HOW SOCCER GO ?

And we get really tired of comments saying we "do not understand Soccer" and to "Become a true connoisseur of the game" because we differ in our ways of thinking. I guess understanding soccer involves being okay with cheating, dirty play and win at all costs no matter what the consequences. Of course when you you coat it with enough BS then dirty play just becomes caught up in the passion of the moment. Parents swearing in spanish are really are just expressing their thoughts on the heat of the battle.

by deankerry 11/21/2011, 11:15 am

Ochocinco wrote:
mplsnsg wrote:I am getting sucked in and hate it. I do not like calling or naming particular players on this forum. That said, the player you mention scored 1 goal in the afternoon finals, not 3 or 4. He did not play in the semi-final game against Solar red. I must admit that I forgot the show boating after the last score and certainly do not condone the behavior. I suspect the boys got tired of listening to the rants from the Atlas sidelines and having to deal with the foul play that they handled the situation like a 10 or 11 year old would do on the school yard. They are better than that behavior suggests. I will also say that Atlas had a few big boys of their own. Finally, the real final was played in the semis between Solar red and Texans 01. It was a much more competitive game, and either of those two (Solar or Texans) would have won the game against Atlas.

Why did he not play?

He did not play because he got a red card during group play on Saturday night against the Houston Texans. He cussed out a kid from the Houston Texans with the most vile words any one could have imagined. I am not sure a 10 year even knows the words he used (if you get my drift).

This kid is not 10 years old and everyone knows it. I think it is embarrassing for the Texans to even pass him off as a 10 year old. Even if he was 10 years old, wouldn't the Texans be better off playing him up with kids his same size, strength and speed "in the name of development?"

Oh I forgot, it is about rankings, winning trophies and tournaments not about "kids development"... Rolling Eyes

by scrdad 11/21/2011, 1:47 pm

deankerry wrote: He did not play because he got a red card during group play on Saturday night against the Houston Texans. He cussed out a kid from the Houston Texans with the most vile words any one could have imagined. I am not sure a 10 year even knows the words he used (if you get my drift).

This kid is not 10 years old and everyone knows it. I think it is embarrassing for the Texans to even pass him off as a 10 year old. Even if he was 10 years old, wouldn't the Texans be better off playing him up with kids his same size, strength and speed "in the name of development?"

Oh I forgot, it is about rankings, winning trophies and tournaments not about "kids development"...

I assume your info about the group play incident is correct, in which case the ref did the correct thing and I applaud him/her. I wish more refs would take such a stand, at ALL AGES. Some of the things I've heard during some of the u16 and u18 academy games are ridiculous -- I won't take my younger son to those anymore.

As far as the other vitriol, sounds like sour grapes to me. If you have proof he's not u11, then go use it. Otherwise, just stop it. Do you realize how much trouble one of the big clubs would get in if they were caught using an overage kid? Or are you one of those "types" who thinks that because he is hispanic, he must be lying about his age? Everyone knows one of "those kids" that were substantially bigger than other kids their age who turned out to be of "normal" size. For me, it was my best friend in elementary school -- he was the star athlete, bigger and stronger than everyone. I moved in 6th grade and then came back in 9th grade -- and was taller than him! Plus those Texans must cheat like crazy because they have several tall kids on that team. Those kids must be lying as well. lol!

by trblmkr 11/21/2011, 2:21 pm

in all honesty my bb is pretty much the smallest one on that team so why not conclude he is 6-7 y/o playing u-11. He is not Hispanic. According to players on our team on the field at the time our player cussed, he was cursed at initially. Like I told my son the ref rarely tags the initial crime. So either don't do it or don't get caught. (not talking about cursing).

by Rocketeer 11/21/2011, 2:32 pm

Ace70 wrote:
Rocketeer wrote:
soccerisgood123 wrote:Atlas comes from a different environment. It’s no excuse for the crowd behavior, but it is a huge variable to consider. There was a definite culture clash.

Yes a culture of dirty play, bad sportsmanship, parents yelling obscenities in front of children and having the police called over a 10 year olds soccer game....absolutely pathetic

Last time I checked the following happens in all CULTURES

Obscenities in front of children
Bad Sportsmanship
Police being called or parents being ejected from games.

Would you like to give ATLAS any kudos for making it to a final that they considered important and showed true emotion for.

Granted based on what I read (cause I was not at the game) they are SORE LOSERS.

On the CULTURE of DIRTY PLAY , obvious you have not watched MEXICAN YOUTH SOCCER and how they play in their Under 18, Under 20 (or 21) National program,

Barcelona type passing, tremendous fitness, and dribbling skills.

Also go look at GREECE when they won the EURO championship, total defense and counter attacks to win against Holland (if memory serves me right). Because when you attack , one leaves gap's in the back. I use GREECE cause maybe one of yall might think that they are not mexicans but more Caucasians.

Really tired with the folks on this board that attack CULTURES, and do not understand SOCCER.

Hell ATLAS lost , the better team won, what's the issue ?

You know Ron Washington right. Let me steal a line with modification for you.

THATS HOW SOCCER GO ?

And we get really tired of comments saying we "do not understand Soccer" and to "Become a true connoisseur of the game" because we differ in our ways of thinking. I guess understanding soccer involves being okay with cheating, dirty play and win at all costs no matter what the consequences. Of course when you you coat it with enough BS then dirty play just becomes caught up in the passion of the moment. Parents swearing in spanish are really are just expressing their thoughts on the heat of the battle.

Let me know how you think soccer should be played? . I am also curious as to how my thinking is different than yours.

by deankerry 11/21/2011, 2:41 pm

trblmkr wrote:in all honesty my bb is pretty much the smallest one on that team so why not conclude he is 6-7 y/o playing u-11. He is not Hispanic. According to players on our team on the field at the time our player cussed, he was cursed at initially. Like I told my son the ref rarely tags the initial crime. So either don't do it or don't get caught. (not talking about cursing).

Why is everybody trying to drop race into this when I didn't even bring it up? Two feet taller than players and going through puberty at 10 years old is a little odd, wouldn't you think? I just think it is very sad that your team puts him out there like he is 10 years old. The Texans would still be good without him just not great.

By the way, this kid did not say anything to him. It is the quietest kid on the team. The referee was right there and heard the whole thing.

Keep it classy, Dallas Texans...

by staywide 11/21/2011, 2:44 pm

The ending of the game has not been properly described. Atlas was losing 3-0 with 6 mins left...the ball was at mid-field and the Atlas coach was trying to call a TIME OUT (yes, that's right)...the Atlas goalie starts jogging to the sideline....the Texans won the ball, passed it to their "big Texan" forward, and he dribbled into an empty net (for his only goal of the game). The Atlas coach came out on the field yelling at the ref, and after several warnings...she blew the whistle and called the game. There were apparently several threats being made towards the Texans boys, and JG Sr. pulled the boys to their bench and kept them there while the Atlas parents stood at mid-field with their boys. They didn't leave until security/police arrived. The Texans boys walked up as a team to get their awards, and the Farmers Branch police got to watch. 20 yards away the Atlas parents and coach handed out their undeserved second place medals (if a team is disqualified in this manner...they do not deserve an award in my book).

The Championship was Texans Gall v Solar Red in the semi's. What a battle. The game could have gone either way, and it was unfortunate they had to play in the semi's. The reason they played in the semi's is a mystery.

Bracket A Winner (Texans Gall) vs Wildcard (Texans Houston)
Bracket B Winner (Atlas) vs Bracket C Winnet (Solar Red)

They decided to switch teams since Texans Houston was in the same bracket as Texans Gall. Ok, I can follow that logic. But, Texans Gall had 27 points, Solar Red had 27 points, and Atlad had 20 points. Just don't understand the logic to put Texans Gall vs Solar Red in the semi's when they had the highest points. Solar Red would have crushed Atlas in the semi's, and we already know the outcome vs Texans Gall. Atlas did not deserve to play the Wildcard team and make it to the finals!

by scrdad 11/21/2011, 3:16 pm

deankerry wrote: Why is everybody trying to drop race into this when I didn't even bring it up? Two feet taller than players and going through puberty at 10 years old is a little odd, wouldn't you think? I just think it is very sad that your team puts him out there like he is 10 years old. The Texans would still be good without him just not great.

Ok, I wanted to see if I just was wrong about how tall this boy was or what because I don't remember him being two feet taller than the other players (I can't comment on the puberty issue, although deankerry apparently has more info on that). I went to the Texans website to look at the team pics (http://www.dallastexans.com/team_page.php?tid=186). I see the "Big Texan," the talented Asian center-mid who is just a bit shorter, a tall blonde kid (whom I think used to be on one of the lower Texans teams), a tall kid with dark hair next to him, and then another tall hispanic boy (looks the striker that scored 2 in the final). I also see six boys who definitely are not tall for their age (no slight intended) -- although they are kneeling, that generally comports with my recollection of the team. Some of the kids are big, some of the kids are average, and some are not as tall, just like a lot of other teams.

by staywide 11/21/2011, 3:20 pm

deankerry wrote:
trblmkr wrote:in all honesty my bb is pretty much the smallest one on that team so why not conclude he is 6-7 y/o playing u-11. He is not Hispanic. According to players on our team on the field at the time our player cussed, he was cursed at initially. Like I told my son the ref rarely tags the initial crime. So either don't do it or don't get caught. (not talking about cursing).

Why is everybody trying to drop race into this when I didn't even bring it up? Two feet taller than players and going through puberty at 10 years old is a little odd, wouldn't you think? I just think it is very sad that your team puts him out there like he is 10 years old. The Texans would still be good without him just not great.

By the way, this kid did not say anything to him. It is the quietest kid on the team. The referee was right there and heard the whole thing.

No one said a thing about him when he was average height (at best) when he played U8, 9, 10 academy...for Solar, Andromeda, and FCD. He has been playing in NTX for a while, and numerous team managers have seen his BC. He joined this Texans team this time last year. He hits his growth spirt, puberty, whatever you want to call it...and now it's the Texans fault for playing him. Lol! If he wasn't playing for the Texans u11 team....there are 19 other D1 teams that would take him and his paperwork! In a couple years all the other boys will be the same size and bigger, and not a word will be said about his age. He should enjoy the advantage while he can!

Regarding the foul language. Completely agree, it needs to end.

Keep it classy, Dallas Texans...

by mplsnsg 11/21/2011, 3:23 pm

trblmkr wrote:in all honesty my bb is pretty much the smallest one on that team so why not conclude he is 6-7 y/o playing u-11. He is not Hispanic. According to players on our team on the field at the time our player cussed, he was cursed at initially. Like I told my son the ref rarely tags the initial crime. So either don't do it or don't get caught. (not talking about cursing).

I would challenge you on that point. I think my child is the smallest.

In any event, it was a surreal ending to a wonderful weekend of soccer for our boys. They had an opportunity to get acquainted with, to learn from, and bond with the senior Gall. He is a true gentleman. They had a blast and will likely remember trying to and being able to complete the tournament win for the Coach's dad. They had the opportunity to see where Junior comes from. They had the the opportunity to hear many of the phrases and sayings they get from Junior from the original source. They got an opportunity to hear and see things from a slightly different vantage point. They enjoyed their time with Gall Sr. They universally wanted pictures taken with him after the final and were excited that he got to take home the first place trophy.

by krowdkontrol 11/21/2011, 3:25 pm

Rocketeer wrote:
Ace70 wrote:
Rocketeer wrote:
soccerisgood123 wrote:Atlas comes from a different environment. It’s no excuse for the crowd behavior, but it is a huge variable to consider. There was a definite culture clash.

Yes a culture of dirty play, bad sportsmanship, parents yelling obscenities in front of children and having the police called over a 10 year olds soccer game....absolutely pathetic

Last time I checked the following happens in all CULTURES

Obscenities in front of children
Bad Sportsmanship
Police being called or parents being ejected from games.

Would you like to give ATLAS any kudos for making it to a final that they considered important and showed true emotion for.

Granted based on what I read (cause I was not at the game) they are SORE LOSERS.

On the CULTURE of DIRTY PLAY , obvious you have not watched MEXICAN YOUTH SOCCER and how they play in their Under 18, Under 20 (or 21) National program,

Barcelona type passing, tremendous fitness, and dribbling skills.

Also go look at GREECE when they won the EURO championship, total defense and counter attacks to win against Holland (if memory serves me right). Because when you attack , one leaves gap's in the back. I use GREECE cause maybe one of yall might think that they are not mexicans but more Caucasians.

Really tired with the folks on this board that attack CULTURES, and do not understand SOCCER.

Hell ATLAS lost , the better team won, what's the issue ?

You know Ron Washington right. Let me steal a line with modification for you.

THATS HOW SOCCER GO ?

And we get really tired of comments saying we "do not understand Soccer" and to "Become a true connoisseur of the game" because we differ in our ways of thinking. I guess understanding soccer involves being okay with cheating, dirty play and win at all costs no matter what the consequences. Of course when you you coat it with enough BS then dirty play just becomes caught up in the passion of the moment. Parents swearing in spanish are really are just expressing their thoughts on the heat of the battle.

Let me know how you think soccer should be played? . I am also curious as to how my thinking is different than yours.

Congrats to Texans Gall on winning the championship. I am surprise no one is talking about how they switched up the Semi Finals. My BB really wanted to see Atlas play against Solar Red. My bb and I instead watched Solar Red vs Texans Gall. Great game though. Cant wait for the Spring Classic season to start.

by staywide 11/21/2011, 3:40 pm

Look at a few posts above, regarding the "switch."

by scrdad 11/21/2011, 3:54 pm

staywide wrote:
The Championship was Texans Gall v Solar Red in the semi's. What a battle. The game could have gone either way, and it was unfortunate they had to play in the semi's. The reason they played in the semi's is a mystery.

Bracket A Winner (Texans Gall) vs Wildcard (Texans Houston)
Bracket B Winner (Atlas) vs Bracket C Winnet (Solar Red)

They decided to switch teams since Texans Houston was in the same bracket as Texans Gall. Ok, I can follow that logic. But, Texans Gall had 27 points, Solar Red had 27 points, and Atlad had 20 points. Just don't understand the logic to put Texans Gall vs Solar Red in the semi's when they had the highest points. Solar Red would have crushed Atlas in the semi's, and we already know the outcome vs Texans Gall. Atlas did not deserve to play the Wildcard team and make it to the finals!

Were they afraid of the "Homer" accusation they would've heard had they kept it as is and gave Gall an easier road to the finals? Or maybe they thought that a team coming all the way from Mexico deserved a real shot to get to the final instead of losing to SR or DT? Don't get me wrong, I think it should either have stayed as published or been done strictly on merit (i.e., flipping the two lowest seeded teams instead of flipping the lowest seed for a team tied for the top seed). As it turns out, it was totally not fair to the team that lost the SR-DT semi.

by PG-Boy 11/21/2011, 3:57 pm

RE: Mystery Semi-Final Switcharoo

People were talking about it, but I guess it was overshadowed by the Final game.

Do the rules allow the organizers to switch up the games? If yes, what is the criteria?

The Texans dominant player had been carded the night before in their 2-1 win, so he was out for the semi-final.

Would a rematch with the SAME team the following day, sans their star, be the cause of the switcharoo. The schedule did show Bracket A winner vs Wildcard. I'm assuming the 2-1 byline indicated the match was fairly close. I'm also assuming it could be even a closer match-up with the Texans missing THE key player on the roster.

On the other hand, since the schedulers had carte-blanche, they could've matched up Texans against Atlas in the semi-final. But at this point, Atlas was still a big risk. Atlas had already defeated FCD Premier and Texans South, two Top 5 squads. And tied a very good team from Kansas to win the group. Would the Texans risk matching up against Atlas while missing their star player?

Perhaps with the Texans tasked with facing one of three possible tough opponents they selected to schedule Solar Red.

This would give them time to scout Atlas during the semis. Of the three possible opponents, perhaps they decided that Solar would be a better match without their star play-maker. Solar Red is a known quantity to the Texans, there wouldn't be any surprises. It would be the best of the three options (in the theoretical decision making).

The schedule makers had to know there would be questions.

Conversely; Solar Red would've had a much higher success percentage by playing against Atlas or Texans (STX) to reach the Final, that's my spin. We will never know.

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