Photo credit: EM Dash Photography

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — It felt like déjà vu. It mostly was until the very end.

Louisville City FC and New York Red Bulls II met in the playoffs last year at Red Bull Arena, which ended in a 1-1 scoreline and NYRB II advancing on penalties. With a spot in the USL final on the line Saturday, why would it be any different?

The two sides again went to penalties knotted up 1-1, only this time Louisville City FC mustered some magic in the shootout to prevail 4-3 after erasing a 3-1 deficit.

TFW you bounce back from 3-1 down in a penalty shootout to ship it 4-3 and it’s onto the @USL championship match. #USLPlayoffs #SocTakesPod pic.twitter.com/V8mcyPozVF

— Soc Takes (@SocTakes) November 5, 2017

LouCity’s listed starting XI appeared to be a 4-5-1 on paper, but the hosts lined up in a three-back formation when they took the pitch. Kyle Smith spent most of his evening pushed up as wing back on the right side. Red Bulls II came out in a 4-3-3.

It didn’t take long for the match to open up.

“I think that’s a testament to us because we try to create that kind of stuff,” said NYRB II head coach John Wolyniec of the openness of the match. “In a lot of ways the game looked like we wanted it to. Maybe not in the beginning of the game until the time when they scored. But after that moment on, by no means were we in control of the game, but we made it a game that we feel comfortable in and a game that we like to play. And again, against a really good team at a place that they’re really good — at home.”

Photo credit: EM Dash Photography

Louisville City FC found some success attacking up the left side in the opening 10 minutes, while NYRB II mostly threatened with long crosses into the box. Despite the constraints of Louisville Slugger Field, ample space was there for the taking in the midfield and on the flanks.

In the 12th minute, LouCity right winger Brian Ownby took a headed pass from Luke Spencer and fired a half volley into the back of the net to put the hosts on top. The two clubs headed to halftime with the 1-0 scoreline in tact.

A little finesse from none other than @BrianOwnby90!

The midfielder gives @LouCityFC a 1-0 lead over @NYRBII! #USLPlayoffs #LOUvNY pic.twitter.com/zPDhVv87wK

— USL (@USL) November 4, 2017

Neither side made changes at the break with the potential for extra time in play. And sure enough, Red Bulls II equalized in the 57th to make that possibility even more likely.

It was a phenomenal individual effort by left winger Junior Flemmings that brought the visitors level. Flemmings navigated his way through multiple Louisville players into the box, then hit a low shot that deflected off a sliding defender and past ‘keeper Greg Ranjitsingh.

🇯🇲 that’s how you finish off a counter-attack!#LOUvNY | #DefendTogether pic.twitter.com/QFYmqgiWOh

— NYRB II (@NYRBII) November 5, 2017

“We played 120 minutes like five days ago,” Flemmings said. “So we didn’t have it easy, but we really pushed the game. At one point in the game I know I started feeling my hammies and stuff like that. It was really tough, but I was really pushing it. I did what I have to do, give it all I got, and then someone else came on and finished the job. So I think I did a very good job in the interest of the team.”

The match got more and more physical as it wore on. With so much at stake and the game tied, every foray into the final third was met with resistance. LouCity thought it deserved a penalty late in the second half after a sloppy NYRB II challenge in the box, but head referee Sorin Stoica felt otherwise.

In extra time, left back Ethan Kutler nearly put the visitors up with perfectly struck free kick from just outside the box, but a spectacular fingertip save by Ranjitsingh kept matters level. The two evenly matched clubs headed to penalties at the final whistle.

97′ – Kutler’s rip was headed for the corner, what a save 👏

1-1 #LOUvNY | #DefendTogether pic.twitter.com/VYjXSUMbTy

— NYRB II (@NYRBII) November 5, 2017

The shootout looked like déjà vu all over again for Louisville City at first. The purple-clad side fell behind 3-1 after the first three Red Bulls II players converted from the spot, while LouCity missed one of its first two attempts. But the home side buried its third attempt to make it 3-2, and consecutive misses by NYRB II combined with a successful attempt by Oscar Jimenez saw Richard Ballard step to the spot with a chance to win it.

Ballard cooly buried it to his right side to make Louisville City FC the champions of the USL Eastern Conference. LouCity will now host the Swope Park Rangers on Nov. 13 in the USL final.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Photo credit: La Capital

During the military regime of Jorge Videla in Argentina, after the Peron dictatorship, there was a character that stood above in one of the most challenging times of the South American country.

He was a hard critique of the regime, even when his job was inside a football pitch. Publicly known as “El Flaco” because of his tall height and slender physique, he always showed an earnest demeanor that illustrated knowledge. He wore a suit and tie and kept his hands busy holding a cigarette.

On June 25, 1978, in the Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires, after the referee ended the 90 minutes of the World Cup match tied 1-1 between Argentina and the Netherlands, Cesar Luis Menotti stood up from the bench at Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, went to the sideline and talked to his players.

“These guys can never knock us down. What are they? Dutch! We are Argentinian! They eat Chucrut. We eat chorizo steak,” exclaimed Menotti in a DIRECTV Sports Argentina segment. Even unorthodox words always made sense when “El Flaco” Menotti spoke his mind. As a result, Argentina won the World Cup in extra time. Mario Alberto Kempes and Daniel Bertoni gave the first of two world championships to the Albicelestes.

Menotti and the Argentinian squad granted happiness to a nation that needed an excuse to smile again, to feel joy and forget about the regime that was oppressing the people. But his mission didn’t stop at the age of 39 after achieving that World Cup. His love of the game transformed him into a football mastermind.

“I am in love with the things that I want. I was a soccer player that was dreaming with a ball, as someone else dreams with a guitar.” Menotti described in Spanish to DIRECTV Sports Argentina when asked if it was hard to be who he was. “I dreamed to live my happiness, and my happiness was to play football. I was born in the pitch and I learned everything on it.”

“El Flaco” always thought of football as a spectacle directed to the masses and supported by the masses. Also, as “a cultural event where players can express themselves through the beauty of the sport,” as he told DIRECTV Sports Argentina.

In the interview, Menotti described a team as an “idea, an engagement and a clear conviction to defend that idea.” However, not everyone triumphs in the soccer world because not every idea makes sense. People are confused with modern tactics and results, but “El Flaco” always viewed the tactical aspect of the game as something pragmatic and geographical because football is about unexpected actions.

“You can elaborate a tactic for one match, but if something unexpected happens, fuck the tactic,” he added. “Football can’t be computerized — the idea that a coach needs to be supported by assuming the responsibility of the players’ growth through knowledge.”

A lover of challenges and risks, Menotti criticized the philosophy of winning at all costs. The ways matter in the most beautiful game in the world, that’s why people like Johan Cruyff, Rinus Michels and Pep Guardiola were inseparable with Menotti’s concepts.

“When football is played the right way, like painting, like music, it tends to be something beautiful. And if that idea is not sustained, it vanishes,” Menotti told El Heraldo in Spanish.

As publicly stated, “El Flaco” used to have long chats with this three prominent managers, which coincidentally marked the beginning of an intellectual revolution in soccer.

Menotti lived in five different countries as a manager: Spain, Argentina, Italy, Mexico and Uruguay. He coached teams like Barcelona, Atletico Madrid, Boca Juniors, River Plate, San Lorenzo, Rosario Central, Huracan, the Mexican national team and many more.

“El Flaco” published several books and he writes a column every Tuesday that is shared in many international media outlets. He is one of the greatest exponents of contemporary soccer. He is a believer that money will not impact the sport until the players decide to ignore the nature of the game.

“The player should enter to the field feeling that his or her soul represents the passion of the public that supports the business of the sport,” Menotti mentioned to El Heraldo as he drew a comparison between the essence of football and music. “I don’t care how much money Joan Manuel Serrat, a Spanish singer and songwriter, makes. What I care about is that he believes the lyrics that he wrote.”

Cesar Luis Menotti recently turned 80. For many coaches, media and players, his thoughts and knowledge are a philosophy. While “El Flaco” humbly downplays his own importance, football is so grateful for having a revolutionary character like Menotti: wise, sober, straightforward, poetic and unique.

Follow Luis on Twitter: @LFulloa.

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Image credit: Butler Soccer

INDIANAPOLIS — Selected as a member of the Preseason All-Big East Team, Butler attacker Paige Monaghan’s exceptional offensive abilities were no secret entering 2017. So what’s different this season? The junior is now excelling in a slightly different role, proving that she’s a complete player on both sides of the ball.

Monaghan’s dissecting runs and two-way play helped carry the Bulldogs to a 2-0 home win Sunday against the Bowling Green Falcons. The victory moved Butler to 2-1-1 on the season.

Listed as a striker, Monaghan dropped deeper than normal and started at right midfield. The tactical change paid dividends. She was quite dangerous going forward, and also met her defensive obligations by tracking back when needed. In fact, at times she got so far behind the ball that she looked like a wing back. About halfway through the first half she shifted over to the left side and was equally versatile over there.

The Bulldogs came out in a 3-4-3 formation that often played like a 3-6-1. Breann Pempek, Halle Stelbasky and Elena Gutlove started up top, with Stelbasky acting as the target striker. Pempek and Gutlove played underneath and helped out in the midfield.

Today’s Starting XI vs. Bowling Green #GODAWGS pic.twitter.com/1DEkXBgjaJ

— Butler Womens Soccer (@ButlerWSoccer) August 27, 2017

Central defensive midfielders Brenna Pawelkowski and Madison Toth sat in front of and shielded the back line while often initiating the attack. The Butler defense impressed, not just with its organization and closing of space, but also its build-up play. The back three linked well with the midfield to spark several Butler charges forward.

After neither team could find the back of the net early, the hosts finally unlocked the Bowling Green defense in the 73rd minute. Pempek played freshman forward Caitlyn DiSarcina through into space, who calmly slotted the ball home on a breakaway. And minutes later, the Bulldogs doubled their lead through Gutlove. Freshman defender Julia Leonard found junior midfielder Gabrielle Lemkuil on the left side of the pitch, who then served a perfect diagonal ball over the top of the defense to a streaking Gutlove for the finish.

Monaghan didn’t get on the scoresheet, but her impactful play all over the field was worthy of woman of the match consideration. She led the Dawgs with six shots, three of which she put on frame.

Midfielder Madison Schupbach was a standout performer for the Falcons. She only put one of her four shot attempts on goal, but her sly movement off the ball allowed her to discover numerous pockets of space.

Bowling Green (2-1-0) will host Michigan State on Friday, while Butler’s next test is a Friday home match against Eastern Michigan. It remains to be seen if the Monaghan-in-the-midfield scenario will be a permanent staple in the plans of co-head coaches Tari St. John and Rob Alman or if it’s a temporary experiment, but judging by the versatility Monaghan displayed Sunday it might become a sticky trend.

***

You can follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

Soc Takes is on Patreon. Get access to patron-only Soc Takes Pod episodes, exclusive written content and tier rewards. Click here to become a patron today.

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2018 USL All-League First Team

Forwards: Thomas Enevoldsen, Orange County SC Daniel Rios, North Carolina FC

Cameron Lancaster, Louisville City FC

Midfielders: Aodhan Quinn, Orange County SC Solomon Asante, Phoenix Rising FC

Emmanuel Ledesma, FC Cincinnati

Tah Anunga, Charleston Battery

Defenders: Forrest Lasso, FC Cincinnati Joe Greenspan, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Paco Craig, Louisville City FC

Goalkeeper:
Maxime Crepeau, Ottawa Fury FC

2018 USL All-League Second Team

Forwards: Hadji Barry, Swope Park Rangers Cameron Iwasa, Sacramento Republic FC

Ataulla Guerra, Charleston Battery

Midfielders: Corben Bone, FC Cincinnati

Lebo Moloto, Nashville SC

Kyle Bekker, North Carolina FC

Kenardo Forbes, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

Defenders: Darnell King, San Antonio FC

Ayoze, Indy Eleven

Denso Ulysse, Seattle Sounders FC 2

Goalkeeper:
Josh Cohen, Sacramento Republic FC

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