James has been coaching for over 10 years. He started his career with the Liverpool FC Youth Academy and coached them to a FA Youth Cup Final. James has now joined DMS 11 in Southern California and is a freelance writer for AVID Soccer.

Teams such as Barcelona and Manchester United have recently been winning titles and Championships with an active playing squad of up to 25 Professionals. Back in the 1960′s and 70′s Liverpool FC dominated English and European Soccer using just 13-15 players.

Squad rotation is now hugely important to coaches. The physical, technical and mental demands at the top are so high. This push for increased team numbers has filtered down to youth soccer. For me it provokes many thoughts, chiefly the all important and sensitive issue of kids playing time/opportunities on the field.

I follow the belief that the strongest players should play and be given the best chance to develop and shine. My background, in football, is working at the professional level. At that level, the objective was quite clear – help produce a player (s) who can play for the clubs first team. The importance of the individual can often, therefore, outweigh the development of a team.

The talented player needs a training platform that is often only provided by a squad. Sufficient numbers are needed to facilitate effective practices that are both challenging and realistic. As a coach, I tend to learn most about my players during small and full sided games. The competitive weekend fixture is also the time when they will be recognized individually and collectively. It’s simple, without the numbers a team cannot play.

I was guided by a Dutch Technical Director during my time as Liverpool Football Clubs Academy U18 coach. He championed the need for a larger playing squad, based on the theory that it would stimulate competition for places in the starting eleven and enhance specific player recovery. He wanted a 2 team system, where the strongest players would play matches, and the remaining squad would train together at the same time.

A good ethos at the Elite level. The better individuals are playing and given the opportunity to demonstrate their talent. The remainder of the squad are challenged to reach the ‘Team’ – Psychological strength and focus often becomes equally important as technical ability.

My future is now. I have a new challenge and environment to work in. I’m delighted to be coaching youth soccer in the US. It’s a great opportunity for me to share my knowledge and ideas. It’s very much a period of discovery and change for me. The game is the same, but the demands and expectations are very different. I’m learning every day. I must appreciate that there is a greater need for inclusion. All the boys in my current squad should be given the chance to play.

It goes back to ‘Numbers.’ I strongly believe in quality not quantity, improvement not enlargement. I have a responsibility to provide opportunities and satisfy the Director of Coaching and the parents at my Club.

America’s leading soccer media brand will showcase these clubs through important live matches that carry domestic league title implications as well as archived, classic matches that highlight European soccer’s most storied, successful clubs and most intense rivalries. The aforementioned clubs have combined to win 166 domestic, top-flight league titles and 32 European Cups (UEFA Champions League titles).

“Clash of the Giants” week will also feature ten of the world’s 12 most valuable soccer clubs, totaling a combined net worth of over $9 billion and generating over $3.7 billion in revenue through the 2009-10 season.

Three of soccer’s grandest club rivalries take center stage during “Clash of the Giants” week as Chelsea hosts Manchester United on Tuesday, March 1, Juventus hosts AC Milan in the Serie A on Saturday, March 5, and Liverpool hosts Manchester United on Sunday, March 6. FOX Soccer’s Super Sunday + will preview and recap Liverpool-Manchester United on Sunday at 8:00 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. ET.

Manchester United-Liverpool is the most storied rivalry in English soccer as both clubs have won an English record 18 top-flight, domestic titles. Liverpool’s five European Championships are most among English teams, with Manchester United having won three. Premier League leader Manchester United, which has won 11 of the first 18 Premier League titles since it was created in 1992, has remarkably lost only twice over all competitions in the 2010-11 campaign.

Earlier in “Clash of the Giants” week, Manchester United travels to reigning Premier League champion Chelsea on Tuesday, March 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET in the latest edition of their burgeoning rivalry that has seen the clubs split the past six Premier League titles. A special edition of FOX Soccer Match Day will preview and analyze this titanic clash at 2 p.m. ET.

Arsenal, currently second in the Premier League, also features prominently on FOX Soccer Channel’s live schedule. It hosts a fifth-round FA Cup replay against Leyton Orient – which kept this tie alive with a thrilling 89th-minute goal last weekend – on Wednesday, March 2, with a view towards creating another tantalizing clash with Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals. Arsenal then faces Sunderland to kick off a Premier League doubleheader on Saturday, March 5.

Serie A leader AC Milan begins “Clash of the Giants” week on FOX Soccer Channel by hosting Napoli, second place in Serie A, at the San Siro.

Archived Manchester United matches to air during this week include its 2001 Charity Shield meeting with Liverpool, its decisive Champions League Round-of-16 showdown with AC Milan from March 10, 2010, its 2004 Community Shield grudge match against Arsenal, and a 1996 fifth-round FA Cup derby with Manchester City. Other archived matches featuring England’s big four clubs includes Liverpool vs. Arsenal from Aug. 15, Chelsea vs. Arsenal from Oct. 3, and the 2002 FA Cup final between Chelsea and Arsenal.

Barcelona, the consensus best club in the world at present, and Real Madrid, considered the best club of all-time, will be showcased through FOX Soccer’s UEFA Champions League archives in March’s first week. FOX Soccer Channel will air Barcelona’s 2010 Champions League semifinal with Inter Milan and a 2009 group stage match between Real Madrid and AC Milan.

Not only did Inter Milan beat Barcelona in last year’s Champions League semifinal on the way to capturing last year’s European Cup, but it also won Serie A in 2010. Its derby match with AC Milan from Jan. 24, 2010 is a featured, classic match that revives the thrill behind its title run.

In an exciting twist, FOX Soccer will also empower soccer fans at home to direct its “Clash of the Giants” week programming through the “Clash of the Giants: Viewer’s Choice Match” poll at www.foxsoccer.com. Beginning Sunday, Feb. 27, fans can go online and vote to watch one of the following matches on FOX Soccer Channel on Friday, March 4 at 8 p.m. ET – the Chelsea-Liverpool Premier League match from Feb. 6, 2011, the 1971 FA Cup final between Arsenal and Liverpool, and the 1994 FA Cup final between Manchester United and Chelsea.

For a complete list of FOX Soccer’s match programming during “Clash of the Giants” week (Feb. 28-March 6), please see below or visit www.foxsoccer.com.

FOX Soccer’s “Clash of the Giants” Week Live Television Schedule (Feb. 28-March 6):

Home team listed first; all times Eastern (subject to change).

• Monday, February 28
  • Italian Serie A – AC Milan vs. Napoli, 2:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 1
  • English Premier League – Chelsea vs. Manchester United, 2:30 p.m.
  • CONCACAF Champions League (Quarterfinal, 2nd leg) – Real Salt Lake vs. Columbus Crew, 10 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 2
  • FA Cup (fifth round replay) – Arsenal vs. Leyton Orient, 2:30 p.m.
• Saturday, March 5
  • English Premier League – Arsenal vs. Sunderland, 10:00 a.m.
  • English Premier League – Manchester City vs. Wigan, 12:30 p.m.
  • Italian Serie A – Juventus vs. AC Milan, 2:30 p.m.
• Sunday, March 6
  • English Premier League – Liverpool vs. Manchester United, 8:30 a.m.
  • English Premier League – Wolverhampton vs. Tottenham, 11:00 a.m.
  • Italian Serie A – Lazio vs. Palermo, 2:30 p.m.
  • Italian Serie A – Inter Milan vs. Genoa, 5:00 p.m. (same day delay)

“Clash of the Giants” week archived matches from the FOX Soccer library:

• English Premier League
  • Thursday, March 3 – Tottenham vs. Chelsea (April 17, 2010), 3:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 3 – Chelsea vs. Arsenal (Oct. 3, 2010), 8:00 p.m.
  • Friday, March 4 – Liverpool vs. Arsenal (Aug. 15, 2010), 3:00 p.m.
• Italian Serie A
  • Thursday, March 3 – Inter Milan vs. AC Milan (Jan. 24, 2010), 1:00 p.m.
  • Friday, March 4 – Roma vs. Inter Milan (Sept. 25, 2010), 1:00 p.m.
• UEFA Champions League
  • Monday, Feb. 28 – Lyon vs. Bordeaux (March 30, 2010), 5:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, March 1 – Real Madrid vs. AC Milan (Oct. 21, 2009), 5:00 p.m.
  • Wednesday, March 2 – Manchester United vs. AC Milan (March 10, 2010), 5:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 3 – FC Barcelona vs. Inter Milan (April 28, 2010), 5:00 p.m.
• FA Archives
  • Wednesday, March 2 – Manchester United vs. Manchester City (FA Cup 5th Round; Feb. 18, 1996), 11:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, March 3 – Arsenal vs. Manchester United (Community Shield; Aug. 8, 2004), 11:00 p.m.
  • Friday, March 4 – Arsenal vs. Chelsea (FA Cup final; May 4, 2002), 11:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, March 5 – Liverpool vs. Manchester United (Charity Shield; Aug. 12, 2001), 11:00 p.m.
• “Clash of the Giants: Viewer’s Choice Match”
  • Friday, March 4 – Match TBD (by poll participants on Foxsoccer.com), 8 p.m.

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About FOX Soccer

FOX Soccer, part of the FOX Sports Media Group, offers the most comprehensive multi-media coverage of world-class soccer available in the United States. Encompassing FOX Soccer Channel, FOX Soccer Plus, FOXsoccer.com and FOXsoccer.tv, the network serves as the primary television and online destination in the U.S. for elite club competitions including England’s Barclays Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Matches from Italy’s Serie A, Women’s Professional Soccer, and the Australian Hyundai A-League are also featured prominently, in addition to such global tournaments as the English FA Cup, CONCACAF Champions League™ and CONCACAF Gold Cup. Flagship FOX Soccer Channel is Nielsen-rated and available to service providers in high-definition, reaching more than 38 million cable and satellite households nationwide. FOX Soccer Plus is a premium network complementing FOX Soccer Channel by providing the best international sports experience in high-definition. In addition to live, exclusive soccer matches from the best leagues in the world, FOX Soccer Plus also delivers premium rugby from the Magners League, Aviva Premiership and Heineken Cup among other competitions. Live match coverage is also available online via premium broadband service FOXsoccer.tv, and for fans on-the-go, via the new FOX Soccer iPhone app. For more information – as well as news, features, analysis stats and more – visit one of America’s most-trafficked online soccer destinations at FOXsoccer.com, and the network’s Facebook page and Twitter feed (@FOXSoccer).

Mr. Boyce and his Premier League colleagues will meet SSUSA Los Angeles at partner program Jovenes, Inc at 3:00PM on June 16th. Jovenes is located at 1208 Pleasant Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90033.

The session will feature great Street Soccer Action in East LA as some of the world’s greats trade skills with the most unlikely of pupils.

“I am thrilled to join Street Soccer USA as an International Ambassador. As someone who believes in team sports and the positive community that surrounds them, I believe in my heart the mission of SSUSA. Regardless of economic status, soccer brings us all together; you can even see that now with the World Cup taking place, it’s a common language. I am excited to share my love of the game with the SSUSA athletes,” said Boyce.

“Emmerson brings tremendous experience and a standard of excellence to the SSUSA program,” said Lawrence Cann, Founder of SSUSA. “His passion for people and belief in the ability of team sports to change lives make him a great addition to the SSUSA family. We’re excited to work with him, Ibrahima, David and Alex.”

“These Premier League stars don’t have to do this, but realizing the value of giving back. During the spectacle of the World Cup, people should take notice of what they are doing for the homeless and impoverished,” said National Program Coordinator and West Coast SSUSA Director, Rob Cann.

By undergoing the SSUSA process, players improve social skills; self esteem, physical and mental health, and eliminate barriers to employment, making them more likely to achieve housing and job placement than their peers. Jobs Academies deliver resume writing, financial literacy, and workplace readiness in addition to a pool of resources (mentorship, employment partners, pro bono legal services, as well as counseling or services for trauma, drug abuse, and other barriers). Team leaders in 18 cities exchange best practices and co-develop new solutions for programming and sustainability on a conference call every six weeks. Select program ambassadors, male and female, represent SSUSA in various amateur tournaments, including the Homeless World Cup, each year. SSUSA Teams are organized at homeless shelters, employment programs, and recovery houses to help teens and adults achieve positive outcomes in education, jobs, and housing placement. Programs train thrice weekly, compete in local leagues with volunteers, and unite annually at the 18-city SSUSA Cup, held in Washington, D.C. this year from July 30 – August 1. Eighteen teams from across the country will compete for the Cup championship and a spot on the Street Soccer U.S. National Team, which will travel to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in September to compete in the Homeless World Cup. SSUSA USA enjoys the support of the Ted Leonsis Foundation, Deloitte, HELP USA, and the Great Washington Sports Alliance.

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About Emmerson Boyce

Emmerson Orlando Boyce was born in Aylesbury, England on September 24th, 1979. The English-born Barbadian footballer plays for Wigan Athletic in the Premier League and is one of the most feared defenders in the English Premier League with a good scoring record this season

Emmerson Boyce started his career at Luton Town and made over 180 league appearances for the club. Whilst at Luton Town he picked up numerous awards including: Supporters Player of the Year, Internet Player of the Year, Players Player of the Year and Club Player of Year, before signing with Crystal Palace in 2004. His strong performances for Crystal Palace in their 2004/05 Premiership campaign led to him being nominated for and picking up the Crystal Palace Player of the Year Award and eventually led to Wigan Athletic F.C. securing his services for the following season.

Described as a quick, strong and totally committed, Boyce was a huge star of the 06/07 season narrowly missing out on Wigan Latics Player of the Year. In 2008/09 his solid performances at both central defense and right-back made him a firm favorite of the Latics fans. His strong performances and dedication to the club has helped keep Wigan Athletic in the Premier League and established the team in what has been described as the toughest league in Europe. Although various teams chased him for the 2010/11 Premiership campaign Boyce signed a 3 year deal to remain at Wigan Athletic F.C. Though born in England, Boyce’s Barbados-born parents made him eligible to play for the Barbados National Team where he earned his first Cap on March 20th 2008 playing in the World Cup qualifier against Dominican.

About Street Soccer USA

Street Soccer USA (SSUSA) is a nonprofit organization under HELP USA designed to use soccer to achieve social change. With 18 teams across the country, SSUSA aims to get homeless men, women and youth off the streets, and has achieved a 75 percent success rate among participants: 485 homeless youth and adults in jobs and housing out of 617 team members.

Through a systematic approach, SSUSA uses sports to build community and trust among participants and volunteers, transforming the context within which homeless individuals live from one of isolation, abuse, and marginalization, to one of community, purpose, and achievement. With the help of SSUSA, players improve social skills, self esteem, physical and mental health, and eliminate barriers to employment, making them more likely to achieve housing/job placement than their peers. SSUSA participants are required to set 3-, 6-, and 12-month life goals which they are empowered to achieve through services and educational and employment opportunities provided by SSUSA’s Jobs Academy. The Jobs Academy supports resume writing, financial literacy, and workplace readiness in addition to a pool of resources (mentorship, employment partners, pro bono legal services, as well as counseling or services for trauma, drug abuse, and other barriers). For more information, please visit www.streetsoccerusa.org.

The VIP Coach Pass sponsored by the LA Galaxy returns to Soccer Nation Expo. This year, the VIP pass will enable coaches, parents or other enthusiasts to have exclusive access to various activities and seminars to help them improve their training techniques or learn new game strategies from world-class coaching talent, or network with other coaches from all over Southern California. The pass, which costs $30 and is limited to the first 500 who register, includes:

§  Early, private access to the exhibition hall on Saturday, February 13, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. — one hour before the show doors open to the public at 9:30 a.m. Coffee and pastry will be provided during the early access hour.

§  Free gifts from participating Soccer Nation Expo exhibitors including an LA84 Sack Pack, Cal South T-Shirt, Success in Soccer DVD, and Field Diagram Pad.

§  Reserved VIP seating around the Center Pitch, where coaching clinics by professional, world-class coaches will occur on the hour, every hour, throughout the two-day expo.

§  VIP access to private classroom sessions given by, Oscar Gil, James Parry, Jeff Tipping, Bob Gansler, Klaus Pabst, Jan Smisek, Steve Hoffman, and other Soccer Nation Expo clinicians.

§  Videos of Center Pitch sessions will be available on line after the event.

§  SoccerOne VIP Coach Pass, a discount card offering 10% to 60% off SoccerOne merchandise.

The VIP Pass is available by registering at www.soccernationexpo.com or at www.calsouth.com.

For the first time, an indoor beach soccer field will be set up at the expo. The field, with eight tons of sand, will have a goal and penalty box so that players can practice shooting on the sand, a considerably different pitch for most players. The sand soccer field is being brought to Soccer Nation Expo by Copa Cabana Soccer, which holds beach soccer tournaments on both U.S. coasts.

Additionally, Fox Soccer Channel newscasters Nick Webster, Eric Wynalda and Temryss Lane of Fox Football Fone-In will be attending Soccer Nation Expo and signing autographs from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 13.  University of North Carolina standout and U.S.  Women’s Gold Medalist Tobin Heath will be signing autographs in the Nike booth on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 1 pm.

Soccer Nation Expo will also feature renowned soccer coaches who are schedule to participate as guest speakers and clinicians. The list includes:

Dave Sarachan, Los Angeles Galaxy. Currently an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Sarachan spent nearly five seasons as the head coach of the Chicago Fire.  In 2003, his first year as head coach, Sarachan took the Fire to the MLS Cup Finals, claimed the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and was named MLS Coach of the Year.  He also led the Fire to capture another Lamar Hunt trophy in 2006. A former pro player in the NASL and MISL, Sarachan spent 10 years as head coach for Cornell, before moving to the MLS as an assistant coach for DC United. He also spent four years as an assistant coach on the US Men’s National Team.

Bob Gansler, former U.S. Men’s National Team & MLS head coach.  Gansler was the Kansas City Wizards’ head coach from 1999-2006, winning the club’s first MLS Cup in 2000 and the U.S. Open Cup in 2004.  He was also MLS Coach of the Year in 2000, and coached the U.S. U-19 National Team (1979-82), U-20 National Team (1987-89), and then the full Men’s National Team (1989-91), taking them to the 1990 World Cup, the U.S.’s 1st appearance since 1950.  Gansler played for the U.S. National Team (1963-69), captaining the 1964 and 1968 Olympic and 1967 Pan-American teams.

Jan Smisek, USSF National Staff Coach. Smisek, who was the first woman to earn an A license, holds a KNVB Dutch National Youth Certificate.

Oscar Gil, Club Atlético Boca Juniors. Rincón is not only the head coach for the U17 Boys Academy of the renowned Club Atlético Boca Juniors, but has also served as the club’s International Director of Coaching and Player Development since 2004. In addition to founding a Boca Juniors Developmental Academy in Columbia, he recently founded a similar academy in Southern California in conjunction with the North County Pacific Football Club.

Klaus Pabst, Soccer Academy Cologne in Germany. Pabst is a former Yugoslav Premier League Player and Coach with FC Vojvodina and was the Head Manager of the National Team of the Malta Football Association for five years.

James Parry, Liverpool FC Youth Academy. Parry recently served as an assistant coach for Liverpool FC’s U18 Youth Academy squad, which he helped guide to the finals of the FA Youth Cup last season. He has worked for Liverpool’s Youth Academy through the last decade in a variety of roles, including as a full-time U16 coach, director of soccer camps, and a development and community coach. He currently serves as a talent identification scout for the Liverpool FC, and also acts as a recruitment identification scout for Fulham FC.

Jeff Tipping. The NSCAA’s Director of Coaching Development, Tipping is a well-respected speaker and clinician, representing the NSCAA at educational forums and other soccer-related events throughout the country and the world. He joined the NSCAA in 1983 as Assistant Director of Coaching, promoted to Director of Coaching in 1996, and promoted to his current position in 2002. Previously the director of soccer at Muhlenberg College for 15 years, he also served as an assistant soccer coach at Hartwick College for four years. He played professionally in the American Soccer League for five seasons, was a four-year varsity player for Hartwick and holds a master’s degree from Lehigh University.

Sacha Van der Most, Chivas USA U18 Head Coach.  Van der Most has many years of coaching experience in different youth levels, starting with Quick’s youth teams in Holland, ranging in age from U-8 to U-16.  He joined the Chivas USA youth system when it was established in 2005.

About Soccer Nation Expo

Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend the two-day, action-packed and interactive experience, where fans, coaches, players and their families will enjoy free admission and host of events and activities to entertain everyone from observers to seasoned players and fanatics.

The first Expo in 2004 attracted 3,500 people and has grown exponentially each year.  With the rising popularity of soccer in America and especially in the soccer hot bed of Southern California, Cal South officials are planning for record attendance to the delight of sponsors and exhibitors, who increasingly seek marketing channels and opportunities that reach and impact target consumers.

Expo attendees encompass the full spectrum of soccer in Southern California. Cal South members, players and families from local AYSO teams and independent leagues, international ex-patriots and fans of soccer of all ages attend.

The Expo will utilize more than 150,000 square feet of exhibition space in the massive convention center located in downtown Los Angeles. More than 100 exhibitors will be on hand to demonstrate and showcase the latest in soccer gear and equipment, with participation from national and international soccer clubs, and consumer goods and service companies reaching active Southern California families.

Participants include corporations such as General Mills, Fox Soccer Channel, Time Warner Cable, Jamba Juice, Herbalife, Cuties and official sponsor Nike, which will host the popular US Futsal Southwestern Regional Championship open to adults and boys and girls ages 10 and up. Nike’s extensive exhibit space will display the newest spring lines, the latest equipment, and allow attendees the opportunity to test-drive the hottest shoes on the market.

For more information about Soccer Nation Expo 2010, visit www.soccernationexpo.com.

About Cal South

The California State Soccer Association – South (Cal South) is a 501c(3) California public benefit corporation and is the official youth and adult state soccer association of the United States Soccer Federation, United States Adult Soccer Association and United States Youth Soccer.  Cal South represents 230 Member Leagues and Clubs comprising our membership of more than 160,000 registered players, coaches, referees and league administrators. The organization, with a service area that extends from San Luis Obispo to San Diego, provides rewarding recreational and competitive opportunities for players of all ages, genders and skill levels.  For more information about Cal South, visit www.calsouth.com.