COLUMBUS, Ohio — Making his U.S. women’s national team managerial debut, Vlatko Andonovski led his side to a 3-2 victory over Sweden on Thursday at MAPFRE Stadium. Carli Lloyd bagged a brace and Christen Press scored the other to put the USWNT up 3-0 at halftime, and a second-half brace from Sweden’s Anna Anvegard wasn’t quite enough to pull the visitors level.

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Follow Jamie on Twitter: @JamieSmed.

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Image credit: Serie A

What happened to the FIFA Disciplinary Code that promised to protect the integrity of the game and downplay racism?

Italy fell back into the hands of an old demon. Verona’s racism targeted Brescia’s Mario Balotelli with loud gorilla noises every time he contacted the ball. The Italian striker committed a handball and sent the ball to the bleachers as a sign of repudiation.

Referee Maurizio Mariani stopped the match for a couple of minutes — as the protocol states — while players of Hellas Verona and Brescia convinced Mario Balotelli to stay in the game.

According to Article 13.2 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, Hellas Verona should be sanctioned. Their fans attempted against Balotelli’s dignity and integrity with humiliating words. However, the bar of a significant punishment is exceptionally high.

When Bulgaria’s fans harassed English players with racist chants, UEFA ordered Bulgaria to play two matches behind closed doors and issued a fine of $83,000. However, that was the third time that the European entity received a sanction for racially discriminating opponents. And the quantity of the punishment was $20,000 less than when Nicklas Bendtner showed the top of his underwear, which contained the name of a sponsor, in 2012.

Racism is bedrock in Italian football, and is a problem that surfaces even in youth leagues. In the previous two years, the independent organization Observatory on Racism in Football recorded 80 cases of intolerance in lower leagues. During that period of time, even 12-year-old players were subjected to discrimination during soccer matches.

The attention of racial bigotry in the boot-shaped country got the direct care of FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino, who publicly showed urgency to develop solutions. Nevertheless, it’s already institutionalized.

After the events with Balotelli, Hellas Verona’s president Maurizio Setti and coach Ivan Juric denied the facts.

“I think that we haven’t heard racist chants. I’ve talked to the fourth referee, and he hasn’t heard any signs of racism.” Juric said at the press conference. Consequently, Setti commented that the fan base of Hellas Verona is “ironic but not racist.”

President Setti told reporters that the supporters have “a sympathetic way of joking with people,” downplaying the evidence. He excused the attitude of his fans by using the “we have a lot of players of color” card, and doubled down in denying the incident. “Let me repeat: today nothing happened on the pitch.”

It is not the first time a player or an executive defended intolerance in Italy. Last year, former Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri and center back Leonardo Bonucci blamed Moise Kean for being harassed during their visit to Cagliari. Even Cagliari president Tommaso Giulini interpreted the Italian youngster’s goal celebration as an intentional trigger for racist chants. Keane just stood up and opened his arms.

Another crowd in Italy repeated an offense against a player of color. What is happening in Italy needs to be eradicated. Racism has escalated to affect the youth, and it should be a priority for FIFA to stop it. During 2019, FIFA eliminated a slur in Mexico during soccer matches. The primary football organism pressured the Liga MX to suspend and/or take points off from every team that didn’t cooperate. It worked out the very first time it was implemented.

However, Italy is a different monster. Racism is in the system, and there’s no punishment for a culture that blames the abused instead of giving solutions. The new Disciplinary Code should be applied harshly, and FIFA has the tools to enforce it. If the judging panel doesn’t implement an exemplary sanction to Hellas Verona, all of them will be complicit in threatening the integrity of the game.

Follow Luis on Twitter: @LFulloa.

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ORLANDO, Fla. — Second-half strikes by Christen Press and Carli Lloyd propelled the U.S. women’s national team to a 2-nil blanking of England at Exploria Stadium on Thursday in the SheBelieves Cup group stage. The teams last met in the semifinals of the World Cup in July, a match won 2-1 by the Americans.

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Follow Jamie on Twitter: @JamieSmed.

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Carli LloydChristen PressU.S. women’s national teamUSWNT

Butler forward Brandon Guhl comforts then-senior Ivan Alvarado of Lipscomb following a Bulldogs win in the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Guhl will attend the 2019 Midwest Pro Soccer Combine. Photo credit: Robbie Mehling/Soc Takes

With MLS scrapping its previously annual combine ahead of the SuperDraft, independently run events like the Midwest Pro Soccer Combine have become even more important in regard to amateur player scouting. Soc Takes caught up with the director of the combine and head coach of AFC Ann Arbor, Eric Rudland, to discuss that and more as the 2019 Midwest Pro Soccer Combine approaches, set for Dec. 19-20 at the Legacy Center Sports Complex in Brighton, Mich.

Kevin Johnston: What’s changed at the combine from its first year to now?

Eric Rudland: I think the landscape of pro soccer, which is ever changing, is the biggest change from 2016 to now. There are more roster spots up for grabs, which make our event relevant as teams look to build up their club for 2020. This year MLS has done away with the annual MLS combine. That change has generated even more interest in our event as players are looking for alternate avenues to gain exposure.

KJ: How many players and pro clubs will be in attendance this year?

ER: This year we have 160 players who have applied and we are planning to accept 70 of those players — 64 field players and six GKs. We currently have over 20 clubs committed to attend from: MLS, USL Championship, USL League One, NISA and a handful of international clubs. This should be the largest turnout of professional clubs to date for our event.

KJ: What feedback have you gotten from players and scouts who’ve been to the event in the past?

ER: The feedback is pretty consistent: the event is well organized. Scouts and pro clubs appreciate the profiles we put together on each player and can tell that the players have been screened through a first layer of vetting. Given the tight timeline that clubs are working with, I think we make it easy for clubs to come in on the morning of the 19th and depart on the evening of the 20th. This makes it possible for technical/front office staff to attend with everything else they have going on.

KJ: Who are some of the most notable prospects attending the 2019 combine?

ER: In each position there are 1-2 players who pro clubs will find intriguing. From the Midwest I think Brandon Guhl from Butler, Samuel Biek from Western Michigan and Yuri Farkas from Madonna University are three players that we’re excited to have. We also have players joining us from all over the U.S., so we expect some non-Midwesterners to catch some eyes as well.

KJ: How pleased are you in regard to achieving your original goals set forth when you first launched the combine?

ER: It’s been a fun project. A lot of work goes into this annually (more so than expected), but to see players use our event as a stepping stone into the pro game is really neat. Hopefully we can continue to help the next generation of aspiring players find their way.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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Image credit: USL League One

The USL League One final between Greenville Triumph SC and Union Omaha, originally set for Oct. 30, has been canceled due to a rash of positive COVID-19 tests among those on Omaha’s “covered persons list,” the league announced Thursday.

Instead, the Triumph have been awarded the title after amassing a league-leading 35 points in the regular season. They were the only side to average north of two points per game.

The USL cited an agreement reached before play resumed that a champion would be determined by points per game played should any pandemic-related setbacks force a shortened season. MLS announced a similar plan as well, one it reiterated again Thursday while confirming that not all its teams will complete a full 23-match slate.

Omaha finished second in the USL League One table with 29 points. The expansion side also claimed second in points per game to earn a spot in the final.

• Related: Soc Takes Pod Ep. 61: John Harkes

“While we’re collectively very disappointed that the final could not be played, we’d like to congratulate both clubs on a fantastic 2020 season,” USL president Jake Edwards said in a statement. “Union Omaha have been a wonderful addition to our league this season and we cannot wait to witness all of their future success. We also want to congratulate our League One title-winners, Triumph SC, who have been terrific throughout the 16-game regular season and have earned the trophy. We want to thank both clubs for their class and professionalism. The future of League One remains incredibly bright.”

It’s certainly an interesting action taken by the USL, one that yields perhaps more questions than answers. Why cancel the final outright the day before the event rather than postpone it? Even if a cancelation ultimately ended up happening, why not at least play things by ear to see if there’s an opportunity to squeeze in the final in the coming weeks ?

Moreover, why were so few details offered regarding the outbreak at Union Omaha beyond the acknowledgement that multiple individuals tested positive and are under home quarantine?

Most concerning of all is that the club just hosted an Oct. 24 home match with an official attendance of 2,700. While the actual attendance appeared lower than the tickets-sold number judging by game footage, the possibility of it having been a potential superspreader event is a real one.

Omaha edged Fort Lauderdale CF 1-nil on a stoppage-time volley by Evan Conway that night to qualify for the final.

For Greenville, the club’s first championship trophy comes in just its second season of existence. The John Harkes-coached side improved upon its impressive 2019 expansion season in which it finished third in the regular season and runner-up in the playoffs.

A request for comment from the USL has not yet been returned. This story will be updated to reflect it if received.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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In January, we told you about Soc Takes staff writer Colton Coreschi’s Football Manager 2020 database featuring a fully regionalized, four-tier American pyramid complete with pro/rel, U.S. Open Cup and league cups.

Now, USL League One side Forward Madison FC as upped the ante by offering an in-game challenge: Anyone who takes Forward Madison to a first-division title via Coreschi’s Football Manager 2020 mod will receive a personalized letter from the club’s head coach, Daryl Shore.

Visit Forward Madison’s Twitter page or subreddit for more details.

Who’s up for the challenge?

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A view of downtown Fort Wayne, Ind. Photo credit: USL

Fort Wayne FC will join USL League Two for the 2021 and 2022 seasons before jumping to USL League One in 2023, the club announced Wednesday.

The Indiana-based expansion team, which planned to debut in the NPSL this year prior to the pandemic forcing the season’s cancelation, boasts an ownership group that includes former U.S. international and Fort Wayne native DaMarcus Beasley.

“Being involved with a group to bring to professional soccer to my hometown is truly a dream come true,” Beasley said in a release. “I’m extremely excited to get started with this new challenge and to work side by side with the Fort Wayne community.”

Fort Wayne FC will call Bishop Dwenger High School’s Shields Field its home pitch in 2021. The club intends to provide a developmental pipeline for talented young players with professional aspirations in northeast Indiana.

“We are very excited to be joining the USL, starting with our inaugural season in 2021,” team president Dr. Erik Magner said. “We believe that the USL is a great partner for us and recognizes and supports our plans to enter the professional ranks.”

At the end of the 2018 season, the USL restructured and rebranded in the same vein as the English football system, headed by the USL Championship — officially the second tier of the American pyramid — with USL League One and USL League Two beneath it. Both the Championship and League One are professional leagues, while League Two remains amateur.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Fort Wayne FC to the USL family,” USL president Jake Edwards added. “With a quality leadership group in place, we’re confident that the club will be a tremendous community asset in League Two while building the foundation for future success as a professional club in League One.”

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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INDIANAPOLIS — The USL Championship Eastern Conference has a champion, and for the third-straight season it’s Louisville City FC. An equalizer practically at the death by Antoine Hoppenot and two more tallies in extra time off the boots of Magnus Rasmussen and Luke Spencer propelled LouCity to a wild 3-1 win over the Indy Eleven on Saturday at Carroll Stadium. Indy’s Tyler Pasher opened the scoring in the 67th minute before the visitors’ uncorked their late-game heroics in what was an epic LIPAFC matchup.

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Follow Robbie on Twitter: @SoCalledRobbie.

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Photo credit: Indy Eleven/Brickyard Battalion

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest (LIPAFC), the derby contested between the Indy Eleven and Louisville City FC, tends to bring out the best in both clubs and supporters’ groups in terms of smack talk. And while the Eleven got served up properly on the pitch in Saturday’s 4-1 playoff loss at Louisville Slugger Field, Indy figuratively picked up three points in the banter table.

Prior to the match, an aerial sign was flown over the stadium and tailgate area that read “LCFC (hearts) Nickelback -XI- #LIPAFC.” The oft-dissed Canadian band’s abilities have become a can’t-miss joke over the years, and the visitors couldn’t resist dialing up the classic zinger. Here’s another view:

Photo credit: Indy Eleven/Brickyard Battalion

The best part about the stunt? It wasn’t done by a crazed, lone-wolf supporter with too much time on his or her hands. Nope. The troll was actually coordinated by the club itself, serving as a cheeky investment in the blossoming rivalry that fans would sarcastically have you believe has existed since the beginning of time.

Another hilarious subplot to the stunt is that it was supposed to go down the previous weekend when LouCity and the Eleven met in the final week of the regular season, per a team official. But with the pilot apparently backlogged, the plane and sign never took to the sky above Louisville Slugger Field, and the company gave the team no advanced warning. LCFC grabbed a 1-0 result that evening.

When things shook out such that Indy would immediately return to Louisville for the first round of the playoffs, it was “game on” once again for the trolling — after a discount had been negotiated with the company for dropping the ball the previous Saturday, that is.

With Cincinnati and Nashville departing the USL in 2019 and 2020, respectively, why not try to grow the burgeoning LIPAFC into the biggest Midwest matchup in all of lower-division soccer? A healthy and perpetual dose of good-natured banter is certainly one way to do it.

Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KJboxing.

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