The "Beau Show" leads Tide over Spokane

#12 Beau Macaluso July 7th against the Sounders.
Jenni Conner GOALTacoma.com photo.

Stadium High School graduate and UW Husky recruit Beau Macaluso scored the tying goal and created the eventual match-winner when he was tripped in the box as the Tacoma Tide outlasted the Spokane Spiders 3-2 July 19th in the Lilac City.

The match was moved from Spokane Falls Community College's stadium to Plantes Ferry Park, a field without permanent seating. Fans brought lawn chairs and blankets to take in the action.

Tacoma took a 1-0 lead when Ciaran O'Brien's corner kick met the head of Scott Hand. The Spiders drew level at 1-1 with a penalty kick mid-half, and took a 2-1 lead into the locker room.

Macaluso drew Tacoma back at 2-2. The young forward then found a loose ball in the penalty area late on. He was brought down and O'Brien finished the deal by converting the penalty shot as the Tide won their 10th match of the PDL campaign. Tacoma are now W-10 D-2 L-3 with their final regular season match coming this Saturday July 21 at Abbotsford Rangers.

The PDL website currently lists the score of the match and the Tide record incorrectly. We'll trust TacomaFC.com has the correct details.

Tacoma will travel to play in a loser-out two day playoff tournament against the winner of the Southwest Division on July 27. Should the Tide win that one, they would advance to play the next night against the winner of the BYU-SW Division second place team match. Both matches will be hosted at the same venue, which will be announced as playoff positions are settled.

Tide countdown towards playoffs

Tide guard goal in Seattle scrimmage.

The Tacoma Tide are counting down to next Friday's playoff match (July 27).

Who they'll play and where it will be held are yet to be announced. This weekend's matches in the Southwest division will determine whether the Tide face Fresno or San Fernando Valley. Speculation is running high that Fresno Fuego would host the playoff matches if they qualify. The Tide would face the home team, and BYU would be on hand to face the other entrant. Winners would face each other the next night (July 28) in Fresno to see who advances.

The Tide have two road matches this week to end their regular season. They'll want to play well and avoid injuries to maintain momentum.

On July 17th the Tide scrimmaged with the Seattle Sounders at "Kids Day" for the Seattle club. Tacoma was challenged to get a full squad out to play Seattle, as many Tide players took a pass from the meaningless 60-minute scrimmage.

Seattle won the scrimmage 3-0. No Tide players were injured, and it was interesting to see a Sounder (Matt Fischer) suit up for the Tide along with several other unknowns.

Here's our photo gallery of the scrimmage, and another smaller one.

Tacoma is at Spokane July 19 and in Abbotsford July 21.

NOTES
A brief visit with Tide GM Mike Jennings before the scrimmage with the Sounders indicates that the Tide do have long-range goals to move up the USL ladder to a higher level if money and support permit it. Jennings remains concerned about the disconnect between the USL and MLS, however, as Tacoma look to the future and how they might fit in if Seattle gets an MLS team.

Tacoma gets its own soccer fan site

Welcome to GOALTacoma.com, or at least the blog part of this new website.

Hey Tacoma and South Sound, this one's for you.

Take a look around the new 'sister site' to GOALSeattle.com. You'll see history in the museum section. Years and years of Tacoma Stars and more.

You'll see a forum where you are invited to camp out and make yourself comfy while talking about soccer in Tacoma and beyond.

You'll see lots of photos of Tacoma's soccer teams both past and present in the galleries.

You'll see a link leading right back to this blog.

It's a cool time to be a soccer fan in Tacoma. Local colleges are always competitive, and the 2-year-old Tacoma Tide are buzzing with their first playoff season.

Indoors the Tacoma Stars live on at the Tacoma Soccer Center in the PASL, playing both summer and winter seasons before growing crowds.

Soccer is an awesome sport, and anyone who hasn't been to Tacoma lately should check it out and see what an awesome city it is rebounding into.

Volunteer content for this website is encouraged! Send stories, links, photos, etc. my way!

davidrfalk@gmail.com

Tide Clinch Playoff Berth

Yellow trumps Red in a cross-state showdown.

It's been a great year down south in Tacoma for the Premier Development League (PDL) Tacoma Tide. TFC finished an undefeated home season (7 wins, 2 draws) with a resounding 5-0 trouncing of the Yakima Reds July 14 at Curtis High School's Viking Field (aka the "Tide Pool.")

Tacoma scored early and late in the first half to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Late in the second half the flood gates opened and the Tide flowed through for 3 more markers.

Tacoma has clinched a playoff spot in only their second season in existence. The Tide will face the winner of the PDL Southwest Division in the first round. BYU clinched the Northwest Division title with a 2-1 win over Ogden Outlaws last night. A second-place Tacoma finish pits them against the top southern club. Currently the LA-area San Fernando Valley Quakes lead the Fresno Fuego by 3 points in that division race.

Using the video feature in my new camera I captured two of the Tacoma goals (watch video below). Both are of note. The first one (which made it 3-0 Tide) because of the reaction of the Yakima goalkeeper (who ate all the pies?) and the second (4-0 Tide) because it is yet another Ciaran O'Brien free kick spectacular. Curve it like Ciaran!

The first goal in the video is a breakaway featuring Chase Tangney crossing the ball to Rory Agu for the goal. Doesn't look offsides to me, but the Yakima keeper went beserk, and you can even hear his father coming down to the edge of the stands and yelling at the ref at the end.

Ciaran O'Brien has no less than FIVE free kick goals in 2007, and all have been things of beauty.

The Tide have two matches remaining in their regular season: at Spokane July 20 and at Abbotsford July 21. The Tide's first playoff match is scheduled for July 27 with the Southwest division winner, time and place to be announced soon.

During Friday's 2-1 win in Salem over the Cascade Surge Tide defender Steve Mohn suffered a fractured leg. He'll miss the rest of the Tide season and all of the upcoming University of Washington Huskies season as well. Mohn plans to apply for a medical red-shirt waiver, and also has hopes of playing for TFC again next summer.

Match Coverage:
GOALTacoma.com: video highlights
GOALTacoma.com: photo gallery
TacomaFC.com: Tide Celebrate First Ever Playoff Berth!
USLSoccer.com: box score (eventually updated with goal scorers, etc.)
ElfElm.com: Hundreds of match photos!