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Bares earns midseason honors in Iceland

BY ERIC ANDERSON

MONDAY, JULY 18, 2011 10:10 PM

Ashley Bares (Ozaukee/Marquette) now has a pretty prestigious award to go along with all those goals she's scored this season. The Stjarnan forward was named the league's player halfway through the season in the Úrvalsdeild, the highest level of women's soccer in Iceland. Both the Football Association of Iceland (KSI), which runs the league, and the website Fótbolti.net picked Bares as the top performer through nine matches. Fótbolti.net also named her the league's top foreign player so far this season. Bares leads the league with 11 goals for Stjarnan (8-1-0), which is on top of the standings in the 10-team Úrvalsdeild. "I was happy to hear about these selections," Bares wrote in an email. "It is always a nice surprise to receive an honor like this and I couldn't of got it without the help from my Stjarnan teammates. But with that being said, we also have a lot of games left so lots of work to be done yet, can't be satisfied at this point." She closed out the first half of the season in style, recording a hat trick in an 7-minute span of the second half during a 4-0 win over host Breiðablik last Wednesday that moved Stjarnan into first place. "It is always nice to score goals, especially as a forward," said Bares, who holds the Wisconsin prep record for career goals. "I just want to keep doing what I can to help the team, if that means scoring goals then I will keep doing that and I would love it." Bares wrote on her blog, Futbol in Iceland, that teammate Gunnhildur Yrsa Jónsdóttirtold her that the two of them needed to go get their pictures taken at an event last Friday. As they were driving the offices of Pepsi, which sponsors the league, Bares was told that they were Stjarnan's representatives on the Midseason XI team. Other than some language issues – she doesn't speak Icelandic, which she noted in an interview sometimes leaves her "oblivious" to what people are saying – Bares' transition to professional soccer couldn't be going much better. "I think I adjusted fairly well," she wrote. "I like to jump in and learn and adjust as I go, and (that) is what I did here. My coaches and teammates have been great, so that definitely makes it easier when you join a new team."

State pros: Bares keeps scoring

BY ERIC ANDERSON

SUNDAY, JULY 24, 2011 11:05 PM

The goals just keep on coming for Ashley Bares(Ozaukee/Marquette). Bares scored four more goals Friday, boosting her season total to a league-best 16 in 11 matches as Stjarnan doubled up Thróttur Reykjavík 4-2 in Iceland's top women's soccer league. Stjarnan (10-1-0) has outscored opponents 33-9 and is five points ahead of Valur (8-1-1) atop the Úrvalsdeild standings. Bares, who was honored last week as the league's top player for the first half of the season, scored equalizers in the 22nd and 57th minutes, put Stjarnan ahead in the 59th and added an insurance goal in second-half stoppage time. The Toppserien, the highest level of women's soccer in Norway, was scheduled to resume after its summer break Tuesday, but matches were postponed because of Friday's tragedies in Oslo. Shannon Smyth (Mequon/Milwaukee DSHA) plays for seventh-place Amazon Grimstad (4-4-1), while Katie Bethke (Eau Claire Memorial) recently signed with third-place Arna-Bjørnar (5-3-1). For the first time this season, Sky Blue FC coach Jim Gabarra didn't put Casey Nogueira (Cedarburg) in his starting lineup for Saturday's Women's Professional Soccer match against the Philadelphia Independence. Gabarra brought on Nogueira at halftime and the second-year pro scored in the 71st and 80th minutes to give Sky Blue a 2-0 victory. "That’s why she’s here. She can decide a game with a touch or two,” Gabarra told Big Apple Soccer. "That's part of the game plan, I guess. Bring her off the bench and hope for that special moment." Nogueira ranks third in WPS with five goals on the year. San Jose defender Tim Ward (Waukesha) made his first start of the Major League Soccer season in the Earthquakes' 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake on Saturday night in Sandy, Utah. Ward, in his seventh MLS season, suffered a hamstring injury in training camp and had been limited to just one substitute appearance until Saturday. He was a regular for San Jose in the second half of last season after being acquired from the Chicago Fire. http://wisconsinsoccercentral.com/set-pieces/professional/3226-state-pros-bares-keeps-scoring

CWF article

Iceland: Americans help Thor/KA to win, Bares scores four

July 23, 2011

Successful day for the CWF Player in Iceland:

Thor/KA opened the games with a 3-0 win over Grindavik. Marisha Schumacher-Hodge scored her first goal in Iceland to bring her team on track. Manya Makoski, back after red suspension, added a goal prior and after the break for the 3-0 win.

Stjarnan followed with a hard battled 4-2 road win at Throttur. Already in the first minute Stjarnan was down with a goal, which was answered by Ashley Bares within the first half. Short after the second half was started, Ashley Thompson had to pick the ball out of the net again, Throttur took the 2-1 lead. Bares found an answer also this one and tied after 59 minutes, just to give her team a lead only minute later. In stoppage time, Bares added her fourth of the game and 16th of the season for a 4-2 win on the road. Kristen Edmonds had her comeback after injury with 12 minutes left on the clock.

Valur was on cup duties this weekend. While Caitlin Miskel had off, Meagan McCray celebrated a shutout in the cup semifinal with a 1-0 road win at Afturelding. Opponent in the final will be KR Reykjavik.

Also Haukar in division 1 had a successful evening with a 5-0 win over Tindastoll. Sarah Elnicky, Marcela Franco and Brooke Barbuto all were in the starting lineup.

http://www.cwfootball.com/news/iceland-americans-help-thorka-win-bares-scores-four

Pictures from last game against Throttur 4-2 win.

Picture Credit: Eva Bjork

First goal to tie game 1-1

Pregame huddle with my team <3

head coach Laki celebrating a goal :) 

Pregame

Stjarnan vs. Throttur

Tonight we had our league game against Throttur. We got to play at the national team stadium so it was pretty nice pitch and cool to play there. We came out slow and not ready, they scored a goal on us in the first minute of the game. NOT GOOD. it took us about 20 minutes to get our goal to tie it up. I turned on a defender from further out and shot the ball to far side of the net. 1-1. halftime it was 1-1. we came out second half and they got another goal on us, they got behind our defense and put one it to make it 2-1. About 10 minutes later, i got another goal to tie it up again. 2-2. Then a couple minutes later i got a 3rd goal to put us ahead for the first time in the game we took the lead. the score stayed this way till i got a 4th goal in the final minutes of the game. so final score was 4-2. BIG victory for us, taking 3pts and keeping us at the top of the league. Now we have 13 days till our next game, so a chance to train hard and rest up a little before our next game, which will be big game against Valur at our home stadium! 

Here is an article that was posted after our game tonight. i tried to translate it in google translator for you already, but some of it still doesnt make sense. ha ha.... 

Icelandic to English translation

Gallery received the star at the peak conditions in Laugardalur tonight.
The game took place on the Laugardalsvelli REYcup-tournament currently underway in the valley.
Þróttarar found twice in the game but the difficulty was magnificent Ashley Bare hero leadership team which scored four goals for the team tonight and FC strengthened their position at the top of the league.
Gallery 2-4 Newcastle1-0 Fanny Vagos (1 ')Ashley Bare 1-1 (22 ')2-1 Soffía Ummarin Kristinsdóttir (48 ')Ashley Bare 2-2 (57 ')Ashley Bare 2-3 (59 ')Ashley Bare 2-4 (93 ')
The game had barely started when Þróttarar took the lead. Valgerður Suh found Sophia Ummarin the wing and the ball came Soffía as a mark of Fanny Vagos who lifted the ball neatly over Ashley Thompson in Mark.Great start with but Þrótturum goal came after just 36 seconds of play.
Home Women had the next chance of the game in the seventh minute, when Fanny had Vagos fine ball into the defense star as Soffía Ummarin first shot but the goalkeeper Ashley with her and shut the well in the shot.
Gunnhild Yrsa was the first goal attempt of the star's 10th minute but her shot went high over the goal. Offensive Sessions stars began to gain weight as soon as the Rosa Björk run out in goal had to spend twice as well as Þróttarar rescued the goal line before Ashley Bare was supposed to.
Jöfnunarmarkið came in 22nd minute. Ashley got the call, turned off his defender and let rip from long range. The ball flew directly into fjærhornið and position of words 1-1.
A little might remember that the bláklæddu næðu the lead four minutes later but Stjörnustúlkur had been passed ball Rosa Björk in goal when full-back Sunna Rut Ragnarsdóttir appears on ögurstundu and saved on the goal line.
Newcastle had another golden opportunity shortly before half-time but then had Ásgerður Stefania Baldursdóttir hörkuskot the bar down at the goal line after a kick.
Þróttarar making changes to their team at half-time. Harpa Lind Guðnadóttir came right back in place Ástrósar Linda Ásmunsdóttur which was half-sick and could not continue.
There were Þróttarar who began the second half better, just like the first, and Soffía Ummarin Kristinsdóttir came across the following three minutes of play. Margaret Mary Hólmarsdóttir had a splendid stungusendingu of Sophia who finished really well bring in the left corner past the Ashley in goal.
Despite the splendid fight and good organization run out the star always stronger team on the pitch today and it was in line with the game when Ashley Bare average return on the 57th minute. She got the high transmission of miðvarðarpar run out and put the ball safely past the Rosa in goal.
Newcastle came well after the goal and scored again a minute later. Again, it was Ashley Bare, who scored after getting into the defense and run out the three important words a reality.Most of the power seemed to run out team for the rest of the game but they defended themselves, however, remain organized and gave itself a chance.They needed a hand to hold the ball forward against a strong team star.Newcastle continued to search for signs and reaped his fourth goal in injury time.
There was no other than mark the Queen Ashley Bare, who scored the goal which was also her fourth goal of the game. Substitute Hugrún Elvarsdóttir had to cross the Ashley who went out for the fourth and finished bring their game with the fourth goal. Ashley is an incredible striker, and will also prove more valuable to a team this summer.
Star has often played better than tonight, but showed his power and might and finished baráttuglaða newcomers. Þróttarar took their chances but it is missing a bit on it in the summer. Ashley Bare finished his chance well and ensured their team enormously important victory toppbaráttunni.
love from iceland.xo ash. 

Two new articles :) GOOOO STJARNAN.

Hey hey everyone. So big game tomorrow night, we have been training hard and I think we will be ready to hopefully put together TWO solid halves of soccer. Just wanted to attach two links that were posted today. I got voted by this soccer webiste here the best player for first half of season, and also best foreign player. :) So kind of cool, but it is only half way point so lots of games left and still need to reach our goal at the end of the season!!!!!!

http://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?action=viewStory&id=111579

http://www.fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?action=viewStory&id=111584

love from iceland.
xo ash.

CHECKPOINT. Awards given for first half of season.... Games 1-9 half way thru our season now!

Hello All :)

So like i said we just finished out last game which was the end of the first half of the season. Now on Tuesday our next game will start the second half of the season. We are currently sitting in first place in the league. On Thursday night I got a call from one my teammates Gunny. She said that her and I her picked for something we just had to go get our picture taken on Friday at the Pepsi Company. We are in the Pepsi League here so that is why, so I said cool sounds good. Friday morning i headed to the soccer fields to watch some youth soccer here, a big tournament was going on it was pretty fun to watch these little kids. Five year olds playing soccer is like watching bees all fly together in a bunch. ha ha. and the celebrations are about as dorky as mine. So I went with my two american roommates and Gunny picked me up from the fields to head to this Pepsi company. She looked all cute hair done and stuff..... mine in a ponytail and been sitting at the fields all morning ha..... On the way there she told me they do awards for the first half of our season and the two of us were part of the team of 11 that were chosen. There were only us 2 from Stjarnan, 5 Valur, 2 IBV, 1KA, 1 Fyk that made up this team. It was pretty neat to get picked as one of the 11 players from the league. There was also a coach picked and a referee that was picked and awarded, and the the player of the league for first half of season..... We were sitting there and camera people were there and interview people. A man talked in Icelandic the whole time and called off each persons name to get there award. Then they called off the player that got picked for player of the first 9 games this season and I was chosen. :) Gunny translated what he said about me after i went up for my award, she said he said something like i have helped Stjarnan on the field and have scored mainly goals, currently leading the league. So that was a nice surprise, and a nice little afternoon. I just thought we were going to get a head shot picture for something, but no it was a small awards thing with people, and food for us. Now we just need to keep it going and keep working to stay at the top. It was nice being recognized but there is still lots of work to be done......
Here are some links that say the same thing basically :)

http://mbl.is/sport/efstadeild/2011/07/15/ashley_bares_og_jon_olafur_best/

http://www.cwfootball.com/news/bares-named-player-first-season-half

alright i think thats all for now.

love from iceland.
xo ash.

Stjarnan vs. Breidablik--- First Hat Trick all in 2nd half.

On Tuesday July 12th we had our most recent league game against Breidablik. In the past years our team has always struggled when playing against this team. We were away at there stadium on tuesday and ready to play them. We came out in the first half playing a sloppy and couldnt settle down really. Had some chances but not much that were really dangerous. We were to spaced out and were not moving up the field as a unite, causing a gap between our attacking players and our mid so we didn't get number up the field. So halftime the score was 0-0. We made some changes in the line up and talked out some issues. Second half we were playing more of our game. Moving the ball quicker, and attacking together. I got the first goal to put us on the board, ball was crossed in and a defender got a foot on it but i was there to put it in the left corner. 1-0. Two minutes later off a cross or corner the ball was in the air in the box and I volleyed it over the keeper. 2-0 :) Literally two minutes after that, our midfield got the ball I checked back and received the ball with a defender at my back, turned on her to the left and we were side by side then and took a shot from the top of the box. 3-0!!! First hat trick in iceland, and first hat trick in 6 minutes. That is what the newspaper title was the next day in the paper. It was one of the games that once you got going and I felt it you just kept after it and all the right runs and shots were on. Good feeling for sure. Lastly one of our players got taken down in the box, and Adda took the pk and scored a great one. Game ended 4-0. Crazy what a second half we played compared to the first, so we really need to start games out like this and put together a full 90 minutes of that kind of soccer.

After the game we also found out that the top team Valur (we were in second before this game) lost there game to IBV 1-0 so with them losing and us winning it moved us to first place in the league. And this was our half way point for our league play!!!! So first half of the league games 1-9 we finished in 1st. Hopefully we can keep working hard and try our best to stay at the top!!!! We have the second half of the season now ahead of us, next game is on Tuesday the 19th.

Here is a link to an article and interview. The interview I think was awful, on my part. I didn't answer well ha ha but I was so happy and pumped for our win :) and while I was getting interviewed this youth team was lined up watching ha ha. They were cute.

http://fotbolti.net/fullStory.php?action=viewStory&id=111278

Here is another small article.

http://www.cwfootball.com/news/bares-scores-stjarnan-top

love from iceland.
xo ash.

last three goals i scored... Páll Ásgrímur Jónsson posted on youtube :)

Against Aftur....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwDQK-q5rns

Against GRV....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MhlV4iIqlaU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe5-lBFAqoU


video clips by Páll Ásgrímur Jónsson

MU update

Here is the link to an update that they put up at MU :) 

http://www.gomarquette.com/sports/w-soccer/spec-rel/070711aaa.html

I think that should work, if not you can just go to the MU athletic website and it should be there. 

love from iceland. 

xo ash. 

league game && FA CUP updates

We have had two league games since I posted last and an FA CUP game.

On june 28th we played Afturelding at there place, we won 4-0 and got the 3 points we needed, it's always nice to get a win especially when it is not at your home stadium. In the game we controlled most of the play. I scored the third goal of the match. It was actually pretty cool after the game, a player on their team i recognized because she played in the states in the big east for St.Johns. (the tall big red head defender) We talked a little bit after and she was pretty nice girl, so it was nice talking about our colleges and the big east :)

Next game played was on Friday July 1st for the next round of FA CUP. We played against our rival Valur. We knew it was going to be a good game and I was pretty excited to play them. We came out pretty strong and the game was going back and forth, at half it was 0-0. Then second half Valur got a goal with about 15minutes in. It wasn't the best goal, we defended poorly and allowed one of there players to dribble through and get a shot off in the middle of the 18 box. We still had 30 minutes to get one back, but it seemed that a little bit of doubt and panic sunk it with our team and we couldnt make it happen. We had some chances, I had one chance from maybe 25 yards out and I thought it was going in, up and over the keeper, but she got a hand on it and hit it off the crossbar. The game was very physical and lots of cards were handed out. The game ended 1-0 and we had to watch them dance in a circle on our home field. Like one of my coaches at MU said, that is the kind of pain that is the worst. It sucked. Our head coach and the other coaches all got into it with the refs and our head coach got a red card (he knew he wasnt going to be at our next game because he is the coach of the national team here so it didn't matter anyways). So with this loss we got knocked out of the FA Cup, and Valur then advanced to play in the semifinals. 

Back to league play after our tough loss we played at home on Tuesday July 5th. We played a team that is at the bottom of the league, but a lot of people underestimate them. They always put up a tough fight and hold teams to close games. They had some talented players, especially this forward on their team that created lots of chances for them to score. We got the first goal, but then they got one to tie it up. Halftime is was 1-1. We were not playing pretty soccer at all. Second half, we played a little better and had stepped up our game, I got a goal off of a corner kick to put us up 2-1. Then not much time later there was a scramble in our box and the ref called a hand ball and they got a pk, a chance to tie it up again 2-2 BUT our goalie came up with a stop. The other team continued to create some chances and our goalie made some great saves. with about 15 minutes left I got the ball from maybe 20-25 yards out in the middle of the field, I did a quick stepover move and shot it. Scored, now 3-1 which was nice to get a goal because of all the close chances that the other team kept having. We won the game 3-1. Right now we are in second place in the league, behind Valur by 1 point. We have the chance to win the league if we continue to take one game at a time, then we will face Valur one last time which could be for the league title if we win all our other games leading up to that. We are in the driver seat, but we can't take underestimate any game, each game is huge and matters if we want a chance at the league title.

love from iceland.
xo ash.