We all have that moment of clarity, that instant we realize the truth. It hits us in the face. It is unavoidable. I had one of those moments this weekend. I am a Soccer Geek. So there are lots of ways to spend your weekend as you approach the holiday season. Shopping trips are an obvious choice. Catching a viewing of “It’s A Wonderful Life” is a holiday favorite. Fireplaces and hot chocolate and relaxing. So…it was on a Saturday a few days before Christmas that I found myself hanging out with a bunch of other soccer fans at the Burnsville Blast indoor soccer facility watching a bunch of men’s teams compete in a 7 v 7 tournament. Not on your bucket list I would guess. But here is the thing….it was fun. It was exciting. It was a little bit crazy as well.
Eau Claire Soccer Community
Every community has some characters in it and the local soccer community is no exception. If we are going to continue to grow the sport and fans of the sport, we need some crazy soccer fans to help it grow. I have come across a few in my day and want to introduce you to one many of you may know, David Ripplinger. If you have been involved in soccer in Eau Claire for the past 10 years , likely you have bumped into Dave. From player, to coach, to referee, to training camps, Dave does a little bit of everything related to soccer in Eau Claire. He has coached my kids and probably yours in Eau Claire United. He refs Indoor League and Tournaments at the Sports Center. He has been part of Blugold Camps for years. He is everywhere. Even during the holidays I can’t get rid of him! He contacted Austin about joining a team he was forming for a weekend tournament in Burnsville. An Adult Mens 7 v 7 Tournament.
The Craziest Soccer Ever
I have watched some interesting soccer in my day. I have watched some competitive soccer as well in my day. But…I must say…this might have been the most interesting and craziest soccer I have ever been a part of. 16 Teams and it felt like a World Cup atmosphere. It was awesome. Minneapolis is a diverse community and has a strong soccer history. This was the most ethnically diverse group of teams in a 16 team format in any tournament I had experienced. Influences of Central and South America, Mexico and Africa were everywhere. There were really good soccer players everywhere. Other than going to an MLS game or watching Soccer on TV, this group represented some of the best quality players I have seen this close up. High School soccer is good, but the athleticism and skill of these players took it to another level. Fast, athletic, strong, quick feet, aggressive and really fun to watch. Most of the players in their 20’s. A few of these teams were part of the NPSL (National Premier Soccer League) considered the 4th level of soccer in the American Soccer system. An amateur league made up of 96 teams from across the states. A feeder system for players to launch into the other divisions of soccer as well as just a place for great soccer players not yet ready to give up the game a place to continue their soccer careers. Top Teams quality for the US Open Cup, the biggest open tournament in the United States. For you other soccer geeks here is the flow of US Soccer.
NPSL National Premier Soccer League along with the PDL Premier Development League: Level 3. Amateur Soccer.
USL United Soccer League and NASL North American Soccer League: Level 2 with approx. 38 clubs between the two. Professional soccer teams with a regional flare. Many of these teams have eventually made it to the MLS.
MLS Major League Soccer. The top professional league in the US with 24 teams and expanding on a recent surge of popularity. Nashville was just admitted into the league as the newest expansion team.
Burnsville Tournament
Back to the tournament. If I was to describe the action I would say it was a mix between Soccer-MMA Mixed Martial Arts-and Amateur Hockey. When you take games of 7 v 7 and put 14 really athletic (except our team…more on that later) players on a field the size of the Sports Center Field watch out. Again…really good players…lots of testosterone….small field….walls…a little attitude….maybe a lot of attitude… and include a Trophy and a Winners Check and you get some interesting results.
I saw a ton of yellow cards. I saw a bunch of red cards. I saw a fight break out. I saw players tripped, knocked down, forced into walls. I saw great goals and incredible soccer skills. A little bit of everything. Add in the spice of the diversity of the teams and at times it felt like teams were playing for a World Cup trophy. It was intense. The best team I saw was one of the NPSL teams, VSLT from the Saint Paul area. Pretty sure Minneapolis City FC had a team as well. A bunch of ex and current UW Badger players made a team as well. Really quality players were everywhere. Back to Ripplinger. He cobbled together a team of 12 made up of players all with some ties to the Eau Claire area. Aaron Wagner and Frank Lowry with Memorial and Vitterbo connections. Alex and Matt Glittenberg and Austin Lyons all with Memorial connections. Devin Bathke (Concordia), John Carli (Vitterbo) and Brian Crocker all with Chippewa Falls history. Josh Albrecht from North (played in college as well). Tyler and Norbert…sorry dudes..you both had mad skills but don’t know your back story. In the midst of all these teams Ripplinger put together the Bad News Bears of soccer. Most teams had cool uniforms and looked the part. Ripp’s team all had yellow shirts, but 12 different yellow shirts. Shorts all were different as well. It made for quite a look. As far as talent…pretty solid. A bunch of college players and high school all conference players. Maybe a few pounds heavier than their playing days. Maybe not quite as athletic looking as back in the day. Pretty sure when the other teams saw them, they did not intimidate anyone. But here’s the thing…they had talent, played together as a team and with Ripplinger flying around and scoring goals, they won their first three games to advance to the Quarterfinals. The fairy tale ended as they ran into the VSLT team who was loaded with talent, skill and athleticism. They were impressive and took down the Bad News Bears to end their day. But I must say thank you to the team for giving us all a fun day and a very interesting soccer experience. Lets take a look at some highlights of the day.
This will give a little flavor of the intensity. This was mild compared to some of the action. Ripplinger was one of the older players at 28, but mad respect for his skills, effort and attitude. The dude still brings it! Scored some nice goals. A typical striker who you love to have on your team but hate to play against. Found out he did not have a chance to play high school soccer (Fall Creek) but did play for North Coach Terry Albrecht for EC United. Speaking of Terry, had a chance to chat with him a bit as well as he was there to watch Josh. Loved talking to him and you can feel his passion for the game and his teams. Hope to be able to spend more time discussing his soccer history in Eau Claire and write some posts on his North girls team this spring.
Here is a little game action to give you a feel for the early games.
A winning goal. Pesky Ripplinger finds a way.
A small sample of the quality of the team that knocked them out. Man…what a rip from distance. I know they make all that look easy, but trust me, not as simple as they make it look. Nice uniforms too!
And a final tribute to Ripplinger’s Team.
Thanks for a fun day!