Photo credit: Rayo OKC/NASL

INDIANAPOLIS — Sorry, goalkeepers, but having a third one of you on the roster is a waste.

That’s always been my belief. And someone who knows way more about soccer than I, Indy Eleven coach Tim Hankinson, agrees. Or at least he used to.

“It’s been my theory (throughout my coaching career),” Hankinson explained after an August 2016 training session at Carroll Stadium. “It’s a luxury to have a third ‘keeper in training just so that the repetitions that the ‘keepers take during shooting practices don’t wear one of them out or fatigue them. That’s when you get into injuries.

“So two is good, and then we usually invite a local ‘keeper — former college ‘keeper — to come and participate in training so that we can keep our guys fresh. But we don’t need more than two on the roster.”

Indy announced the signing of a third goalkeeper Thursday, former Indiana Hoosiers backstop Christian Lomeli.

Wait, what? The Eleven already have goalkeepers Jon Busch and Keith Cardona under contract for 2017. One plus one equals two. Add one more and that’s three. Hankinson doesn’t like three; Hankinson likes two. We want answers.

My initial thought was that Busch or Cardona picked up a serious injury, or one of them was set to leave the club. But after conferring with multiple people close to the situation, neither hypothesis proved correct. Busch and Cardona were both fully healthy with no plans to depart the team.

The answer then became as crystal clear as an overpriced bottle of Fiji water: The Eleven are not satisfied with Cardona’s performance.

Photo credit: Rayo OKC/NASL

After showing signs of promise early in his Eleven career, Cardona labored through last season in limited action on his way to a less-than-ideal goals against average. The Philadelphia Union gave him an opportunity as a trialist before the start of the 2017 Major League Soccer season, but the 6-4 ‘keeper ultimately wasn’t offered a contract. When he returned to camp with Indy, he clearly failed to impress.

The signing of Lomeli is a clear symptom of buyer’s remorse pertaining to the decision to re-sign/extend Cardona.

While Busch remains the rock-steady first choice in the Eleven net, the No. 2 goalkeeper job is very much an open competition between Lomeli and Cardona. And if Cardona doesn’t improve his play in training and in games, the newcomer might just have the inside track on the gig.

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @KJboxing.

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Photo credit: Josh Tomlinson/World Soccer Talk

Boca Raton FC director of communications and one of the sharpest soccer minds around, Kartik Krishnaiyer, joins Aaron, Nipun and Kevin to discuss literally every soccer league in America. Strap in and enjoy the ride. Listen:

You can follow Soc Takes on Twitter @SocTakes.

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Rudy Calderon/MLSsoccer.com

We’re joined by MLSsoccer.com senior writer Matt Doyle this week to discuss the state of U.S. Soccer, Atlanta United FC’s impressive start and the 180-degree turnaround by Minnesota United FC. The “Armchair Analyst” also sizes up the USMNT talent pool and talks about his background in the game from the media side. Listen:

You can follow Soc Takes on Twitter @SocTakes.

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Kwadwo Poku. Photo credit: Miami FC/NASL

The panel discusses this Saturday’s NASL showdown between Miami FC and Indy Eleven. Aaron provides an Eleven injury update and Kevin assesses Kwadwo Poku’s development with rave reviews. They also ramble on about Indy’s projected starting XI and new white away kits, and the U.S. Open Cup. Listen:

First-place Miami FC will attempt to to extend its lead atop the table when it hosts sixth-place Indy Eleven at Riccardo Silva Stadium. Miami has only lost once this season, while Indy remains undefeated and winless after drawing its first six matches. The game can be streamed live at ESPN3.com.

You can follow Soc Takes on Twitter @SocTakes.

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Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday night in Indianapolis and the scoreboard still showed 5:05 left to play. It was sudden death for St. John’s in overtime. Butler men’s soccer won their third straight to open the Big East season. The final score was 1-0.

Butler pushed the tempo from first kick with the first hopeful ball launched forward in the game’s opening seconds. The Bulldogs entered the weekend ranked  No. 22 in the nation and boasting a 2-0 record in Big East play. Their opponents have an equal record in the Big East and have already amassed five wins on the season.

The first real chance of the match came from Butler defender Alex Lehtinen. He found himself with space and cutting in on his right foot from about 20 yards. His shot was just over the bar but it sent a message. Brandon Guhl found the ball at his feet a few moments later. Originally with his back to goal, Guhl turned in the box and unleashed a shot that deflected off a St. John’s player and angled wide of the goal.

If the name Guhl sounds familiar, it is possible that you heard him on the local airwaves on Saturday morning. Guhl was a special guest on the weekly Soccer Saturday with host Greg Rakestraw. A link to that radio broadcast can be found HERE.

The match was not entirely one-sided. The Red Storm pressured and tested tested. Probing balls found their way forward. St. John’s had three corner kicks and two shots belonging to Ben Roth in the first 45. The Bulldogs goalkeeper Eric Dick was occupied but he dealt with everything in front of him and didn’t record a save in the first half.

End to end action was the story early. Both teams committing numbers forward provided soft resistance in the middle third. Butler certainly had the better of the chances as intermission approached. Eight total shots and six corner kicks tipped the scales for the home team and the first round had to be awarded to the Bulldogs.

HALFTIME: @ButlerMenSoccer 0, St. John’s 0

The Bulldogs with 8 shots (2 on target) compared to the Red Storm’s 2 (0 on target).

— Kevin Johnston (@KJboxing) September 30, 2017

The next period started with noticeably less intensity, but the second half lull was short lived. With St. John’s on the attack Alistair Johnston set up substitute Filippo Ricupati’s header that forced a save from Dick. Back the other way, penalty shouts as Butler managed to get in behind the defense, and the Red Storm offered a tough challenge while chasing the play. Everyone was awake after that.

Ricupati drew gasps and nervous groans once again with 30 minutes remaining. His blast had beaten Dick but it hit squarely off of the round post and came right back to him. Just when one has a sense that the Bulldogs are the better team, St. John’s finds a way back in. The stats may not show it, but the match played fairly even throughout and the visitors never backed down.

The crowd noticed and they grew louder while excitement continued to build. There was an understanding among those watching that one goal would do it for either side. This match was legitimately contested from end to end for 90 minutes and both teams seemed desperate to avoid extra time. However, extra time could not be avoided.

Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

The word ¨chippy¨ gets thrown around too frequently in sport, but there is no other way to describe the first of added time.

Several players stood out for Butler in the final frame. None more important than the other. Eric Dick, once again demonstrating his dominance in front of the net, firmly denied the game winner that spilled to Eric Leonard who collected and launched the attack that would seal it for the Dawgs. Guhl would be denied in front of goal, but the rebound fell to Lehtinen who would then be fouled in the box by a flailing goalkeeper. Breathe. The ensuing PK would be professionally dispatched by Lewis Suddick. Ball game! Stop the clock. Suddick took his shirt off before he left the pitch, but no one seemed to care.

This game deserved a goal and Suddick had played well all night. He was man of the match, but without Dick, none those late game heroics would have been possible. There were 30 shots and 10 saves between two solid teams. Butler moves to 3-0 in conference play and will take on the No. 14 Hoyas of Georgetown in Washington D.C.

***

Follow Aaron on Twitter: @agunyon.

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Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

2019 already has the makings of a historic year for soccer in North America with not one, not two, but four new leagues launching next year. This piece here should hopefully straighten things out by summarizing and explaining what we currently know.

First up, let’s talk some USL. The top league in its system is now the USL Championship and will likely comprise 36 clubs for 2019. Teams in Austin, Birmingham, El Paso, Hartford, Loudoun, Memphis and Albuquerque are all joining the league. FC Cincinnati is set to join MLS, while Toronto FC 2, Penn FC and the Richmond Kickers will all leave the league for the new third-division USL League One, with Penn FC delaying its debut to 2020.

Moving on to USL League One, the league currently has 10 teams confirmed for 2019. These teams are new teams in Chattanooga, Madison, Greenville, Lansing and Frisco, along with former PDL (now League Two) members FC Tucson and Tormenta FC. Joining them are the aforementioned teams from Toronto and Richmond, as well as a returning Orlando City B side. The Rochester Rhinos are set to end their hiatus by joining alongside Penn FC in 2020.

Then, there’s the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA), formerly run by Peter Wilt. Wilt has left to spearhead the USL League One efforts in Madison. In his absence, the league has regrouped and announced four markets along with one actual team. The first team to be “officially” revealed is San Diego 1904 FC, a club which was originally announced as part of the canceled 2018 NASL season. San Diego will be joined by clubs in Charlotte, Philadelphia, Atlanta and somewhere in Connecticut. NISA does have something of a time advantage on both USL leagues, as NISA is planning to operate on a fall-spring season beginning in August of next year, rather than March/April as is the norm for MLS and USL. The league plans to have 8-12 teams announced for the inaugural season.

In addition to NISA, the NPSL, a long-established amateur/semi-professional league, has announced a new professional tournament to be known as the Founder’s Cup. So far, 11 clubs have been revealed: Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, Miami FC (former NASL), Miami United FC, Milwaukee Torrent, New York Cosmos (former NASL), FC Arizona, ASC San Diego, Cal FC, California United Strikers FC (former NASL expansion) and Oakland Roots SC. The league is currently dividing its clubs into Eastern and Western Conferences, with plans to add one more club to the West. The inaugural campaign will run from August through November, with plans for a full spring-to-fall season in 2020.

To finish things off, Canada is finally getting a proper top division, the Canadian Premier League, planning to kick off in April. Seven teams will contest the 24-game season. Check out our CPL primer for a much deeper look at the league.

Follow John on Twitter: @JohnMLTX.

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Photo credit: Jacksonville Armada FC

Well, there is no denying it. This North American Soccer League season is unpredictable at best and these Power Rankings are subject to change. I mentioned last week that this 2017 NASL season has the potential to be the most interesting in North America and I think that still holds true. The spring and fall seasons are split evenly with a winner getting an automatic playoff bid, but the top four teams will make the playoffs. No team will be out of this race.

Three of last year’s four postseason teams are in this week’s bottom four in the Power Rankings. What is going on?

I use complicated critical analysis to put this list together… maybe. But if you are curious about how all eight teams came into the weekend, you can find last week’s rankings HERE.

No one has been given an official reason why the schedule has featured so many two-legged matchups, but do we really care? These schedule quirks are just a part of 2017’s format and we know these teams will become incredibly familiar with each other.

Getting on with the Power Rankings

1. Jacksonville Armada –  2

Dogs and cats are living together, but you can’t deny Jax their week in the sun. NASL United was bad last year. So bad that they had only one win in their entire spring season. They have doubled that total already while keeping FC Edmonton off the board in two consecutive matches. Congratulations, Jacksonville, on playing well ahead of expectations and earning maximum points when no other team has.

2. Miami FC –  1

They are human after all and they dropped points at home, but South Beach FC remain one to watch. Their opponents were out-shot and out-possessed, but New York still found a way to spoil a nice evening in southern Florida. It’s not like Miami has plummeted from grace, but everyone take note that the sunshine state is leading these Power Rankings for the first time.

3. San Francisco Deltas –  2

Congratulations, Triangles! Your first win was in your second match and in front of the home crowd. It was more like a gathering, but congratulations on leapfrogging in the Power Rankings nonetheless. The San Francisco Treats put up a convincing win on #NCFC which gives them four goals in two games at Kezar Stadium. Norwich City was unaware the contest took place.

4. Puerto Rico FC –  2

Through no real fault of their own, the Carmelos drop two places in this week’s rankings, but they maintain the edge on Indy Eleven because they just can’t be beaten right now. They opened the season with three draws just like Indy. Two of those are to Indy. Both teams had plenty of chances, but neither team seemed fit enough to pull away. The real advantage is having Hector Ramos as a man among boys. The Eleven stare at him like he is covered in glitter.

5. Indy Eleven –  2

There is no reason to panic but the Chubby Checkers need to put the room service down and play some defense. Scoring five in three games makes Indy the best in the league and it will be rewarded later on in the season, but conceding five is also a league-leading stat. Their wounds are self inflicted which sends my Power Rankings algorithm into a frenzy. The bye week will be welcomed by the Eleven, who were already nursing multiple injuries in Week 3.

6. North Carolina FC –  No Change

It’s a long trip to make to San Francisco. It’s probably even longer to come home with nothing to show for it. The season opened strong for #NCFC Canaries when they scored in the 4th minute against Miami. The RailHawks settled for a draw in that one. They opened the scoring again in San Fran, but fell 3-1 to an expansion side in front of the same crowd they used to film this basketball game. Coincidence?

7. New York Cosmos –  1

So… The Cosmos won, but I am not buying what they are selling just yet. It is truly hard to tell if Jax or NYC are the bigger story in these rankings. The ‘Mos were efficient with their opportunities, but they were hardly the better team against Miami who had 14 shots inside the box. A win on the road is worth something and it gets them out of the doghouse, but there is work to do in New York before I can comfortably put them near the top four.

8. FC Edmonton –  1

They are a tough nut to crack under Colin Miller. They always have been. However, this year the Eddies have been beaten at home and away. They have no goals and no points after two matches versus the Jacksonville Armada who just happen to be leading the league?! The bright spot here is that they haven’t got a long way to claw back into the fold. They go on the road to North Carolina next week with both teams desperately needing a win.

Photo credit: Jacksonville Armada FC

These Power Rankings were a lot harder than they were last week, but this season and this league belong to anyone at this point. While Miami are proving themselves, they are not without weaknesses. 

Are Jacksonville the real deal or are they just the beneficiaries of some insane scheduling against the leagues worst?

It is safe to say that neither of last year’s championship competitors are in full swing. New York squeaked some goals in and Indy is tattered on defense. What do you think of this week’s rankings?

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

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Photo Credit: Bruno Postigo

Dario Suarez is one of the most potent attackers in the NPSL. With four career caps for the Cuba national team, that probably goes without saying. After netting four goals last weekend, he’s been named the NPSL Week 11 Mitre National Player of the Week.

The AFC Ann Arbor forward started his weekend off by recording a brace last Friday versus Kalamazoo FC in his side’s 2-nil victory. Suarez then followed it up with another brace in another 2-0 Ann Arbor win over Detroit City FC on Sunday. Here’s his double against Detroit City:

He has six goals in just four matches this season, which already equals the team-leading total he put up in his 2016 NPSL campaign. His stellar form has helped carry AFC Ann Arbor to an early first-place perch atop the NPSL Great Lakes Conference. The Mighty Oak have maxed out on points so far, winning all four of their matches while boasting a jaw-dropping nine goals for to one goal against.

“Individual accolades are great and in Dario’s case well-deserved,” said AFC Ann Arbor coach and sporting director Eric Rudland. “Even more importantly though, Dario’s performances have fueled positive results for our club and he is proving that he can be an effective two-way player.”

Photo credit: Bruno Postigo

The humble striker known as “Super Dario” deflected much of the attention from winning the award away from himself, instead preferring to credit the other lads in the locker room. A forward who helps out on the defensive side of the ball and shows extreme humility? This Suarez guy seems too good to be true. Luckily for Ann Arbor, he’s the real deal.

“Good things come together when you mix teamwork with passion,” Suarez said. “I am grateful for this recognition and thrilled to share this award with my teammates who made it all possible.”

Photo credit: Bruno Postigo

AFC Ann Arbor will attempt to keep its unblemished record in tact on the road tonight at Lansing United. The match will be live-streamed via Lansing’s YouTube page with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

You can follow Kevin on Twitter @KJboxing.

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Guys, after having slept on it, let’s have some perspective. The sky is not falling down. As an eternal pessimist, I’m in this weird role where I feel that some of the reaction to the game has been too negative. We all care about this club, and your opinion is as valuable as mine. Some of you have traveled far distances to support this team, and I have so much admiration for that. But, the three major things I will disagree with are:

a) Hank should be fired. b) The players don’t care. c) Booing the players is okay.

#IndyForever. Pic credit: Indy XI

This rant is an attempt to address those 3 points:

1. We lost 3 games this week — 2 of them to a team far superior to us (or anyone else in this league). Yes, the Michigan Bucks loss is indefensible, but, it was one awful game.

2. Those of us who want Hankinson gone; you’re entitled to your opinion and anger. First of all, I disagree with the idea that Hank should be fired. Let me ask you this — who would replace him? There aren’t too many Marc dos Santos/Alessandro Nesta’s out there waiting for us to sign. Especially given our shoe string budget.

3. The players do care. They care as much as you do. I spoke to a couple of them last night, and they’re livid. If you’ve played a sport, you know what it’s like to be in mental quicksand. Indy won 75% of our aerial duels against Miami’s team. We narrowly edged (Source: Opta Stats) on duels won. We matched Miami on many other metrics such as tackles won/percentage tackles/long balls played. So, the idea that our players didn’t care/are playing long balls like the Sommer-era are just demonstrably false.

I listened while Aaron Gunyon and Kevin Johnston interviewed Colin Falvey after the game. I hope Aaron can share some of that audio, because there is no way you could listen to Colin speak and think he doesn’t care about this club and its fans.

4. STOP BOOING YOUR OWN PLAYERS IMMEDIATELY. The ONLY time you boo your own players is if they’ve done something morally/ethically wrong on the pitch. Ask yourself – what exactly will this accomplish anyway?

5. Vent. That’s totally fine. You’re entitled to be angry.

6. We’ve been through worse nights and worse weeks as Indy XI supporters. The sky is not falling in… yet.

7. Hank’s plan (almost) worked perfectly:

7a. Hank’s plan was to siphon the midfield space for Ritchie Ryan (best holding MF in the league) and Dylan Mares – by playing Brad and Lovel as 2 ball-winning midfielders in a 4-5-1. If you watch the game again, you’ll see that Ritchie and Mares had (probably) their least effective games of the season. 

7b. Hank’s plan was to force Miami to go wide and send in crosses; which Kwame and Falvey were capable of dealing with. He did not want the likes of Poku to get 1 v 1 against any defenders, or to be able to turn and run at defenders. Except for one occasion in the 2nd half – that plan worked.

7c. Hank’s plan was to have Braun, Speas and Thompson make runs along Miami’s high defensive line, and find themselves played through by the likes of Torrado. From the press box, I counted a number of times when those 3 made excellent, well-timed runs, but the ball to them was either not played (most of the time) or weighted incorrectly (one time). Hank’s plan was right. Our execution was not.

Hi Bill! This passion drives our club. (By the way, while you shouldn’t boo players, it’s perfectly okay to boo Bill. Pic Credit: Indy XI

7d. After ~the 60th minute, Hank switched to a back 3. We created a couple of chances, and then got hit on the break for Poku’s goal. Hank’s decision to go 3 at the back was a good tactical switch which gave us a chance to equalize. By that point, Miami was playing on the counter, and had switched their shape to a narrow 4-5-1 (which is why Vuko had so much space for last 30).

8. So, why did we lose? We made two critical individual errors. For the first goal, our team switched off defensively. For the 2nd, one of our defenders did not play the offside line, allowing Poku to be clearly on-side when the ball was played through to him. Two errors, two goals, zero points. Against a team like Miami, two errors will offset any other defensive organization.

We also lost because this is a league which will be decided on game changers. Given the repeat match-ups, tactics will not decide games – the way it didn’t decide this game – game changers and individual ability will. When it comes to game changers, we have very few. And, with our shoestring budget, I don’t see that changing in the summer either.

We still miss Don Smart (aka bae). I saw him hanging out on the touchline. And, he’s just glorious. He’s just… bae.

Ultimately, everyone is entitled to their opinion. Your passion fuels this club. But, let’s take a deep breath, relax, stop booing and stop asking for Hank’s beautiful head of hair. Come on your boys in blue! #BeatEdmonton

You can follow Nipun and SocTakes at @NipunChopra7 and @SocTakes

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Image credit: Boston City FC

After recently launching a sister club in Brazil, NPSL club Boston City FC continued making waves with another sizable announcement Thursday.

Boston City FC and New Balance signed a multi-year apparel agreement that will keep the team outfitted in New Balance gear for the foreseeable future. The Boston-based athletic apparel company will provide Boston City custom kits, footwear, tracksuits and more.

“New Balance is incredibly excited and proud to announce a new sponsorship with our local NPSL team, Boston City FC,” said New Balance general manager global team sports Chris Gallo in the press release announcing the deal. “Our agreement together is a strong statement for New Balance in the region and we look forward to providing the best experience for both the players and fans on and off the field.”

Earlier this month, Boston City birthed a sister club in a different hemisphere: Boston City FC Brasil. The affiliate received more than 1,000 youth applicants to enter the academy before it even officially launched.

Now, with a multi-year deal in place with a major sportswear manufacturer and an expanding presence globally, Boston City FC appears to have positioned itself for a prosperous future — whether that’s in the NPSL or elsewhere.

“The level of commitment from New Balance is a clear indication that they believe in the longevity of the project we started two years ago,” Boston City FC managing director Craig Tornberg said. “They have recognized what we have achieved to date and see the tremendous potential Boston City has to influence and appeal to soccer fans in our region.

“We are incredibly honored to wear one of Boston’s premier brands, who have made such a global commitment to our sport. We look forward not only to wearing the New Balance uniforms, but also carrying out brand activation in the Greater Boston market, at matches, and through our youth soccer partnerships as we continue to integrate with our local community.”

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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