After one more exciting game, the United States ran out of miracles, falling to Ghana in extra time, 2-1, in the Round of 16.

The adventure does not end there. We need not wait four years to get the excitement of soccer back. All you need to do is look in your own backyard.

For now, there is the Central Florida Kraze, our top-level amateur development team. Their next home game is next Thursday, July 1, at Showalter Field in Winter Park.

Coming in September, UCF Soccer, both men and women, will ramp up, with high school soccer resuming in October.

And soon we will be getting new announcements on our second-tier professional team, still on track to begin play in 2011. I have it on good authority that an announcement is forthcoming, but I am not privy as to exactly what will be announced.

Don’t let the excitement only come around every four years. Keep the thrill of soccer going.

The United States got a miracle goal from Landon Donovan at dang near the absolute final second–in the second minute of stoppage time–to take the win they deserved, 1-0 against Algeria in Pretoria, to advance in the World Cup to the Knockout Stage.

We almost got jammed again, with a goal by Clint Dempsey getting pulled back midway in the first half on what, upon further review, turned out to be a bogus offsides call. Also, if not for two more hits on the framework, we could’ve easily scored four goals and won a lot more convincingly.

We got lucky early on when an Algerian striker got through and hit the crossbar on a defensive breakdown. Other than that, U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard would not be denied.

With a 1-0 win over Slovenia in Nelson Mandela Bay, England got a desparately-needed win and also advanced. Both the U.S. and England finished with 5 points (1-2-0 W-L-D) and a +1 goal difference. But with 4 goals scored to England’s 2, the U.S. won the group, giving them the right to face the runner-up of Group D in the Round of 16. Their match will be held this Saturday, June 26, at 2:30pm on WFTV 9.1, airing from Rustenburg.

The Orlando Soccer Supporters Club will again be meeting at Buffalo Wings and Rings in South Orlando, on the corner of US 441 and Town Center Blvd. in the Target Plaza near SR 417 exit 11.

Group D involved Ghana, Germany, Serbia and Australia (in ladder/standings order), and is up-for-grabs as much as Group C was. Highly unlikely we’ll see Australia–that would effectively take a Ghana win and Australia win. Personally, I suspect we will end up facing either Ghana or Serbia.

(EDIT: With Germany beating Ghana, 1-0, and Australia beating Serbia, 2-1, the U.S. will face Ghana. Ghana and Australia each have 4 points, but Ghana has a goal difference of 0, while Australia has a goal difference of -3, giving Ghana the tiebreaker.)

Looking further ahead, the winner of that match will face the winner between Uruguay and South Korea. If Uruguay wins, I think we’re finished in the Round of 8. But bigger surprises have happened in South Africa. See: 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, where we came alive in the Knockout Stage and took Brazil to the limit in the final.

The United Football League has announced the tentative location of its sixth team: Norfolk, Virginia.

The prime investor for the Norfolk team will be Jim Speros, who was the spearhead of the CFL USA experiment to bring Canadian football to non-NFL U.S. markets in the mid-1990s. He owned the Baltimore Stallions, which won the Grey Cup in 1995. After the USA experiment collapsed, he moved the Stallions to Montreal, becoming the still-extant Montreal Alouettes, and sold the team in 1997.

The General Manager will be former NFL quarterback Doug Williams. Not much else needs to be said there, especially if you are a Bucs fan.

Imagine how much easier it would’ve been if Michael Vick hadn’t run afoul of the law, being a product of the Virginia Tidewater area himself.

Although nothing is set in stone by any means, my guess is that if it is specifically for Norfolk, they would play either on the campus of Norfolk State University, or at Harbor Park, home of the Triple-A Norfolk Tides baseball club. Harbor Park is about half the size of Rosenblatt Stadium and its replacement, TD Ameritrade Park Omaha, for the Nighthawks. The football stadium at Norfolk State, Dick Price Stadium, holds 30,000 people but also has a track around it.

The City of Orlando has given approval today for AstroTurf to be installed at the Florida Citrus Bowl.

AstroTurf was selected over FieldTurf, which is installed in several venues in Florida already, most notably Tropicana Field, who replaced their original AstroTurf “painted concrete” with grasslike FieldTurf in 2000, and its successor, FieldTurf Duo, in 2007.

Modern AstroTurf is more like FieldTurf Duo, which nearly put AstroTurf out of business in the past decade. The particular turf would likely be something in its GameDay Grass line.

But FieldTurf is crying foul, stating that AstroTurf does not have a contractor license in the State of Florida.

I get the sense that this will not be the end of the saga.

Central Florida Kraze rolled into Central Broward Regional Park for their first round U.S. Open Cup match with Miami FC.

They did well…until added extra time.

With the score tied 1-1 at the end of regulation, the game went to overtime, what soccer calls “added extra time”. (a.e.t.) Josiah Millar had tied the game for the Kraze at 57′. a.e.t. in soccer is played as a 30-minute timeframe divided into two halves. If the two teams are still tied at the end, they go to penalty kicks. (Think shootout in ice hockey.)

Apparently our goalkeeper has a shelf life of 110 game minutes. Because Paulo Araujo Jr. scored four goals in the last 10 minutes of extra time to escape with a 5-1 victory.

Lesson learned: try to add a little extra fitness. Extra time isn’t a typical situation in the regular season, but is needed for tournament games. The Kraze, otherwise, should be proud that they took a D-2 team the distance in regulation.

The Kraze host the Bradenton Academics again Thursday night at 7pm at Showalter Field in Winter Park.

The Orlando Soccer Supporters Club is holding its final group stage watch party at Buffalo Wings & Rings in Orlando. It is at 2079 Town Center Blvd. on US 441 just south of SR 417 exit 11.

Game time is 10am on Wednesday, June 23. The venue will open at 9:30am.

We got official word today: The UCF Knights men’s basketball team will play a game at the new Amway Center in 2010-11.

The first collegiate game played at Amway Center will be a match against the Florida Gators on Wednesday, December 1.

Entitled the Florida Citrus Sports Shootout, the game will have tickets ranging from $15 to $100, with lower bowl tickets starting at $15.

UCF left fielder Chris Duffy made it to the list of five finalist for the MLB.com/USA Baseball Golden Spikes Awards.

Vote for Duffy now! Voting closes next Friday, June 18, at 5pm EDT. The winner of the fan vote will count as one vote on the final panel. Let’s show them how much we love our superstar.

Duffy is also one of 25 semifinalists for the Dick Howser Award, an award of the National College Baseball Writers Association. Three finalists will be named next Saturday, June 19.

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Duffy was duly awarded for his work in college by being selected in the 2010 MLB Draft, along with right fielder Shane Brown and starting pitcher Owen Dew.

Dew was chosen with the 5th pick in the 21st round, 630th overall, by the Cleveland Indians.

Brown was chosen with the last pick of the 23rd round, 715th overall, by the New York Yankees.

Duffy was chosen with the 26th pick in the 26th round, 801st overall, by the Philadelphia Phillies.

There’s still 20 more rounds to go. More tomorrow night.

As for our high school students: LHP Justin Nicolino of University High was chosen in the 2nd round (80th overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays.  RHP A.J. Cole of Oviedo High was chosen 116th overall by the Washington Nationals. CF Mason Williams of West Orange High was chosen 145th overall by the Yankees. RF Jose Dore of The First Academy was chosen 244th overall by the San Diego Padres. RF Dustin Geiger of Merritt Island High was chosen 730th overall by the Chicago Cubs. CF Jay Gonzalez of Freedom High was chosen 833rd overall by the Boston Red Sox. RHP Adaric Kelly of Trinity Prep was chosen 846th overall by the Blue Jays.

For other local colleges, RHP Jason Degrom of Stetson University was chosen 272nd overall by the New York Mets. RHP Tim Griffin of Rollins College was chosen 852nd overall by the Seattle Mariners.

From Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University: RHP Jonathan Countis was chosen 572nd overall by the Mets. C Austin Goolsby was chosen 778th overall by the Baltimore Orioles.

Today I received an e-mail from Joe Armington, the Director of Marketing for the Florida Tuskers.

Hello Tusker pioneers!

We are going to have our inaugural Tusker fan club meeting next Thursday- 6/17- at 6pm at Legends sports pub, which is just south of downtown Orlando at (1315 S Orlando Ave suite 1F).

If you can’t make it we can make arrangements to meet personally, or by phone, because you are our original die-hard fans and we want you to know how important you are in building the UFL’s best fan base. The bottom line is we are all committed to building the “Tusker Nation” which may be an old and tired cliche. Luckily you won’t have to be saddled with corporate “gobbleygook” as you guys, and gals, will ultimately decide how the fan club will be run. Bring your best ideas so we can get off to a quick start as the season starts in just a few months.

So round up some of your friends and we look forward to seeing you June 17th- 6pm at Legends. Look for the snarling Tusker logo

Regards, Joe

I don’t recall our current logo as “snarling”, so either it’s a new logo, or just a marker for the Fan Club meet. Personally I hope it’s the latter. The Tuskers need very few brand changes (namely, an actual lettermark). We do not need a new logo. I like our current Tusker logo, and I know I’m not alone.

Anyway, to summarize, our next organizational meeting for the Tuskers fan club is next Thursday, June 17, at 6pm EDT. Like the last meeting, it will be held at Legends Sports Pub at 1315 S. Orange Ave., across from ORMC.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando Fantasy has booked its two home games at UCF Arena. This will mark the first time indoor football will be played at the venue.

Looking at the seating chart, it looks like some of the lower bowl seating will be retracted, in the Endstage 360 configuration with only lower bowl and club seats used. This would give them a capacity of 5,447 for the event. Individual game ticket prices will range from $40-$85. A two-game package is available with prices ranging $60-$150.

Tickets are on sale now. A reminder that the two home games are September 24 against the Tampa Breeze, and October 29 against Miami Caliente. Both games start at 9pm.

I would imagine if any success shows, they would move to the Amway Center for 2011. But the early home game made it impossible to get into the new arena when it was ready.

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In other news, Ben Bennett has resigned as head coach of the Orlando Fantasy. Reportedly, he had a difference of opinion with LFL owner Mitchell Mortaza, and didn’t like the scant number of games in the season.

Kenny McEntire will take over as head coach. This shouldn’t affect his playing time with the Predators this season.

Personally, I think if the LFL wants any shot at looking legitimate, they do need to eventually play more than one game league-wide per week.