• At a local Afghan-American community soccer tournament in the Bay Area of California, Benno Nagel and Edreece Agrhandiwal met for the first time in what would eventually become a partnership establishing what they hope to be Oakland’s next big soccer club: Oakland Roots Sports Club. Benno Nagel, a former…

Image credit: Old Bhoys SC

While the table may look incomplete, the standings are final in the 2019 UPSL Midwest South Division. Further, as the UPSL spring season playoffs are underway, Milwaukee Bavarians (the 2018 UPSL spring champion) has advanced to represent the conference at the national playoff tournament. Joliet Soccer United were South Division Champs in 2019, as this conference only participates in the spring season. They qualified for the conference playoffs and lost to the Bavs 3-1 in the final. As for how the table looks and feels for the Bhoys, 2019 is a marked improvement over our inaugural season in 2018. Including a season where the Bhoys picked up the first UPSL league win in club history, a solid mid-table finish reflects the work in the offseason as the coaching staff prepared for the work on the pitch. The Bhoys finished the season on June 29 with a heart-breaking loss away to Maritsa; on a blistering hot day in St. Louis, the Bhoys conceded twice late to finish the season with a 2-3 loss to Maritsa, who were keen to repay the 4-0 drubbing the Bhoys put on them at Cardinal Ritter Stadium in May. The UPSL offseason is now upon us, and there is plenty of work, planning and strategizing to be done by the Bhoys leadership. A more thorough season-ending wrap up will be put together in August, with a peek behind the curtain at financials and a recap of the past two years. In short — and in advance of that next post — the Bhoys have come a long way from the November 2017 announcement that they will join the UPSL in the expanding Midwest Conference. A change in name and reaching independence as a club happened in between the two seasons, as well as more than one lesson learned the hard way. With the UPSL season wrapped up, the focus shifts to the CIASA competition, which comes down to this Sunday, July 21, where a champion will be decided.

Image credit: UPSL

Last weekend saw the Bhoys drop points for just the second time this CIASA season, along with their first loss. This Sunday at Cardinal Ritter Stadium, the Old Bhoys take on Boomers; with a win, the Bhoys will clinch first in the division and win the league. A loss or draw, however, will see FC Miller be crowned as title winner of the Premier Division of CIASA. All to play for, and the Bhoys are looking for their first club championship of any kind this weekend in the heat of summer in Indy. A look at the current table shows how tightly contested the league is.

Image credit: CIASA

Want to connect? Drop us a line: [email protected] or via twitter @OldBhoysSC. We’d love to hear from you on how we can continue to build Old Bhoys into 2020 and beyond!

COYOB!

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After ending up on the wrong side of a 7-1 shellacking June 29 in St. Paul, FC Cincinnati enters Thursday’s home fixture with D.C. United schlepping a two-match winning streak. D.C. sits third in the Eastern Conference standings, but will be without a notable playmaker Thursday evening. Kickoff at Nippert Stadium is set for 8 p.m. ET with coverage on ESPN.

INJURIES/ABSENCES

D.C. United
For the visitors, Luciano Acosta will miss the contest after losing his suspension appeal. Lucho sat a game already from a red card for which MLS handed down a two-match suspension, and now will have to fully serve it out. Chris Odoi-Atsem (hip) is the only United player with a question mark over his status. Oniel Fisher (knee) remains out.

FC Cincinnati
FC Cincy will be without Roland Lamah (hamstring), Fatai Alashe (hamstring) and Greg Garza (calf). Promising youngster Frankie Amaya, the top pick in the 2019 SuperDraft, is listed as questionable and was spotted at training Wednesday. Jimmy McLaughlin (knee) is still out as well.

FORM

D.C. United (8-5-8)Third in Eastern Conference, seventh in Supporters’ Shield

Last five: draw, win, draw, loss, draw

FC Cincinnati (5-13-2)12th in Eastern Conference, 24th in Supporters’ Shield

Last five: loss, loss, loss, win, win

KEY PLAYERS

D.C. United – Paul Arriola
Sans the services of Lucho, can a player like Arriola step up and shoulder some of the playmaking load? That’ll be the lingering question for the visitors if they hope to get Wayne Rooney the necessary touches to impact the match. Arriola, the only player to start every USMNT match so far in the Gregg Berhalter era, has plenty of chance-creating ability, but his exceptional two-way play doesn’t often leave him in position to be the prime orchestrator of an attack. Perhaps he’ll be asked to defend less Thursday night?

FC Cincinnati – Emmanuel Ledesma
It’s been a rough-and-tumble season for Ledesma; he’s mixed in a few solid outings with some not-so brilliant ones. He finally flashed the big-play prowess that earned him the 2018 USL MVP award in FC Cincy’s recent 3-2 win over Houston, dishing out two assists. As a winger, Ledesma is the complete antithesis of Arriola in that he offers little to nothing behind the ball, and all his qualities are going forward. There’s generally space to be exploited behind Ledesma on the flank where he’s stationed, so Arriola might look to fill Lucho’s shoes by doing just that.

Prediction: 2-2 draw

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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CINCINNATI — FC Cincinnati’s brutal inaugural MLS campaign recently encountered a spell of positivity with two consecutive victories after going winless in league play in all of June and most of May. But second-half breakdowns in the defensive third Thursday night spoiled the run of good form, as FC Cincy fell 4-1 at home to D.C. United.

A physical match out of the gates saw FC Cincinnati control most of the ball in the first quarter or so of the match. The first real threat from either side came on an FC Cincy corner. Leonardo Bertone found Kendall Waston’s head at the near post, whose header then struck the woodwork.

D.C. United quickly responded with a dangerous chance of their own. Paul Arriola’s header appeared destined for the top corner, but Spencer Richey fully extended to make a difficult save that preserved the blank scoreline.

The back of the net was finally tingled in the 42nd minute by D.C. winger Lucas Rodriguez. Wayne Rooney tapped a short pass to him in the box, and the Argentine bent it past Richey.

An Arriola handball in the box allowed Cincinnati to equalize in the second interval. Emmanuel Ledesma converted from the spot in the 54th via his patented dramatic approach and tap in.

But just 10 minutes later, United found itself back up 3-1 after Rodriguez completed a brace and Rooney added another. Rodriguez’s was a blast from outside the box, assisted by Arriola, that slightly deflected off a defender. Rooney’s came on a calm finish after collecting a pass from Leonardo Jara.

Later, Arriola crept in behind the defense and tacked on one of his own to make it 4-1, effectively sealing the result.

The match statistics were surprisingly relatively even, and the first half especially was played on about level terms. Massive FC Cincy defensive breakdowns in the second stanza among the back four of Alvas Powell, Justin Hoyte, Kendall Waston and Mathieu Deplagne proved to be the hosts’ undoing. Even without focal creator Luciano Acosta, who was suspended for the match, the D.C. trio of Rodriguez, Rooney and Arriola still found enough seams to torment Cincy going forward.

The win propelled United back into second place in the Eastern Conference as they prepare to visit third-place Atlanta United FC on Sunday. FC Cincinnati remains in the cellar, and will look to get back on track at home Sunday versus a resurgent New England Revolution side.

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Image credit: Oakland Roots SC

At a local Afghan-American community soccer tournament in the Bay Area of California, Benno Nagel and Edreece Agrhandiwal met for the first time in what would eventually become a partnership establishing what they hope to be Oakland’s next big soccer club: Oakland Roots Sports Club.

Benno Nagel, a former professional coach in Europe and most recently with Rayo OKC in the NASL, serves as the club president and director of soccer. Edreece Arghandiwal, a business savvy entrepreneur with tons of different marketing experience, will spearhead the club’s brand development and marketing.

The club hopes to begin play in 2019 and is in the unique position of currently still not belonging to a league, although this is something the club is working on while playing the waiting game in a sense, as rumored leagues such as NPSL Pro and NISA are still being established and officially sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation.

“We’re just trying to wait and see how things shake out right now,” said Arghandiwal, referring to the current developments of lower-division American soccer. But Arghandiwal made it clear that going the professional route is not the only option for the Oakland Roots as he mentioned the club is exploring the PDL, UPSL and regular NPSL league options as well.

“We don’t really care which league or level we play in, as long as we field a team that is about Oakland first and always,” he added. “We want to put a team out there for a community that deserves it and that wants a really cool brand to get behind and to build a lifestyle around this thing that transcends soccer.”

The club transcending to more than just soccer is arguably the most important part about this project. When entering the official team website, OaklandRootsSC.com, some of the first words you’ll read are: “More than just a club, more than just soccer.” This statement is crucial to the brand identity that Arghandiwal envisions for the club.

“Oakland Roots is a sports club, so the adaptability of going into a skate park and empowering youth there or going into a fencing club and empowering people there — whatever it is — that’s the ultimate long-term vision,” he explained “We want this to be an all-empowering, all-encompassing brand that does things positively for the community.”

When asked if there were any current American teams that the club drew inspiration from, Arghandiwal was quick to acknowledge NPSL clubs Chattanooga FC and Detroit City FC.

“They have done a freaking fantastic job,” comments Arghandiwal, “(Detroit) is just so committed to the principle and value of being Detroit for Detroit. Chattanooga does the same. It’s something admirable and the Oakland Roots front office looks at them as role models and have referred to them many of times throughout this process.”

The clear goal and large ambition of the founding members and front office of this club make this story an interesting one. An impactful vision is in place, the question is whether Nagel and Arghandiwal’s master plan will come to fruition.

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INDIANAPOLIS — La Clave del Barrio, a celebration of Afro-Cuban culture and fundraiser for a special futsal project in Havana, goes down Saturday at Indy Convergence at 2611 West Michigan Street. The party starts at 7 p.m., with salsa lessons set for 7:30 and the show, consisting of dance and musical acts, beginning at 8:30.

“Experience the Afro-Cuban musical and dance stylings of Sancocho, DJ Kyle Long on the 1s and 2s along with Pavel Polanco-Safadit closing out the evening with his lively brand of salsa,” said event organizer Guy-Jo Gordon. “Proceeds will fund the construction of two futsal courts in Havana, Cuba.”

Tickets are $25 in advance online and can be purchased here through Eventbrite. Tickets are $30 at the door.

Image credit: La Clave del Barrio

Authentic Cuban cuisine and Cuba Libres — rum and coke with a splash of lime — will be available, as will wine and local beer offerings.

The seeds of the Havana futsal court project were first planted back in May 2018, when Indiana Futsal visited the city in partnership with Artecorte, La Liga en Cuba and the Peace Learning Center to host Havana’s first-ever city futsal tournament. Watch the video atop to learn more about Indiana Futsal’s mission and experiences in Cuba.

La Clave del Barrio is an all-ages event. Kids under 12 get in free.

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INDIANAPOLIS — The first go-round of the Louisville Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest (LIPAFC) in 2019 went down Saturday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium, with the Indy Eleven and Louisville City FC sharing points at the end of 90 after a 1-1 result. Tyler Pasher continued his scoring tear with a first-half tally during the run of play, which was equaled by a well-placed free kick by Paolo DelPiccolo into the top bins on the other side of the interval.

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The U.S. and England are on a collision course to meet Tuesday in the semifinals of the 2019 Women’s World Cup. So, how did both teams get here?

USA vs. France

When Megan Rapinoe plays for the USWNT, it is like knowing that Wonder Woman would be by your side. Even when the USWNT had another game full of doubts, withdrawing their lines to hold the French rush, Rapinoe took out the magic wand, and the show began. The conversion of an early free kick and an offensive run in the second half took Rapinoe to the top of Women’s World Cup goal-scorers list. She’s a co-leader with Alex Morgan and English striker Ellen White.

The U.S. surpassed the quarterfinals, but with another match that leaves concerns in the functioning of the team. The squad managed by Jill Ellis completed less than 200 passes during the game, lost the ball possession and suffered 20 attempts of the French side. Rose Lavelle was lost for the second consecutive game and Alex Morgan was secluded; nevertheless, they achieved danger into the European terrain with counterattacks lead by Rapinoe and Tobin Heath.

Vulnerable for moments, the USWNT advanced again. They are not the perfect team that they used to be. But winning is the more significant task; there are no small victories in a World Cup tournament, and so far, that suffering has been worth it.

England vs. Norway

“Bring it home” has been the nostalgic motto of every English soccer fan during World Cups, and the disappointment has been real. Since the generation of the ’90s lead by coach Bobby Robson, England hasn’t had a team that could compete for a World Cup championship. Names like Beckham, Owen, Scholes, Shearer, Ferdinand and Campbell failed every time they got a chance to bring the most glorious title to the country of its origin. Fifty-three years later, there’s real hope to bring a trophy home, and the ladies might be on their way to doing it after the men came up just short at the 2018 World Cup.

In less than 60 minutes, the Lionesses sealed their ticket to the Women’s World Cup semifinals in a match that seemed challenging. But the English ladies erased Norway from the pitch; they found a quick goal and imposed their conditions. England makes it look smoother when they face demanding rivals. The Lionesses are gaining momentum with elegant football.

If there was immense morbidity for the match between France and the USA, we need to start thinking that the semifinal between England and the U.S. is going to give us a better spectacle. The two best rosters in the world advanced through different means: the Americans after eliminating the host nation, and England by inflicting so much damage to every rival they faced. The 2019 edition could be the most exciting of all World Cups ever played.

Follow Luis on Twitter: @LFulloa.

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HARRISON, N.J. — As the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France looms ever-so close to its start, the U.S. women’s national team squeezed in one final dress rehearsal May 26 at Red Bull Arena against Mexico. Strikes from Tobin Heath, Mallory Pugh and Christen Press carried the hosts to a 3-0 victory. Mexico failed to qualify for the tournament, while the U.S. will make its Group F debut June 11.

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Fearless, practical, and organized.

There is an exponential growth when Sweden faces challenging opponents in tournaments like the Women’s World Cup and Olympic Games. There is an “I believe” magnet that the Swedish have when they play against teams that on paper are slightly superior to them. The Scandinavians surpassed a young German generation that was on a perfect streak with intrepid football skills and by imposing their physical conditions. In the semifinal, they broke the Dutch aesthetic for 90 minutes with a “rocky” way of playing; although, the extra time had a different outcome. And in their last match of the tournament against England, they didn’t want to leave with empty hands.

Sweden is an adaptable team, which is an outstanding quality when you can’t dominate the ball. However, they can overwhelm their rivals by applying physical force and offensive projection, or by not letting them play. Generation after generation, the Swedes understood that sometimes aesthetics don’t matter when it’s about leaving the pitch victorious. In the 2016 Olympics, Hope Solo called them “a bunch of cowards” after the Scandinavians eliminated the U.S. in penalty kicks, just because “they didn’t want to open play.” Nevertheless, in the current World Cup, the Swedes demonstrated better qualities as a group, even when they seemed to be unsteady as previous football generations.

They achieved third place by eliminating and defeating teams like Germany and England, two national squads that were stronger and displayed better football than them. Although, the game plan and team effort made by the Swedes tore apart the favoritism. On the pitch, Sweden transformed the rocky football showed against the Netherlands in the semifinal, to a more vertical and courageous way to play against the Lionesses. In 22 minutes, the Swedes scored twice, leaving England with the necessity to look for the opponent’s goal. The Lionesses cut the difference in the first half, but Sweden held every single attacking effort of the English ladies thereafter.

With Fran Kirby’s goal, the English momentum rose. The Lionesses knocked at the door time after time, and when Ellen White seemingly found the back of the net for the tie, VAR interceded. A barely visible handball left Sweden up on the scoreboard. The game was the reflection of another great women’s soccer match; it was full of intensity, verticality and drama. But the bronze medal was taken by a Swedish team that earned its way as second of Group F, then got as far as it could. The intelligence of Peter Gerhardsson and his coaching staff to design the “less difficult” path, and the determination of the Swede generation granted the Scandinavian country a well-deserved third place.

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