The Wave United makes its debut this weekend, with the promise of ushering in a new era in area soccer.
WU is playing at the same A-League level as the former Rampage, which won championships. But, under the new ownership of Tim Krause, who also owns the indoor Wave, the talent level has been upgraded for WU.
"We consider this one of the top franchises in the country," said Keith Tozer, veteran coach of the Wave indoor team and VP of soccer operations for WU. "Our goal is to establish that reputation."
Art Kramer, Tozer's longtime assistant with the Wave, is coaching WU. "I'm excited about the talent on this team, but you can't just throw talent on the field and expect to immediately have a winner," Kramer said. "It's going to take time to figure out combinations and put it together."
WU's talent is coming from four general areas -- players from the Wave indoor team, other indoor players, former Rampage players and some young rookies from the Milwaukee area. Greg Howes, Todd and Troy Dusosky and others will be familiar names to Wave fans.
Josh Timbers, Digital Takawira, Matt Bobo and others will be equally familiar to fans of the former Rampage.
Premier among that category of "other indoor players" is Dino Delevski, a two-time MVP in the Major Indoor Soccer League for the Kansas City Comets, one of the Wave's rivals.
"Wave United begins a new journey for Dino Delevski's soccer career," Kramer said. "He has proven to be the top indoor soccer player in North American over the past two seasons and now has this opportunity to prove himself on the outdoor stage."
Delevski is said to have a shot measured at 81 m.p.h., the fastest among any player in North America. The product of Macedonia is excited about playing for the Wave United.
"I'll play outdoor soccer here and then go back to Kansas City for the indoor season," he said. "This organization is one of the best in soccer. I'm looking forward to playing for Wave United."
WU also has signed forward Nick Walls, a Wauwatosa native who played at St. Louis University, defender Chad Dombrowski, who starred at UWM, and defender Steve Lawrence, a former Marquette star.
The Minnesota Thunder will help start the WU season with a 7 p.m. game Friday. WU then plays an exhibition game against the Los Angeles Galaxy, the Major League Soccer champion, at 4 p.m. Sunday. Both games will be at the WU's new home field, Uihlein Park, 7101 W. Good Hope Rd.
The Brew Crew Review
Miller Park was Wrigley Field North the past four days. The majority of the fans at all four games of the series between the Brewers and Cubs were rooting for the latter.
Now Cubs fans are exceptional, perhaps the best baseball fans in the world. They are the baseball equivalents of Packers' fans, traveling to road games as well as games at the vine-covered shrine. Chicago also is a major market, much bigger than Milwaukee.
But, what the disparity in support also showed was just how badly the Brewers have turned off their fans. Brewers' fans are no longer angry, like they were last year. The BCR message board was filled with angry comments last season. Not so this year; the fans are instead apathetic. And, that might be worse news for the local 9.
No amount of gimmicks -- patios, hot tubs, video displays, etc., or changes in the business and front offices -- will break that apathy. In fact, some of the changes in those offices have been very questionable and ill advised.
Only a better baseball team will break the apathy. The Brewers made sure the Cubs' fans had plenty to cheer about during this week's series, even though the opponents' best player, Sammy Sosa, is on the disabled list.
Chicago scored 18 runs on 32 hits in the first two games. Carlos Zambrano, the least experienced pitcher in the Cubs' rotation, held the Crew to three hits in the third game.
On Thursday, the Milwaukee crowd was buoyed by busloads of school kids, on end-of-the-year trips, but the Cubs' fans still equaled or exceeded the Brewers' fans. Ben Sheets and the Cubs' Kerry Wood linked up in a pitchers' duel, but both had left the game by the time it was determined. (Accounts of all four games can be found on the BCR news and message board.)
The Brewers are on pace to match or lose more than their franchise record 106 losses of last season.
GM Doug Melvin and manager Ned Yost inherited a mess and deserve time to clean it up. They can only hope that former GM Dean Taylor and his staff drafted well, and the Double A players now being touted so highly turn out to be legit.
Until the Brewers turn it around, they won't be able to claim back their home field, at least not when the Cubs come to town.
Beyond Milwaukee Sports
UW-Whitewater, UW-Oshkosh, Ripon, Carthage, St. Norbert and Lakeland are playing in the NCAA Division III baseball regional at Oshkosh this weekend. Action started Thursday night. The winner will advance to the NCAA World Series, May 23-27, at Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute ... The NCAA Division III women's golf championship wraps up Friday at Lawsonia in Green Lake ... What was supposed to be a NASCAR showdown between Matt Kenseth and Dave Blaney at Cedar Lake near New Richmond was rained out, but the two drivers signed autographs and visited with fans for hours. Kenseth, who is from Cambridge, leads NASCAR in total points.
{INSERT_RELATED}The Name Game
Senator Herb Kohl said this week he has not talked to Michael Jordan about buying part of the Bucks, and in fact has no takers for the franchise at this time. See a full interview with Kohl, done by this writer, on the Bucks, business and politics on Wispolitics.com and WisBusiness.com... Former Buck Ray Allen was picked the NBA's Sportsman of the Year this week ... Wisconsin natives Mark Grudzielanek, formerly of Milwaukee, and Damian Miller of West Salem had good series for the Cubs against the Brewers. Grudzielanek went 8 for 14 in three games. Miller homered in the first game ... Thousands of people are graduating from colleges around the state this spring, but the Packers' Ahman Green did it the hard way, taking correspondence courses and attending UW-Green Bay in the off-season to complete the final 73 credits of his degree from Nebraska ... Speaking of the Packers, the top prep sprinter in the 100 and 200 meter dashes this spring is a Tosa West runner named Antonio Freeman ... UWM's Jessica Wilhite, the top 3-point shooter in the Horizon League, will join nine other U.S. players on a tour against the Japanese National Team, starting Monday.
Hot Tix
The Wave United games might be the best events on the weekend agenda, but if you're not into soccer you can watch the Brewers against the Cincinnati Reds at Miller Park. Game times are 7:05 p.m. Friday and 1:05 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
The Milwaukee Bombers play in a big Australian Rules Football tournament in Kansas City this weekend.
Gregg Hoffmann writes The State Sports Buzz every Friday for OMC.
