Harry Sinkgraven Archive

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Fath: FC Edmonton to slash budget by 30-35 per cent

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/28/2012

Tom Fath

FC Edmonton will slash its budget by an estimated 30 to 35 per cent in the 2013 season.

That’s the estimate from owner Tom Fath. The dismissal of coach Harry Sinkgraven and assistant Hans Schrijver is just part of a larger plan to cut expenses, he said.

“If you look at our budget, and the number of fans we have been getting, we have to make some tough decisions,” said Fath. “With our coaches, we had to go in a different direction… We haven’t seen any significant successes on the revenue side.”

While the search for replacements hasn’t begun, Fath said the club will “spend a lot of time” considering its options. The candidates have to fit in budget and have the qualifications.
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1

Sinkgraven, Schrijver out of work as FC Edmonton lowers the axe

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/28/2012

Harry Sinkgraven: Fired

FC Edmonton has fired coach Harry Sinkgraven and assistant Hans Schrijver.

After meetings were held this past week by the FC Edmonton brain trust, including owner Tom Fath, director of soccer operations Joe Petrone and general manager Tom Leip, the decisions were made to axe the two Dutch coaches — even though both were signed to extensions in July. Those extensions would have carried them through the 2013 season.

But today’s decision was a clear message that ownership felt that, despite the vote of confidence issued to the coaches in July, the team’s finish in the bottom of the NASL standings was too much to bear.
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Last-gasp goals from Gigolaj and Craig get FC Edmonton a season-ending draw

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/23/2012

FCE’s Elvir Gigolaj, in white, in action against the Strikers. PHOTO: FC EDMONTON

FC Edmonton found two late magical moments to give its home fans something to shout about in its final game of the 2012 NASL season.

Mathematically eliminated from the playoffs week ago — and trailing 2-0 to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers through 89 minutes of Sunday’s season-ender at Clarke Stadium — the Eddies got a thunderous volley from Elvir Gigolaj and a 25-yard equalizer from Paul Craig to get a last-gasp point. Final score: 2-2.

For Gigolaj, it was his first-ever second-division goal in his first start in NASL. The St. Mary’s University product smashed a 20-yard volley into the top corner.

“I was dead out there,” said Gigolaj. “I thought I was going to faint. The heat was killing me.”
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13

Lam isn’t welcome back to train or play with FC Edmonton

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/17/2012

Matt Lam

Matt Lam won’t be back with FC Edmonton this season — and likely won’t be back for next year.

The club confirmed that Lam, who was suspended by the club at the end of August, will not be back with the team in 2012. The club holds an option on the local midfielder’s contract for the 2013 season, but it would be hard to imagine that it would be exercised.

At the end of August, the team confirmed that Lam would be suspended for the Labour Day weekend home match — which the Eddies lost 2-0 to Atlanta — for “disciplinary reasons.” But, after that one-game internal suspension was imposed, Lam hasn’t been back with the team at first- or reserve-team training, and he hasn’t been involved in any games.
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Antoniuk once again haunts his former FC Edmonton teammates

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/16/2012

Tampa Bay’s Daniel Antoniuk, in green, outleaps FCE’s Kevin Hatchi. PHOTO: FC EDMONTON

FC Edmonton turned September into Christmas for the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

The Rowdies scored three times on major defensive lapses by the Eddies on Sunday, cruising to a 3-0 win. And it was ex-Eddie Daniel Antoniuk that did the most damage, scoring the opening goal and then setting up the third.

“It’s always great to score against your former team,” said Antoniuk. “There’s always a bit of a chip on your shoulder.”

In two games in Edmonton this season, one at home, one on the road, Antoniuk has scored the winning goal. He said that he still loves the city.
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Porter, Zimmerman trade braces as FCE draws with the RailHawks

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/13/2012

FCE’s Michael Cox, in white, finds himself surrounded by RailHawks.

It was the kind of game that coaches hate, but fans love to watch.

Neither the Carolina or FC Edmonton put on defensive clinics in a 2-2 draw which saw Eddie Kyle Porter trade braces with the RailHawks’ Nick Zimmerman.

It was a game between FCE, which had learned the night before that its NASL playoff hopes were dashed, and a Carolina team looking to rise as high as third in the table with a win at Clarke Stadium. Both teams scored inside the first 10 minutes in a game that saw very little in terms of tackling or physical play.

But, that was good for the fans, who saw plenty of scoring chances. It made the game easy on the eye (again, unless you were one of the coaches).
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1

It’s official: FC Edmonton eliminated from NASL playoff chase

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/12/2012

Amani Walker: The Edmonton slayer had a goal and an assist tonight

For weeks, FC Edmonton’s playoff hopes were hanging by a thread.

Now, finally, mercifully, the thread has been cut. With a 4-0 win Tuesday over a Puerto Rico Islanders squad that was badly depleted due to international call-ups, the Minnesota Stars clinched a playoff spot — and eliminated both FC Edmonton and the Atlanta Silverbacks from post-season competition.

So, with three home games left on the schedule, the Eddies will finish the NASL season with a chance for coach Harry Sinkgraven, whose contract has been extended for next year, to give his club one final evaluation.

The question will be, will Sinkgraven allow some of Edmonton’s young Canadians the chance to see some playing time, such as fullback Dino Gardner or striker Elvir Gigolaj? Read the rest of this entry »

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1

FCE hangs onto slim, slim playoff hopes after last-gasp goal from Saiko

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/09/2012

Minnesota’s Amani Walker, centre, is challenged by FCE’s Paul Hamilton, left, and Antonio Rago.

FC Edmonton’s playoff hopes are on life support, but there is still a faint pulse.

A last-gasp injury-time goal from Shaun Saiko — set up by an excellent run from midfielder Bryan Arguez – allowed the Eddies to escape, Blaine Minn. with a 1-1 draw with the Minnesota Stars.

But, with the draw, the Stars remain eight points ahead of the Eddies for the sixth and final playoff spot in NASL. Both teams have three matches left. And, the draw allows Minnesota to claim the season series against the Eddies.

So, what does that mean? The Eddies need to win all three of their remaining matches, while the Stars need to lose all three of theirs. Even if the Stars get a draw in the remaining three games, they get the playoff spot — because they win the tiebreaker with the Eddies.
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FCE’s playoff hopes hang by a thread after second loss at home to Atlanta

By
Steven Sandor
– 09/02/2012

FCE’s Kyle Porter, left, takes on Atlanta’s Pedro Mendes. PHOTO: FC EDMONTON

FC Edmonton now has two home losses this season against the Atlanta Silverbacks, the last-place team in NASL.

Oops — after today’s 2-0 win over the Eddies Sunday, the Silverbacks are tied with Edmonton for that distinction.

But, does a team that loses both of its home matches to Atlanta deserve a playoff spot? The answer is clear — no. On a cool, blustery prairie afternoon, Atlanta did more in the half it had the 50 km/h wind at its back than Edmonton did with its 45 minutes of wind advantage. Matt Horth scored two second-half goals as the Silverbacks all but ended FCE’s playoff hopes.

“It was a very unlucky day,” said forward Kyle Porter. “We dominated the first half but we couldn’t put anything together in the second half…

“The wind affects your touch, your judgment. And it was unlucky for us.”
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FCE’s Lam to miss Sunday’s match for “disciplinary reasons”

By
Steven Sandor
– 08/31/2012

Matt Lam

For the second time in two months, an FC Edmonton player has been disciplined by the club.

Team officials confirmed that midfielder Matt Lam will not be available for Sunday’s home match against Atlanta for “disciplinary reasons.”

Lam, who came back to FCE after spending last season on loan with Japanese second-division club JEF United, was a regular in the starting lineup early in the season. But the local product has seen his minutes reduced as the season has gone on, and has been used almost exclusively off the bench in the second half of the season.
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