El Inter salió del campo con la cara en alto después de uno de los partidos más emocionantes en la historia del equipo

No es habitual que un equipo salga contento después de una derrota, pero el cierre de la séptima temporada del Inter United es una excepción que merece destacarse. Durante la teporada regular el equipo logró solamente un punto y quedó relegado al fondo de la tabla y por lo tanto le correspondía enfrentar a Stillwater Alumn, el equipo que terminó en primer lugar y que había derrotado al Inter United 7-0 en la primera fecha de esta liga. Pero el Inter United decidió salir a dar la pelea. Durante el fin de semana se llevó a cabo la reunión de fin de temporada y los integrantes del equipo planearon un partido para contrarrestar el juego de conjunto de Stillwater y evitar que pudieran disparar de media distancia. El esquema implicaba una doble linea de cuatro jugadores y concentración en la marca hombre a hombre, dejando el ataque solamente basado en contragolpes con uno o dos hombres. A las seis de la tarde solo 6 jugadores del Inter estaban presetes en el campo y aguantaron valientemente cinco minutos de angustia hasta que llegaron los refuerzos. A partir de ese momento el plan funcionó a ;a perfección. Stillwater mantuvo el dominio del balón pero no podia llegar al arco. Cuando por fin logró superar la resistencia de nuestro prtero, Alvaro parado en la linea evitó la caida del Inter. En el primer tiempo solo hubo un parpadeo que le permitió a un delantero rival llegar solo a enfrentar al arquero para el 1-0. Asi terminó el primer tiempo pero el Inter mantuvo la calma y el estilo de juego ante un rival que se desesperaba y vei pasar el tiempom sin poder aumentar la diferencia hasta que llegó uno de los contraolpes del Inter y un balón quedó fuera del area para que Rodrigo castigara abajo y al rincón donde el arquero no tenía nada que hacer. Golazo que celebró todo el equipo y la tribuna. Estabamos a diez minutos de ir a definición por penales cuando el árbitro se inventó una falta en contra del Inter y de carmbola el débil cobro se coló a nuestra portería. Pocos minutos más tarde los de Stillwater vuelven a anotar y el Inter sale a buscar un descuento que se logró a pocos segundos del final gracias a un nuevo gol de Rodrigo que a algunos les recordó a Maradona pero pareció mas una jugada de Michael Jordan. El Inter United vendió cara la derrota y fue el equipo que más resistencia le ha dado al equipo que seguramente será campeón al final de la temporada.

Refuerzos o no refuerzos?

Alguna vez nuestro hincha número uno, Don Miki, dijo medio en serio medio en broma, que si el Inter United se inscribía algún día a una liga en donde los partidos los jugaran equipos de tres contra tres, se presntarían solamente 2 jugadores del Inter al inicio del partido. Una realidad que no podemos negar y que es muy difícil de corregir pues no se trata de un equipo profesional y los jugadores tienen obligaciones laborales y familiares que están por delante del caracter recreativo de nuestro conjunto.

Por esa razún hemos tenido que recurrir con mucha frecuencia a incluir en nuestros partidos a jugadores que no están inscritos para jugar y que nos dan una gran ayuda cuando no tenemos suficiente nómina para enfrentar un compromiso y hay que reconocer que en muchos casos su inclusión mejora el nivel de juego del equipo por su calidad. Sin embargo, una vez solucionado el problema con la reincorporación de todos nuestros jugadores, queda la incógnita de qué hacer con los "refuerzos".

Es justo que jugadores que no pertenecen al equipo y que han pagado su inscripción estén en la linea viendo jugar a alguien que no pertenece al equipo? Es mejor permitir que quienes jueguen bien se mantengan y que alguno o algunos de nuestros jugadores sacrifiquen su tiempo de juego en bien del mejor funcionamiento del equipo? Debemos cambiar nuestro criterio de selección y buscar jugadores muy competitivos y más bien dejar por fuera a los amigos que no tengan tanto talento futbolístico?

Queda abierto el debate para definir una política del equipo.

Inter encontró alegría en la derrota

Haber llegado a estar muy cerca de la final y no lograrlo, como ya le ha sucedido varias veces al equipo, parece motivo de profunda tristeza y decepción.Los jugadores del Inter asi lo sintieron al terminar el partido pero rápidamente se dieron cuenta de que había motivos para, a pesar de la derrota, estar contentos y poder dedicar un tiempo al festejo. Diez meses atrás el equipo se había disuelto en medio de un decreciente interes de sus jugadores y revivirlo parecía imposible pues varios jugadores contemplaban el retiro y aquellos que no, buscaron otros equipos en donde seguir mostrando su talento. Pero llegó el otoño y las inscripciones para la Liga de Roseville, en donde el Inter United se había sentido tan bien el año pasado, se abrieron nuevamente y el deseo de todos de volver a jugar juntos se hizo sentir. El tamano pequeno del campo no permite inscribir un numero grande de jugadores y por eso se tuvo que limitar el numero de inscritos, pero en la ultima fecha, cuando el equipo necesitaba a todos sus hombres, aparecieron viejos amigos dispuestos a luchar una vez mas por los colores azul y negro. William Castellanos, Tony Safo, Roger Derham y David VonBank volvieron a aparecer con el equipo y todos juntos volvimos a ser una familia. Alli radico la alegria del Iner United. Perder el partido paso a un nivel secundario pues la union y buen clima entre los viejos amigos supero cn creces el malestar que produjo el marcador adverso. El Inter United planea, como es ya costumbre, finalizar la temporada con una reunion del equipo para hacer un balance y pasar un buen rato de esparcimiento bien merecido.

CIEN / ONE HUNDRED

Las cien columnas de Don Miki

Los visitantes asiduos de la página web del Inter United habrán leido más de una vez las repetidas referencias a la historia de la formación del equipo y como éste se originó en un grupo familiar que con un puñado de amigos decidió darle un toque más formal a los habituales encuentros en donde el fútbol era parte importante.

La familia en cuestión es la de los Sánchez y así se explica como es que Don Miki fue uno de los pocos espectadores en asistir al nacimiento del Inter United. De la primera plantilla que la escuadra inscribió a un torneo competitivo hacian parte dos de sus hijos, Alvaro y Héctor, su yerno, William, y dos de sus nietos, William Ricardo y Francisco, razones más que suficientes para asisitir domingo a domingo a los partidos que se jugaban en Corner Kick.

Lo que queda más difícil de explicar es el porqué, incluso después del alejamiento del equipo de algunos de sus familiars, Don Miki ha continuado por ya casi cuatro años acompañando a este grupo de amigos que, a su alrededor, se ha convertido en una familia. Sabemos que un partido del Inter United es la única razón por la cual Don Miki saldría del calor de su hogar después de las 8 de la noche y que incluso ha aplazado citas de negocios cuando estas coinciden con los juegos de los monalisos como cariñosamente nos ha bautizado.

Cuando la página web se convirtió en el medio ideal para informar a los jugadores sobre los datos pertinentes de hora y lugar de los partidos se pensó en agregar una sección que hiciera más agradable visitar el sitio y recordando el bagaje peiodístico y la vena humorística que siempre ha acompañado a Don Miki le solicitamos escribir una nota sobre el equipo para publicarla en internet. Más tardó en hacerse el requerimiento que la nota en estar lista y enviada por e-mail a la dirección del equipo pero la sorpresa fue que semana tras semana, continuaban llegando las crónicas detalladas de los partidos y de las actividades sociales del equipo.

Pasaron las temporadas y los escritos se fueron acumunlando. Fue necesario separarlos por temporadas en la página web ya que un listado continuo hacia muy difícil encontrar algunos de los artículos.

El conjunto de relatos leido hoy en perspectiva son la imagen de la historia del equipo aunque todos los lectores saben bien que las narraciones de los partidos no se ajustan milimétricamente a lo acontecido en el terreno de juego. Por lo anterior, en la Columna de Don Miki, jugadores que se quedaron en sus casas disfrutando del calor familiar resultan en milagrosamente anotando goles para el equipo o de pronto siendo culpables de las derrotas.

En enero de 2006 el Inter United se preparaba para celebrar la publicación de la edición centenaria de La Columna de Don Miki cuando se tomó la decision de suspender la participación del equipo en competencias deportivas. Ahora, cuando ocho meses después la escuadra ha vuelto a juntarse y Don Miki ha reiniciado el cubrimiento de los juegos, llegamos hoy a esa cifra histórica.

Los jugadores del Inter United desean agradecer muy especialmente a Don Miki por su constante apoyo. La columna es lo que hace que jugar para el Inter sea diferente a hacerlo para cualquier otro equipo. Un equipo compuesto en su mayoría por jugadores extramjeros puede compartir con sus familias en otros países la experiencia de jugar al fútbol. La Columna de Don Miki es leida habitualmente en más de siete países, (aunque ha sido consultada en muchos más), incluyendo naciones en donde residen familiares y amigos aunque aquellos países no hayan tenido nunca un jugador representándolos en el equipo.

De nuevo muchas gracias Don Miki por acompañarnos siempre y esperamos que la columna siga ligada a la historia del azul y negro.

Don Miki’s one hundred columns

Regular visitors to Inter United’s website must have read several times the repeated references to the formation of the team and how it originated from a family group that with a handful of friends decided to give a more formal feel to their frequent gatherings in which soccer was an important part.

The mentioned family was the Sanchez and that is how we can explain Don Miki’s presence as one of the few spectators at Inter United’s birth. Members of the first roster registered by Inter United in a competitive league included two of his sons, Alvaro and Héctor, his son in law, William, and two grandchildren, William Ricardo and Francisco, and those were good enough reasons to be every Sunday at Corner Kick were the games were played.

What is harder to explain is why, even after some of his family members left the team, Don Miki has continued to be by the side of this group of friends who, around him, have become a family. We know that an Inter United game is the only reason why Don Miki would leave his home after 8:00 PM and that he has even postponed business appointments when they happen to coincide with games of the “monalisos” as he affectionately has nicknamed us.

When the website became the ideal way to inform players about pertinent information of game times and locations we thought of having a section that would make it more enjoyable to visit the site, and knowing of Don Miki’s journalism expertise and the fine sense of humor that has always distinguished him, we asked him to write a note about the team to be published in the Internet. It took longer for us to make the request than for him to send the article by e-mail to the team’s address but the surprise came when week after week the detailed chronicles of games and social activities of the team kept coming.

Several seasons passed and his articles were piling up. It became necessary to separate them by season in the web site since a single list of them made it hard to find a specific one.

All his writings, read in perspective today, become an image of the team’s history although his readers know well that descriptions of the games di not milimetrically mimic what really happened in the playing field. Because of this, players who have stayed home enjoying the company of their family have ended up in his columns miraculously scoring for the team or sometimes being responsible for our losses.

In January of 2006 Inter United was preparing to celebrate the publication of the centennial edition of Don Miki’s Column when the decision was made to suspend participation in competitive play. Now that the squad has returned and Don Miki has restarted coverage of our games we have reached that historic milestone.

Inter United players want to deeply thank Don Miki for his constant support. His column makes playing for Inter United different to playing for any other team. A team composed largely by foreign born players can share with family and friends abroad the experience of playing soccer. Don Miki’s Column is regularly read in more than seven countries (although it has been read in many more), including nations were relatives and friends reside but which have never had a player in the team to represent them.

Again many thanks to Don Miki for being always with us and we hope that his column will continue to be linked to the history of the blue and black

DE NUEVO EN LA LUCHA / FIGHTING AGAIN

Ocho meses fueron demasiado tiempo sin el Inter United para todos los que en una u otra época hicieron parte del equipo. En cualquier reunión en la que participaran más de dos exintegrantes de la escuadra el tema de conversación no podía ser otro al de la fecha del posible regreso a la competición. Así quedó confirmado en eventos sociales como el matrimonio de nuestro capitán Bizcochito Lozano, a donde curiosamente asistieron más jugadores del equipo que para ningón partido en la historia de la escuadra. Ante esa realidad, y con los buenos recuerdos de la Liga de otoño de Roseville de 2006 el equipo ha resurgido y se ha vuelto a armar con el ánimo de competir, pero ante todo de pasar un buen rato y seguir disfrutando de la compañía de buenos amigos con el pretexto del fútbol. Vuelven las reuniones semanales, la Columna de Don Miki y los eventos sociales que se tejen alrededor del Inter United. La página oficial del equipo (http://home.comcast.net/~inter_united) seguirá dando los pormenores de todo lo relacionado con Inter United y espera ser visitada por familiares y amigos de los muchos países en donde el equipo tiene raices. Sus comentarios son bienvenidos.




Eight months was too much time without Inter United for all of those who at one time or another were a part of the team. In any social gathering were two or more former squad members would get together, the convesation topic could be no other than the date of a possible return to competition. That was the case in social events suc as our captain Bizcocuito Lozano's wedding, where interestingly enough, was attended by more Inter United players than any official game ever played in the history of the squad. Facing that reality, and with the good memories of the 2006 Fall season in Roseville, the team has resurrected and has rebuilt itself with the goal of competing, but above all, to have a good time and enjoy the company of good friends with the excuse of soccer. The weekly meetings, Don Miki's Column and the social events that are woven around Inter United return. The team's official ebsite (http://home.comcast.net/~inter_united) will continue to have the details of everything related to Inter United and we hope that it will again be visited by family and friend in the multiple countries where Inter United has its roots. Yur comments are welcome.

THE TIME HAS COME / LA HORA HA LLEGADO

Once again last Friday Inter United suffered a categorical defeat and has not won a game since November 11, 2006. There is nothing wrong with losing and actually the way this season started is exactly the same as our first official season when we lost three straight. After adaptation to the boards the team became very competitive and actually eliminated the best team ofthe regular season in the first round of playoffs, lost the semifinal andwon the third place match in a great recovery. However things are different now. Only 5 or 6 of our players are still willing to go great lengths in order to come and play for Inter United. For the rest it seems as if they will only come to the games if there is nothing else to do on a Friday night. We have gone from having to reject players who wanted to join the team atthe beginning of each season to practically having to beg for people to come and play for us and, with the noticeable exception of the Roseville fall league, the past year has been a torture in terms of having enough people to start a game. Off course many factors are responsible. We have not been lucky with some of the league choices and that has made some people turn away. The lack of sponsorship has also kept some players from continuing to play for us since,understandably, like in all families, priorities have to be addressed in a certain order and playing soccer does not come on top of the list. Injury and inevitable professional life changes have also taken away some of our most loyal players and best friends. But also we can not deny that having played every weekend with very few interruptions for three years in a row can become tiring and demanding interms of scarifying family time and other enjoyable activities for theplayers and therefore it is easy to understand why playing for Inter United may be now becoming just one more obligation for some. Given all this I think that this is the right time to wrap up Inter United's history so that we can all remember it as a great period of time in which everyone involved had lots of fun playing the beautiful game. I am sure that besides the players who have left the game due to injuries, for no one else this will mean pulling apart from the sport since this is almost impossible for a true lover of the game. I will meet during the course of the week with our captain and treasurer Jose Luis "Bizcochito" Lozano and check the team account in order to reimburse leftover money to those players who had paid team fees for the season. I will also notify Jorge Porter tomorrow of the decision to withdraw from the league so that no more games be scheduled for Inter United. Hopefully this will not mean that we have played soccer together for the last time and I am looking forward for many reunions in the future to play and remember old times. Our website has been updated to reflect this decision and I will be asking DonMiki to write a final column as closure for the website, but the page will continue to be online for as long as I hold the account. In the next days I will also add some interesting facts about the team since I have kept a good amount of stats that were never deleted from the server. I will translate Don Miki's last column so that it can be read by non Spanish speaking players who unfortunately missed his good sense of humor over the last three years. Don Miki fell short for only a couple of columns from reaching the100 mark. For those true Inter United players who would want to continue no matter what I want to say that I hope you understand why I have come to this decision which, by the way, I have been postponing for several months now since we first started having problems with finding players to come to the games.

LA HORA HA LLEGADO

Una vez más el Viernes pasado el Inter United sufrió una goleada categórica y no ha ganado un partido desde Noviembre 11 de 2006. No hay nada malo con perder y de hecho esta temporada comenzó exactamente de la misma manera como lo hizo nuestra primera temporada oficial cuando perdimos tres partidos en línea. Después de la adaptación a los tableros el equipo se tornó muy competitivo y eliminó al mejor equipo de la temporada regular en la primera ronda de playoffs, perdió la semifinal y eventualmente obtuvo el tercer lugar. Sin embargo las cosas ahora son diferentes. Sólo 5 o 6 de nuestros jugadores todavía están dispuestos a hacer grandes sacrificios para venir a jugar con el Inter United. Para el resto parec ser que sólo les interesa venir a los partidos cuando no hay nada más que hacer los Viernes por la noche. Hemos pasado de tener que rechazar jugadores que querían unirse al equipo al principio de cada temporada a tener que prácticamente rogar a la gente para que venga a jugar con nosotros y, con la notable excepción de la liga de otoñen Roseville, el último año ha sido una tortura en cuanto hace a no tener jugadores suficientes para iniciar un partido. Claro está que son muchos los factores que han sido responsables. No hemos tenido suerte con la escogencia de ligas para jugar y eso ha hecho que algunos de los jugadores se hayan alejado. La falta de patrocinio también ha obligado a algunos jugadores a no estar con nosotros ya que, de manera entendible y como en cualquier familia, las prioridades deben atenderse en un cierto orden y jugar al fútbol no está en el primer lugar de la lista. Las lesiones y los inevitables cambios dictados por la vida profesional se llevaron también a algunos de nuestros más leales jugadores y mejores amigos. Pero también hay que admitir que habiendo jugado todos los fines de semana casi sin interrupciones por tres años seguidos puede volverse fatigantey y exigente en términos de sacrificar tiempo en familia y otras actividades agradables para los jugadores y ahi es cuando queda fácil entender el por qué jugar para el Inter United se ha convertido en una obligación más para algunos. Dado todo esto, creo que ha llegado la hora de cerrar la historia del Inter United para que todos lo recordemos como una gran época en la que todos los involucrados se divirtieron a montones practicando el hermoso juego. Estoy seguro de que, aparte de quienes dejaron el juego por lesión, para nadie más esto significa retirarse de este deporte ya que esto es casi imposible para un verdadero amante del juego. Me reuniré esta semana con nuestro capitán y tesorero José Luis "Bizcochito" Lozano para revisar la cuenta del equipo para reembolsar el dinero sobrante a aquellos jugadores que pagaron su cuota de la temporada. También notificaré mañana a Jorge Porter de esta determinación para que no le sean programados más juegos al Inter United. Ojalá que esto no signifique que hemos jugado fútbol juntos por última vez y espero en el futuro tener muchas reuniones para jugar y recordar viejos tiempos. Nuestra página ha sido actualizada para reflejar esta decisión y le pediré a Don Miki que escriba una columna final como cierre del sitio pero la página seguirá en línea mientras yo tenga abierta todavía la cuenta. En los próximos días también agregaré una buena cantidad datos interesantes sobre el equipo que nunca fueron borradas del servidor. Traduciré la última columna de Don Miki para que pueda ser leída por los jugadores no hispanoparlantes ya que ellos desafortunadamente se perdieron de su buen humor durante estos tres años. Don Miki se quedo corto solo par de columnas de haber llegado a la número 100. Para aquellos verdaderos jugadores del Inter United que quisieran continuar de cualquier manera, espero que entiendan la decisión la cual, dicho sea de paso, he estado postponiendo desde hace ya varios meses desde que comenzamos a tener problemas para completar el número de jugadores para comenzar un partido.

YEAR IN REVIEW / RESUMEN DEL AÑO

The third year of life for Inter United has come to an end and many good things to remember are left and also some not as great things especially in what has to do with player’s health.

Three more trophies were added to Inter United’s Shelf. The first one was the second place at the Azteca League, winter season 2005-2006 in which we lost the final to Veracruz on March 3 by a score of 3-1. The second was the first place at the Champions Cup mini tournament a week later in which we against faced Veracruz in the final, but this time victory was for Inter United. The third was the second place trophy at the ACEMN Cup in which we beat Sport Colombia to reach the final against San Sebastian where Inter was defeated by a final score of 6-0 (the worst loss of the year).

For the first time Inter United had in its roster players born in Minnesota. Donnie Hicks of St Louis Park played some games for us in the Azteca League before traveling to start his college studies and is now a part of the history of the team not only as the first Minnesota native but because he scored a goal in every game he played. At the start of the winter season Joel Stone, defenseman from St Paul joined the team. Also the number of countries represented in Inter United increased. Tony Birdy from Canada replaced John for some games in some games of the Fall League in Roseville and Oleg Stanilevsky from Moldova helped the team in a game at Rosemount for MISL competition. Inter has now 16 flags to show as part of its history.

Colombia also gave us some new players. Diego Reyes, who could not make his debut in 2005 due to injury, became a bastion both in defense and the extracurricular gatherings of the Inter United family. David VonBank, born in Bogota but raised in Minnesota, joined the team in the summer season and proved that genetics play an important part in soccer since, although he never played in Colombia, has a very similar style to that of the great players of that country. Andrés Solano, from Cali, after playing several times with us in practice, officially joined the team for the fall season and in addition has been one of the more enthusiastic in terms of collaboration with administrative efforts. Carlos Martinez came to the team for the winter season and has also been concerned for the team’s future and has been active in recruitment of new players.

We saw again some of our old friends and star players. Carlos “The Roadrunner” Gomez wore Inter’s jersey for the opening game at MISL in Rosemount and our all time top scorer, Sir Roger Derham, besides a generous donation to the junior team in Tumaco, reappeared in the ACEMN Cup and in two games scored for more goals that confirm him with 43 as the undisputable scoring leader of the team.

Unfortunately we saw the departure of Nelson Granados who, for professional reasons, had to leave Minnesota. Great player and better friend, Nelson has been one of the greatest to have played for Inter and we had the opportunity to see him again at the end of the year to celebrate with him his PhD degree at the University of Minnesota.

Shortly after Nelson’s departure, Justo Garcia, another historic character both on and off the field suffered a serious injury during an Azteca League match and, having opted not to undergo surgery, we know that we will never again see him wearing the black and blue shirt. At the end of the fall the same fate was suffered by Alvaro Sánchez, founder, organizer, sponsor and pillar of the team and we feared that he also might not ever play again but, as opposed to Justo, Alvaro decided to go for the surgery and his recovery has been very encouraging and it is possible that we could again see him in action in 2007. A few days before his surgery legendary Hungarian star Fervency Pucks, one of the best players in the history of the game, died in Europe and it is rumored that Alvaro received the cruciate ligament from this talented player so we hope to see the results on the field.

The year also saw the arrival of the fourth Spanish player (third from Madrid) to Inter United. Enrique Aguilera defended our colors for the first time in the fall and after playing some games in defense he has now shined as a scorer in the final part of the season. Even though he is one of the newest players, his desire to play, no matter where and how, served as inspiration to keep the team going after the difficulties faced with MISL.

The problem with Latino leagues were the dark spot of the season. Inter United retired from two competitions owing to lack of organization in those leagues and instead felt very comfortable in Roseville for the fall season where we found a good environment and good level of play.

Strictly in what relates to soccer, the scorers of the year were: Winter Season 2005-2006 Pablo Viedma with 18 goals. Summer 2006 Tony Safo 12 goals. Fall 2006 Francisco Castellanos 7 goals (First Colombian to be top scorer with Inter) In total, during 2006 the team played 40 official games with 23 victories, 5 ties and 12 losses.In other aspects we have to point out that if it had not been for the team’s withdrawal from the two mentioned tournaments, Don Miki would have already completed his column #100. Without Don Miki's column the history of the team could not be written. There you can review, even though accounts are not milimetrically adjusted to reality, what has happened in each of the moments of the squad and we can recall of the good moments we have been through. For sure many of us dreamed as a child to sometime play a big final of some important tournament in stadium filled to capacity. Today we can actually live that fantasy if we take all of Don Miki’s yells, insults, recriminations and praises and multiply them by 80.000.

Also to remember are the many social gatherings. Among those that come to memory the end of season celebration at Alvaro’s house, the visit to Alvaro when he had his injury and the meetings to watch important games like the Barcelona-Real Madrid Derby at Diego’s house. And how to forget the amazing discovery at a Minneapolis bar of Jorge Garzon’s outstanding love for the game of Poker.

Hopefully 2007 will bring many more moments of joy through soccer and may the friendship ties that the team has created in these three years continue to strengthen.

RESUMEN DEL AÑO

Termina el tercer año de vida para el Inter United y quedan muchas cosas buenas para recordar y algunas noticias no tan gratas sobretodo en lo que respecta a la salud de los jugadores.

Se añadieron tres trofeos más a la vitrina del Inter United. El primero fue el de segundo lugar de la Liga Azteca, temporada invierno 2005-2006 en el que perdimos la final con Veracruz el 3 de marzo por marcador de 3-1. El segundo, fue el de primer lugar del mini torneo Copa de Campeones una semana después. En la final volvimos a enfentar a Vercruz y esta vez la victoria correspondió al Inter United. El tercero, fue el segundo lugar en la Copa ACEMN el 9 de Septiembre en la que se derrotó al Sport Colombia para jugar la final con San Sebastián y en ella el Inter cayó derrotado por marcador final de 6-0 (la peor derrota del año).

Por primera vez el Inter United tuvo en sus filas a jugadores nacidos en Minnesota. Donnie Hicks de St Louis Park jugó para el equipo algunos partidos de la Liga Azteca antes de viajar a iniciar sus estudios universitarios pero pasó a la historia del equipo no solo por ser el primer nativo de Minnesota sino porque marcó gol en todos los partidos en que jugó. A comienzo de invierno se unió Joel Stone, defensa de St Paul. También creció el número de países representados en Inter United. Tony Birdy de Canadá reemplazo a John en algunos partidos de La Liga de otoño en Roseville y Oleg Stanilevsky de Moldavia reforzó al Inter en un juego en Rosemount por la MISL. El Inter ya tiene 16 banderas para mostrar en su historia.

Colombia también aportó nuevos jugadores. Diego Reyes, quien no pudo debutar en 2005 por lesión, se convirtió en baluarte de la defensa y de las reuniones extradeportivas de la familia del Inter United. David VonBank, nacido en Bogotá pero criado en Minnesota, se unió al equipo en la temporada de verano y nos demostró que la genética juega papel importante en el fútbol pues, sin haber nunca jugado en Colombia, tiene un estilo muy similar al de los grandes jugadores del país. Andrés Solano, de Cali, después de haber jugado varias veces con nosotros en entrenamiento, se vinculó oficialmente al equipo en la temporada de otoño y además ha sido uno de los más entusiastas para colaborar en la parte administrativa del equipo. Carlos Martinez llegó al equipo en la temporada de invierno y también se ha preocupado mucho por el futuro del equipo y ha estado activo en el reclutamiento de nuevos jugadores.

Volvimos a ver a algunos de nuestros viejos amigos y jugadores estrella. Carlos “El Correcaminos” Gómez, se puso la camiseta del Inter en la apertura de la MISL en Rosemount y nuestro máximo goleador de todos los tiempos Sir Roger Derham, además de hacer una generosa donación al equipo infantil de Tumaco, reapareció en la Copa ACEMN y en dos partidos anotó 4 goles más que lo confirman con un total de 43 como el lider indiscutible de los goleadores del equipo.

Desafortunadamente vimos la partida de Nelson Granados quien por compromisos profesionales tuvo que salir de Minnesota. Gran jugador y mejor amigo, Nelson ha sido uno de los grandes que han pasado por el Inter y tuvimos la oportunidad de volverlo a ver a final del año para celebrar con él su grado como PhD de la Universidad de Minnesota.

Poco después de la partida de Nelson, Justo García otro de los personajes históricos dentro y fuera de la cancha, sufrió una grave lesión en un partido de la Liga Azteca y al optar por no someterse a cirugía sabemos que nunca más podremos verlo vistiendo la camisa azul y negra. Finalizando el otoño la misma suerte corrió Alvaro Sánchez, fundador, organizador, patrocinador y pilar del equipo y se temió que tampoco volvería a actuar pero, a diferencia de Justo, Alvaro decidió someterse a cirugía y su recuperación ha sido muy alentadora y es posible que en 2007 lo podamos ver nuevamente en acción. Pocos dias antes de la operación falleció en Europa el astro húngaro Ferenc Puskas, uno de los mejores jugadores de la historia y se rumora que Alvaro recibió el ligamento cruzado del talentoso jugador, asi que esperamos que los resultados se vean en la cancha.

El año vio también la llegada del cuarto español (tercer madrileño) al Inter United. Enrique Aguilera defendió por primera vez nuestros colores en el otoño y después de jugar algunos partidos en defensa se ha destacado como goleador en la parte final de la temporada. A pesar de ser uno de los más nuevos, su deseo de jugar, donde sea y como sea, sirvió de inspiración para continuar con el equipo luego de las dificultades con la liga MISL.

Los problemas con las ligas hispanas fueron el lunar de la temporada. El Inter United se retiró de dos torneos este año debido a falta de organización de estas ligas y en cambio se sintió muy bien en Roseville para la temporada de otoño en donde se encontró un buen ambiente y buen nivel de juego.

En lo netamente futbolístico, los goleadores del año fueron: Temporada invierno 2005-2006 Pablo Viedma con 18 goles. Verano 2006 Tony Safo 12 goles. Otoño 2006 Francisco Castellanos 7 goles (primer Colombiano del Inter que lo logra) El equipo jugó en total durante 2006, 40 partidos oficiales con 23 victorias, 5 empates y 12 derrotas.

En lo extradeportivo hay que destacar que de nos ser por el retiro del equipo de los dos torneos mencionados, Don Miki hubiera ya completado su columna #100. Sin la columna de Don Miki no se podría escribir la historia del equipo. Alli se puede revisar, aunque las descripciones no sean milimétricamente ceñidas a la realidad, que ha ocurrido en cada uno de los momentos del cuadro y se pueden recordar todos los buenos momentos vividos. Muchos de nosotros seguramente de niños soñamos con jugar alguna vez una gran final de algún campeonato importante con un estadio lleno a reventar. Hoy podemos vivir de cerca es sensación si tomamos los gritos, insultos, regaños y felicitaciones de Don Miki y los multiplicamos por 80.000.

También quedan para el recuerdo las muchas reuniones sociales entre las que vienen a la memoria la celebración de fin de temporada en casa de Alvaro, la visita al mismo Alvaro después de su lesión y las reuniones a ver importantes partidos de futbol como el clásico Barcelona-Real Madrid en casa de Diego. I como olvidar el increible descubrimiento en un bar de Minneapolis del sobresaliente amor de Jorge Garzón por el juego del Poker.

Ojalá el 2007 traiga muchos más momentos de alegría a traves del fútbol y que los lazos de amistad que el equipo ha creado en estos tres años se sigan fortaleciendo.

GAME PLAN AND CORNER KICK SEASON

After the winingless weekend many proposals were heard to improve our anemic offense. One of them was from Andres Solano who thinks that we should use a sweeper. Based on that and on the need of playing as a block going up and down we have designed a playing scheme with a sweeper (probably to share the position between William and Andres who are our fastest defensemen) and then two lines of three, one defensive and one offensive, although both would come up and down the field and ending with a single defined forward who would stay up the field at all time (see picture). Please feel free to comment on this option and suggest any other which you think might help the team.

CORNER KICK SEASON

Most of the players have expressed their preference towards a 9v9 league but also we know most of the team does not want to play anymore on latino leagues. Apparently no one has found another 9v9 league and given those perspectives the decision is (if nothing else comes up in the next couple of weeks) to have two teams play at Corner Kick (6vs6) one in the recreational category and the other in the premier league. There would be a cutoff at age 30 (although this is not mandatory and people can choose which team to play on). The advantages of doing this would be : 1) The two categories are played on Thursdays and we could still be together as a team and also allowing for players to cover in case one of the teams has not enough players. 2) Inter United would finally have a true competitive team as it has been the desire of many of our players. 3 ) Older players could play without the pressure of feeling that they slow down the team while they are on the field. For this proposal to be viable one thing needs to happen and that is that one or two guys take responsibility for the administration issues of the competitive team. If this does not happen Inter United would be forced to cut down number of players and return to the original Inter United team for a 6v6 league at Corner Kick. Please let the team know if you have any other options or, if you are OK with this proposal on which team would like to play.

OPTIONS FOR WINTER LEAGUE

Inter United has finally found a league where it feels comfortable. The Roseville League, suggested by Peter Trofin has shown a friendly atmosphere, affordable costs for a sponsorless team and competitive enough quality level as well as fair play that unfortunately is not seen in the hispanic leagues we have played before. The only downside is that it only plays for 8 weeks and does not have a winter version meaning we will be soon again without competition if we don't move fast. We have learnt that leagues like the Minnesota International League (where we played the 2004-2005 winter season) start play in October and are near to close registrations. It would be nice if to have some options that allow us to continue to play in a similar format as the one we have right now. A 9 v 9 playing field with no boards is the ideal but if not possible we have to consider other options. An indoor league at the National Sports Center in Blaine with a 6v6 format is an option and the proposed solution would be to split the team and have a +38 Inter United play on Wednesdays and a competitive Inter United on Thursdays. Another option would be to go back to playing the Minneaota International League which plays 9v9 on Saturdays at Augsburg College. Corner Kick and Soccer blast also have leagues but they have 6v6 format that would not allow for all current Inter United players to be on the winter team. We know that several Inter United players play for other teams in different leagues and they might know about other options. Woodbury, Eden Prairie, Stillwater and Plymouth, for example have domes but we don't know which leagues play there. Please let us know what your preferences are for winter play since we have to make a decision by the first week of October or end up not playing in the winter.

SHOULD INTER UNITED PLAY A SUMMER LEAGUE?

Through two different summer seasons, Inter United has struggled to get enough people to start a game. Last year the team ended up registering 24 players and even then had to start games with 9 or 10 players on the field. The situation eventually led to the team's withdrawal from competition with a few games still remaining. The fact that only players who went to the games were paying for refereeing seemed to be part of the problerm since it was thought then that someone who was not paying for a game might not care if he missed one. For this year players were required to pay in advance for the costs of the team but still the same situation is happening. We have used 21 different players this season but only nine showed up on time last Sunday.
The summer is a fun season and an opportunity for some good quality family time and making a commitment to consistently show up on Sundays for a soccer game, even for die hard soccer fans, is tough. In this terms maybe Inter United should reconsider competing in summer leagues and becoming a fall-winter team only. Is this how most of the team feels? Any suggestions about what other options we have?
Inter United has not yet won a Championship (we have been close) but that is not really the teams major goal. The main objective is to have fun playing but that goal becomes unreachable for the players who show up to play shorthanded on a hot summer day.
Discussion is open

INTER'S WORST LOSS IN ONE YEAR

Many things went wrong today and Inter United suffered its worst loss in over a year.
Some of those things are part of the game, like injuries and red cards but some others are within our control and we can work together to correct them.
1. The worst is the fact that after so many warnings and e mails there are still players that are showing up to the field without Inter United's uniform. Yesterday's game, even if we had scored 10 goals, would have been given to the other team since they had protested on the grounds that not all our shorts were the same!!!!!!!!! Once again, the shorts have to be completely black and players who have been with us since the 2004-2005 season have the shorts we used in that season. Players who don't have it could buy one from Alvaro or easily buy one at Target for less than $7. If we don't comply with this, no matter how we fix the other problems we will always loose the points because those are the rules we all agreed on.
2. Players are still showing up late to games, probably watching the World Cup which is understandable given we all love soccer but we have to consider that it is not respectful with teammates who have to start the game shorthanded.
3. Yesterday showed that we DO need more players. The reasons for not expanding our roster up until now was the fear of someday having everyone show up and eventually not being able to let everyone play, which is not fair in a team were every player has to pay to be a part of the team. However, it is clear that we don't have enough players that show up regularly in order to have a complete roster. We will try to make new recruitments in time for next week's game but anyone who joins Inter United will have to first meet all the requirements that current players have met in terms of payments to the team. Sadly in the past we have had very good players, always willing to come to every game but not doing their part to contibute to team finances and we are not willing to go back to that.
4. We have finally found a time in the week were we can practice (Tuesday's 7:00 PM at St Louis Park) Lets try to take advantage of this to improve our game.
Finally, we would again ask every player to give the team a notice in case you are not able to come to a game since at least we can do some advance planning and not have to wait for game time to know which players we can count on.
GO INTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PROPUESTA DE NUEVOS UNIFORMES / NEW UNIFORMS PROPOSAL

Joaquín y Helio han hecho una propuesta para que el Inter United renueve su vestuario con un uniforme que esté a la altura del equipo. En el pasado hemos tratado de buscar primordialmente la mayor economía para facilitar a todos los jugadores la adquisición del uniforme dado que nunca hemos tenido patrocinio. Los hermanos De La Torre piensan que la historia que ya tiene el Inter United merece un vestuario a la altura del equipo que en la actualidad tenemos. Hay varios sitios en latinoamerica que ofrecen uniformes de muy buena calidad (dry fit) y a precios razonables que no estarían por encima de los $40 incluyendo nombres, números, logo del Inter y envio. Como en realidad no necesitamos un nuevo uniforme porque todos los jugadores registrados ya tienen la camiseta oficial, esta decisión solo la tomariamos si de manera unánime la aprueban los jugadores. Es decir, si una sola persona no está de acuerdo no ordenariamos un nuevo uniforme. Si lo hacemos, los colores que ya son tradicionales del Inter con azul y negro se mantendrían. Esperamos comentarios y votaciones en este blog.

Joaquin and Helio have made a proposal for Inter United to renew its outfit with a uniform that is up to the level of the current team. In the past we have tried to look primarily for economy in order to make it easy for every player to acquire our uniforms since we have never had a sponsor. The De La Torre brothers think that the history that Inter United now has deserves an outfit according to our present team. There are several sites in Latinamerica that offer very good quality uniforms (dry fit) and with reasonable prices that would not be over $40 including numbers, names, team logo and delivery. Since we don't really need a new uniform since all the registered players already have an official team jersey, we will only make this decision if it is unanimously approved by the players. That is, one person who does not agree with this will be enough to cancel the idea. If we do it, the now traditional Inter United colors with black and blue will be mantained. We await your commentaries and votes in this blog.

SUNDAY"S GAME MOVED TO VADNAIS HEIGHTS

The game for Sunday May 28 has been scheduled for 1:00 PM at Vadnais Heights against a team called Lanix (they have won 2 and lost 1).
Blaine Sports complex is hosting an international tournament thiw weekend and will not be open for play of the Azteca Laegue.
This are the directions: Take 694 to Rice street. Take Rice north, parallel to a lake you will see to your right. At the first traffic light you will make a right and shortly after you will find a STOP sign where you will make another right on to County road FE. You will take that road and look for the field. There is a first field to the left which is not the one we are playing at. After the first field keep going and you will then see a second park. We know Tony, Alvaro and José Luis will be out of town. PLease let the team know if you are unable to come

EN SUFRIDO PARTIDO LLEGO LA TERCERA VICTORIA / THIRD VICTORY CAME ON A SUFFERED GAME

Tres nuevos puntos cosechó el Inter Unted al derrotar al equipo de On Site. Al inicio del segundo tiempo el Inter se puso en ventaja 4-1 y jugaba con un hombre más por la expulsión de uno de los jugadores rivales y el partido parecía asegurado. Sin embargo aparecieron las lesiones, el Inter tuvo que hacer cambios forzados, se perdió el orden y el rival se vino encima para lograr dos goles que pusieron en peligro la victoria. Alli apareció el espiritu de lucha y el amor por el equipo para que los muchachos que quedaron en el terreno de juego demostraran que al Inter va a ser dificil derrotarlo esta temporada. Otro aspecto importante fue que el conjunto logró mostrar un buen juego a pesar de la ausencia de David VonBank y Jorge Garzón, quienes habían sido muy importantes en los dos primeros juegos. La ausencia de jugadores jóvenes es muy dura para el equipo ya que cuando el Inter United tiene en el campo a los jugadores mayores tiene más años que el Imperio Romano.

Inter United harvested three new points by defeating On Site team. At the beginning of the second half Inter went up 4-1 and was playing with a one man advantage after the ejection of one of the rival players and the game seemed secured. However, then came the injuries, Inter had to make forced substitutions, our order was lost and our rivals charged to score the goals that endangered Inter's victory. The fighting spirit and love for the team showed up then and showed that Inter United will be hard to beat this season. Anothaer important thing was that the tean was able to show a good game despite the absence of David VonBank and Jorge Garzón, who were very important in the first two games. Missing young players is hard for the team since Inter United, when the veteran players are in the field, sums more years than the Roman Empire.

DOS EN LINEA / TWO IN A ROW

Inter United completó dos victorias consecutivas en el inicio de la liga . Nuevamente se vió un juego ordenado y efectivo ante un equipo más fuerte que el que nos correspondió en suerte en la primera fecha.Esta temporada ha demostrado que el equipo se conoce mucho mejor y que puede jugar un juego de conjunto que permite hacer cambios con la tranquilidad de que el nivel de juego se mantiene o en algunas casos se mejora cuando se hacen las sustituciones. Diego Reyes demosrtró que está recuperado plenamente de la lesión que lo alejó de la temporada pasada y que si el equipo lo necesita está en capacidad de dar 90 minutos de fútbol. Edward Gómez, también reapareciendo de una lesión demostró que puede aportar esta temporada y Bizcochito Lozano, aunque no estaba lesionadao, también reapareció después de una larga ausencia y tuvo uno de sus mejores partidos en la historia del equipo y no pudo elegir un mejor momento para hacerlo ya que precisamente en este juego no pudo estar presente William Castellanos, otro de nuestros juveniles que le dan el oxígeno a un equipo compuesto principalmente por veteranos. Nuestro otro jugador joven, David VonBank se ha convertido en la nueva estrella del equipo, capaz de defender y atacar durante todo el partido y seguramente será el lider del ataque del Inter United está temporada.


Inter United completed two consecutive victories in the beginning of league competition. Again an organized game was seen against a stronger team than the one we faced in the first week.This season has showed that the team is better integrated and that it can play a better team play which allows to make changes comfortably, knowing that the level of play is mantained or even improves when substitutions are made. Diego Reyes showed that he is completely recovered from the injury that kept him aside for the last season and that if the team needs it, he is able to give 90 minutes of good soccer. Edward Gómez, who was also reapearing after injury also showed that he will cntribute to the team this season and Bizcochito Lozano, although not because of injury, also returned after a long absence and had one of his best games in team history and could have not picked a better time to do so since William Castellanos, another of our youth players who give oxygen to the mostly veteran team, was not able to attend.Our other young player, David VonBank has become the new star of the team, capable of both defense and offense for the whole game and will probably be the leader of our attacking force this season.

BUEN COMIENZO TRAE ESPERANZA/ GOOD START BRINGS HOPE

El comienzo de la nueva temporada no ha podido ser mejor para el Inter United. La salida de algunos de los refuerzos que le dieron al equipo la solidez que lo llevó a la final de la temporada pasada hacia temer por la calidad del conjunto para el verano de 2006. Sin embargo, el hecho de tener un equipo en donde ya la mayoría de jugadores se conocen parece haberle dado al Inter United mucha fuerza y un juego de conjunto que no se había visto antes en la historia del equipo. Para destacar la buena asistencia al primer juego de la temporada y la paciencia de todos los jugadores cuando a pesar de crear muchas oportunidades la pelota no entraba en el arco. Los jugadores sabían que se estaban haciendo las cosas bien y efectivamente los goles llegaron en el segundo tiempo (seis). La única adición al Inter United para la nueve Liga Azteca es David VonBank quien jugó un gran partido y seguramente será pieza clave para este verano mientras que Tony Safo arrancó en punta en la carrera para convertirse en el nuevo goleador del Inter.
Para mantener la política de que todos los jugadores mantengan un tiempo de juego equitativo, en la próxima jornada los cambios durante el partido permitiran que descansen quienes actuaron los 90 minutos durante el juego contra Tabasco.
El Inter United reconoce el gran sacrificio de Héctor "El Tapetico" Sánchez, el primer jugador en llegar al terreno de juego y dispuesto a esperar en la linea hasta que el equipo lo necesite.
Recordamos a todos los jugadores que el equipo está entrenando todos los Martes a las 6:30PM en la cancha de St Louis Park.

The beggining of the new season could not have been better for Inter United. The exit of some of our stars that gave us the depth to reach the final during last season made us worry about the quality of the squad for the summer of 2006. However, the fact of having a team where most of the players know each other seems to give Inter United a strength and team play that we had never before seen in team history. The goood attendance to the first game of the season needs to be highlighted as well as the players' patience when, despite creating many opportunities the ball would not go in the net. The players knew they were doing things well and sure enough, goals came on the second half (six). The only addition for Inter United for the new Azteca League is David VonBank who played a great game and will surely be a key playerfor this summer while Tony Safo got an early lead in the race to become Inter United's new top scorer.
To mantain the policy of giving players equal playing time, next week substitutions will give some rest to those players who played 90 minutes in the game against Tabasco.
Inter United recognizes the great sacrifice of Hector "Tapetico" Sanchez, the first player to arrive at the field and willing to wait on the sidelines until the team needs him.
We remind all players that the team is practicing every Tuiesday afternoon at 6:30 PM at St Louis Park

A NEW SEASON FOR INTER UNITED

Summer is almost here and for the third time Inter United will play an outdoor league but this time on a different place. The team has decided to stay with the Azteca League and will play the second division on Sundays at Blaine's National Sports Center. Up to this point only one new player has joined the roster for the new season: Colombian David VonBank. Besides him Inter United will play with guys who at one point or another have defended our colors. Two players who were sidelined because of injury last season, Diego Reyes and Edward Gomez, should be ready to see action this summer. The rest of the roster includes original players Helio De La Torre, Gustavo Navarrete, Alvaro Sanchez, Jose Luis Lozano and William Castellanos as well as longtime team veterans Joaquín De La Torre, Nelson Granados, John Tschohl, Justo Garcia and returning players Tony Safo, Peter Trofin, Jorge Muñoz and Jorge Garzón. Two spots have been reserved for Juan Jose Vesga, original team member who is still debating a possible move to Chicago and Fernando Vassallo, our star forward for the winter season who is in his native Argentina and therefore has missed the selection process.
With Don Miki fully recovered and on the sidelines we hope to have another successful season and have lots of fun.
A good idea has been proposed by Alvaro Sanchez; rotating the team's coaching position for every game. Under this model one player would be coach in each game and would be in charge of selecting the starters, planning the strategy and deciding substitutions. He should only play in case of player shortage. The debate is open and we would like to hear everybody's opinion or suggestions to do this in another way.

DON MIKI NOW OUT OF THE HOSPITAL

Inter United's number one fan (one and only)and official reporter has run into some health problems that kept him for a while at St Joseph's Hospital in St Paul After succesful surgery Don Miki was discharged home on 4/10/06 and is now recovering in the peace of his home. All Inter United players are hoping for a quick recovery and expect to see Don Miki on the sidelines for the kickoff of our next season. Get Well Don Miki!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS

A loss is always tough to swallow but even harder when we were just a single step from going all the way. However our main goals of having fun and meeting new people (Pablo, Ferny and Sebastian are great additions to our group of friends) were all met. Our group has grown so much that even some of our loyal friends and players could not have a spot on the team and yet they were always following our steps (Justo, Aitor, Rockola Carvajal, Edward and Roger just to mention a few). We had been here before but this time we feel we have grown stronger in what has always been our main goal: have fun and strengthen our friendship ties. Because of this we are able to celebrate a positive end of the season even after loosing a game were we didn't show all of our potential. Inter United will continue to participate in local leagues and the hope of having an even bigger trophy with the word CHAMPION on it is still alive. Until this moment comes lets continue to enjoy the pleasure of having such a nice and classy group of friends from all over the world and with a common passion for futebol, futbol, soccer, football, calcio or however you want to call the most popular sport in the world.
Congratulations to all the players who made this a great season:
John: Went beyond his duty this season. Only missed one of our games and gave us his usual share of saves and good plays but besides that was on the scoring board for the first time in his history as Inter United goalie and became St John when he put us in the final game making the only save of that semifinal shootout.
William: The player who has the most games with Inter United has always been the admiration of his teammates for his fighting spirit and physical condition but this season, when we thought we had seen him at his best, he went up a notch and added great passing to his repertoire. He has tought us this season that no matter how good you are you can always be better.
Joaquin: Unquestionably the strongest player ever to wear the blue and black stripes. His return to the team gave our defense another dimension and his enthusiasm on the sidelines is always encouraging for the players on the field.
Tony: Ever since we met him his skills were evident but this season he won everyones admiration with his passion and fighting spirit. Scored 9 goals and played defense when we needed him. His greatest asset: he plays his best on the big games!!
Nelson: The most experienced of our players. Tough and smart both in defense and ofense. Our team structure suffers when he can not make it to the games Besides his contribution on the field he became this season's hero with his recruiting efforts that brought other talented players to our roster.
Alvaro: His yellow card per game average decreased this season but not because he was any less combative or strong. Last minute sliding tackles and goal line saves became his trademark. His efforts have kept Inter United alive for two years and his enthusiasm and willingness to sacrifice led Inter United to yet another final.
Juan Jose: If one thing is missing in our team it is 2 or 3 more players like Juan Jose. He reflects the true Inter United spirit. Always calm and hoping for fun when he is playing. Not concerned so much about winning or losing but HOW WE PLAY. Always expect elegant plays when he is on the field.
Jose Luis: Although he was kept away from the team for personal reasons, in the few games Bizcochito was able to play he showed that he continues to be on the rise and that for some unknown reason, the Augsburg College Dome field brings the best out of him.
Jorge Garzon: If liters of sweat could give teams any points, Jorge would have us at the top of the standings. Since the first day he showed up for an Inter United game he has shown he has fuel for the whole game, mixing skills and strength up and down the field. One of few players who can confidently be placed in any position knowing that he will do well.
Sebastian: Strength, ball control, long distance shot are just a few of his skills and he is above average in all of them but his teammates were most impressed by his good manners and attitude. Always a smile on his face, enjoying the game and making it look easy.
Jorge Muñoz: Another all around player who ended up third in scoring with 10 goals even though he played many games in defense and onlymissed games because of suspension. He teamed up with Fernando for 4 goals against Veracruz when we beat them in the regular season in a night were Nelson, Sebastian and Pablo among others were not there. Who knows wht could have happened if he had played in the final.
Peter: As we said in our web page: he has Inter United in his heart. He will win or die trying. He likes playing forward and was a good scorer for the team but his trademark was his ability to hunt down rival forwards and defensemen to regain many balls for Inter.
Helio: One of the few original Inter United players remaining. Again showed his ball control and passing ability and even if he only scored 3 times it was always in critical moments like whe his header led us to a comeback victory against Barcelona.
Pablo: If there ever is an Inter United Hall of Fame, Pablo has won his place there in a single season. Our leading scorer with 18 goals and a great all around player he will be remembered as the best dribbler ever to play for Inter United.
Fernando: The only Argentinian to ever play for the team and he honored his country's soccer tradition. Besides his great skills he is enthusiastic and only missed one game over the whole season. Scored 15 goals but is not the typical selfish striker. We don't keep official assit statistics but it is safe to say he would be the all time leader in that category if we remeber all the goals he set up for his teammates.
Congratulations again for all the players and we hope to have this group back for some wonderful soccer in future seasons

WE ARE IN THE FINAL

After 50 minutes of intense play and 13 straight penalty shots made, Inter United players were able to celebrate reaching the final of the Azteca League competition. The team expects all the fans to be at the Augsburg College dome next Friday at 8:00 PM for another exciting game and hopefully Inter United's first ever championship. Things to change for next game? Any advice on how to play Veracruz based in what we saw last Friday when they beat Real San Lucas? Lets hear all the player's opinions on how we should play next week.
Any comments on our 100% convertion rate on the penalty kicking on the semifinal? Is there any other player besides Tony that can claim that he has never missed a penalty kick in his life?
We are wondering what the people from El Barrio are now thinking about John. He beat them last time with a goal close to the end of regulation time and now he makes the only save in the shootout to beat them again.

WHO IS GOING FOR THE PENALTY KICKS?

Welcome to Inter United's blog. Starting today all players, fans and readers can publish their comments live on the site. There is no official language but let's remember that we all have at least a moderate understanding of English but some of our players do not speak any Spanish. Our next game (if the league makes no further change) will be on Friday at 8:30 (not 8:00) against El Barrio. Last time we were tied 3-3 with only minutes to play when John scored his one and only goal for Inter United after more than 50 games. If we tie this time, we will go to penalty kicks. Who is ready to kick for Inter United? Who do you think should be the first five?

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