North Carolina FC is making a strong case for MLS

Many NASL fans know North Carolina FC as the Carolina Railhawks of course, a lot changes once you put your club into strong consideration for MLS and North Carolina definitely has made a strong case to become one of the elite organizations in the United States and North America as a whole. Here is how North Carolina makes a strong case to become the next southern stronghold in American Soccer.

1. Stephen Malik

Stephen Malik has made a strong presence as not only an owner but as an advocate for the North American Soccer League but also for North Carolina. If it weren’t for the leadership of Malik the 2017 NASL Season probably wouldn’t have kicked off.Malik joined the US Soccer Board of Directors this past spring and decided to rebrand the Carolina Railhawks prior to the 2017 Season during the Division 2 disputes between a struggling NASL and a well-rounded USL making a case to also be America’s Second Division. The Railhawks would become the North Carolina Football Club on December 6, 2016, with intentions of MLS expansion. On top of this Malik bought NWSL side Western New York Flash and revived the North Carolina Courage. His efforts definitely paid off with North Carolina dominating the NWSL currently sitting on top of the table.

2. The Stadium Plans

The first Stadium renderings for North Carolina FC were released back in July with intentions to move the organization to downtown Raliegh building a 22,000 seat stadium with room to expand to 28,000. On top of this, the club said they would build multi-purpose office buildings with restaurant space to increase business usage in the area. Steve Malik told mlssoccer.com his thoughts on the plans saying “I think we have one of the best locations that anyone could possibly dream of,”  “If they wanted to check every box, that’s what we’ve tried to do. We’ve got lots of millennials living around it. We’ve got great walkability. Beyond the soccer, we’ve got 24-hour, [365-day] use for that property and that’s going to bring a lot of value to the community. Soccer is just the catalyst and the engine that allows us to make it happen.” Malik is looking to create a “Public-Private” partnership with the State Government to build and operate the complex estimating $150 million to build the stadium and $750 to complete the entire complex. Obviously, the club is looking to appeal not only to Soccer fans but the rest of the community with creating a complex that will allow easy access to local attractions, local businesses, and places to stay for away days.

3. North Carolina FC’s presence in the NASL

North Carolina is currently second in the NASL table with 11 points trailing Miami FC who have a 5 point lead on the triangle with 16 points.  North Carolina currently sits 3rd on the combined season standings with 32 points in contention with the Cosmos and Jacksonville for the 3rd and 4th slots for the playoffs. In reality, however, if North Carolina goes on a streak they can very well win the NASL Fall Season given Miami FC falls from its current form. If the Season ended following the publishing of this article North Carolina would be the 3rd seed in the NASL Championship this November. As of Wednesday’s loss to Indy Eleven North Carolina have scored 34 goals this season and have conceded 33. North Carolina’s top goal scorer is Midfielder Lance Laing with 8 goals for the season scoring on average every 181 minutes. He also has 4 assists.

North Carolina surely has made the moves in 2017 both on and off the field. Not only are they set up for success in 2017 they will be set up for years to come.

 

Indy Eleven: A new era begins with Adidas

On Tuesday morning Indy Eleven announced it’s new kit provider Adidas joining an elite group of Football Clubs through out the world joining the tradition of wearing the 3 stripes. The club noted in press release that they will debut their new home kits against FC Edmonton on May 6th.

The new home kit features a new pin stripe background ending the era of a checkered pattern as the background of the home kit this of course has been dispute amongst the fan base to the front office for the Club’s promise back in 2013 to incorporate the checkered pattern to pay homage to Indiana’s auto racing heritage. This change of course brings a few questions to mind as to why they decided to go into a different direction.

Perhaps this may be a move for the Eleven to build it’s own identity based off of the club’s recent success over the last year?

Could it be another move to improve the Eleven’s chances at a 2020 MLS Expansion bid? Of course it is!

Indy Eleven has made a lot of business moves this year. The most notable of course is the 2020 MLS bid and adding Turkish Airlines as the club’s first “back kit” sponsor. These moves are just further proving that Indy Eleven can compete in an international market and Lady Victory is becoming more and more an entity of her own.

This of course is a good move on the Eleven’s part especially for the fact that the club is slowly worrying less about the Club’s identity with NASL and instead creating a name on it’s own.

The kit provider announcement could be just one of more to come as the Club is supposed to have a stadium plan put together by the end of this week. Perhaps there could be even more great news coming soon? We’ll just have to wait and see.

 

Opinion: Tactics mean everything this season

The 2017 NASL Season can arguably be known as a trial and error year for the league after a rocky offseason with the league moving into the 2017 season with only 8 teams. The short term effects of the loss of Ottawa, Tampa Bay, Fort Lauderdale, and Rayo OKC could actually make the league more challenging to be successful believe it or not.

The 2017 Season Schedule sees multiple fixtures where clubs will play each other in back to back games. Of course we see this throughout the world such as in the Champions League in the later stages of the competition you see clubs square off twice and the better team would advance based off of the overall performance of the tie. However what makes this different in the NASL is the fact that each match day is a different match day and success in each can put your club’s playoff hopes on the line.

In order to be successful in a small league such as the NASL you need to become a tactical genius. The reverse fixtures should force a club to prepare a new system that can best prepare them to be successful. These can either be big changes or even small changes in the line ups. Perhaps consider changes in personnel.

Indy Eleven has a lot going for them when it comes to personnel. Tim Hankinson puts a lot into his lineups as you can notice obvious changes in each line up week in, and week out. For instance we have seen obvious changes in the midfield and striker positions a lot in his experience as the manager of Indy Eleven. Last season for instance we didn’t see Ubiparipovic in the starting line up until later into the season. Ubi would do well in the valuable minutes he played in especially in the playoff semifinal when he scored to send Indy Eleven to the Soccer Bowl. What is interesting also is when we asked Hankinson on why he chose to have more of the younger players in the starting lineup he first noted that it is always important to include young players in the mix for them to gain valuable minutes but you can also see where Hankinson is trying to mold a new mentality for the team forcing the more experienced players to earn their spots week in and week out.

One thing that is important to note is just because the league lost teams in the prior campaign it is rather interesting to see how the league evolves with its environmental changes such as long distances, small operating budgets, and an added lack of expectation from up and coming players it gives the NASL a bit of an edge into how entertaining this league will be in 2017. For experienced managers such as  Tim Hankinson, Colin Miller, and Giovanni Saverese this season should become a defining moment for each of them to see how well they can navigate to a league title in such a unpredictable league.

Indy Eleven 3 Puerto Rico FC 3 Match Notes

INDIANAPOLIS:

Indy Eleven squared off against Puerto Rico FC at Carroll Stadium on Saturday in what would become a very entertaining match for the fans. 6 goals were scored altogether and it showed a lot of positives from different sides of the field. Here are some notes we compiled on the draw:

Official Attendance: 9,064

First half:

The First half was very fast paced as Justin Braun opened up his 2017 account of Indy Eleven in the 5th minute assisted by Nemanja Vukovic. 5 Minutes later Ben Speas would score his first goal for Indy Eleven in the 10th Minute. The match would hold steady from there until Conor Doyle would put the ball in the net for Puerto Rico in the 24th Minute.

In stoppage time Indy Eleven would concede at penalty kick by defender Kwame Watson-Siriboe after a foul in the Penalty box. Busch would manage to save the penalty unfortunately PRFC stuck back within a second of the failed penalty with a goal by Hector Ramos making up for his failed penalty. Gerrado Torrado has had a few great touches this half! Ben Speas looks to be one of of Indy Eleven’s most complete midfielders as well with his account opening goal for Indy in the 10th. 2nd Half:

Eamon Zayed Subbed on (Tanner Thompson off)

The second half began a bit sluggish for the Eleven as they conceded a second penalty that eventually went in by Walter Ramirez of PRFC. Things would stay stagnant until Justin Braun would score an unassisted goal in the 75th minute. From there on the Eleven would have a disallowed goal later in the half which would have been the match clincher. Unfortunately the match would end 2-2 giving the Eleven 2 points on the NASL table.

Pros:

• The Indy Eleven Midfield corps were rapid fire in the home opener with 3 goals (Justin Braun 5′ 75′) and Ben Speas ’10. Ben Speas looks to be a very complete midfielder and a fantastic signing this winter. Torrado also had a few great touches this match as well. It’s beginning to look like Torrado is beginning to really become a valuable piece of Tim Hankinson’s system.
• Justin Braun’s brace was FANTASTIC.
• Seeing the younger players such as Keller, and former IU Player Tanner Thompson in the line up was great!

Cons:

• Indy Eleven gave up to many penalties
•  The club became stagnant after the Speas goal in the 10th. The season is still young however there definitely is a lot of work to do.
• The disallowed goal costed the Eleven a chance at 3 Points

Contributor’s Notes:

Overall, I am impressed with the Midfield Corps of this match Ben Speas and Justin Braun look to be very promising this season. Despite the 3-3 draw I do believe that Indy will have a better grasp on Puerto Rico as they travel down south to face them next week. Last season we began the season with 2 points and won the Spring Season title. Mentally the guys are getting back in shape for what looks to be a promising season. I’m looking forward to Eamon Zayed and Justin Braun finally linking back up again! Also, I’m really looking forward to Ubiparipovic returning along with Colin Falvey. Indy Eleven has a lot of positives coming from this match!

Indy Eleven – Puerto Rico FC Match Preview (NASL Spring Season)

After a lengthy (but eventful) offseason soccer returns to Carroll Stadium this Saturday as Indy Eleven take on Puerto Rico FC.

Indy Eleven look to earn the club’s first 3 points of the Spring Season as they look to begin to defend the Club’s undefeated home record as Puerto Rico makes the trip north to the Circle City.

A Look back at Week 1: 

Indy Eleven: 

Last Result: 1-1 Draw versus San Francisco

Indy Eleven managed to draw against 2017 expansion side San Francisco Deltas last Saturday and managing to be top of the table following a night of draws in the NASL Spring Season opener. Tanner Thompson opened up the account for Indy Eleven in the 58th minute assisted by former Minnesota United winger Ben Speas. Tanner made not only his club debut but also his professional debut for Indy Eleven playing 77 minutes completing 17/24 passes, 2 shots on goal and 1 debut day goal to begin his career. Thompson played his college career at Indiana University prior to signing for Indy Eleven.

For the first game of the season a draw is decent start for the Club to get a good feel of the change in pace compared to what they came up against in the preseason.

Puerto Rico: 

Last Result: 0-0 Draw against the New York Cosmos

Puerto Rico failed to score a goal in the Club’s home opener against the League Champions last Saturday. However the Club managed to keep the Cosmos from getting a single shot on target. PRFC managed to shoot 14 times in total 5 of which would be on target in the Club’s inaugural Spring Season Match up.

PRFC overall did a decent job of containing the Cosmos offensively along with getting a few decent touches. It is also important to note how well the PRFC defense managed to defend 4 New York corners.

Overall Thoughts on the Fixture: 

Indy Eleven  and Puerto Rico are set to meet twice this Spring Season ironically back to back. The Eleven need to set the pressure early so they can shut PRFC down in the home opener. The added support of Carroll Stadium will help a ton and can set a tone for both fixtures. The Eleven also have the advantage of being top of the table coming into week 2.

Key questions coming into the Home Opener:

Will Eamon Zayed and Ubiparipovic start this week? 

There was a lot of speculation last week as to why Zayed was a substitute last week rumors included that Eamon was either battling illness earlier in the week or he had issues with his weight prior to the match up.

As for Sinisa Ubiparipovic he was on the Substitute bench during week 1. Ubi is best known for his key appearances last season towards the end of the Fall Season along with his very memorable goal that sent Indy Eleven to the Soccer Bowl in 2016.

How will the Indy Eleven signees handle the Mike? 

This will be a big weekend for notable Indy Eleven signees such as Ben Speas, Kwame Siriboe, and Tanner Thompson (to name a few) You can only imagine what will be going through the players minds as the BYB unveil the group’s first tifo of the season on Saturday!

Will we see more of Tanner Thompson after his fantastic goal last week? 

A debut day goal is something ever player dreams of. Perhaps he may have earned a spot again in week 2?

Game Day Information: 

The Match begins at 3 PM this Saturday April 1st!

Still need tickets? Purchase BYB tickets through the Brickyard Battalion! Buying tickets directly from the BYB will help aid fundraising opportunities for BYB functions such as tifo painting, community outreach efforts and much more. (Plus the experience is truly one of a kind) You will also save a few dollars as well!

Slaughterhouse – 19 and Indy Fringe to host a First Friday Showcase next Friday:

 

Also, On April 7th from 4-8PM Slaughterhouse-19 and Indy Fringe will be hosting a one of a kind  First Friday Event that showcases the distinct art work that is put into game displays, along with that photography done by local media photographers will be showcased! This event is free and open to the public and would make a fantastic Friday night get away.

* Also note most of the photos that will be showcased at this event have never been seen before and many will also be available for purchase!

You can RSVP to the Slaughterhouse – 19 First Friday Event Here

Indy Eleven strengthens it’s Midfield signing Ben Speas

INDIANAPOLIS:

On Tuesday afternoon Indy Eleven made it official that the Ben Speas signing rumors are indeed true!

Speas is most known for his time with Columbus Crew SC appearing 41 times for the Crew from 2012-2015. Speas also played for Minnesota United in the 2016 Season scoring 4 goals for the Club in its final NASL campaign prior to moving to Major League Soccer.
“Ben is an experienced player who has great quickness and technical ability going to goal.” – Tim Hankinson. (via Indy Eleven)

Here are some highlights from one of Speas best performances with the Loons in 2016:

Contributor’s Thoughts:

This is a stellar midfield signing for the Eleven this season Speas is a fantastic young talent that has a lot of potential to link up to great talent in our midfield along side Don Smart and Justin Braun. This should give Eleven supporters even more excitement looking towards the home opener!

Rounding up news around Indy Eleven

With the offseason in full swing and little news coming specifically from the Club since the Championship Final here a few things going on around Indy Eleven coming into the first weeks of the 2017 Season.

1. Coach Hankinson signs on for another campaign: 

The 2016 NASL Coach of the year put pen to paper for another Campaign with Indy Eleven on  December 9th 2016 after winning the 2016 Spring Season, and leading the Eleven to it’s first Cup Final in November. Hankinson looks to keep the core of the 2016 squad coming into 2017.

Hankinson’s stats tell a fantastic story, going on a 19 home game undefeated streak along with at one point in the 2016 campaign going on a 13 game undefeated run both home and away. Also keep in mind the home U.S. Open Cup Victory over Louisville City FC this past season definitely solidified Hankinson’s place as the Manager of Indy Eleven.

Quote via Indy Eleven’s Website: “A fire was lit with how the 2016 season ended in The Championship Final, and that will serve as a burning motivation for what will come in 2017,”  “Continuity is important, so I am looking forward to keeping the core of last year’s squad and building on the foundation of success it achieved. At the same time we do need to grow tactically and add new faces that will bolster our play on the field and the tremendous relationship we’ve built with our fans.” – Tim Hankinson

2. Indy Eleven Defender Greg Janicki and former Eleven Goalkeeper Kristian Nicht announce retirement from the World’s Game:

Janicki defending Mario Balotelli while playing for the Whitecaps

Greg Janicki announced his retirement from football over social media on December 8th leaving a wonderful letter to fans thanking them for the support over his 9 year career playing professional soccer.

Janicki played through out the US Soccer pyramid with stints within Major League Soccer, United Soccer League, and the NASL.

Clubs Played for: Pittsburgh Riverhounds, DC United, Vancouver Whitecaps, San Antonio Scorpions,  Indy Eleven.

Here is a quote from Janicki’s Letter to his supporters:

“I realize I do not have a million followers on twitter or friends on facebook. I realize I am not a huge name in the soccer world. I realize soccer was never even the biggest sport in the cities I played in. However, I was put in a position to still be able to impact more people than most as a professional athlete. I hope that by this small group of people I am remembered as a quality person and a hard worker because that is I all I ever wanted to be.” – Greg Janicki

Janicki is best known for his involvement with the “late” San Antonio Scorpions (now San Antonio FC in USL) NASL Championship in 2014 along with his Spring title involvement with Indy Eleven.

First Indy Eleven Signee Kristian Nicht announced his retirement on Social Media also after the beginning of the new year.

Below is an excerpt of Nicht’s letter to his supporters:

Nicht being unveiled as Indy Eleven’s first player prior to the 2014 Season

Nicht had a pretty storied career playing through out Germany, the United States, and even having a stint in Canada.

Here is a look at Nicht’s moves through the years provided by Transfer Markt:

Nicht’s Honors:

USL Pro Goalkeeper of the Year: 2012

USL Pro All League First Team: 2012

USL Pro Shutout Leader (11): 2012

USL Pro Player of the Week (6): May 15, 2012

Bundesliga 2 Goalkeeper of the Year: 2005/2006

Kicker Magazine #6 Rated German Goalkeeper: 2006

3. Dragan Stojkov signs with Saint Louis FC in the United Soccer League:

Stojkov pictured (center) with Dylan Mares (Right) and Greg Janicki (Left) following an Eleven goal in the 2015 Season

Dragan became the second Indy Eleven player to move to STLFC following the footsteps of Mike Ambersley (MA signed on to them in 2015 Season)

Dragan signed on as a free agent after being cut from Indy Eleven prior to the 2016 Campaign however this very significant for a few reasons. 1. Dragan is a favorite among supporters of club. And of course, he’s the second Eleven player to move to Saint Louis.

Below is a complete list of Dragan’s  stats so far in his career via Transfer Markt:

4. US Soccer’s Pyramid altercation:

On Friday (probably later in the evening we will find out what’s going to come of the NASL/USL D2 issue. Stay tuned for details.

 

Indy Eleven to USL? Here are a few things to consider

With all the craziness of the possible folding the North American Soccer League this December has definitely brought on the possibility of Indy Eleven following suit with the Tampa Bay Rowdies, and NASL Expansion Sister Ottawa Fury to the United Soccer League in 2017.

What does this mean for Indy Eleven?

It could be the dawn of a new era in Soccer in Indiana. The future intentions of Indy Eleven don’t seem to be clear at the moment. However the club has confirmed that the Club will be playing in the 2017 Season. Earlier October Indy Eleven owner Ersal Ozdemir did make it public that the Eleven would play in the NASL in 2017 unfortunately with the most current rumors spreading around of the NASL Cup Champion New York Cosmos possibly folding along with many clubs in the NASL looking to go elsewhere in 2017.

Essentially, the NASL needs a miracle, unfortunately we don’t expect this to happen.

It is speculated that the United Soccer League will become the new 2nd Division of US Soccer in 2017 finally ending the speculation of the NASL’s survival.

Here are some possibilities of the near future:

1.Rivalries:

More than likely Indy Eleven will be an Eastern Conference club in the 2017 campaign possibly with a connection to MLS Clubs Chicago Fire, or MLS expansion team Minnesota United. With that Indy Eleven is conveniently located between many clubs such FC Cincinnati, Louisville City FC, and St. Louis FC. The possibility of rivalries heating up should create a more close nit league in 2017.

2.  The Campaign for a Soccer Specific Stadium will return, and it will be stronger:

Indy Eleven gave it’s first push to the Indiana General Assembly in winter 2015 to the prospect of a Soccer Specific Stadium to Indianapolis in near future. However it was shot down by the Indiana Senate because the state wasn’t ready to spend that kind of funding on a young expansion franchise. However, think about this. Given the United Soccer League becomes the clear second division in the United States it would be very big for the Club to solidify as a brand in the city. Even bring in the prospect that Promotion and Relegation may rule the land in the next 20 years.

3. The Second Division of US Soccer may finally make to FIFA 18

We are probably coming out on a limb here. But it’s long overdue for this to happen. Could you imagine suiting up as an Indy Eleven player in FIFA? Could you possibly imagine being in Tim Hankinson’s shoes managing the team to victory?  Possibly building an Eleven team on Ultimate Team? It’s a big possibility now.

4. Player Contracts:

We will have to wait and see how USL handles the differences with MLS 2 Clubs and independent clubs in 2017. Of course in order for the Eleven to switch over they will have release all of their current players from NASL contracts and resigning everyone to USL contracts. It’s speculated that USL would only allow a club to keep 10 players from their original roster. However, with many top clubs in the NASL folding (like New York) perhaps talent can be recruited from the former NASL transfer pool.

5. Ticket Sales:

Being in a better organized league will build the Club’s attendance. Averaging almost 10,000 a match with the proper marketing could you imagine more sell outs?

We still have a ways to go. However, it will be important that the Eleven considers that the brand of the club is more important than the league they play in. The future is brighter than we expect.

Looking Forward to 2017

The 2016 Season was by far one of the greatest football rollercoaster rides in Indy Eleven’s 3 year tenure; From a Spring Season which came down to defeating Carolina by 4 Goals, to advancing the in Semi-final off a wonder goal from Ubiparipovic. There was a lot to be proud of in the 2016 Indy Eleven Campaign. Unfortunately the Club didn’t finish the season the way they wanted failing to pick off the New York Cosmos in penalties.

However,

There is a lot to be proud of if you are a Indy Eleven Supporter. First, The Club’s turnover from a major overhaul managed to get Indy Eleven to the Club’s first Spring Season title in Club History. Furthermore, the Club played in it’s first home playoff game taking down FC Edmonton striking a place in the NASL Soccer Bowl. The 2016 NASL Campaign could not have come together if it weren’t for the smarts of Soccer Guru and former Eleven GM Peter Wilt, the appointment of Eleven Manager Tim Hankinson, and of course the Club’s owner Ersal Ozdemir.

The 2016 Season was truly a wonderful one and with 1 year in of the Eleven’s “overhaul” the club should only get better once the next campaign begins next April.

As for Central State FC:

We will be putting together a continuous coverage of the Eleven’s Transfer Window transactions, Interviewing parts of the Club and putting together podcasts from time to time to Cover Indy Eleven in the 2017 Season.

Contributor’s Thoughts:

I am quite amazed by how this season went. The season definitely created a positive stigma around the Club that the Eleven would become a masterclass of the North American Soccer League. As for the overhaul I do believe that the new identity put together at Indy Eleven should set the Club up for success in the near future. Especially with 3 Clubs leaving the League and only one expansion club jumping into the mix. However, I do think that Indy Eleven should consider more strides in creating a young competitive club (Keep in mind they’ve done a great job with that this year) I do expect that Indianapolis will be on many players’ short list for an A-List Club to go if they are setting their sights on the NASL primarily for the fantastic coaching, and atmosphere created by the Brickyard Battalion.

In Closing,

The Club achieved so much in 2016. They won their first trophy, they won their first playoff game and took the Cosmos to penalties in the final. It’s only right that next season the Club should make it back to the final.

Indy Eleven advances to the NASL Soccer Bowl for the first time in the Club’s History

INDIANAPOLIS:

Today at 3 PM Indy Eleven faced FC Edmonton in the club’s first ever postseason match. Of course this is 3 years in the making for a club that is still so young (compared to many NASL Clubs ) The match of course ended 1-0 and a solid victory for the Eleven.

The path to the Club’s first playoff match only took 1388 Days believe it or not since the Club was founded during the 2013 MLS Super Draft. The Club caught fire during the 2015 offseason rebuilding the Club and signing Indy Eleven Manager Tim Hankinson. Since the beginning of the 2016 Campaign Indy Eleven has been undefeated at home the club also topped the Spring Season table bringing in the first Trophy in Club’s young history.

Indy Eleven presenting the Spring Season shield to the fans on the eve of the Fall Season (Photo Courtesy of Indy Eleven)

Starting XI:

 

 

First Half:

The first 45 looked to be a constant offensive struggle many of the key passes were fantastic the club managed a few offensive successes in the first 40 minutes but failed to find goal. However at one point Zayed managed to get the ball in goal once but the goal was ruled a foul.

 

 

 

 

 

 

First Half Team Stats (From NASL Match Center)

The First Half seemed promising, The Club has managed to attack goal a total of 10 times (7 of which were on target)

Second Half:

Second Half proved to be the final clincher. The Club had 5 more shots 3 of which were on goal. In the 63rd minute Sinisia Ubiparipovic sealed the ticket to the final with a fantastic goal assisted by Dylan Mares.

Discipline:

3 Yellow Cards were called during the match all of which were by FC Edmonton.

Contributor’s Notes:

Wow, what a semifinal. As a supporter this probably the most wonderful moment I have ever witnessed (since the Carolina match in the Spring). The Eleven played a wonderful game. They managed to play a really clean game and also allowed Edmonton to expose themselves. This upcoming final will definitely be one to remember.