Donovan can lead US to World Cup run

Tickel Yer' Fancy

By Hunter Tickel | The News Record
Published: Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Landon Donovan, the greatest American-born soccer player, set foot on an English pitch at Emirates Stadium Saturday, Jan. 9, in his Premier League debut.

The 27 year old is playing at the highest level of his career. Against Arsenal on Saturday, Donovan didn’t resemble the same player that had failed to impress fans in his three previous stints in Europe.

Donovan finally caught a break with Everton, as he was given a chance to start his first game in arguably the world’s best league.

Donovan played inspiring soccer against Arsenal, a world powerhouse. He assisted on Everton’s first goal in the 12th minute with a perfect delivery off a corner kick.

He played with pace, helped his teammates on defense and, most importantly, he played with the same confidence and swagger he showed when playing in America.

His efforts contributed toward Everton earning its first tie against Arsenal since 1996.

But Donovan isn’t the only American on Everton making his presence felt.

Goalkeeper Tim Howard was recently named by the team as one of the top-12 Everton players of the decade, and he continues to prove that he is one of the best goalkeepers in soccer.

Howard could start for any team in the world, but U.S. fans will be fortunate enough to have him starting for their team come June.

We’re just five months away from this summer’s World Cup in South Africa. Not every player’s spot on the U.S team is secured, and several players currently playing abroad are still looking to earn their place on the national team.

Clint Dempsey shouldn’t have too much to worry about.

The Fulham midfielder is currently tied for the top scorer on the team with six goals, one shy of the 10th leading scorer in the league. He was the only goal scorer for the U.S. at the last World Cup, and even more will be expected from him this summer.

Jozy Altidore, a forward for Hull City, has cemented his place in the starting lineup with his club as expected, but it may not be enough for him to get significant minutes in the World Cup. He has yet to score in 15 league games.

Midfielder Stuart Holden has a crucial decision to make after finishing up his contract with Houston, making him a free transfer for European teams. There are rumors circulating that Rangers in Scotland is interested, but if he cannot get playing time immediately, he would be better served to stay in the United States for the time being.

Many players in Europe are making a late push to make the cut for the U.S. team. The determining factor will be whether or not these players can get a regular playing team with their clubs leading up to the World Cup.

An American duo, midfielders DaMarcus Beasley and Maurice Edu is currently playing for Rangers.

Beasley saw a huge drop off in form with Rangers last year and has not made an appearance for the U.S. national team since last summer, but as of late he has
re-emerged with two goals and four assists in his last five games with Rangers.

I’m guaranteeing right now that Beasley will make the U.S. national team and start at least one game in the World Cup.

Edu made his return to soccer in December after a knee injury sidelined him for seven months. If he plays at the level he was performing at before the injury, not only will he make the team, he will be starting for the United States.

If there is one American whose bubble is close to bursting, however, it’s the talented - yet disappointing - midfielder Freddy Adu.

Adu was once dubbed the most talented young player in the world and the savior of
U.S. soccer, but he has failed to be consistent.

Adu is on his third loan in as many years, this time with Aris, of Greece. If he is unable to break into the first team, Adu may be out of options. A to return to the states may be in order if this loan fails.

American players are sprinkled all over Europe and, playing time or not, it has to be a positive sign for U.S. soccer moving forward. With some of America’s best players making their presence felt across Europe, I like our chances against Europe’s and the rest of the world’s national teams this summer in South Africa.

Impressions on Bearcats win over Cal State Bakersfield

The Bearcats blew out the roadrunners and sent them crawling back to California like they were supposed to.

But wait isn't this the first week of January? Why is UC playing a team that are in their first year of division one play, three games into conference play?

First and foremost, UC had problems scheduling their last non-conference home game. One because any elite school is sane enough to know they do not want to play UC at the Shoemaker Center, excuse me Fifth Third Arena. Secondly head coach Mick Cronin did not want to schedule another game around Christmas time.

The game actually turned out to be more of positive than I thought it would be. This year's team is the deepest squad since the Bob Huggin's days. With that said, this team is also very young and has a lot to learn. Freshman Cashmere Wright for instance has gotten little playing time this season and probably would have started last year if he hadn't gotten hurt, but that was when he was our only point guard. Freshman Jaquon Parker was supposed to be his back up but has not gotten those minutes because Vaughn played point last year and feels comfortable there now.

Last night was a chance to give these boys minutes in a game at the mid-season point. Parker played 15 minutes and was 3-5 from three. Wright played 23 minutes, the most since Vaughn was moved back to point guard and after only playing 17 minutes in the last three games combined. Fan favorite center Anthony "Biggie" McClain played a season high and an efficient 13 minutes. He was 4-5 from the field with eight points and eight rebounds.

Cronin played a total of 13 players, including the first ever minutes for local boy Alex Eppensteiner from Elder. More importantly it allowed Cronin to rest Vaughn, Stephenson and Gates who all played under 18 minutes. That off the heels of those three players collectively playing 100 minutes against Pitt.

This game will pay off in late February and March when players starting feeling the grind of playing some many minutes. This game was more than just another 29 point win against a small school.

Cats 2-0 in Big East, Big Monday next

Hunter Tickel | The News Record
The University of Cincinnati men’s team is almost halfway through its season, but the daunting Big East schedule has just begun.

UC knocked off in-state rival Miami just as students were leaving for break.

Then came the Crosstown Shootout at the Cintas Center against Xavier. The Bearcats dropped a double-overtime thriller against the Muskies 83-79.

Then UC hit the road to play the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The Bearcats couldn’t keep up and UAB won by 17, handing the Bearcats their second-consecutive loss.

“We have played a tougher schedule,” said head coach Mick Cronin. “Who in the Big East played back-to-back road games against Xavier and UAB? We played three great neutral site games. We have already shown that our guys will compete at a high level.”
UC returned home and easily took care of Lipscomb and Winthrop just before Christmas in the final tune ups before Big East play.

Then came a season highlight when the Cats opened conference play in Fifth Third Arena in front of more than 10,000 fans with a 71-69 victory against No. 10 Connecticut. Freshman guard Lance Stephenson won the game when he knocked down two free throws with .7 seconds remaining giving UC its third win of the season against a top-25 team.

The Bearcats maintained momentum when they traveled to New Jersey for the final game of Winter break to face Rutgers.

Despite being down five points at halftime, UC rallied and beat the Scarlet Knights
65-58.

The bench made all the difference against Rutgers, scoring 34 points versus 31 points from the starters.

“That was the difference in the game, our second unit came in the game and got us the lead,” Cronin said. “We went from down to tied or down to up. The bench takes effect now, here on out for the rest of the season.”

The win gave UC (10-3, 2-0 Big East) a share of first place in the conference and matched the school’s best start in league play since 2005-06.

“We’re a team that is recruited to be a big strong, athletic team,” Cronin said. “We have to play that way. We’re as big and strong as any team in America.”

Next up, the Cats will be featured on ESPN’s Big Monday. First place in the Big East will be up for grabs when Pittsburgh (12-2, 2-0) comes to Fifth Third Arena, 7 p.m., Jan. 4.

Pittsburgh enters Monday’s game fresh off a 10-point win at then undefeated Syracuse. A win would give the Bearcats its first 3-0 start in the Big East.

“For three years since I got the job, it’s the chicken and the egg when you’re trying to rebuild a program and they don’t want to put you on Big Monday,” Cronin said. “I have been lobbying and fighting hard to the conference office to get Big Monday and the eyes of the basketball world on Monday night will be on Fifth Third Arena so we need to pack the arena.”

UC maintains lead in win over Winthrop

By Hunter Tickel | The News Record

Published: Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Cincinnati forward Yancy Gates came off the bench to score 16 points, after getting shutout against Lipscomb last week.

UC defeated the Winthrop Eagles 74-57 Tuesday, Dec. 22, at Fifth Third Arena maintaining its perfect 6-0 record at home.

Sophomore forward Yancy Gates led all halftime scorers with 14 points going 6 of 8 from the field. Gates had a disappointing outing the previous game playing only four minutes.

Photos: UC vs. Winthrop - 12.22.09

“Just getting ready for the Big East,” Gates said on his play before 7,292 at Fifth Third Arena. “I came out trying to get touches and play an all-around game.”

UC’s first possession was a turnover, the first of seven in the first half. Junior forward Ibrahima Thomas was aggressive early, scoring five points in the first three minutes and taking a charge on defense.

“The more games I play the more I will get into it,” Thomas said. “I wanted to go to a school where the system fitted my game.”

The Eagles led 4-3 before UC gained the lead, and did not trail for the rest of the game.

The Bearcats have trailed after five minutes in both of their two previous games, but they led 21-11 after five in this one.

A Gates dunk late in the half gave the Bearcats their largest lead of the half at 32-15.

Senior guard Deonta Vaughn played 10 first half minutes, and did not attempt a shot. The halftime score was 39-23.

A 3-pointer by Thomas extended the Bearcats’ lead to 44-25 in the second half. The Eagles cut the lead to single digits at 54-45 half way through the second half.

UC was unable to ice the game until Vaughn caught fire with five minutes remaining with back to back 3-pointers and two free throws. It was only Vaughn’s second and third field goal of the game.

“In the first half we executed our offense as good as we have all year, played really well, and then went on vacation in the second half,” said UC head coach Mick Cronin.

Vaughn passed Steve Logan for fourth on the career 3-point field goals made list. He also became tied for 10th on the career-scoring list with 1,584 points.

“Well he [Vaughn] has worked hard at it [shooting],” Cronin said. “What I liked about the first half was he didn’t shoot the ball at all because he wasn’t open. He was 3-4 tonight, the one he missed he was off balance.”

The Eagles came into Tuesday’s game only averaging 59.4 points per game, shooting 36 percent from the field. The stingy UC defense held Winthrop to 37 percent shooting for the game, and disrupted the flow of the Eagles offense with the constant full-court press.

The Bearcats largest lead of the game was 72-50 with two minutes remaining in the game.

Gates led the Bearcats with 16 points and had seven rebounds. Vaughn and Thomas were the only other Bearcats in double figures with 11 points each.

“We lacked energy and focus in the second half,” Cronin said. “I was pleased with Gates effort but displeased that we didn’t get him the ball enough in the second half.”

UC came into the game ranked 18th in the nation in rebounding with plus-8.6 per game, and continued that success with a 12-rebound advantage over the Eagles.

The Bearcats have eight days to prepare for the conference opener at home against No. 11 Connecticut Wednesday, Dec. 30.

Roudebush's hot shooting leads Cats to win

By Hunter Tickel | The News Record

Published: Monday, December 21, 2009

The Bearcats won their second-straight game with a crucial 11-0 run late in the second half.

The University of Cincinnati defeated Valparaiso 62-50 Monday, Dec. 21, at Fifth Third Arena. Senior guard Kahla Roudebush led the Bearcats with 22 points and nine rebounds on 4-of-5 shooting from three-point land, while junior guard Carla Jacobs contributed 17 points.

UC (6-5) had a positive start to the game, scoring on the first two possessions for a 4-0 lead that ended up being the Bearcats largest lead of the half. Valparaiso (3-6) led by as many as five points with 3:54 remaining in the half.

Photos: UC vs. Valparaiso - 12.21.09

Jacobs caught fire early in the first half, scoring eight points in the first 11 minutes, including two 3-point buckets.

Junior forward Ashley Varner for the Crusaders led all scorers in the first half with 16 points, knocking down 4 of 5 from three-point range.

In a close first half, there were 10 lead changes and four ties. The Bearcats gained some momentum with 3:45 remaining with a 8-0 run taking a three-point lead.

Valparaiso nullified the run with a three-pointer with two seconds left by freshman guard Raegan Moore, knotting the halftime score at 31. The halftime score was fitting for the tightly contested first half.

The start of the second half was very sluggish. The teams combined for 13 points in the first 10 minutes. The Bearcats shot 1 of 10 from the field, and committed five turnovers after only 10 the first half.

The Bearcats went exactly 10 minutes without scoring, after their first field goal of the half at 18:50.

“How many games do you see teams go 10 minutes without a field goal and end up winning the game by twelve, not very often,” said head coach Jamelle Elliott.

Valparaiso led 41-37 with 9:10 remaining before a barrage of threes from Roudebush gave the Bearcats the lead, one they would not lose.

Roudebush took over with 8:50 left going 3 for 3 from 3-point range on three-consecutive possessions. The Bearcats sustained the lead with clutch free throws down the stretch, going 12-12 from the line in the last three minutes.

“It was all the play calling and people getting me the ball. To their [UC] credit, they got me open,” Roudebush said.

Junior guard Shareese Ulis led the team with eight assists, while only going 1 of 8 from the field.

“My shots weren’t falling tonight,” Ulis said. “I know in order for us to play well, I have to be involved on offense and defense. I just wanted to get to the hole and get people open.”

UC finished 24 of 27 from the free-throw line, with 19 turnovers and a rebound margin of plus 18.

“I feel like it was key for us to make our free throws,” Jacobs said. “We work on free throws in practice, like situational free throws, and I just stepped up to the line like practice.”

The Bearcats defense stunted the Crusader offense down the stretch limiting them to four points in the final 2:39.

“One thing that has been consistent throughout the year is our defense,” Elliott said. “Our defense has really allowed us to stay in every ball game this year with the exception of Xavier. Tonight we were able to guard them really well.”

Women's basketball snaps 3-game skid

Hunter Tickel |The News Record

Published: Dec. 19, 2009

For the first time in four games the University of Cincinnati women’s basketball team won a game.

“It’s been a long time since I have been in this room with a win,” said head coach Jamelle Elliott. “It feels good to be able to come in to the post game press conference and be able to talk about how my team is growing and improving, but to be able to do that after a victory.”

The Bearcats defeated Eastern Kentucky University 62-49 Friday, Dec. 18, at Fifth Third Arena. Junior guard Shareese Ulis led the team with 13 points, while three others finished in double figures. Junior guard Talisha Davis from EKU led all scores with 16 points.

“Tonight we played more together and focused more on maintaining our intensity.
We know that if we play calm and poised that we can be good,” Ulis said.

UC finished with 15 steals, shot 41 percent from three and made 12 more free throws than EKU.

The Bearcats were outrebounded by two, making it the first game this season they won in which they did not outrebound the opponent.

UC turned the ball over on its first possession of the game, and it appeared it was going to be a long night. However, it turned out it was only one of 13 turnovers on the night.

“I think tonight we played at a good pace,” said sophomore guard Shanasa Sanders, who finished with 11 points.

The first half was a low-scoring, competitive contest. Early in the first half there were four ties and four lead changes. The last tie of the game was with 3:37 remaining in the first half with the score knotted at 19.

The Bearcats went into halftime ahead 26-21. They shot a poor 32 percent from the field in the first half, and EKU shot 31 percent. UC’s biggest lead was six points.

UC’s second-half performance barely resembled the first.

The Bearcats came out energized and aggressive, taking a 34-23 lead with 16:25 remaining. Ulis, who was held to two first-half points, scored eight points in that spurt.

“In the first half we turned the ball over, and took quick shots without getting the ball inside,” Elliott said. “In the second half we looked inside and made better decisions with the ball. We capitalized on their turnovers.”

UC’s three-quarter swarming press created a lot of turnovers and easy baskets. The Bearcats’ shots also started dropping. The early Bearcats’ run meant game over for EKU, who never brought the game closer than 12 points.

“We were not as successful as I would have hoped to be, but it allowed us to score 22 points off their turnovers, which helped us out and was probably the difference in the game tonight,” Elliott said.

UC’s lead stretched to as many as 20 points, 53-33. with six minutes remaining.

“The game of basketball is just as much physical as it is mental,” Elliott said. “I don’t think there was anything they were doing in the first half physically that allowed us not to score points or make good decisions with the ball.”

US to face England in World Cup

Tickel your fancy
The News Record
Published: December 6, 2009

The stage is set for the world’s largest sporting event.

The World Cup only comes around every four years and it will take place in South Africa in June and July.

The U.S team received a favorable draw with an intriguing match up with England in its first game.

The England and USA rivalry on and off the field dates back to the independence of our nation.

“It’s an exciting start to the World Cup for us. They don’t come much bigger than England,” said U.S. head coach Bob Bradley.

England has long been known as our big brother collectively as a nation and as a soccer power. Nothing would upset the country that invented soccer more than if we beat them at their own game.

Call it what you want – the second coming of the tea party, the Revolutionary War, part two. No matter what you call it, it will make for a competitive and exciting game.

The last time these two teams met on this stage was 1950. The United States beat England 1-0 in one of the biggest upsets of all time. It was a game we haven’t let the English forget.

The United States will also face Algeria and Slovenia in Group C, two of the weaker teams in the 32-team field. The Americans will be heavy favorites along with England to advance to the second round.

“If you’re a U.S. fan you should expect to get out of this group,” said former men’s national team defender Alexi Lalas. “If they don’t, it’s a huge disappointment.”

The United States’ favorable draw is the first step toward to a successful tournament.

Beyond group play is the knockout stage, where it’s win or go home. The United States would likely face Germany and I give them a slight edge over the United States.

Eight teams were seeded based on ranking prior to the draw. The weakest was the host nation South Africa.

France was unlucky to not receive a seed but sure enough as I suspected, they drew South Africa.

This World Cup draw did not see a “group of death,” but Group D, contrary to popular belief, will be the toughest group to get out of.

Germany and Ghana will emerge from that group, which includes a talented Australia team and a strong Serbian squad that won its European Qualifying Group.

Group G with Ivory Coast, Portugal and Brazil make for a tough group, but Portugal is a team of individuals and North Korea brings the overall competition of this group down.

My four semifinalists are Ivory Coast, Germany, England and Spain.

Ivory Coast benefits from playing in Africa and this team is the strongest Ivory Coast has ever had with Didier Drogba and Yaya Toure.

They will be the first African side to ever advance to the semifinals.

Most of England’s players play in the Premiership, the best league in the world. They have the talent to make the final and this time will meet expectations.

Spain is the odds-on favorite to win the World Cup and I have them winning it all.

They have long been dubbed the Chicago Cubs of soccer for choking in big games and having never won. However, this team plays the most attractive style of soccer and has the best players in the world.

Brazil will be the biggest disappointment of the tournament. They are one of the favorites, but their style of play is uncharacteristic of past Brazilian teams.

Dunga, Brazil’s coach, limits their skill level by sitting back and counter attacking.

My sleeper teams to make a deep run are Denmark, Chile and Ghana.

Denmark won its qualifying group rather easily, which included Sweden and Portugal.

Chile finished second in the South America qualifying group, only one point behind Brazil.

Ghana is dangerous because they will be playing close to home and has players that have experienced success together in youth World Cups.

Players to keep an eye on at this summer are Lionel Messi of Argentina, Kaka of Brazil, Steven Gerrard of England, Michael Essisen of Ghana and Spanish midfielders Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Will you be watching as USA tries to consistently be relevant in the world’s beautiful game? E-mail Hunter at tickelhm@mail.uc.edu