• 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…
• 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 Hoosiers threw everything they had at the Syracuse Orange, fighting back twice to even the score and then heading to…
• 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 was a different story. People mumbled in the stands about a different lineup every game. A lot of players saw…
• 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 seven matches. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to…
• INDIANAPOLIS — Playing in their final home match of the season on Oct. 8, the Indy Eleven hung four goals from the 40th minute on en route to a 4-1 victory over the visiting Charleston Battery. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive…
• 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…
• BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — One player doesn’t win a game. But special players make special plays. And special plays win games. Sunday, Indiana’s Ryan Wittenbrink remained calm, cool and collected, sending corner kicks on target and looking for a window. In the 75th minute, a small window opened and he took…
• In 1973, Indiana University’s men’s soccer team played its first NCAA season. The next year, the Hoosiers made their first NCAA Tournament appearance. And now in its 50th year, IU is still going strong getting ready to make their 47th NCAA Tournament appearance when they host St. Louis on Sunday at…
• INDIANAPOLIS — A Luca Sowinski hat trick helped carry visiting FC Tulsa past the Indy Eleven 4-2 on Saturday. Dario Suarez added the other tally for Tulsa, while Ayoze provided a brace for Indy. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and…
• MUNCIE, Ind. — A surging Ball State team scored four unanswered goals after falling behind 1-0 early to secure a 4-1 win against Northern Illinois on Thursday. Following a slow start to the season, the Cardinals are now unbeaten over their last five matches, racking up three wins and…

INDIANAPOLIS — Seeking a versatile player to help at the wide midfield spots and centrally when needed, the Indy Eleven appear to be close to terms with New Zealand international Craig Henderson.

Eleven coach Tim Hankinson confirmed the move Thursday evening on Casillero Deportivo in an interview with Gus Ochoa and Logan Ayers.

https://t.co/xsjRfg6SVN

— @Casillero Deportivo (@IndyLockerRoom) February 9, 2017

“We’ve added one more wing midfielder to make sure that we’re reinforced at starting-caliber players in (Craig) Henderson,” Hankinson told Casillero Deportivo. “(He’s) a New Zealand international — played for Bob Bradley at Stabaek in Norway.”

(Note: Hankinson mistakenly said “Chris Henderson,” a retired footballer and current Seattle Sounders sporting director who coincidentally also played at Stabaek.)

Henderson has a chance to step into the starting XI in Indy if he can play out left, but seems more likely to receive quality minutes off the bench backing up multiple midfield positions. He attended Dartmouth College before spending his entire professional career in Sweden and Norway. The 29-year-old Wellington native has been capped twice by his home country.

With Duke Lacroix‘s future in Indy looking doubtful at best after trialing with Minnesota United FC — albeit unsuccessfully — and Omar Gordon‘s future at the club similarly uncertain, the Eleven are definitely in the market for wide players. Henderson fits the bill and immediately fills a roster need.

“We tried to lure (Lacroix) back and we’ll see how that plays out,” Hankinson added.

Omar Gordon (left) and Duke Lacroix (right) on the pitch vs. Rayo OKC in 2016. Rayo OKC/NASL

The Eleven took a “value veteran” approach to rebuilding their roster last year, and seem content to stick with that trend this offseason after re-signing several of their older players while funneling in even more experience.

There must be some formalities holding up the club’s official announcement of the Henderson signing, but it appears close to a done deal given Hankinson’s public openness on the matter. Look for Indy to formally announce its newest addition in the coming days.

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• MUNCIE, Ind. — Four different Cardinals found the back of the net Sunday in Ball State’s 5-nil rout of Eastern Michigan. The win pushed the Cardinals’ record to 2W-4D-3L on the season. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click…
• INDIANAPOLIS — Butler hosted Ball State at the Sellick Bowl on Thursday, and the visiting Cardinals rebounded from a 2-nil deficit to earn a 2-2 draw against the Bulldogs. Katie Soderstrom produced both tallies for Butler before Ball State answered through Avery Fenchel and Sammi Corcoran. Follow Robbie on…
• INDIANAPOLIS — A high-scoring affair between the Indy Eleven and Birmingham Legion FC culminated in a 4-3 Indy victory Saturday evening at Carroll Stadium. Stefano Pinho’s 78-minute tally broke the tie after previous goals by Indy’s Neveal Hackshaw (2) and Juan Tejada, and Birmingham’s Enzo Martinez and Marlon Santos…
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• INDIANAPOLIS — Days after stunning Western Conference-leading San Antonio FC, the resurgent Indy Eleven knocked off Eastern Conference rival and first-place Louisville City FC 2-1 on Wednesday at Carroll Stadium. A brace by Stefano Pinho brought Indy back from 1-0 down after an early goal by LouCity’s Ray Serrano….
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• INDIANAPOLIS — The Indy Eleven ended their recent run of poor form Saturday with a 1-0 win over league-leading San Antonio FC. SAFC entered with 57 points, the most in the USL Championship, and has already clinched a playoff spot. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon…
• LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Goals by Sophia Smith and Hina Sugita helped the Portland Thorns to a 2-1 road win over Racing Louisville on Friday at Lynn Family Stadium. Alex Chidiac provided the lone tally for the hosts. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to…
• FORT WAYNE, Ind. — Fort Wayne FC shut out the visiting Cleveland Force 3-0 on Saturday behind a brace by Maxwell Amoako and an own goal by Cleveland goalkeeper Andrew Cooke. Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh. Support Soc Takes on Patreon for access to exclusive content and supporter benefits. Click here to…

Who can the 17-year-old phenom represent? When? And why would he choose the U.S.?

Photo credit: David Wilson (Creative Commons license)

Amid the fervor of Giovanni Reyna becoming the youngest American to appear and record an assist in a UEFA Champions League game last week for Borussia Dortmund, a question started floating around soccer circles: Could the teenage star choose to represent a country other than the U.S.?

The question of Reyna’s eligibility has its roots in his grandparents, his birthplace and passport. The son of two renowned former U.S. internationals, Claudio Reyna on the men’s side and Danielle Egan Reyna on the women’s, it has long been assumed that Gio Reyna will follow in his parents’ footsteps and represent the Americans when he inevitably breaks through to the senior level. While that result remains the betting favorite, there are several other tantalizing possibilities on the table for the rising star.

The first — and most immediate — possibility lies with the defending European champions, Portugal. Via ancestry through his grandparents, Reyna was able to acquire a Portuguese passport that enabled him to leave New York City FC’s academy, where his father served as sporting director through 2019, and sign abroad within the European Union after turning 16 — non-EU passport holders need to wait until age 18. The secondary effect of this process was gaining eligibility to represent Portugal on the international stage.

Given Reyna’s meteoric rise, it would be logical to conclude the Portuguese FA has their eyes on the Dortmund midfielder — just as England does per reports from The Athletic. Despite representing the U.S. at the youth level up to the U-17s, Reyna remains un-capped in a senior competitive match, leaving the door open for a switch to the home nation of one of the all-time greats, Cristiano Ronaldo. One must wonder what a call from him would do?

While not an immediate possibility due to currently lacking citizenship, England remains in the discussion due to the location of his birth, Sunderland, England, where he spent his first five years. This situation is a bit more complex due to British Nationality Law. There are five methods by which British citizenship can be obtained:

1. By birth in the UK or a qualified British overseas territory to a parent who is a British citizen at the time of the birth, or a parent who is settled in the UK or an overseas terrtiory – Reyna does not fit this criteria
2. By birth abroad (“by descent”) if one parent is a British citizen by a method other than by descent. Only transferable by one generation downward (i.e. parents, not grandparents) – Reyna does not fit this criteria
3. By naturalization gained by fitting certain criteria including legal residence in the UK for three years with a British spouse or five years without – this would be Reyna’s most likely path to British citizenship
4. By registration – Reyna does not fit this criteria
5. By adoption – Reyna does not fit this criteria

As noted by The Athletic, Reyna is currently being tracked by the English FA as one of roughly 1,000 credible long-term options. Reports also state he is on a short-list of roughly 25 players the FA is particularly paying attention to with a more advanced screening process. If the FA decides to target Reyna, they will then take steps to get international clearance with FIFA.

Another potential landing place for Reyna based on his grandparents ancestry is Argentina. Reyna is not currently a citizen of Argentina based on Argentine Nationality Law, but could choose to pursue citizenship.

Similarly to Britain, Argentina requires a person to be born either within Argentina to acquire citizenship at birth or to be born to a native Argentine citizen abroad (“by descent”). The distinguishing point from England, however, are the very simple requirements for citizenship by naturalization for Argentina. The only requirements that must be met are:

1. Be 18 years old or older
2. Have established residency in Argentina for two years
3. Apply for citizenship with a federal judge

The ease of the Argentine system — and a similar potential recruiting role from Ronaldo’s foil, Lionel Messi — alongside the heritage shared with his grandparents could make Argentina a viable option at a relatively young age for Reyna if he so chose.

The most likely endpoint of all of this battling remains representation of the U.S. Reyna has held his Portuguese passport for over a year now and has not yet been approached by the Portuguese FA, though continued strong performances may change that. While he did spend some of his youth in England — Reyna was born in 2002 and father Claudio did not leave England to return to the U.S. until 2007 — Reyna obviously spent most of his developmental life in the United States. He’s also been representing the U.S. since 2016 with the U.S. U-15 youth national team and has consistently remained with that group through the U-17 squad.

In order to render Reyna cap-tied per FIFA Statutes, the U.S. would have to call him up to the senior level in an official competition and he’d have to make an appearance. Friendlies do not count. A recent example of this was Jermaine Jones, who had previously represented Germany in several friendlies in 2008 before choosing to represent the U.S. competitively.

A player would also be considered cap-tied if he appeared in an official competition for a national team at any level, youth included, provided the player was not eligible for another national team at the time of his appearance. Reyna’s eligibility for Portugal prevents this and so he remains not cap-tied despite his U.S. appearances.

Given his prominent rise, it would not be a shock if the USSF makes plans to call Reyna up for a senior, cap-tying appearance in the near future. The U.S. has two scheduled friendlies for the March window against the Netherlands and Wales. But neither would satisfy FIFA’s requirements, meaning the first possible opportunity the U.S. will have to cap-tie Reyna comes in June at the CONCACAF-sanctioned Nations League Semifinal against Honduras.

The question is: Will Reyna accept the call-up? Or will he keep his options open for the future? The U.S. recently went through a similar process with Sergino Dest, the Netherlands-eligible fullback who declined a U.S. senior call-up back in October as he made his decision before ultimately choosing to represent the U.S. Men’s National Team, and becoming cap-tied in a Nations League group stage match against Canada in November.

Follow Colton on Twitter: @cjcoreschi.

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

Image credit: NPSL

Back in May, an exclusive interview with NPSL director Joe Barone revealed that the NPSL was looking to imminently institute full-season play. Since that time, a lot has changed in the American soccer stratosphere, including the possibility of two Division 3 leagues, litigation surrounding the instituting of promotion-relegation, etc.

Soc Takes was interested in identifying NPSL owners who believed in the idea of full-season play. Via phone calls and emails, we realized that an overwhelming majority — but not all — owners we spoke to were interested in the idea. However, all of them, for now, remain unsure of the details of the plan.

Nipun Chopra: Why is full-season play a good idea for your team?

Dennis Crowley (Kingston Stockade FC owner): If you look at larger conversation about D4 and possibly promotion. Is there a growth strategy for rest of the pyramid? This puts us on the same calendar as rest of the pyramid. Solving this issue at the D4 level is the key to connecting different pieces of pyramid. Think it’s a great idea. It’s something league needs to pull off. It’s just a complicated problem. There’s a solution. We would love to do this in 2018, but as of today haven’t figured out a way to do that yet.

Nick Mendola (FC Buffalo co-owner): This is a good idea, provided that we are allowed to have an extended roster that allows us access to players for at least part of the season. It is difficult for a team to exist and build up a fan base to become a prime player in their community with just a 3-month season. I think at some level, you need more games. We have an incredible fan base and I consider them even more amazing for their commitment to us, given short number of games.

We are aggressively pursuing every opportunity we have to play games in the fall/winter whenever. You’re able to ask for money from sponsorship. I was in a band that played shows. What we did was, we saved money and used our vacation days for as many shows as possible. I’ve always found that connection between DIY band life and non-MLS soccer. You want to be in a league that is exploring new ideas.

Jonathan Wardlow (Little Rock Rangers president): Our fan base want a longer season, and we also have some players that would like to play an extended season. I wonder if the quality of play will drop off once it is just local players left. We are in a unique situation since we have a really big stadium at our disposal where we are largely the only tenant. The state is really wanting us to be the anchor, so they would like us to have a longer season so we can support the stadium.

Sonny Dalesandro (Tulsa Athletics chairman): From the money side of it, it’s difficult to be successful because some teams only play six times all season. Have to look at alternatives. It needs to happen for entertainment and revenue. The fans deserve more than a crammed 10-week season.

Douglas Heizer (Boca Raton FC owner): This is not a good idea for our team.

Aaron Sarwar (Hartford City FC owner): Firstly, I hate the title “amateur.” Our fans view us as professional and we consider the team to be professionally run. The plan is to go pro in the near future. We had a phenomenal season- the team made the playoffs and we had full stands with two matches being standing room only. I can, without a doubt say that if the season was longer our numbers would have continued to grow. When you invest so much into your brand and team, it is difficult to keep the momentum when you only have six regular season home matches. We averaged about 900 for attendance and you have to take into consideration that we had two matches with uncooperative weather. So we truly had only four good home matches — that’s tough.

Phoday Dolleh (Atlanta Silverbacks co-owner): For us, we consider the club as a professional club. We have around six players who have played in the NASL. We want to keep that professionality around, and keep the club at that standards. So, it’s important for our fan that are used to a full-season. Playing just 3 months isn’t the best situation for fans or our players. We want to have mix of young player – develop them and move them on. I was the guy who helped develop Poku, and i want to do that again. We want to keep that standard.

David Satterwhite (Dayton Dynamo FC owner): The extended season is a must move. For several reasons. 1) it’s near impossible to stay relevant in your market when you play less than 3 months out of the year. 2) It’s a massive commitment to ask of fans or potential fans to commit to 10 home games in 2 months. 3) near impossible to market for us, especially since we have a very difficult market as the Crew & FC Cincy is only an hour apart from Dayton Both are MLS level fan experiences both are fighting for market share in Dayton.

Bilal Saeed (AFC Ann Arbor FC co-owner): At this level, in a league with so many teams, you’ll find different clubs have different goals and different ways of measuring success. But the common thing we all share is our pure love for the game and passion for our respective clubs so I think we’d all enjoy playing more games, having a longer season and just spending more time doing what we love. And there’s a lot of good things that could come from that but currently, I think the cons still outweigh the pros.

Tim Sas (Duluth FC owner): The terribly short season currently employed by NPSL is limiting on a number of levels: player health, player development, scheduling, fan relations, and it certainly isn’t helpful for business relations.

Dan Hoedeman (Minneapolis City SC co-founder): We are trying to grow–and that will be helped by more home games and time in-season to attract fans. We finished our season on a Wednesday with our biggest crowd ever and it felt too early to be finished. Fall season will help with that.

Renato Valentim (Boston City FC owner): A full season more in line with the traditional soccer calendar here in the US brings legitimacy to the league and its teams.  We want to offer our fans a full calendar of matches at a time when they want and expect to watch soccer. A longer season will of course create more home matches and therefore more opportunities for us to build on our relationship with the local community, our supporters and our partners.  It also opens the door to more potential partners.

***

Chopra: What sort of financial burden/difficulties will this place on the team?

Crowley: Short season works for lot of teams because we can use college players. By moving to a longer season, you’re asking guys to train a lot more. A lot of them would expect a lot of compensation; that’s an expense. The NPSL works so well because there are so many teams. The moment you start saying there are only ½ or 1/3rd as many teams, it increases driving distances, overnight stays. Then it becomes hard to predict those costs.

Mendola: Presumably there will be a lower number of teams competing. I don’t think all of the teams within driving distance from us will have the appetite for it. So, I’m assuming that we’ll have to drive eight-hour distances for away games; that triples your cost. Hopefully, you make up for that with extended revenue. There is no industry in soccer/entertainment that has teams in businesses under their thumb than bus companies.

Wardlow: As I mentioned, the quality of players is far behind; that’s the reason I started the team was to improve local soccer. If this league idea doesn’t pan out, we’re going to try to pick up friendlies. We have pretty good crowds, so I don’t think we’ll lose any money. We bought our own bus, so we’ll only play for gas, so travel shouldn’t be a big issue. We should be able to break even on a Fall season.

Dalesandro: What needs to happen is a conversation with NCAA. The way things stand, we are heavily reliant on college players. You get to the playoffs, and you start losing college athletes to ‘captain’s practice’. We need to know what the rules are from NCAA. Having very real conversations with NCAA about how long we can keep our players; and adapt our business model to that.

From market to market, a longer season represents the inability to plug in college players. For Tulsa, we have a very rich soccer history, we’re not going to have access to former pros who are two months of fitness away from being hig-level players. So we would have to up our scouting. Player pool for a market our size wouldn’t be able to compete with NY or SoCal.

Sarwar: It definitely will be asking more from the players but at the end of the day they love to play. The beauty of the NPSL is that they play with heart and it shows. In terms of the financial burden, teams that are looking to grow and truly spread roots in the communities they represent shouldn’t (we don’t) see the extended season as a burden but as the key to meeting these goals. We were fortunate to have Henkel Corp, Budweiser, Armstrong Rockwell Jewelry, Specialty Transportation, 1SoccerStore.com and others graciously support the team and with the extended season I am sure that the support will only grow.

So for us the extended season is a welcome and necessary change to keep the momentum going through the year representing the great city of Hartford on a national level. We are only in our inaugural year but I am so grateful of the NPSL. The beauty of the NPSL is the respect given to all of the teams. Those who want to sit out of the extended season will be able to do so. It truly is a special league in which we all sit down and work things out. With that and knowing the amount of interest – there is no doubt that we will have a much longer season next year.

Dolleh: When players cannot get paid, it’s difficult to motivate them for that long. There’s no prize to shoot for.

Satterwhite: Financial burden not really as we would reduce the amount of games we play in the summer if we can get a total of 15 home games. The difficulties are another story. Finding players is one. College players are the best talent that are not pro. These players could not participate in the fall. So you either have a completely different team in 2nd half of the season or you move away from college players in full.

Saeed: The financial burden is really unknown without clear expectations of travel costs and other major variables such as attendance, venue availability and so on. With so many unknowns, the risk is higher and the model that so many teams have adopted has to be remixed or redone. Teams that primarily use college players, like ours, would be an even riskier position because they could potentially have to explore paying players and forfeiting amateur status. For AFCAA, rethinking our entire model at this point doesn’t make sense.

Sas: Surely there would be increased costs with an increase in the number of matches and increased travel, but we feel it would be easier to mitigate then the highly compressed schedule we have now.

Hoedeman: Given our location here in the far north, we may be looking at a scenario where we will need to find a significantly more expensive indoor location for some games. Also, we are unsure exactly what the geographic footprint would be so we could be looking at increased. travel costs. That said, we’ve been able to align our costs and revenues for home-and-home sets, so I expect that we will be able to be financially successful with the extended season like we were this summer.

Valentim: We would expect the income from increased partnerships to offset some costs, but naturally playing more matches and traveling more often, and probably further afield, brings financial challenges. The bottom line is that a club increasing its profile by being active for more months of the year should also increase its revenues.  Our players are all frustrated when the season ends and there is such a long gap until we resume.  At some point, you have to make a move forward.

***

Chopra: Will your team continue to operate as an amateur team?

Crowley: It can still be amateur. The spring team will be a lot stronger than the fall team.

Mendola: It depends. We would look to NPSL for guidance here. In theory, we would like to stay amateur. I can say that when I speak to Joe Barone, he’s always asking questions and thinking of new solutions. I do love that players working with us are committed to improving themselves for their college fall season. There’s a romanticism to it that I like.

Wardlow: Yes, we wouldn’t pay any of the current guys. I can see per diem for travel, but not salaries.

Dalesandro: For our club, we definitely recognize the importance of the NPSL in a bigger picture. I don’t see a scenario where NPSL component to our club where we develop players.

Heizer: Yes.

Sarwar: Answered in first answer. Please don’t call us amateur.

Dolleh: It depends. We have a great ambition and want to keep playing at the higher level in this community.

Satterwhite: That is the million dollar question. I am under the belief that it must be some sort of pro. We have done the amateur player route in Cincy and it was not successful from play on the field or off-field success in selling tickets, sponsorship etc.

Sas: Yes, for the foreseeable future. Duluth is a fairly small metro area which isn’t likely to support a full professional side.

Hoedeman: That is our plan, at least in the short term.

Valentim: We operate professionally with staff who devote many hours to making Boston City a success.  In terms of our players, we already train every day in addition to match days, so that would be increased over a longer period.  They are professional in their conduct and commitment and that is what it takes to be a part of this club.

***

Chopra: How many teams in your would division be involved?

Crowley: Maybe Boston? I would like to do, it’s on my wishlist. Teams in CT have seen lots of success. Every time we have a home game, we are generating revenue, more games is good for us.

Mendola: I’d love to be in a  league, but I don’t know how many. I’d like to play at least another ten games. People will be grateful to have more games; I know there will probably be growing pains.

Wardlow: No, I know of other teams have reserved squads. I think we can pick up 4-5 opponents, even if there is no formal league structure.

Dalesandro: There are teams that run very good clubs. I would hate to single anyone out. I’d like to take the position that any team that has their shit together can have options.

Sarwar: In the Atlantic alone there is strong interest from several teams. If the NPSL with 96+ teams, the largest league in the nation has a fraction of the teams join we would still be larger than most other leagues. Interestingly, with teams signed on we almost had a fall season materialize for this year. I am confident we will have a great long season next year.

Dolleh: Yeah, we have our owner’s meeting in Florida in December. We discussed this before and there was a lot of interest. Not from everybody, but many teams. There are clubs out there that have 90% college players, so it isn’t for them.

Satterwhite: I actually have no idea how many teams in our conference are participating if any.

Saeed: I’m really not sure. I couldn’t name one club that is at this point but I also haven’t spoken to many about it.

Sas: All eight of the clubs in the NPSL North Conference prefer a longer season but some are still dependent on college players. NCAA rules limit their participation severely.

Hoedeman: I am not sure. Best to ask Tim Sas, the conference liaison, who has a tendency to work behind the scenes on things like this.

Valentim: We have not discussed this with other clubs, but you only have to look at the success and ambition of clubs in the Northeast Atlantic Conference to expect they would want to continue to be among the top clubs in the NPSL.

***

Chopra: What would happen to non-involved teams?

Crowley: The logistics aren’t clear here.

Sarwar: You can be certain that with an extended season the momentum behind the NPSL will only continue to grow.

Dolleh: I think it remains mostly the same for them. In their case, you don’t have to play the full season.

***

Chopra: Any other comments?

Wardlow: I think it’s in the league’s best interest to do it. The problem is that the teams are so reliant on college players right now though, that it’s difficult. It might take a couple of years to get this going, but it is for the good of the sport, the league and various communities.

Dalesandro: We’re interested in doing what’s best for our market, including looking at NISA, but we want to make sure it makes sense. As long as it is economically viable, I’d like to think we are one of the aggressive teams in the league.

Dolleh: I’m a soccer guy, I love the game, I’m very very impressed with how the game is growing in this country. I was born and raised in Liberia and played second division and third division. I would love to see something like that. As big as GA is, we only have 2 NPSL and a couple of PDL teams. All the counties are capable of having a pro team. I love to see the game growing and community involvement.

Satterwhite: There is a need to get away from using college players for our clubs. It limits our clubs ability to operate from a marketing perspective, level of play perspective, inflated rosters to handle the rigorous summer schedule & many more.

Saeed: Like I said, organizations at this level tend to measure success differently so I’m thrilled for the teams that can adjust their model to make this work. For Ann Arbor, we have a pretty clear vision for our club which at the moment doesn’t include an extended season.

Sas: My personal opinion is that an extended season needs to be evolving along with an increased level of professionalism in club operations. This may require further discussion that may be best at another time.

Hoedeman: Also, we are not going to play fall season this year but we are enthusiastic supporters of it if the NPSL can get the geographic footprint to work for us. To take the NPSL–and clubs like ours, with a fan base and run like a business–to the next level, an extended season is critical. The trick is building out the conferences in a way that makes sense geographically, at least for a club like ours in a surprisingly isolated-from-other-major-cities city like Minneapolis.

Valentim: There is a disparity in the NPSL between clubs, which is not to criticize those who do not aspire to progress, but means that there is a need for a division for ambitious clubs. We would like to join that top group in helping to raise the profile of the NPSL and improve its standing on the soccer landscape.

***

You can follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7.

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Photo credit: Tommy Heinemann

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 FC Cincinnati. Through all of it — and in the face of unfair criticism from a small section of the FC Cincinnati community — Heinemann chose to maintain his silence.

But, he deserves to have a voice now.

In an exclusive interview with Soc Takes, Heinemann discussed the events and the aftermath of his exit from FC Cincinnati. While he was noticeably reticent to discuss details about remediation, Heinemann discussed the controversy surrounding the injury.

Soc Takes has previously discussed the merits of Heinemann’s claim, and it should be noted that both the USL as well as the arbiter voted in Heinemann’s favor.

Heinemann’s faith and family are the core around which he has built his Tubthumping-esque approach to life. Most of all, Tommy reminds us that there is a person (and a family) behind a number.

And that you truly cannot keep a good man down.

Nipun Chopra: How are you feeling now that this ordeal is over?

Tommy Heinemann: I’m very grateful for a number of reasons. First of all, that I serve a faithful God. Secondly, that I have a loving wife and family that stands by me in every single moment. Thirdly, I have a loyal agent and friends across the soccer community who have stood by me. To be able to have this outcome of the arbitrator holding up my contract is something that I trusted God would happen the entire time. It wasn’t easy though, it’s been a difficult 11 months. Sometimes people were flinging all types of things at me. I tried to walk the line — I don’t bash other people — but i must stand for the truth. The truth shines through and that’s the most rewarding thing.

NC: Your religious faith has been very important to you. Tell us why.

TH: I gave my life to Christ when I was 8 years old. It wasn’t until I was in middle school that I started understanding that to proclaim to know God, I was called to walk and talk in the manner He calls me to. I was cut by both my club team and my varsity high school soccer team. In 2004, my junior year of high school, I had my first ACL surgery and missed my senior year of high school.  I desperately wanted to play soccer, and through prayer and trust in God, I felt God leading me to Rockhurst University where I walked on. My first year, I was just happy to  earn the opportunity to wear the jersey. My first game at Rockhurst I started on the bench, but came in and scored two goals and an assist. I started every game except one my freshman year and eventually, I joined a PDL team in St. Louis, the St. Louis Lions. I scored eight goals in my first eight games, and tore my ACL again in 2006. By the grace of God, I rehabbed and became a two-time All-American at Rockhurst and completed two more years with the St. Louis Lions finishing with 35 goals in 36 games. Through these trialing experiences God taught me first-hand about His faithfulness. He taught me that He is sovereign, and no matter the circumstance, He is in control and to trust in Him. Throughout my entire career, His faithfulness is evident and it’s only by his grace that I am able to play the game I love. That’s why it is so important to me.

NC: Was that injury your last knee surgery?

TH: My last knee surgery was in 2012. It was a microfracture surgery. My last ACL surgery was in 2006.

NC: Going back to your faith, how does one have all these horrendous injuries, and still manage to retain their faith?

TH: Inevitable, we are human and doubt does creep in and present itself, but God’s word never returns void. It’s difficult at times to trust, but I have to daily depend on God for physical strength, emotional strength and spiritual strength. It’s a big part of me as a person.

NC: Can you summarize the events that lead to your exit from the club?

TH: I signed a contract with FC Cincinnati on Nov. 20, 2017. My contract became effective on Jan. 1, 2018.  I arrived in Cincinnati on Jan. 5 with my wife and 3-year-old son. We signed a 12-month lease on Jan. 13 and I reported to the first day of preseason on Jan. 15. On Jan. 16, I went through a very rigorous physical examination. The first day of training was on Jan. 17, in which I trained and felt great. On Jan. 18, I was told by the club that I had a 95 percent torn ACL. I found this most disturbing and surprising, as my knee felt fine. In seeking my own medical opinion from Dr. Michael Burns in St. Louis, he found my knee to be stable and did not see any problems precluding me from playing. After returning to Cincinnati, the club asked me to accept only a portion of the guaranteed money of my contract, with the other portion conditioned upon the health of my knee and hips. I declined this offer and subsequently received a motion to void my contract from the club on Jan. 30, 2018.

NC: Were you injured at the time of termination of your contract?

TH: No, I was not injured. I was fit, healthy and ready to play. I trained with FC Cincinnati on Jan. 17 and was prepared to continue training.

NC: What was the remedial ruling?

TH: The arbiter ruled to uphold my contract.

NC: Does that mean they are required to pay your contract in its entirety?

TH: For 2018, they upheld my contract.

NC: What about paying your legal fees?

TH: They upheld the contract.

NC: Is this the final step to the best of your understanding?

TH: Yes.

NC: Do you think FCC is going to appeal this decision?

TH: No. (Note: An FC Cincinnati spokesperson confirmed via email that they would not seek further legal options.)

NC: Why did FCC think they would win?

TH: Good question and one I’ve been trying to figure out for some time now. There was an exit physical I had at San Francisco, where the doctor cited a sore groin from the championship game, which was 24 hours before the exit physical. I believe they thought they could use this to get out of the contract.

NC: Have you had any contact with FCC personnel since this came out?

TH: Other than at the arbitration, the last time I spoke to someone at the club was Jan. 30, 2018.

NC: What would you say to those who cite your limited appearances with Penn FC as evidence that you were carrying an injury?

TH: I would encourage those people to get the correct information before they comment. The injuries I incurred after leaving Cincinnati are not relevant to my time in Cincinnati, but rather a normal part of sports. I missed time in 2018 for a few reasons. I sprained my ankle during the first few minutes of one match. I also missed time due to a strained hamstring. I had to miss more time with Penn FC for a few personal reasons, including traveling multiple times for both a deposition and the arbitration hearings which contractually had to be held in Cincinnati. Most importantly, I did not miss a single game due to my knee.

NC: How has this been for your family?

TH: I don’t know if there’s a word that can explain how difficult it’s been. Katrina and I signed for San Francisco  Deltas, we had a great year and won a championship. It was an extremely memorable year. Eight days after the season ended, we signed a contract, uprooted our lives, and moved to a new city (Cincinnati). We signed a new lease and we were prepared to be there for a while.

Two weeks later, we were blindsided. Look, we know this is professional sports, so this is the reality. But, it’s been a difficult year. It’s one that I couldn’t have got through without my wife Katrina. She’s my angel, to steady me, to keep me calm, to keep me composed. Our little guy Hudson has been a healthy distraction.

NC: How old is Hudson?

Photo credit: Tommy Heinemann

TH: He’s three-and-a-half.

NC: How much does Hudson understand about what his father does?

TH: This year more than ever, he knows about what his dad does. Almost every day, he wants to put on the jersey and run around the house. He’s all left-footed (laughs). He loves watching and playing. After every game he asks me, “Papa, will you play with me?”

NC: And does he have a full-beard yet?

TH: (laughs) No, but he does have a lot of hair.

NC: What about your wife? Have the events of this year jaded her from the life of professional soccer?

TH: Here’s the incredible thing — even after all this, she wants me to do what makes me happy. She is the most supportive, most incredible person I know.

NC: You’ve had a lot of support from other professional players as well as the MLS Players Union. What’s that been like?

TH: It’s meant the world. Players more than anyone understand. They have been there, experienced or seen similar things and — especially those with families — they know. Players know what it’s like to play in the lower divisions of U.S. Soccer, to fight, to grind. Guys who have been vocal, and others who have sent me messages, or talked to me in person. The support of the players across the country means the world.

The MLSPA’s support of me, and all players, is absolutely incredible. They deal with the protection of players, so they understand that us players are more than numbers on a board. We are people with families. Their support has meant a lot to my family and I.

NC: What’s the next step for you with Penn FC dropping down to Division III?

TH: It’s a fluid situation; which I’ve become accustomed to (laughs). I’m still working through it.

NC: Will we see you playing next year?

TH: I want to play as long as I can, but I know I can’t play forever. That said, I’m very passionate about coaching, leading and impacting as well. I’ve wanted to become a coach since I was 24. I’ve been preparing for that too.

NC: If this is the end of your career, how will you remember your career?

TH: I will remember God’s continuous faithfulness. I was a kid who was cut from high school, walked on in college. And everything I have is by the grace of God. Everyday I lace up my boots is from the grace of God. Whether the circumstances were excellent or poor, the tide was high or low, my foundation is in Christ and I will always remember His strength in my weakness. A part of each championship, every friendship with teammates and coaches, all the time spent training and preparing, every good time and bad time, God’s faithfulness is what I will always remember above all.

Note: FC Cincinnati provided Soc Takes with the following statement:

“We accept the ruling of the arbiter. We said back in the spring that we would pursue every available opportunity to defend our position, and arbitration was the final step allowed in all USL contracts. Now that the arbiter has issued his ruling, we wish Tommy all the best fortune in his career as we continue our efforts toward preparing for our first MLS season.”

The lower divisions of soccer are a complicated place for professional soccer players. While players are happy to have a place to follow their dreams, those players are often subject to low wages and a significant imbalance in power. Players I speak to often refer to these problems as “necessary evils.”

The fact that the USL and an independent arbiter upheld Tommy’s contract is significant as it shows that the league and the law will uphold player contracts. Perhaps this is a beginning of a necessary fight against necessary evils.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7.

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Are we ready to return to play? I’m sorry, but we are not. Not even close.

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

It feels as though it has been years since I watched Tyler Pasher terrorize Tim Howard in Indy Eleven’s away win against Memphis 901. Since then, U.S. Soccer has come to a complete standstill.

The impact of COVID-19 has been global, and the number of cases and deaths in the United States have been remarkable. Currently, over a quarter of the world’s cases and deaths have occurred in America. The impact on global and local economies has been catastrophic and a fifth of Americans currently find themselves unemployed.

One of many economies struck by the pandemic is professional sport, and particularly my favorite niche, professional soccer. Leagues all across the world have rightly canceled matches and training over the past two months, but are now exploring resuming sporting activities. In England, suggestions are that the Premier League may resume in early June, even though it must be noted that mother nature was so upset at the idea of a Liverpool Premier League win, that she imparted a global pandemic upon us.

Closer to home, Major League Soccer (MLS) and the United Soccer League (USL) are all beginning to explore a return to training, while the professional National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) and multiple amateur leagues have suspended play for the spring season.

But should we start playing soccer?

While there has been no statistical analysis of this yet, the downturn in the economy is undoubtedly negatively affecting club finances. Based on the financial instability of American club soccer — even before the pandemic — it is likely that we stumble to the other side of this thing with more defunct clubs and more irresponsible behavior directed toward players and staff. The latest example of this will be possible cuts to player salaries.

So, in the unfortunate roller coaster that is American soccer, financial implications demand a return to play. And, likely, a return to play that includes incorporation of supporters. Unlike the financial behemoths of England, Spain, etc., which can account for sponsorships and TV revenue as a significant portion of club income, American soccer continues to rely heavily on ticket revenue to remain financially solvent.

In other words, the ecosystem of players, technical and non-technical staff, referees, administrators, vendors, etc. need the game to return at some point. Fans, too, need a distraction from the terrifying reality of the world around us.

But are we ready to return to play? I’m sorry, but we are not. Not even close.

In order to return to play, we must be able to test players regularly. How regularly? Every day. Every day that they train and/or play a game. Can we achieve this?  We — and I cannot stress this enough — cannot.  Harvard Global Health Institute analyzed that the country should be conducting approximately 900,000 tests every day by May 15th. Our current rate of testing is far short of that at around 350,000 tests. So, even in a best case scenario, we are not close to our testing goal.

Beyond that, there are significant ethical considerations to prioritizing testing professional athletes over healthcare personnel, the elderly and other at-risk populations.

But, let’s assume that we do get to a panacea that allows for us testing everyone. There are two more things we should consider: a methodological and epidemiological concern about testing.

The first has to do with the test itself. You see, there are two ways we are testing for COVID-19. The first and most common test is a Reverse Transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR)-based test. That’s a fancy way of saying: It is a test for presence/absence of viral particles in a patient’s blood. The other, the antibody test, looks for signs of a patient’s immune response to the virus, and is therefore an indirect measure of infection.

To put it simply, the former allows you to test for current infections more accurately. The latter — depending on the type of immunoglobulin (A flag your immune cells produce in response to infection) being tested — can affirm current or previous infections.

Here’s the kicker. Neither test is perfectly accurate. The current estimate for the RT-PCR (viral-particle)-based test suggests that it inaccurately diagnoses between 10-20% of tested individuals as COVID-19 free. Other tests can be less accurate.

Using those statistics in an overly simplistic way, that means that if we test our 10 outfield players — let’s ignore goalkeepers because they don’t really matter — it is possible we misdiagnose one of them as being COVID-19 free when they are not.

The assumption above is that all 10 players are COVID-19 positive, so it is far from a perfect illustration and forgive me the imperfect analogy. The key is to understand that with a big enough population, this false negative will eventually manifest. If we test every player, every day, this will manifest. Given the close quarters professional athletes find themselves in — locker rooms, hotel rooms, contact on the field, etc. — this could be the beginning of a focal breakout.

A focal breakout, where a potentially asymptomatic individual infects multiple other people during a training session or a game.

Does either league have a plan for this scenario? Or are we in – “let’s figure it out later” mode?

As a proof of concept, the CDC reported a scenario where one individual infected multiple other individuals during a 2.5-hour choir rehearsal. While I don’t anticipate watching Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mark-Anthony Kaye singing harmony on “Bridge over Troubled Waters,” anytime soon, the same issue of close contact during a soccer game presents potential superspreader risk.

The second problem with the testing is the latency period of the virus. Let’s return to our current scenario of testing, where people are being tested when they start to show symptoms. To put it simply, if you are exposed to the virus on May 12, it is likely that you will show symptoms by May 15. But, it may be between 1-24 days until you show symptoms.

And, as many of you know by now, it is possible that that player can spread the virus during that time.

So, please, I implore you, we are not ready.

One commonly cited method of returning to professional support envisions a scenario where players are sequestered from the outside world. They live in hotels, do not physically interact with their families, and simply train and play football. 

In premise, this seems reasonable. But, how realistic is it in practice? Sure, we can sequester players in a hotel. But, what about coaches? Sure, let’s throw them in there, too. What about referees? Alright, get Howard Webb the presidential suite at the Ritz Carlton. Sorted. Ummm… what about non-technical staff who interact with players? What about hotel workers? What about the mental toll of separating players from their families during a global pandemic?

Sure, if the question is: Would a player accept being separated from his family over not getting paid? The answer is likely “yes.” But, I implore you to recognize that the problem is THAT question.

The question should be – “How dare a millionaire or billionaire ask a player to decide between his health (and that of his loved ones) or a paycheck?”

And how dare Major League Soccer and United Soccer League – who will continue to generate revenue – allow owners to do so?

So, please, I implore you, we are not ready.

Let’s take a hypothetical scenario. We restart MLS/USL seasons. All goes well for the first couple of game days. Indy Eleven is top of the table, per usual. Players are enjoying their hotels, spending their time playing video games, eating delicious lasagna at the hotel and FaceTiming with their loved ones. But then, it happens. (And it undoubtedly will at some point.)

One of the players tests positive for COVID-19.

What’s the plan? If you are an MLS player, you’re covered by medical insurance. If you’re a player in the USL, are you paying out of pocket in absence of medical insurance?

OK, let’s look past the uncomfortable reality of player insurance that we all like to avoid. Let’s look at logistics. In terms of logistics, quarantining the player is the easy part. Who else gets quarantined? His roommate? Easy. Check. Every person he has interacted with? Yeah, probably. Since everyone is coexisting in a hotel, that means the entire team. Players, technical staff, everyone.

So, please, I implore you, we are not ready.

I know, I know. I’m a complainer not a doer. It’s easy for me to point out the problems and not give you a solution.

And, you know what, I’m fine with that characterization. Because, the only solution right now is — we need more time. We all do. We are in the middle of an unprecedented pandemic that is evolving before our eyes. We are still understanding the scientific mechanisms, spread (have we considered the possibility of a soccer ball as a disease vector?), evolution and the likelihood of a second wave. In the absence of achieving an estimated 70% recovery-contingent herd immunity, we must wait. We must wait for access to a reliable and safe treatment modality. Ideally, we must wait on a vaccine.

So yes, there are significant financial implications at stake. But, the burden of those questions SHOULD be on MLS and USL owners. Those owners should not be placing the health of their employees over their own short-term financial stability.

While I don’t have clear-cut solutions other than “more time,” I know what isn’t a responsible decision — players should not face salary cuts. Whether owners have to take short-term hits, this is what they signed up for. In an environment where lower-division soccer players are paid low wages and occasionally don’t have medical insurance, truncating their salaries is unacceptable.

Across the country, states are reopening businesses as the scientific consensus has taken a backseat to right-leaning politicking. As a soccer community, let’s not make the same mistake.

I implore you, we are not ready.

Follow Nipun on Twitter: @NipunChopra7.

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Credit: PRO Referees

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 institution of Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

(Note: This interview has been edited for clarity.)

1. How many total registered referees are there in America. How many referee assessors/coaches are there?

According to U.S. Soccer’s records:

Number of registered referees for 2018: 138,891

Number of assessors for 2018: 1,303

Number of instructors and National Referee Coaches in 2018

Instructors/State Instructors: 1,691

National Referee Coaches: 112

1. How many referees are there at the various grade levels in the United States.

Grade 1: 8

Grade 2: 16

Grade 3: 58

Grade 4: 70

Grade 5: 213

Grade 6: 1,615

Grade 7: 11,190

Grade 8: 125,721

1. What is the defined role of PRO?

Who We Are

The Professional Referee Organization is an independent company responsible for administering professional referee programs in North America.

What We Do

We are dedicated to the identification, training, assessment, assignment, and employment of male and female professional soccer officials. We provide our services to North American professional soccer leagues, CONCACAF and FIFA competitions.

PRO Mission Statement

To supply World Class Match Officials for all professional soccer in North America.

PRO Vision

To become the example for World Class soccer officials by 2022.

1. While I was able to get a pretty good understanding of it via talking to referees, could you, from PRO’s perspective, explain the requirements of the “grade sheet”. Specifically, how positive points/negative points are awarded to referees based on their performance in a game. I understand, it starts at 81, and you get points deducted for incorrect decisions that affect the game. How subjective is that evaluation?

Our assessment program is based on 2 main sections:  1) Overall performance, and 2) Key Match Incidents (KMIs).  Overall performance consists of position-specific competencies and behaviors, with six main categories for Referees: Match control, Player management, Game management, Teamwork, Positioning, and Movement. Assistant Referees are evaluated on four main categories:  Offside, Involvement and Assistance, Positioning, and Movement.

Fourth officials are evaluated on Management of the technical areas and Assistance to the referee team.  Officials can earn additional points if they perform better than a good-acceptable level.

Outside those categories, we focus on Key Match Incidents (KMIs) e.g. penalty kick, send off, offside for goals or obvious goal-scoring situations. Incorrect key match incidents (i.e. incorrectly given or missed) will lower an official’s grade to varying degrees depending on the difficulty of the decision. The base score for working to PRO’s good-acceptable performance in a standard difficulty match is 82. Officials can also benefit when a game is ranked challenging or very challenging in difficulty. They will start at a higher base score in those matches.

1. How are referees trained to handle the myriad of criticism that is sent their way after virtually every game?

What we are telling our officials is to analyze the game they just officiated and write a self-evaluation that is reviewed with their coach. After these reviews and learning points are accepted, it’s important to set this game aside and move on with a fresh mind to their next assignment. Bringing your mistakes with you when officiating your next game never works well, just as players do not perform well in their next game if they linger and dwell on past mistakes.

PRO has also provided our officials with access to a sport psychologist who helps them deal with various stressors they encounter pre- and post-match, including public criticism.

It is easy to have an opinion and even easier to express that opinion in today’s environment, but it is the officials who have put in the time to hone their craft and deliver games week in and week out that are putting themselves on the front lines.  Knowing that gap exists between general opinion and actually doing the job every week helps put that criticism in perspective.

1. there are many fans and journalists who believe referees should have to explain their decisions to the public after games. What is PRO’s reaction to that?

You can find pros and cons when thinking about this idea. While senior officials may be better equipped to handle the media following games given the right training, it is a different situation when it comes to young, upcoming officials from the PRO Development Group. They are just becoming accustomed to officiating in a much more public light given all the social media scrutiny, but having to explain decisions after games to the public carries a much bigger burden that starts to come away from explaining decisions from a basis of Law and more towards being put “on trial” for decisions that will very often be subjective in nature.

There are already processes in place that allow pool reporters to ask questions directly to the officials, which provides the public some understanding about why a particular decision was made from a Law perspective.

1. Is there truly a referee shortage in America? And what steps is PRO taking to address this issue?

The referee shortage across sports in the U.S. is well known, with the root causes being similar in soccer as in other sports. The retention of young officials due to a lack of sportsmanship from parents, coaches, and players has been identified across sports as a major issue, leading to upwards of 50% turnover after the first or second years of officiating.

It is difficult to provide continuing education to advance officials when training and development resources must be focused disproportionately on entry levels over time.  When the number of teams, leagues, and matches at all levels continues to grow at a high rate, but the rate of officials staying involved stagnates, a gap develops very quickly.  We know from officiating surveys that quality mentoring is a major component of retention.  U.S. Soccer works diligently to provide guidance and education to member states to implement high quality mentoring programs, and PRO supports these efforts wherever possible with both our staff and active officials.

1. What is the relationship between referee coaches from PRO v LACs assigned by US soccer?

The National Assignors (they are no longer called “LACs”) are very important to PRO as we rely on them to provide quality officials for some positions in the leagues that PRO services, particularly when there are limited travel budgets, last-minute replacements are required due to travel disruptions, or our PRO pool is stretched thin in certain weeks of high volume.

PRO referee coaches have often worked with National Assignors in the past (for example as officiating colleagues) so there is a healthy network of familiar faces to help identify upcoming talent and ensure opportunities exist for that talent to start down the path of working professional games.  The PRO Development Group Assignor Assistant, Brenda Wright, is in constant contact with National Assignors to help facilitate a cooperative environment and coordinate assignments that keep the pipeline fresh.

——-x ———-

Howard Webb. Credit: Goal.com

Conversation with Howard Webb: 

In your interview with Grant Wahl a year ago, you discussed how VAR was trialed in the USL. Can you comment on some of the lessons learned during that time, and whether the league was easy to work with? 

We have an excellent working relationship with USL and it’s Senior Management Team. The opportunity to test Video Review in competitive games, played within stadia with fans in attendance, was vitally important in familiarizing our officials in correct use of the VAR protocol and procedures, in understanding the logistical requirements in-venue to make Video Review run smoothly and efficiently, and in assisting us to understanding the best way of ensuring the various stakeholders were kept informed of proceedings.

Could PRO comment on whether VAR – which was tried out in the USL – will be used in the league in the future? 

That’s ultimately a decision for USL. However, I would like to acknowledge USL’s contribution to the successful implementation of VAR in North America…the league played an important part in the testing of the system in 2016 and the early part of 2017.

(Soc Takes reached out to USL on October 15th to determine whether the league was interested in re-introducing VAR in the future. The league had not responded at the time of publishing).

Follow Nipun on Twitter: NipunChopra7.

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

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Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Join Soc Takes for a USL Championship virtual slideshow via Zoom on May 31 at 7 p.m. ET displaying the work of staff photographer Robbie Mehling.

Mehling, an Indy Eleven supporter based in central Indiana, has traveled to numerous venues across the league to shoot matches over the past few years. Between attending pregame tailgates, soaking up supporter culture and taking in the dramatic action on the pitch, he’s visually documented the USL Championship from all angles.

Our aim is to bring the same passion captured through Mehling’s lens to viewers in the form of a virtual slideshow as we celebrate the game we all so dearly miss during the COVID-19 crisis.

It’s free to join the Zoom call, but registration is required.

As an added bonus, if any participants see any photos of themselves, family members, friends, favorite players, favorite moments, etc., that they’d like a digital copy of, please let us know in the Zoom chat, on Twitter or via email — [email protected] — and we’ll send you the original high-resolution image.

Photos from the following teams’ stadiums will feature in the slideshow:

Hartford Athletic – Dillon StadiumIndy Eleven – Lucas Oil Stadium and Carroll StadiumLouisville City FC – Louisville Slugger Field and Lynn StadiumMemphis 901 FC – AutoZone ParkNashville SC – Nissan Stadium (2019)Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC – Highmark Stadium

Saint Louis FC – West Community Stadium

Please be aware that more USL Championship sides will be represented than are listed above. Due to having a surplus from Indy Eleven and Louisville City FC home matches, the images chosen from those locations will feature visiting teams whose stadiums we’ve yet to photograph, such as the Tampa Bay Rowdies, Real Monarchs, North Carolina FC, Charleston Battery, MLS reserve sides, etc.

The Zoom call will start promptly Sunday evening at 7 p.m. ET and is expected to last approximately 90-120 minutes. After a brief intro by Soc Takes staffers, we’ll sit back and let the slideshow run without interruption, cycling through all the images twice.

Those unable to sit in on the live Zoom call will be able to view a recorded version of the slideshow later at SocTakes.com. Please note that the details of this event are subject to change.

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