Red Bulls trialing young Wuilito "Totti" Fernandes

By : Brian Lewis
New York Post

Just because the summer transfer window closed doesn’t mean the Red Bulls have stopped scouring for talent. First they brought in fullback Sheanon Williams for a trial last week _ he earned another week _ and yesterday they brought in another 20-year-old in attacking midfielder Wuilito “Totti’’ Fernandes.
"On Monday it was raining, so unfortunately (I wasn’t) able do anything,'' Fernandes said through an interpreter, agent Tony Araujo. "I worked out with all the players, did everything they asked me. Obviously players like Rafa Marquez, Thierry Henry were really nice to me. They were happy with what I did today.
"We were just practicing positions, moving without the ball but not really playing, schematics of the game, strategy. I did well. They help you out, but I haven’t shown what I have in terms of skill, in terms of playing football yet. We just played small (sided) games, one-touch, two-touch.''
Fernandez _ a 5-foot-11, 160-pound attacking midfielder who can also play support striker or on either wing _ is another in the young crop of talents coming out of Cape Verde; he just stopped in New England for a detour. Since arriving in the U.S. a year and three months ago, he's starred at Boston International High School, and this summer in the New England Luso American Soccer Association.
"He's just a great kid,'' Araujo gushed. "This kid is all around great soccer player. (He has) great vision of the field, foot-skills, moving without the all, great in the air, he can jump, he has great speed. And he's a free-kick specialist; he scored four goals in the league this year on free kicks.''
Hyperbole or not, Fernandez might fit the bill for what the Red Bulls have seemingly been on the lookout for lately, taking cursory glances at Williams and yet another 20-year-old in Brazilian Marcos Paullo: Young, talented, and (potentially) cheap.
Back in Cape Verde, he'd played on the Under-17 National Team and then played two years for Baiiro FC in the country's highest league. When he came to the United States, he enrolled at Boston International, notching 22 goals and 15 assists in 20 games, named all-city and leading his team to the state quarterfinals. Now he's trying to make the jump to pro soccer.
In the LASA, he's posted eight goals and seven assists in 16 games. The season runs through November, but Araujo had him take some time off to come to this week's trial, and perhaps another in Portugal as well. Araujo placed another player, Zico Veiga, with second-division FC de Arouca; but clearly would prefer Fernandes land an MLS contract with the Red Bulls.
"He was actually supposed to be in Portugal this week. But because Red Bull is such a great team, and a fantastic project, as his agent then I thought that Red Bull would be the best place for him,'' Araujo said. "But if an opportunity doesn’t present itself here, then I'll take him to
Portugal.''
http://www.nypost.com/p/blogs/soccerblog/red_bulls_trialing_young_wuilito_QXq53tiMsRUyhz1KFrz3FP

NELASA WEEK 17 Recap

Week 17 Recap

NELASA Week 17 kicked off with a big upset Friday Night in Boston where Boston FC put on a show and score five times against Strela Negra. Boston FC took a quick 2-0 lead Goals by Will and Demeteo (PK) but before the half Strela Negra regrouped and scoreed two of the own to tie the game at 2-2 Goals by Denny and Djicay. But in the second half it was all Boston FC as they scored three more to seal the victory Will and Demeteo scored two goals each and Totti score one. Final score Boston FC 5-2 Srela Negra

The league leader Alianca CV traveled to Boston to take on Curral Grande and got an impressive 3-1 victory. Alianca scored first goal by Danny, then right before the half Vincent tied the game for Curral Grande. In the second half Alianca scored twice goals by De Lele and Zico.

Tabanka hosted Café De Fogo and all most blew another one. Café De Fogo scored first but Bebeto scored twice for Tabanka and they managed to hang on to a 2-1 victory.

In Brockton in a big match between two NELASA power houses Fidjus Terra and Emigrantes, this game was a must win for both teams. For Fidjus Terra they need to prove that they are still on of the top teams in NELASA, and do to the fact that they have been straggling against big clubs and with only 23 points in 16 matches it is just not acceptable. For Emigrantes this was a must win game just for the simple fact that they need to keep up with Alianca if they want any chance to win the Championship. Emigrantes scored early in the first half and manage to walk away with a tight 1-0 victory.

In R.I the last place team in the standings Juventude beat last years runner-up Sporting 2-0.

Dinamo vs Mindelo were postponed Mindelo in correctly in Cabo Verde

Tarrafal got to rest this week and Nos Bandera got a win vs. Safira (forfeit)

Herminio Furtado stepping out!

Futebolcriolo.com just Received this letter form NELASA where Herminio asked for his resiganation. Herminio is now the third NELASA member in the past Month that has resigned.

Read more:

Dear Nelasa Clubs’ Delegates and Honorary Members

It is with regret that I inform you that I have submitted my resignation letter as the NeLasa Secretary General of Executive Committee. It was a difficult decision, because I take great pride in serving this league. However, the recent chains of events, of which some of you are well aware of, have made my role at the league meaningless and unpleasant. I do this because I have exhausted all the options I had to stop the countless mishaps at the league and I hope that by sacrificing my position I will help resolve the situation and rescue our beloved league.
This chain of events started when the current President took office. I knew it would not be easy for her, but I believed in her good intentions and humility and I was willing to help her succeed in her new mission. However, there has been since blatant disregard to the league’s bylaws and to institutional ethics and disrespect to some Nelasa individual members and club delegates. Mistakes in the communicado have been recurrent and consistent week in and out, such as needless changes in schedule, unexplained omission of games in communicados, communicado often not released in time (if released at all) and errors in players’ sanctions are just few examples. All these issues are caused by the inability of the president to lead the process, her arrogance to ask others within the Executive Committee to assume that role and above all her reliance on a party outside the league to finalize communicado. This has created miscommunication and confusion in the league which has affected many teams and games.
An organization of the dimension of NeLasa deserves a better leadership than what we are getting now. Besides arriving with very limited knowledge of the rules of soccer and managerial skills, the President shows little honesty and trustworthiness. She signs letters and communicado that neither she nor anybody from NeLasa wrote. She does these things without informing her Executive Committee and insists on covering up this fact with the intent to make everybody believe she is writing those letters and completing communicados herself. She has provided wrong information to clubs’ delegates, which created the league predicament and embarrassment.
Since she became president, she has marginalized the Executive Committee and instead preferred to work with members from other Nelasa’s organs (especially the General Assembly) and with individual (s) from outside Nelasa all together. Her first decision as the President was to give into the suggestion of the President of General Assembly to change the lock of the league’s office without ever communicating this action with anyone in the Executive Committee. She never called up an Executive Committee meeting and had the audacity to fabricate lies before the Board meeting that she called meetings and we did not show up. She unilaterally ordered referees assignors to send game reports only to her personal e-mail (not even to Nelasa account) and then failed to forward them to others in adequate time for the purpose of completing work related to communicado in time. She gave permission that the leagues’ card printer to be loaned out which caused some players to play without their league pass cards and failed to be truthful when asked about it.
Nonetheless, what concerns me even more is the complacency of some in the Nelasa’s Board. Some members are supporting and deeply involved in the President’s actions and others are either turning a blind eye or not been frank and direct in their criticism. Some of these members which I myself admire for their character and intelligence have stunned me, because in the past they had been so upfront in such situations, but now they show sympathy for incompetence. For what reason is this President getting special treatment from most elder members of our Board in detriment of the league business, I don’t know.
As rest of the Board close their eyes to these events, more key members of the league are resigning and more will follow. Some members of the Board are instigating a senseless and needless quarrel with the referee’s assignors risking our future games to have no referees. The Assembly General Committee which has been interfering in the executive business from the start has now appointed its own Vice-President as the new Vice-President of the Executive Committee in clear evidence that they have a hidden agenda they wanted to impose on the league.
I have been involved in this community for over 10 years in different organizations and groups and never resigned in protest. I have never run from problems by resigning, but for the first time I have to step out to have any hope of a change that would safe our league. It pains me to leave an unfinished agenda of making Nelasa a stronger organization closer to the community in general. During my short tenure, I suggested we make Inter-Ilhas Tournament part of the Independence celebration and to honor Jorge Fidalgo in NeLasa all stars game. I brought the idea of printing a calendar for the first time and led the production of it so we could have more people attending our games.
I am not abandoning NeLasa for I will be contributing at the club level. I will be available to help with the transition and even to return if there is a President whom I trust and wants my service such as Bibi did in the beginning of the season when he showed me his plans and asked me to join his team. NeLasa is in my view the greatest organization and the most cherish institution in our community. Only club delegates can still save this league and whichever delegates are interested in helping save it can count on my collaboration and support.

Sincerely


Herminio Furtado
Resigning Secretary General of NeLasa’s Executive Committee

NELASA ruled against Emigrantes regarding week 11 game vs Tabanka

After weeks of investigation NELASA has ruled against Emigrantes Das Ilhas regarding week 11 incident in a game vs. Tabanka where the referee called the game off after the first half. The referee claimed that it was unsafe for him to continue on with the game because a fan threatened him with bodily harm, by showing the him a handful of rocks this according to NELASA.
Tabanka was up 1-0 and the game was not started for the 2nd half.
NELASA released this decision. “The Conselho de Disciplina concludes that the spectator who caused the disturbances is “Chiquinho”, a known Emigrantes Das Ilhas fan, therefore finds Emigrantes Das Ilhas responsible of the stated incidents under Article 463.01 a), 463.02 and 463.06;”
1. Fine Emigrantes Das Ilhas $100.00 under 463.01 a)
2. Loss to Emigrantes Das Ilhas of 3 -0 under 463.02

Who is going to be?

The two most consistent NELASA Clubs in the past few years have been Alianca CV and Emigrantes Das Ilhas they record speaks for it self. They have dominated this league in all most every category there is, and this year they are on a close race for the 2010 NELASA Championship Trophy, and they are in collision course to meet in the Emidio Raposo Cup Finals, if both Clubs make it pass the Semi Finals. These two giants met back in week 7 in Brockton and they couldn’t beat each other as they came away with one point each a 1-1 tie. So the question remains after the midway point of the 2010 season “Who is it going to be?” Right now Alianca has a three point advantage but every thing else is all most dead on. Both teams are undefeated, Alainca has a record of 12-2-0 Emigrantes 11-2-0, They are tie with most goals scored 34, goals against Alianca 8, Emigrantes 7, only time will tell witch one of this two teams will collapse, because right now it seems like they have no other competition in this league but them self. Alainca will meet Emigrantes at least one more time this season in week 23 and it should a very interesting match to see. So who is it going to be? Uhhh we will find out.