Soc Takes had previously characterized Albuquerque as a “less likely” destination for the USL in 2019. Yet, multiple sources inform Soc Takes that Albuquerque will be part of the USL in the 2019 season. Currently, Albuquerque Sol FC plays in the PDL and is expected to continue to do so next year.

ABQ to USL

Per sources, Albuquerque’s application was discussed, along with 4-5 other teams, at the recently concluded USL Winter Summit.

Soc Takes understands that Ron Patel, current owner of Albuquerque Sol FC, will continue in an executive position within the board of the new USL team. However, the majority of the investment will be from a “group of local investors.” One of those investors will also serve as the principal owner who meets the USSF division II requirement of having a net worth of twenty million dollars. Soc Takes has been unable to confirm the identity of any of the additional investors.

A well-placed source informs Soc Takes that the group is still attempting to secure their “own stadium deal,” and is willing to find a “temporary (1-2 year) solution” to ensure they play in 2019. Currently, ABQ Sol FC divides their games between the UNM Soccer Stadium and Ben Rios Field at St. Pius X High School.

Ron Patel has previously spoken to the city to set the steps in motion to secure funding for a downtown stadium.

Albuquerque Sol FC (Credit: ABQ Sol FC)

Demographics for soccer

Albuquerque is the largest city in New Mexico and the major metropolitan area boasts of a population of just under one million people. Soc Takes understands that USL aims for its incoming division II markets to have a population of over 750,000.

Per a 2010 census, the city has a strong Latino population and approximately 65 percent of its population is younger than the age of 45, while almost 25 percent of its population is younger than the age of 24.

These are good soccer demographics.

Conjecture

The city of ABQ would be a good fit for a professional soccer team. The team would be virtually equidistant from USL teams in Phoenix, Las Vegas, Colorado Springs and Oklahoma City.

Additionally, from a sporting perspective, the team would have to compete with a AAA baseball team — and not much else — for sponsors and fans. Recently, there have been a number of collaborations between AAA owners and USL teams. It remains unclear if the ABQ USL team in 2019 will have any investment from the ownership group of the Albuquerque Isotopes (Author’s note: as a science nerd, this is the best name of any sporting franchise ever), Albuquerque Baseball Club, LLC.

Soc Takes contributor James Poling previously reported that the USL is interested in creating a central conference. It would make sense for this ABQ team to participate in the central conference.

At the time, USL commissioner Jake Edwards told Poling:

“We will have a couple of new markets coming into the league in 2019 that will I think make a three-conference model a certainty. We are looking at whether we do it in ’18, but I know we will definitely have it in ’19.”

It seems likely that ABQ will be one of those new markets. It remains unclear if the group will continue to field a team in the PDL once the USL team launches.

Soc Takes contacted Ron Patel about the story, but Patel declined to comment.

You can find Nipun Chopra at NipunChopra7 on Twitter.

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.

Related

Photo credit: Jarrett Campbell

INDIANAPOLIS — Martin Rennie is already a known commodity in American soccer circles. But he’d also been coaching Seoul E-Land FC in the South Korean second division for the past several years, so who knows what tactical philosophy the 2018 version of Rennie subscribes to?

Luckily, the first-year Indy Eleven manager offered a peek Thursday into how his side might line up and play — contingent of course upon how his roster takes shape.

A betting man would say Rennie sounds fondest of a 4-3-3, but the veteran Scottish manager also cited a few other setups he’s comfortable with.

“Over the years, I’ve quite liked the 4-3-3 formation, but I also like the 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1,” Rennie said. “And now, as well, I’ve done some work with the more popular back three-type system. So I’m open-minded on that part. A lot of games that I have coached I’d say have kind of been a 4-3-3 formation.”

As far as style, Rennie said he preaches possession with an emphasis on penetrating, off-the-ball runs to get in behind the defense. He likes his sides to be proactive, not reactive.

“I think in coaching, there are really two types of coaches,” Rennie explained. “One that wants to have the ball and kind of play and attack, and then another that kind of wants to wait for the opposition to make a mistake. So for me, I want to have the ball more and be more proactive and attack more. That’s my philosophy.

“But over the years — I’ve coached in different countries and at different levels — I’ve learned that I’ve also got to be able to do the other thing, which is to be able to defend very well, and be very compact and hard to beat sometimes. So it’s really a team I want to build that can do both of those things well, but when we’re able to do what we want to do, I want to be a team on the ball, moving the ball quickly and making a lot of penetrating movements.”

One MLS insider told Soc Takes that Rennie’s Vancouver Whitecaps teams tended to play well-organized soccer, but noted his proclivity for “shoehorning as many defensive midfielders into the XI as is possible, with predictable results.” It’s entirely possible that Rennie’s rendition of the 4-3-3 includes two or three CDMs as part of a mini triangle that sits mostly centrally, with the wing forwards taking on a more active role behind the ball.

However Rennie ends up trotting out his starting XI, one thing’s for sure: He currently has more pressing matters to worry about than the pedantic subtleties of a formation. First and foremost, he needs human beings in Indy Eleven kits available for selection. Rennie hopes to have some semblance of a roster together and ready to report to the training grounds by Feb. 7.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Image credit: Midwest Pro Soccer Combine

The second-annual Midwest Pro Soccer Combine is set for Dec. 18-19 at Legacy Center Sports Complex in Brighton, Mich. And just like the inaugural edition, the focus is once again on quality over quantity.

Rather than accepting every applicant willing to fork up the bread for a chance to get in front of coaches and scouts, the combine aims for a group of 70 highly skilled footballers: 64 field players and six goalkeepers.

“We’ve created this first layer of player vetting,” explained event organizer and AFC Ann Arbor head coach Eric Rudland. “We’re not trying to grow this event to be, you know, bringing in 100 players or 200 players. We’re very strong in the belief that we want to keep the quantity low and the quality high. So we want to reiterate that whenever we can to just say, ‘Hey, we still really want to bring in 70 top players,’ and make it a positive experience for the players and obviously a positive experience for the pro clubs.”

With a surplus of talent in-state and plenty more nearby, Rudland estimated that a significant chunk of 2016 combine attendees were local or regional players.

“When you look at the Midwest as a whole, there’s a lot of quality here in the college game,” Rudland said. “And I think there’s a lot of quality in the NPSL and PDL as well. Last year at the event, we had probably 30 percent of the guys there were from the Midwest. Maybe even higher, actually — closer to 40 percent.”

Of course, that means a solid 60-70 percent of the remaining pro hopefuls were from not just all over the country, but all over the globe. Rudland expects a similar ratio this year, and expressed his excitement about some of the prospects the combine has lined up.

“We’re trying to bring in a couple players from West Africa that will hopefully draw some interest from professional clubs,” Rudland said. “We definitely expect some top PDL guys and some top NPSL guys, and then hopefully a handful of internationals.”

The first crop of combine invitees was announced Friday:

Excited to announce the first 10 players accepted into the 2017 #MPSC https://t.co/XEKeAnYqyB pic.twitter.com/tCKeor8RbT

— Midwest Pro Combine (@midwestprosc) November 17, 2017

Indy Eleven forward David Goldsmith attended the inaugural edition of the combine. After going undrafted in the 2017 MLS SuperDraft, he earned a shot as a trialist with the Eleven and made the roster.

“The Midwest Pro Combine was a great opportunity to play with other top players from around the country in a professional environment,” Goldsmith said. “It was very useful to push myself against the other players in preparation for hoping to step into a professional team’s preseason in the new year.”

Goldsmith felt he benefitted from attending the combine, and encouraged high-level college footballers with pro ambitions to do likewise.

“I would recommend the combine to anyone who aspires to play at the professional level, and it is a great opportunity to demonstrate your talents in front of a variety of professional scouts from all leagues,” he added. “It only takes a moment to be spotted by a team, so I believe it helps your chances to put yourself in front of as many scouts as you can.”

Image credit: Midwest Pro Soccer Combine

An impressive list of players inked professional contracts after participating in the 2016 combine: Lalas Abubakar (Columbus Crew SC), Lindo Mfeka (Reno 1868 FC), Lars Eckenrode (Toronto FC II), Francis de Vries (Vancouver Whitecaps II), Goldsmith (Indy Eleven), Ben Fitzpatrick (Pittsburgh Riverhounds), Riley Grant (Seattle Sounders II), Brad Ruhaak (North Carolina FC), Ryan Howe (St. Louis FC), Skyler Milne (Real Monarchs), Nick Kolorac (St. Louis Ambush), Billy Heavner (Minnesota United FC), Micah Bleadso (Louisville City FC), Darrin MacLeaod (Swope Park Rangers), Simon Megally (Nybro IF), Aleski Pahkasalo (FC Legirus Inter), Tyler Fischer (Avondale FC), Sam Zisette (CD Almunecar City), Jack Griffin (Hall Road Rangers FC), James Pendrigh (Stode IF), Brett Nason (San Roque de Lepe), Andre Landell (Rushall Olympic FC), Gerald Ben (Mikkelin Kissat), Jake Freeman (CD San Roque de Lepe), Yannis Becker (TB Uphusen).

Players can apply for the Midwest Pro Soccer Combine at its website for a $25 application fee. And if accepted, there’s an additional $225 registration fee.

Coaches, scouts and intermediaries are encouraged to register at the website along with citing their club or agency affiliation. There is no application or registration fee for non-player attendees.

After receiving input from last year’s combine, the 2017 edition features a new wrinkle intended to more directly prepare prospects for the specific tests MLS personnel will run them through.

“One of the additions that we’re going to make this year, based on pro clubs’ feedback, is we’re actually going to implement the same MLS fitness testing that takes place at the MLS combine,” Rudland said. “So this year, the pro clubs that come in will actually have fitness data and performance data on players along with just being able to see them play in matches.”

With a firm commitment to quality and a willingness to improve each year, the Midwest Pro Soccer Combine appears primed to help the next wave of gifted amateurs sign their first-ever pro deals for the 2018 season.

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.

Related

Photo credit: Jack Renwick/Soc Takes

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — It was a wild affair at Huron High School in Ann Arbor, host of the 2018 NPSL Midwest Region final between Duluth FC and AFC Ann Arbor. The action-packed, win-or-go-home match proved yet again how cruel the sport of soccer can be, as Duluth solidified their victory in penalty kicks for the second time this postseason.

The first half was back and forth with Duluth striking first courtesy of Ryan Tyrer in the 13th minute off a corner kick. Ten minutes later, Stanley Okumu served fellow Kenyan native Chris Odhiambo a beautiful ball, who came through with the header from the run of play to tie the game up at one apiece. Seconds later however, Duluth struck back on a weird deflection goal that beat Ann Arbor ‘keeper Nick Barry near post. It was a bewildering goal and many of the fans in attendance did not even see it, for they were still celebrating Odhiambo’s and Okumu’s moments of brilliance.

In the 40th minute, a sloppy giveaway from the Ann Arbor backline resulted in a simple finish for Duluth’s Kyle Farrar to give the BlueGreens a 3-1 lead. But Ann Arbor proved their resilience and toughness after their embarrassing mishap, as Alec Lasinky served captain Jack Cawley a fantastic ball from a free kick, who headed it home past Duluth’s ‘keeper to pull within a goal of the lead. This strike gave The Mighty Oak some much-needed confidence and momentum heading to the half.

The second half of this match was much different from the first, as Ann Arbor really started to dominate in possession and consistently created quality scoring chances in the final third. Duluth looked tired, and rightfully so. Just the previous day they played an intense semifinal match vs. Minneapolis City SC which went into extra time, forcing the BlueGreens to play a total of 120 minutes. On such short rest, their heavy legs became noticeable as they really started to drop back and “park the bus” so to speak.

Ann Arbor’s game awareness was terrific. They had a clear sense of urgency to equalize and played with a lot of heart and passion. Unfortunately for the Mighty Oak, they were wildly unlucky as they hit the post a total of three times in the second half. This didn’t deter Ann Arbor as they continued their excellent buildup play to create more and more chances. In the final seconds of the match in stoppage time, Ann Arbor was finally rewarded for their second-half dominance. A long, last-ditch effort throw-in into the box was flicked on by Jack Cawley and buried into the back of the net by Azaad Liadi, sending the roughly 1,000 fans at Huron High School into pandemonium. The game was headed to extra time.

Unlike the first 90 minutes of the match, extra time was not quite as exciting — nor did it have as high quality of play — in my opinion. This is likely large in part due to the tired legs I mentioned earlier. Not only did Duluth play 120 minutes the day before, but Ann Arbor had their semifinal the previous day as well. After playing another 90 minutes plus extra time, both teams were exhausted. Ann Arbor certainly still was the better team as they maintained most of the possession; however, Duluth continued to be pesky and weathered the storm well with their terrific defending.

I found it surprising how few quality chances the Mighty Oak were able to produce considering their second-half dominance and the load of momentum they had after scoring that last-minute equalizer. They had a couple of opportunities and looked dangerous at the very end of extra time but were unable to score, keeping Duluth alive. Penalties were needed to decide this contest.

Right at the very end of extra time, Duluth FC subbed out their goalkeeper on the field, Jan Hoffelner, for a new ‘keeper, Alberto Ciroi. They got this substitution off just in time for penalties, and the decision proved to be a valuable one as Ciroi would go on to make two spectacular saves in the shootout, proving to be the difference in the contest. Liam Moore would clinch the final PK for the BlueGreens as his shot beat goalkeeper Nick Barry to win the NPSL Midwest Region.

@DuluthFC: Kings of the Midwest #NPSL pic.twitter.com/v3SOV5RGrP

— Jack Renwick (@JackRenwick22) July 22, 2018

Despite being outplayed in my opinion, Duluth worked tremendously hard on defense to preserve their three first-half goals and were able to hold on and squeak out a win in Ann Arbor, which is not a small feat. The loss for Ann Arbor had to have really stung considering they lost in this exact game last year as well. The two fluky goals they conceded in the first half really turned out to be the death of them, despite their terrific response and fight displayed in the second half. Regardless, it was a great match and another memorable evening of NPSL soccer.

Duluth FC is king of the Midwest and will head to Miami to take on Miami FC 2 in the national semifinal on July 28.

Follow Jack on Twitter: @JackRenwick22.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Image credit: USL

While the NASL lawsuit appeal rolls on, US Soccer finds itself in a situation where, for a second year running, it starts the calendar year without a sanctioned second division. Unlike the NASL, USL has continued to make expansion announcements and USL teams have diligently continued to rebuild their respective squads.

Yet, it is important to remember that the USL is not currently a sanctioned second division for the 2018 season.

Soc Takes understands that the status of the USL as a Division II league has not been discussed by the US Soccer board since the second week of October. Per information provided to Soc Takes, during a phone call a few days after the now-infamous Oct. 10 Trinidad game, US Soccer president Sunil Gulati informed the US Soccer board that the USL had submitted their paperwork within the thirty-day deadline.

Gulati also informed the board that a consultant had been hired to look over the submitted documents and would provide the board with advice regarding whether or not USL had met requirements.

(Note: The USSF had previously given the USL thirty days to address or to provide plans to address multiple waivers in their application for Division II status.)

However, there have been no further USSF board discussions regarding the status of the USL’s application since that time.

The US soccer board is scheduled to meet on Jan. 14 in New York and then again during the AGM in Orlando in February, and perhaps a discussion will be had during those meetings. It is important to note that if a decision is made in a few weeks, it would mean the USL’s DII sanctioning will be delayed further. The USL was awarded co-DII sanction on Jan. 6 last year.

As of this morning (Jan. 2) per multiple sources associated with the USL, the league has not been given updates about sanctioning.

Soc Takes reached out to US Soccer for comment on the USL’s sanctioning. A US Soccer media representative confirmed that it will be discussed during Jan. 14’s USSF board meeting.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Photo credit: Ryan Hall

Soc Takes understands that an unidentified investor (see update for identity of the investor) has secured the USL territorial rights for Chattanooga. This new team will be unaffiliated with Chattanooga FC.

Currently, Chattanooga FC operates in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) playing their homes games at Finley Stadium. Soc Takes reached out to Chattanooga FC president Tim Kelly, who said:

“I don’t know that it’s true (information about Chattanooga USLD3), but if it is true, Chattanooga FC was not aware of it, and we have every intention of fighting back with everything we’ve got.”

Kelly also confirmed to Soc Takes that Chattanooga FC had previously discussed USL expansion with USL representatives, but said those conversations were arrested due to a difference in vision. Chattanooga FC has also previously shown interest in the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), but backed away from those discussions.

While Chattanooga FC is not involved in this USLD3 expansion, the story may have some twists and turns. A source close to the story suggests that the new USLD3 team will employ current Chattanooga FC general manager Sean McDaniel. McDaniel was a founding member of Chattanooga FC, and has served as its GM since 2017.

To complicate matters further, McDaniel currently serves as treasurer of the executive board of the NPSL.

It remains unclear if the Chattanooga USLD3 team will launch in 2019 or later. USLD3 is attempting to secure key markets with their goal of occupying the currently-vacant Division III niche next year with the league announcing Greenville, Tormenta FC, FC Tucson, Madison and Toronto FC II as its five initial founding members.

The league would need to announce eight teams in order to qualify for United States Soccer Federation (USSF) sanctioning. USL media suggested that multiple DIII teams would be announced during the month of July.

Per information provided to Soc Takes a year ago, USLD3 teams can expect to spend between $1.2 million and $1.9 million during their first year, which includes an initial expansion fee of $500,000. As revealed by Soc Takes, the expansion fee for USL (division II) has recently risen to $7 million. USLD3 targets 3,500-seat stadia in cities with a population of over 150,000. The population of Chattanooga is just shy of 180,000.

Soc Takes reached out to the USL for comment.

UPDATE: 7/27/18 6:05pm. Chattanooga FC released the following statement via Twitter:

We regret to announce that Sean McDaniel has resigned as club General Manager.

In addition, we understand that an investor from Utah has purchased the rights to the Chattanooga area in USL D3… (1/2)

— Chattanooga FC (@ChattanoogaFC) July 27, 2018

UPDATE: 7/27/18, 10:30pm. Earlier this evening, NPSL and Chattanooga released a joint statement.

Soc Takes was also provided with some additional information –

1. Sources at Chattanooga FC posit that McDaniel acted inappropriately and allege that McDaniel negotiated with USL “for months” while working within NPSL And Chattanooga FC, thereby raising questions of conflicts of interest. Soc Takes was not able to contact McDaniel for his side of the story.
2. Chattanooga FC chairman Tim Kelly confirms that the team’s stadium lease at Finley expires this year. While Kelly was on the board of the stadium, he recused himself from all Chatta-stadium deals. herefore, there is a window for Finley stadium to come into play for the USL-Chattanooga team.
3. The investor is Bob Martino from Utah. Soc Takes understands that Martino is involved in the Utah youth soccer scene, and has children who play collegiate soccer. It remains unknown if Martino has any local connection to the city of Chattanooga.
4. Bill Nuttall – another Chattanooga FC board member – resigned earlier this week. It is unclear if his resignation is related to today’s events.
5. Chattanooga FC is exploring legal options.
6. Chattanooga FC owners are not interested in being bought out by the USLd3 group.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7. 

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.

Related

“If I get a chance to get close to (Barcelona midfielder, Sergio) Busquets, I’m going to give him a big kiss,” Richie Ryan told me perched somewhere in Madrid. Ryan is currently in Madrid to watch Saturday’s El Clasico, an experience he describes as “one I’ve always dreamed of.” Much like Busquets, Ryan may not get the plaudits he deserves. Fans who do not have a deep appreciation for the artistry of the game, who focus on goals, assists and saves, players like Busquets and Ryan are often an after thought. For those of us who watch football, and indeed NASL regularly, Ryan is one of the best players in the league, regardless of position. The regista around whom head coach Alessandro Nesta built the attacking juggernaut of Miami FC; one that with no disrespect to the likes of the New York Cosmos and Louisville City, was the best attacking unit in lower-division American soccer in 2017.

If Miami FC were a living, breathing human body, the likes of Stefano Pinho, Kwadko Poku, Vincenzo Rennella, Mason Trafford and Hunter Freeman would be the appendages – the effectors producing action. Nesta would be the eyes – overseeing everything. Dylan Mares would be (sorry, cannot insert compliment here, because I’m still upset that Mares left Indy Eleven). Whereas Ryan would be both the heart and the brain. A leader in the dressing room and on the pitch, as well as the nucleus synchronizing all the defensive and attacking actions of Miami FC.

I caught up with Ryan via a phone call and we discussed his debut, his move to North America and the current predicament players like himself find themselves in – given the uncertainty about the NASL’s future.

Nipun Chopra (NC) – Your debut for Sunderland came during the Tyne-Wear derby, playing against a Newcastle team including Jonathan Woodgate, Jermaine Jenas, Alan Shearer and Craig Bellamy. What do you remember from that day?

Richie Ryan (RR) – We got beat 1-0 (laughs). At the time, it was a little bit unbelievable – I was eighteen and I found out the night before that I was in the squad. I thought I’d be there just for the experience. But Mick McCarthy (then manager of Sunderland) told me I’d be on the bench. My captain, Michael Gray, came over and shook my hand, looked me in the eye and told me,  “Just be yourself.” It was a brilliant experience.

Richie Ryan during his time at Dundee United. Credit: Sky Sports

NC – Did you ever think, at that time, you would be playing professional soccer in America?

RR – Not back then. When I made my debut, I wanted to make it in England. But obviously in football, things don’t work out the way you’d like them to. When I was in Ireland, someone asked me if I’d like to go to America to play, and I considered training with FC Dallas. But, it didn’t work out. I was 26 then, and I didn’t think it made sense to go on trial at that age. But, as you know, things changed for me with an opportunity in Canada.

NC – Along the way, you played in Belgium and Scotland. How was that experience?

RR – Well, firstly I met my wife when I moved to Dundee United (laughs). Belgium has a different style of football, it was a little more technical. Scotland was a lot more direct and similar to what I had experienced coming through at Sunderland.

NC – Tell me more about how you met your wife.

RR – We met on a night out (laughs), at a bar. We hit it off pretty much straight away. We spent a lot of time getting to know each other, but I was about to go back to Ireland because it was the end of the season. We’d been seeing each other for about a month and were going to be separated. She told me that she was worried we would lose touch. But, we spoke almost everyday and she’s a wonderful person. At the time, things were falling apart  for me at Dundee, and I asked her if she’d go with me to Canada and she said yes. She said, “I’ll go with you wherever.”

She’s from a football family. Her dad and brother are big Dundee FC fans; which didn’t go down well when we first met. I had to charm her family a little bit initially.

NC – How much did you two know about Canada at the time?

RR – Honestly Nipun, at that time, absolutely zero. We’re both laid back people. I’d spoken to Marc dos Santos a couple of times, and he was inspirational. I wanted to go play for him.

Credit: Miami FC

NC – What was it like for you two living in Ottawa and Canada?

RR – We absolutely loved every minute of it. There is a huge Irish community there, and that helped us a lot. It was a chance to make connections and make friendships. You get the best of everything – you get snow, you get a lovely spring and autumn and a gorgeous summer.

We had our first child when we were in Canada. My wife is a nurse, but it was difficult with all the paperwork for her to do that there. Our little girl was born in October 2014. My wife looked after our little girl and worked at a coffee shop on occasion.

NC – How would NASL losing Division II status affect your livelihood?

RR – To be honest, I don’t really know. Nobody speaks about what the alternatives are. We’ve heard that if the league loses the appeal, it won’t exist anymore. But, why wouldn’t they exist? It’s a question without any answer. To be honest Nipun, nobody is put any thoughts into the players/families/coaches. It’s a sad situation to be in it especially after the turmoil of last season.

I know it’s not the NASL’s fault for what’s going on this year. But from the outside, it doesn’t look good. I speak to many folks in other countries and they don’t understand what’s going on here. Who would be able to?

NC – Could you elaborate as to why you believe NASL is not at fault?

RR – I think the league needs to do things better, but it has to be given time to do that. I’m hoping if the league does exist next year, that US Soccer works with the league and allows it to succeed.

NC – How do you explain this entire NASL situation to your family?

RR – My wife is laid back like I am, and she doesn’t really ask me too many questions about it – which is good, because honestly I don’t have any answers for her. The league has lost some good players this week. Like Jimmy Maurer, Lance Laing and Pinho. If there wasn’t all the uncertainty around the league, perhaps they would be given contracts to convince them to stay.

NC – How do the players discuss all of this internally? 

RR – I think at this time of year, we don’t talk too much to each other (laughter). We still have a Whatsapp group, and every ten days someone will ask each other if there has been any news. The only sources of info we have are folks like yourself and journalist covering the league.

It’s a difficult time now – it’s Christmas. And nobody knows if we will be back next year. It makes absolutely no sense.

Not Colin Falvey. Credit: BBC

NC – Is there anything else you would like supporters of soccer in America to know?

RR – From a player’s perspective, we need protection. This cannot keep happening. We need to take care of the players, without whom the game doesn’t happen. I know the MLS has a player’s union, maybe that’s something we should do. I’ve really enjoyed playing in this league, and I want the league to grow in every aspect.

NC – Final question, you played with Indy XI’s Colin Falvey during your time at Ottawa. What do you think of his beard?

RR – He looks better with the beard than without it. I’m not bothered about the beard, but it is the Peaky Blinders haircut that bothers me.

NC – The haircut is a bit embarrassing, isn’t it? (Author’s note: I am well aware this is a leading question, and I’m not sorry.)

RR – It is! I saw him towards the end of the season, and he had a full quaff slicked back. I told him, “what the hell is wrong with you?” (laughs). We wouldn’t have let him to have that at Ottawa.

You can find Nipun Chopra at NipunChopra7 on Twitter.

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.

Related

Image credit: Brickyard Battalion

Brickyard Battalion president Josh Mason guests to help preview the Indy Eleven’s inaugural USL campaign and make Eastern and Western Conference predictions for the 2018 season.

Mason touches on some of the ways the Eleven’s move to Lucas Oil Stadium will affect the supporters’ group. The panelists also analyze the club’s playoff chances.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Eleven signed Zach Steinberger in January, seemingly to become a focal point of new head coach Martin Rennie‘s offense. A versatile attacker who can play as a No. 10, winger, second striker or flat central midfielder, Steinberger experienced a breakout campaign with the NASL’s Jacksonville Armada FC in 2017, especially during the first half of the season.

But perhaps due to Rennie’s proclivity for playing multiple central defensive midfielders, Steinberger was never thrust into a permanent role. He didn’t look bad when he saw the pitch, but also wasn’t exactly stuffing the scoresheet. In 17 regular-season appearances for Indy, he recorded one goal and one assist. But it’s worth noting that he only went a full 90 eight times, and three of his appearances were brief cameos off the bench of 13 minutes or less.

Whatever the case, Steinberger’s return to the Circle City didn’t work out to perfection. In late August, the Eleven loaned Steinberger to fellow USL Eastern Conference club North Carolina FC, where he made an immediate impact.

In three appearances for North Carolina FC so far, he’s scored three times and dished out an assist, most of which came from his two-goal, one-assist debut against the Charlotte Independence in a 6-2 thrashing. He’s gone a full 90 twice already since moving to Tar Heel country and put in 81 minutes in his other start.

So, what happened in Indy? Steinberger simply wasn’t an ideal fit in Rennie’s system. Rennie doesn’t utilize a traditional No. 10, instead often preferring a 4-3-3-ish setup with the three midfielders not playing particularly wide nor high up the pitch. The wing forwards generally take on plenty of responsibility behind the ball, so the formation plays more like a 4-5-1 at times.

In other words, Rennie loves him some CDMs.

Matt Watson and Nico Matern are “Rennie’s guys” and — in hindsight — were always bound to have a leg up in the pecking order coming into the season. Then there are veterans Brad Ring and Juan Guerra, two other central midfielders who, like Watson and Matern, aren’t incredibly attack-minded. The Eleven midfield is an extremely crowded place, plus CAMs take a backseat to CDMs in Rennie’s system.

“Zach’s a really great guy, and I really like him and like coaching him,” Rennie said. “I was probably the first one to congratulate him on his performance (Aug. 25). But it was just we’ve got a lot of good players in the same position, and I think we need to let players get in a rhythm and play. It’s an opportunity for him to go to a good place, to a good club and have a chance to do well. He couldn’t have done any better in his first game, so good luck to him.”

Photo credit: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography

Looking back, the best solution probably would’ve been to give Steinberger first crack at regular minutes on the right wing after Nathan Lewis’ string of bad games left him out of the rotation. But Eugene Starikov and Seth Moses have both played well on the right side. The left wing could’ve been another option, but Soony Saad and Tyler Pasher, when healthy, have both produced some huge plays this season.

It’s not even necessarily a case of Rennie not rating Steinberger; in fact, the former probably wouldn’t have bothered bringing the latter into the fold to begin with were that the case. It’s more so a scenario in which Rennie ended up acquiring a surplus at his favorite position, and Steinberger’s skill set kind of got lost in the shuffle of Rennie’s preferred tactical setup.

Sans Steinberger, Indy’s gaffer remains confident in his side’s depth in the center of the pitch.

“I feel good about the midfielders that we have.” Rennie said. “I think we just need a little chance to get the team in a rhythm of a game a week and get the lineup settled, and let guys really connect with each other and play at a high tempo.”

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Still, it seems odd to loan out a player as talented as Steinberger to an in-division opponent, especially a club that’s vying for a playoff spot with a game or games in hand on numerous teams above them — the Indy Eleven, for one. Indy (45) holds a 10-point edge on North Carolina (35) right now as North Carolina sits just below the playoff line, but imagine if the two clubs’ paths cross in the playoffs and Steinberger is in the North Carolina FC starting XI.

The deal wasn’t a win-win for all parties involved. It was a massive win for Steinberger and North Carolina FC, and a head-scratching loss for Indy. Eleven supporters are left to ponder why Steinberger was signed and underutilized, then shipped out of town to an in-conference foe still in the playoff picture.

Steinberger may well end up back on the Indy roster once the loan deal expires, but if past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior, don’t expect him to waltz back onto Rennie’s roster and suddenly get handed a much larger role — that is, if he returns at all.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Photo credit: Aaron Gunyon/Soc Takes

Former Indy Eleven boss Tim Hankinson has made a return to Montego Bay United. MBU play in the Red Stripe Premier League. Hankinson was at Montego Bay when he first signed with Indy Eleven in December of 2015. He left the eventual league winners in good form as MBU captured the league title for the 2015-16 season. With his return, Hankinson has been reunited with two names familiar to fans of the Indy Eleven.

The elusive Dino Williams has been linked to Indy a few times during past off-seasons. Poorly timed injuries and health concerns have prevented him from stints with the boys in blue. Williams led the Jamaican league with 19 goals during the 2014-15 season. Williams is currently on 14 goals and 3 assists with just over a dozen games yet to play.

Omar Gordon is a familiar name with Indy fans and a familiar face on the Jamaican National team. Gordon will briefly be at Hankinson’s disposal, but it should be noted he on his way to San Antonio FC in a matter of weeks for a loan with the United Soccer League club. Jamaican defenses are no match for Gordon who has 7 goals in 10 starts for MBU this season and he was the golden boot winner (19 goals) in 2015-16 before joining Indy Eleven on loan in their 2016 season.

MBU are currently in eighth place, but only 3 points out of the sixth and final playoff spot. Hankinson has 13 matches to get things right in Montego Bay, but he has two of the most prolific Jamaican goalscorers in the league to help him get things done. His return is immediate, but the grand re-opening of the Hankinson era will have to wait another week. His fist match was originally slated to be Sunday January 14th. That match was postponed.

Follow Aaron on Twitter: @AGunyon.

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.

Related