After 24 rounds of Season 30, South Coast have earned 32 points (10-2-12) and are in 10th place. For a few rounds they were in the relegation zone, until they earned three straight victories to climb ahead on goal differential. When asked about the team’s turning point, manager Fernando Owens stated simply, “FK Bohumin, 1-nil, at home.” Youngster Manny Armas scored the lone goal in the contest and has become a staple in the lineup. “It was big for our morale and teamspirit, and now we’re up to 10th position,” he commented a few days after the match. “Plus, they [FK Bohumin] have remained in promotion spot, so it’s that much more important of a victory,” he said with a smile.

Having lost in round 3 of the SoccerProject Cup, South Coast have been focused on staying strong in the league. Captain CM Kyle Curtin has “loads of praise” for the youngsters that have continuously risen to the occasion. “Sure we’ve got some great veterans, but the true story of the season is our young guys. Avery [Ring] leads in scoring, while Manny [Armas] has been clutch and Ian [Aliosi] has flourished on the wing. The Academy is living up to its reputation, ” he concluded with a chuckle.

The second biggest storyline of the season is the acquisition of 6 players in the second half of the season. Director of Soccer beach_blvd, jr admitted such activity has been counter to his recent “rhetoric” (his emphasis).

“On the surface it seems a bit hypocritical, but the 3 CFs are under age 19 and the 2 CMs are age 18. We’re still holding true to our youth policy, but we haven’t been able to promote any Academy players quite yet to shore up our attack. In the end, we always have an eye on the [transfer] market, and these deals made good business sense.”

At the time, the Director of Soccer declined to comment on the status of 28-year old SW Petras Pocius. South Coast have since signed 27-year old SW Inderlindo Redan from the Netherlands. Various media outlets have reported that Pocius has been seeking a more prominent playing role away from the Seaside. The player and his agent both refused comment.

South Coast have 6 remaining games in the season, only 2 of which will be at the Seaside.

All the best,

SCSC Blog

After skidding out of the S.29 SoccerProject Cup in round 2, South Coast carried their heads high in league play and claimed the championship spot in G.326. They were subsequently promoted to to F.109.

This was the first off season in which the Club did not host its friendly series to provide the staff and Academy players an opportunity to gain experience and learn about each other. Director of Soccer Beach_blvd, Jr cited the economic downturn, “among other things,” as a reason for scrapping the fan-favorite event. Young first team strikers and good friends Manny Armas and Avery Ring said they understood the financial reasons for not staging the series, but both agreed it was an annual staple they had “always looked forward to playing in or attending,” and for good reason.

Both strikers came through the Academy and had excellent performances between S.28 and 29 that allowed them to work their way to the first team. “It’s such an integral part of the Academy model, these types of showcases,” Mr. Ring said. “We trained a lot, much more often than playing scrimmages or matches, which is important. At the same time, we all marked our calendars and once the first team went on off-season holiday, it was our time to make a name for ourselves and represent the [club] shirt well.” Mr. Armas shared similar feelings. “Our Academy has done well to fill the Club’s player development needs, but you have to wonder how many prospects are being denied an opportunity to stand up and be counted. I guess time will tell and we’re all hoping to see the Series continue next year.”

Despite the relative calm at the Seaside, the Board of Directors kept themselves busy. They successfully negotiated a 3-season contract extension for manager Fernando Owens. Club owner and chief executive Beach_blvd declared Mr. Owens “the single greatest manager in Club history” for guiding the club from bottom-level H to the F-division since S.24. “As far as I’m concerned,” he opined during an off-season press conference, “Fernando Owens is due for a full size statue outside the ground. Perhaps to mark the Club’s 10-year anniversary” of competing in SoccerProject. Many of the 21,000+ South Coast supporters were ecstatic upon hearing the news and flooded the Club website with congratulations and well wishes for S.30 and beyond. Uruguyan scout Gonzallo Rebollos and doctor Jimmy Voss also signed 3-season extensions.

On the first day of the new season, the Club agreed transfers for 29-year old CF Earnie Donovan and 27-year old RF Tomas Korinek for undisclosed fees. Beach_blvd, Jr said he and everyone at South Coast were “sad to see them move on, but there comes a time when the youngsters need the minutes to develop. We are all thankful for their eight years of service.” Mr. Korinek joined the squad in Season 22 for 179,000 euros while Mr. Donovan was bought later that season for 245,000 euros.

Well, that should bring us almost up to speed. Stay tuned for summaries of the first 6 league matches and round one of the SoccerProject Cup.

Sincerely,

SCSC Blog

Captain Kyle Curtin sang the squad’s praises in the post-match press conference. “It was a great performance. We battled for 90 minutes and Pavel [Sionko] got the precious goal and we protected our lead. As captain, of course I’m happy. But as a lifelong Seasider, I’m extremely proud of our regained composure.”

Manager Owens sat down with a few reporters after the morning’s light rejuvenation session to offer his insights on this season’s increased competition.

“Ten points separate 1st through 5th, so it’s a big priority of ours not to settle for swapping points home and away with the strong sides. We’re nearly at midpoint of the season, so winning away to FC Arsenal 08 was a huge morale boost and it gives us good position heading in to the back stretch. This is the thick of it, so we’re glad to make it out with 4 points against top opponents.”

Pavel Sionko was very happy to add to the scoresheet, but wasn’t certain why the South Coast offense hasn’t be as dominating this year. “I think it’s been a real team effort this time around. We have 9 goalscorers, five with 3 or more goals. With the 2nd-best defense, scoring one or two goals is enough to earn maxium points. That’s what matters most, not individual awards.” Mr. Sionko has 7 notches on the season to lead the squad, and 102 all-time in league play (second only to LF Richie Sanneh’s 143).

South Coast next play host to bottom feeders Olympique United. Stay tuned for more content!

-Blog Team

“South Coast have done exceptionally well in Season 29 and fan support has remained loyal and consistent. In response to excellent attendance figures and overal financial growth, CEO Beach_blvd and CFO Dublin Reyes have signed off on further stadium developments. The North Stand will receive an additional 1,000 seats, while elsewhere in the ground 30 toilets and 6 bars will increase the efficiency of the ammenities. City planners have also approved the construction of a new parking lot with 750 spaces.”

Mr. Dirges was kind enough to chat with us after the press meeting. We asked about the many changes that have taken place since South Coast skidded out of the Cup in round 2. Here are some of his comments:

“Manager Owens and the Board really wanted to see the team make a name for itself in the wider SoccerProject community, to arrive at the next level. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the cards for us this year. The Club now has more time to dedicate to other areas of improvement, like the fans’ gameday experience. We are increasing seating and ammenities and looking for more ways to give back to our Season Ticket Members and Supporters Group.”

CFO Dublin Reyes was also on hand at the press briefing and he provided a few comments to the media:

“South Coast Soccer Club is in a healthy financial state with several thousand Season Ticket Members and over 20,000 registered Fans. The Club has been able to save, and also run a profit, in its Transfer Market dealings over the past several seasons. Stadium expansion is a relatively safe investment that can recoup its costs in as short as a few seasons.”

It looks like South Coast are making several moves to ensure futher fan satisfaction and financial security. Can’t complain about that.

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The Seasiders traveled to FC Perama and beat them 4-1. Striker Tomas Korinek scored a brace while RF Pavel Sionko and RM Nikola Mickoski each added to the tally. The following day they hosted Montevideo and won 5-2 with an impressive hat trick by young LF Avery Ring and another brace by Mr. Korinek. The Seasiders then traveled to Ekranas’15,000 seat Pilėnai ground where they settled for a 1-1 draw thanks to Mr. Sionko’s strike in the 30th minute. The draw is their first of the season, thus ending the 8-game win streak.

Manager Fernando Owens was “excited” about the recent results, but refused to talk about streaks and records as mini-honors. “People ask me about them, but all I can say is that we’re working hard in training and it’s paying off on the pitch. Sure, it’s nice for the media to acknowledge this bit of success we’re having. At the end of the day, it’s about earning points to win the league and earn promotion.”

Mr. Owens also confirmed speculation about the permanent club captain. “I have my faith in Kyle [Curtin] and he will wear the armband. He’s been at the club for his whole career and he has the experience to lead the squad to success.” Mr. Curtin was “overjoyed” to finally receive the gaffer’s blessing. “I love this club, you know, so it’s an incredible honor to become club captain and step into a leadership role.”

That’s about it for league updates. Please stay tuned as we cover a few off-the-pitch stories very soon.

-SCSC Blog Team

Just 2 minutes into the match CF Earnie Donovan was on the receiving end of an awkward tackle. He received treatment for a few moments before the medical staff pulled him from the match. 18-year old CF Manny Armas came off the bench and tied the game 1-all in the 30th minute. Throughout the match, South Coast’s 5-man offense was outmatched by the opponent’s 6 attackers. RF Pavel Sionko, who played more centrally like a CF, had a few key opportunities that just missed the target. Both squads received 4 yellow cards in the second half.

Captain GK Ryan Cila felt “inundated with disappointment” after the loss while veteran CM Kyle Curtin explained that the “squad just didn’t do enough” on the night. Manager Fernando Owens spoke to the media after the match:

“It would be easy to point the finger at this player or that tactic, but I think we all have a little blame in each of us. Perhaps we should’ve come out and attacked more, used our experience to break them down. What if Donovan hadn’t gone out early, what if we used another sub. In the end, going deeper in the Cup tourament was a priority that we didn’t achieve and we’ll remember it every day until next year’s draw.”

On another note, South Coast remain top the league standings and look to maintain their winning streak away at FC Perama tomorrow.

-SCSC Bloggers

Members of the Supporters Group submitted questions and the most popular topic seemed to be young player development and the struggle between the time/energy investment versus quick monetary gain on potential. The following is a snippet of Mr. Owens’ lengthy response. (You may read the full transcript at the official website.)

“The club has truly grown into the player/personnel development model that Beach_blvd, Jr. has spearheaded. Of course many people in the industry talk a lot about the youth ranks, but they turn around and push the youngsters into the background… our current 3rd CB Nick Sutton grew up through the Academy, as did up-and-coming CF Manny Armas and LF Avery Ring. We’re very analytical and thoughtful in our approach and we work everyday towards developing our youth into consistent and strong first-team players.”

There is a bit of not-so-good news to report. While several players that did not dress in the 2-0 victory trained lightly in the evening, LF Richie Sanneh went up for a head challenge and fell awkwardly. Initially hesistant, Mr. Sanneh stood up on his own and finished the drill. Once in the lockerroom, the medical staff analyzed (?) the player and diagnosed him with a concussion. Mr. Sanneh is expected to continue individual cardio workouts under the close supervision of the staff. There is no scheduled date yet for his return.

Manager Fernando Owens spoke proudly of the team’s efforts:

“I’m happy with the result and it’s great way to start the Cup run and also to establish ourselves amongst league competition. I’ve put great emphasis on the Cup this year and upon reaching the 4th round–a feat no South Coast manager has accomplished… yet. We’ve got TEMS in the 2nd round on Wednesday, and if our first choice squad is healthy and available, I don’t believe they’ll give us many problems.”

28-year old Earnie Donovan now has 4 career goals in Cup competition, the most in the current first team. Mr. Donovan was kind enough sit down and offer us a few comments.

“Of course I’m happy to notch a goal, but I’m really proud how the boys rallied together to earn the victory. It’s a credit to Ryan [Cila] who was captain on the night… and I think he’s making a run for the captaincy. The manager has given a few opportunities, but I think Kyle will be the first choice as he’s alread lead two league matches.”

When asked about rumors that South Coast are shopping for more offensive prowess, Mr. Donovan seemed unfazed. “That’s a part of the game these days, bringing in youth and shopping in the [Transfer] Market. I think I’ve performed well enough that if we bring on a new striker, my form will do the talking for me.”

Can’t lie, we like that mindset! Stay tuned for more content soon…

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At today’s press conference, Manager Fernando Owens emphasized the importance of the match, not only for standings, but also “to set the tone for the season and our goal to advance past the 3rd [Cup] round and to win the league.” He would not reveal much about his 18-man roster, but he said the staff will show its faith in “a few youngsters,” which is a bit cheeky as the average age of the 28 first team players is only 22.28 years.

Veteran midfielders Kyle Curtin and Fowsiiya Hersi sat down to chat with us today after training. Here is an excerpt of some of the topics we covered:

Blog: Kyle, You became a professional footballer back in Season 20 at the ripe age of 17. Can you describe those early experiences and your journey to becoming the most selected (241) active player in South Coast club history?

Kyle Curtin: I was given an exceptional opportunity at a young age, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Training, fitness drills, long bus rides, whatever. I was pretty lucky to get as much playing time as I did while the Club was in H-Div, so that probably contributed a lot to my selection total. Overall, I’ve come to appreciate everything about South Coast and it’s truly become a second family for me over my 9-year career at the Seaside.

Blog: Fowsiiya, you were 19 when you became a professional and 20 when you arrived at South Coast. It wasn’t long before you became the first-choice LM and since then you’ve scored 2 goals in Cup competition. Can you describe the different preparation for a Cup match?

Fowsiiya Hersi: Yeah, I was lucky to be seen by a scout in my home country Somalia, then I came to play for another club. I was young and unpolished and there was still a language barrier; I wasn’t comfortable and I wasn’t performing my best. South Coast gave me an opportunity and they wanted to develop me, so I am very thankful. You know, Cup games are special and most teams do not make it to end stages, so the players make it special and enjoy the experience. I always imagine the match is my last, and I try to perform my very best because one loss and you are out.

Blog: Kyle, you’ve become a leader on the team and you’ve seen young players come and go over 9 years. What have you learned about player development and what advice would you give to a young footballer?

K. Curtin: I came through at a time that was pretty beneficial for my career. The other major player in my position was young [Zach Kuffour] and he ended up leaving, so I got quality minutes. South Coast have really made a point of bringing through youngsters and focusing on the Academy. It’s a great program, but I think some players have high expectations of starting every league match once they sign their first pro contract. It doesn’t work that way– there’s always a pecking order and you can’t get too comfortable because someone may come from the Transfer Market or the Academy and take your spot. My advice would be to never grow complacent, never settle for what you have. There’s always something to strive for and even the most skilled players are working hard in the gym and on their own.

Blog: Fowsiiya, you know firsthand what sort of opportunities football can bring to youngsters and how it can change lives. Can you describe the transition from being a teenager in Somalia to having a starting role at South Coast?

F. Hersi: I am very blessed with everything I have and I remember this every day. Every time I step on the pitch I say a small prayer and thank God for my career and my health. I came from a poor city and football was everything for me and my family. Once I travelled for my first youth contract, I saw the opportunities outside Somalia. I knew this was my goal so I worked hard all the time to become professional. Now, I have my own family and I show my children the importance of hard work and dedication.

Blog: Well, that’s about it. Thanks guys for chatting with us and good luck in the Cup match!

-SCSC Blog Team

Today after training we spoke to a few players and staff and sought their input and opinions on a variety of topics.

17-year old RM Alan Leonard had a few strong performances in the Academy tournament this off-season and earned himself the prized “performance review,” which typically means a sit down with Youth Coordinator John Cox, and if a contract is in the works, also Director of Soccer Beach_blvd, Jr.

Alan was very elated to speak about earning a pro contract at the end of S28. “It’s very satisfying, especially because the Academy tournament is very important experience for young players and everyone kept saying I had a good showing. But once I got the call from Mr. [John] Cox, I was like ‘wow, this is it.’”

CB Nick Sutton has been “high on life” recently after receiving rave reviews from the staff and earning the “Man of the Series” award. “I’m really happy about the award, but I know I gotta work hard. I’m in the gym and training on the pitch all day trying to get better.” When asked about a starting role, Mr. Sutton simply smiled. “Of course I want it!”

South Coast sit top the league with 6 points and a +7 goal differential after two matches.

Stay tuned for a SoccerProject Cup preview!

-SCSC Bloggers