NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Indy Eleven racked up their first postseason road win in franchise history Saturday evening at First Tennessee Park, scoring early in the second half to leave with a 1-nil result at Nashville SC. A pair of Tylers combined for Indy’s goal when Tyler Gibson found Tyler Pasher on a long ball over the top that Pasher flicked in first time. The Eleven will host Louisville City FC, a derby known as LIPAFC, Saturday afternoon at Carroll Stadium in the Eastern Conference final of the USL Championship playoffs.

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Follow Robbie on Twitter: @SoCalledRobbie.

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

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MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Tim Howard has delivered many stellar performances in net over the years, but his return to the pitch Saturday for Memphis 901 FC wasn’t one of them. After seeing his side jump out to an early 2-0 lead against the Indy Eleven, Howard and the Memphis backline conceded four unanswered goals to the visitors to drop a 4-2 result at AutoZone Park.

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Follow Robbie on Twitter: @RobbieMeh.

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

Related

• 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…
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• 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…

• 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…

Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

Nashville SC and the Indy Eleven will square off Saturday with a spot in the Eastern Conference final on the line. To preview the match, I enlisted the help of For Club and Country‘s Tim Sullivan. We asked each other six questions to find out what might transpire in this weekend’s USL Championship playoffs fixture.

Kevin Johnston: What type of shape do you expect Nashville to come out in?

Tim Sullivan: I expect they’ll stick with the 4-2-3-1 that’s been the primary option for the past several matches (and was successful last time around against Indy). Gary Smith likes the way the wingers can keep Indy’s wingbacks pinned too deep in their own defensive end to be major offensive contributors, and there’s been some serious developing chemistry since they’ve gone to primarily using that formation. As a bonus, there are a couple personnel groupings that let NSC shift into the 3-5-2 without having to sub.

KJ: How close to full strength will Nashville be? Is the team dealing with any significant injuries?

TS: Aside from midfielder and captain Michael Reed – who’s out for the season after a horrific broken leg against Hartford earlier this year – most of the injuries are minor deals. Striker Cameron Lancaster has been in-and-out of the lineup for the past several weeks, and if I had to guess, he’ll be on the bench but unused. Defender/midfielder Ken Tribbett has dealt with a calf injury lately, but was in the squad for the Charleston match last weekend (and given that he’s versatile enough to contribute at multiple positions, is certain to be in the 18 if he’s available). No starter-type players are out – Tribbett was a fixture earlier in the year, but his injury has seen others take over his role – or anyone who has contributed lately, but certainly those are talented guys to be missing or have at less than 100%.

KJ: Which players have been the most instrumental to Nashville’s strong finish to the regular season and fine start to the playoffs?

TS: The season totally turned on a dime when Nashville signed center backs Jimmy Ockford and Forrest Lasso on loan. A defense that was just OK prior to that suddenly became lockdown, turning NSC from a decent team into an extremely good one. They’re important pieces in the middle defensively, and have each made some offensive contributions (unsurprisingly, mostly on set pieces) lately, too. The other big one is MLS-bound striker Daniel Rios, who finished second in the Golden Boot race. He had a serious dry spell from late August through early October (just one goal in nine games), but had a brace in the regular-season finale against Atlanta United 2, and added one against Charleston last weekend. If he’s on, he’s one of the best players in USL. If he’s not, he’s still willing to do the dirty work defensively, which may not be the case for every slumping striker.

KJ: What is NSC’s biggest weakness?

TS: The biggest weakness if probably defensive set pieces. Even those have been minimal with the team’s strong run to end the regular season, but it has long seemed like NSC is susceptible on corners and free kicks. As good as keeper Matt Pickens is, he tends to have communication problems on those plays, and especially if the initial service is cleared but stays in the defensive end, NSC’s players can get lost in the scramble.

KJ: Tactically, what does NSC do that might pose the greatest threat to Indy?

TS: I think Nashville’s ability to play in the offensive wings, and keep play wide and deep is trouble for Indy. That’s not necessarily because it results in goal-after-goal (wingers Alan Winn and Kharlton Belmar each have four combined goals/assists on the year), but more because it prevents Indy from finding rhythm offensively by pushing their wide midfielders into the attack. The more Nashville can pin Indy in their own end, the less worried Gary Smith is about how the Eleven are going to generate offensive chances. From that point, there’s faith that whipping in crosses – low-percentage a play though it may be – can find some gold for Nashville.

KJ: What type of game flow do you expect and what’s your final scoreline prediction?

TS: This should end up more like the game at Lucas Oil than at Nissan Stadium (not least of which because the pitch size is going to be more like the narrow feel in Indy). It should be a cagey, back-and-forth flow, but not with a ton of offensive chances for either team — whereas the previous game in Nashville saw NSC find ways to open up the field. It should be a low-scoring one, but with the improved Nashville defense and Rios seeming to find recent form, I’ll take a 1-0 score in favor of Nashville.

Tim Sullivan: What happened during Indy’s late-season swoon that saw the Eleven drop from a strong grip on first place to giving up the games in-hand to fall to third? Have those problems been eliminated with the strong three-game regular-season finish and a win against NYRB II in the first playoff game?

Kevin Johnston: A string of road games and congested schedule were the two main root causes of the late-season swoon. Indy was a decent road team for the first month or two of the season, then really struggled away from Lucas Oil the rest of the way. The Eleven seemingly had a game or more in hand on nearly the entire Eastern Conference until fall rolled around, when the schedule finally caught up to them and the lack of adequate rest affected their performances. Red cards also played a factor, as the team earned three across a four-match stretch in September, all on the road. Besides the sending offs themselves, having key players unavailable for the next game during the grueling part of the schedule certainly didn’t help either.

TS: Martin Rennie’s team has been strong defensively all year, but has struggled to consistently create offense. What needs to go right for the Eleven to put together a solid performance on O?

KJ: For Indy to produce offensively, its two best players, Tyler Pasher and Ayoze, need to show up. Indy also gets a spark when Dane Kelly turns in a quality shift. When Pasher and Ayoze both bring it, Indy can be extremely dangerous going forward. When those guys aren’t scoring and creating, the rest of the offense struggles to pick up the slack. Kelly has been streaky all season, but seems to have found his form in the fall. All three will need to be at their best Saturday if Indy hopes to advance.

TS: I expected a huge year for Thomas Enevoldsen, and that obviously didn’t happen. What went wrong to prevent such a solid player from finding success in Indy? Who has stepped up since he left?

KJ: Rennie’s system isn’t conducive to central playmakers flourishing. Enevoldsen doesn’t have the speed of a winger. He isn’t a true No. 9 either. He also isn’t a true No. 10. So, what exactly is he? He’s really a prototypical second striker in my opinion, a guy who’s mostly a forward but also possesses some of the playmaking qualities of a No. 10. Rennie never uses a traditional No. 10 — a primary chance creator stationed high up the pitch centrally — ever. The same thing happened with Zach Steinberger last season, a player with similar abilities to Enevoldsen. Steinberger struggled to crack the rotation and was eventually loaned out. It’s the exact same story with Enevoldsen. Rennie has an obsession with central defensive midfielders; you’ll likely see three of them in Indy’s starting XI Saturday. It’s also kind of the reason that Ilija Ilic hasn’t really flourished this season and didn’t even see the pitch in Indy’s win over Red Bulls II. Ilic’s skill set kind of puts him in the same boat with Enevoldsen and Steinberger. Unfortunately for those guys, being that type of player is not a good thing on a Martin Rennie roster.

TS: Lucas Oil was a fortress this year, but Indy was mediocre on the road. What was behind that difference? Is it something that could play to Nashville’s advantage in this one?

KJ: The environment at Lucas Oil can be hard for visiting sides to navigate. The turf, while high quality by NFL standards, isn’t ideal for soccer. The football lines that Indianapolis’ Capital Improvement Board refuses to “green out” can also cause problems with spacial awareness. Of course, Indy’s solid attendance creates a raucous atmosphere as well, and the team just doesn’t seem to get up as much for away matches. It’s a factor that absolutely could come into play Saturday; the Eleven simply haven’t been very competitive on the road since the spring.

TS: How is Indy’s 3-4-3 shape going to defend Nashville?

KJ: Over the course of the season, Rennie evolved from a 3-4-2-1 to what is now a 3-5-2. It’s very stout in the middle of the park with big bodies like Paddy Barrett and Karl Ouimette in the back line, and essentially three CMs sitting in front of the back three shielding them. My guess is that Nashville will try to attack from the outside in, which’ll require wingbacks Ayoze and Macauley King to strongly commit to playing both sides of the ball. I think Indy will attempt to kind of lull Nashville to sleep with possession, and obviously the longer Indy keeps the ball, the less time Nashville attackers will get on it. Look for Indy to come out with a very conservative game plan.

TS: What do you expect from the game, including a prediction?

KJ: I think an early Nashville goal could spell doom for Indy, as Rennie’s system really isn’t designed to come from behind. While the Eleven’s defense is their strong suit, they might also be without starting goalkeeper Evan Newton, who’s listed as questionable. Jordan Farr has been quite magnificent in his absence, but I just don’t see him recording a clean sheet against such a difficult, in-form squad on the road. I think Nashville will sneak in a first-half goal and Indy’s system will struggle to find an equalizer. Once the Eleven are forced to divert course tactically, I think they’ll concede another in the second stanza. I’m going with a 2-0 Nashville SC win.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Welcome to our SG Effigy series, which highlights supporters’ groups (SGs) around the U.S. that our staff photojournalists have covered.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One of the most successful clubs in all of lower-division soccer in the U.S. since first taking the pitch in 2015, Louisville City FC has a die-hard supporters’ group in The Coopers.

“The Coopers were founded in 2013 when a few guys that had met online decided they wanted to take concrete steps toward bringing professional soccer to Louisville,” a supporters’ group spokesperson wrote in a message to Soc Takes. “They quickly partnered with what would become the original ownership group for Louisville City FC, who were announced as a USL Pro club less than a year later.”

LouCity has won two USL Cups, first lifting the trophy in 2017 and again in 2018. The club made it to the Eastern Conference final in each of the previous two seasons, and finished as runners-up in the 2019 USL Championship playoffs after winning the East as the No. 4 seed. If that’s not success, what is?

The Coopers, who derive their name from local bourbon culture — coopers create the barrels that bourbon and whiskey are aged in — don’t just rep LouCity, they also take pride in expanding soccer’s footprint throughout the area.

“The Coopers strive to be a big-tent supporters group, and that’s probably the best thing about it,” added the spokesperson. “It’s a very diverse group of people working toward a common goal: supporting LouCity in any way we can and growing the game in Louisville.”

With brand-spanking-new Lynn Family Stadium set to open in Louisville’s Butchertown neighborhood in 2020, expect to hear The Coopers’ raucous chants and banter echoing over the pitch for years to come.

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Follow Robbie on Twitter: @SoCalledRobbie.

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…

Photo credit: Ric Kruszynski/ISN Soccer

Cleveland SC had heard the horror stories of rushed NPSL launches. They don’t always go so swimmingly.

Take the case of Los Angeles-based City of Angels FC, for example. In about two weeks’ time, the club assembled a roster, landed a venue, and designed a crest and kit. While the rushed effort to get on the pitch for the 2017 NPSL season was admirable, the results proved utterly disastrous. City of Angels FC finished league play with two wins, 13 losses and a draw to go with a breathtaking minus 66 goal differential. The experience caused the club to quietly decide to go dark in 2018 — after just one campaign — though the club intends to return this year.

Ahead of the 2018 season, Cleveland SC attempted a rapid 90-day launch into the NPSL hoping to avoid some of the pitfalls experienced by City of Angels FC. Perhaps the team was the exception to the rule, but avoid pitfalls, it did.

“It was extremely rushed considering all of us have day jobs and other responsibilities,” Cleveland SC president Sam Seibert explained. “However, the soccer community in this town was great in assisting us to get pointed in the right direction from stadium, to coach, to sponsorships. It was an amazing effort from a handful of guys and ultimately became a byproduct of a city ready for another great sport team.”

Cleveland SC won seven of its 12 matches in the regular season, finishing second in the Midwest Region’s East Conference while outscoring opponents 34-11. The team even racked up a playoff victory, stomping Erie Commodores FC 4-0 in the Midwest quarterfinals. A narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of AFC Ann Arbor ended Cleveland SC’s impressive inaugural run.

Photo credit: Ric Kruszynski/ISN Soccer

“Honestly, at the beginning of the season my aim for the team was to finish in the top two, so from that standpoint I was happy,” said Cleveland SC head coach Ryan Osborne, or “Ozzy” for short. “There were some good teams in the East Division this year, each game presented a unique challenge that we had to overcome, so to finish second was pleasing. However, when we put ourselves in the position to go to Erie in the final regular-season game with a tie or a win guaranteeing us winning the division, to lose was a bitter experience. I think looking back though, to finish as runner-up was a good starting point for the club and hopefully something that we can build on.”

Beyond the difficulties involved in assembling a competitive side on short notice looms an even bigger beast: the financial statement. For every lower-division “success” story of clubs like Minneapolis City SC and Kingston Stockade FC that are able to operate at close to break even or turn a small profit, there’s an Old Bhoys SC, which incurred a $23,000 net loss after the first-year budget had forecasted operating only a few grand in the red.

Heck, even fully professional teams in Division 2 struggle to operate in the black ink. While Cleveland SC defied the odds on the pitch, the brisk launch affected the University Heights, Ohio-based team’s ability to connect with fans, and thus its bottom line — a trend the club hopes to reverse in its second year.

“Financially, it’s an interesting story as fans only had limited time to engage with us,” Seibert said. “At the same time, we exceeded our revenue expectations and have quite a few great ideas to blow that number out of the water in 2019.”

The hindered fan engagement that resulted from the swift launch didn’t prevent Cleveland SC from having its own passionate supporters’ group, however. The 6th City Syndicate, which already existed prior to Cleveland SC’s launch, took the team under its wing and loudly and proudly supported the men in orange on match days and beyond.

Photo credit: Joshua Harf

And more often than not, Cleveland SC supporters were treated with an eye-pleasing brand of football. Osborne prides himself in such a style.

“I would say that my coaching philosophy is one that is very adaptable to the group that I am working with,” he said. “Typically though, I like to play on the front foot and in a way that allows the players to express themselves with a freedom whereby we attack or possess with the purpose of attacking. Defensively, I buy into the idea that no man gets a free pass and that we defend as a group from the front and in a way that we are hard to break down and penetrate. Structurally, I like the lines to be tight so that we can suffocate the opposition and win the ball back quickly with the opportunity to either build or exploit space quickly.”

Cleveland SC opted for a sleek rebrand in early 2018 to touch up its image, enlisting the services of local graphic designer Mike Kubinski and his CLE Clothing Co. for the refresh. The end result provided Cleveland SC with a unique, stoic identity exemplified by the new crest. The upgrade was more so the club’s initial branding rather than a true rebrand, as the prior crest only served a temporary purpose.

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So many questions about the logo; we don’t have one. Our current picture is to accomplish 2 things, team colors and our abbreviated name for the league. The best designers Cleveland has to offer are working on logo, branding, and crest. You will be impressed and see it here 1st. pic.twitter.com/C9u9tL27L1

— Cleveland SC (@SoccerCLE) February 19, 2018

After:

“The crest shows our year of inception and is a direct influence of the transportation bridge that connects the two sides of our city over the Cuyahoga River,” Seibert explained.

As for the on-field product, Coach Osborne — who’s also an assistant and the recruiting coordinator on the Notre Dame College of Ohio men’s staff — liked what he saw from his side in 2018 and wants to build upon that foundation this year. He hopes to bring back several familiar faces from last year’s roster.

“In my opinion, our best player in 2018 was Chris Cvecko,” he said. “He was consistent, reliable and honestly is a coach’s dream. He goes above and beyond and gives you great balance as a fullback from a defensive and an attacking standpoint. Vinny Bell also came on strong towards the end of the season and hopefully we can get more out of him earlier heading into 2019.  I have confidence that many of our roster will return for 2019 and that we will be able to add some new quality additions that will once more allow us to compete for the East Division title.”

While Cleveland SC is perfectly content where it’s at for now — navigating the NPSL amateur waters — the club is wholly open to a potential move to the professional ranks in the future. Whether that’s the NPSL Founders Cup or another pro league remains to be seen, but the team is clearly intrigued by the concept of upward mobility.

“This team is ready to take on anything,” Seibert added. “We have professional talent on this team whilst a dedicated city and supporter group rabid for championships. Founders Cup and other opportunities interest us, but our main focus is unifying the city of Cleveland’s vast array of soccer initiatives under one representation. As we build our own house you will see us do great things at multiple levels.”

While the chaotic nature of lower-division soccer is perpetually difficult to overcome, Cleveland SC seems to have gotten the hang of it rather quickly.

Update: A previous version of this story incorrectly referred to the 6th City Syndicate as having formed to support Cleveland SC. The story has been corrected to indicate that the supporters’ group already existed prior the formation of Cleveland SC.

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.

Image credit: Energy FC

OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Energy FC ownership presented a detailed stadium plan to the City Council of Oklahoma City on Tuesday, revealing two options for a new stadium while sharing its credentials to why its initiative should be included on the upcoming MAPS 4 ballot in the city.

MAPS (Metropolitan Area Projects) is Oklahoma City’s multi-year capital improvement project, which uses a sales tax increase to fund a group of capital projects. The original MAPS, passed in 1993, invested in projects including Bricktown and the now-Chesapeake Energy Arena, which has fueled the city’s ongoing renaissance.

The presentation lasted two-and-a-half hours, which included an hour-long presentation from co-owner Bob Funk Jr. and a 70-minute public comment period, one that Oklahoma City Mayor David Holt said was the most registered he had ever seen for such community feedback.

For this proposed rendition of MAPS, the fourth of its kind, the city heard 19 presentations during four City Council sessions (Tuesday was the final session). Holt said the City Council has a Sept. 24 deadline to select which projects will be on the ballot before calling an election.

The two stadium options presented were valued significantly less than the initial $97 million proposal the club revealed in February. Holt opened Tuesday’s presentation saying he asked the ownership group to present a revised rendering of stadiums focused on reducing the budget.

The first option, with a projected cost between $37 million and $42 million, would seat 8,000 and is estimated to host 66 events per year, according to the Energy.

The second option, which would include a canopy and more fan-oriented amenities, is projected to cost between $67 million and $72 million and would seat 10,000. The club estimates 81 events hosted annually with the second stadium option.

Funk stated his preference for the second option and reiterated this view multiple times during the open Q&A session with the city council.

“When we increase the project budget, that is when the most exciting things happen,” Funk said. “Undoubtedly, (the second option) better prepares Oklahoma City for our future.

“We believe it is time Oklahoma City be part of this partnership.”

Photo credit: Tango PR via Energy FC

After appearing settled on a South Bricktown location, announced during the initial February proposal, the uncertainty that remains around the final stadium location was the most surprising development from Tuesday’s presentation.

Funk remained adamant about the stadium being in an opportunity zone, which are identified by the state and, for the most part, surround downtown Oklahoma City. Funk invited Chuck Wiggin, president of Wiggin Properties in Oklahoma City, to speak during the presentation to reiterate this stance.

“I would be a fan of this facility being built as close to downtown as possible,” Wiggin said.

However, two councilmembers, James Cooper (Ward 2) and JoBeth Hamon (Ward 6) appeared resolute about having the stadium built on the southside of the city. Councilman David Greenwell (Ward 5) also asked questions that would seem to indicate he would prefer the stadium to be located south of the Oklahoma River.

The City Council has the final say on the stadium location if the measure is selected to be part of the MAPS 4 ballot.

“Our preference is for a neighborhood that is dense, mix-used and affordable,” Funk said. “It must have bike and pedestrian infrastructure and connection to public transportation.”

Throughout the extensive presentation, two prominent themes emerged from the club’s proposal — unity and necessity.

The first highlighted the club’s Energy Assists Foundation community work, the city’s changing diverse demographics and the unifying aspect of soccer throughout the world and within Oklahoma City.

The later divulged the scrutiny the club faces from both the U.S. Soccer Federation and the United Soccer League regarding Taft Stadium, its current, inadequate home pitch that does not meet minimum dimension requirements. It is the only USL stadium that requires a waiver from the federation.

“They are losing patience with us,” Funk said. “I’ve received two letters from the national federation as well as a letter from the league asking us repeatedly, ‘How will you resolve this?’”

The proposed stadium, whichever option is chosen, is billed as a multipurpose venue able to host soccer, high school football championships, rugby and lacrosse, as well as outdoor concerts.

Image credit: Energy FC

Funk had OSSAA director David Jackson speak during the presentation, the latter indicating OSSAA would move its nine high school football state championship games to the venue. Representatives from Oklahoma Special Olympics as well as local rugby and lacrosse groups also spoke during the public comment period.

However, there was no doubt throughout the presentation that the Energy would be the driving influence and dominant operator at the stadium.

Both stadium options would be expandable to accommodate expansion to 20,000 for a future in MLS, if demand met the expansion bid to the United States first-division league.

“I get asked about Major League Soccer all the time,” Funk said. “Cities that develop a substantial fan following and demonstrate a willingness to invest in infrastructure, especially within the downtown area, become very appealing to the United States’ only tier-one league.

“Oklahoma City has the opportunity to build a facility that would lay the foundation for MLS in the future. But I can say with a lot of certainty that opportunity will evaporate if we do nothing.”

Although not mentioned during the presentation, Funk did offer a grim reality for the club when Hamon pressed him on what would happen if the club did not receive the stadium.

“With the time frame and development it will take to where we want it to be, we would have to move the team,” Funk said.

Follow James on Twitter: @James_Poling.

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

• 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…
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Mural: Dave Merrell | Photo: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer

Pelé Soccer, a soccer apparel company, officially opened the doors of its brick-and-mortar flagship location Monday in New York. The store sits in Times Square at 1560 Broadway and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Widely regarded as one of the game’s all-time greats — if not the best ever — Pelé spent the twilight years of his playing career with the New York Cosmos.

“I am thrilled that Pelé Soccer has come to New York City, a place where soccer fans from all walks of life can come together to share their love for the game,” Pelé said. “New York was once my home, and I still think of those memories fondly. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to have a place in the Big Apple once again.”

The store is designed to give the feel of a matchday experience, with a memorabilia-filled tunnel leading shoppers to the main floor that’s modeled after a soccer pitch. Other features include stadium-esque floodlights, a Pelé mural by artist Dave Merrell (above) and a viewing area to watch games that boasts a 13-foot by 24-foot LED screen with bleachers.

The store sells team merchandise from 100-plus clubs and has a footwear section that offers boots from Adidas, Nike, Puma and more. The store also has an online presence at PeléSoccer.com and other physical locations in Miami and Orlando, Fla.

With Pelé as its brand ambassador and amenities that stretch beyond the typical soccer shop, Pelé Soccer hopes to leave its mark in Times Square by giving visitors a unique retail experience.

Here are more photos of the new flagship location:

• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer
• Photo credit: Robert Lowell/Carlton Architecture
• Photo credit: Robert Lowell/Carlton Architecture
• Photo credit: Robert Lowell/Carlton Architecture
• Photo credit: Robert Lowell/Carlton Architecture
• Photo credit: Ethan White/Pelé Soccer

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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