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Sunnyvale soccer player Marc Pelosi in developmental system for English …

Premier League — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 10:38:59 +0000

Marc Pelosi is on a path to soccer stardom that most American players can only dream of.

He has gone from the suburban fields of Silicon Valley to the sport’s ultimate boiling pot as a member of famed English Premier League club Liverpool.

The Sunnyvale teen walked away from a UCLA scholarship as well as offers from Major League Soccer to sign with a venerable team that is identified with the port city as much as The Beatles. He’s a member of the youth development academy and hopes to eventually join goalkeeper Brad Friedel as the only Americans to ever play for Liverpool FC’s senior team.

“I used to wish I could just wake up and go play soccer and now that is what I do,” Pelosi said by phone from England.

Only 33 Americans have played in the Premiership, considered the world’s best league. Of those, just a handful — such as World Cup stars Tim Howard and Clint Dempsey — have enjoyed genuine success.

“When you step off that 747, you’ve got to be at a level they’re at or better or they’re not going to look at you,” said Paul Gooch, whose son Lynden, 16, signed with the EPL’s Sunderland last month.

Lynden, a Soquel High student with dual citizenship, has been playing part time for Sunderland since age 9. He plans to move to England full time in July after his sophomore year.

Gooch described the signings of his son and Pelosi as “incredibly rare.”

“Why would they invest all that time and money on a foreigner

when they could pick up somebody at their doorstep?” added Gooch, who coaches the Santa Cruz Breakers.

Pelosi, 17, understands the odds but “I just wanted to try something new and take the risk,” he said. “I don’t feel the pressure. I just try to have fun.”

Pelosi already is showing flashes of success while playing in youth and reserve matches since August. In November, he set up a game-winning goal with a stunning pass through the defense that led to a 2-1 victory over Manchester United’s under-18 team.

A versatile midfielder and outside back who sets up goals instead of scoring them, Pelosi is considered one of America’s most promising players. Just ask San Jose Earthquakes coach Frank Yallop, who has trained him.

“It’s special for any player to get picked up by Liverpool,” said Yallop, himself a former English league defender. “We would take Marc tomorrow if he becomes available.”

The National Soccer Coaches Association of America in December named Pelosi youth boys player of the year for 2011.

It was a culmination of a journey that began last summer when he captained the U.S. under-17 World Cup squad. Scouts around the world showed interest in a player with good size (6 feet tall) and great soccer instincts. He chose Liverpool, considered among the world’s top 10 clubs.

Despite having citizenship in the European Union, it took Pelosi three months to get cleared for a work visa.

“It wasn’t easy,” he said of the move. “But it’s just what I wanted.”

Danville’s Kyle Davies understands Pelosi’s motivation better than most after signing with the EPL’s Southampton in 2007 out of the U.S. residency program in Florida. Davies, now trying to earn a spot with the Earthquakes, also was 17 at the time.

“You can’t pass that kind of an opportunity up,” he said. “You never know if you’re going to get that chance again.”

His advice to someone like Pelosi is simple: Stay focused on soccer and work hard every day.

That’s about all Pelosi could do while waiting three months to sign a contract. He didn’t have many friends or much to do besides train while living with a guest family. Liverpool officials have arranged for a tutor and three-hour study sessions every Monday so Pelosi can work toward a high school equivalency certificate.

While the surroundings are new, being away from home isn’t. Pelosi hasn’t lived in Sunnyvale since 2009, when he joined the under-17 team at the IMG Soccer Academy in Bradenton, Fla.

“At first we weren’t going to let him go to residency,” said father John Pelosi, an IBM engineer. “It was a little easier now but it’s still difficult.”

The family has let their son go because he has wanted nothing more than to kick a soccer ball since he was a toddler.

“He even skipped children’s birthday parties” to attend practices, said his mother, Birgit Pelosi, a German native.

Pelosi and older brother Ryan were born in Germany but the family moved to Sun- nyvale when Marc was 2. He began playing American Youth Soccer Organization before joining the De Anza Force, one of the area’s top clubs. It seems Pelosi is getting more comfortable in England by the day. It didn’t take him long to learn some local jargon. When two bandits tried to take his iPod in November, Pelosi tweeted: “at police station, just got mugged by two angry scousers on bikes! I’m OK though.”

Someday the “scousers,” as Liverpudlians like to call themselves, might be clamoring for an autograph instead of trying to steal a music device.

At least that’s the plan for a potential soccer star.

Contact Elliott Almond at 408-920-5865 and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/elliottalmond.

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Article source: http://www.mercurynews.com/other-sports/ci_20005292

Stevenage v Tottenham Hotspur

Premier League — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:38:01 +0000

Yes, this is a good time to be a Tottenham fan. They’re going strong in the league, Arsenal are a rabble and, although the year doesn’t end in one, they have to be regarded as favourites to win the FA Cup, with both Manchester clubs out. It would be a major shock if they were knocked out by League One Stevenage Borough this afternoon, but then they are still Tottenham, let’s not be hasty, rule nothing out. Stevenage are largely one-hit wonders in this tournament, only ever able to rub Newcastle up the wrong way. Mention Stevenage and the FA Cup and the first thing that pops to mind is Giuliano Grazioli; they’ll be desperate to change the record.

Stevenage: Day, Henry, Ashton, Roberts, Laird, Wilson, Byrom, Bostwick, Freeman, Charles, Beardsley. Subs: Subs: Julian, Edwards, Long, Reid, Myrie-Williams, May, Cowan.

Tottenham: Cudicini; Kaboul, Dawson, Nelsen, Rose; Walker, Livermore, Parker, Bale; Defoe, Saha. Subs: Friedel, King, Khumalo, Kranjcar, Lennon, Luongo, Dawkins.

Referee: Phil Dowd.

Kick-off: 2pm.

Looking ahead to next week’s game at the Emirates, when was the last time Tottenham went to Arsenal unquestionably as favourites? 1995? 1987? Given the way the match is going to be built up, Spurs are almost certain to screw it up.

Stevenage: Day, Henry, Ashton, Roberts, Laird, Wilson, Byrom, Bostwick, Freeman, Charles, Beardsley. Subs: Subs: Julian, Edwards, Long, Reid, Myrie-Williams, May, Cowan.

Tottenham: Cudicini; Kaboul, Dawson, Nelsen, Rose; Walker, Livermore, Parker, Bale; Defoe, Saha. Subs: Friedel, King, Khumalo, Kranjcar, Lennon, Luongo, Dawkins.

Referee: Phil Dowd.

Kick-off: 2pm.

It’s good to see Adrian Chiles still in one piece today. Before the Arsenal match yesterday, he brought up the thorny subject of the 2005 FA Cup final, jauntily asking Roy Keane whether he was over it yet. “Just about,” simmered Keane, a full seven years on, before he went on to seethe about how Arsenal never should have won it. What must go through that man’s head when Chiles is talking? He was lucky Keane didn’t Saipan him and tell him to “shove it up your bollocks”.

I’ve just been watching the end of the Crawley v Stoke game. Stoke have completed just over 100 passes. Xavi makes more than that every week. They do not give a solitary one.

The teams stride out of the tunnel, Stevenage in their white shirts, Tottenham in their away black kit. Stevenage are a pretty direct side, which goes some way to explaining the presence of three centre-backs in the Spurs side.

Peep! There’s a raucous atmosphere inside the Lamex Stadium, something Spurs will be looking to quell as soon as possible. They get the game going, kicking from right to left. Parker inadvertently knocks a loose ball out for a throw-in, drawing ironic cheers from the home fans.

2 min: Walker wrestles with Freeman on the left and eventually concedes a free-kick. This is a good position for Stevenage, assuming Freeman can deliver a good cross.

3 min: He can’t, but Stevenage are a side in the Stoke mould. It’s hoofed back into the mixer, as it were, and Roberts screams for a penalty as Dawson puts his hands in front of his face and handles the ball. It wasn’t really intentional, but that was lucky. Spurs still can’t clear their lines and Freeman launches another high cross into the area. Cudicini comes to collect, but drops it under a heavy challenge, but gathers it at the second attempt.

5 min: What would Larry David make of pre-match handshakes?

6 min: This has been a good start from Stevenage. Wilson romps down the right, his cross takes a nick and Kaboul has to stoop and awkwardly concede a corner. Freeman curls it to the far post, but Beardsley can’t rise high enough to meet it.

7 min: The first scare for Stevenage, as a high ball over the top catches them cold, with Defoe scampering in behind. The flag stays down but he can’t bring the ball down, despite an acrobatic effort to do so on his part. This is the sort of match that has a Defoe hat-trick written all over it.

9 min: Tottenham win their first corner, Laird heading behind on the right. Rose curls it into the six-yard box, but Roberts boots clear. This has been a spectacularly agricultural opening.

10 min: Bale gets his first chance to romp down the left, but Wilson stands up to the challenge well. Stevenage won’t want to see that happening too often though.

11 min: Stevenage are making this as uncomfortable as possible for Spurs which, let’s face it, is the only way they’re going to win. Kyle Walker, hustled by two defenders, forgets that the pitch here isn’t quite as wide as the princely spreads of green he usually gets to play on, and runs the ball out of play on the right. More jeers.

13 min: Even against Stevenage, Spurs do miss the fluency given to them by Luka Modric. Not that they’re struggling at all, but they do lack someone to dictate their passing and haven’t quite clicked yet. Bale hasn’t been able to get into the game yet; he’ll probably start drifting in-field more and more if it continues like this.

15 min: The circus is in town in Stevenage today. I mean that literally. Arsenal haven’t turned up by mistake.

16 min: Livermore spreads a fine pass out to the left for Roe, who’s moved forward from left-back. The youngster does well to beat his man and get to the byline, before drilling a low cross to the near post. Defoe gets ahead of his marker, but can’t open up his body properly to steer the ball goalwards, and can only direct his stabbed effort past the left post.

19 min: It’s very windy. [banter]How will Spurs cope on a dry, windy, sunny Sunday afternoon in Stevenage?[/banter]

20 min: It never fails to amuse when defenders hit long balls to Jermain Defoe, 5ft 6in. He’s not winning much. Unlike Beardsley, who chests down a long ball to the onrushing Charles, whose burst into the box is halted by Nelsen. That was a hugely important challenge. Charles was nearly through.

21 min: Henry’s first touch gets away from him, tempting Nelsen to nip in and rob him of possession. The defender’s perhaps a little rusty though, and isn’t fast enough. Henry prods the ball round him and then goes down, but Phil Dowd rules it wasn’t a foul.

23 min: This has the whiff of turning into a very awkward afternoon for Spurs. Their class is likely to tell at some point, but right now there is very little between the two sides. Harry Redknapp is furious on the touchline. He wants him team to get the ball down and start to pass it. At the moment, they can barely string two together.

24 min: That’s better from Spurs. On the left side of the area, Saha spins away from a challenge and then drags a low cross-shot wide of the far post. In the Stevenage goal, Day treated himself to a dive for the cameras.

25 min: You can always rely on ITV. Gabriel Clarke has decided now would be the best time for an interview with Stevenage’s manager Gary Smith. What’s that all about?

26 min: Rose cuts inside on to his right foot and goes for glory from the edge of the area. Throw-in to Stevenage.

28 min: Tottenham are just starting to get a grip of the game. Stevenage stand off Bale, whose drive from 25 yards out is well blocked by Ashton. As well as Stevenage are playing, they haven’t had too much to shout about going forward.

29 min: Phil Dowd has had to step in to stop an ongoing argument between Ashton and Defoe getting out of hand. It was caused by an off-the-ball incident, the Stevenage defender flinging the Spurs striker to the ground like a rag doll. Defoe, understandably, wasn’t too happy about it.

30 min: Beardsley shoots wide from long range. “I love that “agricultural” football (min 9) is almost always played by teams from industrial centres (and also Stevenage),” says David Treet. “But them I’m from Ipswich and hating how well Norwich are playing (and following from the in-laws in Marin County, Ca). Harrumph.” If it’s any consolation, Norwich will go down next season. They’re the new Ipswich.

33 min: Both sides are yet to concede a goal in this season’s FA Cup, I hear, which goes some way to explaining this catenaccio affair. Though that stat was nearly ended here, as Rose beat his man again and hung an inviting cross up to the far post, where Walker headed wide from close range. It sounds worse than it was; he just couldn’t get high enough to make proper contact with his header. “Why does this feel like The Big Mach 1976?” says Pete Moss. “Is it the low, cold winter sun throwing long shadows across a lumpy pitch, the low camera angle, the very thin and vocal crowd, whimsical camera shots to circus big tops outside the ground and the commentator telling us about the elephants and other animals inside it! Are circuses still allowed to use performing animals?”

35 min: The chances are coming for Spurs now and they could have had a penalty here, although it probably would have been soft. Saha got in between the two Stevenage centre-backs and controlled a cross from Livermore beautifully with his chest. Just as he looked poised to give Spurs the lead, Roberts accidentally trod on his foot and, off-balance, Saha’s tame effort looped straight at Day. The challenge actually took Saha’s boot off, which makes a pretty convincing case for it being foul.

37 min: Now Saha does get a decision in his favour, brought down on the edge of the area. Spurs try to tee up Defoe for the shot, but by the time he goes to shoot, Laird is right on top of him.

38 min: Stevenage can’t handle the tricky Rose on the left. He crosses again and Dawson’s pinpoint header is cleared in front of goal by Bostwick. It might well have been going just wide, but Bostwick couldn’t take any chances. Up the other end, Charles dodges past a couple of challenges and gets into the Spurs area but, given a slight glimpse of goal, he panics and delays, eventually losing the ball.

39 min: Another free-kick to Stevenage, this time on the left. At the near post, Beardsley tries to flick it on at the near post, but gets it all wrong, the ball looping high into the air. It looked like there was no danger at all, only for it to drop down and under the bar, forcing Cudicini, under severe pressure, to push it over the bar.

40 min: From the corner, Stevenage appeal for a penalty as Beardsley cracks a volley goalwards and Saha blocks with his chest. “Tottenham “unquestionably” favourites to win next weekend?” says Robin Whear. “Actually Arsenal are favourites with every bookies. They can be a good counter to football hype. Even with Arsenal in crisis and Spurs on form, it’s always tough to go to the Emirates and win.” Yes, but they can also be wrong.

41 min: Byrom goes through Parker and picks up the first booking of the afternoon.

44 min: Kaboul thunders a free-kick wide of the right post from 25 yards out. If it was on target, it was in. It wasn’t on target though, so it’s a goal-kick. There, football for dummies.

45 min+1: A nice move from Stevenage down the right ends with Bostwick’s effort from 25 yards out deflected out for a corner by Parker. It’s flicked to the far post, and Beardsley flings himself in amongst the boots and bodies and nearly gets his head taken off as Dawson rams it away. They’re a threat from set-pieces.

Peep! Peep! The half-time whistle blows, with Stevenage on the front foot at the end of stoppage time. They’ll be delighted with that, but Spurs have another level to go up to.

Half time: Stevenage 0-0 Tottenham.

Half time emails.

“Conversational Distance, don’t you hate these people that talk to you they talk into your mouth like you’re a clown at a drive-through?” says Fraser Thomas, quoting Larry David. “And handshakes is the worst, there’s absolutely no guidelines for handshakes. You know these people; too strong, too weak, sometimes they give you the three-quarter handshake, just the fingers. Early release, late release, sometimes people will dispute your release, you let go they’re hangin’ on. I have actually said to people ‘Hey, the handshake is over!’ Too many pumps, coming in too high, too sweaty, coming from too far away. Sometimes a guy will give you a strong grip, late release, and pull you in for the too close conversation. To him I say ‘That’s three strikes; you’re out!’”

“Why is Krancjar on the bench?” says Cason Dwyer. “He’s put in two strong performances in a row vs Liverpool and vs Newcastle. Unless they’re trying to rest him, what’s a guy have to do to get more playing time?”

“Is it possible that, in Modric’s absence, Huddlestone’s absence exacerbates the lack of the playmaker for Spurs?” says Enna Cooper. “I’m not going to suggest that the Hudd is anything like as talented as Modric but he is probably our second best passer, especially over greater distances. He might not be as subtle as Modric but his ability to drop a well-paced ball into a forward’s path has proven rather effective in the past – Van Der Vaart particularly seemed to benefit greatly from this before Hudd’s injuries last season.”

“Surely the giving away of Ryan Nelson is firm scientific proof that Venky’s don’t know what they’re doing?” says Tom Prankerd.

46 min: We’re off again, and Spurs are on the attack immediately, Bale granted more space in the first minute of the second half than he was in the entirety of the first half. Stevenage’s defence parts in the middle, and Bale’s fizzing low drive towards the bottom-right corner is tipped wide by Day. That’s a very good save.

55 min: An incredible decision from the linesman and absurd misfortune for Spurs! Rose breaks down the left and hits a low cross into the six-yard box. A mix-up between defender and goalkeeper gives Saha an open goal, and he prods it goalwards – only it for it to hit the unwitting Parker on the line, and as he was in an offside position, the goal is ruled out.

53 min: You might be wondering where I’ve gone. We’re having technical problems.

56 min: Saha turns and tries to bend one into the top corner from long range. It flies just over the top.

63 min: Cudicini spills Byrom’s shot from 25 yards out, and Nelsen has to be on hand to stop Beardsley reaching the rebound.

65 min: Sorry, there’s not a lot I can do about this.

70 min: I’ve barely watched anything from the last 20 minutes. This is an abject farce. I see Krancjar’s on for Spurs. Ben May has replaced Beardsley for Stevenage.

75 min: Defoe slips in Bale, who storms down the right and cuts the ball back into the area. Saha should leave it for Parker, who would have surely given Spurs the lead, but instead his tame shot is easily saved by Day. Stevenage attack straight away and Freeman shoots straight at Cudicini.

79 min: Rose tries to get in behind Wilson, but the right-back tracks back well and outmuscles him, winning the goal-kick.

82 min: Danny Rose is down injured. Aaron Lennon is on. Gareth Bale goes to left-back.

83 min: Lennon’s first contribution is a dash down the right and a cross towards Saha, whose header, which wasn’t going in anyway, is blocked. Henry is down after a collision in the area.

85 min: “Personally, when you mention “Stevenage and the FA Cup” the first thing that comes to my mind is a Second Prelimary Round Tie many years ago against Burton Albion in which two players collided going to a header,” says Justin Horton. “My recollection is that an ambulance actually had to come onto the pitch and the game was delayed for about half an hour. I do hope that this isn’t False Memory Syndrome.”

87 min: Lennon tees up Defoe, who club-foots a dismal shot wide of the target with his left foot.

88 min: Edwards replaces Freeman.

90 min: There will be three more minutes of this.

Full time: Stevenage 0-0 Tottenham. A huge roar greets Phil Dowd’s final whistle, the Stevenage fans delighted with a monstrous effort from their players, who have earned themselves a lucrative replay at White Hart Lane. Spurs were never at their best, but never looked like losing the game. Sorry about the problems in the second half. Bye.

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Article source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/feb/19/stevenage-tottenham-hotspur-live-fa-cup