Old Nicks waits two decades for a Championship

This coming Saturday, July 11th, 2015, FC77 Old Nicks ,an aging men's soccer team in the O58 Division of the Greater Portland Soccer District,  will step onto the field against Royals, longtime rivals and friends,  to play for the championship of the division.  Old Nicks uncharacteristically played through the Spring/Summer season with a strong 6-1-3 record to beat the Royals by the margin of one win and three points.   The championship match, an opportunity to double the glory or share it, is the first Old Nicks has played in since the Winter Season of 1996/97 when we played at Powerlines and lost,  taking 2nd place.  

On the pitch that day as seen in this photo are John Mayfield, Rock Courter, Dr. Brian Kendregan, Tom Hampson, David Porter, Gary Stoner, and Mark Dillon.  In the back row are Glenn Fithian-Barrett, Mark Siebert, Tim Gero, Steve Pinger, Jim Brinkman, Richard Black, Lyle McBride and the Uber-Defender David Vincent.  It's worthy of note that there's no goalkeeper in the picture...Rock recalls that Dr. Don, our Zimbabwean goalkeeper,  went to SE 185th looking for the field and that I had to play in goal as a result.   And long time Nicks like Al Gerritsen Jim Hilliker and Jack Hevel are not present either.   Some of those players were playing with our sister team FC77 Newcastle back then.  As players aged, the range of FC77 club teams provided a place for players to continue on the pitch. 

Old Nicks' success this season has been building for a long while.  Several years ago, Jack Stigler and other players suggested that we'd benefit from having a team practice where we actually got to play together and to practice and drill.  In winter season,  players shelled out money to rent the gym at Lot Whitcomb Middle School and later at Milwaukie Elementary,  so we had a place to work on skills. In the summer,  players who could banded together at the Reed College Field,  the Lot Whitcomb back meadow,  and other spaces--always with the idea of building our ability to do the simple trap, pass, and move elements of the game.   A core of fourteen or fifteen guys paid for the privilege and showed up when they could.   The team got stronger.   

In the last game of the 2014 Winter Season  it was clear that Old Nicks were sorting ourselves out and really beginning to play with some joy.  We finished that season with a 2-4-4 record but a confidence that we were stronger and more organized on the field than the table showed.   In the short five game winter season,  we didn't do well, but we still felt that our play was stronger.  

So here we are, some of us thirty-seven years playing together.   The Spring-Summer season unfolds and we finish the ten matches with just one loss.  Time to get a new "team photo".  Although with 24 guys on the roster,  it's tough to get everyone together at the same time.   That said, here's a sampler of Old Nicks in recent years. 

One experience that bonds the Nicks together is the Bier Wagen,  a miraculous font of post game insight provided by Glenn, the brau meister.  

We plays where we plays as long as we can go to the Bier Wagen after.











The roster of the Nicks has evolved over the years 

Fall Season 2011 

Fall Season 2004

 The black jerseys.  Styling!

Delta Park= Strasser Field











Today's Old Nicks

Back Row- Dr Makande, Lyle Mcbride, Steve Pinger, Patrick Marcinko, Rich Black, Glenn Fithian Barrett, Jim Hilliker, Roy Thompson, Bruce Barclay
Front Row- David Porter, Rock Courter, Anatole Farci, Geoffrey Pagen, John Mayfield, Mike Calder, Patrick McCormick, Jack Hevel, Al Gerritsen, Jim Brinkman.
Not Pictured- Tim Leslie, Jeff Heilman, Kim Bergenser, Jack Stigler

No Glory. No Joy.

Tonight in Tukwila Washington,  the Seattle Sounders hosted the Portland Timbers in what promised as always to be a scrappy match.  The game,  the only Lamar Hunt Cup fourth round match pitting MLS teams against each other,  came in the midst of intense league play with Portland rising toward the top of the table with three wins in a row and Seattle solidly atop the division with 29 points and a game in hand on the 'Caps giving them an effective two win cushion.   

The first half was a workmanlike effort by each side not to give up anything which meant at the same time, neither achieved very much.   The second half changed all that with an early tally by Valeri off a Wallace cross--Timbers in form.  The situation looked even brighter when Brad Evans took a second yellow and was ejected from the match,  leaving the Sounders short a player.  However, close to eighty minutes in,  Martins stuck a crossing ball from a corner in to tie the match.  Not much later,  Martins was carted from the field with an injury that saw him leave on a gurney.  Seattle had used their subs and so the Sounders were down two players.

The Cup competition demands a winner. And no mercy is shown in this sport. So at 90 minutes plus stoppage time plus a short break,  the teams took again to the field and the 9 man side ratcheted up their intensity and played hard....very hard.  As the clock slowly headed to 105 and the Sounders looked hard for the grit to continue fighting,   Wallace broke through for the Timbers and put the second goal past Troy Perkins.  (How ironic that it would be another of the Timbers' former goalkeepers facing off in this match).   With the end of the first half of extra time nearing,  Seattle's Azira was red carded for an elbow and in a short sequel,  Clint Dempsey was red carded for protesting the call.  The Sounders started the last fifteen minute stretch of extra time down a goal and down four players.  

I've never seen this happen before. The ejection of Evans I have no sympathy for.  The injury to Martins after Seattle had made all its subs is sad, but bad luck.   The ejection of two more players made the ending of the game grim.  There is no joy in beating the tar out of an opponent with four men missing.  The Timbers did score a third goal in that second half but it seemed as if their efforts to just hold the ball and grind out the time were fitful and confused.   Athletes don't train to play against crippled foes and when the moment comes the quality of play drops substantially.   

In years to come,  the match will be remembered for its astonishing officiating.  I am hopeful that Portland fans will thank their stars that we got a win but will be mindful that it wasn't against a Sounders' side with all its capabilities.  In Seattle,  I am guessing that this will be remembered as a black mark in the rivalry between our clubs--despite the fact that the Timbers didn't cause any of the cards or injuries.   This is one to be glad for-- glad that we got through and didn't lose any important players,  but not one to celebrate.  

We'll step onto that field against the Sounders again,  and we want to be sure that the bitter taste of this match doesn't give them the edge next time.  

Timbers bring Revolutions to a halt.

Saturday night, was a nail-biter but the gutsy Portland Timbers brought home the win after scrapping for it through 90 minutes. 

I think the two goals Adi scored reflect the problem with our attack.  Most of the time we’re positioning him up top to gather long balls out of the back against big defenders—just as we did with Alan Gordon, Boyd and Piquionne.   I’m no expert but I think this is a wasted strategy except as an alternative—rarely used—to keep defenders from being complacent.   What happened with both goals this last game was that balls were delivered into spaces Adi could run into and actually redirect.  He’s not a long ball target player—he’s more of a slice and dice run through the defense at angles player.    

He has not shown the ability to jump high or muscle the ball against intense defensive pressure—but he’s done well with running the angles inside the box—we just need to deliver more balls that way if we keep him.   I agree that he doesn’t seem the natural strong forward we need.—if he’s gone I won’t be surprised.    

That being said,  Nate Borchers is tall but no jumper.  Ridgewell’s better. Powell is the best of the three.  Asprilla is a great jumper—I’m very sorry he’s injured.

What no one has talked about in this thread is that Señor Diego Chara ran the turf ragged in the last game— he was defensive,  he was distributing,  he was attacking the defense,  he was stripping the ball from opponents.  This hombre is an awesome player—very awesome—and I don’t think we’d have won without him.  I’m continually surprised that he doesn’t get more recognition.  A national team call up?   An all star slot?  

There were many good performances on Saturday night but Chara was outstanding.

I think the Timbers are beginning to believe their juju.

US v Netherlands

Men's team break through and defeat Holland despite being down at the start.   And the heroes of the match weren't so much the familiar nor the famous.   Clint Dempsey was not there.   What a grand achievement!  Can this be the start of a truly competitive US squad?  I hope so.   I think Jurgen has been brilliant in recognizing that there is a much bigger pool of US players who could be our future champions and opening the opportunities.   I can't wait to see where we go.   Deutschland up next!