New York, NY, WPH Press, 4/14/19- Day 3: Sunday
Sunday featured a repeat of the 2014 NYAC R48 final, as 14-time R48 champion Paul Brady faced 3-time R48 champion Robbie McCarthy. Two years removed from the tour appeared to reinvigorate “The Gunner,” as Brady ousted current top five R48 pros David Fink and Danos Cordova en route to the final. Robbie McCarthy snapped Killian Carroll’s streak of four consecutive R48 finals en route to the final, as the 2019 All Ireland 40×20 champion showcased his best R48 form since winning the 2014 R48 Player’s Championship.
As he had done during his Saturday matches, Brady started slowly in the final, over-hitting a number of shots and failing to capitalize on a number of opportunities. McCarthy took advantage, executing his patented dump kills to take an 8-3 lead. A McCarthy timeout seemed to energize Brady, who scored nine of the 10 points to take a 12-9 lead. Brady missed a left-handed setup in the front court at 13-9, arguing that his backswing was restricted by McCarthy. The no-call appeared to unnerve Brady, who made two errors and found himself receiving serve a 13-13. Brady upped his intensity at 13-all, scoring the final two points with blistering power and bottom board offense.
Brady took charge immediately in game two, dominating all facets of the game en route to a 13-0 lead. McCarthy avoided the bagel but could not apply any pressure, as Brady closed out his 15th overall R48 title and his fifth NYAC R48 title.
“I don’t know how Brady does it,” declared NYAC tournament director John Duggan. “He’s like Tiger Woods and he’s so great for the game.”
“Paul is just incredible,” stated WPH Executive Director, Dave Vincent; who was not attending this tournament originally, but quickly altered plans when Brady contacted him about entering less than a week ago.. “As a handball administrator and fan, we have to enjoy every tournament, every match, and every point Brady and our legends play because you never know if it will be their last. This game is better when Brady is involved and on a day when Tiger Woods wins the Masters in Augusta, it’s only fitting to have our champ make a comeback of his own here in New York!”
Final: Brady vs. McCarthy 15-13, 15-2
Playoffs
David Fink overcame Ireland’s Peter Funchion (25-23), while Stephen Cooney overcame fellow NYAC teammate Jonathan Iglesias (25-21) to meet in the 5th place final. Fink took advantage of a weary Cooney in Sunday’s final, as the NYAC Vice President of handball had little energy left after hosting several late night parties for the NYAC guests. With the victory, Fink clinched fifth for the second consecutive event.
Irish junior prodigy Niall O’Connor bounced back from an opening round loss to Jonathan Iglesias to win the 9th place playoffs, overcoming Canada’s Jerome Santerre in the 9th final.
9th Place Final: O’Connor def Santerre 25-20
5th Place Final: Fink def Cooney 25-7
2019 R48LTE NYAC Finishes
1st: Brady
2nd: McCarthy
3rd: D. Cordova/Carroll
5th: Fink
6th: Cooney
7th: Pet. Funchion/Iglesias
9th: O’Connor
“From the depths of my soul, I want to thank the Dave’s and the WPH for what they are doing for handball,” stated junior handball ambassador Glenn Hall. “The WPH has created a platform to inspire new players while hosting the best and most competitive pro handball tour in history.”
Thank you to John Duggan and Tom Smario for another outstanding event at the NYAC. The NYAC’s hospitality and appreciation for great handball is second to none, and the WPH is very fortunate to return to the famed NYAC every year.
“Handball is such a huge part of the NYAC history and we just want to keep it going and showcasing NYAC,” stated Duggan.
Follow the NYAC brackets HERE
VIDEO?
WPH NYAC LTE Stop ’19
Just before day’s end on Sunday, and just hours after the Brady/McCarthy final, the WPH had uploaded all ‘filmed’ tournament matches of the NYAC LTE event to the WPH Patreon page.
All show court matches for the full tournament are available on Patreon right now! HERE: https://www.patreon.com/posts/26071147
Why no LIVE Stream from New York? 10 months back when the WPH published the broadcast schedule (where it remained on the front page of the website since), the NYAC LTE, plus a few others were NOT on that schedule. The WPH was very transparent as to the filming policies at certain venues and made it clear numerous times that this event would not be televised. Equally, to film at a historic club like the NYAC would need approval, possible permits and potential internet upgrades that require weeks if not months of planning.
Since the WPH was not granted access to stream through the NYAC system, Internet speeds were very slow and cell signals were not much better. This is not a NYAC problem, it’s just a hurdle that we could have avoided if we wanted to televise matches. The WPH did not want to air matches due to the extreme cost to upgrade, get permits, ship equipment, pay a film crew, et al. As an example, when the WPH filmed in 2018 at this same venue, hotel costs for the film crew reached $8,000! A broadcast on ESPN highlighting the facility and the sport of handball were our two biggest focal points, but to pay EXTREME costs to stay at the very facility that you are promoting, seemed ‘backwards.’ Thus, we scaled back our production and opted for a basic camera set up with no announcers, no replays, not major production. Again, this is no ‘knock’ on the NYAC, this is just a reality that the WPH had to face and while doing so, we have been transparent dating back to the debut of the broadcast schedule 10 months back. Hopefully in 2020, the WPH and NYAC can come together on a viable budget to bring back ESPN and secure a major handball tournament stop in the Big Apple!
Watch these matches on-demand on the WPH Patreon Page – ( https://www.patreon.com/wphlive ):
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 32 – Kaplan vs Santerre
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 16 – Carroll vs Perez
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 16 – O’Connor vs Iglesias
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 16 – McCarthy vs Chu
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 16 – Brady vs Sala
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 16 – Rebaza vs Cordova
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 8 Brady vs Fink
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 8 Iglesias vs Carroll
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 8 McCarthy vs Cooney
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Rd of 8 Cordova vs Funchion
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Semifinals – Carroll vs McCarthy
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Semifinals – Cordova vs Paul Brady
2019 NYAC WPH LTE Stop – Men’s Finals – Brady vs McCarthy
Thank you so much for the support!
New York, NY, WPH Press, 4/13/19-
Day 2: Saturday
Super Saturday in New York featured the spectacular return of five-time world champion and 14-time R48 champion Paul Brady and a major upset.
Quarterfinals
Killian Carroll overcame a hot start from R48 rival Jonathan Iglesias in Saturday’s first quarterfinal match, taking control after early-game deficits with a great serve and percentage handball. “Killian always makes the right shot,” stated Level 5 referee and WPH mega donor Rodney Fink.
Robbie McCarthy defeated countryman Stephen Cooney in the second quarterfinal, utilizing his dump kills and incredible retrieves to cruise in two games.
David Fink started well against five-time world champion Paul Brady in Brady’s first R48 start in two years, leading throughout the first game and sealing his first ever game-win against Brady with an ace. Brady regrouped, upping his intensity and shots to pull away from Fink in the next two games. “Imagine playing someone with a racquet in both hands who can hit any shot from anywhere on the court and that will give you a good idea what it’s like to play Paul,” stated Fink.
Danos Cordova struck seven aces in the first 10 minutes of his quarterfinal against Peter Funchion, racing to an 11-1 lead in game one. Funchion had defeated Danos in their last encounter (Montana ’18) and maintained his confidence, scoring 14 of the next 15 points of the game to stun Danos.
Funchion led 7-3 in game two and appeared to be in control, but three quick aces serves for Danos and two kills tied the game at eight. Danos cruised from there, banking himself in the front court and pushing Funchion from side to side to dominate the second half of game two and game three to advance to his seventh R48 semifinal of the season
R48LTE NYAC Quarterfinals
Carroll def Iglesias 15-4, 15-7
McCarthy def Cooney 15-4, 15-9
Brady def Fink 12-15, 15-4, 15-4
Cordova def Pet. Funchion 12-15, 15-8, 15-5
Semifinals
Robbie McCarthy had lost to R48 #1 Killian Carroll in their previous three encounters, including the 2018 World Championship semifinal. McCarthy entered the NYAC brimming with confidence on the heels of a dominating All Ireland 40×20 Championship two weeks ago and blitzed Carroll in game one, taking advantage of a slow start for Carroll and applying effective pressure. .
Carroll turned the tables in game two, evening up the match and forcing a third game.
McCarthy jumped out to a 10-2 and 13-3 lead in the third, controlling the center of the court and keeping rallies alive with seemingly impossible retrieves. “I’ve been watching the best players for 30 years and I’ve never seen these kinds of gets and diving re kills,” stated the exasperated former ICHA President Paul Williams.
McCarthy tweaked his hamstring/groin lunging for a Carroll drive at 13-3, causing a three-minute injury timeout. McCarthy returned to the court gingerly, but still managed to hold off a furious Carroll rally, winning several 40-shot rallies after Carroll had cut the deficit to six. McCarthy ended his losing streak against Carroll at three, while also ending Carroll’s streak of advancing to R48 finals in every R48 stop in which he had played since the 2016 Simple Green U.S. Open.
Brady started slowly in the second semifinal, making six errors early in the first game against Danos. Brady righted the ship, taking control midway through the first against the two-time R48 8 champion. Brady unleashed his full arsenal of skills from there, striking seemingly 100 mph kills, crisp passes, ace serves, and sensational retrieves to win in two games.
The final will mark the first matchup between Brady and McCarthy since the 2014 NYAC R48 final, won by Brady in a tiebreaker.
Semifinals
McCarthy def Carroll 15-7, 4-15, 15-8
Brady def D. Cordova 15-9, 15-4
Final (Sunday 10 am EST): McCarthy vs. Brady
Banquet
The NYAC Killer’s Club and the Kossoff family hosted their traditional Saturday night banquet, as the players were treated to a special evening on the NYAC’s 24th floor solarium overlooking Central Park and midtown. Thank you!
Special thanks to WPH mega donor and Level 5 referee Rodney Fink for refereeing several pro matches, Dave and Lolita Vincent for filming and taking pictures, and the NYAC’s Killer’s Club for a great event.
For more info on the 2019 NYAC R48LTE, including starting times and to follow the brackets go HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
(Note: The WPH is filming all main court matches. …But due to Internet speeds at the facility and tournament hotel, there will be uploads (on demand) but very slow uploads at that. Ie. 6-8 hours per match. These videos are being uploaded to Patreon/wphlive)
Daily Updates from the ’19 NYAC R48LTE
New York, NY, WPH Press, 4/12/19-
Day 1: Friday
14-time R48 champion Paul Brady’s return to the Race 4 Eight tour headlined Friday’s opening day at the New York Athletic Club on Friday, as “The Gunner” hit the Race 4 Eight hardwood for the first time in two years. R48 #1 and current world champion Killian Carroll, two-time 2018/19 R48 8 champion and R48 #3 Danos Cordova, and 3-time R48 champion and 2019 All Ireland 40×20 champion Robbie McCarthy joined Brady in a star-studded Friday evening lineup.
The R48 NYAC’s top eight seeds all cruised on Friday, as Carroll (#1) defeated Eddie Perez, Danos (#2) defeated Alvaro Rebaza, David Fink (#3) defeated Rob Bell, Stephen Cooney (#4) defeated Jerome Santerre, McCarthy (#5) defeated Matthew Chu, Brady (#6) defeated Cesar Sala, Peter Funchion (#7) defeated Arthur Sayed, and Jonathan Iglesias (#8) defeated Niall O’Connor all advanced to setup four scintillating Saturday quarterfinals match ups.
R48LTE NYAC Quarterfinals (Saturday)
Carroll vs. Iglesias (9 am EST)
Cooney vs. McCarthy (10 am EST)
Brady vs. Fink (11 am EST)
Cordova vs. Pet. Funchion (noon EST)
For more info on the 2019 NYAC R48LTE, including starting times and to follow the brackets go HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Elite Stats HERE
R48LTE explained HERE
Lucho Cordova on the Rise HERE
The Flying Cordovas: From Juarez Bros to R48 Pros HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Preview HERE
2017/18 R48 and WR48 Match Analytics HERE
Handball Terminology + Instruction and R48 Rules HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Power Rankings HERE
DF’s R48 Fun Facts and Trends HERE
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2018/19 Race 4 Eight 8 Powered by ESPN features R48 stops in Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Louisiana, and California, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2019. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
Support the WPH and inspiring the next generation of players by becoming a WPH Patreon. Enjoy never before seen videos, pro commentary, special awards, Sports Casts archives and new episodes, live broadcasts, and much more. Become a WPH Patreon HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer
New York, NY, WPH Press, 4/8/19-
The 2019 Burt Kossoff R48LTE marks the 56th event in the history of the Race 4 Eight tour, the third R48LTE event in Race 4 Eight history, and sixth R48 stop at the New York Athletic Club. The R48 tour has spanned 16 states in the R48’s first eight seasons, giving thousands of handball fans and players the opportunity to watch and play the best players in the world.
The 2019 Burt Kossoff NYAC R48LTE will feature the NYAC sponsored R48 #1, current three-time defending WPH Player’s Champion, three-time defending USHA national champion, and current world champion Killian Carroll aiming to defend his 2018 R48 NYAC title.
The NYAC’s Carroll will be joined by his NYAC teammate and greatest rival, five-time world champion and 14-time R48 champion Paul Brady. “The Gunner” will be making his first R48 start in two years and has never lost a R48 match at the NYAC (champion 2014-2017).
Robbie McCarthy will join Brady in making the transatlantic trip from Ireland, as “The Buzzsaw” comes into the NYAC just two weeks removed from winning the 2019 All Ireland 40×20 Championships. McCarthy has racked up three R48 titles in just nine R48 starts (33%), giving him the third highest winning percentage in R48 Men’s Pro history, behind only Brady (78%) and Carroll (50%).
The Irish trio will have to overcome not only one another, but also a white hot R48 #3 Danos Cordova. Cordova announced himself as a R48 superstar at the 2018 R48 NYAC, advancing to his first R48 final with an impressive semifinal win against former R48 #1 Mando Ortiz. Since making his first final 12 months ago at the 2018 R48 NYAC, Danos has won two R48 titles (Portland ’18, Tucson Hall of Fame ’19) and currently sits at #3 on the R48 tour.
Former NYAC pro champion (2009) and current R48 #5 David Fink, the NYAC’s R48 #10 Jonathan Iglesias, Ireland’s R48 #13 Peter Funchion, the NYAC’s player ambassador and R48 #19 Stephen Cooney, as well as top New York stars Cesar Sala, Joe Kaplan, Arthur Sayed, Matthew Chu, and many others will be vying for the 2019 R48 NYAC title at the famed courts just across the street from the iconic Central Park.
Check out all of the important 2019 NYAC R48LTE tournament information below.
2019 Burt Kossoff NYAC R48LTE
- Date: April 12-14, 2019
- Site: New York Athletic Club, 180 Central Park South, New York, NY 10019
- Tournament director: NYAC Killer’s Club, WPH
- Tournament sponsor: Kossoff Family, Killer’s Club, WPH
- Pro Events: R48LTE Men’s Pro
- List of R48 NYAC R48 Men’s pro champions: Brady (2014-2017), Carroll (2018)
- Defending NYAC R48 champion: Carroll
- Number of ranked R48 pros entered: 6
- Current or former R48 #1’s entered: 3 (Brady, Carroll, Fink)
For more info on the 2019 NYAC R48LTE, including starting times and to follow the brackets go HERE
Become a WPH Patreon HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Elite Stats HERE
R48LTE explained HERE
Lucho Cordova on the Rise HERE
The Flying Cordovas: From Juarez Bros to R48 Pros HERE
2018/19 Race 4 Eight Preview HERE
2017/18 R48 and WR48 Match Analytics HERE
Handball Terminology + Instruction and R48 Rules HERE
Race 4 Eight Pro Player Bios HERE
WPH Power Rankings HERE
DF’s R48 Fun Facts and Trends HERE
Race 4 Eight History of Champions and Finalists HERE
WPH RACE 4 EIGHT: The World Players of Handball’s 2018/19 Race 4 Eight 8 Powered by ESPN features R48 stops in Georgia, Arizona, Oregon, Montana, Louisiana, and California, all culminating with The Player’s Championship in Utah in May of 2019. Similar to NASCAR’s Nextel Cup and the FedEx PGA Playoffs, players earn points in the Race 4 Eight’s regular season stops to qualify for the season-ending Player’s Championship and bonus prizes.
For more information on the WPH Race 4 Eight, please contact World Players of Handball Executive Director David Vincent at dave.vincent@wphlive.tv or World Players of Handball Development Director David Fink at david.fink@wphlive.tv. For more information on the World Players of Handball, please visit wphlive.tv
Support the WPH and inspiring the next generation of players by becoming a WPH Patreon. Enjoy never before seen videos, pro commentary, special awards, Sports Casts archives and new episodes, live broadcasts, and much more. Become a WPH Patreon HERE
David Fink
WPH Senior Writer