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#1 Akron Zips soccer at it again!

Home ▸ Archive ▸ Serious Business ▸ #1 Akron Zips soccer at it again!
OneBuckeye's avatar

OneBuckeye

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5,888 posts
Sep 10, 2010 2:53 PM
Can someone explain to this non soccer fan how in the hell Akron has a top NCAA soccer program?
Sep 10, 2010 2:53pm
Darkon's avatar

Darkon

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Sep 10, 2010 2:59 PM
Sep 10, 2010 2:59pm
M

mella

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647 posts
Sep 10, 2010 3:01 PM
Akron has recruited some of the best young talent in the country and they have one of the best coaches in the country. I know one of the players on the team and he has the smarts and the talent to go anywhere in the country. I was shocked when he told me he was going to Akron but he wanted to be part of something special (soccer-wise) and last year they were. I hope they continue their impressive play.

GO ZIPS!
Sep 10, 2010 3:01pm
OneBuckeye's avatar

OneBuckeye

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Sep 10, 2010 3:08 PM
mella;478662 wrote:Akron has recruited some of the best young talent in the country and they have one of the best coaches in the country. I know one of the players on the team and he has the smarts and the talent to go anywhere in the country. I was shocked when he told me he was going to Akron but he wanted to be part of something special (soccer-wise) and last year they were. I hope they continue their impressive play.

GO ZIPS!

So how did Akron land this awesome coach? Luck?
Sep 10, 2010 3:08pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Sep 10, 2010 3:13 PM
OneBuckeye;478670 wrote:So how did Akron land this awesome coach? Luck?

He played at Indiana, I dont know how Akron landed him, but thats how he became so damn smart and good:D (says the recent IU grad).
Sep 10, 2010 3:13pm
mucalum49's avatar

mucalum49

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1,639 posts
Sep 10, 2010 3:13 PM
OneBuckeye;478670 wrote:So how did Akron land this awesome coach? Luck?

He was an assistant and former player to the JoePa/Bobby Bowden type coach at the University of Indiana named Jerry Yeagley. Akron was the first opportunity he had to coach and he has made the best of it. Some were worried this past offseason when Yeagley retired that Coach Porter would go back to his alma mater but Todd, Jerry's son got the job and Porter never wavered on his commitment to the Zips.
Sep 10, 2010 3:13pm
I

I Wear Pants

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Sep 10, 2010 3:14 PM
In 2000, Porter returned to Indiana University as an assistant soccer coach. After Ken Lolla left the University of Akron in December 2005, the Zips hired Porter as head soccer coach. After taking the Zips to two consecutive Mid-American Conference titles, and being named the 2007 MAC Coach of the Year, Porter signed a two year contract extension in June 2008.

Following Akron's near-perfect season of 2009, Porter was rumored to be in talks with Major League Soccer club DC United about their vacant head coaching position. However, The University of Akron and Porter agreed on terms of a new contract, keeping him in Akron for the next five years
From wikipedia.
Sep 10, 2010 3:14pm
Wildcat24's avatar

Wildcat24

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Sep 10, 2010 4:25 PM
It isn't as if Akron lucked into a great coach who pulled them out of the basement, their all time record is 580-230-74. Believe it or not, Akron was an attractive job when Ken Lolla left (they had gone 18-1-4 in 2005). They had been attracting great talent, but hadn't really been able to get over the hump in the post season. That's where Coach Porter has help the program turn the corner. He has elevated them to perennial national championship contenders, which is a pretty awesome thing :)

For the OP, here's some program information PRIOR to the 2009 season
http://www.gozips.com//pdf5/634753.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=10800

And a fact sheet accurate to the beginning of this season:
http://www.gozips.com//pdf8/705926.pdf
Sep 10, 2010 4:25pm
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DeyDurkie5

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Sep 10, 2010 4:30 PM
Darkon;478659 wrote:

get back to the boob thread darkon!
Sep 10, 2010 4:30pm
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

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14,946 posts
Sep 10, 2010 4:49 PM
Soccer is big in Akron. They just got a real nice brand new field as well. Im not much of a soccer fan myself, but attempting to learn some stuff here.

Cant wait til Sept 29 to go to Columbus and watch the Zips whoop OSU
Sep 10, 2010 4:49pm
S

sportchampps

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7,361 posts
Sep 11, 2010 12:54 PM
does anyone know how they keeping landing the players from the florida academy whats the connection
Sep 11, 2010 12:54pm
I

I Wear Pants

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Sep 11, 2010 1:20 PM
Its a good program. That's how.
Sep 11, 2010 1:20pm
S

sportchampps

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Sep 11, 2010 2:55 PM
Thanks for the great insight Pants. I'm just saying if I'm a top prospect and I have offers from North Carolina, IU, and Akron I would find it hard for someone to sell me on Akron unless there was a coaching connection to the top youth program in America. When I was choosing a school I had offers from Rutgers and Xavier and I choose to give up the sport because I had bad knees already and wanted to focus on getting an education but even then I would have choose those two over Akron had they offered. This was in 2003.
Sep 11, 2010 2:55pm
Wildcat24's avatar

Wildcat24

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Sep 11, 2010 3:21 PM
sportchampps:

I won't pretend to know all the intricacies of soccer, but I believe there are a couple factors that are really helping Akron reel in new talent. #1 is they win, a lot. They also play a schedule loaded with top programs from across the country.

#2, they play a more European style versus what every other college team is doing. I can't get into the in's and out's, but the article posted below discusses it.

Also, it's been proven that you can win the National POY, or get drafted #1 in MLS having come out of Akron.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/09/02/caleb.porter/index.html
Sep 11, 2010 3:21pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Sep 11, 2010 4:08 PM
The biggest reason is their style of play, and my interview with Caleb Porter today solidified that. They play the Total Football style and a real nice possession game. It allows the top skill players in the nation to be creative on the field. Porter told me today that he feels they have 8-12 professional players on the roster right now.

Side note, Anthony Ampiapitakwong has one of the nicest first touches and Darlington Nagbe is Akrons best player. I think he will win the Hermann award. Sarkodie played a nice game as well scoring the first goal. He is basically a midfielder as Akron only uses about 2 defenders.

Also, Akron plays a great schedule, but it is no better than other top programs and in fact would have to be fairly low in comparison based on the conference schedules.
Sep 11, 2010 4:08pm
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sportchampps

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Sep 11, 2010 4:46 PM
That makes more sense. I know Indiana plays a more agressive defense and sadly some kickball up front. Playing in a system that lets mids be creative is important to players because 1) it lets the mids have fun and take the space inf ront of them 2) gives strikers space to make plays and 3) usually alows defenders to make more runs out of the back. Personally I loved a more Euro style vs South American style. I just wish more coaches coached this way. I love that Ohio finally has a college that can represent that talent that Ohio has in their youth programs along with getting kids from everywhere. First touch is what seperates good players from great players.
Sep 11, 2010 4:46pm
Wildcat24's avatar

Wildcat24

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Sep 11, 2010 5:06 PM
Laley23;479846 wrote: Also, Akron plays a great schedule, but it is no better than other top programs and in fact would have to be fairly low in comparison based on the conference schedules.

I agree with the conference schedule bringing down the overall difficulty. I meant that it isn't like they're a big fish in a small pond, who play "up" only once a year. They go outside the area and schedule other big names (Indiana, Tulsa, North Carolina, Wake Forest, etc)
Sep 11, 2010 5:06pm
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Sep 12, 2010 1:38 AM
Wildcat24;479939 wrote:I agree with the conference schedule bringing down the overall difficulty. I meant that it isn't like they're a big fish in a small pond, who play "up" only once a year. They go outside the area and schedule other big names (Indiana, Tulsa, North Carolina, Wake Forest, etc)

That is true for sure. Their OOC schedule is among the best. I was just pointing out that IU, Virginia, UNC etc play an OOC schedule just as good and their conference schedule makes it tougher overall. Akron no doubt plays a national schedule though.
Sep 12, 2010 1:38am
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sportswizuhrd

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Sep 12, 2010 2:14 AM
Laley23;480823 wrote:That is true for sure. Their OOC schedule is among the best. I was just pointing out that IU, Virginia, UNC etc play an OOC schedule just as good and their conference schedule makes it tougher overall. Akron no doubt plays a national schedule though.
Watching the Akron-BG game right now on BCSN, you still working there?
Sep 12, 2010 2:14am
Laley23's avatar

Laley23

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Sep 12, 2010 11:11 AM
sportswizuhrd;480828 wrote:Watching the Akron-BG game right now on BCSN, you still working there?

I was actually the color commentator for the game. It was my 3rd time on air and Im still going through big time adjustments from being on radio at Indiana for 3 years.
Sep 12, 2010 11:11am
mucalum49's avatar

mucalum49

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Sep 24, 2010 3:24 PM
For those interested the Zips are hosting #2 Tulsa tonight. It is the Fox Soccer Channel game of the week and will be on TV at 8pm. Akron played Tulsa twice last season and came away with 1-0 wins both times. Each team returned 8 starters from last season so it should be a good match!
Sep 24, 2010 3:24pm
Wildcat24's avatar

Wildcat24

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Sep 25, 2010 3:21 AM
Akron won tonight 4-0. The Zips are now 6-0 and have outscored the opposition 15-0 on the season.
Sep 25, 2010 3:21am
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bo shemmy3337

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962 posts
Sep 27, 2010 8:36 PM
Has akron ever won the national tittle in soccer? I know they have been rated number 1 in the nation for years now but I don't remember them ever winning it all.
Sep 27, 2010 8:36pm
mucalum49's avatar

mucalum49

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Sep 28, 2010 8:36 AM
bo shemmy3337;499594 wrote:Has akron ever won the national tittle in soccer? I know they have been rated number 1 in the nation for years now but I don't remember them ever winning it all.

No they haven't won before. They were penalty kicks away from winning it last year.
Sep 28, 2010 8:36am
Pick6's avatar

Pick6

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Sep 29, 2010 10:44 PM
Akron tied OSU tonight, 2-2
Sep 29, 2010 10:44pm