Two old flames rekindled their relationship Saturday evening at Al Lang Stadium, as the Tampa Bay Rowdies beat the Indy Eleven 3-1 to grab an important three points in the USL Eastern Conference table.

The two clubs were former acquaintances in the currently on-hiatus NASL. Tampa departed for the USL following the 2016 season, the last time the teams met. The Eleven followed suit a year later, making the jump after their 2017 campaign.

The victory moved the Rowdies up the conference table to just two points shy of the all-important top eight in the conference, and three points behind Indy. Here are three keys that led to the result:

ROWDIES’ ATTACK UP RIGHT SIDE

Junior Flemmings regularly found space and burned Indy up the right side. His excellent individual foray forward combined with keen vision led to Tampa’s opener. After dribbling a great distance, Flemmings found Stefano Bonomo alone in behind the defense with an incisive pass, and Bonomo calmly slotted the ball home at the near post.

Several Tampa Bay players turned in over-par shifts, but Flemmings proved the key that truly unlocked the left side of Indy’s midfield and defense. His late header goal on a cross from Georgi Hristov cemented his man-of-the-match showing and, more importantly for the Rowdies, the win.

NOT ENOUGH BEYOND STARIKOV

Eugene Starikov was a beastly creature all over the pitch for Indy. He used his low center of gravity and upper-body strength to win balls and shield off defenders, often while dropping deep to help out in the midfield.

🗳️ Time now to vote for your Cornerstone Family Dentistry Man of the Match for #TBRvIND#ElevenForever

— Indy Eleven (@IndyEleven) July 22, 2018

Beyond Starikov though, no Eleven player positively impacted the game on a consistent-enough basis. The other guys listed in Indy’s Twitter poll delivered workmanlike efforts and had their moments, but no one else’s physicality and work rate stamped an imprint on the match quite like Starikov’s. He also added his team’s lone goal, but would’ve still been Indy’s man of the match without it.

The former Cosmos attacker has been in fine summer form since returning after missing a string of games with a knock in the spring. He’s made a strong case to head coach Martin Rennie to leave him as a staple in the starting XI.

QUALITY CHANCES AND A LITTLE LUCK

The match stats were quite even across the board. Both sides finished with exactly 13 total shots, and both put four on frame. The possession battle was neck and neck at 52-48 Rowdies, with the hosts also stringing a few more passes together.

The difference between them was in the meat and potatoes. Flemmings’ pass to Bonomo set up a virtual tap in, and the former’s header also developed from being afforded too much space and leverage to elevate after an excellent chipped pass from Hristov. So, while Indy recorded the same number of shots on target, the edge in quality of chances went to the Rowdies and ended up making all the difference.

Of course, a stroke of luck also goes a long way. The Rowdies’ second strike was just that, as an attempted clearance by Indy defender Kevin Venegas ricocheted off Hristov and in, putting the Eleven on their heels early facing a daunting two-goal deficit.

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Justin Ashcraft of Mon Goals and our own Kevin Johnston link up to preview Saturday’s match between Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and the Indy Eleven. The two also briefly review the clubs’ 2-2 draw on Aug. 29 and size up the Eastern Conference playoff picture.

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Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Under the guidance of now-Orlando City SC manager James O’Connor, Louisville City FC established itself as a formidable juggernaut in the USL. Back-to-back runs to the conference finals in 2015 and 2016 followed by a league title in 2017 prove as much. And this season — mostly coached by O’Connor — the club sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with games in hand on multiple teams above it.

Enter new LouCity head coach John Hackworth, whose motto might as well be “maintain the status quo.” And why not? With the the club already shrouded in success at the USL level, ‘twoud arguably be foolish to implement drastic changes.

“I think he has a lot of confidence in who we are and what we’re able to do,” said player-coach George Davis IV, who shed the latter half of his job title upon Hackworth taking over. “If I had to guess, I would say he would come in here and try to make it better any way that he can. But I don’t see him coming in here and trying to reinvent the wheel because we’ve been successful, and I know he wants to carry on that tradition.”

But don’t expect the squad to be wholly sans tinkering under Hackworth. According to Indy Eleven head coach Martin Rennie, LouCity supporters might witness at least one mildly significant tweak: the formation. While it certainly could’ve been orchestrated by the current trio of player-coaches, Indy’s manager noticed something following his team’s 2-2 draw with LouCity on Aug. 5 at Louisville Slugger Field.

“I coached with him in MLS,” Rennie said of Hackworth. “He was at Philadelphia while I was at Vancouver. So yeah, I think he’s a good coach and I’m sure he’ll do a good job here. It’ll be interesting to see how he adjusts things. Obviously, (in our game on Aug. 5) the system changed for the team, so I’m assuming he asked for that to happen.

“I think it was more of a back four — 4-2-3-1. (There’s) a lot of the similar style of play and similar problems to solve, but it’s obviously different than a back three. I think we’ve become so used to Louisville playing that back three system and they’ve done it well, so it’s probably a little adjustment for them as well.”

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Hackworth arrived in Louisville with a breadth of experience. In addition to his MLS tenure, he previously coached at the collegiate level at Wake Forest and South Florida. Hackworth’s most recent stop was managing the U17 U.S. men’s national team.

“One of the things that I personally like is he’s spent the past several years developing players,” said player-coach-turned-just-player-again Luke Spencer. “The locker room is full of guys who want to get better, and he’s somebody who can certainly come in and make that happen.”

So, how much noticeable change — if any — will occur on Hackworth’s watch? The answer might be revealed sooner rather than later. Hackworth will make his debut roaming the touchline in LouCity purple at 7:30 p.m. ET tonight when his side hosts Nashville SC.

“Every coach has their own way they want to play. His way is an attractive style. But he’s not going to be James, he’s not going to be anyone else in the locker room. He knows what he likes. We’re going to buy into it.”

Just don’t expect a new iteration of the wheel.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

Norwich City‘s fine form continued Saturday at home against Stoke City, though a result ultimately eluded the Canaries for the first time in quite a while. A 35th-minute Timm Klose own goal proved their undoing in the 1-0 defeat. The loss snapped Norwich’s unbeaten streak at eight across all competitions, with six of those results coming in league play.

After a dismal start in which the Canaries appeared set to fend off relegation this season, they quickly righted the ship and now look closer to the part of promotion contender than bottom feeder. What the squad truly is this season remains to be seen however, considering the recent run of sublime form only brought the club’s goal differential to zero following Saturday’s narrow setback. That’s how bleakly the team’s 2018-19 campaign began.

Against Stoke, Norwich manager Daniel Farke rolled out his oft-used 4-2-3-1 with veteran ‘keeper Tim Krul in net. It marked the fifth-consecutive time Farke used the exact same 11 in Championship play. Stoke, meanwhile, came out in a 4-1-4-1 featuring two alterations to its most recent lineup. Peter Etebo and James McClean joined the 11 after not starting in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Bolton.

Norwich bossed several statistical categories, completing a staggering 398 more passes than the visitors while owning 69 percent of the possession. But unable to solve a sneaky-good Potters back four of Bruno Martins Indi, Ashley Williams, Erik Pieters and Cuco Martina, the hosts never cancelled out Klose’s own goal with a strike of their own.

The Canaries honored a fallen supporter with a special tribute at Carrow Road in the 53rd minute. Longtime season ticket holder Dawn Brown passed away this week from cancer at age 53, and her daughter took to Twitter to ask the club and supporters if they’d partake in a full minute of applause in memory of her mother. The club obliged in a top-class gesture:

A fan has asked that City supporters take part in a minute’s applause in the 53rd minute in memory of her mum, Dawn Brown, a season-ticket holder who passed away earlier this week after battling cancer. Our thoughts are with Dawn’s family and friends. #ncfc https://t.co/K5WDw8cnv3

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC) October 6, 2018

Next up for Norwich is an Oct. 20 away fixture against Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees currently sit in fifth in the table with 19 points, just one above the Canaries.

Though the unbeaten run came to a halt Saturday, Norwich produced another rather encouraging showing. The last few weeks have served as portents of positivity after a doom-and-gloom start.

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INDIANAPOLIS — A brace from Ayoze and a Soony Saad rocket from distance weren’t enough for the Indy Eleven on Wednesday night at Lucas Oil Stadium, as goals by the Charleston Battery’s O’Brian Woodbine, Ataulla Guerra and Tah Anunga saw the teams share points.

Indy took a 3-2 lead in stoppage time on Ayoze’s second, but Anunga answered right back with a dagger a minute later to silence a stunned crowd.

Nashville SC is one of several USL sides entrenched in a playoff battle. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes




Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

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Photo credit: Swope Park Rangers

United Soccer League club Swope Park will not return to Swope Soccer Village and is exploring stadium options for the 2018 season.

The club, which MLS club Sporting Kansas City owns and operates, is working with the league to meet the United States Soccer Federation’s Division II requirements. Swope Soccer Village (capacity 3,500) did not meet the federation’s 5,000 requirement and had additional issues with USL league standards.

“Swope Park’s stadium is noncompliant and will not be used for the 2018 season,” USL president Jake Edwards said. “The club has presented other options to us. One would be (Sporting KC’s) main stadium, and it is looking at other options, too.”

Swope played the past two seasons at Swope Soccer Village. It hosted its 2017 Western Conference quarterfinal match vs. Phoenix Rising, which had an overnight delay at halftime because of inclement weather.

The USL took issues with the stadium after the Phoenix match and, per league policy, initially moved the conference semifinal match to opposing Sacramento. After meeting with club officials, Swope’s match vs. Sacramento and its subsequent conference final vs. OKC Energy were played at Sporting KC’s stadium, Children’s Mercy Park.

“We were aware of some issues at the Swope Park facility,” Edwards said. “There were additional issues that came up during the (quarterfinal) match that we felt we needed a different environment for the next playoff round.

“We worked with Sporting KC. They did a great job of working with us to make the main stadium available, and it proved to be a fitting environment for a USL playoff match.”

Swope, which won the Western Conference in each of its first two seasons, plays at Louisville City on Monday in the 2017 USL Cup.

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Image credit: Indy Saints FC

INDIANAPOLIS — Citing the lack of an expected U.S. Open Cup bid for the league winner, Indy Saints FC is set to depart the Champions Soccer League USA (CSLUSA).

“We learned Thursday that the CSL doesn’t have an Open Cup bid,” said Indy Saints FC head coach Jason Brown. “We were disappointed to say the least. An Open Cup bid was our highest goal this season and what we were all working for.”

The team intends to play out its last match of the season today at South Bend FC, then pursue other opportunities.

“We’re going to finish up with South Bend, that’s the next thing on our list,” Brown added. “It’s the last game of our commitment with the CSL. Where we go from here — nothing is off the table.

“We’re evaluating league options for 2018.”

The first-year club joined the league under the impression that the CSLUSA champion would receive an automatic bid into next year’s USOC. Whether that was formalized in writing or an under-the-table handshake agreement is unclear, but finding out that there would be no USOC auto-bid was enough for the team to jump ship.

Indy Saints FC (4W-1D-2L, 13 points) currently sits in first place in the CSLUSA Region II table. Brown confirmed that the club has no plans to fold.

“We’re going to stick around as an organization,” he said. “Come August, we’re going to apply for the U.S. Open Cup entry-level rounds and fight like hell to get on the list.”

Image credit: CSLUSA

As for the CSLUSA, there had been recent conflict in the league office in addition to the lack of clarity regarding the USOC bid. The league announced the resignation of president Kevin Hickling on June 25, citing “personal concerns over differences in the direction of the league/company with other board members.”

Signs of league instability showed early this season, with Indy Saints FC’s scheduled opponent for its home opener changing on just a few days’ notice due to roster issues.

“We’ve been told that the team that we’re playing this weekend, Racine Force, has been unable to field a competitive team,” Indy Saints FC owner and general manager Chris McGrath told Soc Takes in June.

The league was forced to make an impromptu schedule change, sending South Bend FC to town for Indy’s inaugural home match on June 10.

The loss of one of the league’s more sizable markets in Indianapolis certainly won’t help increase its visibility. An email request for comment from the CSLUSA wasn’t returned.

Indy Saints FC will play its final match as a member of the CSLUSA tonight at 6 p.m. in South Bend.

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Former U.S. men’s national team defender and current FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas joins the panel of Aaron Gunyon, Nipun Chopra and Kevin Johnston to size up the current state of American soccer.

The U.S. Soccer presidential race is heavily discussed, along with the move of Jonathan Gonzalez to the Mexico national team, Lalas’ 1994 World Cup experience and his typical day working for FOX Soccer. Oh, and the ’94 USMNT kits!

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INDIANAPOLIS — A second-half Dylan Mares strike handed the Indy Eleven a 3-2 victory over Toronto FC II on Wednesday night at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mares, playing in his first match since returning to his hometown club, was a member of Indy’s 2014 expansion roster.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes


Toronto FC II is on the brink of being eliminated from playoff contention. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/ Soc Takes

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• Westchester United FC, based in Westchester, N.Y., is the WPSL‘s latest expansion side, the league announced Thursday. The team will debut in 2021. The 4-year-old club already fields a…
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Image credit: NISA

Per a source close to NISA, the league will apply for Division 3 sanctioning for the fall 2019 season. The source informed Soc Takes and Midfield Press reporter, Chris Kivlehan, that due to the planned delay in the start of the season, the deadline for submitting the application to U.S. Soccer is Sept. 1.

The deadline for submission for regular-season sanctioning is Aug. 15. USLD3 applied for sanctioning with 10 teams on Aug. 14.

The source adds that the league plans to play using the European calendar which plays autumn through spring and goes on break during the summer. The source is confident of NISA’s launch in 2018, stating, “NISA will play next year.”

Soc Takes reached out to U.S. Soccer to confirm the validity of the information about the Sept. 1 deadline.

(Update, 6:35 p.m.: A U.S. Soccer spokesperson confirms that the deadline for fall 2019 sanctioning is Sept. 1, 2018.)

EXPANSION CITIES

Soc Takes was previously provided a list of eight cities with their identities embargoed. Three of those cities were in California, while the other five were spread across the country. NISA may have “As many as 10” teams in their application. The source remains confident of submitting a successful application.

One of those expansion teams is believed to be California United. Soc Takes contacted Cal United FC president Michael Collins about the possibility of joining NISA. Collins responded via email, “We are looking very hard at NISA.”

Ex-USSF presidential candidate Eric Wynalda is believed to be currently involved in an advisory role in the fledgling league.

Whether or not the league will be able to apply for sanctioning remains to be seen, as the league failed at this same hurdle last year. However, at least for now, they have another fortnight to arrange the chess board before playing their opening move.

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