soccer

Excitement is building as plans unfold for a sprawling sports complex that promises to energize local soccer and lacrosse scenes.

Chrissy's alma mater Mechanicville will head to the New York State Boys Soccer Tournament this weekend. Before they travel downstate, Brian and Chrissy had the senior captains and their coach stop by the WGNA studio for some fun.

Corruption isn't anything new to the professional soccer world's governing body. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event on earth. The Super Bowl generally draws about 100 million viewers world wide each year. The FIFA World Cup in 2018 welcomed 3.57 BILLION viewers, maybe more in 2022. Break it down any way that you would like, the two events aren't even close. Those kind of viewership ratings convert to big advertising dollars. On Tuesday, two-high ranking media officials went on trial to face federal wire-fraud and money-laundering charges in Brooklyn Federal Court. The charges are in connection with the 2015 FIFA corruption scandal.

There are plenty of reasons to question the Fédération Internationale de Football Association or FIFA, the governing body of professional soccer. The organization has been riddled controversy for decades. In 2015, more than two dozen FIFA officials were implicated in a 24-year corruption scandal that reached the highest levels of FIFA management. Bribery connected to the awarding of hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup to Russia and this year's 2022 World Cup to Qatar were big factors in the corruption. Now, two days prior to the start, fans are told they can not buy beer with alcohol in the stadium. What?

It is hard to explain to "outsiders" what a special place Mechanicville is. Yes, the boys' soccer team is having an amazing season. Yes, they have already gone farther than any other boys' soccer team in program history. But it is deeper than that. It's different.

Plans to build a sports complex both indoor and outside in Clifton Park are not settling well with residents in that area. In a Town Board meeting on Monday, many people who oppose the idea said it is too close to a conservation-residential zoning area.

Plans are moving forward to bring much-needed indoor and outdoor turf to Southern Saratoga County. The former owners of the Sportsplex of Halfmoon know there is a dire need for these fields in Clifton Park. They are hoping to have the indoor and outdoor synthetic turf field open by next winter.

A lot of soccer families were very disappointed about the decision but there was nothing Paul Rogan, the owner of Sportsplex could do because the building had been sold. It was also the height of COVID and they couldn't stay open because of CDC protocols. It was a tough decision but it had to be made. Now they are coming back but in a different location.

When the Sportsplex of Halfmoon closed suddenly it looked as if there wouldn't be another indoor sports facility in Saratoga County. But now Afrim's announced they will be adding another location north of the Twin Bridges. In a kind of cool twist, the turf and the plexiglass that was in the Sportsplex will be used in the new Afrim's location.

There are rival schools in Washington County that are merging their football and boys soccer teams. It was the decision of the Whitehall school board to team up and merge with long-time rival Granville. They are tackling an issue that has enrollment dwindling so in order for the sports to continue, they had to get creative.

In the wake of the tragedy of Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gigi, I couldn't help but think of how my dad was the ultimate girl dad.

A local soccer coach is being scrutinized by the school superintendent and board of education after a team dinner decision, according to the Times Union. Following a boys sectional loss in high school soccer back in November, the Lake George coach took his team to a Hooters.