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Keeper Notes
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Spring's coming ... and so is soccer!
HBU hosts Puerto Rico tonight
The Houston Baptist women's soccer team takes on the Puerto Rican national team tonight at Sorrels Field on the HBU campus. Match kicks off at 7 pm and is open to the public.
Another Lone Star series
The Sunday the Dynamo host the Austin Aztex in a preseason scrimmage. Match is free and open to the public -- kickoff is 1 pm at Carl Lewis Track & Field Complex at UH.
The "return match" will be in Austin on Sunday, March 14, 5 pm at Nelson Field. Tickets are available online (http://aztex.wsiefusion.net/_catalog_83795/Game_Day_Tickets) or by calling David Brown at 512-335-8881, x410. Prices are $20 for adults, $15 for youth.
Another preseason match has been added to the schedule: the Dynamo will host the Chicago Fire next Thursday at 7 pm at Carl Lewis. Admission is free. Best bet for parking is Lot 16, located across Cullen Blvd. the baseball stadium.
Special season ticket offer!
Buy 2 season tickets, get 2 for free (with some restrictions) ... and secure your spot on the priority wait list for the proposed downtown stadium. Call 713-276-7500 for more info.
Making progress on the stadium ... really
Speaking of the stadium, the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority has agreed to get involved with the stadium negotiations.
In addition, Commissioner Sylvia Garcia has joined the Dynamo Supporters' Alliance page on Facebook so she can see fan support firsthand. So join the group and spread the word! You can also email Sylvia directly to express your support for the downtown stadium: Sylvia_Garcia@itc.co.harris.tx.us. Inexplicably, El Franco Lee, the other commissioner involved with the project, does not have a public email address, but you can send a message to his secretary at Janet_Duran@cp1.hctx.net.
Season kickoff luncheon March 16
Dynamo Charities is hosting a luncheon on Tuesday, March 16 at the Hyatt Regency downtown to benefit Kicks 4 Kids and Kids Nite Out. Coach Dominic Kinnear, the entire team, Dynamo Diesel and the Dynamo Girls will be there. Individual tickets are $55 ($45 for season ticketholders). Call 713-276-7574.
Are you forever orange?
How about true blue? The Dynamo is looking for outgoing,passionate soccer folks to join the Blue Crew, the group of amazingly dedicated volunteers who support the team & fans at home games and Dynamo community events. Minimum age 18. Minimum commitment 10 home games per season. Email bcrew@houstondynamo.com for more info.
AHFC hosts �College Cup� friendly
Albion Hurricane FC hosts North Carolina v SMU on March 20 at 5 pm. To purchase tickets, please visit www.albionhurricanes.org. The match will be held at the Awty School, 7455 Awty School Lane (off Post Oak Rd. north of I-10).
North Carolina reached the NCAA College Cup (final four) in 2008 and 2009, and both programs have been ranked in the NCAA top 20 on a regular basis. Dynamo Academy alum Alex Dixon is a member of UNC squad.
Mexico coming to town in May
Mexico will play their last World Cup warmup on this continent in Houston on Thursday, May 13 at Reliant Stadium. We don't yet know who the opponent will be (but it ain't the US). Tickets are on sale now ... but only if you have a Visa card! Click here to buy tickets -- use the password "national" to receive a $5 discount per ticket. Beginning Monday, you can purchase tickets with any credit card.
If you want a suite for the Mexico World Cup warm-up, contact Brian Varnadoe at 832-667-2160. Suites hold 16 or 22 guests, and the seats are $85 each.
Southwest Indoor SPRING session
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Sign up ANYTIME to play indoor soccer on the new turf field at Southwest Indoor Soccer. The spring session begins next weekend -- individual players can be placed on teams at any time for women's, men's, men's over 30 and coed over 30. All sessions consist of 8 games.
Call SWIS at 281-564-7947 or go to www.letsplaysoccer.com/main/Locations/southwest/index.html. Or drop by the facility at 12950 Sugar Ridge Blvd. near Murphy Rd. and W. Airport -- open 5 pm to midnight, seven days a week.
Summer session for YOUTH soccer will run June 12 � August 7. League play will be offered for u8, u10, u12, u14, u16 boys & girls. HYSA age eligibility rules observed.
Stars & Stripes update
The US men lost to the Netherlands Wednesday 2-1 in Amsterdam. Carlos Bocanegra scored the goal for the US. Both teams sported their new away jerseys. Sadly, Stu "Dynamo" Holden suffered a hard tackle in the first half and ended up with a fractured tibia. Official statement here.
The team will not play again until late May; the World Cup squad will be announced before those games.
Big shoutout to the US women, who defeated Germany 3-2 in the Algarve Cup final Wednesday. The annual Algarve Cup is the most prestigious women's tournament outside the World Cup and the Olympics. Watch highlights at www.ussoccer.com/Multimedia/Media-Center.aspx#/video.
The u17 women begin CONCACAF qualifying next for the u17 Women's World Cup. Two of the eight participating teams will qualify for the tournament scheduled for Trinidad & Tobago in the late fall. All matches will be streamed live and free of charge at CONCCAF.com. More info at www.concacaf.com/page/WUnder17s/NewsDetail/0,,12813~1953542,00.html. The USA schedule:
March 10 v Haiti, 5 pm, CONCACAF.com
March 12 v Cayman Islands, 5 pm, CONCACAF.com
March 14 v Costa Rica, 2:30pm, CONCACAF.com
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Keeping up with the Keeper
� Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/keepernotes
� Houston Dynamo Examiner feed at www.examiner.com/x-31347-Houston-Dynamo-Examiner
� Keeper Notes calendar featuring Dynamo matches, US matches and more, via any browser:
www.google.com/calendar/embed?src=keeper%40keepernotes.com&ctz=America/Chicago
San Jac men's soccer tryouts
Tryouts for San Jac's junior college team are open to high school seniors/recent graduates and college students. Participants are required to bring their own shinguards and are encouraged to bring water. Tryouts will be held at the south campus soccer field (13735 Beamer Road, 77089). Times and dates are as follows:
� March 8, 7 - 9 pm
� March 22, 7 - 9 pm
� April 5, 7 - 9 pm
� April 30, 7 - 9 pm
� May 1, 10 am - 2 pm
For more info, contact head coach David Santesteban at 281-922-3475 or David.Santesteban@sjcd.edu.
Get in the Notes!
Spread the soccer word about your program, event or club in Keeper Notes. The Keeper Notes list (which is never, ever sold) has more than 5200 subscribers. Seriously.
FREE ITEMS: soccer-related job openings, youth & adult league registration info, free soccer events, teams looking for players, any nonprofit info, and any "shout out" to local soccer achievers. Email details to keeper@keepernotes.com.
NOT FREE: soccer camps, paid tournaments, other commercially-related info. Contact The Keeper for rates.
Girls Soccer JV Coach needed
St. Pius X High School is looking for a girls soccer JV coach. Season runs October 11, 2010 through February 7, 2011. Visit the team's website: www.stpiusx.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=575. Email Jennifer Allen to apply: allenj@stpiusx.org.
Orange Tuesdays
Join host Brian Balboa and his roundtable of soccer badasses Tuesday nights on "The Orange Slice" soccer show on 1560 The Game, 7-9 pm. The Keeper contributes a women's soccer segment around 8 pm each week. Listen live online at www.1560thegame.com. Call-in number is 713-439-1560.
Keeper Notes query
Props to David Nasser for the correct answer to last week's query: the four members of the 2009 MLS Best XI who were on the roster for last week's USA/El Salvador match are Geoff Cameron, Chad Marshall, Conor Casey and Jeff Cunningham.
This week's query: The US women defeated Germany Wednesday to capture their 8th Algarve Cup title. In what year did they win their first Algarve Cup, and who scored the winning goal in the final? First to answer correctly wins TWO TICKETS to the March 20 "College Cup" friendly between North Carolina & SMU at the Awty School. Send your answer to keeper@keepernotes.com.
Soccer to watch
All times CT. All times subject to change.
Saturday
Bundesliga
FC K�ln v Bayern Muncich, 8:25 am, ESPN Deportes, ESPN360.com
Werder Bremen v VfB Stuttgart, 8:30 am, GolTV
Borussia Dortmund v Borussia M'gladbach, 11:30 am, ESPN360.com
English Premier League
Arsenal v Burnley, 8:45 am, Fox Soccer Plus
West Ham United v Bolton Wanderers, 9 am, Fox Soccer Channel
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United, 11:30 am, Fox Soccer Channel
FA Cup
Portsmouth v Birmingham City, 6:30 am, Fox Soccer Plus
La Liga
Almeria v Barcelona, 12:55 pm,
ESPN360.com
Real Madrid v Sevilla, 3 pm, GolTV
Mexico Primera
Monterrey v Pachuca, 5 pm, Telemundo, mun2
Atlas v Toluca, 8:45 pm, Telemundo
San Luis v Cruz Azul, 8:45 pm, TeleFutura
Serie A
Fiorentina v Juventus, 10:55 am, Fox Soccer Plus, ESPN360.com
AS Roma v AC Milan, 1:45 pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Sunday
FA Cup
Chelsea v Stoke City, 9:45 am, Fox Soccer Plus
Everton v Hull City, 10 am, Fox Soccer Channel
Mexico Primera
Pumas v Puebla, noon, Telemundo
Santos Laguna v Atlante, 4 pm, TeleFutura
Club Am�rica v Queretaro, 4 pm, Univision
Serie A
Inter Milan v Genoa, 1:45 pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Monday
English Premier League
Wigan Athletic v Liverpool, 2 pm, ESPN2
Tuesday
CONCACAF Champions League
Toluca v Columbus Crew, 7 pm, Fox Soccer Channel
UEFA Champions League
Arsenal v FC Porto, 1:45 pm, Fox Soccer Net
Fiorentina v Bayern Munich, 1:45 pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Wednesday
UEFA Champions League
Manchester United v AC Milan, 1:45 pm, Fox Soccer Channel
Thursday
Europa League
Atl�tico Madrid v Sporting Lisbon, noon, DirecTV
Lille v Liverpool, noon, DirecTV
Benfica v Olympique Marseille, 2 pm, DirecTV
Juventus v Fulham, 2 pm, GolTV
Friday
Serie A
Catania v Inter Milan, 1:45 pm, Fox Soccer Channel
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Keeper Calendar
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March 7: Austin Aztex at Houston Dynamo, UH Carl Lewis
March 9-10: UEFA Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg
March 9-11: CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, 1st leg
March 10-20: CONCACAF u17 women's championship, Costa Rica
March 11: Chicago Fire at Houston Dynamo, UH Carl Lewis
March 14: Houston Dynamo at Austin Aztex, Austin
March 16-17: UEFA Champions League round of 16, 2nd leg
March 16-18: CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals, 2nd leg
March 17: Mexico v Korea DPR, Mexico
March 24: Mexico v Iceland, Charlotte, NC
March 25: 2010 MLS First Kick
March 27: Houston Dynamo at FC Dallas
March 28: US women v Mexico, San Diego
March 30-31: UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, 1st leg
March 30-April 1: CONCACAF Champions League semifinals, 1st leg
March 31: US women v Mexico, Sandy, UT
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April 1: Real Salt Lake at Houston Dynamo
April 6-7: UEFA Champions League quarterfinals, 2nd leg
April 10: LA Galaxy at Houston Dynamo
April 10: WPS season begins
April 13-15: CONCACAF Champions League semifinals, 2nd leg
April 17: Chivas USA at Houston Dynamo
April 20-21: UEFA Champions League semifinals, 1st leg
April 20-22: CONCACAF Champions League finals, 1st leg
April 24: Houston Dynamo at Chicago Fire
April 27-28: UEFA Champions League semifinals, 2nd leg
April 27-29: CONCACAF Champions League finals, 2nd leg
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May 1: Kansas City at Houston Dynamo
May 5: FC Dallas at Houston Dynamo
May 7: Mexico v Ecuador, New York
May 8: Houston Dynamo at Chivas USA
May 10: Mexico v Senegal, Chicago
May 13: Mexico v TBA, Reliant Stadium
May 13: Houston Dynamo at Real Salt Lake
May 16: UEFA Champions League final, Madrid
May 16: Mexico v Chile, Mexico City
May 22: DC United at Houston Dynamo
May 22: US women v Germany, tba
May 24: Mexico v England, London
May 25: US men v Czech Republic, tba
May 29: Philadelphia Union at Houston Dynamo
May 29: US men v Turkey, Philadelphia
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June 2: Houston Dynamo at New York Red Bulls
June 5: Houston Dynamo at LA Galaxy
June
11: 2010 World Cup begins
June 12: US men v England, South Africa
June 18: US men v Slovenia, South Africa
June 23: US men v Algeria, South Africa
June 26: Colorado Rapids at Houston Dynamo
Expanded calendar at keepernotes.com.