Football

University South Florida Bulls v Tampa Bay Rowdies

March 5, 2016 Andrew

Friendly

Saturday 5th March 2016

Kick off 19.00 Actual 19.10

University South Florida Bulls 1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 3, attendance 1,500

38′ 1-0 N. Bartman

63′ 1-1 D. King

83′ 1-2 F. Adu

90′ 1-3 T. Heinemann

@ Corbett Soccer Stadium

4800, Elm Drive

Tampa, FL 33617

$5 admission

Team sheet free, double printed card.

The Corbett Stadium was opened in 2011 and has a capacity of 3,000, with nearly 1,000 seats and has a bowl feel to it with grass banking on three sides. Apparently, the furthest seat from the pitch here, is nearer than the nearest seat was to the pitch at their former stadium, which is still in use for track & field.

Parked in the same car park as we had used for the basketball on Wednesday, but it was free tonight, as opposed to $10 charged then. A decent game that was played at a competitive pace throughout. Got a bit chilly towards the end so had to put on a jacket, but not bad for a night game in early March.

Basketball

Orlando Magic v Phoenix Suns

March 4, 2016 Andrew

National Basketball Association

Friday 4th March 2016

19.00 Tip off

Orlando Magic 84 Phoenix Suns 102, attendance 17,546

Magic Starters ;

Elfrid Payton, 19 pts, 2 reb, 11 ast, 3 stl

Mario Hezonja, 12 pts,4 reb, 2 ast, 1 stl

Nikola Vucevic, 15 pts, 12 reb, 3 stl, 1 blk

Evan Fournier, 12 pts, 2 reb, 2 stl

Aaron Gordon, 4 pts, 2 reb

Playing Reserves ;

C.J. Watson, Ersan Ilyasova, Devin Marble, Brandon Jennings, Jason Smith, Dewayne Desmond, Shabazz Napier, Andrew Nicholson

Suns Starters ;

Ronnie Price, 14 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast, 5 stl, 1 blk

Alex Len, 31 pts, 15 reb, 1 stl, 2 blk

Devin Booker, 14 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast, 1 blk

P.J. Tucker, 7 pts, 7 reb, 4 ast, 1 stl

Tyson Chandler, 10 pts, 12 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk

Playing Reserves ;

Mirza Teletovic, John Jenkins, Archie Goodwin, Jon Leuer

@ Amway Center

400, West Church Street

Orlando, FL 32801

$37.25 + $5.58 fees admission, print at home ticket

Programme free, 28 pages.

Orlando Magic are a relatively young franchise having been established in 1989. They play at the Amway Center, an 18,846 seat arena, opened in October 2010 at a cost of $480 million.

Basketball

University South Florida Bulls v East Carolina University Pirates

March 2, 2016 Andrew

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I

American Athletic Conference

Wednesday 2nd March 2016

21.00 Tip off

University South Florida Bulls 39 East Carolina University Pirates 52, attendance 2,957

@ USF Sun Dome

4202, East Fowler Avenue

Tampa, FL 33620

$9 admission

Programme free, 4 pages, plus free Season Magazine, 64 pages, plus free Team Sheet.

The arena was opened in November 1980 and received renovation in 1993, 2000 and 2011. It has a capacity of 10,411.

I can’t imagine I will see a team win a basketball game with such a low score, although when the home team score a pathetic 39 points, then the visitors were hardly having to get out of second gear to get the win.

Football

Gamtex F.C. V Dartos

February 29, 2016 Andrew

North Texas Premier Soccer Association

Division 1B (Spring Season)

Monday 29th February 2016

Kick off 19.00 Actual 19.09

Gamtex F.C. 1 Dartos 0, attendance 13

32′ 1-0

@ Premier Park, Pitch 1

1115, Elam Road

Balch Springs, TX 75180

No admission or programme.

I had Googled ‘Gamtex’ and come up with what I thought was a ‘works’ team. However, it turns out they are immigrants from The Gambia, now living in Texas !

There are occasionally an odd game or two during midweek in this league due to pitch unavailability on Sunday’s or even due to cancellation due to weather. Apparently, if one complex is unfit for play, then the whole day’s schedule is cancelled and rescheduled the week after the last block of fixtures. At least it keeps all teams on the same number of games played.

Premier Park is a complex of seven parallel pitches, all floodlit. The only facility on site is the Groundsmans Shed that has toilets round the back. Tonight’s game, on Pitch 1, is nearest this and also the car park.

Football

Matadors v Dallas City F.C.

February 28, 2016 Andrew

North Texas Premier Soccer Association

Division 1A (Spring Season)

Sunday 28th February 2016

Kick off 17.00 Actual 17.13

Matadors 2 Dallas City F.C. 2, attendance 14

21′ 1-0

66′ 1-1

81′ 1-2

89′ 2-2

@ The Colony Five Star Soccer Complex, Pitch 6

4100, Blair Oaks Drive

The Colony, TX 75056

No admission or programme.

There are eight pitches here, this one being floodlit and having a couple of sections of metal bleachers. There is a building at the centre of the complex that has toilets and a thriving refreshment bar, mainly due to the amount of women’s and youth teams playing.

Basketball

Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions v Tarleton State University Texans

February 27, 2016 Andrew

National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II

Lone Star Conference

Saturday 27th February 2016

18.00 Tip off

Texas A&M University-Commerce Lions 74 Tarleton State University Texans 88, attendance 1,437

@ Field House

2600, South Neal Street

Commerce, TX 75428

$7 admission

Team Sheet, free.

The Field House was built in 1950 in the days when the college was named East Texas State Teachers College and is a 5,000 seat facility.

I had seen the reverse of this fixture a month ago, the Lions winning it by 2 points. This time it was revenge for the Texans and by a much wider margin.

Basketball

Texas Wesleyan University Rams v Oklahoma City University Stars

February 25, 2016 Andrew

National Association Intercollegiate Athletics

Sooner Athletic Conference

Thursday 25th February 2016

20.00 Tip off

Texas Wesleyan University Rams 73 Oklahoma City University Stars 74, attendance 550

@ Sid W. Richardson Center

1100, South Collard Street

Fort Worth, TX 76105

$7 admission

Programme free, 4 pages.

The arena was opened in 1970 and underwent major renovation over the summer of 2008. It currently seats 1,500.

This was a cracking game with an atmosphere to match. It looked like the Rams had won it when they went ahead with 6.4 seconds left, until the Stars nicked it with just 0.8 seconds on the clock !

Football

Inter Dallas v Crusaders A.S.F.

February 21, 2016 Andrew

North Texas Premier Soccer Association

Division 1B (Spring Season)

Sunday 21st February 2016

Kick off 11.00 Actual 11.11

Inter Dallas 2 Crusaders A.S.F. 3, attendance 6

27′ 0-1

44′ 1-1

62′ 2-1

86′ 2-2

90 + 1′ 2-3

@ R. E. Good Soccer Complex, Pitch 5

Elm Fork Drive

Carrollton, TX 75056

No admission or programme.

This was my first dip into the N.T.P.S.A. Teams don’t have their own grounds, but games are allocated by the league, although most tend to play ‘home’ games at a set number of venues nearest to where they are based. The standard is nothing special and games involve Rolling Substitutions much like Step 7 in England. As a league rule, all players must wear the same coloured shirts, although shorts and socks do not need to match. Not too bad today, but I can imagine some teams will take this to the extreme. At least all games have 3 officials, which apparently goes right from the top divisions 1A and 1B, down to Division 5.

Todays game took place at a complex of 5 pitches, three of full size. The pitch was floodlit and had a few sections of metal bleachers dotted around. There was a brick building nearer the youth pitches that has toilets and a refreshment stand.