INDIANAPOLIS — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC center back Hugh Roberts shares his thoughts on his side’s 2-2 draw with the Indy Eleven on Aug. 29, 2018.

Both clubs are currently in the playoff picture sitting among the top eight in the USL Eastern Conference.

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• Indiana Futsal director Justin Becht joins host Kevin Johnston for a discussion on the latest happenings at Indiana Soccer, coaching, his trips to Cuba to build futsal courts, Fulham,…
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We’re joined by North American Soccer League interim commissioner Rishi Sehgal in our first-ever episode of the Soc Takes Pod. Listen as we discuss the 2017 NASL season, increased financial transparency and new mechanisms to ensure all clubs make payroll.

Photo credit: NASL.com

Follow us on Twitter @SocTakes and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #SocTakesPod.

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Kaka, Antonio Nocerino and Jonathan Spector marvel at the gorgeous confines of Orlando City Stadium, the new home of Orlando City SC.

Built just a few blocks directly east of their previous digs, Camping World Stadium, the Lions will officially open the new stadium on March 5 when they host New York City FC. The match is sold out.

.@KAKA, @JSpector23 and Noce inspecting. #WelcomeHome pic.twitter.com/8CgZtYI8JU

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) February 25, 2017

Fans at home can catch all the action on ESPN at 5 p.m. ET.

These views… #WelcomeHome pic.twitter.com/TmlGQvBA2t

— Orlando City SC (@OrlandoCitySC) February 26, 2017

Thumbnail photo credit: Orlando City SC/MLS

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Join host Nipun Chopra alongside Aaron Gunyon and Kevin Johnston as the panel breaks down the Indy Eleven’s season-opening 1-1 draw with the expansion San Francisco Deltas.

Subtopics include Eamon Zayed coming off the bench, the performance of the Eleven center backs, Gerardo Torrado’s strengths and weaknesses, the Turkish Airlines sponsorship and Justin Braun’s work rate. The other two NASL matches this weekend also briefly get touched on. Listen:

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Nemanja Vukovic hurdles a New York Cosmos opponent in 2016. Matt Schlotzhauer/Indy Eleven

The Indy Eleven have already dealt with an absurd number of injuries to key players this season. Unfortunately for Indy, the brutal rash of knocks just got even worse.

Left back Nemanja Vukovic is out indefinitely with a kidney contusion, a team official confirmed Thursday. Yes, “Iron Man” is hurt. Vukovic was the club’s most durable player in 2016; he led the team in minutes.

No concrete timetable has been established for his return to the pitch, but early indications are that it’s a multi-week injury. He’s already been ruled out for Saturday’s road match against first-place Jacksonville Armada FC.

Vukovic joins regular starting wingers Don Smart (quad) and Ben Speas (sports hernia) on the shelf. It’s been a theme for Indy this season.

Matt Schlotzhauer/Indy Eleven

Captain and rock-solid center back Colin Falvey also missed time to start the season recovering from sports hernia surgery. He’s back now, as is goalkeeper Jon Busch, who recently sat with a pinched nerve in his neck. Rookie attacker Tanner Thompson, who started a few matches and impressed before getting injured, is back as well.

To borrow an eye-rolling cliché from Indianapolis Colts coach Chuck Pagano, it’s definitely next man up for Indy.

The Eleven made a conscious decision this season to stock the roster with fewer bodies and take a conservative approach to the player budget — a decision that’s unfortunately come back to haunt them. No club could anticipate this many injuries early in a season, so Eleven coach Tim Hankinson deserves plenty of credit for managing his side to zero losses through four matches.

The short-handed Eleven (0W-4D-0L, 4 points) will take their talents to “North Beach” on Saturday in an attempt to upset also-unblemished Jacksonville Armada FC (2W-2D-0L, 8 points).

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @KJboxing.

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This 2017 NASL season was always going to be odd. Eight teams are going to become mighty familiar with each other and league tables don’t always tell the full story when trying to consider the best of the best. Miami FC is a safe pick for the leagues best on paper and they have plenty of points to show for their efforts through 8 games. The NASL ranks them #1 but they’ve had a pretty easy schedule.

No one is saying that South Beach FC doesn’t have what it takes to run the table on the league. What this GPI shows is that Miami is just beating on the little guys right now. That hurts them in these rankings which places a lot of emphasis on strength of schedule.

Who you beat is just as important as where you beat them. The GPI also places importance home and away results. An away win against the leagues best will yield the greatest rewards. Miami just doesn’t have the schedule to be #1 at this stage of the season.

This illustration is precisely why there is a need for such a calculator. Everyone says Miami is the best, but who have they beaten? Puerto Rico, FC Edmonton and Indy Eleven come to mind. And while the top three might be in flux, the bottom three really aren’t. No one is predicting big things for any of these bottom dwellers at this time.

New York Cosmos and Miami FC each have one away win against each other but its not a wash in GPI points. Because NYC’s ranking is higher, Miami is given the edge numerically. What does that mean? Well…even though Miami earned a maximum value in one of their matches, it has not been enough productivity to overcome what the Cosmos have done against much better teams.

The five week trend is even more favorable to NYC and you may be able to see why PRFC has made a coaching change so early into the Spring Season.

It’s not over for any of these teams and there is one more factor to consider. If a team like Indy goes on a tear and raises their score, that will positively impact Miami which has recorded two wins against them.

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Image credit: NASL

Soon after news broke that the NASL had filed a lawsuit against the USSF, it became quickly apparent that not all NASL clubs supported the litigation. Neil Morris, host of the Inverted Triangle Soccer Podcast, revealed that North Carolina FC was not behind this litigation, while our reporting suggested that FC Edmonton did not vote at all. It was widely accepted that the New York Cosmos and Miami FC fell in the “yes” category. Yet, it remained unclear how the other teams voted, or in some cases — for example, the two new California teams — whether they voted at all.

.@NorthCarolinaFC not issuing statement. But sources close to club say NCFC does not support NASL lawsuit v USSF. https://t.co/mDZGHk6TQC

— Neil Morris (@ByNeilMorris) September 20, 2017

There have also rightly been questions raised about whether this NASL lawsuit was a majority vote at all, or whether it was merely despotically driven by Rocco Commisso and Riccardo Silva.

Over the last few days, Soc Takes has spoken to people within the league to ascertain the direction of each team’s vote.

Supermaj

Soc Takes has learned that the lawsuit could not have been passed on behalf of the NASL without a supermajority vote. An NASL spokesperson declined to confirm the exact percentage required to meet a supermajority, but it’s greater than 50 percent and could be as high as 75 percent based on information given to Soc Takes. In other words, the Cosmos and Miami could not have brought this lawsuit without the support of other NASL teams.

Votes

In the yes camp: Miami FC, New York Cosmos, Jacksonville Armada FC, California United FC, San Diego NASL, Puerto Rico FC

Could not confirm: Indy Eleven — more on this later

Did not vote: North Carolina FC, San Francisco Deltas, FC Edmonton

So the vote either passed 6-1 or 7-0.

Indy Eleven

Eleven president Jeff Belskus declined to comment on this story, and Soc Takes was unable to confirm Indy’s vote with certainty.

You can’t haz votez

There are disparate reasons why NCFC, SFD and FCE did not vote. NCFC owner Stephen Malik recused himself from the vote due to his conflict of interest as a representative of the pro council of the USSF.

FC Edmonton was not asked to vote as they’re possibly in talks to join the Canadian Premier League that’s poised to start play in 2018.

The SF Deltas were asked not to vote, as the team has informed the league of its financial difficulties and it remains unclear if the team will continue.

Speculation

It is important to note that even if a team supported filing the lawsuit, it may not be due to the ideological machinations provided by Commisso and, by extension, Silva. It could be merely due to self-preservation. Given that the NASL likely dies in absence of an injunctive relief, this lawsuit seems to be the only chance NASL teams have of surviving.

Although, it must be said, if teams had voted against the lawsuit and the NASL had collapsed, they could have exited the league with little to no penalty. Based on that, perhaps there is more ideological integrity to the collapsing walls of the NASL.

There has also been gesturing within the NASL about Malik’s role in the league. While the zealots online can be ignored, sources within the league have suggested that Malik’s role at the USSF worked against the NASL’s interests, as opposed to help propagate them. Even if true, ultimately each owner in the league can be accused of self-preservation, and Malik’s desire to put North Carolina FC over the NASL — if true — may be appropriate given the status of the NASL. Either way, if the league truly was unhappy with Malik’s appointment to the pro council, it is strange this was never suggested until after the NASL’s DII sanctioning was denied. North Carolina FC declined Soc Takes’ request for an interview with Malik.

Conclusion

Yes, the NASL voted in favor of the federal antitrust lawsuit via a majority vote.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7.

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With five days until Indy Eleven’s first game of the season, away to league-debutant San Francisco Deltas, many here in Indy have been wondering if the game will be available for viewing on TV and/or streaming. Soc Takes has learned that the game will be broadcast live on Twitter.

Photo credit: Brickyard Battalion

“We’re broadcasting all of our home games on Twitter in English, Spanish and Portuguese. We did so for the SacRep (Sacramento Republic) game as a test last Saturday,” Deltas CEO Brian Helmick informed Soc Takes.

“One of our three pillars is innovation. I’ve been told we’re the first pro soccer team in North America to broadcast our home games; not sure if anybody has done the tri-lingual simultaneous broadcast,” Helmick added. “This is an initiative we’re trying here this season.”

“We’re talking to Twitter about both platforms – Twitter Live and Periscope Producer. This came together over the last 2 weeks, so we’re moving very quickly to simultaneously provide fans with our home games in English, Spanish and Portuguese anywhere in the world. The setup process if faster with Periscope, so we’re trying that first,” Helmick told Soc Takes, “As we’ve always told our fans, we’re not afraid to take risks and try new things.”

“Twitter has been a great partner already and we’ve jointly brainstormed some very coold ideas that we’ll try throughout the season that I think fans will love,” Helmick added.

When asked if all of NASL’s games would be broadcast on Twitter, Helmick was quick to set the record straight: “This is only for SFD home games.”

An NASL spokesperson, while not confirming the Twitter story directly, told Soc Takes that the game (Deltas vs. Indy) would be “available for all to see,” adding that the league will be making an announcement within the next 24-48 hours. An Indy Eleven spokesperson suggested they expect a “national broadcast schedule” to be announced during this time frame as well.

If you’re a Brickyard Battalion, Slaughterhouse-19 or Indy East End member, the supporters’ groups expect to meet at Union Jack Pub in Broad Ripple for the game.

Here’s our previous interview with Helmick, where he discussed the status of the team and the league.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

You can follow Soc Takes and Nipun on Twitter @SocTakes and @NipunChopra7.

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Photo credit: Aaron Gunyon/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s a rivalry that brings out nothing short of maximum effort in both teams. Last week at the Sellick Bowl — in front of a record crowd of 6,105 — was no different between Butler and No. 1 Indiana.

In the end, the Hoosiers remained unbeaten after a scoreless 110-minute duel of attrition. The shot stats pretty much told the story: Butler 8, Indiana 8.

For a match of this magnitude, Butler head coach Paul Snape retrieved an ace from his sleeve. He shifted senior captain Eric Leonard from his normal central defensive midfield post to the back line. He also stacked the midfield with five and sometimes six Bulldogs at a time.

It worked.

“We had to keep our lines closed,” Snape explained. “We had to defend. IU worked us. If you don’t, they accumulate lots of good passes.

“They just rip you apart. (Andrew) Gutman at left back is one of the best, if not the best attacking left back in the country. You’re always worried. They can hit you many different ways. But I’m absolutely thrilled with how we came into the game tonight.”

Not only did the move allow Leonard to pay extra attention to striker Mason Toye and the rest of the high-powered Indiana attack, it also enabled Butler to possess and generate the better chances early on thanks to the numbers advantage in the midfield.

Photo credit: Aaron Gunyon/Soc Takes

Butler came out in a 4-3-3 that certainly played like more of a 3-6-1. The two wide forwards dropped deeper into the midfield throughout. And sophomore Alex Lehtinen played as a wing back on the left side, spending the majority of his evening pushed a little higher up the pitch than his mates in the back line.

“That’s who he is,” Snape explained of Lehtinen’s positioning.

“Their back line has given up two goals all year, so we knew it was going to be a gutsy effort,” said Bulldogs striker Brandon Guhl of the Indiana defense. “We knew that they were going to come at us. We knew that we were going to get our one or two chances and we just had to put them away. Nothing changed until overtime. We just went with the 4-3-3. We tried to pack the middle. We put (Leonard) back there. The back line played phenomenal.”

While Snape’s switcheroo seemed matchup specific to the Hoosiers, given Leonard’s effectiveness in the defense, one was left wondering if Snape might use the upperclassman in the same role again. That answer was quickly revealed in Butler’s very next match, a 1-0 home win over Villanova.

Leonard again started in the back and helped deliver another clean sheet against the Wildcats. He was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for his two standout performances.

Leading @ButlerMenSoccer to 2 shutouts, including a clean sheet over #1 Indiana, Eric Leonard wins #BEfutbol Defensive Player of the Week. pic.twitter.com/uVEl2d2dxs

— BIG EAST Conference (@BIGEAST) October 23, 2017

His coach spoke glowingly of the captain’s transition to defense.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever seen him play so good in my life,” Snape said. “He’s incredible. He’s got the heart of a lion.”

After drawing the top team in the land and racking up another shutout win in conference, the Bulldogs sit at 9-4-1 overall and 5-1 in BIG EAST play. They’ve also jumped back up to No. 21 in the latest polls. Snape expressed optimism toward the future while stopping short of stroking his side’s ego.

“We know we compete with the best in the country,” he said. “Can we go into the NCAAs — can we go and win, and start beating these guys as well? And when we become that, we can truly say we’ve become an elite team.”

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to patron-only Soc Takes Pod episodes, exclusive written content and tier rewards. Click here to become a patron today.

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