Hoops eye South American talent

FRISCO, Texas -- FC Dallas head coach Schellas Hyndman and top assistant John Ellinger have returned from a nearly two-week trip to South America, where the pair took in games at both River Plate in Argentina and at Clube Atletico Paranaense (CAP), the Hoops' South American partner in Brazil.

"The trip to Argentina was very, very useful," he said. "I think the positives from our trip were identifying players for immediate help and 20 identifying players for future help. There was one very good player that was brought in from the (River Plate under) 17s to the first team that they think will be starting next year. There was also a player from Argentina that was called into the under-20 national team that I was interested in, but they have bigger plans for him."

Last season, FCD was one of the youngest teams in MLS. So Hyndman definitely wasn't looking to make his roster any younger while in South America.

"The thing I tried to stay away from was reserve players," he said. "I don't think we need any more young players. I think this is a double-edged sword for us. We talk about our future because we have got so many good young players, but I don't know if we need any more good young players. I think we need established players, players with experience who can help our young players grow. So I chose not to look at their reserve players very seriously."

Hyndman admitted that a pair of players from FCD's Brazilian partner that caught his eye.

"There are players from Atlйtico Paranaense that we are making offers to," he said. "One's a second striker, another one is a defender."

Those players definitely fit with what needs Hyndman has expressed for his team going forward.

"I think we need a couple positions," he said. "We need a center back who can bring some experience, a little bit of athletic ability, maybe a little bit of hardness, somebody who is aggressive, can win some balls in the air and make you pay a little bit if you come in there.

"I would like to see a left-sided midfielder," Hyndman continued. "We did not pick up (Victor) Sikora's option because we just didn't see enough. Sikora is a player we brought in for Arturo Alvarez, but we never got Victor on the field till the end and it was just one game. Even though he did OK in that game and scored a goal, I just didn't see enough. So I think we need a left-sided midfielder."

But FCD's top need might be an attacking midfielder.

"As badly as Bruno (Guarda) may not want to hear this, I think we may need a true No. 10," Hyndman said. "I think we need a true No. 10 that is a (Guillermo Barros) Schelotto type or a (Dwayne) De Rosario type -- a player that can change the game, a player that can score goals, a player that can make the killer pass. Of course, if we lose Kenny (Cooper), then we need a striker. But right now I think (our most pressing needs are) a strong defender, a flank player on the left side, and a true No. 10."

Despite changes, Fire find success

BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. -- From the start of the 2008 season, the Chicago Fire had a lot to deal with.

They had a new head coach in Denis Hamlett, who was a familiar face from many years of working as an assistant coach but who still had to install his own system.

They had a new goalkeeper in veteran Jon Busch, who had spent one season as a backup to young Matt Pickens.

Eventually, they found three new defenders on a four-man back line, with Bakary Soumare moving back from holding midfielder to center back and Brandon Prideaux moving in from the waiver wire to a starting job on the right side.

At midseason, they had to readjust their offensive attack with the addition of superstar Brian McBride and the departure of Chad Barrett.

Through it all, they forged a 13-10-7 regular season record and advanced to the Eastern Conference Championship, where they fell to the Columbus Crew 2-1 after being the only team in the league the Crew did not defeat at least once in the regular season.

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"We felt we were very close to getting to the final," Hamlett said in retrospect. "We had a good enough team. We felt we could win it, and we were disappointed not to get there. But I am still very proud of the accomplishments we had this year, getting to the conference final and losing to the best team in terms of consistency over the year. As a group, throughout the year, we were a very competitive team and played entertaining soccer."

That's especially true if you enjoy defensive soccer. The Fire led the league in goals against for much of the season (Until giving up two goals in each of the last three games). It was not until the eighth game of the season that they gave up more than one goal in a game, and they had a stretch in July in which they gave up three goals total in seven games.

"We put some new faces in there, but it came together very quickly, and a lot of times it doesn't happen as quickly as it did for us this year," said Busch, who was a finalist for MLS Goalkeeper of the Year honors. "That is a credit to the coaching staff, and to the players for being able to learn and adapt, and become a cohesive unit as quick as possible."

Offensively, there were struggles, but they were more in identifying the best possible combination of talent. Initially, Hamlett went with winter signing Tomasz Frankowski along with veteran Barrett in attack, but he gave starts to Calen Carr (who was injured before midseason), rookie Patrick Nyarko and Andy Herron. Chris Rolfe also played some at forward before settling into an attacking midfielder role.

The forward spot become cemented once Brian McBride joined the club after a successful stint in the English Premier League. Barrett was sent to Toronto to complete the transaction, and McBride and Cuauhtemoc Blanco ended up being listed at forward for most of the final games on the schedule.

"Brian came over and he is a fantastic guy and a great player, but I don't know what people were expecting, that all of a sudden, boom, he shows up and we are automatic champions," Busch said. "That doesn't happen. But it did make us more dangerous offensively. It gave us an avenue to play long balls up to the target forward, which we hadn't had before. You can hit long balls up to him and he can bring them down or flick them on. It made us more creative going forward, with more options."

The Fire finished with 44 goals in 30 games, the fifth-best total in the league. Rolfe finished with nine goals, Blanco had seven and McBride and midfielder John Thorrington had five each.

But Hamlett admitted his club did have difficulty when asked to come from behind.

"Coming from behind, we didn't have such a good record," Hamlett said. "That is something that was evident throughout the year. That comes with experience and maturity. It is still a process."

There were some remarkable high points, including a 5-1 win at New York on May 25 and a 3-0 record against the hated New England Revolution, including nine goals scored, a pair of wins at Gillette Stadium, and a 4-0 win in the second game of the season that put the league on notice.

The Fire did not lose consecutive games until June, but twice had winless streaks of three games. Pundits complained the Fire lacked consistency, an attack Hamlett has read and totally disagrees with.

The Fire opened the season with six wins in their first nine games, but then won just once over their next eight, a two-month span. Then after a stretch of four wins in six contests following the All-Star break, Chicago limped down the stretch, winning just twice in their final seven games while allowing nearly half of all of the goals they conceded on the season (15 of 33).

"We finished third in the league in points, and if you base it on that, we weren't too far off," Hamlett said. "Overall, I don't think it was an inconsistent year.

"We showed flashes of being a very good team," he said. "I think overall, when you step back and do a self-evaluation, I think there were more positives than negatives."

Cooper's future remains a hot topic

FRISCO, Texas -- Almost since the moment he took over as head coach of FC Dallas in mid-June, one constant issue for Schellas Hyndman has been whether or not forward Kenny Cooper would be leaving for Europe. First there was the courtship with Danish side Rosenborg around the 2008 MLS All-Star Game. And now with the calendar inching ever closer to the January transfer window, that talk has started again.

Cooper comes off a season where he rebounded nicely from a broken leg that forced him to miss much of the 2007 campaign. The Dallas native scored 18 goals, second in MLS and came away with Comeback Player of the Year honors and also earned a spot on the league's Best XI.

Toward the end of the 2008 campaign, FCD acquired veteran striker Jeff Cunningham, who ended the year with five goals in 11 games for the Hoops. Yet in the end FCD missed the playoffs and Hyndman would like to see both Cooper and Cunningham back for 2009.

However, the FCD coach said they are nearing the point of no return -- where he needs to know what Cooper's decision will be.

"This is one issue that just never seems to ever go away," Hyndman said. "It's tough because you want the best for the player and he's a great kid. He's a young man, a good player and he's got such a great future. I think he'll be in Europe whether it's this year, next year, or two years from now. But I think we are very close to making a decision."

For Hyndman, it all boils down to what's best for the entire team.

"I think what's going to end up happening, my feeling is, it may come to a point where the team comes first and it's, 'Kenny, you're here no matter what. You've had this opportunity, but this has gone on a little too long. We don't want to lose you, but we've given you that chance to find something else and it hasn't worked out,'" Hyndman said. "I mean the Rosenborg situation was a done deal then it fell apart, but in the meantime, we're going right and left not knowing."

But that doesn't mean that the FCD coach also doesn't want to do what's best for his talented young scorer and Dallas native, who has scored 33 goals since being signed after playing in the Manchester United reserve side.

"I would like to also do the best thing for Kenny," Hyndman said. "I like Kenny a lot and I like his family a lot. Sometimes I try to make decisions on how I would want to be treated. If my grandson had an opportunity to go play for Man U, I wouldn't want somebody to say he can't go. I want to do the best thing for Kenny but I cannot hurt this team to do that.

"If I hurt this team to do that, then I'll be watching from the stands or some place else and I won't be here. My responsibility is to myself, and my family, and this program," he continued. "So we are working very hard to compromise and try and work with Kenny. I think we've offered him a very good contract. Now it's just (a question of) what is in his mind."

One thing is for sure: Cooper will not be signed as a designated player.

"If the league were to agree to make Kenny a designated player, Taylor Twellman is going to show up, Shalrie Joseph is going to show up, Landon Donovan is going to show up and Brian Ching is going to show up," Hyndman said. "It's going to be, 'You gave it to Kenny Cooper, why not to me?' We went to the league on this and we want to keep him. We've done everything we possibly can with (investor-operator) Clark (Hunt's) blessing and the league has come back and said no."

Zusi, Gonzalez star on Terps' Cup run

FRISCO, Texas -- Graham Zusi scored both Maryland goals, game-winners at that, to lead the Terrapins to the 2008 NCAA Men's College Cup title. Omar Gonzalez anchored a backline that kept clean sheets in both of the final four wins. So, it was no big surprise when Zusi was named the event's Most Outstanding Offensive Player and Gonzalez the tournament's Most Outstanding Defensive Player for the new national champs.

Zusi's first bit of heroics came in the second overtime of Friday's national semifinal with St. John's. The sides were scoreless after 104 minutes of play until Zusi stepped up and ended the match with a goal directly off a free kick from 25 yards out to give the Terps a 1-0 victory.

In Sunday's match, Zusi struck paydirt for the Terrapins at the 66-minute mark. His goal came after a Doug Rodkey cross from the right flank was met by Jeremy Hall whose shot was deflected by a UNC player. That carom fell to Zusi, who curled a shot inside the left post for the game's only goal.

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"Once again, the right player, a senior scores the game-winner," Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "I couldn't be happier for him or our whole team."

It was the second time as a collegian that the Maryland forward had played on a national championship team. Zusi was also on the school's 2005 title squad.

"What more can you ask for, really," he said. "Both teams are special in their own ways. I was extremely happy to be part of this one. Everything about it was incredible."

Zusi, a senior from Longwood, Fla., was the center of the Maryland attack throughout the weekend. His two goals in the final four gave him six on the season, and 28 for his four-year career. Zusi is one of 65 collegians who has been invited to next month's MLS Player Combine in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. in the week leading up to the 2009 SuperDraft.

"When Jeremy (Hall) took the shot initially, it got deflected and I thought the ball was shielded from the goalie between the defender and Jeremy right in front of me," Zusi said. "So I was just trying to curl it around him. I don't really know (what happened). I guess it is a little bit of being in the right place. I try to step up at the right time when my team needs me the most."

Earlier in the year, when Zusi was struggling after a road loss at Clemson, he remembers a pep talk from Cirovski that really built his confidence.

"Sasho told me that I did have it in me," he recalled. "It was just a matter of me buying into it."

Following the win, he was congratulated by UNC midfielder Garry Lewis, who was a high school teammate of Zusi's at Lake Brantley H.S. in Florida.

"He was very congratulatory," Zusi said. "He's a great player and a very strong and solid midfielder. He also told me best of luck in the future."

Sunday was also a big day for Gonzalez and the entire UM back line. The Dallas native and 2007 ACC Defender of the Year helped anchor a unit that logged its school-record 15th shutout in the championship game and won its 16th consecutive match.

Gonzalez, who has previously trained with FC Dallas in the offseason, was not only very pleased to play a prominent role in Maryland's title-clinching win, but he was also happy to do so in front of countless friends and family.

"Every one of them (was here)," Gonzalez said. "I don't know how many but I would say close friends of the family where there, my rec coach and club coach growing up were there. Just seeing all those guys and thanking them for playing the game of soccer and seeing all my friends and family there was incredible. My brother, mom and dad were here but my sisters couldn't make it. My girlfriend came down too from Maryland."

The 6-foot-5 defender, who was a U.S. U-17 international and scored five goals this season to give him seven for his three years at Maryland, was nearly overwhelmed at winning a national title for the first time.

"I don't really know what to say," he said. "Right when that final whistle blew, I stopped didn't go anywhere and took it all in. I just saw everyone running everywhere and I was just looking at my family and all the fans that came down here from Maryland. I appreciated all the support that they have us and I think I might have blacked out."

Zusi leads Maryland to College Cup

FRISCO, Texas -- Graham Zusi was the big hero for Maryland in the 2008 NCAA Men's College Cup, as his second goal of the College Cup -- the only two scored by the Terrapins -- gave Maryland the national championship with a 1-0 victory against North Carolina at Pizza Hut Park.

In Friday's semifinal, Zusi's goal off a free kick in the 104th minute propelled Maryland past St. John's. Then Sunday afternoon, the senior midfielder and tournament's Most Outstanding Offensive Player delivered yet again, scoring the game's only goal midway through the second half to power Maryland (23-3-0) to the third national title in school history.

"Our goal at the beginning of the year was to be the last team standing," Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "Our motto was from The Home Depot Center to Pizza Hut Park. There was a time in the middle of this year when I wasn't sure we had the fiber of a champion and we challenged out guys right after the Clemson game. A lot of talented players on this squad had not won any championships and we reminded them what it would take to be a champion. They not only bought into it, they exceeded every expectation I had."

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Zusi's second goal in three days came after Doug Rodkey sent a cross in from the right flank to start the sequence. Jeremy Hall then attempted to get off a shot but it was deflected by a UNC player. The carom fell to Zusi's feet and he punched it into the left side of the net to give the Terps a 1-0 edge.

After the goal, the first UNC had allowed in 269 minutes, the Tar Heels (15-8-1) made a final push, but in the end UNC lost despite a 14-10 edge in shots.

"It was a hard game for us," UNC head coach Elmar Bolowich said. "I felt like we had a tough time getting into the rhythm, especially in the first half. In the second half with our wind at our back, I thought we would do a little more but Maryland's defense held very strong. So I want to congratulate them for winning the national championship. I want to congratulate our team for an outstanding effort. I think we left everything on the field and I can't ask for anything more."

The final was played in 25 mph winds that swirled around the field. Maryland logged seven shots in the first half, five of which were on goal while UNC had six shots but none of those were on target.

Maryland's best chance of the first half came in the 24th minute. Matt Kassel took a corner kick that Terrapins forward Jason Herrick corralled on the left flank. Herrick attempted to tuck a shot inside the near post but UNC 'keeper Brooks Haggerty made a diving save to send the ball over the endline for another corner.

Three minutes later, Maryland apparently struck first after Jeremy Hall fed Herrick, who then delivered a perfect finish into the back of the Carolina net. However, Herrick was ruled offside by the official on the far sideline and the match remained scoreless.

Seven minutes before the halftime break, Zusi stepped up to take another free kick for Maryland, this one being from 35 yards. The senior struck the ball well but UNC goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty was there to make another great stop.

For Maryland, the win in the national title match was their 16th in a row and third of 2008 at Carolina's expense. It was also their school-record 23rd win and the 15th clean sheet the Terrapins have kept this year, another school standard.

Maryland placed an event-high five players on the All-Tournament Team while UNC had four. Junior Omar Gonzalez, a Dallas native who had a host of friends and family in attendance, earned Most Outstanding Defensive Player honors for his role as the anchor of a Maryland back line that was rock solid throughout the weekend, not allowing a single goal in 194 minutes.

Tar Heels, Terrapins meet again

FRISCO, Texas -- On Nov. 12, Maryland beat North Carolina 2-1 at the ACC tournament. That loss was the fifth in a row for the Tar Heels and had many wondering how UNC would fare in the NCAA tournament.

Well, Carolina came alive, beating Jacksonville, Illinois-Chicago and Northwestern to reach the 2008 NCAA Men's College Cup, where on Friday night, they dispatched conference rival and reigning national champ Wake Forest 1-0 to reach Sunday afternoon's final, where they will face another league rival in Maryland, who has already beaten UNC twice this year.

Despite their struggles, Carolina never doubted that they would have a shot at playing for their first national title since 2001.

"I had no doubt in my mind," UNC senior midfielder Garry Lewis said. "I felt that we were more than capable. Coming into the season, we got on a roll quick and then we hit a slump. A lot of people wrote us off but we knew that we could turn a lot of heads and play the underdog role. I think we love that and thrive on that."

For UNC head coach Elmar Bolowich, playing such a familiar foe in the final might or might not provide an advantage for either team.

"I felt like it was good to know what Wake Forest was like having been through games with them so that we could prepare for them," he said. "Is it an advantage? We'll see. It's a championship game and you can't only focus on Maryland, you've got to perform because it's a championship game. We want to win that title. Whoever steps on the field against us that day is irrelevant."

Friendly rivalry: Maryland senior Graham Zusi was the big hero for the Terrapins on Friday when he converted a free kick for the game-winner in the 104th minute. On Sunday, he will face one of his former high school teammates from Lake Brantley H.S. in Longwood, Florida in Lewis.

"Defensively, Zusi, I played with him in high school and know him pretty well," Lewis said. "It's going to be good. He's really skilled technically, so I've just got to stay on my feet and hope everything goes for the best."

However, the two haven't just faced each other in the ACC, they also squared off once before while Lewis was at St. John's prior to his transferring to Chapel Hill.

"We played against each other in high school and we also played on the state and regional ODP teams," Lewis said. "He's a competitor. When I played at St. John's my freshman year, we played them in the Sweet 16 at College Park and he played in that game and so did I. They beat us and went on to win the national title. Every year since, Maryland has had the upper hand. Not only do I want to beat their whole team but with he and I playing, I'm friends with him but it's going to be good. It's a good, friendly, competitive relationship between us because we both want to win."

Only the beginning: The Terrapins head into Sunday's title tilt riding a 15-game winning streak. That run of greatness all started after a 5-3 loss at Clemson on Oct. 3. It's a setback that Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski and his players all remember very well.

"I think that bus ride home and that whole week was a challenge to the players on how soccer is won or lost," Cirovski said. "This is game that if you don't pay attention to the process and the little things, it can punish you. That's been our advantage. This is a team that I've had to coach less in the last six weeks than any other team I've ever had because they've bought into the respect for the game and the respect for the principles and process that entitles you to have the ability to succeed. I think that's kind of been our trademark."

Senior defender A.J. Delagarza also uses that loss as motivation.

"We were scored on five times -- the most we've ever been scored on in four years," he said. "Psychologically, the seniors took a step up after that game and took more of a leadership role. We had a leadership role, but we took more of a step forward to make sure something like that doesn't happen again. Since then, we haven't let in more than one goal a game. Collectively, we have all done a better job defensively and I think that's what has helped us."

Mutual admiration society: Not only are Maryland and North Carolina very familiar with one another as fellow members of the ACC, but there is also a high level of respect between the two coaches and their squads.

"Well, there is a reason why they're here -- they're a really strong team," Bolowich said. "They have good balance just like all four teams that were here. They have very few weaknesses and if we can find them, great and I hope we do. They're strong and experienced coming off a national championship in 2005. They have been going very deep in the playoffs in the last 10-12 years too. Sasho (Cirovski) has done a very good job, so they are really well organized. It will be another close game. It will be another of those typical ACC matches that you'll see."

And Cirovski's respect for UNC is apparent.

"I think we know each other very well," he said. "We're on a first name basis with all of their players. If you look at the history of all championship games, it can be one mistake that can make a difference. Precision on set pieces, precision on runs in the box and precision in making a game-saving clearance, a game-saving tackle or a game-saving save, those things will have to be done on both ends at some point in the game tomorrow. I just want us to be in the position to make those plays happen."

ACC foes to square off in College Cup

FRISCO, Texas -- Coming into the 2008 NCAA Men's College Cup, considering that three teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference made the national semifinals, it was a good bet that two ACC sides could square off for the national title.

Many thought, however, that one of those teams would be Wake Forest, the defending national titleholder who has been to the College Cup for three consecutive years. On Friday night, ACC rivals North Carolina and Maryland instead punched their tickets for Sunday's afternoon NCAA championship game at Pizza Hut Park.

In Friday night's first semifinal, North Carolina (15-7-1) got an early goal from senior striker Brian Shriver, a tally that proved to be the game-winner and sent the Demon Deacons packing.

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In the second game, Maryland and St. John's remained scoreless through 104 minutes. That quickly changed when Terrapins senior Graham Zusi stepped up and took a free kick from about 25 yards out. Zusi struck the ball perfectly, sending it into the left side of the Red Storm's goal to end the game and set up the all-ACC final.

"We are very excited to be playing another day and are looking forward to the opportunity to play for a national title," UNC head coach Elmar Bolowich said. "The fact that it is two ACC teams bodes extremely well for our conference. I'm really proud of our team and the way we performed on Friday. I think we showed that we can play and that we are a very good team. I'm looking forward to the Sunday match against Maryland."

Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski's sentiment was very similar.

"We are honored and delighted to have an opportunity to play on Sunday," he said. "It is a goal that we set at the beginning of the year, to have a chance to play on the biggest stage in college soccer. We know North Carolina well and have a great deal of respect for their coaches and their players."

It will be the third time these sides have met this year. On November 7, UNC fell 2-1 at Maryland and five days later, they met in the ACC tournament with the Terps prevailing once again by a 2-1 margin.

"We have had a couple of highly competitive games with them already and we expect Sunday to be another great, tough battle against a team that is playing its best soccer of the year," Cirovski said. "We're looking forward to that challenge and we're ready."

Maryland's win on Friday was their 15th in a row, a streak that began after the Terrapins lost 5-3 at Clemson on Oct. 3.

"I reminded them of what they invested last winter, last spring and last summer, which is the most of every team I've had. I reminded them that it's time to reap the rewards of that and that we won't reap those rewards if we don't pay attention to details," Cirovski said. "I think we're seeing those rewards now."

For Zusi, who will be playing in his final game with the Terps, the focus is simple.

"Once you get to this stage, every team you play is a great team," he said. "Carolina is a great team and they've proven it in this tournament. We just want to go out and play our game. I think that if we do that, we have a good chance of being successful.

"Yes, I think we definitely have a chip on our shoulder. We know that we're good and that we can compete. We have to prove it now. We have everything, the title is on the line and we've lost to this team twice earlier in the year. It's about pride and showing them that we're the better team tomorrow and we're going to show them."

Carolina, on the other hand, had lost five in a row heading into the NCAA tournament, something that gave the Tar Heels something to prove in the postseason.

"I think we definitely have a chip on our shoulder," UNC senior midfielder Garry Lewis said. "We know that we're good and that we can compete. We have to prove it now. The title is on the line and we've lost to this team twice earlier in the year. It's about pride and showing them that we're the better team tomorrow. We're going to show them."

College Cup notes: Defense keys wins

FRISCO, Texas -- In Wake Forest's first three games of the 2008 NCAA tournament, the Demon Deacons had scored a total of 13 goals. In Friday's first semifinal, North Carolina held Wake scoreless as the 2007 champions saw the defense of their title ended one game early, just the second time all year WFU has failed to score a goal. The only other time they failed to find the back of the net was in a scoreless draw with Duke on Oct. 18.

Star senior forward Marcus Tracy finished the game with four shots as did sophomore midfielder Corben Bone. But none of Wake's 20 shots delivered positive results.

"We created enough chances to put the game away and we weren't able to finish those chances," Tracy said. "I think the biggest thing about it is that we weren't able to find our rhythm in the first half. We were chasing the game in the entire second half. This shows the heart and desire that we have to create those chances even in the dire moments of the game."

The seeds for that lackluster offensive performance were sown in the first half when the Demon Deacons looked out of sorts from the opening whistle.

"I think that overall, we were out of rhythm and not playing the way we needed to play," Tracy said. "As a result, we weren't able to get the ball up, wide and moved it around like we were used to doing."

Unlikely heroes: Earlier in the year, North Carolina junior goalkeeper Brooks Haggerty wasn't seeing much time between the posts for the Tar Heels because he was recuperating from a concussion suffered prior to the season. However, he entered at halftime of UNC's regular season finale at Maryland on Nov. 7 and has played every minute since.

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• College Cup notes: Hometown boys
• Top MLS prospects in College Cup
• '09 adidas MLS Combine invitees
• Finalists share impressive pedigree
• ACC shines as Cup takes shape
• College Cup memories for Hoops trio
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Haggerty had been in goal for a pair of shutouts in the Tar Heels' NCAA tournament run but on Friday, he came up big with seven saves against top-ranked Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons finished the night with 20 shots to UNC's nine but the UNC 'keeper was never rattled.

"They had a lot of attacks there and were packing it in the box and throwing balls in there," Haggerty said. "My ultimate goal was to not let the ball in and I was attacking the ball as hard as I could. I was just determined to get the ball and wasn't going to let anything in there."

Two of those stops came at the expense of a close friend who plays for Wake.

"My best friend since I was four years old is Zack Schilawski and I grew up with all those guys on that team," Haggerty said. "I have a personal grudge against them every time we're on the field with them. But off the field, they're great guys. I'm just working my way back and am trying to do everything possible to help the team be successful."

Brian Shriver's goal about three minutes in, the only one of the match, was the senior forward's first since October 25 in a 3-2 overtime loss at Clemson.

"It's definitely a relief," he said. "I have been working hard the last two games to get into the scoresheet. For me, as long as we're winning, that's all that matters. If I don't score and we win, then that's awesome and I could care less. It's not about stats, it's about the team."

Kitson comes up big: Next month, St. John's goalkeeper Neal Kitson will head to the 2009 MLS Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. But if his performance in the Red Storm's 1-0 double overtime loss to Maryland on Friday was any indication, he could well turn some heads.

The senior from Queens, N.Y. made nine big saves to keep the match scoreless until the 104-minute mark when Maryland's Graham Zusi ended the game with a well-placed free kick from about 25 yards out.

"I thought that Neal (Kitson) in particular had a fantastic game in goal," said St. John's head coach Dr. Dave Masur. "He made a lot of great saves to keep us in it."

But for Kitson, the loss was especially gut-wrenching considering how it ended.

"It's very disappointing," he said. "You get to this stage in the year and we worked real hard preparing for this game. I thought we were going to stick it out and get through both overtimes. It was a great free kick. There's not much you can do about those. It was a great free kick."

More of the same: With Friday night's 1-0 shutout of St. John's, Maryland has now extended their school record for shutouts to 14. The Terrapins limited the Red Storm to just three shots the entire game, including just one in the second half and none in either overtime.

For UM junior defender Omar Gonzalez, the 2007 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and 2008 First Team All-ACC, Friday's performance was business as usual for their stifling defense.

"At the beginning, the back four, we talk every single time off the field and tell each other what we want to do and make sure that on the field, we're talking, staying compact and staying focused on the game to not let them get that many chances," he said. "And that's really what we did. We shut them down in the air and we also shut them down on the ground. We did a good job."

Terps head coach Sasho Cirovski didn't just want to give his back line credit for tonight's stellar defensive effort.

"We take a lot of pride in out attack but we're known for our ability to hunt the ball down," he said. "We have saying that says that we hate not having the ball. We try to get the ball back as quickly as we can. Omar talked about the back four but I think our midfielders and forwards did a great job today as well. Our back four right now is the best back four in the country."

Gonzalez, a Dallas native, also commended his teammates for their great focus on limiting the Red Storm's chances.

"The key was to keep them in front of us and to not let them get behind us," he said. "After that, if their forwards were to get the ball, we weren't going to let them turn. We were just going to spin them and make them go backwards. The midfield did a good job of tracking back and making sure that when they were going back that they were covering a lot of ground and that they knew where to go."

Familiar faces: A number of MLS coaches were in attendance for the College Cup matches. Head coaches present were Steve Nicol of New England and Curt Onalfo of Kansas City. Assistant coaches at the first match included Real Salt Lake's Jeff Cassar, Seattle Sounders FC technical director Chris Henderson and New York Red Bulls assistant Richie Williams. Seeing time for UNC was sophomore midfielder Dustin McCarty, younger brother of FC Dallas midfielder Dax McCarty.

Close wins set up All-ACC Cup final

FRISCO, Texas -- Sunday's NCAA Men's College Cup final will have an Atlantic Coast Conference feel to it as North Carolina and Maryland will square off for the national championship. UNC dispatched conference rival and defending national champion Wake Forest 1-0 in Friday's first semifinal while Maryland beat St. John's by the same score in double overtime to set up an all-ACC final Sunday afternoon.

No. 13 seed North Carolina (15-7-1) got an early goal from Brian Shriver and held on to defeat top-seeded Wake Forest (21-2-1) 1-0 in the first game.

"I want to give our guys enormous credit for getting this win and pulling this game out," UNC head coach Elmar Bolovich said. "The effort that they put in was outstanding. That was a total team out there. It made me very proud to see that. It made me very proud to see the way our team responded. I give our team an enormous amount of credit."

Carolina launched their attack early. Some 90 seconds into the game, midfielder Zach Loyd got a decent look at the Wake goal but his effort was denied by Demon Deacons goalkeeper Akira Fitzgerald.,p> Just two minutes later, Loyd set up the first goal of the match. After a solid run up the right flank, he spotted Shriver open near the far post. Loyd hit a perfect ball across the field and Shriver headed it into the back of the net to make it 1-0.

NCAA COLLEGE CUPNEWS • Close wins set up All-ACC Cup final
• College Cup notes: Defenses key
• College Cup semis kick off in Texas
• College Cup notes: Hometown boys
• Top MLS prospects in College Cup
• '09 adidas MLS Combine invitees
• Finalists share impressive pedigree
• ACC shines as Cup takes shape
• College Cup memories for Hoops trio
SIGHTS & SOUNDS

Photo Gallery: Top Prospects >

That tally was Shriver's first goal since a match at Clemson on Oct. 25. His score also marked the earliest that the Tar Heels had found the back of the net all season.

At the break Wake had six shots to UNC's five. Demon Deacons star forward Marcus Tracy had no shots. However, he came alive in the second half and finished the game with four shots, two of which were on frame. Teammate Corben Bone also had four shots for Wake.

However, the story was the stellar goalkeeping by UNC junior Brooks Hagerty, who finished the night with seven stops. He denied Wake's Zach Schilawski twice at close range and Tracy twice to preserve the clean sheet. It was only the second time this year that WFU had been held scoreless.

"I'm very gutted by the result because we wasted 45 minutes and the value of the first goal was just so evident out there," Wake Forest head coach Jay Vidovich said. "I'm very proud of the effort in the second half. I think we didn't play the way we're capable of playing but we did a tremendous job of adapting our game and finding opportunities. We created enough opportunities but they just didn't fall in today. It was one of those days."

For much of the 104 minutes of play in the second match, Maryland controlled the flow against St. John's. The Terrapins had 18 shots compared to just three by the Red Storm after 104 minutes. But after a foul just outside the penalty area, UM senior Graham Zusi stepped up, took a free kick from about 25 yards out and struck it perfectly for the game's only tally to end the game.

"I'm delighted with the victory," Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "Appropriately, the best player on the field had the game-winner. We knew St. John's would be tough to penetrate and at times, they made it difficult. But I thought we carried the game and carried it very well. At times, it was tough to get a rhythm against St. John's. I thought Neal Kitson was outstanding in goals and made three or four incredible saves. I'm just happy we're playing on Sunday."

Zusi finished the game with a game-best nine shots, with five of those on frame. Jason Herrick had seven shots for the Terps, including five that were on goal.

St. John's senior goalkeeper Neal Kitson helped keep the Red Storm in the game for much of the night. In his final collegiate game, Kitson came up with nine saves, stopping all but Zusi's free kick.

"I thought that Neal in particular had a fantastic game in goal," St. John's head coach Dr. Dave Masur said. "He made a lot of great saves to keep us in it. I thought Rory (Quinn) did a great job of really controlling the defensive midfield and helping out on their two central forwards."

With the loss, the Terrapins have now eliminated the Red Storm from the NCAA tournament in each of their last four trips (2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008).

"I'm very proud of our guys," Masur said. "They played really well against a great Maryland team. Maryland is a very explosive, well-coached and dynamic team like they've been all season. We knew we had our hands full."

De Rosario traded to hometown team

Dwayne De Rosario is going home.

The dynamic Canadian international midfielder was dealt to Toronto FC for defender Julius James and an allocation in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Dynamo on Friday afternoon.

"Dwayne is a player we've admired for quite some time. When the chance came to work with Houston to get this deal, we were obviously very happy," TFC director of soccer Mo Johnston said in a team-released statement. "He's a wonderful talent and I hope all of our supporters are as excited as we are that Dwayne is now a member of Toronto FC."

De Rosario, who hails from nearby Scarborough, Ont., began his professional career with the Toronto Lynx and spent three seasons with the Dynamo, winning back-to-back MLS Cups. He was named the MVP of the 2007 MLS Cup for the second time in his career after scoring the winning goal in the 74th minute.

De Rosario also won MLS Cup titles with the San Jose Earthquakes in 2001, scoring the golden goal, and in 2003.

"2001 was very special to me because it was my first year in the league," De Rosario said. "Frank Yallop gave me the opportunity to be involved in this league and I went on to score the winning goal for San Jose to win the MLS Cup for the first time in their history. That really marked my name in the league and it is a moment I will never forget."

De Rosario, who has scored 15 goals in 49 appearances for the Canadian National Team, has never hidden his admiration for Toronto or his desire to play there - one day. That day has come.

"Being born in Scarborough and growing up in the Toronto area, it is great to have professional soccer here," De Rosario said. "The support that Toronto FC gets is amazing. The fan base is tremendous and they are passionate, knowledgeable fans."

The 30-year-old had that chance in July when the MLS All-Stars took on West Ham United of the English Premier League. De Rosario came on in the second half to score what proved to be the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win for the MLS All-Stars.

"It's definitely a dream come true, scoring in a game of this magnitude," De Rosario said after the game. "This game is huge. People don't realize how big this is because this is an opportunity to showcase our talent throughout the world and show them how good this league is."

While Toronto FC gains a marquee name and one of the best attacking midfielders in MLS, Houston welcomes a solid center back in Julius James, a 24-year-old from Trinidad and Tobago who played 13 games for TFC, scoring one goal this year, and a sizeable allocation.

James is expected to replace Bobby Boswell, who is out of contract and reportedly interested in a European move.

"This move is in the best interest of everybody and now gives the Dynamo real opportunity to address a number of its off-season goals," Dynamo coach Dom Kinnear said. "We are receiving a bright young talent in Julius James, and now have great salary cap flexibility to bring in players that can add to our strong base."