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leaf dressing charitable contributions (ns)

10/23/2017

From Leaf Dressing, many thanks to awesome customers that have kept it going. As a result, since 2008, many charitable donations have come about.

Next on the charitable donation list is 826 Chi, a reading and writing tutorial center for students in grade school and high school.

Leaf Dressing's charitable contributions to date:
Habitat for Humanity New York/Los Angeles, Oakland Children's Hospital, San Francisco Food Pantry, Napa Valley Food Bank, Petaluma Bounty, Petaluma Fire, Petaluma School District, Whole Planet Foundation Los Gatos, Project Dragon Los Gatos, San Ramon Fire Department, Trips For Kids Marin, Save the Felidae Marin, Families First Campbell CA, Cat Town Oakland, A Pet's Life Sonoma, Youth Homes Inc. Walnut Creek, Norcal Beagle Rescue San Mateo, West Oakland Food Pantry, Red Cross Haiti and Japan, St. Louis Food Bank, Operation Food Search, St. Patrick's Center, Haven of Grace Assisting Homeless Mothers, Peter & Paul Community Services, Belleville Catholic Charity, Metro East Humane Society, Metro East Lab Rescue, St. Paul's Nursery Home, Belleville Catholic Charities, The French School TFS Market, Progressive Youth Connection Stl, Caring for Kids Stl, St. Louis Children's Hospital, Liberty Christian Academy, Beyond Housing, 3 Little Birds 4 Life, Guardian Angel Settlement, Church of Christ Fairview Heights, Church of the Open Door Stl., Ignatian Spirituality Project Chicago, Save Abandoned Children Chicago, Starlight Children's Foundation Chicago, Chicago Coalition For the Homeless, GoodWill, Polio Relief.org.

For more info visit www.leafressing.com

top 10 players for russia 2018

10/22/2017

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Current Top 10 players going into Russia 2018.

1. Messi (Argentina)
2. Neymar (Brazil)
3. Hazard (Belgium)
4. C. Ronaldo (Portugal)
5. Greizmann (France)
8. Kroos (Germany)
9. Suarez (Uruguay)
10. Herrera* (Mexico)

* It can be successfully argued that James and Falcao of Colombia (and even Corona of Mexico) are better individual talents than Herrera, but they are not better organizational passers, which is what this list needed. Not a big goalscorer, like Kroos, Herrera does all the brilliant subtle things that make his team tick.

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top 5 players going into russia 2018

10/22/2017

Current Top 5 players going into Russia 2018.

1. Messi (Argentina)
2. Neymar (Brazil)
3. Hazard (Belgium)
4. C. Ronaldo (Portugal)
5. Greizmann (France)

current top 10 for wc russia

10/22/2017

Current Top 10 going into Russia 2018

1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Argentina
4. France
5. Spain
6. Colombia
7. England
8. Belgium
9. Portugal
10. Mexico

What about Portugal? They just won the European Cup...FIFA record aside, they're not as good as some might think. Poland is worth mentioning as well - for 10th place - but Mexico deserves it as they probably have their best team of all-time.

top 5 comeback teams for 2022

10/18/2017

While World Cup 2018 gets underway in a few months there will be a few teams not playing who have bing things not he horizon.

The Top 5 Comeback Teams for World Cup 2022

1. Italy
2. Holland
3. Chile
4. United States
5. Cameroon

1. Italy will obviously be back. The four-time World Cup champs are simply going through some creative changes.

2. Holland will always be a contender and got unlucky for World Cup 2018.

3. Chile might lose some firepower but if they can stay in tact from the 2015 and 2016 Copa America championships (and at least have a good turnover to the next crop of players) they should be a salient force to reckon with.

4. The United States is constantly knocking on the door of greatness, and with its new coaching change they could be a sop-notch program worldwide.

5. Cameroon has the potential to do great things on a grand stage, and they seem to be waiting for the perfect generation of players to re-inact the great World Cup run of 1990.

top 5 going into russia 2018

10/18/2017

Current Top 5 going into Russia 2018

1. Germany
2. Brazil
3. Argentina
4. France
5. Spain

Germany's a clear number one, as defending World Cup champs, Confederations Cup champs and frontrunner in the FIFA World Cup qualification rounds.

Brazil may have lost 7-1 last World Cup to Germany, along with a terrible 2016 Copa America in 2016 but they've got a different coach in Tite as well as some different looks in their squad, including Coutinho, and qualifications were very strong for them.

Argentina has been hit or miss during the World Cup qualifications but with Messi and a lineup of super-talent they are too strong and should get their act together soon.

France is a solid team with a fluid style and a top contender right now.

Spain still has the organized passing and did well in World Cup qualifications but they're barely holding onto the fifth slot, with Colombia and England close behind.

40 yard dash in soccer: where is it?!

10/13/2017

Following up on the previous blog, after realizing - yet again - the US Soccer system has never instituted a 40 yard dash I figured someone should ask why. They do at the NFL combine. Why not with soccer? That's all people care about with the NFL is the forty time. Even during the season, you hear, "He runs a 4.4 forty" and so on. Soccer needs a forty yard dash.
It's good to have speed but not absolutely necessary in every position.

Xavi and Iniesta probably ran a 4.8-5.0 forty.
Roberto Baggio probably ran a 4.5.
Donovan probably a 4.2.
Cherundolo probably a 4.3.
Someone like Valderrama...probably 7.3.
Clint Mathis...9.2
Altidore a 7. Wouldn't surprised if it were an 8.1.
Tim Howard...3.7.

So you see, it doesn't really matter for all positions but it would be good to know for a few reasons. The obvious is you want someone like Donovan for speed. Speed kills. But it's also important to realize that Xavi or Platini or Valderrama didn't necessarily need to be the fastest guy on the field. (In reference to the previous blog post.) Which Americans understand. But we also tend to get hung up on "if he's under 5'10" he has to be lightning fast." And that's just not true.
For the next US coach, they should look to keep the USMNT lineup under 5'10" for all positions other than goalie and the two center defenders. We've never actually tried that. Would it hurt?
Gee, what's my forty time? 4.86 as a grumpy 35-year-old recovering from a stomach muscle tear. Take that young buck.

future us lineup decisions

10/13/2017

To be on the USMNT as a 5'9" or under you almost inevitably have to be lightning fast. Donovan, Cherundolo, Beasley. Speed is great, but here's the problem with that. Xavi and Iniesta were never lightning fast. Neither were most of their similar-sized teammates: Villa, Pedro, Puyol, and others. They weren't lightning quick. They were quick, but nothing that catches the eye. And they won the Triple. So here's the other problem with US Soccer. "John" and "Bob" are both equally talented. They both play forward. John is 5'7". Bob is 6'2". US Soccer will undoubtedly go with Bob because he's taller.
Taller, or very well-built players have been used to evading defenders in a different way that less-built players. Someone like Iniesta - who is about 5'7" - has been used to evading taller and larger opposition since childhood, which has positively enabled his physical ability as well as his mental ability....the ability to out-think his opponents. That's really the key when it comes to soccer. For all positions other than central defense, players that are 5'9" and under should be the first choice and not the last. The list of greats goes on and on. Ronaldinho, Denilson, Messi, Roberto Baggio, George Best, Hagi, Matthaus, Hessler, Platini, Maradona, Pele, Garrincha, Giovanni, Romario, Rossi, and so forth. As kids growing up, they had to outthink and "out-skill" the bigger kids, and it translated to their approach as adults. Every now and again taller players will deserve to be in non-central defensive positions such as Zidane, Henry and Rivaldo, but for the most part 5'9" and under should be the norm, whether they're lightning fast, quick or not.

world cup 2018 shockers

10/12/2017

World Cup 2018 Update

The biggest shockers:
The United States, Holland and Chile will not make the trip to Russia.
The United States, crippled by a coaching flux, a lineup that never seemed to gel, aging players, and tough luck against Trinidad and Tobago (the land of Dwight York and Shaka Hislop), just couldn’t get past the Hex. Though, no matter which way you look at it, they are a much better team that Panama, who will be going to World Cup Russia. Whatever is in store for the upcoming months in US Soccer, rest assured, they’ll be back with a vengeance for 2022.
Holland – “the best team never to win a World Cup” – just couldn’t pull it together for a chance to compete in Russia. They had the talent but you just never know with them.
Chile – arguably the best team in South America as the defending Copa America champions from 2015 and 2016 – had a hectic time in South American qualifications as they went from “in it to win it” to “lost in the shuffle.” Argentina moved on, however, they were in dire straits as well for most of the qualification run. And, low and behold, everyone’s forgotten team Peru pulled out with a good finish, giving Chile fits.

US fails to make russia 2018

10/10/2017

Is it safe to say Trinidad and Tobago got lucky? The irony of October 10, 2017 with 1989 and Caligiuri's shot heard round the world is the US will have to wait for Qatar. Recharging is good. Soccer is more popular than ever in the US. One World Cup won't hurt. In this time, finding new focus will be the key. After all, Argentina failed to make many World Cups and they ended up winning two of them. Great things will happen for the USMNT.

<<Previous

leaf dressing charitable contributions (ns)

top 10 players for russia 2018

top 5 players going into russia 2018

current top 10 for wc russia

top 5 comeback teams for 2022

top 5 going into russia 2018

40 yard dash in soccer: where is it?!

future us lineup decisions

world cup 2018 shockers

US fails to make russia 2018

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