Ziga-Zoga's Footballers Blog (soccer)

A Quick Update On The ZZ Home Front

While you may be enjoying the silence or not, ZZ is under going some strategic change right now.  We are in the midst of rethinking how we can better serve our community.  We have been talking to many members behind the scenes, developing partnerships and discussing a lot of things off line.

While we are gearing up for some exciting and refreshing things to come, we hope that you will reach out to others in the ZZ family and share your football life with others.  We are always here to help our members and are currently striving and planning to become something even more brilliant than we already are...that's a joke :)

On a serious note, I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has provided their feedback on our name change and thanks to those who continue to compliment the work we are doing.  Believe us when we say we are truly motivated to make an impact in the lives of the football community.

Great things are on the horizon...stay tuned.

Cheers,
Jason

Thinking of a Name Change: What do you think?

A name change for the spirit of our community is something we are discussing.  As a founder of Ziga-Zoga, who came up with our name, we have been discussing the effectiveness of our name and it's recognition globally.

For those not familiar with the history of Ziga-Zoga and where it comes from please read the story behind the name here (written before we became a global community):  http://tinyurl.com/2dvf9p . It's neat to see how far we have come and where things are heading.

The short and sweet explanation is that Ziga-Zoga comes from a German celebratory chant called Zicke-Zacke Hoi Hoi Hoi. This chant is commonly used by football fans to motivate their teams and especially after a victory celebrating with the song Ein Prosit.

So, we certainly love the name and this game however, we want to grow our community for the benefit of all and make our brand immediately recognizable to a global audience. There are also limitations with domain names these days so we had to be creative with one of the names we are considering. Most importantly, we want to hear what you have to say. We have started a poll and opened a forum for you to vote and provide your feedback. Please let us know what you think.

Get Stuck In! Jason Cronkhite

Opinion Polls & Market Research

 

TPSF Sunday Recap: Houston 1-1 D.C. United, Toronto FC 3-2 Chivas USA

On Sunday, the first Texas Pro Soccer Fest wrapped up at Steele High School in Cibolo with the Houston Dynamo and D.C. United playing out a 1-1 draw, and Toronto FC defeating Chivas USA 3-2.

Both Houston and D.C. entered the early match with wins in their first two matches, so their matchup was for the tournament trophy. The Dynamo were on track to claim it after Franco Caraccio's rebound goal in the 53rd minute, but D.C. United made it very interesting with an equalizer in the 78th minute through Cezar.

D.C. had a great chance to take the win and the trophy in the final minutes, but Pat Onstad made a great diving save to keep out a goalbound header and preserve a draw, which was good enough for the Dynamo to be crowned champions, thanks to having scored more goals than D.C. (6 to 4).

Toronto FC and Chivas had each lost their first two matches, but certainly weren't hanging their heads when they took the field for the tournament finale. There were four goals in the first 30 minutes, which saw Toronto go up in the 12th minute, only to fall behind 2-1 after Ante Razov's 27th minute goal, and then level things at 2 when Danny Dichio scored in the 30th minute.

The match would be decided in the second half, when Toronto's Jeff Cunningham scored his second goal of the game on a 63rd minute penalty, after a handball by a Chivas player.

So, the tournament started and ended with a goalfest involving Toronto, and besides some terrific goals being scored, there were some great saves and defensive performances all around.

So, the first Texas Pro Soccer Festival is in the books, but it certainly won't be the last.

Thanks to all who came out for the games, and to all who worked hard to make the week a success, from the faces in the forefront to the people behind the scenes.

I'm already looking forward to another special event next year, and I hope everyone else is as well.

Celebrities and Soccer Stars Take the Field for a Good Cause

On Saturday afternoon, the Texas Pro Soccer Festival took a little time off from serious football for a little fun and fundraising.

In New Braunfels, a host of reality show TV stars and former professional soccer players gathered at New Braunfels High School for a charity match for Grassroot Soccer and Footballers For Peace.

It was an action-packed, entertaining match, with 23 goals, a few bicycle kicks, and a lot of fun times and laughs all around.

Representing the reality show stars were the likes of Ethan Zohn, Survivor winner, former goalkeeper in the Zimbabwe professional leagues, and founder of Grassroot Soccer, Dr. Will Kirby from Big Brother and Dr. 90210, Survivor's Johnny Fairplay, and several others who took their turns at being soccer players for at least a day.

On the soccer stars' side were former MLS and US national team star Marcelo Balboa, former MLS/US national team star and current Chivas USA coach Preki, Footballers For Peace founder, professional soccer player, and Ziga-Zoga member Philip Kutsu, and Ziga-Zoga's own Jason Cronkhite.

The fact that the soccer star side won 12-11 in a thriller that came down to the final minute is irrelevant, as the afternoon was more about having fun and raising money for two great causes.

If you'd like to know more about Grassroot Soccer, go to http://www.grassrootsoccer.org, and if you'd like to know more about Footballers For Peace, go to their group on Ziga-Zoga at http://www.zigazoga.com/group/soccerplayersforpeace.

A lot of people can be helped and a lot of lives can be saved through both of these groups, and I encourage all of you to give them a look and to try to do your part, one way or another, to make a difference for at least one person out there.

TPSF Update: The Importance of Communication

It's Eddie checking in again, shortly before I head off to catch tonight's TPSF doubleheaders in Cibolo.

This evening, the Texas Pro Soccer Fest kicks off in earnest with the first of three doubleheaders at Steele High School, but if you were out at the Soccer International fields this morning, there was an extremely spirited and intense scrimmage between D.C. United and Chivas USA, who will face off one of tonight's matches, with Houston Dynamo and Toronto FC playing in the other match of the twinbill.

One of the most noticeable things about the scrimmage was not only its intensity, but the way the players were communicating with and encouraging their teammates.

Good communication is very important in sports, and in life in general. In a sport like soccer, when the players have to deal with language barriers sometimes, it's vital to be able to communicate with teammates both on and off the pitch to succeed and have the closest-knit unit as possible.

Speaking of helpful tips for footballers, I got a chance to speak with D.C. United forward Jaime Moreno and head coach Tom Soehn yesterday, and with Chivas USA forward Ante Razov today, and all three provided great tips for aspiring footballers. I'll be posting a video of yesterday's practice and interviews later on, along with the complete transcript from today's interview with Razov.

Moreno and Razov are two of the remaining 'MLS Originals,' who have played in the league since it started in 1996, and both have experienced a lot of success on a personal and team level, so if they have something to say on how to reach your goals, it's definitely worth listening to.

As for coverage from tonight's matches, if I have Internet access at the stadium, I plan to provide live updates of each game, but if not, I will post a recap afterwards.

On Holiday In Nawlins

Hello all, hope you had a great Christmas wherever you are.  I'm on my way to New Orleans or "Nawlins" to spend some time with family.  So, I'll be recharging and gettin ready for 2008.  Until next year, here's a video for some fun :-)

Developing A Core Team On ZZ

To all those interested in writing about, developing video tutorials or podcasts about soccer / football training tactics in the areas relating to Game, Body & Mind - I am looking for a few people to discuss a business opportunity with.

At ZigaZoga.com our core focus is to provide a collaborative environment for seriously passionate players, coaches and supporters of the game.  We are looking to strengthen the knowledge base with the depth of our global community through our members understanding of the game.

So, we'd like to open up a conversation with you, if you have such and interest.  Further, if you already write a blog, produce a podcast or video show I am interested to explore opportunities with you about how we can help one another.

I believe that when collective intelligence can be applied in an open social environment the implications can produce great benefits for all involved.  Therefore, if you are interested in creating innovative, dynamic and passionate soccer knowledge I want to hear from you.  Please drop me a note here.

Weekly Featured Footballer -- Asa Beard

This week we are featuring Asa Beard.  Originally from Salford, UK, Asa is now giving it a go in the states.  With  a few stints in clubs like Airbus, Stockport County and Manchester City Asa feels he's learned a lot from the experience he's gained and now he's determined more than ever to make his mark on the football world.

Recently, Asa and I have been exchanging email and I think he's heading down to the Pro Soccer Combine in Sanford, FL.  Below is a little glimpse of Asa.  Good Luck & Get Stuck In!

If you know of a footballer that you think needs to be featured let me know.  Just have them logon to ZigaZoga and upload their video.  Every week I take a look at the videos and pick a player or coach to feature.

     

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Pro Soccer Combine 2008 January 9-11

I was talking to my friend Dennis Currier, Head Coach at Univ. of Dayton, and he was telling me about the Pro Soccer Combine in Sanford, Florida (the Orlando area).  For all you aspiring players out there who would like to try and make this tryout, it is probably your best use of time and money for the US market anyway.

Daryl Shore of the MLS Chicago Fire runs the combine and there are scouts from many teams in various leagues to inlude:  Major League Soccer (MLS), United Soccer League (USL) I & II, the Premier Development League (PDL) and Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL).

There are many benefits to players seeking to be discovered.  For one, you pay for one tryout and get seen by many coaches rather than paying for individual open tryouts, which are often not run as well.  The cost is $329 since it's after their early registration deadline and here is the form that is required for registration.  Please make sure that you also read the FAQ (frequently asked questions).

The Pro Soccer Combine is produced by InfoSport Inc. and the benefits to players include:

1. Increased Exposure - Regardless of a player's talent level and soccer background or experience, it is a team's AWARENESS of that player that will put them on the short list of potential signees. Attendance at InfoSport's Pro Soccer Combine is one of the best ways to ensure that a player's COMPLETE soccer resume and professional evaluation is in front of the key decision makers for the entire professional soccer community. Players from our past events that have signed professional contracts came from schools and programs of all levels.  The staff at every InfoSport Pro Soccer Combine is also comprised of coaches from the pro community (MLS, USL, MISL, etc.)

2. Professional Evaluation - InfoSport's Director of Soccer is Daryl Shore, a current MLS and former A-League coach. The written evaluations on each combine participant are based upon years of professional and collegiate soccer talent scouting and evaluation at the highest levels. The coaching and evaluation staff he assembles for the combine comes from the pro soccer ranks of the USA. For a list of former and current InfoSport Pro Soccer combine staff, please click here.

3. Credibility - InfoSport and its staff have years of credible experience in professional soccer. When a team reviews a report generated by Daryl Shore and InfoSport, it can be assured that the data and evaluations are of the highest professional quality and accuracy. The coaching and scouting staffs that have worked with players at past InfoSport events have come from the MLS, USL and MISL ranks.

4. 12-Month Exposure - Pro Soccer Combine participants have their combine and career data housed on the InfoSport web site for at least 12 months, allowing professional teams around the world, the ability to search online, 24 hours a day, for players to fill their roster openings. Personal contact information for each player is made available so interested parties can contact players directly, eliminating the delay of a middle party.

5. Worldwide Data Sharing - Unlike team, league or agent-sponsored free agent camps, InfoSport makes player data from our event available to every professional soccer team in the world.

I hope this information is useful for all the aspiring players out there.

Featured Footballer Vid: Ryan Lindsay Styles It UP

This weeks featured footballer is footy freestlyer Ryan Lindsay.  Ryan hails from Leinster, Ireland and  spends hours upon hours ballin.  He'd like to get noticed and play in America some day. 

Ryan you've got some great footy skills and I want to encourage you to show us what you're made of on the pitch.  I'd love to see you twist up some defenders with your skills.  Then, maybe someone will take a closer look at what ya really got than just me :-).  Hopefully, this little feature foreshadows what's to come?

 

Find more videos like this on Ziga-Zoga