Photo credit: Soccer.ru (Creative Commons license)

An NPSL team has an alumnus playing a huge role in this summer’s 2018 World Cup. That’s right, Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio played for the storied NPSL franchise Brooklyn Italians between 1993-94.

Osorio has risen to international fame after Mexico’s shocking defeat of defending world champions Germany. The Mexican boss was praised for his tactics primarily involving a well-executed counter attack after putting all 11 men behind the ball and allowing Germany to dominate in possession. Osorio infamously stated after the game: “We had drawn up a plan six months back.”

Mexico has advanced out of tricky Group F and will play Monday in the Round of 16 against Brazil.

But little do many people know that part of Osorio’s high soccer IQ was actually developed right here in the United States. Osorio played collegiate soccer at the University of New Haven and would go on to graduate from Connecticut State University in 1990. While living in Brooklyn in the early ’90s, Osorio was an instrumental midfielder for the Brooklyn Italians team which played in the North Eastern Super Soccer League (NESSL) which is now disbanded.

I had the privilege to speak with Antonio “Junior” Superbia, who is a current youth academy coach with the Brooklyn Italians and was a former teammate of Osorio’s on the Italians back in the early 90’s.

“He was a classic Colombian player,” said Superbia. “Very good ball handling skills. He liked to dribble and he was very comfortable taking players on.”

Superbia put an emphasis on how much of a skilled and technical player Osorio was. Superbia was also complimentary as to what type of person and teammate Osorio was while playing for the Italians.

“Juan is a very good person,” he added. “He has good character and was very humble as well.”

Osorio clearly had a seriousness and passion about soccer, as Superbia humorously remembered how “he would show up early to every single training wearing either a Colombian national team jersey or a Sao Paulo FC jersey.”

Osorio is definitely not the only famous Brooklyn Italians alum. Portland Timbers head coach Giovanni Savarese and newly USMNT capped and starting center back for the New York Red Bulls Tim Parker both played for the Italians back in the day. But there is something particularly special about watching an old member of your club shine at the world’s biggest stage.

This recent crop of former players for the Italians making a splash in professional soccer is definitely something that people are starting to notice, and the Italians are very proud of that.

“There is a lot of tradition here in our club,” Superbia said. “It is exciting to finally see the club receiving the recognition that I think it deserves.”

After his playing days with the Italians were over, Osorio would go on to start his illustrious coaching career by becoming an assistant coach with the former USL A-League side Staten Island Vipers in 1998. Two years later, he joined the New York MetroStars’ coaching staff and his career started to take off from there.

“I am super happy for his success and he deserves everything he has accomplished, for sure,” said Superbia of his former teammate.

Osorio has his work cut out against Brazil, and Mexico’s World Cup run may end shorter than many had hoped on Monday, but nonetheless his path to the highest level has been impressive to follow. The lower divisions of American soccer and MLS played such a big role in Juan Carlos Osorio’s career to help propel him toward becoming a manager at the World Cup.

Follow Jack on Twitter: @JackRenwick22.

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Soony Saad receives two bricks from Indy Eleven supporters for his brace. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Eleven did a lot of things right for 43 minutes Saturday afternoon. They were comfortable on defense. They were lethal in attack. The team had a pretty good day picking up its third win of the season for a temporary share of first place in the USL Eastern Conference.

The win was thanks to Indy forward Soony Saad and his breathtaking brace in the opening 45. The second half wasn’t as notable, but the team saw it through to the end and improved its position in the standings.

Saad is new to Indianapolis and new to the 2018 version of the Indy Eleven. If you didn’t know him then, I bet you know him now. His tallies in the 15th and 34th were a thrill to watch and they were all the boys in blue needed to dispatch visiting Nashville SC and its five travelling fans.

The most impressive part of the two-goal performance was not the number, but the two distinct types of goals. Showcasing an impressive attacking range, Saad used awareness and pace to separate for the first goal. He used ambition and technique to put away his second. Where do we start?

The goal in the 15th was a foot race. A looping ball played with precision from the back by Ayoze gave Saad all he needed. Two touches later, the ball was in the back of the net. Nashville goalkeeper Matt Pickens did all he could, but it was never going to be enough at that distance. In a postgame interview, Saad described the lead up to the goal.

“Jack (McInerney) checked in and the defender had gone with him, leaving up some free space,” he said. “Then Ayoze saw it and played a perfect ball, and I was able to out-stride the defender that went for it. It went over his head and I was able to capitalize and finished. I almost thought it was too good to be true. I stayed cool and put it in the back of the net.”

The goal in the 34th minute was even more impressive. Indy Eleven earned an indirect free kick from at least 35 yards out. McInerney and Saad stood over the ball, having training ground whispers about what was to come.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

This is where the ambition comes in that I alluded to before. Somehow a seam opened up, and Saad smacked in an absolute stunner after the ball was set in play on a tap from McInerney. The ball had class and curves for days. And Pickens? He didn’t have the first clue what do in order to keep that ball out. Saad’s second shot of the day put the Eleven up 2-0 with Nashville SC not showing any signs of answering. Here’s video of the goal, courtesy of the USL’s Twitter feed:

Everything looks better from different angles!

Take an extended look at @SoonySaad‘s #SCTop10 goal from yesterday!#INDvNSH pic.twitter.com/FJrxXzCZL1

— USL (@USL) April 15, 2018

Truthfully, I was looking away at the moment of the strike. I was probably in a Twitter battle about something really important. But honestly, I was jolted back to the game with the audible boom from the foot of Saad heard all the way from section 344. My mouth fell open as I watched the ball go in.

Indy fans have fond memories of laser beams from the likes of Kleberson, Nicki Paterson, Kyle Hyland or the legend known to us all as Brad Ring. But I don’t remember the sound. This will not soon be forgotten — an explosion so loud and so dirty that it seemed as though the entire Indy Eleven roster was compelled to polish the boots of the new superstriker. It was nasty. Or the team was reenacting a Fortnite celebration. It’s still not clear to me and I feel old.

“I wasn’t going to hit it at first until Jack said, ‘Hey, listen to me. Strike this one,’” Saad explained. “He said he’d play it to my right and it was something we actually worked on a couple times in training. I called the celebration afterwards. I said, ‘Alright, so we do Fortnite afterwards?’ He said yeah. So he plays it, and as soon as I hit it I kind of knew I struck it well, but what I wanted to get most importantly on that ball was the swerve. If I can get it on target with swerve the ‘keeper’s not going to get it or he’s going to make a mess of it. I didn’t expect him to be out of the picture completely. That’s a veteran keeper too. He told me after the game it moved a bit last second. And I know it moved, but at that point 2-0 up is the most important thing for the team. We kind of conceded late in the first half which changed the outlook of the game going into the second half, but we stayed disciplined, we stayed organized and we got the three points at the end.”

Indeed, the Eleven got the three points they were after, but not before a very late fist half hiccup. It appeared the team was mentally in the locker room already. They got carved up and the 2-0 lead was halved with a pretty easy looking finish from six or eight yards out by Ropapa Mensah.

“I called the celebration afterwards. I said, ‘Alright, so we do Fortnite afterwards?’ He said yeah. So he plays it, and as soon as I hit it I kind of knew I struck it well, but what I wanted to get most importantly on that ball was the swerve. If I can get it on target with swerve the ‘keeper’s not going to get it or he’s going to make a mess of it. I didn’t expect him to be out of the picture completely.”

Everyone on the team knows they need to work on it: playing to the whistle. I talked to Indy head coach Martin Rennie after the game and asked him what they talked about at halftime. “It was more like a rant,” he replied. That is what you would expect when a team plays well for 43 minutes, then takes its foot off the gas early and erases part of the lead it worked so hard to get.

“At 2-nil we felt very comfortable,” Rennie said. “We were playing well. We knew we were the better team. We didn’t track well from midfield, they won the second ball, then we didn’t track a runner from midfield and they got a goal. At halftime it wasn’t so much a conversation, but a rant to make sure that we don’t do that. You have to respect the game. You have to respect the opponent. You have to respect the whole game until the last minute, whether that be halftime or the end of the game. We didn’t do that. We let down just a little bit and we got punished. It made the game much harder than it should have been. At 2-nil we felt like we were playing very well and we were comfortable. I thought in the second half we managed the game well and had a few good chances, and didn’t give up too many.”

The Eleven have been great defensively considering the musical chairs that has been going on. They can get a little loose, and collectively have been lucky that other teams haven’t gotten a few more lucky bounces. Indy was the better side for most of the first frame Saturday, just like in North Carolina the previous week. Complacency is something to watch for as this relatively new team starts to find its way.

What is also abundantly clear is that the Indy Eleven are not yet firing on all cylinders. There is room for improvement and cohesion. The coaching staff is clear to point that out when you read the subtext of a Phil Dos Santos tweet:

@IndyEleven Important 3 pts today. This team is growing each day. We are learning how to win under different and difficult circumstances. Big thanks to all our fans for the amazing support @sh19indy @The_BYB

— Phillip Dos Santos (@Dos_Santos_Phil) April 15, 2018

Learning and growing are great characteristics for teams on a pathway to success. This is nothing to be ashamed of. The Eleven have three wins from four games. They have not yet played to their full potential. USL take note: Soony Saad is wearing a bow tie.

Follow Aaron on Twitter: @AGunyon.

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Photo credit: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography

On a roster chock-full of them, a few new faces were inevitably going to make a significant impact for the Indy Eleven in their USL inauguration. They did, as a starting XI consisting of exactly zero returnees from 2017 helped the Eleven snag three points on the road Saturday against the Richmond Kickers with a 1-0 win.

Jack McInerney provided the game winner with his torso, flinging himself into a dangerous service to the far post from fellow forward Soony Saad.

On the surface, the match statistics supported the notion that the contest was quite evenly played. Ultimately, however, the ability to use the width of the pitch and crispness in the final third proved the main differences between the two sides.

Possession (52-48 percent), total passes (409-377) and crosses (18-17) were practically neck and neck, favoring Richmond by a slight margin. But Indy’s ability to get more out of its forays into opposing territory told a different story.

The Eleven outshot the Kickers 10-6, while also putting three of their efforts on frame compared to Richmond’s one. And half of the hosts’ attempts came from outside the box.

Why on earth might Richmond not have been incredibly sharp in the attack? Well, the Kickers barely even touched the ball in their opponent’s box in a 4-1 thrashing last week at the hands of Bethlehem Steel. In that match, Richmond was essentially forced to all-out retreat and shell up. It wasn’t pretty:

Last week, the Kickers conceded gobs of space & got owned. Here are their heat map & touch map from their 4-1 debacle in Bethlehem. Ugly.

What do most teams do after getting run rampant on? Bunker down & clog mid w/ extra bodies. If I’m Rennie, I’m funneling ball out wide today. pic.twitter.com/ODw8FfSH6L

— Kevin Johnston (@KJboxing) March 24, 2018

That’s not exactly a recipe for clicking on all cylinders in the final third overnight.

As for Indy’s new guys, head coach Martin Rennie rolled ’em out in a 4-2-3-1 with Welsh goalkeeper Owain Fon Williams in net. The Eleven looked relatively in sync considering all the fresh faces and brief amount of time Rennie had to assemble a roster. And it was their tactical approach that was perhaps most impressive.

After conceding so much space up the gut last week, it probably made sense for Richmond to bunker down a little more and play conservatively. Rennie’s been around long enough to know that the best way to dissect a team that clogs the middle is to funnel the ball out wide and attack from the outside in. That’s precisely what Rennie had his side do, and it worked as far as generating the more quality chances on the day. Here are Indy’s heatmap and touchmap via Opta/USLsoccer.com:

While far from a dominant performance by the visitors, it was a winning one. Rennie anticipated Richmond trying to shore up passing lanes in the middle, and his players successfully implemented the game plan and found space.

Despite all the newness — league, coach, squad — Indy delivered a bold statement in its USL debut. Version 3.0 of the club looks like a force to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.

Photo credit: Jessica Stone Hendricks Photography

The Eleven welcome USL attendance juggernaut FC Cincinnati to town this weekend to christen Lucas Oil Stadium. FC Cincy defeated the Charleston Battery 1-0 on a goal from ex-Indy player Blake Smith in its season opener March 17, then had this past weekend off.

Soc Takes contributor Nipun Chopra will guest on Cincinnati Soccer Talk this week to help preview the match, so be sure to tune in for that.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Aaron and KJ dive headfirst into an early season Indy Eleven report card, breaking down the goalkeeping, defending, midfield play and forward corps.

The panel takes a few Twitter questions from Eleven supporters before lightly previewing Indy’s upcoming matches against Mississippi Brilla FC and Bethlehem Steel FC.

Thumbnail photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

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Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC center back Hugh Roberts guests on the panel to discuss the fine season his club is having, his background in the game, playing basketball with Indiana Pacers shooting guard Victor Oladipo, his post-soccer career plans and plenty more.

Roberts also hosts his own podcast, Back Yard Footy (BYF), and explains his motivations behind starting it.

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Photo credit: Matt Schlotzhauer/Indy Eleven

Former Indy Eleven striker Eamon Zayed, the club’s all-time leading scorer, is set to join the Charlotte Independence. Charlotte announced the move last week, which won’t become official until Zayed’s P-1 visa is approved, per a press release.

Zayed, a prototypical box striker and prolific scorer, bagged 26 goals across the past two NASL regular seasons for the Eleven. His hat trick on June 11, 2016, that delivered Indy a 4-1 win and an NASL spring championship was dubbed the “Miracle at The Mike.”

Known for scoring in trios on the big stage, Zayed had already earned the nickname “Mr. Hat Trick” for his exploits in Iran prior to coming to the U.S. His knack for finding the back of the net will no doubt aid Charlotte’s attack, either as a volume-scoring starter or an Alan Gordon-like late super sub.

The Irish-Libyan forward penned a heartfelt parting message for Eleven supporters via Twitter on his way out of Indianapolis:

Firstly, a short note of appreciation to Indy, the city and the fans! #🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/qtB16FK3vE

— Eamon Zayed (@EamonZayed) March 23, 2018

The Independence are 2-0 to start the USL season after beating Ottawa Fury FC 4-1 at home in Week 1 and Toronto FC II 2-0 — again at the Sportsplex at Matthews — in Week 2. In fact, Charlotte will host five of its first six matches at home, a recipe for early success in the Eastern Conference table.

The Independence’s schedule gets much more daunting in May, as three of their four matches in the month are away from home. With Eamon Zayed in tow, plenty of other talent around him and a favorable early schedule, look for Charlotte to hold its perch near the top of the standings this spring. And when summer rolls around, we’ll see how good the Independence truly are.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Photo credit: NASL

Rishi Sehgal is to continue as North American Soccer League interim commissioner for the remainder of the 2017 campaign, Soc Takes understands. NASL owners are happy with the status quo in the league’s front office — with Keith Bruce also as executive consultant — effectively putting the search for a new NASL commissioner on hold for the time being.

Since Sehgal took interim leadership at the beginning of the year, replacing Bill Peterson, the league has not only stabilized but also expanded, with the announcements of two new teams — in Orange County and San Diego — for the 2018 season.

In a further boost, local businessman Robert Palmer will take over league-owned Jacksonville Armada FC on Tuesday. Supervising the Armada has taken up much of the league’s time and resources, with chief operating officer Brian Melekian taking a key role.

But now after a lengthy search, Palmer will be confirmed as the new Armada owner on Tuesday, as has been reported locally in Jacksonville. The aim was to have a new Armada owner in place by the start of the fall season, which has now been achieved.

The search for new teams is far from over and an 11th franchise, most likely in the Central Time Zone, is due to be announced in the coming weeks. The group presented to the Board of Governors at a recent meeting in New York City. “It is in the final stages,” said a well-placed source.

An NASL spokesman did not respond for a statement by the time of publication.

You can follow Bob on Twitter @WilliamsBob75.

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Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

LAS VEGAS — USL expansion club Las Vegas Lights FC had plenty of positives to exit Saturday’s 2-0 loss to the Montreal Impact with. The Lights held the MLS side scoreless in the first half, mostly contained Ignacio Piatti, did some decent work in the defensive and middle thirds of the pitch, played very physical soccer and already have a passionate contingent of supporters.

Unfortunately, starting goalkeeper Ricardo Ferrino took the phrase “having a bad day at the office” to uncharted heights. His disastrous performance marred what was otherwise a fairly encouraging display by the hosts.

Ferrino ventured outside the box to attempt to dribble through Impact players at least three different times in the match. No, that’s not a typo. It “worked” the first time and got a rise from the sellout crowd of 10,387 at Cashman Field. Evidently, that motivated the 26-year-old to continue the flashy showmanship, ultimately with nightmarish consequences.

After being at fault for both goals, Ferrino again found himself with the ball at his feet in traffic outside the box and opted to dribble through two Montreal attackers. He coughed up possession, then bear-hug tackled Impact midfielder David Choiniere as Choiniere wound up to shoot at the vacated net.

It was likely one of the easiest decisions the referee has had to make in his career, as he coolly reached in his back pocket and sent Ferrino off. Earlier, Ferrino escaped cards after deliberately kicking an opponent after a play at least twice, but the head ref and linesmen didn’t see the infractions.

“(Ferrino) was dribbling and cutting our forwards every time they step on him,” Impact forward Michael Salazar, who opened the scoring after Ferrino came recklessly flying out of the box, told ImpactMontreal.com. “So we’re just like, ‘OK, we’re just going to go get him.’”

CAMP 2018 – Jour 19 | La chance aide parfois, le travail toujours.
2018 CAMP – Day 19 | Luck is great but most of it is hard work.#IMFC pic.twitter.com/DzdzzJHY8z

— Impact de Montréal (@impactmontreal) February 11, 2018

Lights manager Chelis might already be thinking about turning to another No. 1 goalkeeper. That probably seems like a complete and total knee-jerk reaction, but Ferrino’s shift truly was that bad. His cringeworthy decision-making and utter disregard for sportsmanship were alarming. There’s no way to sugarcoat it.

The Impact’s newest piece, Raheem Edwards, made an immediate one. He played extremely high up the pitch on the right flank, practically looking like a striker at times. Edwards was a persistent headache for the home side.

Piatti made himself dangerous on a few occasions by rolling short passes on the ground to open teammates at the top of the box. On the whole though, Lights defenders Marcelo Alatorre and Joel Huiqui worked well together to limit Nacho’s damage. Alatorre’s busy shift earned him Man of the Match honors.

The first Hardest Working Man of the Match goes to captain @MarceloAlatorre. Well deserved, Alatorre. 👏🏽 pic.twitter.com/BlLBUEfvHs

— Las Vegas Lights FC (@lvlightsfc) February 11, 2018

Lights supporters wasted no time making their presence felt in the stadium. Unfortunately, one of the traditions is yelling a certain word during goal kicks which doesn’t deserve repeating. On the brighter and much more creative side, they’re also chanting “Lights” during that word in “The Star-Spangled Banner,” a neat wrinkle to have prepared for the first match ever.

There are some logistical issues at Cashman Field that need to be worked around. Lines to enter the match were staggeringly long; spectators weren’t getting ushered through the gates fast enough. There was also quite a bit of congestion in the main concourse before the game and during halftime — entirely understandable given the massive turnout for the inaugural match. The secondhand smoke infiltrating the entire concourse wasn’t ideal either.

One thing that definitely needs tweaking, if not altogether axing, is the club’s use of in-match loudspeaker sounds. Similar to an NBA game, sound effects were piped in during the match. As the supporters’ section develops chants and starts bringing drummers and other musicians, hopefully the game day operations folks at Cashman will cease this practice. By no means did it ruin the experience, but there was a definite level of tackiness to it.

Ultimately, a night chock-full of positives for the club and community was slightly tarnished by Ferrino’s bizarre antics. But there are plenty of reasons to be bullish about pro soccer in Sin City. Las Vegas has something special on its hands in Lights FC.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Image credit: Indy Saints FC

INDIANAPOLIS — A new Division II women’s side may soon be coming to the Circle City.

Indy Saints FC submitted a bid to join the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL), the club announced Friday. The expansion bid will now be considered by the WPSL’s Executive Committee at an upcoming Nov. 15 meeting.

“We talked about fielding a women’s team when we started the Saints last year but we wanted to get a year under our belts first,” Indy Saints FC owner and general manager Chris McGrath said in a press release. “We wanted a league with a high level of play, established systems and a good brand. The WPSL meets that and we look forward to approval of our application and getting started.”

Indy Saints FC head coach and director of soccer operations Jason Brown expressed similar optimism.

“We are excited about the opportunity to bring a women’s program under the Saints banner,” Brown said. “Our goal is to provide a high level training and playing environment that will continue the development of our aspiring women’s players.”

Some initial tryout information for the women’s side has already been made available:

Want to get updates on tryouts for the 2018 Lady Saints? sign up here https://t.co/5h7EYgoivA @SocTakes @AroundIndy @LadyVictory11 pic.twitter.com/Y4qZrZ2W0L

— Indy Saints FC (@IndySaintsFC) November 3, 2017

The men’s team, meanwhile, is still looking for a suitable destination. After running into issues in the Champions Soccer League USA (CSL USA), the team departed the league in search of a more stable one.

“There are a lot of moving parts on the men’s side,” McGrath explained.

Photo credit: Indy Saints FC

The club appears confident regarding the acceptance of its WPSL bid.

“I spoke with Sean Jones, the WPSL executive director,” Brown said. “He reviewed the bid and was complimentary of it. We are excited about this project.”

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Patrice Carteron, left, and Didier Drogba met during Chelsea’s run to the UEFA Champions League title. Six years later, their partnership has molded Phoenix Rising FC into an emerging club within United States professional soccer. Photo credit: Michael Rincon/Phoenix Rising FC

PHOENIX — Didier Drogba, enduring the worst season of his storied Chelsea career in the spring of 2012, met a young French coach, Patrice Carteron.

Five years later, the bond formed between the two is at the core of Phoenix Rising FC’s emergence as United Soccer League title contender and the frontrunner for the next round of Major League Soccer expansion.

As the USL Playoffs begin Friday, Drogba enters the final minutes of his playing career, for he announced in March that 2018 would be his final season. The Rising, with the third-best record in the Western Conference, will host Portland Timbers 2 in Friday’s first round match.

And the club’s season-long success can be traced back to Drogba and his handpicked coach, someone not present with Rising for its playoff run – Carteron.

* * *

“I was more of a fan at that point… He wanted to win the Champions League so badly for Chelsea.” Photo credit: Michael Rincon/Phoenix Rising FC

Carteron had just begun his tenure as Mali’s national team coach in 2012 and was living part-time in London as he finished his UEFA A License coursework. He had a mutual contact with Drogba, for his best friend was Drogba’s personal trainer.

Upon meeting, Carteron and Drogba quickly realized they shared the same ideals. They began working together in advance of UEFA Champions League matches, particularly focusing on set pieces.

Drogba, who had been losing playing time to Fernando Torres, regained confidence as Chelsea made an improbable run to the UEFA Champions League final. In that final vs. Bayern Munich, Drogba scored the equalizing goal in the 88th minute, ironically – for Carteron’s sake – from a set piece. He later converted the winning penalty kick to give Chelsea its first Champions League title.

“I was more a fan at that point,” Carteron said. “Didier worked hard and earned minutes later on. He wanted to win the Champions League so badly for Chelsea.”

Carteron returned to Africa that summer where he found tremendous success. He led Mali up to 25th in the FIFA men’s rankings, a record-high ranking for the country, and a third place finish in the 2013 African Cup of Nations, all in the backdrop of an ongoing Mali civil war.

He then moved to the Democratic Republic of Congo where he managed TP Mazembe for three seasons, winning the 2015 CAF Champions League with the club.

And his success caught the eye of another African, his Cote d’Ivoire friend who he worked with in London five years earlier.

* * *

“I think everyone here gives everything because the manager gave us his trust.” Photo credit: Michael Rincon/Phoenix Rising FC

When Phoenix businessman Berke Bakay led a group of eight owners that purchased a struggling Arizona United SC club in 2016, he made an immediate splash with a vibrant rebrand to Phoenix Rising FC and the introduction of musicians Diplo and Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz as co-owners.

Yet the most stunning addition was the following spring – Drogba joined the ownership group and committed to play his final seasons with the club.

But Drogba had one primary condition if he was going to move to the Arizona desert to join a lower-division club playing in a temporary stadium — Carteron would be his coach.

“Didier paid attention to my results in Africa,” Carteron said. “He convinced me to join him in Phoenix.”

Both Drogba and Carteron both made their anticipated debuts midseason vs. Vancouver Whitecaps 2 on June 10, 2017, and the results in Phoenix after the two reunited were tremendous. The Rising lost only five of 29 USL matches within the first year of their arrival, a far cry from the dismal 2016 season where the club lost nearly half its matches.

“All of the players love him,” Drogba said. “He has done a great job. His speeches before the games were amazing. I think everyone here gives everything because the manager gave us his trust.”

* * *

“He could play in Europe and the big clubs again. His determination and work ethic would allow that.” Photo credit: Michael Rincon/Phoenix Rising FC

Drogba remains without a question the league’s most recognizable star. He scored 14 goals in 22 appearances since his Rising debut and was honored in May vs. Sacramento Republic FC for his 500th career appearance.

His most notable 2018 highlight was a corner-kick assist vs. LA Galaxy 2 where he paused to drink a young fan’s water before firing a perfectly-placed cross at the front post.

“Even at 40, if he had the same desire, he could play in Europe and the big clubs again,” Carteron said. “His determination and work ethic would allow that.”

Drogba provided guidance from his two-decades of global achievements to an energetic, youthful, yet mostly inexperienced squad, a group of players that Drogba said he enjoyed learning and working with while also teaching himself patience during training sessions.

“Meeting Drogba, he comes from a different galaxy, his stories, experiences and work ethic,” said Rising midfielder Alessandro Riggi, who also trained with Drogba while with Montreal Impact’s USL affiliate in 2015-16. “After training, this guy takes a bag of balls, goes to his free kick spot and takes shot after shot, effortlessly.

“There are two sides to Drogba. There’s his work ethic where he doesn’t speak, he doesn’t need to, but you learn from him working hard. The other side, when guys are out of line and not focused, that pisses him off. It’s disrespectful to the game, and he speaks up.”

Drogba missed more than half the 2018 season, a handful of spring matches for injury precaution (throughout his career he sat out matches on artificial surfaces to protect his knees), and then an extended four-month break while he worked in Russia as a BBC World Cup commentator in addition to representing the Rising at business meetings across the globe.

Without its global star and captain, the Rising didn’t miss a beat.

The club finished with a club-record 19 wins. Chris Cortez led the roster with 17 goals (tied for second-best in the Western Conference) complemented with Solomon Asante’s 12 goals.  Combined with players such as Riggi, who is one of the club’s best distributors, and Jason Johnson (13 goals in 2017), the Rising became most prolific offensive teams in the league.

And the strong team chemistry that allowed the seamless transition with Drogba out of the lineup can be attributed to Carteron’s shrewd training approach.

* * *

“Even if you catch him in a plane and he is resting, it looks like he is still thinking about the game, dreaming about the match.” Photo credit: Michael Rincon/Phoenix Rising FC

Competition is the theme with the Rising. The players say it stems from an intense preseason schedule where they played five MLS clubs, including a Feb. 24 victory over New York Red Bulls, and a match against L.D.U. Quito in Ecuador.

Carteron emphasized the importance of daily competition with the quality roster he assembled, and it was understood no spot in the lineup was given each week.

An example of the theory in practice – Riggi was nominated for USL’s Team of the Week after his two assists May 9 in a 3-0 victory at OKC Energy FC. He didn’t start again for three months.

“He’s definitely the most interesting coach I’ve worked with,” Riggi said. “He makes you grow a lot mentally in the game, what it takes to win and the desire needed. He speaks a lot about having a great spirit.”

Carteron’s attention to detail is unparalleled, even compared to compulsiveness often seen with coaches.  After an early-season victory, he walked into the locker room and began detailing the exact temperatures forecasted for the next match, which was still a week away, and where cooling tents would be strategically placed for the water breaks.

“He doesn’t take a day off,” Riggi said. “Even if you catch him in a plane and he is resting, it looks like he is still thinking about the game, dreaming about the match.”

* * *

“We are building the momentum and doing a lot of work to make sure we can be one of the most attractive teams to get to MLS.” Photo credit: Michael Rincon/Phoenix Rising FC

Phoenix’s immediate goal for the upcoming four weeks is straightforward — winning the 2018 USL Cup, giving soccer-loving Phoenix its first professional title in the sport, and seeing out Drogba’s playing career with him as a champion one final time.

However, Carteron will remain absent from the touchline during this run.

The Frenchman left the club in June when he became manager at Al Ahly, one of Egypt’s top clubs. The move to Cairo was the next step in the ascension of his career, even if his return to Africa did not align with the conclusion of the Rising’s season.

Interim coach Rick Schantz stepped into Carteron’s place and will continue to lead the club in the playoffs. Schantz also held the interim role during the 2017 until Carteron’s arrival midseason.

Although separated, Drogba and Carteron, the two men who met at Chelsea six years ago, have built the long-term foundation and momentum for the Rising’s ultimate goal – a MLS expansion bid.

The club was one of 12 ownership groups to submit an expansion bid in late 2016. The Rising’s USL success in 2018 bolstered its bid, for it averaged a sellout capacity 6,381 attendance at its home matches. The club recently revealed plans for a new 21,000 seat stadium and has added additional investors to the ownership group.

Phoenix is now considered one of the favorites to join the league with MLS finalizing its 27th and 28th expansion slots as early as December. Drogba is at the forefront of this push, meeting numerous times behind the scenes with MLS commissioner Don Garber and marketing his club at events during the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“We are building the momentum and doing a lot of work to make sure we can be one of the most attractive teams to get to the MLS,” Drogba said. “It’s the love of the game. This team is very competitive. The manager is a competitor. He doesn’t like to lose, this team doesn’t like to lose, and that’s how we push forward together.”

Follow James on Twitter: @James_Poling.

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