Image credit: Kutoa Project/Icarus

INDIANAPOLIS and NAIROBI, Kenya — The Kutoa Project, a nonprofit based in Nairobi, has a purpose that’s easy to get behind. And now you can support it while rocking a fresh, limited-edition kit in the process.

The Kutoa Project has partnered with apparel outfitter Icarus to manufacture a fly new jersey that’s now available for purchase online, the organization announced Wednesday. The end product is a boisterous green, black and white shirt that’s certainly not lacking in imagination nor style.

For the past few years, Indy Saints FC general manager Jason Brown and his wife, Shae, have alternated living between Indiana and Kenya. Together, they established the Kutoa Project in Nairobi to help local kids and young adults overcome trauma.

The Kutoa Project’s mission could best be summarized with three Fs: fostering, faith and — of course — football. The organization “equip(s) Kenyan youth who have been affected by violence, abuse, homelessness, trafficking, diseases, or loss by providing therapeutic social services in a safe, Christ-centered environment,” as its website describes.

One of the organization’s initiatives involves a considerable dose of soccer. Kenyan kids and young adults alike participate in leagues and clinics put on by the Kutoa Project.

“It takes about $5,000-$7,000 to run the program here as we’re growing it a piece at a time,” Brown said. “We’ve had over 300 players in our leagues, attendance of about 3,000-4,000 per season, offer a free youth clinic every other month with 100-250 kids and volunteer coaches.”

Only 100 of the limited-edition Kutoa Project kits were pressed, so grab them while they last at kutoaproject.bigcartel.com. Here’s a look:

Photo credit: Kutoa Project/Icarus

Revenue from sales of the jersey will directly fund young footballers’ participation in the Kutoa Project’s leagues and clinics. Consumers can get their hands on the jersey for $60 plus shipping in sizes ranging from small to extra large.

“The proceeds will fund a player’s fees for an entire year,” Brown explained.

The jersey’s product description adds:

“For every jersey purchased you will be providing one year of participation for youth in our community soccer programs in Nairobi, Kenya. In 2018, we reached over 250 young adults in our community soccer leagues and over 500-plus children in our soccer clinics.”

Get fresh, help Kenyan youths connect with the beautiful game and support an organization dedicated to bettering the lives of young Kenyans affected by trauma — all in one. By purchasing the Kutoa Project kit designed by Icarus, you’ll be doing just that.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Teammates mob Dane Kelly in celebration of his second-half tally. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — Outside Lucas Oil Stadium during the second half of Sunday’s match between the Indy Eleven and Saint Louis FC, a nasty thunderstorm began spewing down from the heavens. Inside the stadium, a mild tempest of its own formed around the same time.

After a nil-nil first half, an entertaining three-goal second interval ended with Indy holding off the visitors for a 2-1 win. The insertion of pacey Tyler Pasher at halftime might as well have served as the National Weather Service’s severe storm warning.

“It was another solid home win for us,” Pasher said. “We have a pretty good streak going on right now. As you can see, everybody’s starting to find their stride — find comfort — toward the second half of the season.”

Pasher regularly made himself dangerous with his top-end speed and dribbling skills, eventually opening the scoring with a stellar individual effort in the 67th minute. Isolated one-v-one in the corner after collecting a pass from Lucas Faris, Pasher skinned Saint Louis left back Paris Gee as the defender recklessly dove in and whiffed on an attempted tackle. The sequence resulted in Pasher cutting to the middle with too much space and finishing at the far post.

Here’s how @Typash put the #BoysInBlue on top … #INDvSTL pic.twitter.com/JSgD8dzped

— Indy Eleven (@IndyEleven) August 18, 2019

Pasher now has nine goals in 20 league appearances this season. Seven of those have come since the start of June. As the weather has heated up, so has the pacey winger.

Another second-half substitute, Dane Kelly, put an end to his scoring drought in the 81st minute and gave Indy a 2-nil advantage. It was his fifth tally of the season, but he hadn’t scored since April 28.

“With Dane, you know, Dane just needs one goal,” Pasher said. “And now it’s just going to keep coming for him.”

Here’s how Dane Kelly scored his 5th of the year and put the game away for Indy in the 81st minute.

IND 2:0 STL pic.twitter.com/poHK4PyNyK

— Indy Eleven (@IndyEleven) August 18, 2019

“I think I came out with a bit of energy, “Kelly said. “That’s what coach wanted.”

The usually prolific Jamaican striker tracked a bouncing long ball from Paddy Barrett and out-wrestled Saint Louis defender Sam Fink, who lost his footing and tumbled to the turf. Kelly then lofted a gentle volley over goalkeeper Tomas Gomez for his first strike of the summer.

Dane Kelly flicks a volley over Tomas Gomez for his first goal since April 28. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Saint Louis FC pulled one back in stoppage time on a class free kick off the boot of Lewis Hilton, but the hosts were able to cling to the three points until the fulltime whistle.

@LewisHilton4 on target 🎯😍 pic.twitter.com/xPYvkGa0Xp

— Saint Louis FC (@SaintLouisFC) August 19, 2019

Eleven head coach Martin Rennie went with something resembling a 3-5-2 for the occasion. Captain Matt Watson, Tyler Gibson and Kenney Walker formed a trio of CDMs in the middle of the park, with usual suspects Ayoze and Farias manning the left and right flanks, respectively.

Rennie’s back three consisted of — from left to right — Neveal Hackshaw, Barrett and Karl Ouimette. Ilija Ilic and Eugene Starikov rounded out the starting XI, the latter of whom drew his first start since March after returning from injury to score the game winner Tuesday in a friendly at Detroit City FC. But on this night, it was Rennie’s substitutes who helped open the game up and impacted the proceedings the most.

Tyler Pasher explodes by Paris Gee in the second half. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Saint Louis FC seemed content to allow Indy to hold the ball more, opting instead to get out and run on the counter. It worked for the visitors early on, as evidenced by both teams generating about the same number and quality of chances in the first half. But in the second, Rennie’s halftime subs and tactical adjustments quelled Saint Louis’ game plan.

“The biggest thing was, in the first half we were playing a lot of central balls to feet where Eugene and Ilic were,” Rennie explained. “In the second half, we played a lot more out of the pressure and out diagonally beyond their pressure. And that opened up the game quite a lot for us.”

The Brickyard Battalion echoes the sentiments of Alejandro Bedoya and many others. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

The three points jumped the Eleven to fourth in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings. Saint Louis sits in 11th, just below the playoff line, after departing with zero points in tow. Both clubs have games in hand over most of the other Eastern Conference sides.

Indy will return to the Lucas Oil pitch next Sunday to host the Charlotte Independence, with kickoff set for 6 p.m. Saint Louis FC, meanwhile, will venture to Ottawa on Saturday to take on the in-form Fury.

The Eleven haven’t lost at home since July 4, 2018.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Image credit: Central Florida SC

A new NPSL expansion team, Central Florida SC, has arrived in Orlando, Fla., the league announced Friday. Affectionately known as the Panthers, the side will join the Sunshine Conference and take the pitch this year.

“We expect to showcase the wealth of talent that participates in the Central Florida Soccer League and our affiliate, the Florida Suncoast Soccer League,” club president Eddie Loyola said in a release. “With an NPSL membership, we will be able to provide a pyramid of opportunities for our league’s amateur players and coaches.”

Loyola heads the executive board of directors that operates the team, which also includes vice president Giovanni Taliaferro and treasurer Alphonse Amato.

“The NPSL is thrilled to grow its presence in Florida,” said NPSL managing director Cindy Spera. “We expect Central Florida Soccer Club to do many great things on and off the field. They bring so much to the league, including strong leadership and many talented players and coaches.”

Image credit: Central Florida SC/NPSL

Central Florida SC will retain its affiliation with the local Central Florida Soccer League (CFSL) while in the NPSL. The CFSL is the home to “nearly 3,000 adult soccer players,” per NPSL director of membership development Dina Case.

The club expects its addition of an NPSL side — while maintaining its presence in the Altamonte Springs, Fla.-based CFSL — will ultimately open doors for both the club’s players and coaches.

“While other clubs may be standalone organizations with some having a youth infrastructure, our organization will be a vehicle to serve two main purposes,” Loyola added. “First, we will provide league players with exclusive opportunities to further their careers in the beautiful game with increased exposure via an NPSL membership. Second, we will provide league coaches with exclusive opportunities for hands-on experience coaching at a higher level.”

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

INDIANAPOLIS — Entering their match against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, the Indy Eleven hadn’t conceded at home all season, but also hadn’t scored multiple goals in a home game either. Both trends ceased Saturday evening at Lucas Oil Stadium, as Indy rallied from 1-0 down for a 2-1 victory. Robbie Mertz opened the scoring for the visitors, but goals by Kenney Walker and Tyler Pasher carried Indy to the comeback win.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

Image credit: Ann Arbor Mudpuppies

INDIANAPOLIS — At halftime of Friday’s National Futsal Premier League (NFPL) final between the Ann Arbor Mudpuppies and Futsal Indy, the scoreboard read 1-1. Eighteen second-half goals later, the Mudpuppies lifted the trophy as the first-ever NFPL postseason champions after surging to a 13-7 win.

It was a wild ride, to say the least, especially once Ann Arbor’s Yuri Farkas put his stamp on the match.

After a bit of a feel-out session early, the game opened up about midway through the first half. Both sides hit the woodwork and tested one another’s goalkeepers, but the back of the net proved elusive.

Futsal Indy struck first and seemed set to head to the locker room with a 1-nil lead, but Ann Arbor equalized with under a minute left in the half. It was an unusually low-scoring half for a futsal game, making what was to come even more shocking.

The wheels fell off alarmingly fast for Futsal Indy following the break. After holding the visitors to just a lone tally in the first half, Indy conceded five goals in the first six minutes of the second and never really recovered. The hosts briefly cut the lead to 7-3, but it was all Ann Arbor from there.

Farkas did a little bit of everything in leading the Mudpuppies rally, namely scoring in bunches. He tallied in a variety of ways and also regularly showed poise on the ball in the middle of the court.

Yuri Farkas (back right) took over in the second half.

With nothing to lose, Indy rotated a field player into net to masquerade as a part-time goalkeeper while often joining the attack to create a numbers advantage. The move allowed the hosts to rack up a few goals late, but they continued conceding just as many as they scored with their net frequently exposed.

Junyor Zanelatto and Marcelo De Matos led the way for Indy with impactful performances, but both visibly displayed their frustration in the second half by repeatedly jawing at the referees. Given the explosion of Mudpuppies goals, the frustration could be seen up and down the Futsal Indy roster Friday night.

Futsal Indy finished atop the NFPL regular-season table after winning nine of 12 games; the Mudpuppies won eight and finished second.

League commissioner Ubusuku Abukusumo was on hand at Park Tudor School, Futsal Indy’s home venue, to soak up the final and present the NFPL title to Ann Arbor. Abukusumo played for the Columbus Crew from 1997-99.

With its first season in the books after an 18-goal second half in the NFPL title match, the league will look to build upon its successful inaugural campaign when next season rolls around.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

WESTFIELD, Ind. — Co-hosts Nipun Chopra and Kevin Johnston share their thoughts on the Indy Eleven, FC Cincinnati and Sogility, the soccer-specific training facility where the show is filmed, in Episode 4 of Soc Takes TV on the ISC Sports Network.

WATCH HERE

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

With the rise of advanced analytics in soccer, expected goals (xG) has become a go-to metric for examining the quality of both clubs and individual players beyond base accumulation stats (goals, assists, etc.).

Inspired by Ben Mayhew of Experimental 3-6-1, who utilizes similar statistics for the English Football League, the below table and charts are an examination of the attacking, defensive and overall quality of MLS clubs, regularly updated throughout the 2019 season.

All clubs have played between 13-17 matches so far in 2019, approaching the midpoint of the regular season. Trends have become firm, though still alterable with a second-half switch. That becomes less likely as we continue – barring a Sounders-esque miracle run.

Some items of note:

· LAFC are still absolutely killing it. They have the best attack by far, with their 19 shots per game as best in the league by four shots more than the next closest team – and they convert those into goals at the second-best rate, trailing only the Sounders. Defensively, however, they now have a match in Atlanta United, who share almost exactly identical metrics in shots faced per game and shots faced per goal allowed. It’s not exactly a crash back to Earth, but the first semblance of competitiveness another club has shown LAFC all year.

· The New York Red Bulls have rebounded tremendously from their early season woes. While their matches tend to be low-volume in terms of shots in both directions, the Red Bulls defense has quietly become one of the five most efficient league-wide. The offense continues to lag, however, shooting at too low of a volume to take ideal advantage of their clinical finishing. If the offense can catch up to the defense, they’ll jump from the second-tier of clubs into the top alongside LAFC, Atlanta and… the Houston Dynamo?

· If I asked you to name the second-best team in the league based on xG, would you guess the Houston Dynamo? Other teams are more efficient on offense – like the Union – and defense – like the Red Bulls, but the xG numbers draw your eye to the Dynamo behind LAFC. The Union and Fire both have a case in this metric, but it’s close enough to be a toss-up between the three.

· Three most lucky clubs (based on GD-xGD, i.e. how much better their GD is vs. their xGD)

o Seattle Sounders FC (11.68)

o D.C. United (11.41)

o New York Red Bulls (7.38)

· Three most unlucky clubs (based on GD-xGD, i.e. how much worse their GD is vs. their xGD)

o New England Revolution (-8.63)

o Chicago Fire (-8.49)

o FC Cincinnati (-8.39)

All xG totals are sourced from American Soccer Analysis’ xG Interactive Tables.

Here is a small glossary of the terms for clarity:

GP – Games Played
ShtF – Shots For
ShtA – Shots Against
GF – Goals For
GA – Goals Against
GD – Goal Differential
xGF – Expected Goals For
xGA – Expected Goals Against
xGD – Expected Goal Differential
GD-xGD – Goal Differential minus Expected Goal Differential
ShtF/g – Shots For per Game
ShtA/g – Shots Against per Game
GF/g – Goals For per Game
GA/g – Goals Against per Game
GD/g – Goal Differential per Game
xGF/g – Expected Goals For per Game
xGA/g – Expected Goals Against per Game
xGD/g – Expected Goal Differential per Game
ShtF/GF – Shots For per Goal For
ShtA/GA – Shots Against per Goal Against

Follow Colton on Twitter: @cjcoreschi.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

• 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…
• 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,…
• U.S. Soccer unveiled head coach Gregg Berhalter’s roster for the upcoming U.S. men’s national team friendlies against Wales on Nov. 12 and Panama on Nov. 16. The Wales match…
• Norwich City turned in its most comprehensive attacking display of the season Saturday in a 3-1 away victory at Bristol City. Following the conclusion of the weekend’s fixtures, the…

Josh Penn (right) looked mature beyond his years in his Indy Eleven debut. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling

The show Josh Penn put on in the Indy Eleven’s 2-1 loss to Saint Louis FC on Saturday was so enthralling that the only thing missing was Teller.

The U-19 U.S. men’s national team member and Indiana Hoosiers commit regularly diced up opponents on the left flank and showed an exceptional feel for the game. He was the most dangerous player on the pitch for the first 45 minutes, eviscerated the ankles of a solid veteran defender in Matt Bahner and showed a special type of creativity — a willingness to take players on in space that’s not often exhibited by young American footballers.

Penn also nearly helped open the scoring a few times. The 18-year-old fired a shot on target after putting Bahner on skates in the 19th minute that would’ve found twine were it not for a save by well-positioned St. Louis goalkeeper Jake Fenlason.

Penn’s short, lofted pass to a wide-open Dane Kelly at the far post in the 35th minute created a savory header opportunity that Fenlason denied. Later, in the 48th, Penn burned up the left side and found Kelly’s noggin again — this time at the near post — that led to a header off the woodwork.

“Josh is a fast, dynamic player who can beat people on the dribble and is scoring threat,” said Indy Eleven head coach Martin Rennie in the release announcing Penn’s signing.

But it wasn’t all puppies and flowers in Penn’s debut. For one, his team didn’t leave with a win, albeit through perhaps no fault of his own.

He showed his inexperience on occasion, which is expected of a player his age. A couple times he took a heavy first touch and conceded possession. At others, he was a tad optimistic about playing a long ball across the field, or forced a short- or -mid-distance pass in traffic.

Penn also quieted down when the defense paid more attention to him as the match wore on. He flashed his ability significantly more in the first half and wasn’t able to impact the game as much after the intermission.

His defensive contributions were pretty nonexistent as well. He officially recorded nary a tackle, clearance, blocked shot or interception. With a three-back system behind him, he’ll definitely need to improve on that side of the ball.

But on the whole, the final numbers were as impressive as the eye test. In his 80-minute shift, Penn completed 76.7 percent of his passes, 30 successful in total, of which four were long passes. His aforementioned shot on target was his lone on the day, and he was credited with two successful crosses and two chances created for his connections with Kelly. He won four of six duels, drew two fouls while committing zero and avoided going into the referee’s book.

His heat map — from right to left — also revealed a lengthy tenure in the final third, a trait Rennie will surely grow to appreciate.

Image credit: USL Championship/Opta

Penn has very soft feet for a player his size. Standing 6-2 with a smooth left foot to boot, his physicality presents almost as much of a challenge to opponents as his technical ability does. His field vision seems quite advanced for his age, as some of the passes he attempted Saturday that didn’t connect showed the ambition of a confident player who’s aware of where his teammates are at or headed.

Penn is able to suit up for the Eleven while maintaining his amateur status via a partnership with Chicago-based Sockers FC. He intends to head off to Indiana University this fall to play for Todd Yeagley after choosing the school in January.

It looks like both the Eleven and Hoosiers have themselves a special talent at their disposal. In fact, his career with both might end up getting cut short because of his astronomical potential.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

But having a guy who’ll likely be too talented to stick around in the future is a dandy problem to have in the short term. And it sounds like Rennie won’t run out of ideas as far as how to deploy Penn.

“He can play multiple positions,” Rennie told Soc Takes following his team’s nil-nil preseason draw with Nashville SC on March 2. “He’s a really talented young kid as you could see today. He’s a very, very good player. He can play a few positions for us, but today he played out (left).”

Indy has an away date at the Charlotte Independence tonight with kickoff set for 7 p.m. ET.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related

With the rise of advanced analytics in soccer, expected goals (xG) has become a go-to metric for examining the quality of both clubs and individual players beyond base accumulation stats (goals, assists, etc.).

Inspired by Ben Mayhew of Experimental 3-6-1, who utilizes similar statistics for the English Football League, the below table and charts are an examination of the attacking, defensive and overall quality of MLS clubs, regularly updated throughout the 2019 season.

All clubs have played between 8-11 matches so far in 2019, comprising between a quarter and a third of the full season slate. The trends established in earlier editions of these charts are starting to cement themselves, though a few teams have managed to buck themselves out of early ruts. These trends are still reversible with a change in form, but if continued at this point could cement a club’s fortunes as the season progresses.

Some items of note:

• LAFC have been utterly dominant on every front. They control shot dominance in their matches at almost a 2:1 advantage, they score frequently and efficiently while holding opponents to few shots and requiring even more before conceding. Bob Bradley’s side have been as good as advertised, and their xGD lines up fairly well with their actual GD, indicating that it isn’t just luck, they really are this good.
• Surprisingly, Atlanta United’s metrics show them in a very favorable light despite an incredibly slow start to the season. The defending champs have been a bit unlucky, with their actual GD about two below their xGD. Where they’ve lacked has been efficiency, giving up goals on far too few of shots (despite only allowing a few shots per game) and taking nearly 14 shots to score a goal, wasting plentiful opportunities (shooting as often as anyone aside from LAFC). The metrics indicate a turnaround could be coming and that the results haven’t followed the quality of play.
• Toronto FC have rebounded to high form, driven entirely by efficiency. The Reds take just over four shots to score each goal and take roughly 12 per match, a good ratio by any standard. The defense has been shakier, mostly avoiding the issue, but overall TFC are rightly placed among the league’s better clubs.
• Three most lucky clubs (based on GD-xGD, i.e. how much better their GD is vs. their xGD)
  • Seattle Sounders FC (9.60)
  • Philadelphia Union (5.92)
• Three most unlucky clubs (based on GD-xGD, i.e. how much worse their GD is vs. their xGD)
  • New England Revolution (-11.01)

All xG totals are sourced from American Soccer Analysis’ xG Interactive Tables

Here is a small glossary of the terms for clarity:

GP – Games Played
ShtF – Shots For
ShtA – Shots Against
GF – Goals For
GA – Goals Against
GD – Goal Differential
xGF – Expected Goals For
xGA – Expected Goals Against
xGD – Expected Goal Differential
GD-xGD – Goal Differential minus Expected Goal Differential
ShtF/g – Shots For per Game
ShtA/g – Shots Against per Game
GF/g – Goals For per Game
GA/g – Goals Against per Game
GD/g – Goal Differential per Game
xGF/g – Expected Goals For per Game
xGA/g – Expected Goals Against per Game
xGD/g – Expected Goal Differential per Game
ShtF/GF – Shots For per Goal For
ShtA/GA – Shots Against per Goal Against

Follow Colton on Twitter: @cjcoreschi.

Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to become a patron today.

Related