Photo credit: FC Edmonton

FC Edmonton’s offense needs a defibrillator. Luckily, it might have found one via an unlikely source: its back line. Or, more specifically, its fullbacks.

The Eddies attack produced a meager 25 goals in 32 NASL games last season, and has remained dormant through two matches in 2017. Edmonton has zero goals and zero points after two scoreless losing efforts to Jacksonville Armada FC.

But there are signs of a faint pulse thanks to left back Netan Sansara and right back Shawn Nicklaw. If Edmonton wants to average a goal a game this year, they might be providing the spark from the flanks.

Sansara, quite frankly, looks like one of the better fullbacks in the NASL. And Nicklaw was already among them after playing over 2,200 minutes last season for both Armada FC and Edmonton’s stingy back four after being traded mid-season.

“(Nicklaw’s) biggest asset as a defender of course is going forward,” Eddies coach Colin Miller told FCEdmonton.com last season. “But when you come to FC Edmonton, you know that you are going to have to work both sides of the game.”

Known for playing excessively compact, the Eddies really opened things up in last weekend’s loss. Check out the combined heat maps of Sansara and Nicklaw, attacking from left to right:

Photo credit: NASL.com

And the fullbacks’ continual runs up the touchline weren’t for naught. They got up the pitch; their teammates got them the ball.

Photo credit: NASL.com

Sansara finished the match with an insane 108 touches — not accumulated via pendulum dribbling in the back. The 27-year-old made himself both available, and dangerous.

He didn’t have the most efficient passing game ever, completing only 42 of 63 passes. But he played in four crosses, got off two shots and defensively contributed seven duels won and three interceptions.

On the other side of the pitch, Nicklaw had himself a ballgame as well. He practically looked like a winger in a 4-2-3-1. OK, that’s an embellishment, but the only players on the Eddies that played higher up the pitch were right midfielder Dean Shiels (#22) and striker Tomi Ameobi (#18). This was Nicklaw’s average position last weekend:

Photo credit: NASL.com

Nicklaw incurred 71 touches of his own across his full-90 shift and pitched in five crosses. As for the negative, he only won one of seven duels according to Opta, while conceding five fouls.

Overall, Nicklaw and Sansara were a huge part of why the Eddies, even in a loss, were able to hold 52 percent of the possession and out-cross Jacksonville 29 to 11.

Though there hasn’t been much to smile about in the capital of Alberta so far, the fullback play has been exceptional. Now it’s up to the midfielders and forwards to find a way to capitalize on the opportunities unlocked by using the width of the pitch.

Will the fullbacks once again have to shock the Eddies offense back to life this week? Edmonton will try to nab its first point(s) of the season Saturday evening at North Carolina FC.

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @KJboxing.

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Photo credit: Trevor Ruszkowski

INDIANAPOLIS — Taking the pitch for the first time as a member of the starting 11 can sometimes feel as unnerving as it is exhilarating. Toss in some extra emotional appeal, and it’s the recipe for a highly stressful situation.

Making his first start for the Butler Bulldogs against his hometown team, redshirt sophomore Braden Van Allen delivered a confident and steady performance in helping Butler to a 1-0 win over the Evansville Purple Aces Tuesday night at the Sellick Bowl. The Evansville native played at North High School and also for Evansville Soccer Club.

Van Allen didn’t receive heavy minutes after starting, finishing with 63, but turned in a workmanlike shift on both sides of the ball. Senior goalkeeper Eric Dick also returned from a one-game absence due to illness to come up big for the Bulldogs.

A beautiful combination play at the edge of the box put Butler up early — and permanently. Midfielder Eric Leonard and sophomore forward Brandon Guhl linked up for a cheeky one-two pass in behind the defense to freshman midfielder Joel Harvey, who calmly nutmegged Evansville goalkeeper Frederik Reimer. The goal was the first of Harvey’s collegiate career.

Photo credit: Trevor Ruszkowski

For the Purple Aces, junior midfielder Ian McGrath definitely made his presence felt. The 6-4 beast handled much of the dirty work in the midfield, and also nearly got himself on the scoresheet. McGrath’s diving header attempt from six yards out toward the end of the first half required a stellar save by Dick. The header would’ve brought the Purple Aces level and might’ve changed the complexion of the match had it found twine.

Evansville’s entire squad boasts quite a bit of size, with 11 players listed at 6-0 or taller. The visitors used their brawn to clog passing lanes in the defensive third, but weren’t necessarily as physical as they could’ve been to maximize their advantage. The Purple Aces came agonizingly close to equalizing in the 87th minute and again in the 89th, but Dick made two diving saves to preserve the clean sheet, and — more importantly — the victory.

Dick was probably the front runner for man of the match honors, but did leave the crowd gasping multiple times by leaving the box to play the ball in traffic. In the end, those gasps of uncertainty turned to shrieks of awe as the towering 6-5 ‘keeper made clutch save after clutch save down the stretch.

Photo credit: Trevor Ruszkowski

As for Van Allen, his inclusion in the starting 11 and quality shift will serve as building blocks while he continues growing into a larger role. He transferred to Butler after being redshirted at Virginia Commonwealth in 2015, then only appeared in one game for the Bulldogs in 2016.

Butler (4-2) will begin Big East play with a stern test Saturday at home against Creighton.

***

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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There is no question about it. If this were the Oregon Trail, the Indy Eleven would have snake bite. Teams get injuries and players need rest, but this season’s injury list has been off the charts already through six games.

The best news out of all of this is that Indy has managed to stay unbeaten. Seemingly held together with duct tape and slightly chewed bubble gum, the Eleven have extended their record-setting home unbeaten streak. And simultaneously cycled five “best eleven” starters onto the injury report through the teams early weeks in 2017.

There is good news. Don “Bae” Smart and Ben Speas have been cleared medically and they will travel with the team tomorrow as Indy heads to Miami. Both broken wingers have had to miss the last several matches for separate injuries. Smart had a quad strain and Speas required surgery for a sports hernia.

While they are cleared by the teams medical staff, they are not likely cleared by the coaching staff. Players that can’t go the full 90 don’t get many starts on Coach Hankinson’s squads and that probably won’t be changing anytime soon. A return to game fitness is typically a slow process that coach likes to work in methodically.

This guy.

📷: @PRFootballClub pic.twitter.com/sTTvoPnTOK

— Soc Takes (@SocTakes) May 9, 2017

The monkey wrench for that philosophy is the US Open Cup which starts next week for Indy. A team this thin has a lot of decisions to make about health and fitness. With a midweek game on the horizon, I expect Hankinson will want his two returning midfielders to make an appearance on Saturday in Florida.

Super Striker Nemanja Vukovic will not be available this weekend. He is still recovering from a kidney contusion that has had him shelved for the last two matches. He is improving and it is possible that he gets the medical nod next week, but I would not be counting on him in Michigan for the USOC.

The Marco Franco Fan Club had a bit of a game-time scare last Saturday when the club’s namesake was suddenly and inexplicably left off the gameday roster. What was originally reported as a shoulder problem, was actually a hamstring strain that worried the team enough to prevent further injury. Franco will be travelling with the team and I would cautiously place him as a starter against Miami.

Anthony Manning is a player that we haven’t seen a lot of this year, but did you know he was hurt? He was but now he is back and available for selection.

Craig Henderson is new to the injury report. It seems he was not to be outdone by Franco and has picked up his own hamstring issue.

Although it isn’t an injury, Brad Ring will be missing the action this weekend. He picked up a second yellow at home against the Eddies and the subsequent red card carries with it a one game suspension.

If the Indy Eleven are going to make it this year, they will have to keep up this grueling pace on meager rations and hope no one dies of dysentery.

You can follow Soc Takes and Aaron on Twitter @SocTakes and @AGunyon.

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Turkish Airlines to be Indy XI’s secondary shirt sponsor. Credit: Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines (TA) happens to be this author’s favorite international airline. Having flown TA back and forth from Chicago to Delhi, via Istanbul, I can tell you that its service is top-notch. But TA does not fly into Indianapolis. Yet, a source close to the deal confirms that Indy XI has signed a contract with TA to be a shirt sponsor. The deal is expected to be announced tomorrow and “Turkish Airlines” will be visible on the lower back of player jerseys. While attracting a sponsor of TA’s magnitude is a huge asset for the club, it wasn’t immediately clear as to what TA would be getting in return.

Certainly, the NASL’s national TV deal will bring eyes to the product. With various games visible on BeIN Sports, ESPN3, local affiliates, and incredibly Twitter, TA’s name will be visible to soccer fans across the nation. That is one plausible reason for this deal.

Currently, TA flies into nine cities in the United States – Los Angeles, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Boston, Washington DC and Miami. Out of those, SF, NY and Miami have active NASL teams. And, based on reports from Chris Kivlehan and Soc Takes, Los Angeles, Chicago and Atlanta could be homes to future NASL franchises.

Therefore, currently three, and potentially six, NASL cities are destinations for TA. While that is smart branding, it doesn’t address the obvious follow up question – why didn’t TA just sponsor one of those six teams directly? Soc Takes understands that Ozdemir’s business and personal connections within Turkey helped initiate, catalyze and secure this exciting deal.

Indianapolis is home to a strong Turkish population, many of whom immigrated in the 1990s (see page 59), and have helped form the American Turkish Association of Indiana.

Honda will continue as the primary shirt sponsor, and has signed a multi-year deal with the club. Also, Don Smart is bae. Credit: Indy XI/NASL .

Soc Takes understands that Honda has signed off on a multi-year partnership as the primary shirt sponsor, and that Honda, TA and Community Health are the three biggest sponsorship deals for Indy XI this year. A source close to the deal informed Soc Takes that Honda’s partnership “is the biggest” of the three, in terms of annual monetary value. The exact fiscal details of the contract are unknown. Honda will still be displayed on the front of the new jersey, as it has been from the start of Indy’s journey in the NASL.

TA will be the “Official International Airline of Indy XI”, and part of the contract includes the potential for the team to travel to Turkey for a friendly and/or a training visit. To the best of our knowledge, this will be the first time TA will sponsor a soccer team in the US. TA’s previous deals include storied clubs such as Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund, Marseille and AS Roma. That illustrious list definitely places the optics of the deal in perspective. And, highlights the drawing power of Indy XI as a commercial business partner.

Honda’s multi-year deal is significant both fiscally and symbolically. It shows that in spite of the off-season NASL shenanigans, Indy XI has the negotiating power to convince a major brand of the club’s own stability and marketability.

As for the kit manufacturer, Soc Takes understands that Indy XI will start the new season in last year’s Diadora kits.

However, Soc Takes can confirm that the team has a deal in place with a new kit manufacturer. An announcement will be made by the club in “mid-April” (per source) revealing the identity of the same (and, it’s a good one). At that point, the team will switch over to the new kits. Meanwhile, if you love the current Diadora jerseys, they are on sale at the Indy Eleven online store. 

Here’s Don Smart looking all bae-like in Diadora gear.

After the madness of the off-season, and equivocal reactions to a handful of player signings, Indy XI fans truly do have something to be proud of. A significant, albeit surprising, shirt sponsor in Turkish Airlines.

This author will certainly be wearing his Indy XI gear on his next flight home on Turkish Air. This author also accepts that the reaction at Ataturk airport is likely to be “What’s an Indy XI?”

You can follow SocTakes and Nipun at @SocTakes and @NipunChopra7 on twitter.

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Justin Braun (left) and Cory Miller (right) | Photo credit: Matt Schlotzhauer/Indy Eleven

INDIANAPOLIS — Every season has it’s unique challenges and 2017 will be no different for the Indy Eleven. What is different is the injury carousel with players hopping on and off with great regularity. While some players have remained relatively healthy throughout, others just can’t stay injury free, or even on the active roster. I am reluctant to name healthy players for fear of angering the soccer gods that are clearly already displeased with Indiana’s team. Injuries are a part of any sport, but Indy Eleven’s shallow roster has highlighted a handful of notable losses.

Don Smart was a player hoping to be the first in club history to crack 100 appearances. He could still do it but time is running out for the Jamaican who is currently 11th on the team in minutes played. My count also has him at 90 games and he is one of only a handful of players who have been with Indy since the inaugural season. He is one of two who have been around since the opening training camp in the spring of 2014. I will not mention the other one. Smart will miss at least one more week with a strained oblique and that will give him exactly 10 games to close out this grueling campaign.

Craig Henderson is new to this year’s Indy roster but no stranger to the injury report. He is now out with a calf strain and has been unavailable the last few games. This is one of the players the team was counting on for veteran play off the bench. He has only 13 appearances with four starts, but he takes the field in almost every game when he is healthy. His absence makes way for rookies like Tanner Thompson, but the leap from college to the pro game is noticeable. The 30-year-old Kiwi with 13 years experience is looking at 1-2 more weeks of bench time.

Both Henderson and Smart have missed time already this season for other ailments. The same is true of Nemanja Vukovic. Last year’s ironman made his second stint on the injury report a short one. The bright spot here is that Vukovic is expected to go this weekend. He was healthy enough to be considered a game-time decision last week. He looked strong taking free kicks during training on Friday.

The most improved player award in the 2017 season goes to Daniel Keller. He has proven himself time and time again. And he has been instrumental to the success Indy has enjoyed this season. Because he is so important to this team, it is only proper for him to also succumb to injury. Keller was spotted wearing tennis shoes on the training grounds which is never a good sign for starting the following day.

There are other various players dealing with ailments. Some of those are known, but part of being a professional is playing through pain. There are more than four players on the Indy roster that would love some extra recovery time, but they simply aren’t going to get it. 21 players on the official roster and three of them are goalies. Any more players go down and head coach Tim Hankinson will have to call his own number.

Sinisa Ubiparipovic spent his morning on the exercise bike. He is a player that hasn’t really been 100% since he signed with Indy Last season. No matter how you slice it, yet another experienced player is unavailable. Healthy bodies for tactical training would also be of some benefit, but I imagine Hankinson is afraid to have his players do anything other than pillow-fight during practice at this point. There obviously aren’t enough for 8v8 so you can forget about 11v11 formations in preparation for opponents.

And so we get to Justin Braun. The look on his face told the story last weekend. He knew what we knew when he was subbed out after playing a handful of minutes in the second half. We just didn’t know the extent. It will come as no surprise that Braun will be out indefinitely. The team is currently awaiting additional results of an MRI and therefore Braun’s treatment/recovery process is unknown. It is a tough blow for Braun and a team that has been struggling to stay healthy all year.

There just isn”t enough depth to deal with this much adversity. Even still, the Eleven are only a few points out of a playoff spot. It is still within reach although the odds lessen with every dropped point and with every bump or bruise.

The players are still fighting. The 3-2 loss to Jacksonville is a testament to that. It would have been easy to roll over after giving up three goals at home. The boys in blue clawed back a goal even after Braun went down and even while playing with 10 men. Indy fans are going to see more David Goldsmith than they expected this year. The same is true of Adrian Ables . Both rookies have that fresh out of school look and both are going to be getting more minutes as the season closes out. One has their first professional goal and the other has recently had their first professional start. The silver lining is giving the young guys a chance to prove themselves and maybe earn a place on future Eleven squads.

The much anticipated return of Cory Miller may just be what the doctor ordered. I would put his start at very likely given the injury to Daniel Keller. He will get his first action in over a year on Saturday against the San Francisco Deltas. You may recall Miller had a season ending ankle injury that required surgery and a lengthy recovery process. Maybe that’s a coincidence. Maybe it’s nothing. The Indy Eleven have played the Deltas to a draw in all three previous meetings this season. Some have felt like wins and others have felt like losses. Funny how that works.

You can follow Aaron on Twitter: @agunyon

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

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Photo credit: Harrah’s/Caesars

2017 record: 0-0
Profit/loss: 0.00

I probably won’t have this many plays during most weeks, but why not come out with a bang for Major League Soccer’s opening weekend? Here goes:

Portland Timbers/Minnesota United FC Under 3.0 -130
Risk 65 to win 50
Bookmakers are probably counting on Minnesota to hemorrhage goals this season, but Portland didn’t exactly perform up to expectations in 2016. This one might push, but I fancy a two-goal game more than a four-goal game, thus some value.

Columbus Crew SC/Chicago Fire Over 2.5 -140
Risk 70 to win 50
Both of these clubs had leaky defenses in 2016. While Crew SC spent some money on the defensive side of the ball in the offseason, Chicago’s attack also started clicking late in 2016 and got bolstered by some nice offseason additions. Crew SC’s potent attack remains completely intact. Expect this one to go over, but keep an eye on Ola Kamara’s status (concussion). If he sits, that’s probably enough to stay away.

LA Galaxy/FC Dallas Under 2.5 -115
Risk 57.50 to win 50
The Galaxy’s attack, while certainly not poor, has never been elite without Robbie Keane in the mix. Dallas’ back line is as sturdy as they come. Look for this game to be a gutsy, low-scoring affair.

Colorado Rapids/New England Revolution Under 2.5 -135
Risk 67.50 to win 50
Colorado was the epitome of an “under team” last season, and nothing in the offseason happened to drastically change that perception in my eyes. New England, meanwhile, was the second lowest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference in 2016. Go under.

Seattle Sounders Pick ‘Em +105
Risk 50 to win 52.50
There isn’t much to this one. Take the defending champs, who finished last season in ridiculous form despite getting lucky to escape as champions after a producing a dud in the MLS Cup final besides the shootout. Houston’s underwhelming offseason is just another notch on the belt of the most boring club in MLS.

San Jose Earthquakes/Montreal Impact Draw +240
Risk 41.67 to win 100
The Earthquakes tend to produce very solid, yet low-scoring performances at home. When the road team is the better club, it’s generally a good time to look at the draw. This game has 1-1 written all over it.

Orlando City SC/New York City FC Draw +255
Risk 39.22 to win 100
This match projects to be one of the more higher-scoring games of the weekend, so you’re probably hoping for a 1-1 or 2-2 final here. Even 3-3 isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Whatever the score, I think the draw has a bit of value.

Philadelphia Union +1/2 -115
Risk 57.50 to win 50
Vancouver doesn’t look like a playoff team on paper, and the Union really came into their own last season, making the playoffs. The Whitecaps also just played a CONCACAF Champions League game on Thursday and featured some starters, so tired legs could be an issue. Take the better and fresher road team plus 1/2 so you’ll win on a Philly win or draw.

New York Red Bulls Pick ‘Em -105
Risk 52.50 to win 50
Yes, I’m very impressed with the construction of Atlanta’s roster. No, I don’t believe they have a magical talisman that’ll make them avoid the inevitable expansion-team blues. Take the known commodity in this one.

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Indy Eleven defender/midfielder Daniel Keller. Photo credit: NASL.com

The Indy Eleven’s first meaningful match of 2017 is in the books.

After laboring through the first half against the San Francisco Deltas, a half in which neither team really separated itself beyond the obvious Deltas goal, Indy emerged as the better side after the break. Ultimately the Eleven settled for a 1-1 road draw after equalizing on rookie Tanner Thompson’s header in the 58th minute.

It wasn’t the prettiest point ever earned, but the Eleven did out-possess, out-pass, out-cross and out-shoot their West Coast counterpart. And for the second straight season, Indy prevented an expansion club from getting three points in its inaugural match.

In our first-ever edition of “Tactical Tidbits,” we take a look at Justin Braun and Gerardo Torrado’s positive influence on the pitch, as well as break down the performance of the two Indy center backs.

PREFONTAINE LIVES

Indy forward Justin Braun’s fitness and work rate on the pitch have always been sublime. Good news: He wasn’t frequenting Krispy Kreme in the offseason. Check out his heat map against the Deltas:

Braun doing what Braun does — popping up all over the attack. Photo credit: NASL.com

While his touches on the ball and passing weren’t incredibly impactful, Braun looked like the fittest player on the field. He tends to do that.

With some new faces in the attack to mesh with, Braun took it upon himself to set an example of what type of effort level is expected up front. No wonder former teammate Neil Shaffer dubbed him “Steve Prefontaine” in a beIN Sports video segment last season:

Getting to Know Indy Eleven Pkg by Beinsports-USA

Braun’s insane motor allowed him to rack up 42 touches and fire off three shots. There isn’t a cranny anywhere on the offensive side of the pitch that he won’t find.

A TALE OF TWO HALVES FOR TORRADO

Indy’s starting XI looked a little out of sync in the first half. One of the bright spots, however, was central midfielder Gerardo Torrado. He controlled the ball in tight spaces, made a few perfect short passes and showed excellent vision in gambling on a couple dangerous long balls toward the corner flag with varied success.

El Borego’s pass distribution. Photo credit: NASL.com

Ironically, in the second half when Indy played better Torrado didn’t seem to play as well. His final numbers versus the Deltas weren’t eye-popping, and his Opta-registered 31 of 44 accurate passes didn’t necessarily do his performance justice, either.

He also played 50 percent of his passes forward — a severely underrated attribute he displayed last year that he appears to have carried over to 2017. Torrado understands that playing the ball backward or laterally is generally a last-resort option to maintain possession; he picks his head up and looks forward upon receiving the ball.

Torrado shouldn’t have been in Man of the Match consideration, but he was rock solid in the first half when his teammates came out showing season-opening jitters. His vision, technical ability and field generalship helped Indy survive a rough patch and overcome the 1-0 deficit.

“MIDFIELDER” SHINES AT CENTER BACK

Photo credit: NASL.com

With Lovel Palmer nursing a mild knock, Eleven coach Tim Hankinson went with a center back pairing of Kwame Watson-Siriboe and Daniel Keller. Watson-Siriboe was signed to be a starter — no surprise there. But Keller projected to be more of a utility defensive midfielder this season, and was even listed as such on the official team roster after exclusively playing defense last season.

Hankinson might want to reconsider the position change after Keller turned in a very efficient, steady performance in the opener. The veteran completed a stellar 40 of 44 passes to go with five duels won and five clearances among his 55 total touches in the match.

He actually outplayed Watson-Siriboe, who failed to block a cross that led to the Deltas goal and produced zero tackles or duels won across his 34 touches. It wasn’t all bad for Watson-Siriboe though, as he did have four clearances and two interceptions.

Not too much stock can be put into one game, but Keller settled into his old digs quite comfortably among the back four. Don’t be surprised if Hankinson deploys Keller as a defender way more than a midfielder this season, despite what the club’s website says.

Follow Kevin on Twitter @KJboxing.

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Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — The second day of the Mayor’s International Futsal Cup is in the books. Here are the Day 2 results, as well as the current leaders of each group:

Sunday, Sept. 3

MEN’S

Bosnia and Herzegovina 6, Spain 3 Honduras 9, Palestine 1 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8, Montenegro 3 Guatemala 8, Brazil 6 Montenegro 6, Guatemala 3 Nigeria 14, Spain 2 Brazil 9, Nigeria 1 USA 4, Iceland 4 Jamaica 7, China 0 USA 13, China 3 El Salvador 6, Iceland 1 El Salvador 4, Peru 4 Jamaica 4, Peru 2 Japan 1, Costa Rica 0 Mexico 7, Costa Rica 0 Cuba 3, Vietnam 2 Netherlands 5, Venezuela 1 Bahrain 11, Germany 0 Palestine 7, Germany 1 Bahrain 9, Netherlands 3 Honduras 8, Venezuela 1

Iran 13, Japan 2

Current group leaders: Montenegro (A), Bosnia (B), Peru (C), El Salvador (D), Cuba (E), Mexico (F), Bahrain (G), Honduras (H)

WOMEN’S

Chile 6, Puerto Rico 3 Puerto Rico 9, USA 1 Serbia 4, Iceland 0 Chile 5, Mexico 3 Mexico 7, Serbia 1

Iceland 5, USA 3

Current group leaders: Chile (I), Mexico (J)

The action resumes at 9 a.m. today, with the women’s championship match scheduled for 3:30 p.m. and the men’s set for 4:30. Click HERE for the full schedule of play.

***

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

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Junior forward Halle Stelbasky | Photo credit: Butler women’s soccer

INDIANAPOLIS — The stats don’t even count yet, but Halle Stelbasky isn’t wasting any time finding her midseason form. The Butler striker scored to help carry her team to a 3-1 win against an overmatched Morehead State side Friday afternoon at the Sellick Bowl.

The Bulldogs were dominant from the start, but the final product often lacked — early on at least. Some sloppy finishing led to a few flubbed shots over the crossbar.

A wild scrum in front of the net in the 15th minute nearly gave Butler its first goal, but Morehead State somehow managed a clearance after the ball ping-ponged around the six-yard box. Preseason All-Big East selection Paige Monaghan dribbled past the Eagles defense minutes later, but again the Bulldogs couldn’t find the back of the net.

Later in the half, forward Breann Pempek found herself with a golden opportunity unmarked in front of goal, but couldn’t make clean contact on the ensuing shot.

The Dawgs finally broke through in the 34th minute. Caitlyn DiSarcina got in behind the defense and put a shot on frame that required a save, and Pempek redeemed herself by tapping in the rebound.

Photo credit: Soc Takes

The Bulldogs added a second goal in similar fashion — on a rebound — only this time Stelbasky was the one there to slot it home. The goal was her third of the preseason; she recorded a brace in Butler’s 3-2 exhibition win against defending Big Ten champion Northwestern on Tuesday.

Butler extended the lead to 3-nil on a beautiful cross and header from right midfielder Elena Gutlove to junior Gabrielle Lemkuil.

The Eagles pulled one back in the 89th minute on a volleyed golazo by midfielder Samantha Damante after a pinpoint service from Tia Williams. But the damage was already done and the Bulldogs held on for the 3-1 victory.

With exhibition play wrapped up, Butler will open its regular season with a tough road test at Notre Dame next Friday.

***

You can follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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

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Photo: fccincinnati.com

The US Open Cup returns to Nippert Stadium where FC Cincinnati will host Louisville City FC on Wednesday May 31. The United Soccer League rivals are familiar with each other, but this will be their first meeting in the USOC. Both teams advanced to round three of America’s famed tournament on May 17th. FC Cincinnati beat AFC Cleveland 1-0 in the second overtime period and Lou City cruised to a comfortable 9-0 victory against the Tartan Devils.

The River Cities Derby gets its name from the Ohio River which links the two cities just over 100 miles apart. It carries a lot prestige on it’s own, but Wednesday’s match will offer more than the usual implications for these regional rivals. The winner has hosting rights in round four. The opponent is already set to be the Columbus Crew of MLS and that USOC match will take place on June 14th. For FC Cinci, it would be their third home match in this year’s tournament. For Lou City, it would mean the first MLS team to play Slugger Field in meaningful competition.

Wednesday will be the second time the Coopers of Louisville have journeyed to the Queen City this year. The 1-1 scoreline masked a hard fought battle between two competitive sides. There were six separate bookings on April 22nd but none more brutal than the spikes up challenge from FCC forward Djiby Fall. He was awarded a straight red in the 87th minute but the controversy grew in the scuffle that immediately followed.

Photo: EM Dash Photography

A special review panel determined that Djiby Fall had also bitten Niall McCabe in the pushing and the shoving. An additional five game suspension was tacked on to the mandatory single game suspension for the red-carded challenge. Fall is still unable to participate in USL competition, but USOC is not required to suspend Fall so he remains eligible for the game this week.

Before the suspension, the 32-year-old from Senegal had been leading the USL with 6 goals in 6 games and played all but 40 minutes. April 22 wasn’t that long ago. It’s unlikely anyone has forgotten.

This has to be the match to watch in round three and Fall has to be the player to keep an keen eye on. Nippert stadium has been drawing massive crowds. There are familiar rivals with a bit of bad blood between them. There is prize money from the tournament, bragging rights for these two young clubs. They are third and fourth in the USL Eastern Conference standings, but that doesn’t matter right now. The USOC will take priority on Wednesday.

The match starts at 7pm.

Follow @SocTakes for more gameday coverage and follow me @AGunyon

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