Following "typical's" comment, I really enjoyed this, our first Select experience in the Metroplex and what a ride!! My BB has grown incredibly and shows a great deal of accountability, self-confidence and stronger camaraderie with his friends and even rivals. I've taken the liberty to "opine" (LOL!...calm down O'Reilly)on some things I've personally seen and some I deduct from scores, comments and developments here; so here we go!!

DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B (GALL) - Confirmed the expectations of many and shot down the doubts of others. They do score a lot on high shots, so eventually keepers will catch-up. Don't get me wrong, they are the real deal.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B PREMIER (PINO) - Solid team, that will have to prove how extraordinary they are, against 4 T-5's in the Spring. They have done what they were supposed to, this Fall.

SOLAR CHELSEA SC 01B RED (OGLESBY) - Very consistent team, not deviating from their strong system. Should be #2 at the end……and then we'll see.

DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B SOUTH (ADAMES) - To me, the most explosive team in D1. Will have the lightest schedule from the T-5 teams. Gall beware, FCD Premier and Titans, too.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B (BAZAN) - Had a rough finish (considering their power) and seems like teams found a vaccine against their possession game……you have to get to the other side, too.

SOLAR CHELSEA SC 01B (PARTAIN) - Very good team, with a very irregular Fall and a very tough (the toughest in paper) Spring. Should be OK (in D1) at the end, but pride is hurt.

TITANS FC WEST 01B (SAMPAIO) - Since the Legends Tournament, they came to stay. Will have a very tough Spring with 6 T-10's and 3 T-5's, but they can definitely harm the big boys.

FORT WORTH FC 01B WHITE (GUENDOUZI) - Came out strong from FALL, but will have to perform in the Spring, to maintain the "status". Covered the spread as expected, but also hurt 3 of the T-5 teams. Eternal Underdog….usual Black Horse.

SPORTING UNITED S.C. 01B (VEGA) - Didn't disappoint after the great QT; stayed in the fight, but with the HEAVY schedule ahead, will have to be more consistent. Tough loss this last one.

DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B RED DALLAS (CRAFT) - Beautiful run in the second half of the FALL, missing an undefeated finish by one goal and a few minutes. Tough 10th strongest schedule ahead, though.

LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA 01B CALLAGHAN (RAVESTIJN) - Lost too many games (3 of 5) against lower seeded teams, that can hurt in the long run. However, they fought back against higher seeded teams.

ANDROMEDA FC 01B (VIDELA) - They had a couple of nice wins and a great tie…. They have the best schedule in the Spring (other than ANORANZAS) and could capitalize on it.

WIZARDS FC 01B (GONZALEZ) - They are a team with great potential; never lost by more than 2, won a couple, played well against "higher-ranked" teams. It has to reflect on the score, though.

ANORANZAS FC 01B (MARTINEZ) - Too many peaks and valleys in their performance chart (score-wise that is). They should improve with the better schedule than the Fall, but a long shot for D1.

LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA 01B KEEGAN (MARSHALL) - Not a bad first half of the year really. They stayed close in some important games, too close in others (like the Wizards one) and could improve in the Spring.

COPPELL FC 01B (NAGGAR) - Seems like they fell apart after the 4th game (granted, they played ALL T-10 the last 6), but never got back in track. They hold a decent Schedule for the Spring.

MANCHESTER UNITED RED DEVILS 01B (DAVILA) - Reacted too late in the season -I think-, and must work during the Winter to keep the pace and capitalize on the momentum. Good, solid team.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B SOUTH RED (VEDRAL) - Other than the DT-Gall and SR games (who can blame them?); they played close and showed discipline to stay the course. Better Spring Schedule than most.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B BLUE (CHE) - Just as FCD-Waters, between the number 1 team and a 19th or 20th there is a lot of difference; good thing is (IMHO), it will also be big between them and D2 at the end.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B CENTRAL (WATERS) - Playing these games against the best teams in town and put up fights as they did (yep…other than SR and Gall), will ONLY build on the boys exactly what most of us parents look for.

LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA 01B CALLAGHAN (RAVESTIJN) - Lost too many games (3 of 5) against lower seeded teams, that can hurt in the long run. However, they fought back against higher seeded teams

actually we only lost to vedral and keegan. the other losses were gall,premier,fwfc, and partain. we tied sporting vega. we came in 10 th place, and had the best goal differential for 10-20 even getting creamed by premier...so in review, I am pleased with how our team did and look forward to the spring.

Nice succinct write-up cds3. Thanks for sharing.

I have my own "analysis". I tend to write TOO much, though.

anselansel wrote:LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA 01B CALLAGHAN (RAVESTIJN) - Lost too many games (3 of 5) against lower seeded teams, that can hurt in the long run. However, they fought back against higher seeded teams

actually we only lost to vedral and keegan. the other losses were gall,premier,fwfc, and partain. we tied sporting vega. we came in 10 th place, and had the best goal differential for 10-20 even getting creamed by premier...so in review, I am pleased with how our team did and look forward to the spring.

I understand what you are saying and agree it was a good Fall for you guys; the 3rd loss I refer to is the one vs. FWFC..... I believe they were not seeded correctly, because of a procedure loophole but it is irrelevant at this point since they have proved the League and system wrong. As I have said before, I base my analysis on the original seeding, and technically LP's loss to FWFC was an upset..... (We all know this is not necessarily true).

Good luck to LP Callaghan next Spring, anselansel!!

PG-Boy wrote:Nice succinct write-up cds3. Thanks for sharing.

I have my own "analysis". I tend to write TOO much, though.

You should still share it PG.... I'm sure we'll all appreciate your perspective.

DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B (GALL) - Thought unfairly downgraded by many people before the season started, and am still not sure why. I don't think they are going to be undefeated come the end of the spring season, but I do think they hold onto first place. In my mind, the top 4-5 teams can beat each other on a given day, but I think DT comes out on top in those matches most of the time.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B PREMIER (PINO) - Quite frankly, this team has surprised me as I thought FCD Bazan was better going into the season. Based on performance, though, they are the real deal. Am very interested to see if they can bring it every week next Spring -- will they be Boise State or Utah?

SOLAR CHELSEA SC 01B RED (OGLESBY) - CDS called it: SR should be #2 at the end. Really interested to see their games against Pino and Gall.

DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B SOUTH (ADAMES) - Still think DTS is overrated as a team, although they clearly have some strong individual players and can beat anybody if they are playing at top form. Am still waiting for them to breakthough against one of the other top teams, though -- when was the last time they did so?

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B (BAZAN) - Seems to be preparing the team for games down the road instead of trying to win now. Still moving his kids around to different positions during games, etc. Like his style.

SOLAR CHELSEA SC 01B (PARTAIN) - Very good results this fall, particularly given prior history. Can they make the jump to play with the top 5? Still not sure.

TITANS FC WEST 01B (SAMPAIO) - Titans Strong!

FORT WORTH FC 01B WHITE (GUENDOUZI) - A bit up and down, but very good talent. Do they have the depth to play the big boys tough the entire game? Dropping a 2-0 lead versus Gall and a bad loss to DTS say no, but playing Bazan and SR tough at the end says yes.

SPORTING UNITED S.C. 01B (VEGA) - Nice fall with 6 wins, but the -1 goal differential jumps out -- caused by being -10 in losses to FCD Premier and DTS. That defense needs to improve if they are going to play with the Top 5.

LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA 01B CALLAGHAN (RAVESTIJN) - Probably met expectations overall. Begs the question -- would you rather be at the bottom of D1 or at the top of D2? Whatever team finished 10 this year is going to have a tough following year.

DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B RED DALLAS (CRAFT) - Showed heart fighting back after that tough start. Some tough games ahead, but should be able to win most of them. Should be one of the three teams fighting for the last spot in D1, IMHO. Need to start scoring some goals, though.

ANDROMEDA FC 01B (VIDELA) - Up and down -- never knew which team would show up.

WIZARDS FC 01B (GONZALEZ) - Thought the record would be better this fall. Interesting to see if they can put a run together in the Spring, but they need to start finding the back of the net for that to happen.

ANORANZAS FC 01B (MARTINEZ) - Will be a solid D2 team.

LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA 01B KEEGAN (MARSHALL) - Can't seem to put together two good games in a row. If they can start doing that, they could be surprise a team or two in the Spring.

COPPELL FC 01B (NAGGAR) - Wow. Came out of nowhere, then plummeted back to Earth.

MANCHESTER UNITED RED DEVILS 01B (DAVILA) - Another solid D2 team.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B SOUTH RED (VEDRAL) - Too far behind to do much of anything in the Spring, but they already have several of the top teams behind them.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B BLUE (CHE) - Not a huge fan of the play-everyone-back style, although they did break out for 3 goals (33% of their total) in the final game against Waters.

FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B CENTRAL (WATERS) - Love Waters as a coach, but this has been the biggest negative surprise to me. I thought this team would be much better -- not sure if he lost boys to Premier or Bazan or what, but I am shocked that this team finished the fall in the 20 spot. I keep expecting them to turn it around, but a 0-3 loss to FCD Blue has convinced me that it's not going to happen.

Anybody know how to copy and paste a section of an Excel spreadsheet? I'm trying different options but the attempt always has a non-formatted appearance. I took the standings to add a few additional columns;

The Plus/Minus, Avg Goals For/Game, Avg Goals Against/Game, and the Avg Margin

FINAL STANDINGS - FALL 2011
Wins, Draws, Losses, GF, GA, Pts, Plus/Minus, Avg GF/Game, Avg GA/Game, Avg Margin

1: DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B (GALL) 10 0 0 52 7 30 45 5.2 0.7 4.5
2: FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B PREMIER (PINO) 9 1 0 42 11 28 31 4.2 1.1 3.1
3: SOLAR CHELSEA SC 01B RED (OGLESBY) 8 2 0 34 9 26 25 3.4 0.9 2.5
4: DALLAS TEXANS SC 01B SOUTH (ADAMES) 8 0 2 34 13 24 21 3.4 1.3 2.1
5: FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B (BAZAN) 7 2 1 34 10 23 24 3.4 1.0 2.4
6: SOLAR CHELSEA SC 01B (PARTAIN) 6 4 0 20 10 22 10 2.0 1.0 1.0
7: TITANS FC WEST 01B (SAMPAIO) 6 2 2 26 11 20 15 2.6 1.1 1.5
8: FORT WORTH FC 01B WHITE (GUENDOUZI) 6 2 2 21 18 20 3 2.1 1.8 0.3
9: SPORTING UNITED S.C. 01B (VEGA) 6 1 3 20 21 19 -1 2.0 2.1 -0.1
10: LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA CALLAGHAN (RAVESTIJN) 3 1 6 11 19 10 -8 1.1 1.9 -0.8

11: DALLAS TEXANS SC RED DALLAS (CRAFT) 3 1 6 9 20 10 -11 0.9 2.0 -1.1
12: WIZARDS FC 01B (GONZALEZ) 2 2 6 10 19 8 -9 1.0 1.9 -0.9
13: LIVERPOOL FC AMERICA KEEGAN (MARSHALL) 2 2 6 10 21 8 -11 1.0 2.1 -1.1
14: ANDROMEDA FC 01B (PATTERSON) 2 2 6 11 26 8 -15 1.1 2.6 -1.5
15: ANORANZAS FC 01B (MARTINEZ) 2 2 6 8 27 8 -19 0.8 2.7 -1.9
16: MANCHESTER UNITED RED DEVILS (DAVILA) 1 3 6 10 21 6 -11 1.0 2.1 -1.1
17: COPPELL FC 01B (NAGGAR) 2 0 8 6 32 6 -26 0.6 3.2 -2.6
18: FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B SOUTH RED (VEDRAL) 10 1 1 8 11 33 4 -22 1.1 3.3 -2.2
19: FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B BLUE (CHE) 1 0 9 9 26 3 -17 0.9 2.6 -1.7
20: FC DALLAS YOUTH 01B CENTRAL (WATERS) 1 0 9 6 30 3 -24 0.6 3.0 -2.4


Total Goals Scored: 384
Total Points Earned by All Teams: 286
Avg Margin of Victory: 1.92

Total Games with a Winner & Non-Winner: 86
Total Number of Ties: 14

And here I was geared up for an in depth review by pg-boy. I feel gypped...,.lol

Ok, I'll relent. But if I get shot, it's all your fault.

I'll go out on a limb and share my NON-professional analysis on the initial 2011 Classic League fall season;
In random RAMBLING sequence…i.e. what ever comes to mind. You can place a cigarette in my lips and a blindfold on me later.

A coach I respect recently noted that 32 of 34 goals scored by FC Barcelona this season occurred INSIDE the penalty box. I say this because too many U11 teams are still dependent on the long and high shots. As the keepers grow, this type of shot will be neutralized.
--------------
Solar Chelsea Red and DT Gall were on cruise control this season. Big clubs with intelligent, disciplined, tall, strong, and fast players. They both have EXCELLENT game management and line-up coaches. Every conversation or analysis on which teams are the best at the 2001 level will start with these two squads.

Missing pieces: DT Gall = none that's apparent. As a player myself, I know how to neutralize the big shooter they have, but it wouldn’t be enough. They have too many skillful players. I guess, the only way to beat them is to keep the ball away from them. It’s easier said than done.

Missing pieces: Solar Red has the imposing central midfielder. What would make them even stronger? Another sleek striker that can take pressure off their other strikers.

Manchester United; Give credit to Coach David Davila. Imagine what he could do if he had $$ funding supporting his independent club. Classic League soccer is expensive. The independent clubs really have to climb uphill twice as hard as the big clubs. His boys went toe-to-toe with one of the FCDs elite teams to tie 1-1 and took the other FCD squad to the limit in a 1-2 loss. Missing piece: depth on the squad

DTS Adame seems to be getting their groove back. They'll be strong in the DT Fall Festival tournament, watch out. Missing pieces; not sure, I didn't see any of their matches since May. The last time our bb’s played South it was an emotionally charged semi-final tournament match. Complete with crushing tackles. It was a mano-a-mano battle on the pitch. Our boys showed a side I’d never witnessed before. But it was needed to win against such a powerful unit. Missing piece; they are still too dependent on the over-the-defense Hail Mary passes. Stop the long through passing and this team struggles. They need more short passing on the attacking third. They are too dependent on long range shooting and breakaway goals.

How to stop DTS? Firm and aggressive pressure on the midfielders before they launch the long balls.

Andromeda is still trying to restructure their club. This was a rebuilding year, literally, for the club. Do they have enough to challenge the Dallas Texan, FCD, and Solar clubs? It's TBD. It’s clear they do have talented athletes.

Titan's strong! I'm violating the scrdad’s copyright on the slogan. Titans, if they can maintain their core players as an independent club, will be either be courted to join another club or become a powerhouse independent. The Titans have a charismatic playmaker that’s a joy to watch. He’s dangerous every time the ball is at his feet. They play with skill and extraordinary passion. Their coach and parents are doing something right. Missing piece; stability in the squad, keeping the best of the existing roster and eliminating all off-field drama.

Coppell FC; I have to imagine their players are also involved in baseball, track, football, basketball, lacrosse, cricket, and what ever else they can try. The little town of Coppell has an overachieving set of athletes. The kids are athletic studs. All the Coppell soccer kids in D1 don't play for this club. Perhaps futbol isn't at their core? Remember the 10,000-hour rule? Personally, I believe Coppell FC is achieving at a much higher quality than all variables would have them achieve. Kudos to the suburban boys. Another independent with potential. Missing piece; futbol focused players

Solar Chelsea Blue; from what I've seen, they play a consistent style of soccer similar to Solar Red, but without the same level of athletic studs. They are solid, smart, and avoid the type of mistake that causes turnovers, thus eliminating most give-away goals. A big plus, a smart soccer coach. He’s smart because he’s played the game at a high level. They'll have a much tougher schedule next season, but give them credit, they did well this season; an undefeated season is nothing to sneeze about. Plenty of teams would trade places. Missing piece: A stud central defender. The kind of defender that strikes fear in the hearts of strikers.

The Liverpool America FC squads; They have excellent athletes with A LOT of huge soccer skill potential. Too much hustle and kickball by studly athletes. Believe me, precisely passing the ball five yards with perfect weight and placement while under immense pressure is a thousand times more difficult than smacking the ball 40 yards out of bounds. You have GREAT athletes. Stop whacking the ball out of bounds and you'll have a top 7 squad.

FCDs two squads; Pino and Bazan's teams play a possession tiky-taky style. They play keep away until their opponents run themselves ragged. They aren't the tallest, fastest, or strongest. But they have very good “ball-touch” skill. An ability to have stickiness on the ball. It's rare to see Bazan or Pino's FCD boys whack the ball out of bounds. They'll go down fighting along the sidelines rather than let the ball skip out of bounds. They will not muscle their way to wins, but when push comes to shove, they will get chippy, too.

Pino and Bazan have closed ecosystems. There’s more talent out there with FCD, but cracking their small rosters (15 & 13, respectively) is near impossible if a boy doesn’t have STICKY feet. In a few years, these two squads will combine their finest to create a new PA team. The expectations are high.

Anoranza;
a·ño·ran·za : yearning, longing, nostalgia.
I really like this team. I’m impressed with their passion. I’m secret fan of observing coaches “coaching” from near-distance. I believe their coach is doing his best to take a batch of kids with rough-around-the-edges skills and elevating them to Classic level play. It’s another example of an independent team gathering a small core of talented boys with a larger group of decent players. Given enough time and money, Anoranzas could really be a force in the future. I know the knock on this team is their aggressive play. I wouldn’t worry, it all evens out in the end. Just be glad we have a lot of varied styles of teams for our bb’s to play.

Sporting United; I don’t know much about this team. Our boys played both their Boca Juniors version and their most recent iteration as Sporting. Like many talented independent squads they don’t have a lot of depth. They have several excellent players. So even though they can spank the lower ranked teams they struggle against the elite Top 5. They are a very good team and earned their Top 10 ranking. Their coach is very passionate and fiery. I like it.

Wizards; they’ve always had good teams. Even this team has been more competitive in recent seasons. I’m not sure for the reason they’ve been so quiet in Classic. Did they lose a particular coach or player? As recently as last Spring they were running roughshod over in CAL squashing opponents left and right. They had a decent Spring season in SDL, too.

FWFC has one of my favorite players on the roster. He’s fast, intelligent and has a lethal shot. I’m in awe every time I watch him play. He’s a true playmaker in an understated manner that I can’t quite articulate. I’ve consistently stated that if more talent surrounded him, he’d be one of the most amazing players around. FWFC is talented, don’t misunderstand me. But I’ve seen the kid leave opponents flailing at thin air as he had already sped past. The squad is rock solid with the fundamentals. I haven't seen them play this Fall season to gauge their progress. I'm impressed with their style of play. FWFC has good ball possession and doesn't bunker into a defense mode. Missing piece; another player to relieve their star of the immense pressure to deliver. The player can play either midfield or striker, as long as it prevents other teams from double teaming their playmaker.

DT Craft; I’ve only watched them play one full game so it’s hard to comment in detail. What I do remember is they were tenacious defenders. They never seemed to surrender even when the byline was inevitable. Their midfielder is a tough son-of –gun, too. They also need an offensive playmaker to take them to the next level.

FCD Che and FCD Vedral; I don’t know much about these teams, either. Like the other D1 teams they have a lot of good athletes with big hearts but imperfect first touch.

FCD Central; Sometimes I wonder where Central would stand if the core of Waters' Studio Brasil were still intact instead of dispersed among various D1 teams. Definitely top 10. When he stabilizes his roster, his team can be a force. It was a tough season, but Central’s boys will bounce back.

All the parents and coaches should be proud of their boys. I salute all of you. It’s an honor and an achievement to play D1 soccer in North Texas. Regardless of the outcome, stand tall knowing you did well as a parent and coach to get your boys to this level.

My bb had a mini soccer ball in his crib as an infant. LOL. Yes, I’m a soccer nut. Seeing him at Richland College stick a ball, pivot, and thread a perfect pass in a silky-smooth motion makes me a proud dad.

Continued good luck to everyone.

i appreciate the abridged version....

Nice job PG-Boy
I think you nailed it!

Another "well done" to PG Boy.
One question, though: You wrote re the Titans, "All the negative chatter on this website tripped them for a few weeks. But they came back stronger than ever. FYI, to you all opinion writers. Your words carry a heavy weight. I've learned to use caution with my words. I’m not always successfully, but I do try." It seems a bit farfetched to conclude that comments here caused problems for the team on the pitch, but you seem to know a lot more about this than I do. Care to expand on your comments for context? Your caution is a good one, and one that I will certainly try to remember -- it just seems a little "off."
Titans Strong!

I wanted to post my review but after reading PG-Boy's review. I think I will keep my analysis to myself.

The season is shaking out as expected for most. Here's how I see it playing out:

DT Gall -- could see a draw from one of the other top 5 in the spring, but they will cruise to the league championship

FCD Premier -- pretty brand of football that wins out more often than not...they will hold in the top 3

Solar Red Chelsea -- solid from top to bottom but I expect them to drop points to Gall and Premier. No trouble staying in the top 5

DT South -- Have a chance to jump a spot or two, another no brainer top 5.

FCD Bazan -- More great play from FCD's other top team, they complete the clear cut top 5.

Solar Chelsea -- Bled a lot of points in the league's easiest fall schedule, but the distance between 9th and 10th should be enough for them to hang on to D1, even if they only manage 6-7 points in the spring.

Titans -- Up and down season should continue but I expect them to remain about where they are now.

FWFC -- Great change to jump a couple of spots in the spring

Sporting -- Another team who will do enough to stick around for D1

LP Callaghan -- Here's one that I think you could see take a tumble. I don't see a gimme for them in the spring.

DT Red -- Theses guys will have a shot to make some hay, but even the easier part of their spring will be difficult. They could be in the mix for D1.

Wizards -- Their schedule is pretty balanced fall to spring so I expect them to remain in the 12-15 range.

LP Keegan -- Solid team that could jump a couple of spots, but I just think their are a couple of teams a little better that will make a bigger jump...

Andromeda -- Ditto Keegan

Anoranzas -- I could see them making a serious run at D1. They've faced the top 7 already and will have a chance to take points in every game this spring.

Man U -- Ditto Anoranzas. These two teams' head-to-head match will be huge.

Coppell FC -- rough first half but strong showing in AFC showcase make this one tough to predict. Should be able to avoid D3.

FCD South Red -- already faced 7 of the top 8, should have an opportunity for a few points in the spring and a spot in D2.

FCD Blue -- determining factor for D2/D3 will be how they fare against FCD South and Coppell FC. Will be a close call

FCD Central -- unfortunately the spring appears to be just as tough as the fall for Central. Not counting on them coming out of the cellar this year.