LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Archrivals Indy Eleven and Louisville City FC battled to a thrilling 3-3 draw Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium, leaving LouCity in second place and Indy in fourth in the Central Division upon completion of the USL Championship weekend fixtures.
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Fort Wayne FC hosted its first-ever international friendly Friday against storied Mexican club Chivas. Maxwell Amoaka tallied for FWFC, but the visitors came out victorious 2-1 in front of the 3,641 fans in attendance at Shields Field.
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INDIANAPOLIS — A first-half header by Indy Eleven wingback Nick Moon was equaled in the second half off the boot of OKC Energy’s Frank Lopez as Indy and OKC battled to a 1-1 draw Wednesday at “The Mike.” The meeting was the first ever between the two clubs now that they’re both in the USL Championship’s Central Division.
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Image credit: MLS Communications
Major League Soccer announced “The 25 Greatest” last week, its 25 greatest players of all time in celebration of its 25th season. Most of the players deserve to be on the list.
One of them caught my attention. And I’m having trouble rationalizing it. David Beckham. No disrespect to Beckham. The man is a true professional and was a special player. But in this instance, I think his celebrity status earned him a ticket to the greatest 25.
I respect that Beckham filled the stands. And he played well, when he played. But I’m not sure one could say that his play left a mark on the league. Maybe he turned some heads and got some people interested in MLS. But is he really worthy of being named one of MLS’ top 25 greatest players? I don’t think so. Prove me wrong.
I’m afraid that the people who voted for the players may not know all about the history of the league. There are players who literally helped build the league. They were the faces of MLS. They were the players others dreamed to be like. Beckham was nowhere on the radar.
Brian McBride was the first-ever draft pick. DaMarcus Beasley was the youngest player ever signed in 1999. Taylor Twellman was the youngest and fastest player to reach 100 goals. Alexi Lalas — the name speaks for itself. If you were a soccer fan in 1994, you knew who Alexi was. And then you followed him to MLS. There are a lot of people who should have had their names thrown into the ring.
Here are a few of my suggestions:
Chris Armas began his MLS career with the Los Angeles Galaxy. But when the Chicago Fire picked him up in 1998, Armas became a mainstay in the midfield for Chicago. He was the heart and soul of the Fire. In 264 career matches, Armas left it all on the pitch every match. He tallied 12 goals and 48 assists during his 12 seasons. Armas, a four-time MLS Best XI selection, retired from MLS in 2007. Armas most recently served as head coach of the New York Red Bulls.
At the time Beasley inked a deal with MLS, he was the youngest player to ever sign at 16 years old in 1999. It didn’t take Beasley long to make his mark on the Chicago Fire. Beasley was fast and sneaky. The only way defenders could stop him was to foul him. And they did. A lot. In 222 MLS matches, Beasley notched 17 goals and 26 assists, while suffering 567 fouls. The 567 fouls suffered rank eighth all time in MLS. Beasley played abroad for 10 years, but returned to MLS to finish out his career with the Houston Dynamo. Beasley starred on the U.S. men’s national team and is the only American to have played in four World Cups. Beasley now runs his soccer camps and is co-owner of Fort Wayne FC.
Jason Kreis played 12 seasons in MLS with the Dallas Burn and Real Salt Lake. During his tenure, Kreis played in 305 matches, collecting 108 goals and 74 assists. He still ranks eighth all time in goals scored. Kreis was drafted 43rd overall in the inaugural MLS draft in 1996. He scored the first goal in Dallas Burn history. Kreis had a standout year in 1999, tallying 18 goals and 15 assists. He became the first player to register a 15-goal and 15-assist season in league history, earning league MVP honors. Kreis retired in 2007 and became the head coach of Real Salt Lake. He led the club to the 2009 MLS Cup championship. Kreis has also coached New York City FC and Orlando City SC.
McBride represents the blood, sweat and tears that made MLS. He was the first overall pick in the inaugural MLS draft. McBride played 220 games in MLS — in Columbus (1996-2003) and Chicago (2008-10) — recording 80 goals and 52 assists. In between his MLS stints, McBride made a name for himself starring for Fulham FC, playing in 154 matches and notching 40 goals. McBride appeared 95 times for the U.S. men’s national team with 30 goals. McBride was lethal in the air and has hardware in his cheek to prove it.
Twellman made a name for himself quickly in MLS. He was fast and powerful as a forward for the New England Revolution. In 174 games played in eight seasons, he tallied 101 goals, earning All-Star honors five times. Twellman put his body on the line every match. His physical play cost him his career; he retired in 2009. Twellman became the youngest and fastest MLS player to reach 100 goals at 29, and still ranks 10th all time in goals scored. Twellman also played in 30 matches for the U.S. men, with six goals.
When MLS began, there were a handful of stars who made a name for themselves both on and off the pitch. Alexi Lalas was without a doubt one of the most well-known players. With his crazy hair and long beard, Lalas was an American star on the 1994 World Cup squad. Lalas became the first American to play in Italy’s Serie A (Calico Padova), but returned to join MLS in 1996. The defender played in 181 games in MLS and 96 for the U.S. men. Lalas joined the business side of soccer after retiring in 2003, with San Jose Earthquakes, New York Red Bulls and Los Angeles Galaxy. Lalas now works as a soccer analyst.
Again, these are just a few suggestions for MLS’ best 25 players ever. But it worries me that the people voting on the list forgot some of these faces. These men helped build this league. And they continue to give back to the game. That may be the most impressive thing. Not one of them forgot where they came from. Major League Soccer would not be what it is today if it wasn’t for each and every one of them.
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Image credit: Cape Coral Cyclones
The southwest Florida-based Cape Coral Cyclones have become the WPSL‘s latest expansion team, the league announced today. The Cyclones will debut in the upcoming 2021 season and host their home matches at Mariner High School’s Tony McKenna Stadium.
Under the umbrella of the Cape Coral Soccer Association, which was founded in 1974, the team will be coached by the current coach of the club’s U13 and U16 sides, Bajro Dizdarevic. Among his specialties includes goalkeeper training. Dizdarevic played professionally in Bosnia and Croatia.
The club hopes the WPSL move will allow it to serve as a final stop for high-level women’s footballers looking to take the next step in their careers.
“We have all these girls that come through our program go on to play college soccer,” Cape Coral director of coaching Eddie Carmean said in a statement. “It is wonderful to give them this level of play in Cape Coral while they are on college summer break and continue after their college careers are over — it is our hope that some will use this platform to be discovered for the NWSL or U.S. women’s national team.”
Historically, the WPSL has provided a bountiful pipeline to pro and international soccer. Nine active players in the USWNT player pool are alums of the league. And between the NWSL and other pro leagues worldwide, more than 100 former WPSL footballers played professionally this year.
Ticket details for the Cape Coral Cyclones’ inaugural WPSL campaign will be made available at the team’s official website at a future date.
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FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The South Bends Lions topped Fort Wayne FC 3-1 on Sunday afternoon in the inaugural St. Joe Rivers Derby, the newly formed rivalry between the regional foes. Fort Wayne remains in search of its first USL League Two win, while the Lions moved their record to 2W-2D-1L.
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USL soccer will make its triumphant return, hopefully, beginning July 11 with a regionalized group system and a reduced schedule. Each team has been divided among eight groups, four for each conference, and will primarily be playing against teams in its own group. Each team will play up to 12 games against members of its group, with up to an additional four games against teams from outside the group but geographically related.
So, with that out of the way, let’s look at the groups.
In the intro segment, you’ll notice the use of “up to” for the number of games. That’s because every team but Birmingham and Hartford have already played once, with San Diego and Tacoma playing twice before the season was postponed. As a result, those matches will either count as an in-group or out-of-group result for the new schedule. That means we actually already have some group standings.
I’m not going to flood this already lengthy article with embedded spreadsheets of every single group’s standings. I will, however, make a nice little table that includes the relevant information.
Games played against group and non-group opponents
This table shows which games played were against teams in the group (OPP) and other teams outside the group (OTH). Games highlighted in green were wins, yellow draws and red losses. From this, we can see that Groups A, B, F and H have already played one group game. Meanwhile, the majority of teams will only have three additional games against other opponents.
After the completion of the group stage, the top two teams in each group will then advance to a single-elimination bracket, reducing the playoffs from their originally scheduled 10 teams with a play-in round to eight per conference, essentially reverting to the playoff format last used in 2008.
The USL Championship format helps to reduce travel, but interestingly, they’re not going for the same single-site bubbles that MLS and the NWSL are planning, and given the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, could prove to be a more ambitious and potentially problematic system.
Regardless, the season is set to resume on the 11th, with announcements of group schedules expected this week. Stay tuned for more details as they arrive.
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INDIANAPOLIS — According to mathematics, 901 is greater than 11. That was also the case Saturday evening at Carroll Stadium as visiting Memphis 901 FC upset the Indy Eleven 2-1 behind goals from Michael Salazar and Kyle Murphy. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access…
INDIANAPOLIS — A first-half header by Indy Eleven wingback Nick Moon was equaled in the second half off the boot of OKC Energy’s Frank Lopez as Indy and OKC battled to a 1-1 draw Wednesday at “The Mike.” The meeting was the first ever between the two clubs now…
LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Two penalty conversions by Indy Eleven striker Jordan Hamilton propelled Indy to a 2-1 road victory over Louisville City FC on Saturday night in the latest installment of the LIPAFC rivalry. LouCity’s Corben Bone struck first for the hosts in the 45th minute before Hamilton’s pair…
INDIANAPOLIS — A clean sheet from Jordan Farr and the Indy Eleven defense along with second-half goals by Jordan Hamilton and Manuel Arteaga helped Indy top Sporting KC II on Saturday evening. The 2-nil result was the Eleven’s first home win since returning to their original home at Carroll…
INDIANAPOLIS — FC Tulsa remained unblemished on the season at 3-0-0 while ruining the Indy Eleven’s return to Michael A. Carroll Stadium with a 2-0 victory Saturday. Joaquin Rivas bagged a brace for the visitors, the first coming on a header and the second on a converted penalty. Follow…
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Indy Eleven were able to fend off Birmingham Legion FC after a 28th-minute tally by forward Manuel Arteaga to earn a 1-nil road victory. The match was the season opener for both clubs. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to…
Indiana Futsal director Justin Becht joins host Kevin Johnston for a discussion on the latest happenings at Indiana Soccer, coaching, his trips to Cuba to build futsal courts, Fulham, Indy Eleven and more. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a…
INDIANAPOLIS — Two goals, two red cards and many more yellows left the Indy Eleven and Saint Louis FC level 1-1 in a crucial Group E matchup Wednesday at Lucas Oil Stadium. STLFC trails Indy by a single point for second place in the group. The top two in…
INDIANAPOLIS — Indy Eleven forwards Nick Moon, 24, and Jeremy Rafanello, 20, found the back of the net in Indy’s 2-1 triumph over Sporting KC II on Wednesday evening. SKC II substitute Tyler Freeman pulled one back late on a free kick and the visitors nearly got an equalizer…
INDIANAPOLIS — Louisville City FC leapt out to 3-0 lead in the first half and then shifted into cruise control to depart Lucas Oil Stadium with a 3-1 victory against archnemesis Indy Eleven on Saturday evening. The three points pushed LouCity passed Indy to the top of Group E….
INDIANAPOLIS — A link up from Andrew Carleton to Tyler Pasher carried the Indy Eleven to a 1-0 win over Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC on Saturday despite a 50th-minute Ayoze red card. The veteran left wingback was sent off for preventing a goal with his arms. Indy ‘keeper Evan Newton…
INDIANAPOLIS — Sporting KC II snapped Indy Eleven’s 12-game home winning streak and 27-game home unbeaten streak during the regular season Saturday evening at Lucas Oil. An upper-90 stunner from Danny Barbir in the second half, assisted by Enoch Mushagalusa, earned the visitors a 1-0 result in the Group…CINCINNATI — In each club’s first game back since the conclusion of the MLS Is Back tournament, FC Cincinnati and D.C. United settled for a nil-nil draw Friday at Nippert Stadium. Both teams are currently in the middle of the pack in the Eastern Conference with FCC sitting on seven points and DCU six.
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Photo credit: Bruno Postigo
From an early age, athletes learn to overcome adversity. The skills they learn on the pitch, field, court, etc., help prepare them for the real world. Overcoming adversity may very well be the theme for the year 2020. And for former U.S. women’s national team player Lindsay Tarpley, she found a way to overcome canceled clinics and still help the local youth.
Tarpley teamed with the United Dairy Industry of Michigan and AFC Ann Arbor in 2018 to create Community Kicks soccer clinics. The free clinics supply children with four basic soccer skills, four life skills and four nutritional skills. They met once a week for four weeks in multiple locations from Grand Rapids to Flint. But this year, the clinics are on hold. Well, they were on hold until Tarpley and team found another way.
“We’ve switched to a virtual program,” Tarpley said. “Each week we launch a soccer skills video. We supply the link on lunch sacks. So far our numbers are great. It’s different, but the concepts are the same. Right now with so many things on hold, this gives the kids a chance to be a part of something.”
The mission of the clinics is “to positively impact the youth in under resourced communities by introducing them to basic soccer, nutrition and life skills.”
The first two lessons of this year’s soccer drills are dribbling and passing. Tarpley combines with other soccer coaches and players to demonstrate activities to do at home. To play the game of soccer you need a ball. To do the drills you need cones or something to substitute as cones and a wall or a partner. The goal is to keep the kids active.
Photo credit: Bruno Postigo
“We want kids to realize the importance of staying active with the nutritional aspect of fueling your body,” Tarpley said. “The first year we had 200 attendees. Last year we had 500, and this year, we’ve sent out 30,000 lunch sacks with a link to our program. We want kids to look at the link, have fun and learn something.”
The life skills vary from week to week. The skills are implemented in a lesson. The main goal is to keep kids active by challenging themselves.
“Each week is something different,” Tarpley said. “We teach them about hard work, being willing to sacrifice for what you want, believing in yourself, persevering, having confidence. We want them to learn but also be physically active.”
The clinics were held once a week for four weeks during summer in Ypsilanti, Detroit, Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids. They were short and sweet and to the point.
“We combined everything in 30-45 minutes, an hour max,” Tarpley said. “We would end each session by making a smoothie and then everyone gets a lunch. I miss that aspect of it.”
Photo credit: Bruno Postigo
Community kicks teamed up with a dietitian from Milk Means More to help give nutritional tips. While Meet Up and Eat Up supplied attendees with a free meal. Since there are no clinics this year, Meet Up and Eat Up, Food Gatherers and Gleaners have come together to provide youth with sack lunches throughout Washtenaw County, Metro Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids and Lansing.
Tarpley hopes that they will again return to the in-person clinics. But for now, the online platform will have to do. And as for whether they’ll continue to grow, Tarpley said she hopes so.
“That would be wonderful,” Tarpley said. “Our big focus now is to build our program and continue to give back.”
To find out more visit CommunityKicks.org.
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