Reeves' Army

Dom Dwyer netted a hat trick (21′, 36′, 55′) as Orlando City destroyed Rollins last night, 6-0.

Adama Mbengue added a brace (28′, 73′; first was a penalty), and the first goal went to Bryan Burke (16′).

The first half goal points are a discrepancy with the team website. That’s because Rollins started the clock for the first half about 2 1/2 minutes after the first whistle. I kept the first half time just in case, and the numbers are based on my time.

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The Orlando chapter of the American Outlaws is re-assembling for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Tonight, the U.S. men’s national team is playing Costa Rica in Denver. It’s a late match, with a game time of 10:11pm EDT. But we will be assembling at The Harp and Celt downtown.

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Seats are running low for the supporters’ bus trip to the away leg of the I-4 Derby in St. Petersburg next Saturday night.

$25 gets you a round-trip bus ticket and a match ticket. You can buy at either the ILF or Ruckus websites.

We’ve filled one bus, and we’re running out of room on a second. So order now!

This past May, Jacksonville drew over 44,000 for a U.S. men’s national team friendly against Scotland.

Obviously, that won some interest from US Soccer. The U.S. women will open the era of new head coach Tom Sermanni with a friendly against Scotland at Everbank Field on Saturday, February 9, 2013.

Game time will be 5pm, which will give ample time to get home to Orlando afterward. Tickets go on sale this Friday, December 21, starting at $22 for normal seats, $50 for club seats and $299 for on-field seat packages.

Information on tickets to the American Outlaws supporters section will come soon.

Hopefully later this year, Jacksonville will also get the opportunity to host a match in the Hexagonal, the final continental round for 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Been a bit light on talking here, what with the week off, and my mind largely on work most of the time.

So today, I was able to see the women’s soccer final at the Olympics in London, with the United States once more taking gold. Their 2-1 win over silver medalists Japan came with a measure of revenge, as one of the premier world sport properties once more asserted dominance in international competition.

As I allow the revelry to digest, news comes that a third top-tier women’s pro soccer league for t he United States is in the works. Forces are aligning to once more attempt to ride the success of the national team to provide a paying platform for their players to perform.

It was earlier this year that a lawsuit by a disgraced owner killed the second attempt, Women’s Professional Soccer. The five remaining teams have remained extant, with three playing in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, and the other two forming alliances with other lower-tier women’s teams. Most of them are expected to return to the burgeoning league idea, with a total of eight teams expected to be formed.

It is important for the great athletes of women’s soccer to have a place to play. Once has to wonder why previous attempts have failed, when we have such great players here. Did they think too big, too fast? Was it incompetent marketing? Who knows? What is unquestionable is that women who play the most elite levels of soccer deserve a place to play, and fans who appreciate their athletic talent.

I can’t help but wonder, though. Maybe somehow, Orlando could lend some of its magic to the new league. Orlando did host matches for the 1996 Summer Olympics, and is the home of U.S. team legend Michelle Akers. It would be more summer action for the region.

It’s just a hair-brained idea. Don’t mind me.

The third round of CONCACAF qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup launched yesterday, and the U.S. men’s national soccer team got off to a running start with a 3-1 win over Antigua and Barbuda last night in Tampa.

That start came despite rain almost completely throughout, and a lightning delay right before prematch practice. The delay was not compounded, and the match wasn’t even delayed 10 minutes. ESPN also took special note that 17 of the 22 roster spots in the Antigua and Barbuda team are taken up by players for USL Pro’s Antigua Barracuda FC.

The first goal came early again, as Carlos Bocanegra was able to head in a goalie deflection from another header by Herculez Gomez at 8′ to open the scoring. The U.S. added insurance toward the end of the first half when Landon Donovan was taken down in the box for a penalty. Clint Dempsey took a textbook PK at 44′.

The Yanks ran into some difficulty early in the second half. Antigua’s Peter Byers, who had just been subbed on, struck like the Spanish Inquisition at 65′ to finally pull one back. The U.S. would answer quickly, however, with Herculez Gomez using relentless effort, taking TWO deflections off the Antigua keeper before finally nailing a goal at 72′.

Despite the rain, 23,971 showed up at Raymond James Stadium, and generally stayed to the end. There were concerns about slow sales initially, but sales accelerated after the Scotland match in Jacksonville. The attendance is the highest for the U.S. for the third round since 2006.

For my part, I was toward the front of The American Outlaws supporters’ section, which is an exercise in orderly chaos. I was seen several times in ESPN’s coverage, which is still available on replay on ESPN3. Those who know me, will find me.

As for other CONCACAF action, Jamaica claimed an early 2nd place in Group A (with the U.S. first) after a 2-1 win over Guatemala. The U.S. will travel to Guatemala on Tuesday, June 12. In Group B, Mexico beat Guyana 3-1, while El Salvador and Costa Rica drew 2-2. In Group C, Canada beat Cuba 1-0, while Panama beat Honduras 2-0.

And for those wondering, most of those Antigua players will be in Orlando on Sunday, June 17, for Barracuda’s return match against Orlando City.

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Today, Orlando City hopes to get back on track with a match against Charleston Battery. Kickoff is at 7:30pm at the Citrus Bowl. Adam Soucie has the match preview for the official website.

The game will go, rain or shine. I was out in the rain for the WCQ in Tampa last night. You can be out in the Citrus Bowl for Orlando City. Currently the Weather Channel has a 30% chance of rain at gametime, while AccuWeather has it simply cloudy with a possible storm in the 9pm hour.

The team is holding a charity 50-50 raffle during tonight’s game. Tickets are one for $5, three for $10, and eight for $20. Half the proceeds go to the Orlando City Soccer Foundation, while the other half goes to the winner.

In addition, the Children’s Miracle Network will be taking donations in the south concourse, and holding a raffle of their own. The winner of that raffle will get a signed 2011 Dennis Chin jersey.

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As one last bit, Orlando City U-23 stole a 1-1 draw against FC Jax Destroyers last night. David Graydon hit a PK at the 77th minute to earn the draw.

The U.S. men’s soccer national team tore Scotland asunder last night, 5-1, before a crowd of 44,438 in Jacksonville.

Landon Donovan netted his third hat trick in international play with goals at 3′, 60′ and 65′. Michael Bradley added a world-class shot from at least 25 yards out at 11′. Jermaine Jones sealed the deal at 70′.

Scotland was so bad last night, their only goal was an own goal, deflected into our net off Geoff Cameron’s belly from a header by Scottish striker Kenny Miller.

The crowd at EverBank Field last night was the largest crowd ever assembled for a U.S. match in the southeast region of the country. Bigger than any crowd at any U.S. match in Tampa, Miami, Atlanta, Nashville or Charlotte. It will undoubtedly open a few eyes in the soccer world, and get Jacksonville more matches in the future.

Up next, the U.S. continues their 18-day, 5-match spell on Wednesday night, playing Brazil at FedEx Field in suburban Washington, Maryland. They will return to Florida to launch qualification for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, playing Antigua Barracuda FC Antigua and Barbuda in Tampa on Friday, May 8.

U.S. men’s U-23 soccer team opened Olympic qualifying in Nashville last night with a 6-0 beatdown of Cuba.

Joe Corona, the American hero of the Mexican Premier Division’s Club Tijuana, notched a hat trick with goals at 11′, 39′ and 88′. Juan Agudelo (37′) and Freddy Adu (62′) also chipped in, as well as a 43′ own goal.

The team was dominant throughout the match, even before a red card issued to Cuban player Dairo Macias for elbowing Agudelo in the face.

The question is, will Cuba score more goals than the number of players that defect? In 2008, seven players abandoned the team during their Olympic qualifying group stage in Tampa, leaving them with only 11 players available–and only 10 available to play when one got sent off in their second match. One of the defectors was former City player and 2011 USL Pro MVP Yordany Alvarez. Cuba’s soccer teams have already experienced several defections this year.

In the other match of the day in Group A, Canada and El Salvador notched a scoreless draw. This puts the U.S. in the driver’s seat for the group, especially with our +6 goal differential.

The U.S. will play Canada tomorrow at 7pm. Today, Group B will play in Los Angeles, with Honduras against Panama, and Trinidad & Tobago against Mexico.

The U.S. men’s national soccer team is returning to Florida. And this will be a prime night for Orlando’s fans to shine again.

Today, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced that they have scheduled an international friendly against Scotland for Saturday night, May 26, at Everbank Field in Jacksonville.

The last time the U.S. team came to Jacksonville was in February 1999, when the U.S. men delivered a shock 3-0 victory over Germany. Unfortunately, the match is currently the same night as an Orlando City home match against Charlotte Eagles.

The men’s national team will then kick off 2014 World Cup Qualifying with their first group stage match on Friday night, June 8, when they host Antigua & Barbuda at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. It will be the first senior-team World Cup qualifier in Florida since 1980, when they beat Mexico at Lockhart Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Tampa hosted an Olympic qualifier with the U-23 team in 2008.

Ticket information for both matches will be released soon.

Hopefully Orlando will again be able to attract the national teams, though it’s unlikely until we either (a) renovate the Citrus Bowl or (b) get a soccer-specific stadium, whichever comes first. But with Orlando City growing in popularity, it will likely draw interest again someday. The last time Orlando hosted the men’s national team was in 1998, when 12,773 saw the men’s national team beat Sweden in a pre-World Cup friendly.

The Citrus Bowl did not host the U.S. men’s national team in either the 1994 FIFA World Cup or the 1996 Summer Olympics, but did host the U.S. women’s national team in the 1996 Summer Olympics. They averaged 26,600 in two group stage matches hosting them.

Orlando City is about to finish the sale prices for season tickets.

Tomorrow is the final business day for the discounted season ticket prices. The supporters’ section is currently $150, the sideline ends are $199, and the midfield sections are $259. In addition, youth soccer players get tickets at any section for $99 each. After Christmas, season ticket prices will rise.

Make sure you get them tomorrow by calling 855-675-2489.

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Graham Zusi has been called up to the U.S. men’s national team for the first time.

Men’s head coach Jurgen Klinsmann named 20 teams to the full roster, including five players seeking their first cap. Twelve MLS sides are represented in the squad. Six players are coming over from Europe, including Brek Shea, who is training with Arsenal right now.

As for Zusi, an alumnus of Central Florida Kraze, this is doubtlessly the reward for his epic 2011 campaign, where he came of age for Sporting Kansas City and struck a 2011 MLS Goal of the Year candidate.

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In a bit of an aside, Philadelphia Union has announced a travel package for their fans to come to Orlando for their preseason training, including Orlando City’s 2011 preseason opener.

The three-night hotel package, being organized through TicketLeap by Union’s primary supporters’ group, the Sons of Ben, including hotel stay at the Sheraton Downtown Orlando, busing to practice events in Deltona, hotel transportation to the game on February 18, and game tickets. Air transportation to Orlando is not included.

The ticket packages for Orlando City are now available through the Orlando City ticket office. Of course, the game is included in season ticket packages.

I am calling an Orlando watch party for the U.S. Soccer men’s national team’s friendly against Ecuador tomorrow. The match is at 7pm; I’d like to get the party started at 6:30pm.

All soccer supporters in Orlando are invited to attend. We will be at Buffalo Wings & Rings, what The Ruckus refers to as “the old place”, at the corner of US 441 and Town Center Blvd. in Hunter’s Creek. It’s just off SR 417 (Greeneway) Exit 11, to the south of the exit, in the Target plaza. They just released a brand new menu last Monday, and it will be awesome.

It will be great to get the band back together too, to keep the excitement of our excellent 2011 Orlando City season going.

It has been a wild ride.

Women’s football has gotten stronger by the year. Some were wondering if the game was leaving its pioneers, the United States, by the wayside.

But the team has buckled down. They’ve fought their way through the Group Stage. They persevered in the face of what could have been one of the biggest screwjobs in the history of soccer. Then they handily defeated France.

Now we come face to face with a Japan team that is not like any we’ve faced before. Not even the one we beat twice in friendlies just this past May. Back then, they were still reeling from the magnitude-8 earthquake that turned the north of Honshu into a nuclear wasteland.

Now that they are in the Women’s World Cup, they are a completely different team. They play with a purpose, looking to heal their homeland. They are led by striker Homare Sawa, who is in her fifth World Cup, and has spend half her life playing soccer. She has scored 4 goals in this tournament, including a hat trick against Mexico. The team also beat Germany, the defending world champions, and Sweden, the team that beat the U.S. in the Group Stage.

The United States plays to be the first team to win three Women’s World Cups.

Japan plays for the honor of their homeland.

Which force will prevail in the end?

I have to be honest, I don’t know whether or not The American Outlaws will be at Frank & Steins for the match today. Whether or not they are, I will be. Corner of Church and Magnolia in Downtown Orlando, with a parking garage on Church St. If things change, I will post them on my Twitter, reevesarmyoc.

EDIT: The watch party is ON at Frank & Steins. Here’s the Facebook event page.