Edgar Davids Street Soccer Tour: Episode 1

"Edgar Davids takes his team of Street Legends on a tour of Europe and Africa to battle against the best local teams. Who will be the undisputed rulers of the streets?

In Amsterdam East, the Street Legends face the Netherlands' finest talent. Edgar's friend Ryan Babel comes along to support."

Don't Forget! 3v3 Street Soccer

Street Stadia + Pitch Black

The wheels are turning. Street Stadia, you have officially caught my attention. Looking into unit cost.

Thirsty Lion 3 v 3 Street Soccer Tournament

For the third year in a row we are having a 3v3 street soccer tournament here in Portland. The first year it was held downtown at the Thirsty Lion, followed by last summers event in Pioneer Square. This year the event will be held in Tigard at the new Thirsty Lion location. Should be the perfect opportunity to showcase some of your new freestyle moves.

I had the pleasure of participating in the inaugural event outside Thirsty Lion, and it was part of my inspiration to start this blog. The idea of Pitch Black was born after playing under the lights at this tournament in front of the large crowds. I would highly recommend putting a team together for this event. Be sure to visit the website for all the details:

WASHINGTON SQUARE THIRSTY LION 3v3 STREET SOCCER

Dates: August 20 and 21
Time: 9 AM
Cost: $150 per team
Registration deadline is August 17th

Nike5: Street Gato. Your Thoughts?

Who out there has had a chance to try out the new street gato from Nike? Let me know what you think about the shoes in terms of feel, touch, and durability. I'm probably most interested in the durability of these shoes. I've used my lunar gato boots outside on tennis courts and pavement and they have really taken a beating.

My personal favorite colorway would be the all black upper with white outsole. The little touch of neon green/yellow circling the boot completes the look.

Golazo, Welcome to Portland

If you haven't noticed I have been absent for about 2 weeks now. The explanation is simple. I have been stuck at 199 posts since I started this site, and I wanted to celebrate my 200th post with something truly special. Well here it is folks!

Golazo Energy is set to make its much anticipated debut in the Portland market this month, and I have been given permission to post the debut commercial! The spot is brilliant and it's sure to create a buzz around the drink. Let me know what you think!

Golazo Energy Review + Freestyle

Golazo, Born to Score. This week I took the opportunity to crack into my 6-pack of the soccer branded energy drink. I gave 3 cans to friends, but the others I used on three separate occasions (pictured below). First, I want to say I love the design of the can. The green, black and white color combination makes for a unique presentation that should stand out on store shelves.

After taking my first sip I was surprised by the flavor. It's unlike any drink I've tried in the energy drink category. The mango flavor jumped out to me right off the bat, and eventually I was able to notice the lime. Golazo has less carbonation than other drinks and lacks the amount of sugar as well. These are both positives in my book, because the drink's marketed as providing both energy and hydration.

In terms of results, I had a positive experience. I started drinking my can about 25 minutes before an indoor game, making sure to drink slowly. My performance in the game was great. I was running the length of the field and I could feel an extra bit of jump in my step. We had multiple subs, and I wasn't about to hog minutes, so I didn't get to test how my stamina would hold over the full 44 minutes. However, I left the game feeling fresh and without the common stomach pain I get when I drink a Red Bull or AMP. The second can I drank before a long shift at work. Retail can be a boring and exhausting job, and having the Golazo certainly helped. I did crash towards the end of my shift, but that is expected. It's retail... it puts you to sleep.

Overall, I'm really impressed with Golazo. They have a solid product and they certainly know how to create a buzz. Hopefully I can get my hands on some more soon!

Trial #1: Started drinking 25 minutes before an indoor soccer game

Trial #2: Pounded a can before working a shift at my retail job

Trial #3: Drank before playing some soccer tennis and practicing some freestyle. Here is my roommate the Footy Guru putting on a display in the background.

Foggy Freestyle Volume VI

Trying to look cool with a soccer ball... not really working. Here are my latest freestyle clips taken today at our secret soccer tennis location in Lake Oswego.

Portland Timbers Street Team

Portland Timbers Street Team

Follow the link above and apply now. Sounds like a fun opportunity if you just need a 5-10 hr/week job on the side. If you don't have season tickets to the Timbers, this could get you inside the park... and then we can hang out.

IRWIN FC REMAINS UNDEFEATED TO CLAIM COED INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIP

The club concludes a perfect season with a 9-0 record

2/8/2011

Reported by: Shiloh Rodriguez

PORTLAND, Ore. – Irwin FC won the Winter 1 Sunday Coed League Championship February 6, defeating the Thundercats 9-5 at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center (MJCC) Indoor Soccer facility. The clash of the two undefeated teams was a mouth-watering fixture enjoyed by the many spectators in attendance. Irwin FC showed tremendous character by rebounding from an early 3-1 deficit.

Irwin FC manager/goalkeeper Nick Irwin gave his team praise after the match, “I could not be more happy for our squad, we showed grit coming back from an early deficit” He later went on to say, “the players left everything out on the pitch, this win is huge for the club and most importantly for our fans.”

The final was nothing short of entertaining with five lead changes. It was the Thundercats that found the back of the net first scoring shortly after the kickoff. Joe Fleckenstein (also know as Footy Guru in the blogging world) equalized for Irwin FC, striking a strongly driven low shot to the far post, leaving Thundercats’ keeper Max (hospital-ball) Schuetze dumbfounded. During the first half Irwin FC continued to pressure the defense creating numerous opportunities; however, this would soon backfire. The Thundercats punished Irwin FC for committing too many players forward scoring off of a counterattack and went into the halftime with a 2-1 lead.

At the beginning of the second half the Thundercats picked up right where they left off, capitalizing on the counterattack to take a 3-1 lead. It was at this point that Irwin FC seemed to hit a higher gear, essentially scoring six unanswered goals. The final score line of 9-5 does not accurately reflect the evenly contested match.

Irwin FC was collectively disappointed that star striker Steve Strand could not suit up for football on Super Bowl Sunday. “I blame our sluggish start on Steve’s absence, if he was here, it would have been an entirely different game,” Nick said after the game. Strand was in San Francisco over the weekend on a recruiting/business trip with adidas.

Striker Ross Schunk, who won the MLS Cup Championship with the Colorado Rapids in November, put on an impressive performance scoring twice (the league’s scoring limit for males).

Alissa Russell, the former Portland State University Women’s Soccer player, had her best game of the season netting four goals. Her critics were initially skeptical, there were rumors that she indulged in pre-game drinking; critics were silenced after her inspirational performance.

The club will continue its undefeated trek next week in the MJCC Indoor Soccer Coed League. Nick will announce what day the team will be playing in the next couple of days.

Irwin FC lineup:
Mike Fogg, Joe Fleckenstein, Jessica Ehlers, Bryan Irwin, Alissa Russell, Juan Mercado, Nick Irwin, Shiloh Rodriguez, Ross Schunk

Notes:

· Jessica Ehlers has yet to take a shot on goal.

· Juan Mercado started the match off a bit sluggish; rumors suggest he ate excessively before the game, four bratwurst sausages to be exact.

· Mike Fogg (aka Fogg Machine) showed tremendous heart, taking a ball to the face causing his nose to bleed. He was forced to leave the pitch but returned moments later.

· There will be another team photo taken at the first match of next session to makeup for absent players (Steve Strand)

Inspiration: Golazo Energy

So I'm visiting some of my favorite blogs when I came across this video. My jaw literally dropped. Golazo is an energy drink company that is focused on the sport of soccer. They are located in Seattle, but have plans of expanding to Portland in the future. I've known about the beverage through a friend, but I had no idea they were throwing parties of this magnitude. In this video they are showcasing a recent 3v3 soccer event that was held in order to promote the beverage. I couldn't help but think about Pitch Black as I watched this clip. It was great to see some of my ideas incorporated into the event. The graffiti murals on the walls, painted team crests, and the hard court surface are all features that I have discussed here on this blog. To see an event of the same style really gets me excited for the possibility of creating a permanent destination for this brand of soccer.

Foggy Freestyle Volume V

Lesson #1: Don't Lose at Soccer Tennis

We had a bet and I lost. Whoever won at soccer tennis would have the pleasure of filming the other player suffer as they did 50 push-ups on the wet court. On top of that, the video would get posted on the internet for all to see. Obviously, I didn't take into account our past matches. I have never defeated the Footy Guru at this game... yet. Just as I defeated Fleck in the 1 v 1 side netting challenge, I will eventually overtake him in every aspect of the game. This defeat will only motivate me to push harder to reach new heights.

Anything is Possible

This is what dreams are made of. Nike gave thousands of players the chance to perform on the big stage and try to achieve the ultimate goal; To earn a professional contract. Some players out there never have that opportunity to showcase their talent. With so many players across the globe, sometimes a raw gem might fall through the cracks. When you do get that chance you need to own it. You never know who might be watching.

7.3 Thousand. Keep the Hits Rolling

Thank you all for supporting my little side project here. Pitch Black was created over 2 months ago to keep me busy during my free time. I had plenty of ideas that I needed to write down, and starting a blog seemed like the best way to showcase these ideas for all to see. Starting a soccer facility has been a dream of mine, and hopefully someday I can make it a reality. I have slowed down lately, but I hope to pick it up again with some fresh content. Keep on visiting and let me know what you think.

Pitch Black Court Surface: Eclipse

I gave my designer (my pops) a few design elements I wanted to incorporate into the court. First of all I thought it would be cool to use the image of a solar eclipse as the center circle. The eclipse makes sense considering the name of my facility and it could serve as a striking image making the court memorable for players. I also wanted to mess around with the use of dashed lines resembling street lane markings. These are only mock-ups and I will continue to think of other options for the court. Let me know what you think of the eclipse theme.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

I hope you all have a wonderful time with your family and friends the next few days. I will have some great content for you after the holiday. While I'm over at my parents I will begin the design work on the Pitch Black t-shirts, so stay tuned for that. I also hope to have concept art of the court surface soon. I've got a design in my head and will leave it to my artist to get it drawn out. It will be a surface unlike anything you have seen before.

In other news I will be playing in a indoor soccer tournament the day after Christmas at SoccerPlex in Beaverton. I will try to take some video and pictures for you all to enjoy. Once again have a Happy Christmas and I will see you all very soon!

Spider-Man in Goal

Nike 5: Become the Master

1 v 1 Challenge: Round Two

I managed to turn the tables in round two. I threw an assortment of tricks at my opponent and he was left dazed. Be sure to check out the FoggMachine move (10 second mark), the nutmeg aka "through the wickets" (21 seconds), and the game winning shot from an impossible angle (26 seconds). This will go down in history as one of my greatest achievements in the game of soccer. I'd like to give thanks to my CTR 360s for giving me the total control I needed to make this possible!