Copa N.Y.C. Blog

Tournament Preview

Group Breakdown

OVERVIEW

CITY CHAMPION! It definitely has a nice ring to it. The words roll of the tongue with the greatest of ease.

In an amazingly short period of time and a staggering amount of work from hundreds of dedicated people, CopaNYC can humbly say that in just 2 short years, the winning team of this tournament can distinguish themselves as just that, CITY CHAMPION!

On the rainy day of June 9th 2010, the official Copa NYC opening celebration and tournament draw was held at Gracie Mansion. Over 1,000 people either attending, or streaming live from the Internet, witnessed international film, TV and Broadway star Anthony Lapaglia introduce our illustrious Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, who pulled the 1st ball from the pot. (NYC Ireland!)

The microphone was then handed to Master of Ceremonies, ESPN Guru Tommy Smyth, who carried us through the rest of the draw. Hundreds of dignitaries, city leaders and the best coaches and players in NYC screamed and hollered as the groups began to be revealed. Once the draw concluded, the audience swarmed Tommy Smyth for photographs and in the story of the night, Mr. Smyth was asked to fly to Hawaii to perform nuptials for a couple about to wed!

This amazing celebration was the perfect beginning for what will be the most anticipated grass roots soccer tournament ever in NYC.

JULY 24th 2010

Now is the time to see who will shine and who will wither in these coming weekends. The Mayor’s Cup is up for grabs and is waiting for the next team to be etched into history. Here is a little preview of the groups leading up to kick-off:

GROUP 1

NYC Ireland, NYC Japan, NYC France, NYC Haiti

NYC Ireland: Team president Tommy Smyth and manager Paul “Doc” Doherty have spent the last year licking their wounds and working hard to replace the heartbreaking memories of the bitter loss in 2009’s Championship match against NYC Albania. Mr. Smyth’s team easily had the most community support and many believe that they will have much more to celebrate this year with an influx of new talent to mix with the veterans. Doherty has worked tirelessly on the boys in green this year and they may be the most prepared team to battle for the cup, practicing twice weekly to keep focus on tactics and Irish pride. Last years Golden Ball runners up Conor Hunter will lead the line and wear the captain’s band. Motivation will not be a factor for NYC Ireland, (an early match with national nemesis NYC France is motivation enough!) but composure and meeting expectations will be key factors if NYC Ireland will be lifting silverware this year.

NYC France: As quarterfinalists from last year, Frederick Lesort’s team understands the arduous task of getting through the preliminary round. Captain Zohair Ghenania has also had difficulty keeping NYC France stimulated during an emotional World Cup experience. While the foundation of the French team is strong and can compete with any side in the tournament, depth may be an Achilles heel for Le NYC Bleus.

NYC Haiti: Another rookie team to CopaNYC, team president Ron Delice and Coach Greg Mervilus have the not only the weight of the community on their talented shoulders, but the weight of a nation, deserving of good news. NYC Haiti are mobilized and have been playing as a unit for months. Mr. Mervilus has a firm grasp of his community’s talent base and is fortunate to have 4 players from the Haitian National team on the roster! There is a belief that there’s something special about this team and recent victories in friendlies prove they will be a force to be reckoned with.

GROUP 2

NYC Argentina, NYC Mexico, NYC Ecuador, NYC Ghana

NYC Argentina: This incredibly talented team reached the semi-finals last year with flair and a fan base that would make Maradona proud! Team president Gustavo Villalba and coach Sergio Gustavo are determined to bring the Mayor’s Cup home and has assembled a classy mixture of youth and muscle to achieve this purpose. NYC Argentina have been impressing opposing teams all summer and with the likes of players like Diego Gorosito and MLK star Alexander Zorrila, they will make a strong run towards the promised land. Will Villalba’s men hold up to the pressure and not let their passion get the best of them? That will be key to joy.

NYC Mexico: Team president and coach Roberto Sosa and Felipe Hernandez have much to do to restore pride to a community that was embarrassed last year, due to disqualification for using a non Mexican team to compete. This will not be an issue this year. Sosa has gathered most of his talent from the many leagues in Brooklyn and Queens and tried out over 70 players before he chose his squad. NYC Mexico has been very quiet during the summer, not playing in many friendlies and they will be a bit of a mystery when the whistle blows. It is CopaNYC’s hope that the Mexican community will rally around this team and support them on their journey.

NYC Ecuador: It has not been easy for team president Enrique Valladares. His squad struggled last year and had to qualify to reach the sweet 16 in 2010. This year Mr. Valladares thinks his team will turn their fortunes around. These teams, comprised mostly of players in Queens, are a hard working bunch and collectively have a very good footballing brain. NYC Ecuador are also tough as nails, exemplified by left sided general Christian Soledispa. It will be quite interesting to watch this team play throughout this 1st day. There is no easy match in this group and they will need to come out fast and furious to progress.

NYC Ghana: Team president Kojo Annan, manager Cornelius Osabu, and coach Alex Kwapong have emulated their national team by implementing a younger squad, eager to impress with speed and talent. The 2009 team were as tantalizing as they were frustrating, cruising through to the quarterfinals, then inexperience overshadowed their talents. This year looks to be different, as the team believes it has what it takes to get out of this tough group. The boasting of Mr. Osabu’s prediction that NYC Ghana “will beat every team 4,5,6 – 0 no problem” will be difficult to achieve considering some of the teams they are matched up against.

GROUP 3

NYC Albania, NYC Poland, NYC USA, NYC Jamaica

NYC Albania: The reigning champions and holders of the Mayor’s Cup will have a monumental task to even progress out of this massively difficult group this year. Team president Oliver Papraniku defintiely had his hands full to improve on an already fantastic squad, but it appears he has done just that. Captain and 2009 Golden Ball winner Rigels Qosa is one year older and wiser and the midfield maestro is rumored to be partnered next to a former capped player from the national team to create some joy. There is also the addition of a goalkeeper who is rumored to have the quality to play at the next level. NYC Albania were the class of the 2009 tournament, playing with poise and adapting to any tactic thrown at them. This year they will have a deserving star upon their UMBRO uniforms. Will they have enough firepower this year to add another?

NYC Poland: The 2nd team to qualify into the sweet 16 this year, NYC Poland went through a grueling road to beat Ukraine and Uruguay to get to the group stage. Team President Michal Siwiec and coach Mark Karspovitz have assembled this squad from all the major clubs in and around NYC and as everyone knows, NYC Polish footballing talent is abundant. This team plays a direct, no-nonsense brand of soccer with an active midfield and smothering defense. Siwiec’s team have the muscle and talent to take on any rival, but there is a reason why they play the games instead of just scheduling them!

NYC USA: Team president Mark Kushemba has taken a slightly different approach in putting together this current squad, by researching resumes of the massive talent base of NYC soccer players and molding them into his already talented foundation. On paper, NYC USA is a powerhouse, led by captain Andy “the tank” Abromovitz, has former national team and professional talent on the roster, but will this squad find the cohesion needed in time to get through this difficult group? It is hard to predict.

NYC Jamaica: Team president Ivor Samuels and the hardest working man in NYC soccer, coach Bobby Austin have worked diligently to unify the Jamaican community to band together for the cause. Their citywide reputation as being one of the most talented NYC national teams can cause as much trepidation as it does intimidation with such lofty expectations. To makes matters more difficult, Mr. Austin lost 3 of his players because of invitations to try out for the Jamaican national team. That said, the strength NYC Jamaica thrives on is depth and organization, something that was lacking last year. Austin’s team has starting talent from every member of his squad and they have the artistry and athleticism to go far in this tournament, if they can get out of the group that is!

GROUP 4

NYC Greece, NYC Brazil, NYC Italy, NYC England

NYC Greece: It has been decided by both NYC Cyprus and the CopaNYC advisory board that NYC Greece will now represent both cultures for the future of the tournament. For the 1st time as well, heated NYC Rival club teams Pancyprian Freedoms and Greek American Athletic have joined forces to compile the best NYC Greece team to compete. Considering the illustrious history of these 2 clubs, this should make every team a little nervous. Managers George Halkidis and Dr. Mike Ianordou will surely wear the Greek colors proud and the organization and professionalism of the squad will certainly shine. What could be trouble for the team is a very busy club schedule, which could prove to be costly if proper focus is not given to CopaNYC. It is always a pleasure to see this community come out and support their cuklture and we are sure that they will not be let down.

NYC Brazil: As a new entry to the Copa NYC family, they had the very difficult task of not only mobilizing a small community, but also play a brand of football that would make their home country proud. President Sam Canineu and his brother Jopa (happy trails man! Have a safe trip back to Sao Paulo) have worked overtime to achieve both of these missions. Captain Marcus Reis and coach Marcus Reis (yes, 2 different blokes) believe they will be a force to be reckoned with, while also meeting the samba requirements a NYC Brazil team must meet. Mr. Canineu has promised a few tricks up his sleeve as well to, not only entertain the CopaNYC crowd, but to make a serious run for the mayor’s Cup!

NYC Italy: It has been a depressing summer for many Italians in NYC due their premature exit from that “other” Copa, (Mundial that is) but Team managers Fabrizio Carrer and former NYC Ghana coach Francesco Bardazzi have a remedy for that hangover! They have done a wondrous job of not only developing a talented team to compete at this level, but also unifying the Italian immigrant and the Italian American community to play for the NYC Italy shirt. They have had some success in friendlies this summer and have been improving with weekly training sessions. With such talent on the pitch, including the infamous Giacobbone brothers, their 1st of what we hope of many appearances in Copa NYC will be met with success.

NYC England: In 2009, team president Yuval Lion brought his club to the quarter finals with an impressive display of aggression on the pitch and poise when faced with adverse conditions. The self admitted problem that held them back was depth, they looked to run out of gas on that hot summer day last year. Mr. Lion, along with NYC soccer legend Paul “The doom from Froom” Cowler have assured me this will not be the case this year. With returning stars like midfield general Danny D’Angelo and forward Tommy Smith, alongside new and dangerous players from all the boroughs and Long Island, NYC England have upgraded. Will it be enough to get through this complicated group? If we listen to Mr. Cowler’s confident assertations, they will not only get out of the group, they will raise the Mayors Cup, reliving elation not seen since 1966!