Chattanooga FC used this exhibition as a way to give a couple starters some rest and was able to test the depth of the bench. In the second minute of play, Chattanooga FC’s forward Robbie Hill received a ball from Mark Beattie, turned at the corner of the box and curved the ball into the left upper corner of Monterrey’s net.

“It’s about being in the right place at the right time,” commented Hill after the match. “I hit it well and it just found the net.” 

Possession was fairly equal between the two sides for much of the first half. In the 34^th minute, Monterrey pressured Chattanooga FC’s box and Ricardo Martínez hit a close shot blocked by Chattanooga FC keeper, Ryan Peck. The blocked ball fell right at Guillermo Madrigal’s feet and equalized the score. The score remained 1-1 going into halftime. 

In the 59^th minute, Monterrey capitalized on a foul called on Chattanooga FC’s defender Andy Stewart after he fouled a player dribbling in the box. Roger Llergo scored the penalty kick for Monterrey, making the score 2-1. 

Just a few minutes later, Chattanooga FC made six substitutions, allowing much of their bench a chance to play against the visiting Monterrey team. In the 76^th minute, following a defensive mistake made by Monterrey, Chattanooga FC’s midfielder, Phil Beene, finished a ball after watching his teammates fight to win the ball bouncing around in the box. 

Not even ten minutes later, Chattanooga FC’s outside midfielder, Tom Webster, won a ball passed across the box and slotted it into the far post to give Chattanooga FC the deciding goal for a 3-2 win.

Chattanooga FC will return to Finley Stadium this Saturday to play Georgia Revolution for the second time this season. Their first match ended in a 1-1 draw last Saturday in Atlanta. A win by Chattanooga will clinch the Southeast Conference title and will guarantee the team a spot in the NPSL semifinals.

For more information, visit www.chattanoogafc.com. 

Chattanooga held off Georgia to maintain their pace for the Southeast title before a major July 4 battle with Monterrey of Mexico.

Madison 56ers snagged four of six points to stay alive in the hunt for the Midwest crown.

Santa Ana Winds earned four points this weekend, but much to their consternation San Diego Flash got six, including a big win over Hollywood United, who clinched the West’s regular season title on Friday by unloading on Rattlers FC

Friday, July 1
Erie Admirals 3-2 AC Crusaders
FC Sonic 1-1 Pocono Snow
Rattlers FC 0-6 Hollywood United -- LASoccerNews recap

Saturday, July 2
Brooklyn Italians 3-0 NY Red Bulls NPSL
FC Reading Revolution 1-0 FC Buffalo -- ReadingEagle recap
Buxmont Torch 1-0 AC Crusaders
Madison 56ers 4-0 Eau Claire Aris FC
Real San Jose FC 2-4 Sonoma County Sol
Rattlers FC 1-2 SD Flash
Santa Ana Winds FC 1-1 FC Hasenthal

Sunday, July 3
Erie Admirals 4-1 FC Buffalo -- GOERIE.com recap // BUFFALO.com recap
Georgia Revolution 1-1 Chattanooga FC
ATL Silverbacks Reserves 1-0 Rocket City United
Chicago Fire NPSL 2-2 Madison 56ers -- WisconsinSoccerCentral recap
San Diego Boca FC 0-1 Santa Ana Winds FC
SD Flash 5-1 Hollywood United
Sacramento Gold 1-1 Sonoma County Sol

Within minutes of the kickoff Hollywood was applying pressure to Rattlers keeper Zach Brunner, Emanuel Bentil sending a 20 yard snap shot just wide of the post. Andy Contreras, Whitfield’s replacement in the starting lineup, was the focus of most of Hollywood’s attacking play, but for the first 15 minutes the through-balls to him were a little wayward. The Rattlers played a high-line offside trap which took a while for Hollywood’s forwards to work out, and on several occasions Contreras and his strike partner Jesus Flores found themselves being flagged by the linesman.

Hollywood almost took the lead on 19 minutes; Oscar Sims crossed from the right wing into a crowded six yard box, and ball fell to Rene Corona, but his flick-cum-shot was smothered by Rattlers keeper Brunner. Sixty seconds later, however, Hollywood got their breakthrough when Andy Contreras received a neat ball down the left wing from Nick Blanco. Contreras wrong-footed Rattlers defender Derek Dodrill, cut inside, and sent a powerful low shot past Brunner to give the Hitmen a 1-0 lead.

Half way through the first half there was a worrying moment when Nick Blanco was overcome by the heat and dehydration, and after being led shakily to the sidelines, was replaced by Jose Miranda. (Defender Oscar Sims succumbed to similar symptoms as the half time whistle blew, and was replaced in the second half by Antonio Meza).

There was a period of confusion on 34 minutes when referee Jesus Munoz gave, and then called back, a second Hollywood goal after Rattlers keeper Brunner picked up a back pass from Oswaldo Lopez. The referee appeared to give an indirect free kick to Hollywood, and while the Rattlers defense argued their case, Arturo Albarran and Jose Miranda took the kick quickly, and Miranda put the ball in the back of the net. The referee initially gave the goal, but after being called over by his assistant, he inexplicably reversed the decision and gave a goal kick to the Rattlers, subsequently explaining that the assistant saw the ball come off Lopez’s knee rather than his foot, and as such had not been a back pass in the first place.

Despite this setback Hollywood continued looking for the second goal. They dominated possession in the midfield, most notably via the calm distribution of Rene Corona and Emanuel Bentil, and the intelligent off-the-ball wing play of the wide men. At one point Hollywood strung together a 35-pass passing maneuver, frustrating the Rattlers. The second goal finally came two minutes before half time, again via the impressive Andy Contreras, who received a ball out wide on the left from Bentil, took one touch to bring the ball under control, and unleashed a shot from 20 yards which beat Brunner into the top corner.

Rene Corona almost made it 3-0 in first half stoppage time when he was put clean through on goal by Albarran, but his goal-bound shot hit the base of the post, and the Hitmen finished the half with a 2-0 lead.

It was 3-0 within minutes of the re-start when substitute Miranda received a beautiful pass from Contreras, sprinted clear of the Rattlers defenders, and slotted home a cool finish from the edge of the box. Hollywood were rampant now; Corona had a shot smothered by Brunner moments before Miranda scored his second and Hollywood’s fourth, a fortuitous stab into the top corner from five yards off Contreras’s driven cross.

The Rattlers came close to pulling one goal back in the 61^st minute when Mathayo Huma, a half time substitute for Martin Galvan, beat Carlos Carillo down the right wing and cut inside, but sent his low shot just the wrong side of the post.

As the game progressed, Hollywood made more changes. Carlos Morales tweaked a groin muscle and was replaced by Leo Alvarez, while goalkeeper Calderon, Corona, Bentil and Flores came off for Romero, Acevedo, Sanchez and Whitfield as they tired in the relentless heat.

Contreras completed his hat trick on 79 minutes; the fresh-legged Brent Whitfield sprinted down the right wing, easily beat Rattlers left back Richard Galvan, and sent in a low cross from the bye line which Contreras swept home from 10 yards. Edwin Acevedo added emphasis to the rout six minutes from time with a powerful header off a Miranda cross which Brunner let squirm through his fingers. The Rattlers almost scored a consolation goal in stoppage time off a Derek Dodrill header, but the ball was cleared off the line by man-of-the-match Contreras, adding an excellent defensive play to his three goals and two assists.

The victory seals Hollywood’s position at the top of the NPSL standings, ten points ahead of Sacramento in the Northwest Division, nine points clear of San Diego Flash in the overall Western Conference table, and guaranteed the #1 seed for the playoffs, which begin next weekend (July 9th-10th). Hollywood completes its regular season campaign on Sunday, June 3^rd, when they travel to Westview High School in Poway to take on second-place San Diego Flash. Kickoff is at 3:00pm.

Scoring Summary:

20^th min, Andy Contreras (HOL)

43^rd min, Andy Contreras (HOL)

49^th min, Jose Miranda (HOL)

55^th min, Jose Miranda (HOL)

79^th min, Andy Contreras (HOL)

84^th min, Edwin Acevedo (HOL)

=====

Hollywood United lineup: Raul Calderon (Luis Romero); Oscar Sims (Antonio Meza), Marcus Watson, Carlos Carillo, Carlos Morales (Leo Alvarez); Rene Corona (Edwin Acevedo), Emanuel Bentil (Estuardo Sanchez), Arturo Albarran, Nick Blanco (Jose Miranda); Jesus Flores (Brent Whitfield)

Andy Contreras.

Rattlers FC lineup: Zach Brunner; Miguel Guillen, Oswaldo Lopez, Derek Dodrill, Pablo Nunez (Richard Galvan); Matt Niescierowicz, Martin Galvan (Mathayo Huma), Jose Garay, Alex Anderson; Roberto Mariscal, Miguel Ibarra.

Attendance: 75

Referee: Jesus Munoz

Currently starring with Santa Ana Winds FC in the NPSL West, the San Diego native began his formal footballing journey when he joined the academy of Major League Soccer’s Chivas USA at the age of 15. Under the tutelage of 178-times capped Mexican star Claudio Suarez, Becerra trained with the first team many times but failed to crack a Matchday 18.

"The training with Chivas USA helped me grow as a soccer player and showed me what it takes to become a professional player and how much work and dedication you have to put in," Becerra said.

A defender, Becerra has helped steady the expansion Winds FC to seven wins in eleven contests. The player his teammates call "Borrego" has been challenged by the National Premier Soccer League.

"I’ve been impressed with the high level of soccer this league has since it has a vast amount of collegiate players and... different styles of play that are influenced by each regions," said Becerra.

Becerra finds himself buoyed by the confidence of Winds FC goalkeeper Jheovani. His aim for the first-year club is not mild: the NPSL crown and the next step in his career.

"My goal is to win the championship with Santa Ana Winds and to continue the search for that opportunity that can take me back to the MLS."

Winds next battle is on the road Saturday against a Sonoma County Sol team that is 3-1 this month, the lone loss coming versus Hollywood United.

Dr. Shen explains Boca’s vision for San Diego soccer, "Many younger soccer players worldwide only dream of entering a youth academy that is affiliated with a professional team, like La Masia, the youth academy of FC Barcelona. That is the best development path any youth can take; it is time-proven, unsurpassed, and has a track record of producing the likes of Lionel Messi and other soccer greats. Boca is working to make that dream come true for all young players right here in San Diego."

In addition to his academic and business acumen, Dr. Shen is a passionate soccer enthusiast who started playing soccer as a youth in Argentina, where he lived for about 8 years, and, coincidentally, was a fan of Boca Juniors. Dr. Shen retired to coaching after a brief playing stint with the Oakland Stompers’ reserve team in the early days of the NASL. Dr. Shen began coaching youth soccer in the 1970’s, has since coached youth soccer for many decades, and attributes his unique soccer style and knowledge base to his having had extremely high level coaches and teammates in soccer, including his foremost mentor and role model, the legendary Tony Igwe.

Dr. Shen’s vision is to oversee the administration and organization of San Diego Boca FC’s player development and to embrace the best style of soccer that exists as proven by current World Cup champions, Spain, and European Cup champions, FC Barcelona; a style that emphasizes fluid ball possession, sure passing on the ground, and has been termed "tiki taka".

Dr. Shen explains, "The demand for learning ’tiki taka’ has gone viral.  Virtually no clubs in the United States utilize ’tiki taka’ in its purest form or to its fullest potential, let alone teach it.  Boca will now offer San Diego’s first and only ’tiki taka’ instruction program for local soccer youths." 

San Diego Boca FC General Manager Travis Chesney said, "San Diego Boca FC has grown substantially in popularity and legitimacy within the San Diego soccer community over the past year. Boca has the Boca Soccer Store, stadium and facility development plans, a quality team and now, a solid player development program that fully complements our pro team structure.  Boca’s unique soccer style vision will create a truly innovative Player Development Program for young players of all ages."

GALT, CA (05/04/11) -

This weekend’s events will be hosted by the PLCA, conducted by NPSL Technical Director Matt Driver and moderated by Director of MLF Sports Heather MacKenzie.

"When I took the post as the Technical Director of the NPSL, one of my first missions was to help bring an even higher level of play to our league," said Driver. "I initiated contact with the Jamaican Premier League Clubs Association and it worked out so well that the final piece of this puzzle is this symposium. The mission is to have the top U-21 players from both of our leagues have access to different markets, different stages to play on."

There will be a blend of presentations & roundtable discussions to market and promote the clubs/players of the PLCA, as well as a series of technical & tactical field sessions to promote coaching and player development. The objective is to create an open forum of diverse team owners & coaches within the PLCA, conducted by the NPSL to explore and discuss positive solutions for clubs, players and the international development and marketing of Jamaican soccer.

The International Alliance Symposium is sponsored by Driver, McKenzie as well as Mark Washo (Managing Partner for Playbook Management International), Jeff L’Hote (Soccer Business Specialist for LFC International) and Michael Wheeler (Sports Agent for the MAE Agency). The series of moderated panels & the keynote speakers will explore the following issues:

- Development of the professional game in the USA (lessons learned, creating an infrastructure on a budget);
- Developing your brand (create a business model, local & foreign based sponsors, etc.);
- Youth programs as a groundwork for player development (developing a framework for player development, etc.);
- International marketing of the Jamaican players (transfers, timing, legal issues, fees, etc.);
- JPLC & National teams (combining resources to develop and market players);
- Grass roots program - developing branding & marketing opportunities: (skills for life/nutrition programs, etc.).

On the second day of the symposium, there will be a series of 45-60 minute long field sessions. The six sessions will be run by Driver (Block Defending, Developing a Pattern of Play), former Penn State Head Coach & current FC Dallas (MLS) Technical Director Barry Gorman (Speed & Agility/Pre-game, Post-game/Recovery) and Jamaican National Team Manager Theodore Whitmore (National Team Practice - 2x).

After the field sessions, there will be a break for roundtable discussions. Among the many guests who have been invited to participate in this symposium, Jamaica Football Federation President Captain Horace Burrell will also be in attendance.

About the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL): The NPSL was founded in 2003 and is a national team-run men’s pro-am league with over 35 teams in four conferences, and is sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) as an affiliate of the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). Both USSF and FIFA recognize the NPSL as a Division IV league behind Major League Soccer (MLS), the North American Soccer League (NASL) and USL Pro. Through USASA, NPSL clubs are able to qualify for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, the oldest running soccer tournament in the country and one of the oldest soccer tournaments in the world. For more information, visit our official website at http://www.npslsoccer.net or send us an e-mail at pr@npslsoccer.net.