|
 After having their first two matches of the spring postponed, Madison United finally got to return to action in the Wisconsin Adult Soccer Association Major League on Sunday afternoon.
It gave United manager Raj Rajani his first look at a months-long project: Essentially rebuilding the team's roster.
"Basically, the whole team is different than it was last fall," Rajani said.
The new-look United team got off to a rousing start, scoring seven second-half goals to rout the shorthanded Milwaukee Serbians 8-0 at Warner Park.
Cody Anderson (Sugar River/MATC) had three goals, Patrick Schumaker (Whitefish Bay) added two and UW-Whitewater's Logan Fye, Marquette's Andy Huftalin and Michael O'Neill rounded out the scoring as United improved to 5-3-2 on the season.
"The result was pretty impressive," Rajani said, "but we still have a lot of work to do."
O'Neill, who played with several semipro teams in his native England, is one of few players on this spring's roster who have previous experience with the United Majors.
Many of the newcomers have played with United teams in the past, either in the Madison Soccer Association or the Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association Under-23 State League.
Several of them are likely to play with both the Majors and Under-23 teams this year. Huftalin and Fye were part of United's Under-23 State League championship team last summer, as were Corey Pratt (Madison Memorial) and Malcolm Calbert (Stoughton), who plays at Loras in Iowa.
"Some of these kids were very impressive when they played with the U-23s," Rajani said. "I'm sure the schedule will permit us for them to be able to play in both leagues.
"At some point there might be some kind of a conflict, but most of the games are usually on Wednesdays and Saturdays for the U-23s, so this will give these guys the opportunity to be playing in a different kind of environment against a different class of teams."
Rajani restructured the roster because he wanted players who were "100 percent committed to playing with the Majors."
Several of the players who played with United in the past also play with the Madison 56ers in the National Premier Soccer League, which also just started its season.
While players are allowed to be registered in both leagues – the Majors is a state league, while the NPSL is a regional league – many times there are conflicts with matches and training.
"It just came down to a question of making a choice: You're going to have to decide what you want to do," Rajani said.
Rajani decided to keep three players on his 25-man roster who also play for the 56ers: defender Aiymar Sinaise (UW), midfielder Keenan Newallo and forward Royston Ngwayah.
Also on the roster are Ryan Hanna (Verona) and Hans Becker (Madison Memorial) from UW-Oshkosh, an NCAA Division III national semifinalist last fall; Kyle Sundby (Verona) and Ryan Boyd of UW-Whitewater; and goalkeeper Heath Matysek-Snyder, who played at Division I Virginia Commonwealth from 1997 to 2000.
On Sunday, the 10-man Milwaukee Serbians kept the match scoreless until just before halftime, but Schumaker's 44th-minute goal gave United the lead.
"With the 10 guys that they had there, a couple of the guys were very decent players. They hung in there as a long as they could," Rajani said.
"Once we started playing our game the second half, we were able to play more as a team with some short passes, more team chemistry ... and we were getting more settled. And after we scored the second goal, then the floodgates basically opened up."
With 17 points, United is tied with Milwaukee Sport Club (5-4-2) two points behind United Serbians (6-2-1) for fourth place – the final playoff spot in the state's top men's amateur league.
"I think we'll do well this year. My goal is just to make the playoffs, and then go from there," said Rajani, who led United to the Majors championship in 2009 as the No. 4 seed. "We're knocking on the door here."
2011 MADISON UNITED ROSTER
Heath Matysek-Snyder (GK); Jameson Kronser (GK); Rahman Aldachach; Cody Anderson; Hans Becker, UW-Oshkosh; Ryan Boyd, UW-Whitewater; Malcolm Calbert, Loras (Iowa); Wageh Essa-Siba; Logan Fye, UW-Whitwater; Ryan Hanna, UW-Oshkosh; Andy Huftalin, Marquette; Issam Ismaili; David Martinez; Chase Morgan; Keenan Newallo; Royston Ngwayah; Michael O'Neill; Corey Pratt; Mike Presser; Ravi Rajani; Patrick Schumaker; Aymar Sinaise; Alex Thom; Kyle Sundby, UW-Whitewater; Khalid "Johnny" Zafari.
Schools listed only for current college players
2010-11 MADISON UNITED RESULTS/SCHEDULE
Sunday, Sept. 19: USA Palermo 1, Madison United 3
Sunday, Sept. 26: Madison United 2, Club Latino 2
Sunday, Oct. 3: Madison United 6, Milwaukee Brewers FC 1
Saturday, Oct. 9: Madison United 2, United Serbians 1
Sunday, Oct. 17: Croatian Eagles 2, Madison United 0
Saturday, Oct. 23: Madison United 1, Bavarian SC 3
Sunday, Oct. 31: Madison United 6, Milwaukee Sport Club 0
Thursday, Nov. 4: Milwaukee Kickers 4, Madison United 1
Sunday, Nov. 7: Milwaukee Serbians 0, Madison United 0
Sunday, May 1: USA Palermo, ppd.
Sunday, May 8: at United Serbians, ppd.
Sunday, May 15: Madison United 8, Milwaukee Serbians 0
Sunday, May 22: at Milwaukee Brewers FC, 3 p.m. (Brown Deer HS)
Sunday, June 5: Milwaukee Kickers, 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 12: Croatian Eagles, 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 19: at Bavarian SC, 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 26: at Milwaukee Sport Club, 3 p.m.
Sunday, July 10: at Club Latino, 3 p.m.
Subject to change
Home team listed first in results
Home matches at Warner Park Field 1
|
