Eclipse Select alumni: Wisconsin GK Dalton again earns Big Ten honors

Eclipse Select Communications

CHICAGO -- University of Wisconsin senior goalkeeper and Eclipse Select alumna Michele Dalton (Mount Prospect, Ill./John Hersey) was named co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Monday following her nine-save 2-0 shutout victory over Indiana on Sunday at McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis.

Dalton shares the honor with Illinois goalkeeper Steph Manozzo. Dalton's efforts helped the Badgers clinch a spot in the 2011 Big Ten Tournament. The big highlight for Dalton came in the 58th minute when she stopped an Orianica Velasquez penalty kick to maintain the clean sheet.

"She believes she is going to make a difference in the game," Wisconsin head coach Paula Wilkins said. "She made it in the first half with the save toward the near post and she did it on the PK to keep the game at 1-0. Give huge credit to a senior who feels desperate at the end of the season and wants to make an impression."

Read more at EclipseSelect.org.

Oduro is ESPN Chicago's Fire MVP

Fire's Dominic Oduro -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

The Houston Dynamo thought that Dominic Oduro was so much of a liability after missing a sitter in the season opener that they immediately cast him off to the Chicago Fire, trading him for Calen Carr.

Houston's misstep was Chicago's offensive answer, particularly in the final two thirds of the season, as Oduro received ESPN Chicago's vote for being the team's most valuable player in 2011.

Oduro netted 12 goals, becoming the first Fire player since Damani Ralph in 2004 to reach double-digit tallies in a season. That number more than doubled Oduro's previous-best five goals in 2008 with FC Dallas and last year with the Dynamo. And that goal production tied him for fifth among the league leaders.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Should Klopas stay on as Fire coach?

Fire's Frank Klopas -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire have not exactly established continuity with their head coach over the past five seasons. Five different coaches have been at the helm since the start of the 2007 season.

With the Fire's 2011 season in the books, the focus once again turns toward the sidelines, where Fire technical director and interim head coach Frank Klopas posted an 8-5-10 record after replacing Carlos de los Cobos.

Chicago missed the playoffs for a second straight season, but the team rebounded in the final third of the campaign to climb close to the postseason picture.

So will Fire management remove the interim tag and keep Klopas as the head coach? Will he focus squarely on the technical side while the organization once again goes through the routine of an extensive coaching search?

Fire personnel certainly feel that the right person for the job already is in place with Klopas.

"There's nobody else who should be in that position," Fire defender Cory Gibbs said. "I don't say that just as a player when I speak the truth. I think he interacts with the team well. And he has a lot of heart and a lot of passion. He gets us ready for games. What more do you want from a coach? We're the ones playing, and we just have to follow his guidance and go out there."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire top Crew in season finale

Fire's Jalil Anibaba (left) and
Diego Chaves -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire wanted to end their season on a high note, and they did so by reaching the .500 mark for the first time since April 9.

Fire forward Diego Chaves scored his second game-winning goal in as many games and Fire defender Jalil Anibaba had two goals as Chicago topped the Columbus Crew, 3-2, on Saturday in front of a sellout crowd of 20,237 at Toyota Park.

The Fire completed the season with 9-9-16 mark (43 points), but Chicago missed the postseason for a second straight year and the third time in the team's 14-season history.

"Obviously we're disappointed not to be in the playoffs because that was our goal from the beginning," Klopas said. "But I feel very good at this point of the season where we are as a team. There's a lot to build from this."

As the Fire move into next season, the first major question is whether they will remove Klopas' interim tag and have him continue as the team's head coach.

"In the next couple weeks we're going to sit down as an organization and make the best decision going forward for the Fire," Klopas said. "But I've enjoyed every single second of my professional job, especially what I did now as the interim coach. I really enjoyed it with this group, because I've always believed in this group."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Fire 'playing for something' vs. Crew

Patrick Nyarko -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- The Chicago Fire's postseason hopes were erased Thursday night with the New York Red Bulls clinching the final playoff spot. But that does not mean there is little value to the Fire's home finale when they host the Columbus Crew.

Chicago (8-9-16, 40 points) has come a long way during the second half of the season to even be a part of the postseason dialogue over the past several weeks. So the Fire would like to maintain that trend with one final positive result heading into 2012.

"The most important thing, and our focus, has to be on making sure we finish the season strong," Fire interim head coach Frank Klopas said. "We're playing at home against a very good team -- a big rival of ours. It's just important to continue to be building and getting better every game."

"I feel like we're playing for something," Fire forward Patrick Nyarko said. "We're playing for three points, playing for a win, playing for our fans who have been with us all year through torrid times."

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

Eclipse Select College Showcase: Programs turn to club, locally & afar

Randy Waldrum (right) -- NCAA

By Charlie Corr
Eclipse Select staff

CHICAGO -- The Eclipse Select Soccer Club recently held its 2011 Eclipse Select College Showcase, with more than 40 collegiate programs in attendance in Oak Brook.

Headed by Eclipse Select President Rory Dames and Eclipse Select Director of Soccer Mike Nesci, the showcase provides college recruiters with an opportunity to see the club's top-level soccer talent. This year's showcase attracted a number of programs, including defending NCAA champion Notre Dame and head coach Randy Waldrum.

"Over the years we've had a really good relationship with Rory and Mike at Eclipse, and I think it's probably fair to say that around the country they do as good a job as any club in the country," Waldrum said. "They're certainly one of the reasons why we recruit their club so heavily. We know that when we get one of their kids, they will be ready to play right away. They do a good job developing talent, and to be mentally ready. Only a few clubs do that. A lot of times players out of the youth system need some time to develop to a top program like ours. It seems like they're veterans from the get-go."

Read more at EclipseSelect.org.

Fire miss playoffs for 2nd straight season following Red Bulls' win

Fire's Dominic Oduro -- Getty Images

By Charlie Corr
ESPNChicago.com

The Chicago Fire were eliminated from postseason contention on Thursday when the New York Red Bulls defeated the Philadelphia Union, 1-0, at Red Bull Arena.

Though the official ruling was an own goal by Union goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon in the eighth minute, it was the Red Bulls' Dane Richards who put his header on frame to lead to the game's only goal. The 5-foot-7 Richards was unmarked by the Union defense in the box, and his header bounced off the post, hit Mondragon in the back when he was sprawled out on the pitch, and the ball crossed the goal line for an early 1-0 Red Bulls lead.

New York (10-8-16, 46 points) clinches the final postseason spot, eliminating both the Fire (8-9-16, 40 points) and the expansion Portland Timbers (11-14-8, 41 points). Chicago will wrap up its 2011 season on Saturday when it hosts the Columbus Crew at Toyota Park.

Read more at ESPNChicago.com.

ESPNHS: Eclipse Select, Michigan Hawks fight for first in Midwest

By Chris Ackels
ESPNHS.com

It doesn’t take much to realize the importance of this weekend’s ECNL matches between Michigan Hawks and Eclipse Select.

At the U18 level, it’s a battle between the first-place Hawks and the second-place Eclipse. For the U17s, it’s last year’s US Youth Soccer Region II Champion against last year’s best ECNL record. At U16, it’s a chance for two squads to prove themselves against a rival club. And at U15, Eclipse sits in second place with the Hawks right behind them.

From top to bottom, at every age level, this weekend’s matches will have significant implications on the Midwest Conference standings.

“There’s definitely a mutual respect between the clubs,” said Michigan Hawks U17 head coach Doug Landefeld. “It’s like Michigan versus Michigan State. This week is different. The training is different, and the expectations are different.”

Eclipse head coach Mike Nesci agrees: “They are a fantastic club with a great coaching staff,” Nesci said of Michigan Hawks. “They’re also a huge reason why our club has gained prominence. They make us better because we are constantly competing with them.”

Read more at ESPNHS.com.