Shane Kelly seemed to know everyone.

He had contacts everywhere in the Philadelphia soccer scene. He knew the people who ran those fields in the northeast just as he knew the guys in the southwest. Shane had a foot in so many sports teams and leagues in Philadelphia that I sometimes wondered how he had enough feet left to play soccer in the Casa Soccer League, where he was commissioner of the league’s top division. If you needed something done, he knew who to go to. He was like a walking, talking Rolodex of names, and every one of them seemed to like him.

The fact that Shane is dead today seems so utterly wrong.

We’ve been quiet here on the Philly Soccer Page about Shane since he was killed on Nov. 13 in Fishtown. Some guys were still absorbing it. Some didn’t want to think about it. Some just didn’t know.

The reality is it’s much easier to write about a murder when the victim wasn’t a friend.

A key figure in the Philly soccer scene

I met Shane in early 2010 when his soccer team, AOH 61, joined Casa, the biggest adult amateur league in the Delaware Valley. The first meeting was pretty simple, a straightforward reply to my March 2010 email asking new team captains what division they thought their team belonged in. (I was commissioner of Casa’s two lower divisions at the time.) Shane said they should start in the lowest division because, despite having a lot of “talented players”, most were “out of shape.” I chuckle looking back on that, considering they’ve won promotion every season since then and now play in the Casa’s top division.

A month later, we put an ad up looking for my replacement, because I was becoming league vice president after then-president Eric Wirth moved to Virginia and Ryan Pine moved up from VP to replace him. Shane responded. We met in person soon after at the Pennypack Park fields, and it became pretty clear right away Shane was exactly the type of guy we wanted. Straight shooter, good sense of humor, understood the game, understood people. I vouched for him to Casa’s board, everyone liked him, and we snatched him up. He’d just joined the league, but we saw right away he was someone you wanted on your team. A season later, he rose to become the Primera division commissioner, which he ran until he died.

He turned out to be integral to making significant changes in the league, as 2010 proved to be a year of flux. Casa expanded to 46 teams, revamped its playoff model, expanded its division sizes, launched a winter league, and found new fields. As we talked about how to pull these ideas off, Shane was a key voice explaining what our options were in terms of fields and pointing to people he knew who could help. He tapped his connections at the Ancient Order of Hibernians to get us meeting space for our league board meetings and captains’ meetings. (He even said he could get us a keg at our captains’ meetings, but when we thought about how some of our captains got along, the idea of getting them drunk didn’t seem so smart — but it was funny as hell.) And he floated some really good ideas that haven’t yet become realized but might some day. Bottom line, he was key.

For me personally, he was a sounding board, much as I was for him. We spent a surprising amount of time bouncing ideas off each other — surprising because we hadn’t known each other long, and he initiated it — but it was easy enough because each of us shot from the hip, with the words passing from our brains to our mouths before they got the benefit of a filter. I liked that about Shane. He was real. And he was a leader.

What might have been

Had Shane lived, he likely would have been a core part of the Philly soccer scene for years to come. He might have become Casa’s president. He probably would’ve continued to connect disparate people who knew and loved the sport, finding new ways to advance the game in a city where, despite Philadelphia Union’s presence down I-95, government has not adequately supported the game with decent fields. He’d have done plenty more worthwhile things that had nothing to do with soccer.

And he probably would’ve had a pint of Guinness with you and chuckled as he told some funny story from the fields at Pennypack.

I’m sitting here looking at my cell phone, tempted to dial Shane’s number, just because it’s there in my contact list. I still have text messages and emails from him that I never bothered to delete. Maybe I could reply. But he won’t answer, so what’s the point? It’s too late. You meet all sorts of people in life, and as the days and years pass, the faces and voices become fleeting images in the whirlwind of time. As you get older, you realize you lose touch with people you wish you’d kept up with, or you have friends you never fully appreciated until they were gone.

Casa is renaming its league championship the “Kelly Cup” after Shane, and teams remembered him with a moment of silence before games this past weekend. His teammates on AOH 61 played and won 2-1, some with Shane’s name written on their cleats. Class acts, on all sides.

But honestly, we’d all just rather have Shane back. He was only 27 years old.

A second half Adaie Amankwaah strike led Philly United over West Philly FC. The win leaves Philly United 2 points out of first. Franklin FC had a much easier time with an undermanned Philly Soccer Firm. Marek Dudziak put in a pair during a 7-0 win. John Kirchenbauer had the winner and was Man of the Match for Stoney as they dropped a three spot on Drinker’s Pub. Nittany United got strikes from five different players in the only non-shutout match in Primera. Real Optimus played with ten after a red card and only mustered a lone goal. Division leaders Cracovia had no trouble with NewPhillyUnited, putting four past the relegation threatened squad in a card-filled showdown.

Segunda

AC Milan piled on a struggling Cannons side with a 3-1 win. John Kightlinger was the two-goal hero for Mt. Laurel as they dropped Philadelphia Athletic back into the loss column in 4-2 fashion. Man of the Match Dan Foley led FC Bucks past Bayern Makefield in a tight 3-2 affair. It took a brace from Mike Rio to lift Quaker City past Wayne Iverson and Lot Lizards. It wasn’t as close when AOH61 dropped Grey Lodge 4-2. John Gallagher logged a double for the winners.

Tercera

Gart Buck knocked a couple in but it wasn’t enough to push It’s Always Sunny FC beyond the offensive clutches of Spruce Goose. The 3-3 score suggests a wide open affair. Revolution 76 scored three as well but FC Spartans could not match them for output and a 3-0 game. Erjon Kosta marked his return to the scoresheet with a brace to lead United Nations over Tacony 4-1. A much tighter affair between Sons of Ben Zolo and Loose Cannons was only settled by a Sean Reichart goal for LC.

Abierto

Joe Decree was the most furious of all the Balls of Fury, and his brace earned them a big win over FC Kilbanes, 4-2. Short three players, Sons of Ben Independence put up a good fight despite being down three men. Tir Na Nog pulled through, however, and left with a 3-1 win. Justin Bartolucci had a goal and a card for PPR in a shutout over Casa United.

Primera

Nittany United were aiming to take down defending champs Cracovia. It would be a daunting task on any day, but with Eryk Tylek in fine form it is nary impossible. Tylek had the lone goal (and a yellow card) as Cracovia held off the challengers. Ted Colberg put the finishing touches on a 3-0 Franklin FC victory over NewPhillyUnited. Real Optimus dropped Philly Soccer Firm by the same scoreline, with Firm’s captain picking up a red card for presumptively jolly dissent. Geoffrey Long was man of the match for Philly United in a 5-1 trouncing of Drinker’s United and West Philly easily handled an undermanned Stoney side.

Segunda

Offensive fireworks for Lot Lizards as five different players scored in a shutout rout over Bayern Makefield. In an ugly match featuring two ejections, Philadelphia Athletic slid past Quaker City 2-0. Jon Cohan and Joe McConnell scored for Bluestars but Paul Carman and Dan Damico evened things up for Grey Lodge. Copabanana needed a brace from Matthew Wienclawski to sneak by AC Milan. Mike Nielsen also had two for FC Bucks, and it was just enough to push them beyond Cannons FC. It wasn’t as close when AOH61 met Mt. Laurel. Led by Mike Donahue, AOH put five past the newly promoted side.

Tercera

Seamus Scanlan’s man of the match performance (along with a pair of goals) guided Loose Cannons on the road to victory over Tacony Soccer Club. United Nations got all three points thanks to Koco Papa’s game winner over United FC. The win kept UN tied with league leaders Park Towne United. Speaking of PTU, they cruised to their fourth win of the season and remained perfect defensively. Revolving United didn’t need much defense to roll over FC Spartans. Six goals usually does the trick. Defenses were stingier when SoB Zolo and Revolution 76 met, the 1-1 tie doing justice to both teams. Youngmin Yoon had the winner for It’s Always Sunny. The win was a big one as it pulled Always Sunny out of the drop zone.

Abierto

Sons of Ben Independence weren’t as strong as Zolo. Or maybe Celtic was just on their game. No matter the reason, the Irish walked away with three points. Tim McGonigle was the star man for Philly PD FC. His brace was just enough to keep FC Kilbanes down. Brian Toll rounded out a five star performance for The Incredibles. For Tir Na Nog, the loss leaves them hovering just above the drop zone.

There is a forty percent chance of rain this weekend. Keep your fingers crossed that the weather holds so the run of good games can continue!

Primera

West Philly and Nittany United were first on the Parkwood pitch. After a tight, tense 80 minutes, West Philly broke through on a diving header by Jorge Montoy. Mike D’Antonio closed it out moments later, finishing a good run and dish from Yusef Morant. Brian Staub and Russ Kalbach provided the offense for Real Optimus as they shut out Philly United. Cracovia was having none of this two-goal nonsense. Eryk Tylek and company put five past Drinker’s in a virtuoso display. Brian Keenan, Jeremy Kolpak and Doug Paul also got in on the goalscoring action.

Segunda

Mike Donahue had the only tally for AOH61 as they snuck by Cannons. The win puts AOH even on the year at 1-1-1. Cannons drops to 1-0-2. Both teams are even for goal differential so far. Four cautions couldn’t separate Mt. Laurel and Grey Lodge as both teams walked away with a point. Paul Carman drilled one home for Grey Lodge but Ben Werbos of the clan Werbos evened the tie. A Remy Gebleux hat trick gave Copabanana an easy win over Quaker City. Jeff Prigge was able to pull one back for QC but it wasn’t enough to earn points. The win keeps the Purple Bananas on top of the table. It was Wayne’s World at Pennypack when Lot Lizards took on AC Milan. Wayne Iverson scored the winner for the Lizards and Jeremy Samet provided an insurance goal. AC Milan is still looking for a goal after three weeks of throwing up eggs. And finally, Tom Nevinger used every trick in his bag to carry Bayern Makefield past Bluestars FC. Chris Fariss’s goal was in vain as Bluestars suffered their first loss. Makefield will look to build on this win this Saturday against AOH at 1:10pm.

Tercera

The #8s exchanged goals before #18 Sushaan Modi stole the points for It’s Always Sunny FC. Dan Gajdamowicz’s strike couldn’t was for naught as Rev76 lost their second game of the year. It wasn’t as close when United Nations took on Revolving United. Sean Griffin earned a ballcap salute and Revolving’s offense never got out of neutral in a 5-0 thrashing. A ten-man Spruce Goose scraped together a victory over Tri-County United. Andrew Cole had the winner for the Geese. The rout was on for Park Towne United as they took advantage of a red card against Loose Cannons to stay undefeated on the year.

The weather looks threatening this weekend. With no Union on the schedule, Casa could be the only game in town if Mother Nature will cooperate. We have to get a full week of games in soon, right? Right!?

]]> http://www.phillysoccerpage.net/2011/03/04/casa-soccer-league-2/feed/ 1 http://www.phillysoccerpage.net/2010/10/30/casa-soccer-league/ http://www.phillysoccerpage.net/2010/10/30/casa-soccer-league/#comments Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:43:41 +0000 Daniel Gajdamowicz http://www.phillysoccerpage.net/?p=10611 Photo essay from week 9 of Casa Soccer League.

(Photos by: Daniel Gajdamowicz)

(Photos by Daniel Gajdamowicz)

Primera

Cracovia continued their strong start to the year with a shutout of Stoney United. The Big Cs have only allowed one goal in three games, tied with West Philly FC for the best defensive record in Primera. Speaking of WPFC, their laughable offensive output has crossed over into the “aw, how sad” zone. 270 minutes of soccer and nary a goal to be found. A 0-0 tie with Drinker’s Pub leaves West Philly on 2 points for the season, while Drinker’s pushes up the table to 4th. Colin Haviland earned Man of the Match honors for Philly Soccer Firm as he helped protect a goalless draw with AC Milan, who also haven’t scored this season. Finally, a game in which both teams scored! Philly United squeaked by Real Optimus 2-1 behind goals from Matt Nassar and Pete Pittaoulis. And what is this? Three teams haven’t scored yet in Primera? What’s the deal here, all three of you can’t be starting Alejandro Moreno up front! Grey Lodge is unlucky number three. They fell to the bottom of the table after a 2-0 loss to NewPhillyUnited. I’d tell you who scored, but somebody didn’t fill out their roster numbeeeeers! Actually, a lot of teams haven’t done that. If you want to see your name in lights, tell your captains to match your name and number on the roster.

Segunda

A rough and tumble match between Nittany United and Mt. Laurel FC resulted in 3 yellow cards and 3 points for Mt. Laurel. Ben Werbos got MTFC on the board before Ian Zolty finished things off. Copabanana had their purple Le Toux shoes on as they dropped a six-pack on FC Bucks. Jim Posey had a consolation goal for Bucks. Chresten Knaff had the winner for Copabanana while Jared Savitski was the MotM. Jordan Gyunn had a pair for Philly Athletic as they shutout United Nations FC 4-0. Bayern Makefield and Cooperage FC, both seemingly determined to hold onto their pretty defensive records, spent 90 minutes on the lazy river on their way to a 0-0 tie. Still no goals for Matt Surbits Come on, Matty! You’re an embarrassment to rabbit-owners everywhere! Playing that safety-first football is how you end up in second (and third) place. Show ‘em how it’s done Quaker City and Cannons. This is a tie the Round-up can get behind! Chris Herting and Jared Mitchell got their names on the board for QC. Cannons responded with strikes from… hey, why does Cannons have two number tens?

Tercera

Only one 0-0 tie in Tercera. Park Towne and Lot Lizards slept through that one, with the most notable thing being Michael Cann’s number. Sixty-one? What, were all the cool prime numbers taken? Joe Venonsky‘s new favorite number is two – that’s how many goals he scored as he led AOH61 over FC Spartans 2-0. Lee Superville has the right last name, and his hat trick has convinced the Round-up to forgive Organized Chaos’ oxymoronic name for one more week. Revs76 got second half goals to close the gap but fell to OC 3-2. Revolving Orange left it late to slip past Sweet Lucy’s 1-0. John O’Brien lashed home the 80th minute winner. Brad Perry scored the winner and was Man of the Match for Spruce Goose, helping them slip by AC Sessano 2-1. Man of the Match honors also go to Amri Bawa, as he helped Always Sunny defeat Tacony Soccer Club 3-1.

Abierto

Blowouts galore in Abierto this week, but let’s get the tight ones out of the way first. Brett Hinderer was the best player on the pitch, but he couldn’t break the 0-0 draw between PPR and South Jersey Select. Nelson Alave lashed home the winner to push Balls of Fury over FC Kilbanes 3-2. The win keeps BoF in a tie for first place with Loose Cannons. Seamus Scanlon had a brace, including the winner, as those Loose Cannons rolled to a 9-0 win over Sons of Ben Independence. The match also featured two own goals. In the other game with big crooked numbers, Noelle Bisinger had the second goal and was the class of the pitch as FC Recreational Hazards kept Casa United from earning their first point of the season. It will come, CU. You’re a good team.

And that’s the round-up for week three! Let’s see whose ivy is highest on the wall this week:

Primera: Cracovia takes over first place. Bombardier of Championship (leading scorer): Andres Gutierrez (Drinker’s Pub), Leo Otero (Philly United)….2

Segunda: Copabanana FC. Bombardier of Championship: Matt Doyle (Copabanana)….4

Tercera: Revolving United. Bombardier of Championship: John O’Brien (Revolving United)….3

Abierto: Loose Cannons. Bombardier of Championship: Bill Essounni (Kilbanes)….7

Primera

Defending champs Grey Lodge faced down West Philly FC in a battle of teams that didn’t score a goal in the first week of the season. In a real show of consistency, the final score of 0-0 did justice to the match. There were very few shots on goal, and the netminders appeared bored at times. Jireh Chao came closest to breaking the deadlock when his volley was deflected against the crossbar by an alert defender. Cracovia moved to four points on the year with a first half goal from Sebastian Ostrowski lifting them over AC Milan. Greg Kravitz and Matt Stone kept Stoney top of the table as Stoney kept their perfect defensive record, shutting out NewPhillyUnited 2-0 in a battle of promoted teams. Philly United and Drinker’s Pub tied 1-1 to stay even at 4 points apiece. In the final Primera showdown, Philly Soccer Firm grabbed their first three points of the season behind a MOTM performance from Darin Carminati. After scoring three in week one, Real Optimus gave up three to Firm and dropped to 1-1 on the season.

Segunda

Jeff Freiberg scored the go-ahead goal as Quaker City won a battle of newly promoted sides 3-1 over Mt. Laurel. These two teams dueled it out for the top spot in Tercera last season, and Mt. Laurel knows this is just another chapter in the burgeoning rivalry. Cooperage FC showed that their first match was no fluke, earning a 2-0 shutout over FC Bucks. Drew Rinaldi opened the scoring and Nathan Ayres finished it off for the maroon menace. Cannons and Copabanana battled to a 1-1 draw in a clean but tough match. Copabanana, formerly Skulls, was known for their ability to grab a single point from both strong and poor performances last season. Sam Haas‘s goal wasn’t enough for Philadelphia Athletic as Lisa Nichols and then Sam Huntingdon put the match away for Nittany United. It was Nittany’s second 3-1 win of the year and they sit tied atop Segunda with Cooperage and Quaker City FC. Anthony Pepe scored the matchwinner and took home man of the match honors for Bluestars FC as they held on to shut out United Nations 1-0. After giving up three in their opening match, Bluestars put together a much better defensive performance in week two. Speaking of defense, Bayern Makefield will look to build on a 4-0 shutout of Tri-County United when they face offensive powerhouse Cooperage next weekend. Four different goalscorers for Makefield, with Brett Keys getting the opener.

Tercera

After posting 3-0 and 4-0 wins respectively in week one, Lot Lizards and AOH61 were expected to come out firing when they lined up. It was not to be, however, as the 0-0 draw left both sides ruing missed opportunities. Anthony Ciccaglione knocked in the winner as AC Sessano remained in a first place tie thanks to a 2-o victory over Tacony. TSC put together a much stronger performance than week one, but couldn’t find the offense to knock off Sessano. They will take on Always Sunny next week and at least one team will earn their first points of the year. Speaking of Always Sunny, they dropped a tight one to Revolving United when Arlando Hamilton put the orange on top. Spartans also earned 3 points with a 1-0 win over Organized Chaos that kept their perfect defensive record in tact. The match was marred by a pair of red cards given for foul language. Hey dudes, there are kids around. Don’t cuss. Say “pony” or “Ljungberg”. Coming off opening week losses, neither Spruce Goose or Revolution 76 wanted to drop to the bottom of the table. The two teams split the points with Andrew Cole ensuring Spruce Goose didn’t walk away empty-handed. Mark Thompson and Andrew Hale scored for Park Towne United as they remained atop the table with a plus-10 goal differential.

Abierto

Rudolph Moiyaliah broke down the Balls of Fury defense, but it wasn’t enough for Casa United. BoF dropped three and remains second behind PPR on goal differential alone. PPR got a man of the match show from Aaron Granger and a winner from Lukasz Zuzansky and held on to defeat Sons of Ben Independence. SoB-I drops to fourth, one spot above FC Kilbanes. Kilbanes dropped a close one to South Jersey Select as Sean Hirst knocked in the winner. Brad Foy got the first goal of the year for Sons of Ben Zolo but Loose Cannons had too many… big guns and SOB fell 3-1. John Gordon and his awesome superhero name scored a brace for The Incredibles as they dropped four on Sidewinders. Despite the loss, Teddy Miller earned man of the match honors for Sidewinders, and they can take solace in their strong offense, which has scored two goals in each of their first two matches.

And that’s the round-up for week two! Your leaders in the clubhouse:

Primera: Stoney United. Bombardier of Championship (leading scorer): Andres Gutierrez (Drinker’s Pub)….2

Segunda: Cooperage FC. Bombardier of Championship: Matt Doyle (Copabanana), Nathan Ayres (Cooperage)….3

Tercera: Park Towne United. Bombardier of Championship: Tom Vogdes (Park Towne)….3

Abierto: PPR. Bombardier of Championship: Bill Essounni (Kilbanes)….6 (holy crap, six!? No other ENTIRE TEAM in Abierto has more than six goals!)

After a summer layoff, Philadelphia’s Casa Soccer League is back in business! And the good news is that it’s bigger than ever.

CASA expanded by six teams and now has three divisions of twelve teams behind a ten-team Primera division. There are some new teams in the league and a lot of movement between divisions. Let’s have a look at how last season ended and what’s in store for Fall 2010.

Primera

After winning only one game during the regular season, AC Milan somehow changed their fortunes in the playoffs and walked away with the Primera playoff crown. AC Milan returns a strong squad in the fall, but new league rules means the regular season champ will raise the cup this year. Milan will have to improve on their 7th place finish if they want to get their names on the trophy again.

Primera was tight all season in the spring, and expect nothing to change. While Grey Lodge finished first in the regular season, West Philly and Real Optimus were right on their tail.

At the other end of the spectrum, four teams finished even with or one point above the relegation zone. Philly United and Drinkers Pub United survived but they’ll be fighting off NewPhillyUnited and Stoney United who arrive in the top flight determined to make an immediate impact. NewPhilly cruised through Segunda in the Spring but can they compete in Primera? Stoney earned promotion after their offense came alive in the playoffs. I spent all last year saying Segunda was strong. Prove me right, guys.

Prediction: I play in Primera, so I feel uncomfortable picking a winner here. So I asked Allison. She said, “Well who won the regular season? Grey Lodge? Then I pick them.” She’s dangerously logical.

Segunda

Five new squads in Segunda these time around as two teams come down from Primera, two are added to the new 12 team division, and one team replaces the departing Memphis Tap Room. Penn United and Cannons come down from Primera, but as noted above, they were tied for points with two other squads. These are two teams that have spent a lot of time in Primera, and they’ll be itching to get right back up.

United Nations is another favorite for promotion after losing 4-2 to Stoney in the playoff final. They’ll have to hold off a number of strong teams coming up from Tercera, led by Quaker City FC and Mt. Laurel FC. These two battled it out all season for the top spot in the third division and there is no doubt they’ll find themselves at home in Segunda. The other two teams joining Segunda are Tri-County United and Bayern Makefield. Makefield lost 3-2 in the playoff finals to Quaker City, but Tri-Co were bounced in the first round by Park Towne United. What do you say, Tri-Co? Are you ready for the big move?

Prediction: Quaker City and Mt. Laurel were so impressive in Tercera last season, but I’m putting my money on Nittany United. They scored a lot last year but gave up too many goals. If they can solve their defensive issues, they’ll be a tough group to beat.

Tercera

Park Towne United finished third last year, but the first, second, fourth and fifth place teams have all moved up to Segunda. Does this mean Park Towne will waltz through the leauge this season? Not if FC Spartans and Revolution 76 have anything to say about it. Spartans had no trouble scoring, but they couldn’t keep the ball out of their net last season. I remember watching a NOVA special on human beauty that listed Halle Berry as the most beautiful celebrity because her face was the most symmetrical. Congratulations, Rev76: You’re the Halle Berry of Casa. After a 3-3-3 record last year with 11 goals for and 11 goals against, Rev76 could make the next step and challenge for the title, or maybe they’re riding a lucky streak and it will all fall apart. I guess that’s why we play the games.

Prediction: Park Towne. PTU should be the best team in Tercera. The teams coming up from Abierto are very talented, but Casa is a strong league so AOH61, Spruce Goose and Sweet Lucy’s might not be the wrecking balls they were last year. Organized Chaos had a tough run in Segunda last season, so I think they’ll also make a push back to the second division.

Abierto

Without looking at rosters or last year’s records, it looks like the Sons of Ben have a 25% chance of winning Abierto this season. But will it happen? Sons of Ben Zolo finished in third place last year and should be favorites to grab a spot in Tercera. There was a lot of offense in Abierto last year, but a lot of the firepower has moved up to Tercera. Will we see a different story this year? Will the new teams provide the same high-scoring matches we saw last season? What’s the story, Abierto? Who’s going to step up?

Prediction: A lot of new teams here, and I’m not sure what the Sons of Ben teams will look like. How do you guys operate? Will it be the same rosters as last year? Has anybody moved around? The first 11 guys to show up are Zolo? I have no idea who the new teams in this division are. If you’re out there, introduce yourself. If you make a convincing argument, maybe I’ll change my prediction from FC Kilbanes. Kilbanes dropped 24 goals last term but somehow managed to let in 36. 36! I just don’t think they can do that again. The defense is better, Kilbanes are going up.