Image credit: Target/United Soccer Coaches

INDIANAPOLIS — Target and United Soccer Coaches have teamed up to offer free coaching courses via their Urban Soccer Initiative, enabling those who complete the course to receive an official coaching license, the Urban Soccer-Futsal Diploma.

Indiana Futsal and the Irsay Family YMCA have joined them in the endeavor to offer the free course in Indy this Sunday, May 5. It’ll be held at the Irsay Family YMCA from 4-8 p.m.

Space in the free Urban Soccer-Futsal Diploma course in Indianapolis is limited; interested attendees can register here while spots are still available.

Image credit: Indiana Futsal

Other cities that’ll host Urban Soccer Initiative courses include Kansas City, New York, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Hartford, Denver, Detroit, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Providence, Seattle and Boston. Visit the Urban Soccer Initiative’s website for dates, times and to register for the free classes throughout the U.S.

“It is the goal of this project to bring coach education resources to urban areas of these communities,” states the course’s homepage. “United Soccer Coaches recognizes in our Commitment to Culture, that the sport of soccer needs to rise to the occasion and be more inclusive of diversity and embrace the ever changing landscape of the sport. We encourage coaches from all around these communities to join this educational endeavor and join our Foundation’s goal to enrich communities through powerful coaches.”

United Soccer Coaches education content coordinator Vince Ganzberg will instruct the Indianapolis course. He’s coached at various soccer programs throughout central Indiana and is currently the educational consultant for the Zionsville Youth Soccer Association.

This is United Soccer Coaches’ Target Urban Soccer Diploma in KCMO. These coaches are here to change kids’ lives and be a source of positivity through the game; they aspire to inspire. pic.twitter.com/7daimy4EQx

— Rusty Kugler (@rustykugler) April 23, 2019

“As soccer coaches, we are committed to creating a unique, positive culture for our sport in America,” reads the United Soccer Coaches’ Commitment to Culture, a new core tenet established by the organization in October 2018 on the heels of the U.S. men’s national team’s failure to qualify for the FIFA World Cup. “We want to lead the effort to build a soccer culture that celebrates what is best about our game and helps it transcend from what happens on the field to what happens in the lives of our players.”

For questions or further details on Sunday’s free Urban Soccer-Futsal Diploma course at the Irsay Family YMCA, contact director of Indiana Futsal Justin Becht at [email protected].

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

• 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…

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

It’s almost time for USL action once again. The league is back as the permanent Division 2 league with a new brand, loads of new teams and some exciting changes for the 2019 season. The USL is now fresh off a (relatively) quiet offseason. No teams folded, no new lawsuits were filed and we’ve found ourselves in a rare period of stability at the Division 2 level.

First up, the changes for 2019. FC Cincinnati is gone, departing to greener pastures in MLS after “crushing this league,” even though it never won a cup. Three other teams, Penn FC, Toronto FC 2 and the Richmond Kickers, have chosen to drop down to Division 3 in the new USL League One, with Penn FC taking a year off to sort things out. Seattle Sounders FC 2 have made their move to Tacoma permanent, adopting the new name Tacoma Defiance and have announced plans for a new soccer facility to be built adjacent to Cheney Stadium. Meanwhile, Saint Louis FC has once again switched conferences.

Joining the league are a record seven new clubs, the largest freshman class in modern USL history. Pro soccer returns to Austin with the Austin Bold, while Birmingham, El Paso, Hartford, Loudon, Memphis and Albuquerque all make their debuts in the USL.

The league retains the two-conference and 34-game configuration from before, but has modified the playoffs. Now, 10 teams make the postseason, with seeds seven through 10 entering a play-in round before the typical single-elimination bracket resumes. Once again, teams will only play clubs within their own conference, meaning that each team will host a home-and-away series against every other in-conference team.

A quick note on formatting and data: All records will be listed as win-draw-loss, and all USL attendance data is taken from the wonderful infographics by Mike Pendleton. Stadium capacities are whatever the teams themselves list, not necessarily the full capacity of the venue.

So, with those administrative updates out of the way, let’s dive in, beginning with the Western Conference. And buckle up, we’ve got nine teams to get through, so this might just be my longest USL article yet.

Austin Bold FC

After three long years, the USL finally returns to the capital of Texas. The new Austin Bold have solved one of the major issues which plagued the second incarnation of the Aztex — the lack of a dedicated stadium — by building a new facility within the infield at Circuit of the Americas. While it is a good 20-minute drive from downtown without any mass transit options, it’s theirs, it’s built just for soccer and it sells alcohol.

Off the field, the roster has rapidly come together, featuring a wealth of veteran talent from around the world, including some rather significant names in Dario Conca, Kléber and Xavier Báez. They might be the oldest roster in the league at present, but it’s not a bad way to start off, and there’s never a shortage of young talent in central Texas should they need some extra depth. For head coach, Austin has signed Brazilian Marcelo Serrano, concurrently serving as head coach of the U.S. Virgin Islands national team, and former assistant with the USA and Brazil youth international sides. It’s his first club head coaching position, making him a bit of a bold choice (I’m sorry), but at the same time, I’m all for giving a young coach the benefit of the doubt. He’s used his connections in his native Brazil to bring in a number of players and has the makings of a very exciting club at his hands.

One thing before we move on: The Bold are still caught up in some ongoing chaos locally, and as part of the attempted relocation of the Crew, Bold FC chairman Bobby Epstein participated in some sketchy dealings of his own. There’s talk of it potentially alienating the local fans before a ball is ever kicked, and it might be something to remember should we find some poor attendance early.

And in case you managed to drink enough to forget, Austin Bold FC will find itself competing locally with the incoming Austin FC, due to join MLS in a new stadium of its own in 2021. Should the Bold carve out a niche of their own, they could manage to survive, and I could definitely see a future where the Bold becomes a sort of Reno-esque affiliate. But if the two teams never see eye-to-eye and Bold FC proves to have burned bridges, things could get rough.

Prognosis: WE REQUIRE MORE MARKET SHARE.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC

Last spring, I predicted that 2018 would look more like 2016 for the Switchbacks, with a potential return to form and playoffs. That didn’t happen, and instead they further declined to post their worst record in the USL to date. They lost three of their first four, all 1-0, and save for five games in midsummer, couldn’t go more than two games without a loss. However, 11 of the team’s 17 losses were by just a single goal, meaning that they weren’t much worse overall than the likes of Saint Louis or San Antonio.

Trittschuh and Co. have proceeded to absolutely clean house and already have a radically different roster for 2019 with only six players officially returning. Fresh offensive additions in Mike Seth and Ismailia Jome join the returning Shane Malcolm to hopefully rebuild an attacking core, while Jordan Burt is back for more attacking defender fun. In goal, Steward Ceus seems to have won the starting role for the future following Moise Pouaty’s departure. Last season, the Switchbacks mainly struggled offensively, tied for fewest goals scored in the West with just 36. On paper, this is a better midfield, but not by as much as I think they’ll need. They might be able to find success by getting five or six goals from half the team, rather than having one or two guys in double-digits, and this feels like what’s planned. If the rebuild works, the Switchbacks could be a real threat in the Western Conference. If it doesn’t, I start wondering about Trittschuh’s future.

Off the field, attendance has continued to grow, up over 1,000 from their inaugural season, and the club is currently planning a 10,000-seat downtown stadium set to open in 2021. The new partnership with the Colorado Rapids seems like it should have been obvious for years — and I’m pretty certain I’ve discussed exactly that before — so now it’s on the powers that be to give the local fans something to cheer about. I could definitely see some young Rapids Homegrown signings helping out in Colorado Springs on the field, and nothing sells tickets quite like an exciting, winning team. I’m not gonna go as far as to say this is their year, but I feel like this is the real make-or-break season for the Switchbacks. Playoffs or bust?

Prognosis: Playoffs or bust.

El Paso Locomotive FC

At long last, El Paso has found its spot within pro soccer, bringing the USL Championship up to four Texan teams for 2019. They already have a rather high-profile celebrity endorsement in former congressman Beto O’Rourke and a roster that’s starting to take shape in preseason. They also have one of my favorite brands among the 2019 freshman, with a touch of European inspiration and a lovely homage to the city’s railroad roots.

El Paso’s first player signing was former Whitecaps and Tigres forward Omar Salgado, a local boy through and through, who was signed in the middle of last season and loaned to Las Vegas. They followed that with four players Mark Lowry brought over from Jacksonville and a good bit of variety in signings from elsewhere. In particular, I like the signing of Sebastian Contreras who seems like the USL equivalent of a Mauro Diaz-sort, and Mechack Jerome is exactly the sort of tough defender an expansion team needs.

In Mark Lowry, El Paso has a coach with recent D2 experience, having been responsible for a dramatic change of fortune in Jacksonville in 2017, dragging the Armada from 11th in 2016 up to fifth. It’s a smart hire, and I trust his ability to bring a team together. That said, I get a bit anxious looking at this roster as it currently stands, with lots of players that have only played limited minutes in recent years or players that never really impressed at their previous gigs. A roster is definitely more than the sum of its parts, and I’ve seen Lowry get results out of such a team, but it’s something I’m thinking about.

As El Paso has gone through preseason, some of these doubts have waned with Locomotive FC looking strong in their seven friendlies. Salgado seems to have finally found the right team for him, Contreras is getting comfortable and their back line has been solid. But again, it’s preseason, who knows how this might change come the real games? I’m optimistic for El Paso and the postseason feels within reach, but that’s not the most important thing for year one. If the foundation they build this season works, they’re likely in for the long haul.

Prognosis: If we build it, they will come.

Fresno FC

Fresno made a reasonably solid, if utterly unremarkable, debut last season, right in line with my predictions. For 2019, they’ve retained around half of their roster, which is always a reassuring thing, but there are several noteworthy departures that give me pause. Danny Barrera and Pedro Ribeiro are out, and that’s not a promising sign. Those two combined for a large chunk of Fresno’s less-than-stellar offense last season. I do like the addition of Jaime Chavez, who should mesh pretty well with Juan Pablo Caffa, but that leaves them with one of the oldest rosters in the league. Jackson is another interesting signing who could be a serious asset for them, but again, he’s 30 and hasn’t played league minutes since the 2017 NASL season. Add in Jemal Johnson who turns 34 in May, and it doesn’t feel like a viable long-term strategy. But who knows? Maybe Adam Smith’s visible hand can help these guys supply what’s demanded enough to make the playoffs, then just flood the roster with youth next year. Their youth setup is already pretty nice, with that increasingly common move to partner with/buy out the local USL League Two side ahead of a pro debut.

On the defensive side of things, Fresno is pretty much set. They’ve not just retained but strengthened much of their defensive core, which managed to concede just 38 goals last season. It definitely helped keep some games that probably should have been losses level, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re among the best defensive teams in the league once again.

So far, there are no serious concerns for 2019 other than some skepticism toward a few signings, and I could see them sneaking into the playoffs as a nine or 10 seed. All that’s left is to rehash the same complaint I’ve been making for over a year and use that secondary crest as the primary. Those new jerseys are pretty sharp and so much better than last year — although I don’t really like the sponsor logo, but honestly, whatever — and with that fox logo, things would be pretty much ideal as far as I’m concerned.

Prognosis: Win now, maybe, or at least lose less now, hopefully.

LA Galaxy II

Instead of writing the same recap-preview-analysis segment for the II teams, I’ve decided to do something a bit different this year. With the increased focus on young players and youth development in general, I find it more informative instead to discuss which young players people should be paying attention to.

Efrain Alvarez was the blatantly obvious standout player last year, who managed an incredible 12 goals and 3 assists despite starting just 13 games. He’s ostensibly an attacking midfielder, occupying the typical space of a 10 in a 4-2-3-1 or 3-5-2, with exceptional play-making ability. He’s also only 16. He firmly won a shot in MLS last season and has been working with the first team since November. He’s already an amazing player, and being able to work with no less than Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Zlatan Ibrahimovic spells a very, very bright future.

Goalkeeper Eric Lopez has been a regular for Los Dos since the 2016 season, earning the starting roll in 2017 and platooning with Justin Vom Steeg, another promising ‘keeper prospect, in 2018. While the two never managed a clean sheet during the season, that was much more on the porous defense in front of them, and both clearly demonstrated some significant value in net. Both registered two penalty saves and managed to keep their club in some games where they were clearly outgunned. Vom Steeg is getting his chance with the first team as David Bingham’s backup, so we’ll probably see him at least get some playing time in the Open Cup.

I’ve already mentioned their defensive struggles last season, so let’s instead talk about some particular bright spots. Tomas Hilliard-Arce, the second pick in the 2018 SuperDraft, spent half the season in the USL to cut his teeth as a young professional, and immediately shined. He was a fixture in the back line who led the team in most defensive metrics and showed a lot of comfort moving forward to build from the back. He’s an accurate passer, a solid defensive presence and only 23. It looks like he’ll start 2019 in MLS. Returning to the USL is Nate Shultz, a third-round pick also from the 2018 draft that many people didn’t expect much out of, and were quickly proven wrong. Upon joining Los Dos, Shultz immediately began starting and consistently looked comfortable amid a lot of squad rotation. He’s tough, he’s quick, he’s disciplined, and he made a fantastic partner to Hilliard-Arce. Keep an eye on him, he might just pop up in MLS soon.

Prognosis: Play the kids.

Las Vegas Lights FC

Ladies and gentlemen, Chelis has left the building. And his son, too. And yet, the memes are still alive and kicking in Sin City, with Eric Wynalda joining the club as his replacement. He’s brought his usual brand of roster building and Twitter drama with him to Nevada, to everyone’s excitement. Honestly, not a bad fit, and the more time goes on, the more I like the hire.

Vegas debuted last season with a high-scoring, high-speed, frenetic squad that looked alright early in the season, save for a few scary flattenings, but they at least looked somewhat competitive until August. Twenty-six points from 23 games isn’t fantastic, but it’s enough under most circumstances to sneak into the bottom of the playoff bracket.

And then the front fell off. From Aug. 11 until Oct. 10, the Lights managed just two points across 11 games, conceding three or more goals five times in the process. Things were very, very bad. Their final win of the season in the penultimate week was an absurd 5-2 home thrashing of Phoenix, a team that had beaten them twice by a 6-0 score already that year.

Only five players are returning for 2019, which would seem crazy if not for Wynalda’s previous history doing the exact same thing. Primary ‘keeper Ricardo Ferriño is out, the midfield pairing of Carlos Alvarez and Daigo Kobayashi are out, leading scorer Raul Mendiola is out and Freddy Adu is out. This is essentially a brand-new team in year two.

I like that they’re keeping Samuel Ochoa and Matt Thomas, and between Angel Alvarez and Thomas Olsen they’re more or less set for goalkeepers, but there are just so many brand new pieces that I really don’t know what to make of this team just yet. That said, their starting lineup did absolutely embarrass Toronto’s MLS starters in their first preseason game. That 5-1 result led to the team making and hanging a banner on what used to be the outfield fence, exactly the sort of meme behavior I need from the Lights. Their 3-0 loss and 2-2 draw to the Colorado Rapids say they might be a bit better than last year, but they’re not organized yet. Their final preseason test brought a victory over Orange County SC.

Prognosis: The memes will continue until results improve.

New Mexico United

Welcome to the USL, New Mexico. Finally! I’m legitimately so excited to see Albuquerque — and New Mexico at large — get in this league. They’ve felt like an ideal soccer market for years, and given the hype already building around this team, that was the right call.

Troy Lesesne gets the nod as both coach and technical director, giving him full control over roster decisions, and one can see his USL familiarity in every signing so far. Sixteen of the 19 players signed came from teams within the USL system, including the likes of Devon Sandoval, Juan Guzman, Kevaughn Frater, Josh Suggs and Justin Schmidt. There are so many players on this list that make me think “yeah, that’s a solid move” that I’m gonna go as far as to say New Mexico will be the best of the 2019 expansion teams in the West.

Lesesne is an interesting hire in that he’s never been a professional head coach before, but his resume has no shortage of experience. He spent eight years as an assistant at D1 College of Charleston, a season working with both the Charleston Battery and Vancouver Whitecaps, and four seasons as an assistant with the Charlotte Independence. Just like his roster decisions, I look at his experience and think “yep, this makes perfect sense.” He’s on a multi-year contract, so we’ll get to see him build and coach a team from scratch over the coming seasons.

Off the field, hype is already building around this team, from the love of their Meow Wolf jersey sponsorship to the general display of passion for soccer in the community. Drawing 1,215 people to a February preseason game against a college opponent is a good sign. They’re also closely working with the Albuquerque Sol in League Two, another smart decision.

Really, my only possible criticisms so far are trivial squabbles related to the crest, jerseys or use of a ballpark, but none of those really affect my projections for the team. If they keep playing their cards right, as they’ve been doing, I see them with a 10,000-plus-seat dedicated stadium of their own that they’re routinely selling out in under five years. (The next Sacramento?)

Prognosis: Pay attention, this might be something big.

Oklahoma City Energy FC

Last year, I projected OKC to make it to the championship game. They then went and lost eight games straight starting in the second week of the season, and I went from maximum hype train to literally writing a piece on how everyone should get fired in less than two months.

Steve Cooke eventually got the ship righted in May, and once the bleeding stopped, the team hit a 1.6 PPG pace. Had they started the season the way they looked in June and July, they would have finished somewhere around 6th place in the West, which would have been firmly good enough. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say I’m now confident in Steve Cooke as coach, and I apologize for my reactionary takes last spring.

They’re bringing back nine players from last season along with three players from their youth system, and look like a much stronger and deeper team across much of the roster. That said, losing Jose Barril and Alex Dixon hurts their offense in a way that their signings may or may not fix.

Alexy Bosetti is a super-fun signing from France, where he was scoring in Ligue 1 over the past five years, and was electric for Laval. I’m also big on the additions of Cordell Cato and Christian Eissele, who both provide some very interesting options for the Energy’s offense moving forward. Kal Okot and Josh Garcia both join from the League Two Energy U23 side to reinforce the midfield, while Harrison Bouma becomes the first academy signing in team history — all very exciting and promising for the long-term growth of the organization.

Atiba Harris is back on a multi-year deal, a fantastic reward for one of my favorite players who made a serious difference last year. I’m very pleased that Callum Ross and Christian Ibeagha are back, as I don’t like OKC’s playoff chances without them. I’m also quite pleased to see Cody Laurendi retained, more so given Matt Van Oekel’s departure.

All things considered, if the new signings can fit into that system that lit up last June, OKC is a playoff team. If Bosetti finds USL defenses weaker than those in the French second tier, they’re a contender. And if their depth is able to at least perform as good as last season, they’re a threat in the playoffs. But that’s a lot of ifs.

Prognosis: Ask me again at the end of April.

Orange County SC

Orange County SC was the most exciting team in the USL last season and far too few people paid attention. They were the class of the Western Conference for much of the year, one of just two teams to win at least 20 games, and have quietly built one of the best organizations in the league. More people should be following this team.

Shit, they’re so overlooked that I forgot to include them in my initial preview last season.

Anyway, following a sale and rebrand in 2016, they’ve built their own stadium, developed their own coach and damn nearly made the championship game last season. Thomas Enevoldsen emerged as a goal-scoring machine, Braeden Cloutier built up a reputation as a brilliant coach and their run of form during the second half of the season was some of the best soccer I’ve ever seen. That 2.12 PPG pace would’ve had them at 72 points across a full season, closer to Cincinnati than Louisville. The only reason they didn’t make the final was Didier Drogba.

In the offseason, they retained the vast majority of their players. Really, this roster was championship caliber last season, so they made the correct decision. The biggest departure is Enevoldsen, who, despite his absence in the playoffs, scored 20 goals that will need to be found somewhere in 2019.

They’ve brought in Harry Forester and Liam Trotter from abroad, along with Jerry Van Ewijk from Reno, who can help fill that gap. But that’s still the biggest question I have for OCSC in 2019. If the goals keep coming and a reinforced midfield keeps them winning games, they’re the easy favorite to finish first in the conference and make the final. They have just about every single piece they need for that to happen and they’re better than last year in all but one role.

Off the field, attendance is up, fan engagement is up, sponsorship is up and things are looking pretty amazing for the future. Those playoff sellouts helped the team immensely and I have high hopes for them to break the 4,000-average barrier this season. Add in a solid Open Cup run and they could be in for an amazing run.

Prognosis: 90% they win the West, 10% they’re a mess.

This concludes the first of four parts of my 2019 USL Championship season mega preview. Next up will be the second half of the Western Conference, followed by the two Eastern Conference pieces.

Follow John on Twitter: @JohnMLTX.

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

Related

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

WESTFIELD, Ind. — Butler University men’s soccer and the Indy Eleven stretched their legs out Saturday night in a preseason exhibition tune-up at Grand Park. The first match to kick off the season, it drew in a large crowd that left little room in the stands to watch the two teams test their lineups. Although the game ended with an empty nil-nil scoreline, the match left fans with speculations about the upcoming seasons.

THE TEAMS

Butler returns from what was not considered their finest season last year. Their 2018 season ended in an overall 4-12-2 record, a massive change from their Big East-winning 14-5-2 record in 2017. This game saw the return of a lot of players, including team captain Jared Timmer. There are also a good number of freshman on the team. If the young core meshes well with returning upperclassmen like Timmer and forward Brandon Guhl, the Bulldogs might have a rejuvenated squad in 2019.

Indy took the time in Saturday’s match to try out the trialists, starting off the game with five in the mix along with Jordan Farr, Karl Ouimette, Ayoze, Kenney Walker, Eugene Starikov and Ilija Ilic. Two of the trialists that suited up for Indy in the first half appear to be former Butler players Bennett Kim and Kieran Geldenhuys, though the team wouldn’t confirm this information since it’s official club policy not to comment on trialists.

I think two of the Indy Eleven trialists that played with the group in the first half are former Butler players Kieran Geldenhuys (right mid/right wingback) and Bennett Kim (CDM). Can anyone confirm/deny this? If you know any of the other trialists, I’m all ears.

— Kevin Johnston (@KJboxing) February 10, 2019

THE MATCH

Indy pushed their momentum going into the first half, starting off strong. Butler took a couple of minutes to warm up, put instantly on the defensive by Indy’s strong offense. Led by forwards Starikov, Ilic and a trialist, they pushed their advantage with quick passes and runs up the side.

Butler managed to recover with a few runs of their own. Butler defender Griffin DeBolt made a run up the side, pressing an attack that was ultimately turned back by Indy. Eleven left back Ayoze showed off his speed and skill with the ball, constantly pushing up with the offense. Indy began faltering in the last part of the half, however, with flow starting to waver between players and trialists. The first half ended with a finish into the Butler net by a trialist, but the effort went unrewarded with the referee disallowing the goal for a foul.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

The second half saw Indy with an almost complete change in the lineup, save for Farr and a few trialists. Butler started the second half strong, pushing to get a quick shot off in the first five minutes that was blocked by Farr. Indy’s offense retaliated, advancing up the field only to be blocked by DeBolt knocking the ball out of the goal at the last second.

The rest of the half saw the advantage of Indy’s fresh legs, with the ball repeatedly brought up into the Butler side. Indy’s Dane Kelly, new to the team, led a number of the offensive charges. Although none of the shots on goal made it to the scoreboard, the Jamaican showed promise. Another notable player during the half was Tyler Pasher, a player out most of last season due to a concussion. He showed off his recovery ability, speed and skill with a series of runs and quick passes.

THE RECAP

The Butler team showed promise, with Timmer and his fellow midfield mates staying solid in the middle. Their defense seemed firm against the Indy offense, though they struggled at times against their speed and quick passes. They will have plenty of time to work on things, as their next game isn’t until March 2 against Bradley.

Related: Gallery: Indy Eleven, Butler battle to preseason stalemate

Indy started off strong, though their flow seemed to falter at different moments in the game. This could be partly because of new players, and it being the first game since the offseason.

“Both teams haven’t played in so long, it’s about getting the rust out,” said David Goldsmith, a former player on both teams.

More time is needed to achieve that team cohesion, which will be something to watch for in both teams’ upcoming matches. Indy next plays now-MLS side FC Cincinnati this Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Grand Park.

Follow Claire on Twitter: @ItsASchmidtThng.

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

Related

Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — The stakes were elevated between Futsal Indy and Grand Rapids ABK, two squads knotted up atop the National Futsal Premier League (NFPL) table with four points apiece, entering Saturday’s contest at Park Tudor High School. And with raised stakes generally comes raised intensity.

Futsal Indy defended its home court with a gritty 6-2 victory over ABK to snag an important three points and sole possession of first place. After earning a draw and a loss in the first two weeks of the season, Futsal Indy (2-1-1) appears to be gelling now with back-to-back wins, one of which avenged the team’s lone loss to FC Tryzub.

“They are definitely getting better,” said club founder and president Rana Hoffbauer. “We had a team meeting (after the loss) and everybody talked, because I think we weren’t initially on the same page because there were so many different backgrounds coming in together. And once the guys all got together and kind of hashed things out, they started playing really well as a team.”

Grand Rapids ABK built an early 1-0 edge to give Indy a brief moment of pause. But from there, it was all Futsal Indy. The hosts netted six unanswered goals to put the match well out of reach. A late ABK strike stopped the hemorrhaging and saved some face, but did little else.

Marcelo De Matos was a workhorse for Futsal Indy. The Brazilian exhibited calmness and confidence on the ball, and explosiveness in tight spaces when he needed to. De Matos tore up the Mayor’s International Futsal Cup this past summer in leading his native country to the title. NFPL sides will quickly get acquainted with his name — if they aren’t already. He finished with a goal and an assist Saturday.

“I played for three years professionally,” De Matos explained. “Unfortunately in Brazil, the salaries are not very good so you have to have like a private sponsor. It was a different time. So, I had to do another thing at that time (to make a living), but the experience was very good.”

Photo credit: Kevin Johnston/Soc Takes

Junyor Zanelatto also turned in a performance worthy of man of the match consideration for the hosts. After assisting on a goal in the first, he notched a brace in the second stanza on two impressive individual efforts, one of which was a blistering free kick near mid court.

“Junyor, he brings energy,” Hoffbauer added. “He’s actually the one that brought all these players together. He is our player-coach. Jana (Novaes-Miknus) is our assistant coach. She manages the bench and he runs all of our trainings, and he gets everybody pumped up. And he teaches them how to play.”

Danilo Carnelos also delivered an impactful shift off the bench for Futsal Indy, making big plays on both ends of the court. He scored once and blocked several ABK shot attempts from testing goalkeeper Enrique Orozco.

Futsal Indy gets next weekend off before welcoming the Ann Arbor Mudpuppies to town Feb. 9. Grand Rapids ABK, meanwhile, will look to climb back up the NFPL table when it hosts the Mudpuppies on Feb. 2.

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: UPSL

INDIANAPOLIS — We left off at the end of 2018 wrapping up the first full year of the Old Bhoys. January has not been slow at HQ, and as the second half of the month comes into focus things are starting to crystallize. With the first player evaluations completed, the club has secured a venue for an invite-only session in February. This, along with our ongoing conversations with local collegiate coaches will help round out our roster as we pursue the second season of the UPSL in the Midwest. Summary offers have been made, and roster build out is underway. The goal at HQ is to have outlined everyone the club wants to have in place agreed to terms by early March. And by terms, these are player agreements that allow every player at our club to retain their amateur status. In providing a platform for local players — including current collegiate athletes — maintaining compliance with the NCAA and NAIA is a must. As we confirm player signings, stay tuned to Twitter and our website (as well as Soc Takes’). I’m excited to bring this club a positive result in 2019, as well as our first club victory in league play.

Speaking of league play, the Old Bhoys have confirmed their commitment to compete in the UPSL for 2019 spring season. Dues have been paid, and planning (i.e. scheduling) is ongoing.  As part of the United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago, the UPSL held their Midwest Conference summit. Old Bhoys Soccer Club was represented by its head coach, who in addition to almost 25 other clubs (!), listened to league sponsorship updates and general league happenings before getting down to Midwest Conference-specific concerns. For 2019, the teams in the Midwest will compete in a single-tier format, with intra-conference promotion and relegation to be implemented for the 2020 spring season. Divisions also took shape within the conference, and it’s a new cast of characters for the Old Bhoys’ opponents this year.

In 2019, the Old Bhoys’ UPSL slate will include the following squads, starting with the returning UPSL clubs:

• RWB Adria – Founded in 1959, Adria is a former national amateur champion and finished 2018 as the Central Division champion with 22 points in 10 matches.
• Joliet United – Hailing from the suburbs of Chicago, Joliet United returns to the UPSL after their inaugural season in 2018. Finishing a rough first season in the Central Division, Joliet is looking to build long term and will pose a steady and able competitor for your Old Bhoys.
• St. Louis Maritsa – Missouri’s only UPSL side has proven their mettle, with an ongoing run to qualify for the U.S. Open Cup continuing in April traveling to Texas for their fourth-round qualifying match. Finishing second — with some controversy — in the former West Division, Maritsa is legit and will challenge for the Midwest Conference playoff spot from our division.
• FC Diablos (Illinois) – A new club to the UPSL for 2019, the FC Diablos will compete in the South Division. Based in Bloomington-Normal, Ill., this should create a potential I-74 derby with your Bhoys from the Circle City.
• Springfield FC – The second new club for the UPSL’s spring season, Springfield FC hails from their club namesake town in Illinois. Formed in 2011, this will be Springfield FC’s first season in this competition.

What a difference a year makes. The longest away match will be St. Louis, with every other club within 3.5 hours.

Scheduling is underway among clubs and should be finalized by the first bit of February. Season ticket pricing will be announced soon, as well as single-game pricing. Our aim is to build a special atmosphere at our home venue. While we haven’t come to terms with any specific venue, this is an ongoing process. Regardless of where we call home for 2019, we (the club) want to connect with any and every supporter possible. Again, this club is a reflection of the community and is built by its soccer infrastructure. From local colleges, youth clubs or local men’s leagues, the Old Bhoys continued aim is to create a platform for local players and supporters to connect. Can’t wait to do that with everyone this season!

In addition to the work that goes into the on-the-pitch product, Old Bhoys HQ is continuing to work on its sponsorship base and is looking for ways to actively engage with local organizations to help grow community through sport. As mentioned in my last post on this page, the primary — and most immediate — need currently is to secure primary and secondary sponsors to fully incorporate on our kit and to support the operational forecast for the club. It continues to be the least glamorous part of lower-league soccer, but it’s extremely crucial and is more directly tied to the ability of the club to function as we aim to strengthen the local businesses and organizations that support Indianapolis and Indiana. If you want your company logo on our gear, or believe in what we’re trying to accomplish at Old Bhoys, drop us a line. We’d love to be able to give back in a relevant and meaningful way that raises interest in your organization as it does ours. The benefit of working at this level is that we can frankly customize any approach. If you have an idea for getting your organization’s name out in the community, let’s talk! I bet we can collaboratively find a way.

Like what you’re reading? Let the good folks at Soc Takes know, or drop me a line: [email protected]. Look forward to hearing from you! As always, COYOB!

Follow Andy on Twitter: @Andy_H_1980.

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

Related

CINCINNATI — Just a few days after Sporting KC suffered a 5-0 trouncing in Concacaf Champions League play at Monterrey, Peter Vermes’ side was tasked with heading to Nippert Stadium to take on expansion FC Cincinnati.

An early Darren Mattocks penalty conversion by the hosts was canceled out by a strike from SKC youngster Gianluca Busio on the other side of the interval, and the teams settled for a 1-1 draw.

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

Follow Jamie on Twitter: @JamieSmed.

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

Related

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — It had been three years since the Indy Eleven exited the U.S. Open Cup with a tournament win in tow. After embarrassing road losses to amateur teams the past two years — the Michigan Bucks in 2017 and Mississippi Brilla in 2018 — Indy finally got off the USOC schneid Wednesday night at the Sellick Bowl on the campus of Butler University.

It took playing three-fourths of the match down a man against the Lansing Ignite of USL League One to do it, but Indy overcame adversity to sneak away with a 1-0 result and advance to the next round of the 2019 Open Cup.

The Eleven didn’t roll out their best XI for the occasion, but surprisingly did start quite a few regulars, including No. 1 goalkeeper Evan Newton. Indy head coach Martin Rennie shed some light on his thought process in selecting the lineup with a league match looming Saturday.

“Really I think it was just a mark of respect for Lansing because I’ve watched a lot of their games and I saw them play in preseason and I know their coach well,” Rennie said. “And I think they’re a really good team. I think that they pass the ball very well, they’ve got a lot of energy and they’re dangerous. So, we didn’t want to come unstuck and we felt like if we didn’t have a strong team that it would be difficult.”

Newton had been on fire recently, racking up clean sheets and league accolades like clockwork; however, ’twas not Newton’s grandest night in between the posts Wednesday evening.

Less than 20 minutes into the match, Lansing forward Elma Nfor got in on goal alone with only Newton to beat. The Indy backstop came recklessly flying out of his box in desperation and viciously collided with Nfor about 20 yards out. Unfortunately, it resulted in a nasty head, neck or spine injury to Nfor, who received treatment for several minutes before finally being stabilized and carted off.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

That’s about when things got weird.

The incident appeared to warrant a red card, but center referee Adam Behrens initially issued Newton a yellow. As play waited to restart while Nfor was medically tended to on the pitch, Behrens conferred with his linesmen and evidently had a change of heart.

Five minutes after flashing a yellow at Newton, Behrens waltzed back over to Newton, this time reaching into his back pocket. A second yellow wasn’t issued; rather, the amarilla was switched to a roja and Newton was sent off.

Indy backup ‘keeper Jordan Farr was called upon, and thus received the first minutes of his professional career in a meaningful match.

“When it happened, I was like, ‘OK, I’m just going to start putting shin guards on, who knows? I feel ready to go, let’s see what happens,’” Farr explained. “I put my shin guards on and gloves, and then the fourth official came over to our coach and said it’s going to be a red card. And so it gave me like plenty of time to actually prepare and get ready, which is not common I think when this happens, but it’s just wild that it happens six games into the season.”

Up a man, the Ignite didn’t immediately dominate the run of play. In fact, for the remainder of the half, the two sides played on about level terms. It continued that way until the 57th minute, when a lightning-quick sequence put Indy on the board first.

A gorgeous long ball from deep-lying Tyler Gibson found the head of Paddy Barrett near the edge of the 18, who wisely directed a header toward the six-yard box. Thomas Enevoldsen elevated and hammered the ball home off his noggin for the match’s first goal past Ignite goalkeeper Kyle Ihn. Smoke was cued.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Perhaps a 3-nil preseason result in favor of Indy when the clubs met earlier this year dissuaded the visitors from pushing numbers forward, but whatever the case, the Ignite simply didn’t threaten enough in the final third given their man advantage. An organized Indy midfield and back line, anchored by Farr behind them, held firmly until the final whistle to secure Indy’s advancement.

As for Nfor’s health, the Lansing Ignite issued a statement Thursday confirming that he’d undergone all the necessary tests and been released from the hospital — most excellent news.

Newton, of course, will be unavailable for Indy’s next Open Cup fixture unless his red card somehow gets rescinded, opening the door for Farr to draw his first start.

“At the moment, in that Open Cup game I plan to play Jordan and that’s about all I really know,” Rennie said. “Because I would imagine Evan will be suspended for that.”

The Eleven will host the Charleston Battery at 7 p.m. Saturday back at Lucas Oil Stadium in the USL Championship regular season. Details on their next Open Cup contest are to be determined.

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

Photo credit: Kyle Eliason/Soc Takes

The following is a story by guest contributor Kyle Eliason:

MINNEAPOLIS — This past weekend, 90-plus owners of National Premier Soccer League clubs gathered at the W Hotel in downtown Minneapolis for the league’s Annual Owners Meeting. A member-owned and operated organization, those assembled discussed the NPSL’s plans for live-streaming its games, the process of vetting and approving expansion teams, setting minimum standards for facilities, updating the league’s bylaws, electing league officials and reviewing official disciplinary policy.

The proceedings were closed to the press and public, but Tulsa Athletic owner and NPSL board member Sonny Dalesandro and NPSL director of membership development Dina Case sat down with Soc Takes that Saturday to discuss the weekend and its goals, as well as the NPSL as a whole.

“We’ve tried to make it as valuable as possible for the members that are here. Really focusing on improvements and how to grow the game,” Dalesandro said. “That’s the biggest objective for everyone here — grow the game in America and provide opportunities for players and our coaches and our staff.”

Dalesando, a restaurateur by trade, wore his passions on the rolled-up sleeve of an untucked dress shirt, forearm tattoos visible, along with a Minneapolis City SC scarf. The latter, given Dalesandro by the host club of the weekend’s events, was removed in deference to his club’s supporters back in Tulsa before he and Case stood for a photo.

Case, who spoke to practical concerns of running a national amateur league, was dressed in business casual, wearing a black open-front cardigan.

The pair (pictured above) identified one of the league’s main focuses — and challenges — as helping different types of clubs all grow as businesses. Among its ranks are clubs with national aspirations, those with local, supporter-driven cultures, teams that serve as senior extensions of youth academies that exist first and foremost to continue player development, and even the odd outfit with an arguably higher calling.

“Buxmont Torch is a faith-driven club,” Dalesandro noted. “And Detroit City supporters will proudly hold their middle finger up. If fans want to get behind something and have that represent their tribe, beyond safety, we don’t want to have much of a hand in what a club’s personality should look like.

“It’s a mixed bag and it’s a lot of fun. I’d love to see a Buxmont-Detroit City final.”

Photo credit: Daniel Mick/NPSL.com

Asked how smoothly a large number of clubs with different philosophies worked together, Dalesandro was candid.

“When you have a meeting with 100 people, you’re going to find some differences between personalities. At the core of it we share in the belief that we have this allowance to express ourselves. We butt heads on a lot of stuff.

“I was in the South regional meeting today and it was very calm. Everyone was doing their stuff. I popped into the Midwest to ask a few questions and it was very passionate. They were going at each other. We’re all going to get it worked out. It’s just funny — literally from one room to the next — there’s a difference. Yet again, at that core, I think we all share a belief.”

Complicating matters is the competition facing the NPSL on a pair of fronts. From above, the United Soccer League, and at eye level, the United Premier Soccer League.

Starting with the latter, another national amateur league that is organized into regional conferences, the privately owned UPSL has expanded its roster of clubs at a rapid pace over the past few years. It now boasts over 300 teams, at times absorbing whole regional leagues to expand its footprint.

Asked if the NPSL felt it was now in competition with the USPL for markets, Case shared the league’s view.

“There’s always going to be potential competition in any market,” said Case. “Our philosophy on expansion is about bringing in the best business partners, and not worrying about what other leagues do.”

Case said that while she’s kept busy with the number of inquiries from clubs looking to join the NPSL, the league also actively encourages its members to recommend clubs they believe would make for strong business partners.

Dalesandro added his thoughts.

“I don’t think we want to be a league that ever says no to a good, viable candidate who loves the game and wants to bring that to their community. We want to be innovators in what we do.

“If we can bring this game to western Kansas and 500 people a game go out and they have something to do in the summer and we’re growing the game in those areas, that, to me, is incredibly important.

“Soccer’s going to be in New York. If we wanted to add another team in New York, Dena could probably do it in two phone calls. At the same time, we don’t have a team in Denver or Chicago right now. We want good groups from those places to know we’re the door to knock on.”

And while keeping a steady hand at the wheel is the NPSL’s plan with regard to the competition from other amateur leagues, a bolder course has been charted, at least in part as a response to competition from the professional ranks.

Dalesandro, elaborating, chose his words carefully and avoided mention of the city of Chattanooga, Tenn., where Chattanooga FC is drawing four- and occasionally five-figure attendances for games, and USL League One plans to place a new professional team — the Chattanooga Red Wolves.

Adding to the bad blood in the Scenic City, Roberto Martino, a real estate agent from Utah and the Red Wolves’ owner, hired Sean McDaniel away from Chattanooga FC’s front office to serve as his USL team’s general manager.

“I hope (NPSL director of media relations) Gary (Moody) doesn’t choke me, but there are some predatory habits in this country right now,” prefaced Dalesandro. “It’s really sad when you see a team that, in a way, gets punished for being successful. And I mean that in the sense of people will look at a market that’s doing well, and then another league will come in and approach people, kind of ape what they’re doing, and plop a pro team down.”

The recently announced Founders Cup — a nationwide tournament intended as a scalable trial run with an eye toward establishing a full-season national league — is one way the NPSL is responding to the challenge posed by professional leagues sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation.

The NPSL’s current summer-season format reflects the extent to which a majority of its clubs are reliant upon college players, with college programs releasing players in the spring and recalling them in the fall.

The Founders Cup, it is hoped, will help the most commercially successful and commercially ambitious clubs in the NPSL fulfill their goals from within the league.

“Having a short season, if you have a successful business model, can be problematic,” said Dalesandro. 

“For us to try and create a mechanism for those teams to have more and be more impactful in their communities is really exciting, and is something that’s necessary. I think it can really change the overall dynamic, across the board, in U.S. soccer.”

Initial reports of the NPSL’s interest in fielding a full-season league with paid players called the prospective venture “NPSL Pro.” But the NPSL is currently sanctioned by the United States Amateur Soccer Association, and is not recognized as a professional league by the United States Soccer Federation.

Dalesandro was asked if that had caused any friction between the NPSL and USSF.

“I think (the USSF) has made a couple situations unnecessarily difficult when it comes to nomenclature,” he replied in a measured tone.

Thus, the NPSL’s official line is that it is an amateur league with amateur teams, some of which pay their players. The Milwaukee Torrent and Elm City Express, as examples, both paid their players last season, with the latter winning the 2017 NPSL championship.

Photo credit: Daniel Mick/NPSL.com

Dalesandro touched on expansion and a desire to grow the game across markets of all sizes, and how the NPSL is looking to establish two tiers of competition under its umbrella. He also noted success stories in the amateur ranks that drew professional competition into markets organically approached U.S. soccer’s third rail.

“What I can say is,” he paused. “We believe in a system where the justice of where a team should be is through what the ball does, and not what the wallet does — responsibly speaking. If you’ve got a men’s league team that can’t be beaten, they can’t be playing MLS-level teams. I don’t mean to throw too much hyperbole.

“What we try to do as a league is to be conformists, when you step away. Because what the rest of the world does with this game is promote a competitive system. I think that mindset aligns with a lot of the people who are members of our league.”

Changing gears as the interview wound down, and speaking for himself, the Tulsa Athletic owner bemoaned the lack of cooperation between different organizations across the landscape of U.S. soccer. Dalesandro referred to how helpful famous soccer executive Peter Wilt had been in answering questions Dalesandro had when launching Tulsa Athletic, noting Wilt was overseeing the Indy Eleven’s inaugural season and surely had enough on his plate without taking calls from Oklahoma.

“I think that the animosity between some organizations is so unnecessary and there’s not enough dialogue,” Dalesandro added. “My phone is on. If someone from USL League Two or the UPSL wants to call me, personally, I’m happy to talk to anyone. Our country has to get away from that infighting between entities in our game. If there are shared best practices that make the game better across the board, those are the kinds of things that (the NPSL is) focused on.

“The animosity has to go away. Our country missed a fucking World Cup. And a major part of it is because people are so scared to challenge or change systems in a healthy way that it’s come at the expense of the American player, and for the World Cup, the American spectator, too. There needs to be a new way of approaching conversation between people involved with the game. And this group is a good group with that.

“If you’re a men’s league team from Maryland, a four-time (Premier Development League) champion or a pro team, whatever we can do to make the game better. Let’s go.”

Follow Kyle on Twitter: @kreliason.

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

Related

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

INDIANAPOLIS — Saturday was the first home game of the season for the Indy Eleven, playing against the Hartford Athletic. Although a rainy day, it wasn’t enough to deter the record-breaking crowd that attended the match. A total of 20,251 tickets were sold for the game, the most in Indy Eleven history. The enthusiastic crowd was seated all around the stadium, a sign of the growing interest in the team.

Indy did not disappoint its fans, securing a 1-0 victory against the visiting Athletic. However, the match did reveal a lot for the team to work on.

Going into the game, there were a couple of changes in the Indy lineup. Players like Alex Grognale and Nico Matern started the game in place of a few regulars. Kenney Walker, who started the previous two games, was out due to appendix removal. Otherwise, the lineup generally stayed the same.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

In the first half, fans saw a lot of back and forth between the two teams. Dane Kelly led the attack for the Indy offense, only to be pushed back repeatedly. In another play, Neveal Hackshaw made a beautiful run up the left side in an attempt to cross it to his teammate. Other runs and passes up the middle led to some missed opportunities in front of goal. The Indy side seemed unable to finish it to the back of the net.

It wasn’t until just before the half ended that there was a change on the scoreboard. In the 40th minute, Ayoze dribbled up for a cross into the middle for a finish — not by an Indy player. The ball bounced off the chest of Hartford defender Nikolaj Lyngo and into the goal, an unlucky end to the half for the Connecticut-based team, and the second in as many games. In the last match, defender Sam de Wit scored the winning goal for Louisville City FC.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Coming back into the game after halftime, the Athletic seemed like they had found their rhythm. They started off strong, forcefully pressing the attack into Indy territory. Indy was taken by surprise and struggled to keep up the first couple of minutes. They soon regained their footing, however, and the half fell back into the same rhythm of the first.

The second half also saw a sharp rise in physicality between the players, a sign of the growing frustration on the field. Both sides were feeling the pressure. Indy was unable to finish, and Hartford was down by one thanks to one of its own. Three yellow cards were handed out in quick succession to Ayoze, Tyler Gibson and Matern on the Indy side, much to the annoyance of Indy fans in attendance.

Subs were brought on late, including Alioune Diakhate, who made his debut in last week’s match against the Charlotte Independence. He subbed in for Kelly in the 90th minute.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Although optimism is high for the team, there were still a few criticisms over the night’s performance.

“We definitely could have had a few more,” goalkeeper Evan Newton reflected afterward. “The first half, we had the game by the throat and we were playing well. In the second half, I think we kinda took our foot off the pedal a little bit.”

“We need to be more clinical in front of the goal,” head coach Martin Rennie said.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Kelly too admitted his frustration with the lack of finishes after the game, but remained optimistic.

“I’m a striker, so I’m going to get chances,” he said. “I’m going to score some, I’m going to miss some. Today’s just one of the days that I just couldn’t find the net.”

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

In the end, Indy still gained three points from the match.

“I believe we’re one of the best teams in the USL,” Rennie said. “And if we’re putting our chances away, then everybody else will think that as well.

“At the end of the day, it’s a win and I’m happy with it.”

Follow Claire on Twitter: @ItsASchmidtThng.

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

Related