Photo credit: Artecorte

INDIANAPOLIS — ¡Viva Cuba! Indiana Futsal has partnered with Cuban-based art, sport and culture nonprofit Artecorte to co-host two futsal tournaments and build a public futsal court in Havana. And to do so, Indiana Futsal needs your assistance.

The organization will send a five-person contingent to Cuba next month to — along with Artecorte — run the two May events, aid in the art direction and construction of the court, and brainstorm ways to provide youths with access to the sport. Indiana Futsal has set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds for the endeavor. Donations of all sizes are being accepted to help cover the group’s travel costs, extended stay in Cuba and resources provided to build the court and host the tournaments.

“I am most looking forward to connecting with the futsal community in Havana and building the relationships between the Indiana Futsal team and Artecorte,” Indiana Futsal director Justin Becht told Soc Takes.

Photo credit: Artecorte

During the group’s first weekend in Havana, they’ll help run a U16 boys futsal tournament, the second annual La Liga Cuba Futsal Tournament. The following weekend, they’ll help put on the inaugural Women’s Open Futsal Tournament, from which the first-ever official Cuba women’s national futsal team will be derived.

The two competitions will take place on the city’s existing futsal courts; the creation of the new court is a future objective for which plans will be set in place during the visit. The court’s design will be handled by Artecorte and local artists to heavily reflect Cuban culture, with input also coming from Indiana Futsal.

• Click here to donate to Indiana Futsal’s GoFundMe page.

“The idea for this trip came from a conversation with (former Indy Eleven director of community relations and international markets) Guy-Jo Gordon, whose mom is Cuban,” Becht explained. “He visited Cuba last year and came in contact with Artecorte. Guy-Jo was introduced to Anton Buri, who ran La Liga Cuba, the first inaugural tournament that launched the whole idea. Guy-Jo connected Anton and myself to talk about futsal and brainstorm a possible event. Anton wanted to add a level of legitimacy and professionalism to the event, we wanted to learn more about the growth of futsal in Cuba and how they connect with their community.”

Photo credit: Artecorte

Artecorte is a community-oriented nonprofit that actually started out as “a cultural project to reunite barbers and hairdressers to promote and dignify their trade” in Cuba, per its website. Eventually, the organization branched out to become a beacon of art and culture in the Holy Angel (Santo Ángel) neighborhood, with a broader focus on “social, cultural, environmental and economic development.”

With the financial help of Hoosier footy supporters and soccer fans across the globe who want to be a part of this historic partnership, Indiana Futsal’s dream of creating something special alongside Artecorte for the local community in Havana will become a reality.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for all of us and we want to show through team work we can accomplish great things, regardless of borders,” Becht said.

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: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

We’re now roughly one-quarter through the 34-game USL season, meaning most teams have played somewhere between 7 and 10 games each. As of right now, 147 of 561 matches have been played, which is 26.2 percent of the season completed. This is close enough to 25 percent for me, and I assume it’s close enough for you as well.

Quick aside, USL teams have added two games per season, taking them from 32 to 34. While generally speaking, I like having more soccer and having more games played, the number 34 is so much less satisfying than 32. Thirty-two is a power of two number, so it’s easy to divide up as much as one pleases. Thirty-four, however, is a semiprime, which means that it’s the multiple of two prime factors, 17 and two. This displeases me greatly, perhaps more so than the benefit I derive from two additional games per team.

Now back to your irregularly scheduled rambling.

For the season preview, I listed attendance and the 2017 record. Since directly comparing records gets weird when teams haven’t played the same number of games, I’m not going to do that here. We’ll be looking at points per game, which makes more direct comparisons possible. For attendance, I’ll be borrowing from Mike Pendleton’s lovely attendance tracking graphics, because I can’t be bothered to make a fourth spreadsheet for this story. Oh, and we’ll be going alphabetically through the teams, mirroring the layout from my season preview. And with that, let’s begin our USL Western Conference Q1 progress report.

Colorado Springs Switchbacks

* Points per Game: 1.273, 10th in West (-.102 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 3,108, 22nd in USL (-8.3% from 2017)

In my preview, I mentioned two specific things: continuously rising attendance, and a potential return to 2016 form. So far, the opposite has happened. The team is currently on its slowest points pace in the past three seasons, and attendance has dipped slightly. However, it was really, really cold in Colorado Springs through March and April, and they still managed to keep crowds north of 2,500. More importantly, their two most recent games drew crowds of 3,830 and 4,039. So really, not much to worry about at the moment. If summer weather can bring with it bigger crowds and better results, they’ll be fine and likely competing for the bottom two playoff spots.

Fresno FC

* Points per Game: 1.091, 12th in West
* Average Attendance: 5,361, 11th in USL

Fresno is very quietly getting things together in all the right ways. The team is starting to mesh better, results are coming gradually and support is solid. While they’ve only won two games, they lead the league in draws with six, and they’ve yet to lose a game by more than one goal. I don’t think they’re playoff bound just yet, but they’re moving in the right direction for an expansion team. They also have one of the best logos I’ve seen in years as their secondary logo. I strongly encourage them to adopt that as their primary crest.

#FresnoFC releases mascot & alternate logo for upcoming season. The Fox will also be referred to as “The Foxes & Los Zorros” (via @FresnoFC2018) pic.twitter.com/Tyd8ySJfaH

— Tommy Tran (@TommyTranTV) November 7, 2017

LA Galaxy II

* Points per Game: 0.667, 15th in West (-.240 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 1,087, 31st in USL (-10.5% from 2017)

Conceding nearly two goals per game? Check. Sitting near the bottom of the Western Conference? Check. Barely anyone there to see it? Check. It’s business as usual for Los Dos, except that the offense is looking much better. Fifteen-year-old Efrain Alvarez and teammate Ethan Zubak both scored hat tricks against Saint Louis FC, and the constant roster rotation isn’t disrupting their attacking play as much as expected. But really, the point of this team isn’t to win games or trophies, it’s to develop players. So, whatever, I guess.

Las Vegas Lights FC

* Points per Game: 1.250, 11th in West * Average Attendance: 8,175, 5th in USL

* Meme Game: Even Danker

Y’all. This team. Where do I even begin? The mascot is an Elvis impersonator, they have live llamas at most events, Chelis got himself ejected and suspended for referee abuse, and the fans absolutely love it. Even when the team is losing, they’re still one of the most exciting, genuinely fun to watch teams in the league, and I’m loving every moment of it. Just as I said in my preview, keep doing exactly what you’re doing, my dudes.

OKC Energy FC

* Points per Game: 0.333, 17th in West (-1.198 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 3,863, 16th in USL (-8.6% from 2017)

A month ago, I wrote an article entitled “What’s going on with Energy FC?” I think we’re due for a sequel. Back then, the team had lost four games in a row. It has since extended to eight games. Eight. The team has only scored three goals all season, and hasn’t scored at all since March. That’s 519 minutes since their last goal and counting. This is the worst streak in the club’s history. Only two teams in modern USL history have lost eight or more consecutive games: FC Montreal in 2016 and Antigua Barracuda in 2012-13. These are two teams you never want to be compared to. Even last year’s Timbers 2 had a better start to the season, with a win, draw and five total goals through nine games. Yes, that Timbers 2 that I called “the hottest garbage I’ve ever seen in USL history.” This week, they play twice, once in the Open Cup against NTX Rayados in Dallas and once at home against Colorado Springs. They desperately need to win these two to turn their season around.

Orange County SC

* Points per Game: 1.700, 4th in West (+.356 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 3,074, 23rd in USL (+19.6% from 2017)

Here’s something I find unusual: I completely forgot to write a segment on Orange County SC in my preview piece and literally no one noticed (or at least no one mentioned anything to me). I added one later after the piece had been live for over a day when I finally realized my mistake. Anyway, this team has turned things completely around from last year. Thomas Enevoldsen is looking like he just might be the best attacking player on the team, and Andre Rawls has been an absolute beast, tied for the league lead in saves and clean sheets. Braeden Cloutier is proving himself as a head coach and is almost certainly drawing the attention of a few MLS teams by now. Off the field, the average attendance is growing at a fantastic pace, already triple their average from 2016. By just about every metric, they’re already on pace for their best ever season. Excellent, excellent work.

Phoenix Rising FC

* Points per Game: 2.100, 2nd in West (+.288 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 6,566, 8th in USL (+7.2% from 2017)

Phoenix might just be the one team in the West capable of overtaking the Butterflies. Their offense is the best in the league so far, even without Didier Drogba’s four goals in four games. Solomon Asante is proving himself as a constant threat and both keepers are putting up consistent numbers. Off the field, attendance is still growing, averaging 366 “above capacity.” They even pulled a crowd of 7,332 for their most recent home game. Everything is going exactly as they hoped.

Portland Timbers 2

* Points per Game: 1.700, tied 4th in West (+1.231 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 1,840, 27th in USL (-27.1% from 2017)

T2 has already guaranteed a better record than last year, simply by winning five games. Simply in terms of change in points per game, they’re the single most improved team in USL by a substantial margin. For me, the single biggest catalyst for improvement is new head coach Cameron Knowles. Loads of players were re-signed, and yet they’re consistently looking good. Not only that, but they’re getting results on the road. T2 are probably going to make the playoffs, but more importantly, their players are playing in a positive environment. Now they have time to focus on proper branding.

Real Monarchs SLC

* Points per Game: 2.444, 1st in West (+.351 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 2,111, 26th in USL (-18.1% from 2017)

In my USL preview, I said to expect more good things from the Monarchs, and they’ve certainly provided. They’re the first team to hit 7 wins this season and they’ve been consistently strong against any opposition. Furthermore, no single player has been a vital component without whom the team struggles. They’re managing heavy squad rotation with ease. Also, that new venue is open, it looks absolutely fantastic and the team has more professional facilities dedicated to it than most of the top independent teams. This is how you run an MLS reserve team in the USL. The only thing I don’t understand is why people aren’t showing up to their games.

Reno 1868 FC

* Points per Game: 1.300, 9th in West (-.544 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 3,891, 15h in USL (-30.0% from 2017)

Reno started the season with a bit of a sophomore slump, going winless through their first four games. But since then, the team has found the same sort of form they had last year with three consecutive shutouts and a win against Sacramento. Antoine Hoppenot has continued to do his thing, and the team is still finding the back of the net consistently despite the loss of Dane Kelly. While the attendance isn’t looking great, those early season games were colder than expected and attendance is already trending upward. Reno is almost certainly going to be just fine this year.

Rio Grande Valley FC Toros

* Points per Game: 0.889, 13th in West (-.205 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 5,657, 10th in USL (-20.0% from 2017)

RGV has been rather unlucky so far this year. All three losses have been by a single goal, and they went winless through the first five games. They’ve only been shutout twice. If they can stop conceding late goals and fix their own goal problems, they’ll be alright. Maybe not a playoff team, but definitely capable of making things interesting come September. Attendance might be down, but they’re still north of 5,000 so I’m not too worried.

Sacramento Republic FC

* Points per Game: 1.800, 3rd in West (+.363 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 11,569, 3rd in USL (+0.0% from 2017)

Sacramento is off to a great start in 2018. They’re third in the Western Conference, third in points per game in the West and third in league attendance as they continue their sellout streak from last year. They’ve had a bit of luck go their way, but still have a problem keeping games under control in the final half hour or so. A bit of defensive stability could take them to the championship game. But really, they’re gonna be fine as is. The two new hires in Todd Dunivant and Simon Elliott have both looked like great additions already, and the team continues to show everyone how it’s done.

Saint Louis FC

* Points per Game: 1.400, 8th in West (+.275 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 3,941, 14th in USL (-13.8% from 2017)

I wondered back in March whether Anthony Pulis inherited his father’s ability to eke out results, and so far, it’s looking pretty good. Saint Louis have managed to turn losses into draws late in the game on several occasions already. They’re not playing a high-scoring, free-flowing, beautiful brand of soccer, but they’re getting it done one 1-0 win and 1-1 draw at a time. The only real outlier was that chaotic howler in Los Angeles, where two children scored hat tricks for Los Dos. Anyway. Things are working as anticipated and I’m expecting them to finally make the playoffs.

San Antonio FC

* Points per Game: 1.444, 7th in West (-.493 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 6,998, 7th in USL (-2.2% from 2017)

San Antonio haven’t replicated their season-opening form from last year, but they’re not looking all that bad either. They’ve been a low-scoring, get-it-done style of team since their debut, and it’s really business as usual in 2018. They’ve only lost twice and they’re riding a four-game unbeaten streak. Attendance-wise, San Antonio continues to do great, and that tiny dip will have disappeared by midsummer. They also have the benefit of a three-game home stand in June to help them move up the table. I don’t think this team will finish as high as last year, but they’re gonna make the playoffs and hopefully make some noise in October.

Seattle Sounders FC 2

* Points per Game: 0.778, 14th in USL (-.191 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 3,513, 20th in USL (+240.0% from 2017)

S2 is a team with two different stories on and off the field. Results wise, they’re losing a lot. They lost a lot last year, they lost a lot in 2016 and they’ve already lost six games this season. But they’re a reserve team and they’re actually not playing half bad. One particular bright spot is Felix Chenkam, already sitting on four goals and looking better and better each game. John Hutchinson is doing his best with the constant player rotation and call-ups to MLS, and I don’t think this team will struggle all season. That said, I don’t think they’re making the playoffs. Off the field though, the move to Tacoma is paying off in spades. Attendance is way, way up, ahead of six independent teams and behind only one other MLS reserve side. If they get their own stadium and Tacoma-specific branding soon, they’ll be north of 5K easily.

Swope Park Rangers

* Points per Game: 1.667, 6th in West (-.146 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 924, 32nd in USL (-9.0% from 2017)

The increasingly inaccurately named Swope Park Rangers are pretty good. Kharlton Belmar leads the USL in scoring with eight goals so far, Hadji Barry is tied for the lead in assists with four and the team has only lost twice. Any team that can go to Phoenix and leave with a point is at minimum a pretty good team. Statistically speaking, they’re not quite as good as last year, but they’re in the top eight and will likely stay there all season. Attendance-wise, the move to suburbia has lowered their already paltry attendance even further, which is unfortunate but also expected.

Tulsa Roughnecks FC

* Points per Game: 0.556,16th in West (-.882 from 2017)
* Average Attendance: 3,318, 21st in USL (-13.8% from 2017)

Tulsa is in for a long, looooong season. Their defense allows the most shots and goals in the Western Conference, their offense has been the second worst in the West and Fabian Cerda is not superhuman enough to compensate. He actually leads the league in saves — tied with Andre Rawls in Orange County — simply because he’s faced so many shots already. The team as a whole leads the league in red cards with four already. Whenever a team loses a number of starting players, it hurts, and Tulsa is hurting badly. It’s not going to get much better over their remaining 25 games, either.

So, that’s the USL Western Conference at roughly one-quarter completion. I hope you enjoyed this mess and I hope you’re enjoying the USL. It’s already been a lot of fun and there are still hundreds more games left to be played.

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

• Lucky No. 21. Could this trip to the men’s College Cup be Indiana’s ticket to its ninth NCAA Championship? It very well could be. In a world where the NCAA couldn’t even confirm whether a championship would happen, the Hoosiers kept focused. They trained via video chats. The players…
• 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 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…
• 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 men’s squad in the UPSL, and now brings a women’s side to the second tier of the American pyramid. Antonio…
• 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 is at Liberty Stadium in Swansea, then the USMNT will travel to Austria to take on Panama at the neutral…
• 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 club currently sits in fourth place in the Championship table on 17 points. The Canaries finally prioritized directness, regularly finding…
• Irving, Texas-based Irving FC has become the NPSL‘s newest expansion team, the league revealed Thursday. “The league is excited to announce that Irving FC will be joining the NPSL,” said Dina Case, NPSL director of membership development. “Irving FC has already established strong ties to their community and their…
• The USL League One final between Greenville Triumph SC and Union Omaha, originally set for Oct. 30, has been canceled due to a rash of positive COVID-19 tests among those on Omaha’s “covered persons list,” the league announced Thursday. Instead, the Triumph have been awarded the title after amassing…
• Fort Wayne FC will join USL League Two for the 2021 and 2022 seasons before jumping to USL League One in 2023, the club announced Wednesday. The Indiana-based expansion team, which planned to debut in the NPSL this year prior to the pandemic forcing the season’s cancelation, boasts an…
• Every generation has one: a player who stands above all others; a player who people come to see; a player who is more than just a player. In the late 1980s, Ken Snow was that player for Indiana men’s soccer. Kenny, as those who knew him called him, was…
• 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…
• 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…

• Over the course of the last several years, the U.S. Soccer Federation created an impetus among the leadership of the USL to bring every club into compliance with every FIFA guideline regarding player contracts. As of the end of the 2017 season, USL clubs were more consistently and completely…
• Former U.S. men’s national team defender and current FOX Soccer analyst Alexi Lalas joins the panel of Aaron Gunyon, Nipun Chopra and Kevin Johnston to size up the current state of American soccer. The U.S. Soccer presidential race is heavily discussed, along with the move of Jonathan Gonzalez to…
• While the NASL lawsuit appeal rolls on, US Soccer finds itself in a situation where, for a second year running, it starts the calendar year without a sanctioned second division. Unlike the NASL, USL has continued to make expansion announcements and USL teams have diligently continued to rebuild their…
• Soc Takes had previously characterized Albuquerque as a “less likely” destination for the USL in 2019. Yet, multiple sources inform Soc Takes that Albuquerque will be part of the USL in the 2019 season. Currently, Albuquerque Sol FC plays in the PDL and is expected to continue to do…
• Sunil Gulati is considering not running for the office of U.S. Soccer president in February, according to a source close to the situation. Soc Takes could not independently corroborate the information. The Allahabad-born Gulati has served as president of U.S. Soccer since 2006 and currently also serves on the FIFA…
• As Soc Takes revealed on Twitter last week, the NASL and USSF were in discussions to facilitate a continuation of the league at the D2 level. This story was independently confirmed by former Empire of Soccer editor-in-chief Dave Martinez and Jeff Rueter. Since then, reports from Michael Lewis of Front Row…
• Soc Takes has learned that Predrag Radosavljević (Preki) is poised to take over as the first head coach of Cal United FC. The nascent club, at present poised to play in the NASL in 2018, was initially expected to begin the season with Eric Wynalda at the helm. Recently, Wynalda…
• The U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to strip the NASL of its Division II status was upheld, the league learned Saturday. U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York judge Margo Brodie made the ruling after weighing arguments presented by both sides during hearings, ultimately determining that “while…
• Any discussion of the NASL vs. USL “soccerwarz” often sets off mad ideological arguments about the the pro soccer leagues and their “independence.” NASL proponents have long conflated the structures of MLS and the USL as one-in-the-same, when in fact they are very different. MLS employs a single-entity model…
• What happens if the NASL receives the injunctive relief it hopes for at the upcoming Oct. 31 hearing regarding its federal antitrust lawsuit against the USSF? Turns out, the NASL is locked and loaded to bring in multiple expansion sides. Per documentation provided to Soc Takes, six teams —…
• U.S. Soccer presidential candidate and UPSL Northeast Conference manager Paul Lapointe shares his wide array of ideas to improve the sport across all levels domestically. The panel covers everything from pay to play, pro/rel and equal pay for the USWNT, to making the position of U.S. Soccer president a…
• Soon after news broke that the NASL had filed a lawsuit against the USSF, it became quickly apparent that not all NASL clubs supported the litigation. Neil Morris, host of the Inverted Triangle Soccer Podcast, revealed that North Carolina FC was not behind this litigation, while our reporting suggested…

Tommy Heinemann scored a brace during SF Deltas’ home win against North Carolina FC. Credit: SF Deltas

Two years ago, Heinemann was hot property. On the back of a 15-goal season with then-league runners up Ottawa Fury, Heinemann was sought-after by many NASL and USL clubs. Last season, partly due to the signing of Joe Cole, Heinemann found himself rarely playing 90′ at Rowdies, and often came on as a substitute. He ended his time at Rowdies with a meager 4 goals.

In the first two games of the SF Deltas’ 2017 season, Heinemann has played the entirety of the 180′ as well as managed to bag an excellent brace to help SF Deltas to their first league win of their existence.

Wolf-man/Teen-Wolf/Remus Lupin (I’m taking credit for the last one) Heinemann plays at the apex of the 4-3-3/diamond 4-4-2 hybrid employed by coach Marc dos Santos. Remus Heinemann TM took his two chances excellently and also managed to create a couple of chances for his teammates. For Deltas’ first goal, Heinemann dropped deep, evaded challenges and sprayed the ball to the right flank. He then ghosted into the box and tapped in the resultant cross.

His second goal was a work of art; Heinemann collects the ball from Pablo Dyego midway between the box and the halfway line. With his second touch, he nutmegs Edmonton’s CB  Connor Tobin. His third is a terrific left-footed finish into the goal. Definitely worth a watch.

Heinemann also excelled in his defensive duties – clearing two crosses from set pieces. No surprise that he  ended up being named NASL’s player of the week.

So while this game will be remembered for Dyego’s goal of the season contender, let’s not forget that the Tommy Lupin TM is back!

Jimmy Maurer

Jimmy Maurer made eight saves for NY Cosmos. Credit: NY Cosmos

After the game, I kept wondering how Cosmos managed to beat Miami FC. Twitter reminded me of the crucial role Maurer played in the win against a superior Miami FC side. This was a truly heroic performance by Jimmy Maurer. Maurer made 8 saves in the game, which is more than any other keeper in any game this season.

To give you an idea of how important Maurer has been to Cosmos’ 4 points this season, consider this statistic: Maurer has made 16 saves in the first 3 games of the season. In terms of saves made, his nearest competitor is NCFC’s Bryan Sylvestre with 9 saves.

The peak of his performance was around the 18′. First Maurer parried a cross sent across the box by Vincenzo Renella, and then recovered to make a fantastic diving save from Calvin Rezende. As the commentator remarked after the play, “…it was only going to be saved by Maurer.” True dat.

(Note: Ryan Richter’s cross for Cosmos’ first goal was fantastic. The bending cross from overlapping fullbacks is a dying art; as these days full backs tend hit crosses flat along the ground. The shape of that delivery is a must-see for any coach trying to teach their kids how to cross a ball accurately.)

Framinho

A fantastic performance from an experienced NASL veteran. Framinho played a massive part in deciding two games in GW3. Preventing three goals in the Miami v Cosmos game and two goals in the Jacksonville v Edmonton game. El Framinho was in playoff form. Occasionally, veterans can show early season fitness issues, and this proved to be true during both games, as Framinho only showed up for one half in each of those games.

Framinho going through his warm ups. Credit: Procage

Unfortunately for Miami and Edmonton, it was during the half during which they trying to score on the well-traveled footballing legend.

The sign of a true footballer is his/her ability to use different parts of their body equally well; like Leo Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo. Framinho falls into this category ; as he used his head and both appendages to prevent multiple goals in those games.

Ambidextrous, consistent, diligent and strong. Never change, Framinho.

You can find Nipun and SocTakes on twitter at NipunChopra7 and SocTakes.

Related

• Well, hello there, SocTakes crowd. Remember me? It’s been a while. Even longer than before. Sorry about that, the pandemic, and life, and the universe, and everything, it all happened. You know the drill by now, it’s January February March April, which means the start of #HipsterManifesto season, and…
• Hello, Soc Takes crowd. It’s been a while, I know. The pandemic hit, sports got cancelled and my day job suddenly kicked into overtime. But now, the world is looking a bit more normal, and my soapbox needed a good dusting. You may remember that last January, I wrote…
• 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…
• Since the United States and Canada are still under lockdown for the foreseeable future (and no, these soft reopenings in a few states aren’t a sign of things getting better, and are likely to cause even more problems), it’s been quiet around here. Even my in-progress “updating the pyramid…
• The NPSL is set for one of its biggest, longest and most exciting years yet, with a number of changes coming as discussed in a call with NPSL treasurer and Virginia Beach City FC owner Steven Wagoner. For starters, the league’s grand fall-spring extended season originally announced last November…
• With Chicago’s recent rebrand announcement receiving a, shall we say, openly hostile reception, we’ve gotten to talking about soccer logos in the Soc Takes group chat. It’s a common pastime for us, much like any other members of #SoccerTwitter, and this got me thinking about the various brands and…
• Well hello there, Soc Takes. It’s been a while. You may have noticed my as-of-yet unexplained absence the past few months. To make a long story short, I got dumped, took some vacations, got a promotion at work, met a new girl and went to a lot of soccer…
• The Major Arena Soccer League (MASL) season has concluded. This was a year of change for the MASL, with Syracuse moving to Utica, new teams in Orlando and Mississauga joining, and the return of the Dallas Sidekicks from hiatus. Attendance dropped for a third-consecutive season, which is worrying, but…
• The MASL regular season has concluded and the playoffs are winding down, with the Milwaukee Wave and Monterrey Flash set to duel for the Ron Newman Cup today. As the end of the season draws ever closer, it’s time to take a look at how every team did. This…
• It’s officially Open Cup season once again, my favorite time of year filled with chaos and giant-slayers and more soccer than one can possibly hope to follow simultaneously. Trust me, I’ve tried. The 2019 Open Cup features a whopping 84 teams, and while it’s down slightly from last year,…
• With the announcement that MLS will, as long suspected, be growing to at least 30 teams, now’s the perfect time for rampant speculation, treating rumor as fact and ranking the most likely expansion targets. Based on what we currently know about teams, cities, their stadium plans and their ambitions,…
• We’ve had a few weeks of USL Championship action, and while I was going to wait a bit longer before going all number nerdy, things have been far too chaotic to ignore. Upsets galore, some expansion teams doing unexpectedly well, some doing far worse than I predicted, and generally…

• CINCINNATI — There was a moment during Gregg Berhalter’s press conference yesterday where everything felt different. Berhalter intimated that he expected the press coverage of the match to suggest that the sky was falling for the U.S. men’s national team (USMNT). And while he pretended this wouldn’t affect him…
• Confusion abounds over the circumstances surrounding the Founders Cup. The NPSL-aligned professional “league” is expected to kickoff in August, but per sources and Chris Kivlehan’s reporting, some issues remain. This article attempts to dive into those issues. These issues include problems getting group insurance for players, potential member disagreements…
• Per the Gold Cup’s provisional 40-player rosters submitted by participating nations, the Gold Cup could have as many as 31 current or former players from the lower divisions of U.S. Soccer. Twenty-six of 31 currently play in the USL Championship, four in USL League One and one in the…
• Cha-Ching. Corked Champagne. Celebrations. On April 18, MLS confirmed what everyone except Don Garber had said out loud — MLS would be expanding to 30 teams, already accelerating beyond their previously set upper limit of 28. While this is good news for the top division, what does it mean…
• Soc Takes recently spoke to developer and Omaha Storm Chasers owner Gary Green about his new project, one that would interest our readers. As was announced earlier this month by USL League One, Omaha will be the site of a 2020 expansion team in the Division 3 league. We…
• Tommy Heinemann has endured a difficult year. From the highs of winning the NASL and signing a contract with FC Cincinnati, to the lows of the events of early January and beyond. On Nov. 15, Heinemann’s agent, PJ Savage, confirmed via Twitter that Heinemann won his arbitration case against…
• Columbus Crew SC Zack Steffen – 6/10. Steffen had little to do other than pull the ball out of the net. Twice. Could not have stopped the two goals, and did well to recover from a nasty head collision late in the first half. Harrison Afful – 7/10. Good…
• It is now official. Lansing will be a founding member of USL League One — the artist formerly known as USL D3. The possibility was first reported by Soc Takes via Twitter. Is @USL_D3 coming to Lansing, Michigan?There are reasons to argue yes&no. Yes: An ad (sent to @SocTakes…
• In response to Soc Takes’ recent article on referee assessment, we were contacted by PRO Referees to further expand on the refereeing conversation. Soc Takes also spoke to PRO general manager Howard Webb – arguably one of the best known retired referees worldwide – about USL’s role in the…
• Sources inform Soc Takes that AS Roma will be part of an ownership group that brings a professional soccer team to Riverside, California. This currently unnamed team will be playing in USL Division III in 2019. USL Division III will be rebranded as USL League One at the end…
• The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is a well-known adult amateur soccer league, which will be one of two (the other being the United Premier Soccer League, or UPSL) “tier one” leagues in the upcoming USASA tier format. Therefore, understanding the health and longevity of the NPSL, prima facie,…
• “That boy has been striking the ball very well,” Brian Darling says about George Davis IV during Louisville City’s draw against Indy XI in August 2018. Darling has been around the game for a long time – he earned his first USSF license back in 1979. Along the way,…

Soccer. It’s a funny game. You can play your best for 90 minutes and still come up short. Some call it luck. Some call it persistence. Some call it a group of talented individuals coming together and earning a win.

Sunday evening, the IU men’s soccer team did just that. From the front to the back, they played a complete game. They passed well. They created chance after chance. Two minutes into the second half, they scored. And they made it stick. They continued to create some chances, but also turned up the defense. 

In the 47^th minute, Ryan Wittenbrink centered a corner kick on target. Brett Bebej jumped up and headed it into the upper netting for a 1-0 lead. IU took 12 corner kicks, including 10 in the first half. And finally a set play turned into a goal. Marshall had just one in the second half. Thundering Herd goalkeeper Oliver Semmle made five saves on the day.

Marshall University had some good looks. The Thundering Herd did not go down without a fight. Offensively Marshall registered 12 shots to IU’s 10, including eight in the second half. Hoosier goalkeeper JT Harms made two saves. His defense stood strong in front of him, clearing the other close calls.

After 90+ minutes, the Hoosiers earned the hard-fought 1-0 win and trip to the Elite 8. There was no doubt this team was on a mission. Next up the No. 13 seeded Hoosiers will play No. 12 seed University of North Carolina Greensboro Saturday at 5:00 p.m. ET. IU has advanced to the quarterfinals for the eighth-straight year and 28th time in 50 seasons.

So what’s next? Well, if IU continues to play complete matches, the future looks bright. After all, one more win and the Hoosiers will head to Cary, North Carolina for the College Cup. But there are still 90 minutes to be played.

UNCG (13-1-6) is only one of two teams still standing with just one loss. The Spartans topped Mercer 2-1 in the Southern Conference Tournament to earn their fifth automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. They sat out the first round. UNCG then tied both Ohio State and Stanford 1-1, advancing on penalty kicks (6-5 vs. OSU and 3-1 vs. Stanford). They’re undefeated at home with a 9-0-2 record this season.

The Spartans offense has proven to be explosive, posting 268 shots to 162, while netting 46 goals to 17 and forcing opponents to make 84 saves. The defense has been tested this season, as well with Niclas Wild and Jarrett Payne combining for 44 saves. They’ve also posted six shutouts. Marco Afonso (8 goals, 8 assists), Ismail El Harchi (10 goals, 3 assists) and J.C. Ngando (4 goals and 14 assists) lead the attack.

IU (12-4-6) has yet to allow a goal in tournament play. And has outscored opponents 2-0 in its first two matches. Harms, Austin Himebaugh and Bryant Pratt have combined for seven shutouts, compared to just one for opponents.

So the solution is simple, shut down UNCG’s offense. Man mark. Man mark. Man mark.  And score a goal. If the Hoosiers can hold the Spartans scoreless, they may just advance. And if UNCG forces PKs, well, let’s hope Harms is up to the task. Without any regular-season PK decisions, it’s a whole new world. Only time will tell if IU has what it takes to earn a trip to the College Cup.

The other six teams standing will also play Dec. 3.

Pitt (11-4-5) vs. Portland (15-2-3) 1:00 p.m. ET

No. 3 seed Syracuse (16-2-4) vs. Vermont (16-3-2) 2:00 p.m. ET

No. 7 seed Duke (13-1-4) vs. Creighton (12-4-6) at 1:00 p.m. ET

Only four teams are still seeded from the original 16. After this weekend, one seeded team is guaranteed to go home. But it could be as many as three since the name of the game this season is upsets.

Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.

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

Related

• Well, hello there, SocTakes crowd. Remember me? It’s been a while. Even longer than before. Sorry about that, the pandemic, and life, and the universe, and everything, it all…
• CARY, N.C. — In their 50th season, the Indiana University men’s soccer team was 90 minutes away from the perfect ending to the season — a ninth national championship. The…
• Anyone who watched the Indiana Hoosiers men’s soccer team this season had their doubts. The Hoosiers would come together and play great one minute. And 10-15 minutes later, it…
• MUNCIE, Ind. — Western Michigan cooled off an in-form Ball State squad with a 2-nil road win on Oct. 9. The Cardinals had previously been unbeaten across their last…

• Cincinnati Soccer Talk’s Nick Seuberling joins co-hosts Kevin Johnston and John Lenard to analyze FC Cincinnati’s roster construction ahead of the club’s first season in MLS. Seuberling also discusses his background in soccer and digital media. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click…
• Michigan State men’s soccer assistant coach Ben Pirmann returns to the Soc Takes Pod ahead of his team’s trip to the College Cup this weekend in Santa Barbara, Calif. He joins co-hosts Kathryn Knapp and Kevin Johnston to size up the four remaining teams — Michigan State, Akron, Indiana…
• Former U.S. men’s national team midfielder and longtime MLS veteran Justin Mapp joins the panel to reminisce on his playing career, analyze the current state of MLS, discuss his soccer-specific personal training endeavor and much more. Thumbnail photo credit: H. Abdallah Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to…
• In her second appearance on the Soc Takes Pod, NPSL managing director Cindy Spera joins co-hosts Kevin Johnston and Nipun Chopra to recap the 2018 season, size up some of the tougher aspects of her job and briefly discuss NPSL Pro. If you missed Spera’s first time on the…
• The Athletic contributor, lawyer and founder of socceresq.com Miki Turner hops on the podcast to offer his insights on the #SaveTheCrew fiasco, NASL vs. USSF lawsuit and Seattle Sounders’ 2018 campaign. Miki touches on everything from how he thinks the lawsuits will shake out to his postgame cigar and…
• Reno 1868 FC forward Sidney Rivera guests on the latest edition of the Soc Takes Pod to tackle topics ranging from his quick turnaround in joining Reno from Atlantic City FC midseason to his experience with Puerto Rico FC in 2017, including coping with the devastating effects of Hurricane…
• Justin Ashcraft of Mon Goals and our own Kevin Johnston link up to preview Saturday’s match between Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and the Indy Eleven. The two also briefly review the clubs’ 2-2 draw on Aug. 29 and size up the Eastern Conference playoff picture. Click the image above to…
• Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC center back Hugh Roberts guests on the panel to discuss the fine season his club is having, his background in the game, playing basketball with Indiana Pacers shooting guard Victor Oladipo, his post-soccer career plans and plenty more. Roberts also hosts his own podcast, Back Yard…
• Co-hosts KJ and Nipun recall all the finest moments from the Group Phase before looking ahead to the Round of 16. The two also answer some Twitter questions and gush over the best goals of the tournament so far. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content…
• In Part II of our breakdown of every country’s 2018 home and away World Cup kits, the panel sizes up the threads of Groups E through H. Brickyard Battalion board member David Strange guests as the lads pick their favorite kit in each group before rattling off their overall…
• The panel, with the help of Brickyard Battalion board member David Strange, goes off the pitch to analyze the World Cup kits of every single team in the tournament — the good, the bad and the ugly. The panelists select a favorite kit in each group before picking their…
• The panel welcomes Indy Eleven president Jeff Belskus to tackle a few questions regarding the current state of the club, Indy’s MLS bid, the fan experience at Lucas Oil Stadium and missed opportunities due to consecutive entry-round Open Cup losses. Belskus also describes the hurdles the team climbed in…