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First match of the season and onesoccer is already having audio issues lol.
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Apr 13, 2024 21:19
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SERGIO! e: lmao the refs refuse to call anything on either team. e2: didn't think this would be a repeat of the championship match, but here we are. Stiev Awt fucked around with this message at 22:48 on Apr 13, 2024 |
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Apr 13, 2024 22:29
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USL Championship round-up, April 13 & 14 Loudoun United and Memphis 901 opened the USL Championship weekend on Saturday night in front of almost 3,000 fans at Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia, serving up a back and forth battle that ended 2-1 to the young home side. Samuel Careaga opened the scoring for the visitors in the 14th minute with a free-kick that found a gap in the Loudoun wall and 901 had chances to increase their lead before Zach Ryan scored his third of the season just before half-time. Memphis again went close in the second-half through Careaga and Nighte Pickering, but it was United's Drew Skundrich who found the net in the 69th minute with a header to give Loudoun all three points. Charleston Battery have been in tremedous form over the past few weeks and they travelled to Indianapolis expecting to cause more than a few problems for Indy Eleven on Saturday night. A crowd of 8,556 awaited them but were quietened in the 19th minute when Emilio Ycaza was set up by Nick markanich and fired home. Portland loanee Tega Ikoba scored his first for Indy to level eight minutes later, and Sebastian Gunezatti put them 2-1 within sixty seconds of the retsart, but Markanich showed exactly why he's one of the most exciting players in USL-C right now when he restored parity two minutes into time added on at the end of the first half. Ikoba and Augustine Williams could have scored for Indy in the second-half but the goals all belonged to the visitors, a Macauley King own goal and a Matt Myers shot sending all three points down to South Carolina. Expansion club Rhode Island FC have had a quiet start to life in the league but fireworks were expected when Pittsburgh Riverhounds came to Providence on Saturday, given Rhode Island took 2023 league MVP Albert Dikwa and Marc Ybarra from the Steel City club over the winter. Riverhounds, though, have struggled this season, with just a point to show for their efforts, and the resulting 0-0 draw will have been greeted with a sigh of relief by their head coach Bob Lilley, if not the majority of the 3,678 in attendance. It also finished 0-0 down in Texas, where San Antonio FC entertained Orange County SC at Toyota Field, a 7,000-strong crowd no doubt expecting goals that just didn't come, despite both sides having chances. Maybe the goals were delivered west instead, because who would have expected El Paso Locomotive and Oakland Roots to share five goals on a chilly evening? El Paso are woeful at home but went ahead in the 13th minute through Amando Moreno's second-chance effort, only to be pegged back by Irish striker Niall Logue's 31st minute strike following a corner. Justin Dhillon, signed from San Antonio in the off-season, restored Locomotive's lead two minutes from the half-time whistle with a well-placed penalty after he was brought down by Irakoze Donasiyano, and the almost 7,000 crowd must have scoffed their hot dogs thinking they might - might - see a home win at Southwest University Park. They might well have done if Johnny Rodriguez hadn't woken up in the second-half, the former Cal State man scoring two minutes after the break and then adding a penalty strike of his own four minutes later to give Oakland a 3-2 lead. Jamaili Waite brought Rodriguez down for the penalty and he must be wondering quite why he left Pittsburgh in the winter... There were a pair of games over in northern California on Saturday night, with Monterey Bay FC welcoming Las Vegas Lights to Seaside, and FC Tulsa pitching up at Heart Health Park to face Sacramento Republic. Las Vegas had won three on the trot before this week but were undone in the tenth minute when Shawn Smart fouled Chase Boone in the eighteen-yard area, Alex Dixon slotting home the penalty that followed. The home side had the better of the play for the rest of the half and doubled their advantage through a Tristan Trager strike on the stroke of half-time, only for Gaoussou Samake to pull one back in time added on and give the Lights hope that they could make it four from four. They couldn't, though, and Michael Gonzalez added a third for Frank Yallop's side on 74 minutes, with Lights' Emrah Klimenta receiving a second yellow in the aftermath. There was also a red card in Sacramento when a case of absolute shitbaggery by Republic's Lee Desmond saw Tulsa's Edwin Laszo sent-off for a push, the home side working the extra man advantage for a host of first-half chances, although they only had Rodridgo Lopez's 33rd minute goal to show for their efforts at the half. It was one-way traffic again in the second-half but Republic were stymied by a resolute Tulsa defence, allowing Patrick Seagrist to level midway through the half, and that's how it stayed, a a much-deserved point for the visitors disappointing the weekend's biggest crowd of 8,891. Saturday's final game came from Arizona where 2023 champions Phoenix Rising entertained the pointless Colorado Springs Switchbacks at 38th Street. Rising's form has been all over the place so far this season and the crowd grew a tiny bit frustrated when they were unable to transfer their dominance into goals against a poor Switchbacks side. However, captain John Stenberg slotted home from a corner on 71 minutes to give the champions a lead they wouldn't surrender, three welcome points coming to Danny Stone's side. The USL-C weekend finished in Cary with the first visit of Birmingham Legion to North Carolina FC for four years. The home side started well when the referee awarded a very generous penalty for a Matt van Oekel foul on Rafa Mentzingen, Rodrigo da Costa converting for a 1-0 lead after just two minutes. The ever-busy Enzo Martinez finished a Stefano Pinho cross to equalise in the 29th minute, Legion's only shot on a target, and that's how it finished, van Oekel's save from Louis Perez twelve minutes into the second-half the only notable action. Canadian Premier League round-up, April 13-14 The opening weekend of the Canadian Premier League brought a clean sweep of home victories, starting with York United's visit to Atletico Ottawa on Saturday evening. A goalless first half wasn't light on entertainment but the game came to life three minutes into the second-half when Austin Ricci put the visitors ahead. Manny Aparicio equalised midway through the half for the Ottawans, with Ollie Bassett a menace in midfield as ever, and it was the Irishman's cross that found Kris Twardek on the back post, the centre-back slotting home to give Atletico the points. It was a smiliar story across the province in Hamilton, where Forge FC and Cavalry FC also played out a goalless first half in the first of their grudge games this season. The away side took the lead through Calgary mainstay Sergio Camargo on the hour but were pegged back ten minutes later when former Canadian international Tristan Borges pivoted and struck home. Forge pressed for a winner and found one through Beni Badibanga, although the eleven minutes left on the clock made for some nervy moments for the Hamilton side. First blood, though, to the Iron Men... Over on the West Coast, Pacific FC welcomed HFX Wanderers to Vancouver Island for a busy game that saw the visitors create more chances but the home side be more clinical. That told in the final score, a 1-0 win to Pacific thanks to an Ayman Sellouf penalty given when Julian Dunn brought down Reon Moore, but HFX looked like a decent side in defeat. The final game also came from British Columbia, this time on Sunday as Vancouver FC hosted Winnipeg side Valour FC. This is only Vancouver's second year in the CPL, having finished seventh last season, but they've laid down a amrker from the off in 2024. They had to do it from behind, though, as Valour went ahead in the 24th minute through new Australian signing Jordi Swibel, only drawing level on the cusp of half-time when Moses Dyer finished a tidy move he had started himself out on the left wing. The home side went in front just two minutes into the second-half through a Paris Gee shot from distance into the top corner, and then finished the job with goals from Lebanese international Gabriel Bitar and ex-Cobbler David Norman Jr, a 4-1 win the result of the opening weekend. USL League One round-up, April 12-14 The USL League One weekend started on Friday night with a clash of two teams with 100% records in One Knoxville and Union Omaha, albeit from just the one game for the visitors. Knoxville actually lost their last match, in the US Open Cup to Greenville Triumph, and there was little to separate the sides before Steevan dos Santos's opener for Omaha in the 70th minute. Any chance of Knoxville getting back in to the game was undone by a red card for Jalen Crisler six minutes from time and it is Union who retain that 100% record going into their next match. That will be at home to Charlotte Independence on April 20th, with the visitors no doubt buoyed by their defeat of Greenville Triumph on Friday night. Juan Carlos Obregon Jr's 51st minute strike was the difference between the sides as the Jacks handed Triumph their first defeat of the season in any competition. Saturday's brace of games began in Wisconsin, where Forward Madison welcomed Richmond Kickers to the Breese Stevens Field they share with professional frisbee team Madison Radicals. A crowd of almost 4,000 cheered Derek Gebhard's opener for the home side on 28 minutes, but the Kickers managed to draw level five minutes into first-half stoppage time when Maximiliano Schenfeld fired home. It was the visitors who moved ahead in the 64th minute through Adrian Billhardt, a lead that lasted all of eight minutes before Fabian Davila made it 2-2. There was still time for Madison's Timmy Mehl to see red in the 86th minute but there were no more goals. Central Valley Fuego have undergone a rebuilding process under new head coach Jermaine Jones, taking control of a club for the first time but not having an easy time of it in Fresno. Their visitors on Saturday were Chattanooga Red Wolves, who had only played one game before this week due to issues with their pitch in Tennessee. A worryingly poor crowd of just 397 saw the visitors take the lead in the 14th minute through Ropapa Mensah, and then double their advantage four minutes later with a Lucas Coutinho goal. Fuego did get one back before half-time when Zahir Vasquez found the net but Mensah scored again midway through the second-half to restore the two-goal lead. A Qudus Lawal goal ten minutes from time brought the home side back within draw distance but Mensah finished his hat-trick with a 91st minute penalty to leave things looking chilly for Jones in California. The weekend's final game was the Sunday visit of expansion side Spokane Velocity to the gridiron marked pitch of Lexington SC in Georgetown, Kentucky. The visitors had Josh Dolling back to lead their attack and took the lead in the 19th minute when Ahmed Longmire scored, an advantage that lasted seven minutes before Yannick Yankam levelled for the Boys in Green. Azaad Liadi then put the home side ahead but Luis Gil grabbed an equaliser to send the teams into the break at 2-2. That was how it stayed, despite chances for both sides, and Velocity sit a respectable fourth in their first season. NISA round-up, April 12-14 The troubled Georgia FC club finally got their season underway in the NISA league at the weekend, having already moved towns and changed names since they were first announced as an expansion club over the winter. Their first opponents at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta were Club de Lyon, the Daytona beach club who had their own issues last season (something never too far away in this competition). Former Charleston Battery striker Patrick Okonkwo got Georgia's first ever goal when he gave them a half-time lead, but the Lions hit back through Tolani Ibikunle. The game finished 1-1 despite a second yellow for Georgia's ex-Phoenix Rising man Lamin Jawneh, but both the club and the league will be happy to have gotten through this one. Savannah Clovers have also had a troubled winter, with the league stepping in to guarantee the club's payroll until a transfer of ownership can be completed. They opened their 2024 home campaing on Saturday against a Maryland Bobcats side that look utterly professional in comparison, and the 3-0 win for the away team perhaps reflected their differing pre-seasons. Darwin Espinal opened the scoring with a nice goal in the 69th minute, followed by goals from the returning Elijah Amo and midfielder Drew Wivell to complete the rout. Saturday also saw Los Angeles Force take on another of the new arrivals, Arizona Monsoon, at Long Beach Coummunity College. Monsoon lost their only game of the season so far, a US Open Cup tie against lower-tier opposition, and were thoroughly overwhelmed by the home side's superior organisation, coneding as early as the first minute when Bryan Ortega scored. They held out until just after the break, though, before Japanese midfielder Mouhamadou War grabbed a brace, the 4-0 scoreline completed by Victor Blanco eleven minutes from time. The weekend's final game featured two new expansion clubs and another Los Angeles derby match as Irvine Zeta took on Capo FC. Zeta have been in terrific form so far this season, with two Open Cup wins and an away draw at LA Force, but Capo managed to keep them fairly quiet on Sunday, Jonathan Estrada's first half opener for the home side cancelled out by Gustavo Chavez in the 85th minute. MLS Next Pro round-up, April 12-15 The sole game featuring an independent side in the third-tier (mostly) MLS reserve league MLS Next Pro at the weekend delivered plenty of goals, with Chattanooga FC defeating Inter Miami II 6-2 at Finley Stadium. Former FC Dallas youth prospect Jalen James - who was scoreless in nineteen games for USL League Two side Lexington SC last season - grabbed a first-half hat-trick to add to a brace from English striker Alex McGrath and one from Ethan Koren, Miami replying through Alejandro Flores and Ryan Carmichael. Elsewwhere there was another 6-2 win - for New York City FC II over New England Revolution II - and a 5-5 draw between New York Red Bulls II and Chicago Fire II, as well as a 5-0 win for Philadelphia Union II at Atlanta United 2, and a 4-0 home win for Sporting Kansas City II against Houston Dynamo 2.
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Apr 16, 2024 15:11
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USL Championship preview, April 20 Two of the three front-runners in the USL Championship Eastern Conference are in early action on Saturday night to kick off a weekend full of big clashes in the second-tier league. A 9pm (all times BST) kick-off sees Detroit City, the only side in USL-C with a 100% record, take on Oakland Roots at Keyworth Stadium, just days after City dispatched local rivals Michigan Stars in the US Open Cup. Roots won in midweek, too, though had to work hard to see off fourth-tier opposition in El Farolito, and I wonder if they have enough at this stage to trouble a Le Rouge side who, under new head coach Danny Dichio, are playing with a confident swagger. At the same time, Louisville City visit Loudoun United in their first league game since losing on prime-time national TV to Charleston Battery ten days ago. Both sides won their midweek Open Cup outings, with City again looking like genuine contenders by putting three past an in-form Greenville Triumph (who, admittedly, play a tier lower), and Loudoun's young strikeforce are capable of finding goals from scraps. On most weeks, this would be the game of the week but California has it topped, as we'll see in a bit... Hartford Athletic versus San Antonio FC is a 10pm kick-off, and the home side have looked good under new head coach Brendan Burke so far this season. Both sides have just the one loss so far but Hartford will be playing off the back of being knocked out of the Open Cup by MLS Next Pro reserve side New York City FC II and their reaction to the defeat will be one to watch. FC Tulsa have the dubious honour of welcoming form side Charleston Battery to ONEOK Field at 11pm, and will hope to stop the momentum that has taken the Sandlappers to the top of the Eastern Conference. The home team have played three games fewer this season and so it's tough to gauge how comparable the two sides are but it's difficult to see anything other than an away win here. The two midnight starts are very different affairs, games which could either way with little surprise. Fresh off an early exit from the Open Cup to third-tier South Georgia Tormenta in midweek, The Miami FC welcome Birmingham Legion to the less-cavernous surroundings of FIU Soccer Stadium and will be wary that Legion's Stefano Pinho scored all four of his side's goals in their midweek cup win. I say it every week, but Miami are rebuilding under new head coach Antonio Nocerino; you wonder, though, for how long that remains a valid excuse. No such issues at North Carolina FC, who have taken their promotion from USL League One in their stride, even if they have just one win from their six games to show for it so far. They host New Mexico United on Saturday with both sides having won in midweek and you'd expect United to have a slight advantage going into their clash. Nothing, though, that a spark of magic from Rafa Mentzingen or Oalex Anderson can't upset. It looks a little more straight forward at 0.30am in St Petersburg, Florida, for the clash between Tampa Bay Rowdies and El Paso Locomotive, with the home side having not lost yet this season and the visitors still ooking for their first win. Cal Jennings is in great goalscoring form for the Rowdies and even with Locomotive playing away from their cursed home stadium, it's hard to see anything other than a home win here. There are three 1am kick-offs, the pick of which is Rhode Island FC's first-ever visit to Las Vegas Lights. The expansion side are still looking for their first win as a franchise and lost in midweek to USL-1 outfit Charlotte Independence. They couldn't have picked a tougher time to visit Cashman Field, with Lights having won their last three games at the stadium as Jose Bautista's new era continues. Memphis 901 versus Monterey Bay FC is an all-Western Conference affair featuring two teams yet to get into their stride, albeit that the visitors are having a much better time of it so far, results-wise. 901 overcame a tricky tie against fifth-tier Miami United in midweek and will look to build on that, but haven't won at home in the league since the opening day. The last 1am start comes from Weidner Field where Colorado Springs Switchbacks are at home to Indy Eleven. Switchbacks are rock bottom of the Western Conference having played five and lost five, while Indy have lost their last three, and if ever a game could have two losers it would be this one. The clash of the week in USL-C comes from Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, California, where the top two in the Western Conference meet at 3am. Orange County SC have quietly put together a terrific side this season, despite the loss of top scorer Milan Illoski in the winter, and Sacramento Republic can always be relied upon to have a competitive streak a mile wide. No quarter will be asked, I expect, and little given. The weekend's final tie is a 3.30am kick-off from Arizona, where Pittsburgh Riverhounds will be the visitors to 2023 champions Phoenix Rising. If Rising's start to the season - two wins, a draw, and three losses - has been a surprise, then Riverhounds' failture to win any of their five outings so far this season is a shock. You'd think that the Steel City side would wake up at some point but whether it will be away to a Phoenix side that won at home last week is anyone's guess. Canadian Premier League preview, April 19-21 Round two of the Canadian Premier League started last night in Langley, British Columbia, where Vancouver FC hosted an HFX Wanderers side who stayed west after Saturday's defeat to Pacific FC on Vancouver Island. The home side made a great start to their second season of action with a 4-1 win over ten-man Valour FC last Saturday and picked up eactly where they left off by taking the lead after just seventeen minutes when Rocco Romeo capitalised on a goalkeeper error. Vancouver looked smart in their new cherry blossom-inspired kits and grabbed a second seven minutes into the second-half through Alejandro Liceaga. New Zealand striker Moses Dyer looked a threat throughout for the home side and it looks like they're the pacesetters so far this season. The weekend action continues in British Columbia tonight in Langford when Pacific FC welcome Valour FC to Starlight Stadium for a 3am (BST) start. The Tridents had a 1-0 over HFX Wanderers last week and will look to make that two, especially as Valour looked very vulnerable in their 4-1 defeat at Vancouver FC on Sunday, but football is a funny old game and anything could happen at this early stage of the season. Saturday's 7pm clash between Atletico Ottawa and Cavalry FC looks like one to catch, with Carlos Gonzalez Juarez's home side looking efficient (if unspectacular) in coming from behind to beat York United last week. The visitors from Calgary were unlucky to lose 2-1 at Forge FC and are still waiting on New Zealand striker Myer Bevan to return to Canada following a trip back home for "personal reasons." The weekend's final game is on Sunday at 9pm and sees York United open their home season against provincial rivals Forge FC. The Toronto side scraped into the play-offs last season and looked handy in defeat away at Atletico Ottawa last week but Forge are a different prospect, title winners four years out of five and always solid at the back and a threat going forward. USL League One preview, April 20 & 21 USL League One is the last of the third-tier leagues into action this weekend. waiting until 8pm (all times BST) on Saturday for the clash between 100% side Union Omaha and Charlotte Independence at Werner Park. Both sides beat higher-ranked opposition in the US Open Cup in midweek and this is undoubtedly the tie of the week at this level, with the Jacks looking to ruin the Owls perfect record. At 11pm, Richmond Kickers - with just one league win in nine months - take on expansion club Spokane Velocity at City Park. Velocity have two wins, a draw, and two losses on the season so far, but we're knocked out of the US Open Cup in midweek by Las Vegas Lights and will be looking to put that right, but Kickers were narrowly eliminated themselves in a penalty shootout and will be smarting. Saturday's third clash comes from Tennessee where Chattanooga Red Wolves' CHI Memorial Stadium is finally ready for the 0.30am visit of Northern Colorado Hailstorm. The sides sit tenth and twelfth so far this season, although the Red Wolves have only played two games, and both need to kickstart their campaigns badly. The final game of the USL-1 weekend is Sunday's 0.30am kick-off in Statesboro, where South Georgia Tormenta host Greenville Triumph. Triumph were flying high in both league and Open Cup until the past week, which saw defeats at Charlotte and Louisville upset their unbeaten record. Tormenta won away at USL Championship side The Miami FC in midweek and are starting to look like the team that were surprise winners of this competition two eyars ago, rather than the team that has competed for the rest of its existence. Interestingly, it's another short week of games in USL-1 this week - the first week scheduled to have all twelve teams in league action is at the very end of July... NISA preview, April 19 & 20 The NISA weekend kicks off tonight in suburban Detroit where Michigan Stars welcome new boys Georgia FC to Romeo High School Stadium for a midnight (BST) kick-off. The visitors drew the first game in club history 1-1 last weekend after a torrid winter which saw them change name and hometowns, but they'll face a tough test in the Stars, 2022 champions in this competition. The other two games in the league this weekend are Saturday affairs, with a midnight start for the visit of Savannah Clovers to Club de Lyon's Showalter Stadium home in Winter Park, Florida. Clovers, whose wage bill is being met by the league until a takeover can be completed, have lost both their games this season, conceding three in each, and will probably need some security before they feel they can kick on, even against a side like CdL who had their own issues last year. The final game is at 3.30am and features two of the league's newest sides as Arizona Monsoon travel to San Luis Capistrano at the very southern end of the Los Angeles sprawl to face Capo FC. Monsoon lost 4-0 at Los Angeles Force last week on the heels of being knocked out by fourth-tier opposition in the US Open Cup, while Capo managed a good 1-1 draw away at Irvine Zeta, so it's not difficult to pick a winner even at this early stage. Still, Monsoon have a promising young side and it will be a different story if/when they click as a team. MLS Next Pro preview, April 19-21 Both independent sides in the mostly reserve league MLS Next Pro are in action this weekend, with Carolina Core away at Chicago Fire II tonight, a midnight (BST) kick-off if you're interested. Both sides were knocked out of the US Open Cup in midweek, with Core surrendering to state rivals North Carolina FC and Fire going out 1-0 to Indy Eleven despite an almost total dominance of the game. On recent form, Core will do well to escape with a narrow defeat here. Chattanooga FC's game is on Saturday at 1am, a visit to the Alabama home of Huntsville City FC, the second team of MLS's Nashville SC. The Chatts won 6-2 at home to Inter Miami II last week and will be in confident form as they make 100-mile journey west for what could become a derby game as their stay in MLS next Pro continues.
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Apr 19, 2024 13:42
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USL Championship round-up, April 20 Detroit City made it five wins out of five in the USL Championship on Saturday when they turned away Oakland Roots from Keyworth Stadium. Danny Dichio's side maintained their perfect start with an eighth minute long-range goal from Ben Morris getting things underway, Maxi Rodriguez adding a penalty to make it 2-0 on 27 minutes after Bryan Tamacas fouled Alex Villanueva in the box. Victor Bezerra made it three six minutes into the second-half following good work from the ever-busy Morris, and Justin Rassmussen's goal for the visitors six minutes later proved to be nothing more than a consolation in the end, Le Rouge worthy 3-1 winners. They sit third, although both of the teams above them have played more games, and both of whom won away on Saturday. Louisville City bounced back from defeat in their last game to win 1-0 at Loudoun United, a Florian Valot own goal in the 67th minute enough to give City the points despite United having the better of the game. Louisville are now second, behind a Charleston Battery team in fantastic form, FC Tulsa the latest victims of their relentless, attacking game on Saturday afternoon. MD Myers opened the scoring in the eighth minute with his fourth goal of the season, Battery making it two on the half-hour when Juan Torres got on the end of a fast break to shoot past Tulsa 'keeper Joey Roggeveen. The visitors' Aaron Molloy fouled Harvey St Clair in the Tulsa box six minutes later, Justin Portillo slotting home the resultant penalty, but that reduction in arrears lasted for just four minutes before Nick Markanich continued his terrific season to tap in after a Myers shot hit the post. The best of the second-half chances fell to Tulsa, with Alexander Dalou forcing a save out of Adam Grinwis, but it was Myers who had the last word, heading home with six minutes to go to give Battery a 4-1 win. Hartford Athletic started the season with three wins from their first four games, a Friday night defeat away at North Carolina FC the only blot on their record so far, but the visit of 2022 USL_C winners San Antonio FC brought first class opposition to Connecticut for the first time this season. The visitors took the lead with the first chance of the game when Machop Choi headed home Lucas Silva's cross in the seventh minute, with Choi, Luke Haakenson, and Juan Agudelo all going close to extending in the following ten minutes. It was Hartford's ex-San Antonio man Markus Epps who got the second goal, though, levelling the scores when he slotted home following a fast-breaking move, and the teams went into the break at 1-1 despite further chances for Choi and a good effort from Deshane Beckford for the home side. Both sides had chances to take the lead as the game resumed, with Haakenson forcing a save out of Athletic 'keeper Paul Walters, but it was an own goal from Joey Akpunonu that eventually gave the Texans the lead with twelve minutes to go. Things got worse for Hartford when Joseph Farrell brought down Kameron Lacey, allowing Luis Solignac to score from the spot, and the 3-1 win might have slightly flattered the visitors but they were worth their win. The rebuilding job at The Miami FC seems to be taking longer than they'd have liked, extended by at least another week as they lost at home again, this time to Birmingham Legion at FIU Soccer Field (where at least the 1,000 in attendance were more visible and vocal than at the cavernous gridiron stadium next door). It took the home side 36 minutes to have a chance at goal, Legion 'keeper Fernando Delgado (deputising for the suspended Matt van Oekel) turning away Robert Molina's header, but it was the away side who had most of the game, eventually turning their domination into a goal when Stefano Pinho scored just past the hour from a quick break following a Miami attack. The Legion defence then closed the game out for the 1-0 win, leaving Miami head coach Antonio Nocerino scratching his head, wondering where to go next... After winning USL League One last year, North Carolina FC have looked competitive in the higher division so far without pulling up too many trees. With that win over Hartford Athletic and three draws from their six games so far, they're not too far away from finding a winning formula but again came up short at home to New Mexico United on Saturday. A crowd of almost 2,000 were buoyed when Julian Placias was found by Collin Martin and put the home side ahead, but that lead lasted for just two minutes before Paco Craig brought down Marco Micaletto in the box, Greg Hurst stepping up to score the penalty kick. North Carolina got their noses back in front nine minutes later when Ezra Armstrong headed in Rafa Mentzingen's cross, but United hit back almost immediately again, Hurst's second coming from a through ball from Arturo Astorga. Placias, Armstrong, and Louis Perez all had chances to put NCFC back in front either side of the half, but the game looked like it was heading for a draw when Sergio Rivas got New Mexico's third - and winning - goal. El Paso Locomotive have made a dreadful start to the season, drawing one and losing five of their six games before Saturday's visit to Tampa Bay Rowdies. Three of those defeats came at home and they were a better side on the road for much of last season, too, and so a trip to St Petersburg wasn't without some optimism of gaining a result. So it proved as they escaped with a 1-1 draw courtesy of a Francisco Nevarez goal - lofted over 'keeper Jordan Farr from inside the El Paso half - that gave them the lead in the 64th minute from before Manuel Arteaga equalised for the Rowdies with as much closer-ranged header nine minutes later. With just one win so far this season since their switch to the Western Conference, Memphis 901 got off to the best possible start in their home tie with Monterey Bay FC, going a goal up in the first minute when Alex Lara scored an own goal. Unaccustomed to leading lately, 901 nevertheless held firm past the half-time break, even having chances through Bruno Lapa, Marlon, and Nighte Pickering to extend their lead. The Californian visitors began to turn up the pressure in the second-half, though, and went close through Carlos Guzman and Chase Boone before Tristan Trager was fouled by Mobi Fehr in the Memphis box, Trager himself firing home the penalty that resulted in the 68th minute. Monterey used that momentum to nudge ahead just two minutes later when Alex Lara made up for his earlier error with a header from a corner, Frank Yallop's side seeing out the game for a 2-1 away win. That was also the result at Cashman Field as Las Vegas Lights were beaten at home by expansion club Rhode Island FC, the Seals' first win in their franchise history. Solomon Asante brought a save out of visiting goalkeeper Jackson Lee in the twelfth minute but it was the visitors who took the lead, full-back Stephen Turnbull found by Noah Fuson in the centre of the box to notch his first goal for the club. Rhode Island doubled their advantage just before the break when Albert Dikwa's shot was blocked and Fuson fired home the loose ball, a 2-0 half-time lead slightly generous given the run of play. After the break, Lights came out on the attack and a Gennaro Nigro shot deflected out for a corner from which Valentin Noel headed in to reduce the gap to a single goal with 36 minutes left to play. Las Vegas substitute Khori Bennett forced two saves out of Lee in the closing stages but Rhode Island held on for a historic victory. It was played five, lost five for Colorado Springs Switchbacks ahead of the visit of Indy Eleven to Weidner Field, a disappointing run for a side usually found in much higher altitudes in the Western Conference. Any nerves they might have been feeling were probably settled three minutes in when Ronaldo Damus headed them in front, the sides them trading chances, with Indy 'keeper Hunter Sulte making a superb save from Damus just before the half-hour. That save looked even more important two minutes later when Indy's Aidan Stanley crossed in for Romario Williams to head an equaliser, and that was how it stayed, despite Wahab Ackwei's red card for the hosts, mostly thanks to some good saves from Christian Herrera in the Switchbacks goal. By the time Orange County SC and Sacramento Republic took the field at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, only one of the preceding ten matches had resulted in a home win, and OC must have felt an extra touch of trepidation to that usually felt when facing USL-C powerhouses Sacramento. Still, they'd been every bit as good as the visitors over six games so far this season and thus Trevor Amann's first minute headed opener for Republic must have been a shock. It was a game of few chances after that, with OC having just one shot on target to a total of three for the visitors, one of which resulted in Republic's second goal, a left-footed strike from Aldair Sanchez in the 25th minute. The 2-0 win took Sacramento top of the Western Conference in their own right, having shared that honour with OC of late, and the addition of Amann looks like turning perennial nearly men into serious title contenders this season. The final game of the USL-C weekend saw defending champions Phoenix Rising welcome a winless Pittsburgh Riverhounds to Arizona, with the visitors recording two draws in their last two games after three straight defeats. Rising haven't exactly been in stellar form themselves but did manage to win at home last week, even if it was only against Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Riverhounds have struggled since 2023 USL-C MVP Albert Dikwa moved to Rhode Island FC over the winter, with Kaziah Sterling - brought in as a replacement from USL League One's South Georgia Tormenta - scoreless in his first three games in a Pittsburgh shirt. Of course it was Sterling, then, that opened the scoring for the away side, turning in a smart pass from Edward Kizza to give Pittsburgh a lead in the 26th minute, an advantage that lasted just two minutes before Remi Cabral levelled for the champions. Sterling had a good chance of a second a minute later, and then a very good chance of a second a minute into the second-half when he stepped up to take a penalty awarded by referee Brad Jensen for handball for Papa Boye. Unfortunately, he skied it over the bar but picked himself to go close on the hour, his effort and a follow-up from Junior Etou saved by Rising 'keeper Rocco Rios Novo. Pittsburgh's pressure told, though, when Kizza grabbed the Riverhounds' second on 62 minutes and although Junior Azacar and Dariusz Formella came close to levelling just after, it was the visitors who rode the game out, adding a third from substitute Babacar Diene for good measure in the 90th minute. Canadian Premier League round-up, April 18-21 Week two in the Canadian Premier League started early as Vancouver FC made it two out of two against HFX Wanderers on Thursday night, Rocco Romeo and Alejandro Diaz Liceaga with the goals in front of 2,702 fans at Willoughby Community Park in Langley. Action also came from British Columbia on Friday night, where Pacific FC also added another win to their opening day triumph on Vancouver Island, this time defeating Winnipeg's Valour FC 2-0 at Starlight Stadium. 2,851 were in attendance to see Josh Heard open the scoring just after the break, the win confirmed by a Sean Young goal on his 100th CPL appearance. Honours were shared in the nation's capital on saturday afternoon, where Atletico Ottawa and Calgary's Cavalry FC played out a 1-1 draw at TD Place. The week's biggest crowd of 4.569 came out for a clash of two sides sure to have a say in the play-offs come season's end, Amer Didic opening the scoring for Atletico just after half-time, only for a Kris Twardek own goal to earn the visitors a share of the points. The weekend's final game was the Sunday afternoon Ontario derby between York United and Forge FC at York Lions Stadium in suburban Toronto. Having won four of the last five titles, Forge look every bit like they intend to make it five out of six and joined Vancouver and Pacific at the top of the table with six points from six. Despite some good attacking play from the Nine Stripes of York, it was Forge who scored all three goals on the night, a single from Beni Badibanga and a brace from David Choiniere ensuring all three points went back to Hamilton. USL League One round-up, April 20 & 21 The goalkeepers were the stars as Union Omaha and Charlotte Independence got the USL League One weekend off to a scoreless start on Saturday afternoon in Nebraska, 2,461 fans witnessing a stalemate that nevertheless saw both Rashid Nuhu and Austin Pack make numerous saves at Werner Park. There were more goals in the next game, all of them scored by the away side as expansion team Spokane Velocity won in front of the weekend's biggest crowd of 5,368 at City Park, home of Richmond Kickers. Kimani Smith almost put the visitors ahead when he rounded the 'keeper early on but Velocity had to wait until the half-hour mark, when Romain Metanire took advantage of a defensive slip to score the first goal. Kickers had more of the game in the second-half but only managed one shot on target, and it was Spokane who made sure of the points by scoring the second in the 72nd minute, Andre Lewis on the mark with his first of the season. Saturday's third game saw Chattanooga Red Wolves finally play at home in the league for the first time this season after problems with the CHI Memorial Stadium. A fantastic crowd of over three-thousand were on hand to see them face Northern Colorado Hailstorm, with both sides not having had the best starts to the USL-1 campaign. Both sides had chances in the first half before Ropapa Mensah put the home side ahead with his fourth goal in three games, and a resolute Red Wolves defence sought to see the game out at 1-0, only to see Ethan Hoard's 99th minute attempt just squeak across the line for a share of the points to the visitors. The weekend's final game came from Statesboro, where South Georgia Tormenta were entertaining one of this season's fast starters in Greenville Triumph. Top of the table on goal difference before kick-off, Triumph extended their advantage with a 3-0 demolition of Tormenta, who hitherto had been playing some nice soccer this season and scoring in every game. Just 667 fans were at Tormenta Stadium for the game and they saw vetetran striker Leonardo Castro open the scoring for the visitors just past the half-hour mark, with the prolific Lyam MacKinnon adding a brace in the last ten minutes of the game. Tormenta had chances to score throughout the game but will rue their profligacy. League action in USL-1 takes a break this coming weekend as the first round of matches in the new Jagermeister Cup get underway. The competition sees the teams split into three groups of four teams to maximise regional rivalries. NISA round-up, April 19 & 20 After earning a draw in their first ever match away in Florida last week, NISA new boys Georgia FC faced a much stiffer test on Friday night when they travelled to Detroit to face Michigan Stars at Romeo High School Stadium. Their game plan came unstuck in the 25th minute when Praise Maduekwe opened the scoring for the 2022 champions, and was completely undone when Andres Chalbaud added Stars' second with thirteen minutes left on the clock, a 2-0 win making it two wins from two games for Enis Dokovic's side. The other two NISA games this weekend took place on Saturday, the first of which saw Club de Lyon welcome crisis club Savannah Clovers to Showalter Field in Winter Park, Florida. Clovers are having their wage bill guaranteed by the league until a takeover can be completed but showed no such worries when Lester Hayes III gave them the lead two minutes into first-half stoppage time. Any chance the Lions had of getting back into the game was harmed by a red card for Yustin Rodriguez, and Hayes added a second nine minutes from time to mark his return to US soccer from Denmark and Spain. Saturday's other game came from Los Angeles, where Capo FC, elevated from the semi-professional ranks over the winter, faced expansion side Arizona Monsoon at JSerra Field in San Luis Capistrano. The two sides were well-matched throughout and it wasn't until the 89th minute that Capo's Parker Scalzo gave his side the lead, something that lasted for just three minutes until Isaias German levelled for the visitors. MLS Next Pro round-up April 19-22 Both of the independent clubs in the MLS Next Pro league were in action this weekend, although Carolina Core's visit to Chicago Fire II was moved from Friday to Monday for "reasons." The rescheduled game saw Fire take the lead in the fourteenth minute through US under-23 international Javier Casas, an advantage doubled in first-half stoppage time by a penalty from Salvadoran international Harold Osorio. Core did pull one back through English winger Jacob Evans, signed from Houston Dynamo 2 for their debut campaign, but they remain rooted to the foot of the table. It's very different over at Chattanooga FC, who went into Saturday's trip to Huntsville City undefeated in regulation time. They gave a debut to their new signing from Georgian Erovnuli Liga side Samgurali Tsqaltubo, Ghanaian midfielder Jude Arthur, and he put himself about well in a game settled by Alex McGrath's 86th minute strike for the Chatts. Chattanooga now sit third in the Eastern Conference on twelve points from five games, two points behind Philadelphia Union II and New York Red Bulls II. LA Galaxy reserve side Ventura County FC top the Western Conference.
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Apr 23, 2024 18:48
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Tracing its history back to 2008, the Canadian Championship was the first serious attempt to run a competition that would encompass all of Canada's top clubs. Although the Challenge Trophy has been in existence since 1913, it is purely for amateur sides, and it wasn't until 2003 that the Open Canada Cup was established. Growing from the Canadian Professional Soccer League Cup, which ran from 1993 to 2002, the Open Cup included all the top semi-professional sides north of the border, even if those playing in the US professional leagues were neither invited nor interested in competing (save for USL First Division outfit Toronto Lynx, runners-up on their sole entry in 2006). Both the CPSL Cup and the Open Cup were dominated by teams from Ontario, with clubs from British Columbia only enterting for the first time in 2007, the final year of the Open Cup. No clubs from Alberta, Manitoba, or elsewhere were involved, despite varying levels of semi-professionalism operating in Calgary, Edmonton, and Alberta. The Open Cup was abandoned after the 2007 edition won by Trois-Rivières Attak (effectively a reserve side for USL First Division club Montreal Impact), but in 2002 a group of fans of USL First Division clubs Montreal Impact, Toronto Lynx, and Vancouver Whitecaps clubbed together to fund the Voyaguers Cup, a trophy awarded to the winner of a round-robin competition decided by the sides' regular season games against one another. In 2007, the cup was contested just by Montreal and Vancouver after Lynx took a voluntarily two-tier demotion. For the 2008 season, Toronto FC of MLS joined the fray, sufficient for Canada Soccer to award a CONCACAF Champions Cup place to the winner of a separate home and away round-robin league and officially dub it the Canadian Championship. Montreal won the first of the new editions of the Voyageurs Cup but Toronto dominated from 2009 to 2012, by which time both Montreal and Vancouver - or succession clubs, at least - were also domiciled in MLS. FC Edmonton, who competed in the second North American Soccer League, were added from the 2011 Voyageurs Cup, taking the number of competitors up to four. It swelled again to five in 2014 with the addition of the NASL's Ottawa Fury, and to six in 2018 when the champions of League 1 Ontario and Ligue 1 Quebec were invited to compete, Edmonton having suspended operations on the collapse of the NASL (Ottawa moved to the USL Championship and maintained their participation in the Canadian Championship). In 2019, with the arrival of the Canadian Premier League, the number of entrants grew again, this time to thirteen. The three MLS clubs would be joined by Ottawa Fury, the seven inaugural CPL participants, and the champions of Ontario and Quebec, with Vaughn Azzuri of L1Ontario almost causing an upset, eliminated on away goals by HFX Wanderers. With entrants from Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Ontario, and Quebec, the 2019 competition was the first truly national Canadian Championship, carried off by Quebec as Montreal Impact defeated Toronto FC in the final. 2020 was a step backwards as the COVID-19 pandemic restricted the competition to a single game within Ontario between Toronto FC and CPL champions Forge FC, but 2021 again brought thirteen teams back into the competition, with eight CPL teams making up for the loss of Ottawa Fury. In 2023 the format was tweaked again with the addition of the champions of League 1 British Columbia increasing the number of entrants to fourteen, although MLS clubs have won every edition since 2008. This year's competition again features fourteen clubs, all of whom bar Montreal and Vancouver - the two highest placed MLS clubs from 2023 - entering at the Preliminary Round stage, the six winners going forward to join them in the quarterfinals. - - - The 2024 Canadian Championship gets underway with a pair of preliminary round ties on Tuesday and Wednesday. Tuesay's match is an all-Canadian Premier League affair, with Cavalry FC hosting Vancouver FC at ATCO Field in Calgary. Vancouver sit top of the CPL after two rounds, having defeated both Valour FC and HFX Wanderers so far, while Cavalry lost away at Forge and drew away at Atletico Ottawa. Neither side have ever won the trophy, which has been the preserve of MLS clubs since its inauguration in 2008. Wednesday's game is perhaps more interesting, if potentially more one-sided as Toronto FC of MLS take on 2023 League 1 Ontario champions Simcoe County Rovers. The semi-professional side are based in Barrie, seventy miles north of Toronto on the shores of Lake Simcoe, and were only formed in 2021 by former Canadian international (and Toronto FC star) Julian de Guzman. The other four games in the preliminary round take place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday next week.
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Apr 23, 2024 18:56
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USL Championship preview, April 26-27 News broke ahead of the USL Championship weekend that the Mayor of Indianapolis, having previously agreed to back a publicly-funded stadium for the USL-C's Indy Eleven, met with MLS chief Don Garber and took the bait of a possible MLS expansion team for the city, unilaterally deciding that the proposed stadium will be for that hypothetical team rather than the eleven-year-old club that currently plays in the city. Needless to say, the position of this writer is always gently caress DON GARBER and now also gently caress JOE HOGSETT. Ahem. The USL Championship weekend gets off to an intriguing start tonight, with a 0.30am (all times BST) kick-off in Providence between expansion side Rhode Island FC and 2023 champions Phoenix Rising. The Seals won their first ever game away at Las Vegas Lights last week and are still yet to see the best of 2023 USl-C MVP Albert Dikwa since his move from Pittsburgh Riverhounds; will this be the week he clicks and will Phoenix, hardly pulling up tress in their defence of their title, be able to bounce back from last week's home defeat to the Riverhounds? Saturday's games begin in South Carolina at 9pm where Charleston Battery will look to continue a run of form that has taken them top of the Eastern Conference. Their visitors are Las Vegas Lights, a club rebuilding after some lacklustre seasons but who haven't quite gotten to where they want to be yet, although the great work done on their Cashman Field stadium is proof that new owner Jose Bautista is in it for the long run. The first of three midnight games sees San Antonio FC visit The Miami FC, back at the cavernous gridiron stadium where their 1-2,000 fans make barely a rattle. It's yet another game that Miami have to get something out of, their 2024 season under new head coach Antonio Nocerino a damp squib so far, but they'll face a tough test from the 2022 USL-C champions. A vocal crowd is something I imagine will be no problem at the Michael A Carroll Stadium home of Indy Eleven, whose fans are sure to remind Mayor Hogsett who pays his wages. They welcome promoted side North Carolina FC for another midnight kick-off, the visitors probably wishing they'd picked a better week to visit a fired-up Indianapolis. The final witching hour game is Pittsburgh Riverhounds versus Detroit City, a clash of last season's Championship Shield winners against a side who have won all six league and cup games this season. Danny Dichio has got City playing with a belief that used to be a trademark of Bob Lilley's Riverhounds sides, although Pittsburgh's win in Phoenix last week might signify a corner turned. There are also three games with a 0.30am start, the first of which sees Memphis 901 make the relatively short journey to Alabama to play a Birmingham Legion team that won in Miami last week. 901 have just one win in six games so far and it would be hard to see them returning from Birmingham with anything more than a point, especially now Stefano Pinho has found his scoring boots for the hosts after his winter move from Indianapolis. Louisville City started their season with four straight wins before a defeat in the nationally televised game against Charleston Battery, but got straight back into winning ways last weekend at Loudoun United. They're at home to another of the season's stronger starters in Hartford Athletic, although they lost at home to San Antonio last time out. Brendan Burke has reshaped the side from last year's bottom dwellers, though, and it should be a fine old game at the Lynn Family Stadium. The third 0.30am kick-off sees Tampa Bay Rowdies host New Mexico United, two sides who will comfortably make the play-offs but have yet to show championship winning form this season. In Cal Jennings and Greg Hurst, each side has a dangerous goal threat and much will rest on the respective defences at Al Lang Stadium in St Petersburg. After gaining a point away at the Rowdies last week, El Paso Locomotive will be once again hoping they can break their poor run of form at home on Saturday when they welcome FC Tulsa to Southwest University Park at 2am. The visitors lost 4-1 at home to Charleston last week and haven't pulled up any trees so far this season, despite negotiating a tricky tie in the US Open Cup against lower league opposition in the shape of Northern Colorado Hailstorm. The final three games on Saturday are 3am kick-offs from California, with Sacramento Republic's inevitable home win over Loudoun United leading the way. The addition of Trevor Amann to an already considerable Republic side has made them almost irrestistable in front of goal this season and it will be a very tough test for United young defenders. Republic went clear at the top of the Western Conference last week when they won away at Orange County SC, the first chink in OC's armour this season. Still, Morten Karlsen has got his side playing wonderful soccer since he took over midway through last season and the visit of Frank Yallop's Monterey Bay FC - who have also lost just once this season - should be quite the contest. Finally, Oakland Roots welcome Colorado Springs Switchbacks to Hayward with the visitors having finally gained a point at the sixth time of asking last week at home to Indy Eleven. Oakland have a great crop of young players and, with Switchbacks' attacking threat and defensive frailty, this could be a game with goals in it. CPL preview, April 26-28 Week three of the 2024 Canadian Premier League starts tonight in Toronto where pointless from two games York United host table toppers Vancouver FC. Vancouver lost in midweek in the Canadian Championship to ten-man Cavalry FC, missing out on a plum home and away tie against Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS, and so you'd expect them to be in unforgiving mood in this midnight (all times BST) kick-off. The first of Saturday's two games comes from Nova Scotia, where HFX Wanderers meet one of the league's glamour sides in Atletico Ottawa for a 6pm kick-off. Wanderers also have no points from their two games, while the visitors have a win and a draw to show for their efforts, and success for Halifax will surely rely on keeping Ollie Bassett quiet in midfield. That's followed in Hamilton, Ontario, at 9pm by Forge FC versus Valour FC, last season's champions (and with six points from six so far) against the 2023 basement side, who have lost both games this season. Forge always find a way to score goals, putting three past York United last week, and the shaky Valour defence surely can't hold them out for long. The weekend's final CPL game comes from Calgary, Alberta, where Cavalry FC play their second home game of the week against visitors from British Columbia, this time against Pacific FC. Having lost to Forge on the opening day, the home side picked up a draw in Ottawa last week, but Pacific already have six points in the bag having seen off Halifax and Valour already this season. Still, this is Pacific's first away trip of the season and Cavalry will be hoping that they don't travel well. USL Jägermeister Cup preview, April 27-28 A brand new USL League One cup competition gets underway this weekend when the first matches in the 2024 Jägermeister Cup are held. The cup was announced in December 2023, when it was explained that it was hoped that they would also include another league in the competition in the future, but for now it is a round-robin competition of three groups of four teams, regionally organised to increase local competition, and with the group winners and top scoring runners-up moving forward to the semi-finals. The competition gets underway in eastern Washington state at 11pm (all times BST) when Spokane Velocity welcome Central Valley Fuego to One Spokane Stadium, a clash of second top versus second bottom in USL-1 this season. Expansion side Velocity have settled well so far, something which can't be said of Jermaine Jones's new look Fuego side, who have just one win to their credit so far in 2024. That game is followed at midnight by Richmond Kickers' visit to league leaders Greenville Triumph and it's tough to imagine the visitors getting much change out of Rick Wright's in-form outfit at Paladin Stadium, gridiron markings and all. Also at midnight is South Georgia Tormenta versus Charlotte Independence in Statesboro, where the 2022 champions will look to bounce back from a 3-0 home defeat to Greenville last week. Charlotte are always a force to be reckoned with at this level and the addition of a new trophy to win might just be the spur that breaks a ten-year cupless streak. Chattanooga Red Wolves are playing catch-up with the rest of the league after losing the use of their CHI Memorial Stadium for a few weeks. Safely back home now, a 0.30am kick-off sees them face a One Knoxville side who were going great guns at the start of the season but who have lost their last two in all competitions. The final game in the first round of Jägermeister Cup games is on Sunday at midnight, when Forward Madison travel to Kentucky to face Lexington SC on the gridiron pitch at Toyota Stadium. Neither side has really gotten going so far this season but Madison just shade it on current form, although who knows what can happen in a cup named after a very strong liquor? NISA preview, April 26-28 It's week four of the 2024 NISA season and another round of four games stretched over three days. Fridays at 5pm (10pm BST) seem to be the unusual time for Georgia FC's games at Atlanta's Silverbacks Park stadium, with this week's visit of state rivals Savannah Clovers no exception. Both clubs had torrid winters but now seem to be more settled, and Clovers won 2-0 away at Club de Lyon last week. The home side will be looking for the first win in their existence, though, and you can never quite predict a local derby. The first of Saturday's two games comes from the northern suburbs of Detroit at midnight (all times BST from now on), where Michigan Stars face Florida outfit Club de Lyon. Stars have won two out of two so far and it wouldn't be unexpected to see them repeat their 2022 title success, having gone close last season. The Lions have an experienced side but that often means less legs in the latter stages. Set for a 3am kick-off is another of the many Los Angeles derbies when Los Angeles Force welcome Capo FC to Long Beach Community Stadium for their first ever league meeting. Force have one win and one draw so far this season, with Capo's two draws leaving them - like Georgia FC - looking for the first win as a professional club. Both sides have drawn against third LA side Irvine Zeta so far this season and so it should be an even contest. Speaking of Irvine Zeta, the NISA new boys take on expansion side Arizona Monsoon on Sunday, a 1am kick-off at the Championship Soccer Stadium they share with Orange County SC. Monsoon were well beaten in their first-ever league match away at LA Force two weeks ago, but rallied to grab a 1-1 draw at Capo FC last week. By contrast, Zeta have two draws, both in local derbies, and should have too much for the visitors, whose side is largely made up of local youngsters. MLS Next Pro preview, April 26-28 The two independent sides in the mostly MLS reserve team MLS Next Pro league meet this week, a midnight Saturday (BST) kick-off in Tennessee between Chattanooga FC and Carolina Core. The Chatts sit third in the Eastern Conference this season, despite a 1-0 loss in midweek at Atlanta United 2, and should have the measure of basement side Core, who have just two shootout wins from six games in their plus column so far this season.
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Apr 26, 2024 15:58
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gently caress Detroit
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Apr 28, 2024 01:02
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Star Man posted:gently caress Detroit I’m gonna figuratively powerbomb you through a table
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Apr 28, 2024 01:35
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gently caress Detroit 
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Apr 28, 2024 02:08
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MLS attempting to poach another USL market. quote:https://frontofficesports.com/indianapolis-mls-soccer-expansion/
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Apr 29, 2024 01:15
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Do over Ham posted:MLS attempting to poach another USL market. Listening to the Unused Substitutes podcast from two days ago, in addition to talking about how much this sucks for Indy Eleven fans if it happens and kills their club, they mention that Tampa Bay might be one of the expansion markets that Garber is looking at. I can't find any recent news stories to back that up, so I'm not sure what their source is, but there's this story from a year ago, March 4, 2023: quote:https://www.wtsp.com/article/sports/soccer/mls-commissioner-don-garber-tampa-expansion-team/67-a21e9579-34a3-4441-b9f4-4ec087fb3aad The Tampa Bay Rowdies have two things going for them that would make it more likely that they would go to MLS instead of being killed off by an outside group of investors with an MLS bid: they have an old legacy brand that is worth a lot more than a brand new brand would be, and they are owned by a MLB ownership group so they are already on Garber's radar as a major league ownership group. Not sure about the Rays paying the MLS expansion fee or paying to build a new stadium; they might want to take on additional owners to share that cost. The Unused Substitutes guys have mixed feelings on MLS, they like their obscure hipster minor league soccer with the lower ticket prices, but MLS means bigger, better stadium, more fans, more media coverage, better players, better opponents, and most importantly, it prevents someone else from swooping in with a new MLS ownership group that kills off our historic Tampa Bay Rowdies club. And it's time to take the Rowdies to the next level. Grow or die. Anyway it's highly speculative at this point, if it happens it will be more than a few years away.
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Apr 29, 2024 07:08
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I will be sad if Indy Eleven goes away and we don't get an MLS expansion, but honestly, if MLS does come I'd actually be fine with jumping ship. Between the current owner being a denier of the Armenian Genocide (and he lobbied hard to the local politicians trying to get them to vote No on a resolution recognizing it), and the front office being possibly the first team in America to re-open their games to fans in an indoor stadium before covid-vaccines were available (and not letting me exchange my season tickets for credit towards future games since there was no way in hell I was going to attend any games during that time considering I had multiple family members die from covid) they burned through pretty much all goodwill I had towards them. The season ticket thing especially bummed me out because twice they said they would have someone call me to work something out but they never did until the end of the season when they pretty much told me "nope, season's over, won't do anything about it now". I went from being a multi-season ticket holder (and one of the first people in their "Century Club" for attending 100 matches), to maybe hitting up one or two games a year.
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Apr 29, 2024 12:53
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There's chat about MLS to Detroit but I don't think it really holds any water. There's not much desire, Dan Gilbert/Bedrock own one of the only sites that would work for a new stadium and I honestly wouldn't want to go to Ford Field or LCA for soccer games. It just sucks because I honestly feel like MLS expanding so much is just going to essentially gentrify soccer into being another "Major Sport" where we go and gently cheer our teams. I'm sure Detroit will incorporate fist fights into it, we sure have plenty at Lions games, but god drat I really enjoy supporting a non-Major Sport team
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Apr 29, 2024 14:24
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USL Championship round-up, April 26-27 The USL Championship weekend started on Friday night in Providence, where a sell-out crowd of 4,000 came to see 2023 champions Phoenix Rising play expansion side Rhode Island FC. Neither side has been pulling up trees so far in 2024, with the home side recording just one win - away at Las Vegas Lights last weekend - to Rising's two. It was the champions, though, who drew first blood when Remi Cabral scored from close range in the seventh minute, and they doubled that advantage on 34 minutes through Cabral again, this time following a fast break. At that point, Rhode Island had managed just one shot on target but they were given a chance to get back in the game when Renzo Zambrano was adjudged to have handballed in the Phoenix box, last year's MVP Albert Dikwa stepping up to take the penalty kick. Rising 'keeper Rocco Rios Novo guessed right, though, and saved his defender's blushes, keeping the score at 2-0 going into the half. The home side were much more adventurous in the second-half, but couldn't find a way past the Rising defence until a minute from time when Clay Holstad put them within striking distance of a draw. However, it took Phoenix less than a minute to restore their two goal advantage, Federico Varela getting on the end of Gabi Torres's cross, and Rising saw the game out for a 3-1 win. Saturday's early kick-off came from South Carolina, where Charleston Battery welcomed Las Vegas Lights to Patriots Point, a crowd of over 4,500 backing the home side to continue an impressive run of form which has seen them race to the top of the Eastern Conference. Striker Nick Markanich has been in electric form so far this season, with seven goals in eight games before Saturday, and it took him just four minutes to add to that, firing Battery ahead with a well-taken finish. Halfway through the first-half, Markanich capitalised on a defensive error to set up MD Myers for his sixth of the season and double Charleston's lead, Lights no doubt wishing they'd not gotten on the plane from Nevada. Markanich made it 3-0 on the half-hour and then completed his hat-trick with a penalty seven minutes later after Jean-Claude Ngando brought down Emilio Ycaza in the box. 4-0 at the half, then, and it was five just four minutes after the break when Markanich got a fourth. Ycaza then hit the bar and Markanich departed just past the hour, having taken his season tally to eleven, but Charleston were still not done for the day. With nine minutes to go, Aaron Molloy shot home from Mark Segbers through ball to complete Lights' terrible day at the office and make Battery early favourites for the USL Championship title. Their main rivals at this point seem to be Louisville City and Detroit City, the latter of whom had won five out of five in the league before Saturday's visit to Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Riverhounds had started the season in poor form but managed to grab a 3-1 win in Phoenix last weekend, Bob Lilley starting to work his magic on a new look side for 2024 after losing five starters over the winter. The game at Highmark Stadium was a midfield battle, a smattering of Detroit fans among the 6,099 crowd seeing their side earn just a single shot on target. Pittsburgh fared little better with just three, although two of those - a close-range heaqder from Patrick Hogan and a penalty (given for a foul on Junior Etou by Devon Amoo-Mensah) - found the net for a 2-0 half-time lead. Maxi Rodriguez saw City's sole effort saved by Eric Dick in the Pittsburgh goal and the game petered out towards the end, with a red card for Detroit captain Stephen Carroll in stoppage time putting the cap on a miserable day for Le Rouge. The Miami FC entertained 2022 champions San Antonio FC in another "must win" game for new head coach Antonio Nocerino, his rebuilding job in south Florida not going according to plan. A crowd of just over a thousand rattled around the 20,000 capacity FIU Football Stadium, the patience of even those loyalists tested when Luke Haakenson put the visitors ahead in the eleventh minute, but to their credit Miami came back at the Texans, Luisinho forcing a save out of Pablo Sisniega and Allen Gavillanes firing wide soon after. They got back on level terms in the 24th minute when Luisinho scored from close range and continued to take the game to the visitors, earning their reward with a goal from Michael Lawrence that put them into a rare lead on the stroke of half-time. San Antonio dominated things late on in the second-half but were unable to find a way through the Miami defence, Nocerino's side securing their second win of the season after five straight defeats. Indy Eleven have had better weeks ahead of their clash with promoted side North Carolina FC at Michael Carroll Stadium on Saturday, days after Indianapolis mayor Joe Hogsett announced he was reneging on a stadium deal to try and bring MLS to the city. Still, that fired up their fans, over ten thousand of whom saw them beat a spirited North Carolina side 2-1. The visitors were by far the better side in the first half, going close through Ezra Armstrong twice, but the scores held at 0-0 going into the break. The Blue Boys broke that deadlock three minutes into the second-half when Mikey maldonado put through his own net, a lead that lasted for just three minutes before Louis Perez headed home Rafa Mentzingen's cross to level. The next twenty plus minutes were light on chances but a free-kick in the visitors' half was floated onto the head of Douglas Martinez for a 2-1 lead to the home side, an advantage they managed to hold despite good chances for Perez and Oalex Anderson to equalise. Tampa Bay Rowdies and New Mexico United had enjoyed very similar seasons before their clash at the Al Lang Stadium in St Petersburg on Saturday, and after the Rowdies 3-0 win in front of over 6,500 fans, they both find themselves on thirteen points from seven games. More than a few of those in attendance would have been anticipating a closer battle but United were restricted to just two efforts on target, a shot from Danyon Harris in the first-half and a header from Greg Hurst in stoppage time at the end of the game. By that point, the Rowdies already had their three goals, with Cal Jennings finding the net twice in the first sixteen minutes for his fifth and sixth goals of the season, and Manuel Arteaga scoring a penalty given when he was fouled by Marco Micaletto in the New Mexico box. It also finished 3-0 between Birmingham Legion and Memphis 901 at Protective Stadium, but not to a home team who would have been heavy favourites before the match, especially as the visitors had won just one match all season. It was just one of those afternoons for the Legion, dominating possession and having more chances but falling prey to some clinical finishing by former Legionnaire Bruno Lapa after just four minutes. Memphis doubled that in the seventeenth minute when Lucas Turci scored from outside the box following a corner, with Lapa adding a third nine minutes into the second-half. Having lost just one game - the televised clash at Charleston Battery - all season, Louisville City set about chasing down their nemeses when they welcomed Hartford Athletic to the Lynn Family Stadium. The weekend's biggest crowd of 10,887 saw an example of "anything you can do..." as City ran up six goals without reply, equalling Battery's feat from earlier in the day. It was poor Athletic's third defeat on the trot after a promising start and they didn't even register a shot on target, with just three shots off target all night to their credit. By contrast, City converted 60% of their chances, from Elijah Wynder's fifth minute opener to Tola Showunmi's 93rd minute sixth, with Adrien Perez, Aiden McFadden, Jorge Gonzalez, and Ray Serrano all netting in between. Weirdly, top scorer Wilson Harris suffered a rare blank, something Hartford can only be thankful for. Winning home games is something El Paso Locomotive can only dream of but hope springs eternal and another decent crowd filed into Southwest University Park on Saturday to see them face FC Tulsa. The visitors had won just once before the weekend - an away win in Las Vegas last month - and the game was about as even as you could get, possession and chances shared but the vital statistic - the sole goal - going in favour of the Oklahomans when Boubacar Diallo grabbed the winner in the 53rd minute. Locomotive have won only one match at home in the last ten months (against eventual 2023 runners-up Charleston Battery) and will be looking forward to next week's trip to Colorado Springs... Speaking of Colorado Springs Switchbacks, they travelled to Hayward, California, to face Oakland Roots on Saturday night, winless after six games. Whatever head coach James Chambers said to his charges beforehand must have worked wonders on the Switchbacks as Zach Zandi forced Roots 'keeper Paul Blanchette into a save in the first minute, the visitors also having good chances for Ronaldo Damus, Speedy Williams, and Justin Rassmussen not converted. Roots had chances of their own but the game remained scoreless through to the 71st minute when a Malique Foster free-kick was knocked home by Juan Tejada to give Colorado Springs a 1-0 lead. A Christian Herrera save prevented Johnny Rodriguez from levelling a minute later and it was Switchbacks who scored again, Foster assisting Aidan Rocha with six minutes left to play. Roots went close through Miche Naider-Cherry in stoppage time and the visitors even had a chance to make it three late on, Blanchette turning away Quenzi Herman's top corner effort for a corner. At the other end of the table, Orange County SC looked to bounce back from last week's home defeat against Sacramento Republic by welcoming another northern Californian side - Monterey Bay FC - to the Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine. 4,588 fans kept the faith and were rewarded as early as the sixth minute when Thomas Amang fired home to give OC the lead. Monterey played the better soccer afterwards, with Colin Shutler forced into making saves from Tristan Trager, Carlos Guzman, Kai Greene, Jesus Enriquez, and Guzman again to keep the score at 1-0 going into the break. It was the home side's turn to go close in the second-half, with Amang and Sorto calling Gerold Siaha into action in the visitors' goal, but it wasn't until the 82nd minute that OC got their insurance goal, Ethan Zubak finishing off a quick break to lift them above the visitors in the table. Both sides trail leaders Sacramento Republic, however, who made slightly hard work of the visit of Loudoun United to Heart Health Park. A crowd a thousand short of the 11,500 capacity saw Republic take the lead in the tenth minute when Russell Cicerone headed in for only his second of the season, but the visitors struck back in the 28th minute through Wesley Leggett's left-footed shot. Loudoun even had the better of the chances before the break and did their best to frustrate Republic afterwards, lasting through to four minutes from time before Kieran Phillips finished a fast break to put Sacramento ahead, and it was Phillips who scored the third and final goal for Republic two minutes into injury time to complete the job for Mark Briggs' side. CPL round-up, April 26-28 Week three in the Canadian Premier League started on Friday night in Toronto, where York United hosted Vancouver FC. The home side had lost both games before Friday's clash, with Vancouver winning both of their league games but losing in the Canadian Championship in midweek to Cavalry FC. To the surprise of more than a few, even amongst the 843 home fans in attendance, it was the home side who eventually took the lead after a low-energy first-half (and much of the second), star striker Brian Wright sweeping home from close range in the seventieth minute. Wright set-up Dennis Salanovic for York's second thirteen minutes later, and then finished the job himself after a defence-splitting run and pass from Clement Bayiha. The first of Saturday's two games came from Nova Scotia, where HFX Wanderers - also pointless from their first two games - met glamour side Atletico Ottawa. The game was ruined as a spectacle by a very harsh red card for Wanderers' Lorenzo Callegari in the nineteenth minute, although it took the visitors twenty minutes to take advantage, going ahead through Ruben del Campo's shot from outside the box into the bottom corner. They doubled that advantage eleven minutes into the second-half when Kristopher Twardek's ball into the box found Manny Aparicio, the former Pacific FC man scoring his first for his new club. To their credit, Halifax were up for the fight, though, and managed to put Ottawa under pressure but the numerical advantage finally proved too much, allowing Ballou Tabla to finish a quick break for a 3-0 away win. Forge FC went into Saturday's second game, at home to pointless Valour FC knowing that a win would put them top of the table, at least until Sunday's game gave Pacific FC a chance to join them. They made very hard work of it, though, the visitors - resplendent in brown, patterned shirts some might call "disgusting" - having several chances in the first half. Just past the hour, though, Tristan Borges fired home from seventeen yards after a mazy run by Daniel Parra, but the job wasn't completed until the final minute when Noah Jenson scored almost a carbon copy of Borges's goal to give Forge a 2-0 win and first place at this early stage. A win for Pacific FC away in Calgary, though, would have rendered that win slightly moot, but Cavalry FC are no pushovers, especially on home turf at ATCO Field. The game had plenty of chances but few of them found the target, let alone a way past goalkeepers Marco Carducci and Shawn Melvin, and the game finished 0-0, the first of twelve CPL games to finish scoreless this season. USL Jägermeister Cup round-up, April 27-28 US soccer's newest competition - the USL Jägermeister Cup - got underway at the weekend, with five games featuring USL League One sides organised into regional groups. Strangely, the West Group from first to get underway as expansion side Spokane Velocity welcomed Central Valley Fuego to One Spokane Stadium for a 3pm local time kick-off. An impressive crowd of over four thousand saw the home side take the lead through Pierre Reedy, finishing off a smart move that also involved Josh Dolling, controlling the game through half-time and well into the second-half. In fact, some among the Velocity faithful may have already left to beat the traffic by the time Fuego's Qudus Lawal fell after minimal contact from Spokane defender Marcelo Lage, the referee awarding a penalty that was converted by Robert Coronado. That sent the match to penalties, with two points on offer for the victorious side and one point for the losers, and it was the visitors who triumphed 4-2. The two matches in the East Group got underway at the same time in South Carolina and Georgia, with form side Greenville Triumph hosting Richmond Kickers, and Charlotte Independence travelling to Statesboro to face South Georgia Tormenta. The horrible gridiron pitch at Greenville's Paladin Stadium was surrounded by over 4,000 fans, twice their average crowd, no doubt attracted by the promise of good soccer and hard liquor that the Jägermeister Cup promises (and maybe the fact that it was Upstate Youth Soccer Night at Paladin). Somehow the first-half remained goalless, with home 'keeper Christian Garner saving a Nil Vinyals penalty, and Leo Castro hitting the bar for Triumph. Twenty-five minutes into the second-half, Richmond were first to score, Ryan Sierakowski grabbing a deflected header shortly after Tyler Poalk cleared off the line for Triumph, and Castro forced a save from Ryan Shellow in the Kickers goal. Triumph kept at it, though, and forced an equaliser from a corner with a minute left to play, Evan Lee sweeping in from close range after a scramble. That led to another penalty shootout and again the away side won out, Kickers converting all five penalties while Shellow saved from Ben Zakowski. The pattern continued down at Tormenta Stadium, where the away side silenced the 1,053 home fans by taking an eighth minute lead though a Juan Carlos Obregon Jr header. Tormenta's Conor Doyle had called Charlotte 'keeper Austin Pack into action as early as the first minute and the rest of the game was not short on goalmouth action, with good chances for the home side's Phillip Spengler going close either side of the break. It wasn't until the third minute of stoppage time, though, that Tormenta found a leveller, Sebastian Vivas heading home from a corner to send the game to penalties. The first nine spot-kicks were converted to give Charlotte a 5-4 lead going into Josh Ramos's final kick for Tormenta. Austin Pack made the save to give Independence the two points. Saturday's final game came from the Central Group, where Chattanooga Red Wolves hosted One Knoxville in a Smoky Mountain Smackdown. A crowd of 2,553 at CHI Memorial Stadiumsaw a cagey first half marked only by three yellow cards for Knoxville players, but the visitors found the net just four minutes after the restart, Jordan Skelton heading home from a free-kick. It was mostly Knoxville's game afterwards, although Red Wolves had a decent chance right before the final whistle, and the three points - the first in Jägermeister Cup history, went to eastern Tennessee. The second game in the Central Group came from Georgetown, Kentucky, on Sunday, where Lexington SC welcomed Forward Madison to Toyota Stadium, gridiron markings and all. The visitors started strongly, with two chances for Derek Gebhard going begging before the first-half petered out into a midfield battle. The second-half sparked into life in the 51st minute when Tate Robertson clashed with Devin Boyce, the former receiving a red card for kicking out after they tangled, receiving his marching orders while being carried off after a blow to the head by the referee in the melee! Aidan Mesias went close for Madison ten minutes later but the game looked like it was heading for penalties, only for Lexington to go down to nine players when Yannick Yankam was given a second yellow three minutes from time. Despite all that, it was the home side that finally broke the deadlock, a Kaelon Fox header from a free-kick enough to end the game 1-0 in favour Lexington. The final game in the first round of games is on Wednesday when Union Omaha face Northern Colorado Hailstorm in the West Group. NISA round-up, April 26-28 The NISA weekend started on Friday evening in Atlanta, where Georgia FC welcomed state rivals Savannah Clovers to Silverbacks Park. With the home side still looking for their first win, and Clovers having won 2-0 in Florida against Club de Lyon last week, it was expected that the visitors would cruise to an easy win but that was far from the case as former Atlanta United man Patrick Okonkwo, centre-back Kevin Herrera, and Giovanni Rios Hernandez gave the home side a 3-0 win. Saturday's games started in the Detroit commuter town of Romeo, where Michigan Stars continued their winning ways against a game Club de Lyon side. Already having won their first two league games, Stars made a great start when Leon Maric gave them the lead in the 33rd minute, but that lasted just one minute before full-back Ivan Arenas levelled for the Florida side, silencing the Barnabo Field crowd. That's how it stayed right through to the 83rd minute when the Lions took a surprise lead, former Charlotte Fc academy prospect Andrew Anyafo finding the net, but the Stars had the last laugh, two goals in stoppage time from Nicolas Nikolla and Nils Lelouch giving them nine points out of nine at the top of NISA's Eastern Conference. Saturday's other game was another Los Angeles derby from the Long Beach Community College, where Los Angeles Force and Capo FC met for the first time, a 0-0 draw the outcome of that one, Capo's third draw in three games. The final game of the weekend also came from Los Angeles where Irvine Zeta hosted Arizona Monsoon at the Championship Soccer Stadium they share with USL Championship side Orange County SC. Zeta scored as early as the third minute through Mexican winger Marcel Alexis Salceda, but were frustrated by some decent work at the back by the young Arizona side who got through half-time at just 1-0 down. Zeta play some lovely soccer, though, and Shin'ya Kadono grabbed an inevitable second nine minutes into the second-half, with former Cal State standout george Almeida adding a brace in the 62nd and 66th minute for a dominant 4-0 win, taking Zeta top of the Western Conference on goals scored from LA Force. MLS Next Pro round-up, April 26-28 The first ever battle of independent teams in MLS Next Pro history took place on Saturday night and it was Chattanooga FC who took the win, turning aside Carolina Core 2-0 in front of 3,614 fans at Finley Stadium (meaning almost 6,000 paid to see third-tier soccer in the Scenic City). Jesus Ibarra opened the scoring in the seventh minute with his third of the season, curling in from the left wing, with former New Mexico United man Milo Garvanian scoring his first ever professional goal with fifteen minutes left on the clock to secure the points for the Boys in Blue. To their credit, Core were in the game, albeit playing on the counter-attack, but they remain winless in ninety minutes in their debut season, while Chattanooga top the Eastern Conference having lost just once in regular time in the league this year.
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Apr 29, 2024 18:33
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Give me USL VAR or give me death, I'm tired of being mad at refs, need something new to blame
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Apr 29, 2024 19:00
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The amazing thing about the Indy Eleven saga is that apparently the mayor came up with the alternate stadium & expansion plan on his own with staff and without talking about it or vetting it with a single member of the Indianapolis City Council. That seems like a real stupid move.
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Apr 30, 2024 01:50
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US soccer's newest competition, the USL Jägermeister Cup, continues on Wednesday night with the final game from round one of matches in the twelve-team, round-robin competition. With Spokane Velocity and Central Valley Fuego having already opened the West Group with a Fuego win on penalties, Union Omaha and Northern Colorado Hailstorm will be looking for an outright victory in ninety minutes to top the group when they meet at Werner Field in Nebraska, also at half-past midnight. Union currently sit fourth in USL League One, with two wins and a draw from their three league games this season, while Hailstorm prop up the table, just two points from four games giving them that unwanted basement club tag. Hailstorm are yet to recover from the loss of Trevor Amann to the USL Championship with Sacramento Republic, but head coach Eamon Zayed will probably welcome a chance to start afresh in a new competition tomorrow.
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May 1, 2024 07:14
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bagmonkey posted:There's chat about MLS to Detroit but I don't think it really holds any water. There's not much desire, Dan Gilbert/Bedrock own one of the only sites that would work for a new stadium and I honestly wouldn't want to go to Ford Field or LCA for soccer games. It just sucks because I honestly feel like MLS expanding so much is just going to essentially gentrify soccer into being another "Major Sport" where we go and gently cheer our teams. I'm sure Detroit will incorporate fist fights into it, we sure have plenty at Lions games, but god drat I really enjoy supporting a non-Major Sport team Soccer in North America is sufficiently big now that larger markets could, in theory, support multiple MLS and USL clubs. Detroit City with its origins as a fan created and supported club could possibly survive if MLS came to Detroit, IMO. If their owner wasn't such a train wreck, the New York Cosmos could be thriving right now in the USL Championship, as the greater NYC market is huge and the two existing MLS clubs barely register with the huge existing NYC soccer fan base and/or are simply too far away from many of their potential fans to draw full support. Crazy Ted posted:The amazing thing about the Indy Eleven saga is that apparently the mayor came up with the alternate stadium & expansion plan on his own with staff and without talking about it or vetting it with a single member of the Indianapolis City Council. I wonder how serious Garber is about Indianapolis or if he's simply using them as a means of upping the price of potential bids from larger markets. The Rays haven't said anything about taking the Rowdies to MLS, and obviously Rays ownership has been hyper-focused on getting a new MLB stadium for the Rays; they are working on a deal for a new stadium in St. Petersburg which if all goes according to plan might be finalized this year, IIRC. Once that is done they might think about working on the Rowdies long term future. I know the existing Rowdies fans like the downtown St. Pete location at Al Lang, but it's a hard location to attract fans from the other side of the bay; a more centralized stadium location in Tampa would draw better. A new SSS on the existing Al Lang footprint would be a fantastic location, but people don't like going over the bridge (a problem that the Rays ownership is well aware of, but the Rays have large TV revenues which the Rowdies don't have). There's a new on campus football stadium in Tampa for USF being planned, also I believe the Tampa Bay Sun new women's team was talking about building their own SSS in Ybor City (IIRC) and inevitably the Bucs are going to want either a new stadium or an upgrade to their existing stadium (maybe add a roof like the Dolphins did?). Lots of potential sites in Tampa. Bring on the Bucs as part owners and you have access to their stadium. Sharing a stadium with an NFL team (Charlotte) or an NCAA team (San Diego) is still on the table apparently judging by recent MLS decisions in expansion choices. Or bring on some sports-washing Arab oil billionaires as part owners and build a proper SSS, perhaps in Ybor City (which still looks like a war zone still recovering from the Urban Renewal of the 1960s and 1970s); lots of empty lots in Ybor City. Make it within walking distance of 7th Avenue and you've got plenty of things for fans to do before and after home games. Do over Ham fucked around with this message at 08:42 on May 1, 2024 |
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May 1, 2024 08:38
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Do over Ham posted:Soccer in North America is sufficiently big now that larger markets could, in theory, support multiple MLS and USL clubs. Detroit City with its origins as a fan created and supported club could possibly survive if MLS came to Detroit, IMO. I honestly don't disagree. If DCFC keeps their tickets prices as low as possible while allowing their supporters to.. well... support, they will continue to be a valuable and loved brand locally. It would honestly probably lead to the Detroit Derby where DCFC regularly crushes Detroit's MLS side, which would be cool and funny and something I would like to witness
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May 1, 2024 14:26
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USL Jägermeister Cup round-up The final match in the first round of the 2024 USL Jägermeister Cup took place on Wednesday night at Werner Park in Omaha, where a crowd of 2,135 saw a win for Union Omaha on penalties after the game with Northern Colorado Hailstorm finished 2-2 after ninety minutes. It was the visitors who struck first, Bruno Rendon completing a quick break with a shot past Wallis Lapsley in the Union goal, and it looked like they'd be taking that lead into the break, only for youngster Missael Rodriguez - on loan from Chicago Fire - to score twice, in the 44th and 46th minutes, giving Omaha a surprise 2-1 half-time advantage. Ethan Hoard, who'd played Rendon through for Hailstorm's first, grabbed an equaliser just past the hour, his shot rebounding back off Lapsley and then back off him into the goal, and it looked like Hailstorm might be the ones to find a winner, at least until lightning forced the players off with six minutes left to play. The game petered out after the restart and penalties were called upon, and with Union 3-2 up with one round to go, Rodriguez had the chance to win the game with his spot-kick, only for Edward Delgado to palm it onto the bar and over. Fortunately for Omaha, Jake Keegan's final penalty for Hailstorm was saved by Lapsley and two points go to the home side, a point to the visitors.[/b]
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May 3, 2024 13:09
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USL Championship preview The front-runners are starting to emerge in the race for the 2024 USL Championship, with both Charleston and Sacramento flying high in their respective conferences. Neither side is yet to lose a game and both have a strong candidate for top goalscorer in Nick Markanich and Trevor Amann. The USL Championship weekend, however, kicks off in Tennessee at 9pm (all times BST) on Saturday, where Tampa Bay Rowdies - the only other undefeated side in the league - visit Memphis 901. The hosts were surprise 3-0 winners in Birmingham last weekend, much against the run of play, and will be hoping that a similarly strong effort can keep the adventurous Rowdies quiet, while looking to steal a goal or two of their own. That game is followed at 11.30pm by Charleston Battery versus Hartford Athletic, a game which looked very much like it might have gone Hartford's way after the first two weeks of the season. Since then, Battery have been unstoppable and beat Las Vegas 6-0 at Patriots Point last week. Athletic - who lost 6-0 themselves in Louisville - will not be looking forward to this one. There are three midnight kick-offs, the most interesting of which is probably Pittsburgh Riverhounds' home clash with The Miami FC. Riverhounds have won their last two, over 2023 champions Phoenix and the previously impregnable Detroit, and will saver the visit of a Miami side that has been totally rebuilt from last season, with mixed results so far. Speaking of Detroit City, they travel to Loudoun United on Saturday hoping to get back on track after dropping their first points in six games last week. United are a funny side in that they have bags of promise but only occasionally come good on it, but City should be wary of the firepower of Zach Ryan and Kamil ElMedkhar. The final midnight start comes from Cary, where promoted side North Carolina FC face expansion club Rhode Island FC in their first ever meeting. The newcomers prop up the Eastern Conference with just one win apiece but both have quality where it counts and can be expected to have better days at the office than they've so far enjoyed this season. Birmingham Legion will look to bounce straight back from last week's home defeat to Memphis when they welcome FC Tulsa to Protective Stadium for a 0.30am kick-off. Neither side has played anywhere near their level so far this season and both sit in mid-table, although the quality of players such as Enzo Martinez and Stefano Pinho for the home side, and Phillip Goodrum for the visitors will always shine through. Oakland Roots sacked head coach Noah Delgado after last week's loss at home to the previously woeful Colorado Springs and will have assistant coach Gavin Glinton in charge as they head to San Antonio FC for a 1.30am start. The Texans are always a formidable outfit at this level but they lost last week, too, to a similarly previously lacklustre Miami side. On paper, it's San Antonio all the way but what do they say about soccer and paper..? There'll be a tiny bit of confidence at Colorado Springs Switchbacks this Saturday, especially as their 2am game is against El Paso Locomotive, the only team below them in the table. Switchbacks managed to come away from Oakland with a 2-0 win last week, while Locomotive lost a home again. That the game is in Colorado actually plays to El Paso's strengths but it's fair to say that this won't be one of the weekend's most watched games on TV. There's just the one match from California this weekend, a 3am kick-off in Seaside as Monterey Bay FC face Indy Eleven. Indy fans are still trying to process the news that Mayor Joe Hogsett is ready to throw them over for a touch of the MLS's skirt but they rallied behind their boys to urge them on to a win over North Carolina last week. Frank Yallop's Monterey side lost to Orange County last week but still sit third in the Western Conference and have Tristan Trager in good form. This one could go either way. As could the 3.30am kick-off in Sin City between Las Vegas Lights and New Mexico United. Lights were embarrassed 6-0 in Charleston last week and will no doubt be gagging to put things right, especially as they welcome Los Angeles FC to Cashman Field in the US Open Cup next week. United also have work to do, having been well beaten - although by only three goals rather than six - at Tampa Bay last week. The final game of the weekend is probably its most anticipated as 2023 champions Phoenix Rising host Sacramento Republic at 38th Street & Washington. Rising's defence of their title has been an up and down affair thus far, the most important statistic being that they have lost half their eight games so far, while Sacramento - always a threat at this level - are yet to lose, although three teams have taken them to a draw. Whatever the outcome, this one should be as hot as the desert it's played in. CPL preview Week four of the Canadian Premier League throws up some interesting fixtures, none more so a quick return to Calgary for Vancouver FC, who lost 1-0 in the Canadian Championship to Cavalry FC ten days ago. The repeat encounter - a midnight kick-off on Friday - comes after Vancouver lost 3-0 at York United last week, while Cavalry drew a blank with Pacific FC, the first to take points off the Tridents all season. Pacific FC are at home in Saturday's lone game, a midnight kick-off at Starlight Stadium against York United. The home side narrowly squeaked through the preliminary round of the Canadian Championship on Wednesday night, needing penalties to beat semi-professional opposition, but are yet to conceded a goal in this year's CPL. United, on the other hand, were beaten in the cup by Forge and lost their first two games of the season, although they did rally to beat Vancouver 3-0 last week. With HFX Wanderers visiting Forge FC on Tuesday, the final game of the weekend comes from the nation's capital, where Atletico Ottawa face Valour FC in a repeat of the cup game that finished 7-0 to Atletico in midweek. Surely the visitors from Winnipeg can't be quite so bad again? Or will Ollie Bassett, Ruben del Campo, and company get to fill their boots again? One thing is for sure and that's that, after two first round exits in the Canadian Championship and a last-place finish in the league in 2023, head coach Phillip dos Santos will be looking over his shoulder... USL League One preview It's back to league action in USL League One after the fun of the Jägermeister Cup last week and things get off to a flying start on Friday night at midnight (all times BST) when One Knoxville visit Richmond Kickers. Knoxville have lost just once this season, at unbeaten Union Omaha, and will fear nothing as they travel to City Stadium to face a Kickers side that have won only once in the league this year. Both sides won their Jägermeister Cup games last week, although Richmond needed penalties to do it, and you'd expect a big crowd will see it all unfold. Also on Friday night, but with a 3.30am kick-off, is Central Valley Fuego versus Charlotte Independence from Fresno, California. With former USMNT legend Jermaine Jones in his first ever coaching job, Fuego have struggled this season but did manage to grab a last minute draw - and subsequent win on penalties - in Spokane last week. Independence, meanwhile, will be looking forward to the trip to Georgia to face MLS side Atlanta United on Tuesday night and Mike Jeffries's players will be looking to secure their places for that glamour tie. There are two games on Saturday, the first of which is a midnight start in Wisconsin, where Forward Madison host Greenville Triumph. Rick Wright's handover from former head coach John Harkes has been almost seamless for Triumph so far and they sit top of the table with four wins from six games. Sure, they lost the shootout to Richmond in the Jägermeister Cup last week, and they were beaten 3-1 in the last round of the Open Cup by Louisville, but they have nothing to fear at this level, even from a Madison side that has the potent threats of Derek Gebhard and Christian Chaney. The weekend's final game sees South Georgia Tormenta travel almost twelve-hundred miles to face Union Omaha, a 1am kick-off from Werner Park, the stadium Union share with minor league baseball club Omaha Storm Chasers. Omaha have been in imperious form so far this season, unbeaten in all competitions and preparing to host Sporting Kansas City of MLS in the Open Cup on Wednesday. Tormenta, too, are still alive in that competition, and will make a relatively shorter journey to Charleston that night, but it's hard to see them getting much out of their visit to the Big O. NISA preview Week five in the NISA league starts on Friday in Atlanta, where Georgia FC open the gates of Silverbacks Park for the 10pm visit of Club de Lyon. That's 5pm local time, which seems an odd time to start a game on a Friday, but you do you, Georgia! The home side are brand-new for this year after the proposed Georgia Lions franchise fell through, and they've had a mixed start, with a win, a draw, and a defeat so far. That win came last week at the expense of Savannah, who won at Club de Lyon the week before, so current form would give Georgia the edge over their visitors from Florida. The weekend's other two games are on Saturday, beginning with the visit of Maryland Bobcats to the Detroit suburbs home of Michigan Stars at midnight. Stars have won three out of three so far and will be looking to repeat their 2022 title win but it's still early days. The Bobcats have played just one league game so far, a 3-0 win away at Savannah, and so they are very much an unknown quantity going into this game. The other Saturday game is a 3am kick-off from the Veterans Memorial Stadium in Long Beach, California, where Los Angeles Force take on Irvine Zeta in the latest of a string of southern California derbies this season. Force have won one, lost one, drawn one so far this season, while Zeta are yet to lose. They met in week one, when a 2-2 draw was a fair result, but Zeta put four past Arizona Monsoon last week and will be in buoyant form. MLS Next Pro preview Only Chattanooga FC of the two independent clubs in the mostly MLS reserve team MLS Next Pro league are in action this weekend, welcoming Orlando City B to Finlay Stadium for a 10pm kick-off on Saturday. The Boys in Blue sit top of the Eastern Conference after seven games and will not fear a young Lions side that sit ninth with just two wins this season so far. Elsewhere, games to watch include New York City FC II at Atlanta United 2, a few days ahead of the baby Pigeons' US Open Cup game with Colorado Springs Switchbacks, and the fourth versus fifth clash in the West between Sporting Kansas City II and North Texas SC.
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May 3, 2024 13:16
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USL Championship round-up All eleven USL Championship games took place on Saturday this week, starting with the visit of Tampa Bay Rowdies to AutoZone Park, home of Memphis 901. The home crowd of 2,382 (plus two away fans they kept showing on the video feed) were given early cheer by the lack of Cal Jennings in the Rowdies' starting eleven, head coach Robbie Nielson opting to go with Manuel Arteaga up front on his own, and they got an even bigger bonus eleven minutes into the game when Forrest Lasso was given his marching orders for bringing down Marlon as he advanced on the Rowdies goal. It took Memphis just eight minutes to make the extra man count, Marlon - who was dangerous throughout - firing home an absolute thwacker from outside the box to give 901 the lead. They made it two in the 23rd minute when Marlon led a fast break and fed Luis Fernando for his first of the season, but Rowdies managed to get back into the game in first-half stoppage time when Arteaga finished from Blake Bodily's cross after some sustained Tampa Bay pressure. The second-half was all Memphis, though, and Marlon scored his second just five minutes after the break, the job finished by Dylan Borczak with 26 minutes still left on the clock. Both sides have US Open Cup action in midweek and Rowdies, for one, might enjoy the quick return to action. With Charleston Battery having beaten Las Vegas Lights 6-0 last week, and Hartford Athletic having suffered a similarly disspiriting defeat at Louisville City, there were fears that the scoreboard operator would have trouble keeping up with the game as the sides met at Patriots Point on Saturday. In reality, a much improved performance by the visitors saw Battery restricted to just the single goal, scored by - who else? - Nick Markanich in the twelfth minute. Markanich's twelfth of the season - one more than he scored in three times the games last year - sent the 3,785 in attendance home happy, extending Battery's unbeaten streak and opening a six point lead at the top of the Eastern Conference, although Louisville have three games in hand. The Pittsburgh Riverhounds revival continued apace at Highmark Stadium with a hard-earned 1-0 victory over The Miami FC on Saturday. Former Tottenham Hotspur man Kaziah Sterling, brought in to replace the deparated Albert Dikwa, was the man on the scoresheet, tapping in on sixteen minutes to make it three wins out of three for Riverhounds after a five-match winless start to the season. Dikwa's move to Rhode Island FC hasn't yet begun to pay dividends for player or club, with just three goals in seven matches, and they drew another blank at North Carolina FC on Saturday, a 0-0 draw reflecting a lack of decent chances for either side in front of over 3,000 fans. It was also scoreless at Segra Field in Leesburg, Virginia, where Loudoun United welcomed Detroit City. The home youngsters enjoyed the better of the play but were unable to find a way past Nate Steinwascher in the Rouge goal, with Detroit strikers similarly profligate at the other end. City still sit handily third, eight points behind Charleston but with three games in hand. After a strange home defeat to Memphis 901 last week, Birmingham Legion looked like they were about to repeat the formula against FC Tulsa on Saturday, Protective Stadium becoming less a fortress and more of an AirBnB. The Oklahomans took the lead in the 21st minute when Philip Goodrum got on the end of an Edwin Laszo free-kick, and doubled that twelve minutes into the second-half when Stefan Stojanovic scored from close range. That's not to say Legion hadn't had their fair share of chances, but it took another quarter of an hour to get a goal back, Enzo Martinez in the right place at the right time to slot home. Martinez, Dawson McCartney, and Kobe Hernandez-Foster all went close to finding an equaliser as the clock ticked down but it was Stefano Pinho who found space at the back post to head in a corner and give Birmingham a deserved share of the points. 2-2 was also the final result at Toyota Stadium in San Antonio, with all four goals coming in the last 25 minutes. Oakland Roots had taken the lead, interim head coach Gavin Glinton leading his charges for the first time after Noah Delgado was fired last weekend and seeing Miche-Naider Chery head in from a corner, but San Antonio FC fired straight back, Juan Agudelo finishing from close range to level things on 73 minutes. The home side went one better six minutes later when Kevin Lambert headed home from a Jorge Hernandez corner, a cue for Oakland to pour forward, putting the home defence under pressure that led to Lambert handballing in the area, giving Johnny Rodriguez the chance to level from the spot. It was a defeat to Colorado Springs Switchbacks, previously without a win all season, that cost Delgado his job at Oakland, and they quickly made it two from two with a 2-0 win over El Paso Locomotive on Saturday. A bumper crowd of over 8,000 saw Ronaldo Damus open the scoring in the 22nd minute and the home side never looked troubled after that, despite Locomotive's trademark better form away from home. Damus completed things a minute from time with a penalty given shortly after Amando Moreno had a good chance to level the scores, dispatching his spot-kick past a forlorn looking Jamahli Waite. Frank Yallop's Monterey Bay FC have a US Open Cup date with local rivals Sacramento Republic this week and warmed up in the worst possible way with a home defeat to Indy Eleven on Saturday. A decent crowd of 4,500 were on hand to witness an uneven affair that saw Monterey control the game yet the visitors have the better chances. One of those - a right-footed shot from Elliot Collier - finally found the net two minutes from time, condeming the Union to a second consecutive defeat. Their opponents on Tuesday were in action in Arizona, where a scoreline of Phoenix Rising 1 Sacramento Republic 1 was probably a fair result. The home side enjoyed the better of the game but it was Republic who took the lead just past the half-hour when Rodrigo Lopez fired a free-kick into the bottom left corner. To make things worse, Panos Armenakas had just missed a penalty for Rising, hitting the post with a kick given for a foul by Jared Timmer, but Phoenix came out for the second-half in confident mood, going close through Emil Cuello seven minutes in. Sacramento had chances to extend their lead, with Trevor Amann particularly lively, but it was the home side who scored next, Remi Cabral firing in from outside the box to restore parity in the 66th minute, after which there were few concrete chances. The weekend's final game came from Cashman Field where Las Vegas Lights were warming up for the visit of Los Angeles FC in the Open Cup in midweek. It appears no-one told New Mexico United - and Daniel Bruce in particular - that as the Kings of Chaos raced into a 2-0 lead by the half-hour mark, Bruce scoring with both feet, one from close range and one from outside the box. Gassou Samake did pull one back just before half-time, though, something the 1.061 home fans thought must have been wasted as the visitors were awarded a penalty three minutes into the second-half. Luckily for them, Raiko Arozarena was able to save Mukwelle Akale's spot-kick but there was to be no equaliser, either, despite good chances for Joe Hafferty, Coleman Gannon, and Edison Azcona as time ran out, although United will also point to close efforts from Akale and Jacobo Reyes. CPL round-up Week four in the Canadian Premier League began in Calgary, Alberta, on Friday night as Cavalry FC welcomed Vancouver FC to ATCO Field for the second time this season, the home side having won 1-0 with ten men in the Canadian Championship a couple of weeks ago. The visitors had won their first two league games this season but were defeated 3-0 by York United last week and looked equally out of sorts against a confident Cavalry eleven. Almost 3,000 fans were on hand to see Tobias Warschewski open the scoring in the 26th minute, with Charlie Trafford doubling Cavs' lead twelve minutes later. Vancouver had few chances to level and it was no surprise when Warschewski added a third, converting a penalty on the hour to end any hope of an Eagles comeback. They did manage to score a consolation through Moses Dyer with nine minutes left to play but it was the home side who took the points for their first league win of the season. Vancouver's local rivals Pacific FC were in action on Saturday, hosting York United at Starlight Stadium on Vancouver Island. Again, just over 2,000 fans were in attendance to see an even game which leaned heavily in favour of the home side in terms of goal chances. They converted two - a Reon Moore tap-in on fifteen minutes following Thomas Vincensini's save from Aly Ndom's header, and an own goal by Max Ferrari thirteen minutes from time - to go joint top of the CPL with ten points from four games so far. With Forge FC's game with HFX Wanderers scheduled for Tuesday (and subsequently postponed due to Canadian Championship commitments), the final game of the round came on Sunday at TD Place in Ottawa, where Atletico Ottawa joined Pacific at the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Valour FC, which was at least five goals fewer than the Winnpeggers conceded when they were in the nation's capital in the cup last week. To be fair, Valour gave a much better account of themselves and even had a few chances of their own before succumbing to first-half goals from Ruben del Campo and Gabriel Antinoro, a near-4,000 crowd sent home happy ahead of Wednesday's Canadian Championship quarterfinal clash with Pacific. USL League One After a week off for the inaugural round of matches in the new USL Jägermeister Cup, action resumed in USL League One at the weekend with a pair of matches on Friday night. The first, at Richmond Kickers' City Stadium brought One Knoxville to town, attracting a near-5,000 crowd. Knoxville had lost just once this season, to Dominic Casciato's high-flying Union Omaha side, and were expected to be a tough test for the home team. That certainly looked the case when German striker Kempes Tekiela volleyed the Scruffy City side ahead after half an hour, but Kickers never gave up looking for an equaliser, finding their reward two minutes from time through Adrian Billhardt's back post goal from a corner. Friday's second game was played out in front of just 754 fans at Fresno State Soccer Stadium in California, where Charlotte Independence warmed up for their US Open Cup clash with Atlanta United of MLS by taking on Jermaine Jones's Central Valley Fuego. With just one league win so far, Jones's rebuilding job is going slowly and Charlotte were probably always going to be too strong for Fuego on current form, although the home side did take the lead in the tenth minute when Robert Coronado scored from the spot. After that, though, the breaks all went the way of Independence, drawing level six minutes from half-time when Juan Carlos Obregon Jr and then going ahead through a penalty of their own in the 58th minute, Obregon Jr again on target. Luis Alvarez added a third ten minutes from time. Afterwards, Jones reckoned his side were the better team over ninety minutes but they'll need to start getting results to match those performances if they're to make a run at the play-offs. The first of Saturday's two games saw Greenville Triumph visit Forward Madison, with over 3,300 fans in attendance at Breese Stevens Field. Triumph lead the USL-1 table and have been in good form all year, Rick Wright's accession to John Harkes's throne running very smoothly indeed. It was the home side who took the lead, though, Wolfgang Prentice finding the net in the first minute of play after clever play from Nazeem Bartman, but Triumph were level a minute from half-time, a penalty given for a foul by Michael Chilaka converted by Jamie Smith. Eight minutes into the second-half, veteran striker Leandro Castro put the visitors ahead but Madison were awarded a penalty of their own just three minutes later, duly converted by Christian Chaney to level the scores once more. The home side, with Chaney looking very dangerous, put Triumph under increasing pressure and when the fourth official signalled five minutes of stoppage time, there was only going to be one team that broke the deadlock. Two minutes into that added on time, Juan Galindrez curled the ball into the top right corner to give Madison all three points and extend their unbeaten run to five league games. The weekend's final game featured the other two USL-1 sides still in US Open Cup contention as Union Omaha hosted South Georgia Tormenta in front of over 3,000 at Werner Park. Both sides had good chances in the first few minutes of play but it was the home side's Nortei Nortey who notched first, his distance effort sliding under Tormenta 'keeper Ford Parker in the ninth minute. Three minutes later, Pedro Dolabella made it 2-0 from a corner and it looked like Omaha were cruising to another comfortable victory. In first-half stoppage time, however, Sebastian Vivas headed in from close range to bring the Ibises within a goal of drawing level, all to play for in the second-half. The chances continued for both sides after the break but Omaha made theirs count, extending their lead through Joe Gallardo and Missael Rodriguez before a late Pedro Fonseca penalty finished the scoring for a 4-2 home win amd ten points from four games for the Owls. NISA round-up Three games took place in the third-tier NISA league over the weekend, led off by the visit of Club de Lyon to Silverbacks Parks in Atlanta on Friday, where Georgia FC awaited them. The home side have made a decent fist of life as an expansion club after a shaky start and went ahead in the sixth minute when full-back Kevin Herrera was put through by former Phoenix Rising man Lamin Jawneh. The visitors from Florida drew level twenty minutes later through Argentine veteran Juan Manuel Martinez, and he added a second to put the Lions ahead on the hour mark. Georgia looked to get back into the game but the wily old timers of CdL saw the game out, Ivan Arenas adding a third fifteen minutes from time for a 3-1 win. The first of Saturday's two games came from Romeo High School in suburban Detroit, where Michigan Stars and Maryland Bobcats met in a battle of two of the league's more established clubs. Stars had won their previous three league matches and secured a fourth win early, Bosnian striker Leon Maric scoring twice in the middle of the first-half to keep the stars flying high at the top of the Eastern Conference. Out West, Los Angeles Force welcomed Irvine Zeta to Memorial Stadium in Long Beach for another of the numerous LA derbies this season. Former Hartford Athletic striker Joel Quist opened the scoring for the hosts in the second minute, his first as an LA Force player, and that's how it stayed through the ninety, a 1-0 win for Force putting them top in the Western Conference.
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May 7, 2024 19:14
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I'm taking an unscientific survey of how much people pay for parking to see USL Championship games. At Highmark Stadium in Pittsburgh, the west side lot for tailgating is seventeen dollars to prepay, twenty dollars (cash only) at the gate. This lot is owned by the stadium and club owner. It's fifteen dollars at the Station Square parking garage and I think in the outdoor parking lot on the east side. It gets cheaper the further away you go. Public transit is served by light rail and bus at $2.75 per ride, totaling $5.50. You can keep it at $2.75 if you can manage to get back on your ride within three hours. Personalities within my supporters group insist the parking fees go to the team, and I am very skeptical of that claim. It just seems high, and I take public transit as much as I can.
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May 8, 2024 00:54
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Detroit has scarce actual lot space which is I believe $15 or $20? But I would venture a guess to say most people are using free street parking. The team doesn't own the lots but I assume they're getting at least some of the money?? I have no idea how those deals work. Also RIP Houston, we hardly knew ye get fuckedddd
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May 8, 2024 04:53
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Lol More like Houston DynaNO hahahahahaha honestly if I find a way to rewatch that match, I will share. It was a fuckin banger and Detroit City won it on a GK PK
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May 8, 2024 13:24
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otw1i4FCRMg link to the match 
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May 8, 2024 14:30
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lmao Real Salt Lake
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May 9, 2024 06:02
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Major League Suck
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May 9, 2024 06:35
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NM United has the best jersey so they should win the Cup
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May 9, 2024 16:17
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NISA midweek round-up Los Angeles Force extended their lead at the top of the NISA Western Conference last night with a 2-1 win away at Capo FC, although they had to come from behind to do it. Michael Weber had given the San Luis Capistrano club the lead in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, only fo4r the visitors to immediately equalise through former MLS man Michael Salazar, and the Belize international grabbed his second to make it 2-1 seven minutes from time. It was the home side's first league defeat of the season and gives Force ten points from five games so far, although Michigan Stars are leading the pack in the East with twelve points out of twelve. MLS next Pro midweek round-up MLS Next Pro expansion club Carolina Core finally managed to get their first win in regular time last night when they won away at Atlanta United 2. The home side took the lead in a game played at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw when Canadian international Noble Okello got his first goal for the club since his move from New England in the winter, but Core soon pegged them back when Jacob Evans fired home from Derek Cuevas's crossed ball two minutes before half-time. That goal must have unsettled the United defence because two minutes into first-half stoppage time, a deep Evans corner found Christian Diaz unmarked at the back post to head in for a 2-1 half-time lead. Both sides had chances to score in the second-half but the Foxes defence stood resolute to deny Atlanta any way back into the game, even when Papa Ndoye was red-carded for a bad foul four minutes from time. The USL League One game between One Knoxville and Forward Madison at Regal Soccer Stadium was postponed when inclement weather hit eastern Tennessee.
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May 9, 2024 17:37
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Wasn’t there supposed to be a Vegas team in NISA this season?
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May 9, 2024 17:49
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Bentai posted:Wasn’t there supposed to be a Vegas team in NISA this season? Next year is the plan - https://www.nisaofficial.com/news/2024/01/12/nisa-promotes-las-vegas-legends-to-pro
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May 10, 2024 10:47
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USL Championship weekend preview, May 10-12 The USL Championship weekend gets off to an early start on Friday night, when Loudoun United will entertain El Paso Locomotive at Segra Field in a midnight kick-off (all times BST, and all games live on the USL's YouTube channel). United will be buoyed by their surprise US Open Cup win away at Orange County in midweek but have enjoyed a middling season so far, something their visitors can only dream of, just two draws in their seven games so far leaving them propping up the Western Conference. Casual viewers can expect to see Locomotive 'keeper Jamahli Waite kept busy by Loudoun's young strikers, with Zach Ryan in particular a constant threat. The first of Saturday's games comes from Keyworth Stadium, home of Detroit City, at 10pm. Le Rouge won their first five league games this season before losing at Pittsburgh and drawing with Loudoun, but did manage to knock out reigning US Open Cup champions Houston Dynamo in midweek, albeit in a penalty shootout. They face 2023 USL Championship winners Phoenix Rising in a stern test of their title ambitions, with Rising in decent enough form without pulling down any trees so far. Still, they did manage to hold runaway Western Conference leaders Sacramento Republic to a draw last week, scoring twice in the process, and so City should be wary of their quality. The game between Hartford Athletic and Colorado Springs Switchbacks kicks off at midnight at a Trinity Health Stadium that looked like it might become something of a fortress under new head coach Brendan Burke at the start of the season when they won their first two games at home. Since then, they've been knocked out of the US Open Cup by third-tier opposition and lost at home to San Antonio, with their travels not bringing much joy, either, especially the 6-0 loss in Louisville two weeks ago. If anything, Switchbacks are in the opposite position, having gone winless in their first six games before winning their last two, although they were also eliminated by New York City FC II in midweek, forming a neat little club with their hosts. There are three 0.30am kick-offs, all with their points of interest, though I'd be remiss if I didn't start with the second Tampa Bay Rowdies versus Birmingham Legion clash in four days. The Open Cup match on Wednesday looked done and dusted after 81 minutes, with Rowdies leading 4-0, only for Legion fight back and take the game to extra-time. It finished 6-4 and only a fool would expect similar scenes on Saturday, but Rowdies are always a threat in front of goal thanks to Cal Jennings and Manuel Arteaga, while Legion have Stefano Pinho and the irresistible Enzo Martinez on hand. Expansion club Rhode Island FC may have just the one win so far but they've been competitive in all their matches so far, as they should be having recruited well in the off-season. Having drawn 0-0 with North Carolina last week, they face a completely different test on Saturday when Sacramento Republic come to town, one they're probably not expected to pass in all honesty. Despite never having won the USL Championship, Republic are one of the league's heaviest hitters and the addition of free-scoring Trevor Amann this season has only increased their threat in front of goal. If the Seals come away with even a point on Saturday they'll have done a very good job. The final 0.30am game comes from the Lynn Family Stadium as Louisville City face Orange County SC. Both sides went out of the Open Cup in midweek, but in very different circumstances as City took Seattle Sounders of MLS to penalties, while County lost 2-0 at home to Loudoun United. League form is another thing, though, and both sides have lost just once this season - to frontrunners Charleston and Sacramento, respectively. If you only watch one USL Championship game this weekend, make it this one. San Antonio FC meekly departed from the Open Cup in midweek, losing 2-0 at Indy Eleven. They seem to be missing a piece of the puzzle this season but still find themselves fifth in the West and will hope that their 1.30am kick-off with Las Vegas Lights will point towards a brighter mid-season. Lights were beaten 3-1 at home by Los Angeles FC in midweek, no disgrace considering the clubs' relative positions, and the rebuilding job after a very poor 2023 continues at Cashman Field. Also at 1.30am is FC Tulsa versus Pittsburgh Riverhounds, a reverse fixture from the midweek open cup bout that the Oklahomans won 1-0. Riverhounds started the season in poor form, without a win in their first five games, but have turned things around, as you'd have expected a Bob Lilley team to do. In Kaziah Sterling, they have a prodigious goal threat which, Tulsa having conceded twelve goals in seven games, should be a factor on Saturday. New Mexico United pulled off one of the shocks of the Open Cup fourth round when they beat Real Salt Lake 4-2 in midweek and will go into their 2am fixture with Oakland Roots in a confident mood. The cup win came on the back of three wins in their last four league games, with Englishman Daniel Bruce in strings-pulling form in midfield. Roots sacked coach Noah Delgado after a home loss to Colorado Springs Switchbacks two weeks ago, and interim coach Gavin Glinton managed a draw away at San Antonio last week before narrowly losing to San Jose in the cup in midweek. A full house at Isotopes Park might be too much for them, though. Saturday's final game comes from Seaside, California, where Monterey Bay FC host Memphis 901 at 3am having both gone out of the cup in midweek. The home side have been enjoying a generally good season this year, although they did lose at home to Indy Eleven last week, while 901 are up and down. Last week - a 4-1 win against ten-man Tampa Bay Rowdies - was a definite up. There's just one Sunday game this week and it's a midnight kick-off from Florida. The Miami FC are another side undergoing a rebuilding process and at least managed a win two weeks ago, even if they did slump back to defeat at the hands of Pittsburgh Riverhounds last week. It's not clear that Antonio Nocerino has found his best side yet, which bodes well for visitors Indy Eleven, a team very much in form right now. Despite mixed news about their stadium and the future prospects for the team (whether in MLS or the USL), Sean McAuley's side are playing well and winning games, having beaten North Carolina FC, Monterey Bay FC, and San Antonio FC in successive fixtures. CPL weekend preview, May 10-12 Week five in the Canadian Premier League starts in the Toronto suburbs on Friday night when York United welcome Valour FC to York Lions Stadium for a midnight kick-off. Valour were bottom last year and have been equally bad this, with a 7-0 reverse at the hands of Atletico Ottawa a definite low point so far. York have just one win from four games, a surprise 3-0 win over Vancouver FC two Fridays ago, and they'll hope that this augurs well for tonight's game. HFX Wanderers had last week off after tumbling out of the Canadian Championship to semi-professional opposition and have a chance to put things rights in their game against Cavalry FC on Saturday, a 7pm kick-off from Halifax, Nova Scotia. Cavalry were narrowly beaten at home by Vancouver Whitecaps of MLS in midweek and will look at Wanderers' three losses from three league games as a chance for an away win, although they themselves have only won once so far this season. The only two teams to have won the CPL clash on Vancouver Island at 10pm when Pacific FC host Forge FC at Starlight Stadium. Forge have won three out of three in the league so far and drew 1-1 with CF Montreal in the Canadian Championship in midweek, but Pacific are unbeaten themselves, with just an uncharacteristic blank in Calgary two weeks ago even slightly blotting their record. That's also pretty much the case for Atletico Ottawa, who one draw (to add to three wins) also came against the Cavs. The capital side are on the road on Sunday for a midnight start against Vancouver FC, the league's newest side. The hosts won their first two games at home this season but have since lost their next two away, so it could be anyone's game at Willoughby Community Park, really. USL Jägermeister Cup weekend preview, May 11 For the first time this season, all USL League One clubs are in action on the same weekend as round two of the USL Jägermeister Cup takes place on Saturday. First up is the visit of Forward Madison to Charlotte Independence at 6pm (all times BST and all USL games available to watch live on the USL YouTube channel), a clash of two genuine title contenders in this year's USL-1 competition. Independence were eliminated by Atlanta United in the US Open Cup in midweek, only their second defeat of the season, and they won their first Jägermeister Cup tie with South georgia Tormenta, albeit with only a two-point haul from a shootout victory. Madison beat table-toppers Greenville Triumph last week in a five-goal thriller and will not fear the trip to North Carolina for this cross-conference game. Three matches follow at midnight, with an eye-catching East Group tie between Greenville Triumph and 2022 USL-1 champions South Georgia Tormenta. Triumph have started in fatnastic form this season and lead the USL league table, but lost their Jägermeister Cup opener on spot-kicks to Richmond Kickers two weeks ago. Tormenta's Open Cup run came to an end in Charleston in midweek, no disgrace to lose to the Battery in the form they're in, and have looked by turns competitive and uninterested this season. Which version turns up at Paladin Stadium on Saturday is anyone's guess. Lexington SC - still playing a town over in Georgetown, Kentucky - have just one league win on the season so far, a 1-0 win over Chattanooga Red Wolves, but won their Jägermeister Cup opener over Forward Madison two weeks ago, a rare defeat for the Wisconsin outfit. They host Central Valley Fuego on Saturday, a team who also have just the one win so far. It's early days for new head coach Jermaine Jones, who is in his first job at this level, but they're missing the kind of influence he himself used to provide in his playing days. Can he find a new him? The final midnight kick-off comes from Tennessee, where One Knoxville hope that the inclement weather that postponed their midweek game with Forward Madison has long passed and that they can add to their four wins at this level this season. Northern Colorado Hailstorm are the visitors on Saturday and they find themselves bottom of the USL-1 table with just two draws from four games so far. More encouragingly, they also drew their Jägermeister Cup opener at Union Omaha, probably this season's best side, although they did lose the shootout. A hundred miles southwest, and half an hour later, Chattanooga Red Wolves welcome Richmond Kickers to CHI memorial Stadium with both sides kicking around the lower reaches of the table yet capable of winning games against the best on their day. Red Wolves lost at home to Knoxville in round one of Jägermeister Cup games, while Kickers managed to win the shootout away at Greenville in a game they were unlucky not to win in ninety minutes. These cup games should at least give both coaches room to experiment and find exactly what's missing so far. The final game is a 2am kick-off from eastern Washington state as Union Omaha make their first ever visit to One Spokane Stadium, home of expansion side Spokane Velocity. Omaha's extra-time defeat to MLS side Sporting Kansas City in midweek was their first of a season which has seen them play with confidence and swagger so far, but Velocity have shown that they need fear no-one in their debut season, having already secured wins over Richmond and Northern Colorado, as well as breezing through the opening rounds of the Open Cup before falling to Las Vegas Lights. NISA weekend preview, May 11-12 Week six in the NISA league brings three games, with the first up matching Georgia FC with the mighty Michigan Stars at Silverbacks Park in Atlanta at 7pm on Saturday. After a turmultuous winter, Georgia have settled down somewhat, although they did lose at home to the veterans of Club de Lyon last week, but they face a Stars side that have won four out of four so far, even if they did exit the US Open Cup to Detroit City in disappointing fashion. That's followed on Sunday at midnight by Club de Lyon versus Maryland Bobcats from Showalter Field in Winter Park, Florida, and you'd expect Bobcats to have the measure of their hosts, despite a 2-0 loss at Michigan Stars last week. The final game is a 1.05am kick-off from Surprise, Arizona, where Arizona Monsoon play Western Conference leaders Los Angeles Force at Willow Canyon Stadium. Expansion club Monsoon have just a point from their three games so far, and just one goal while conceding nine, four of them to Force in the reverse fixture a month ago. With a side made up mostly of local youngsters, it would be a shock to see anything but an away win in Surprise. MLS Nest Pro weekend preview, May 10 & 12 Only one of the two independent clubs in the MLS Next Pro league is in action this weekend, with Chattanooga FC travelling to Inter Miami II tonight. The Boys in Blue sit top of the Eastern Conference having lost just once in regular time this season and will be confident of a result against a Miami side that lost at home to New York Red Bulls II last week. Elsewhere, there's a Cascadia Cup clash between Portland Timbers 2 and Tacoma Defiance tonight, while The Town FC host North Texas SC in a match of two reserve sides masquerading as unique clubs on Sunday.
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May 10, 2024 10:54
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USL Championship round-up The USL Championship weekend started on Friday night in Leesburg, Virginia, where Loudoun United received guests in the shape of El Paso Locomotive. United's often positive play hasn't been turned into results this season and it was a similar story against Locomotive, who threw the form book out of the window to win 2-0 in front of almost 2,000 fans at Segra Field. Tumi Moshobane opened the scoring in the first minute, before Erik Calvillo - who'd fed Moshobane for his goal - got the second five minutes before the half. It was El Paso's first win of the season but still leaves them bottom of the Western Conference. Saturday's action began at Keyworth Stadium, home of Detroit City, for a televised match against 2023 champions Phoenix Rising. A crowd of 6,500 saw City take the lead in the ninth minute through Ben Morris, a lead they held through half-time before Giulio Doratiotto pulled Rising level four minutes into the second-half. It finished 1-1 and Le Rouge new sit third in the Eastern Conference, while Rising have work to do out West. Hartford Athletic's positive start to the season seems a long time ago now but they still attracted 5,500 to Trinity Health Stadium on Saturday for the visit of Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The visitors started the season in dreadful form but a 2-0 win over Athletic - courtesy of 24th minute shot from Yosuke Hanya and a penalty from Ronaldo Damus nine minutes from time - makes it three wins from their last three games. The near-4,000 crowd who came out to Beirne Stadium to see Rhode Island FC take on the unbeaten Sacramento Republic were there more in hope than expectation but saw their side take the lead through Stephen Turnbull just past the half-hour. A Trevor Amann header got Republic back on level terms in the 38th minute, a parity that lasted for just four minutes before Karifa Yao put the Seals back in the lead, 2-1 at the half. Republic, though, are made of stern stuff and Jonathan Ricketts grabbed an equaliser in the third minute of time added on to give them a 2-2 draw and maintain their unbeaten run and top spot in the West. Louisville City went out of the US Open Cup on penalties to MLS side Seattle Sounders in midweek but didn't let that affect them as they hosted Orange County SC at a packed Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday, over 10,000 on hand to see a 3-0 win for the home side. County's promising start has hit a bump in the road but most teams would have lost to this City side in rampant form, a first-half goal from Wilson Harris putting them ahead, with Ray Serrano and Jansen Wilson finishing things off after the break. Louisville now sit second in the East, just three points behind leaders Charleston Battery (who had the weekend off) but with two games in hand. Tampa Bay Rowdies and Birmingham Legion served up a ten-goal thriller at Al Lang Stadium in the Open Cup in midweek, helping entice almost 5,500 out to St Petersburg on Saturday night. Chances of a repeat were slim, though, and so it proved with just a single goal - courtesy of Legion's Enzo Martinez in the 67th minute separating the sides. Having both gone out of the cup in midweek, San Antonio FC and Las Vegas Lights had a chance to put all that behidn them when they met at Toyota Field. A crowd of 7,218 were on hand to see what should have been a straightforward home win, and the Texans duly went 1-0 up before half-time, even if it did take them until the second minute of time added on for Machop Choi to find the net. Things started to go wrong for SAFC three minutes after the break when Jorge Hernandez received his second yellow card and Lights used their man advantage to draw level just before the hour through Valentin Noel. That was how it stayed, despite heavy pressure from the visitors, San Antonio lucky to escape with the 1-1 draw. FC Tulsa won 1-0 at Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the Open Cup in midweek and a swift return took place at OneOK Field on Saturday night. Almost 4,500 came out to see if a pink-clad Tulsa side could repeat the feat and saw their team 2-0 up by the 33rd minute, courtesy of an own goal by goalkeeper Gabriel Perotta and a Boubacar Diallo shot. Danny Griffin reduced the arrears in the 64th minute with a penalty given for a foul on Junior Etou, but the home side won a penalty of their own just four minutes later when Perotta capped a great night by fouling Phillip Goodrum. Luckily for the Riverhounds, Perotta turned it around and saved Goodrum's spot-kick to keep his side in the game, and Riverhounds brought on Kaziah Sterling to search for an equaliser, a move that paid off when he scored from close range to make it 2-2 with five minutes to go. New Mexico United knocked out MLS high-flyers Real Salt Lake in the Open Cup in midweek but were disappointed by the crowd as just 5,266 paid to see that game. Thankfully, it was a completely different scenario on Saturday as the visit of Oakland Roots drew the weekend's highest crowd of 11,568 to Isotopes Park, the vast majority of them sent away happy with a 2-1 win for the home side. Scottish striker Greg Hurst got the Kings of Chaos off to a great start with a second-minute opener, although Roots 'keeper Paul Blanchette frustrated efforts to add to that lead before the break. Two minutes after half-time, the visitors drew level through Neveal Hackshaw's shot from outside the box, but United pressed forward for a winner and were rewarded with Mukwelle Akale's goal from a free-kick sixteen minutes before time.The win put New Mexico just a point behind Sacramento at the top of the West and with a game in hand on their rivals. Saturday's final game came from Seaside, California, where Monterey Bay FC welcomed Memphis 901 to Cardinale Stadium. A crowd of 3,580 saw the home side take the lead in the 35th minute through Mobi Fehr, an advantage they held through to twenty minutes from time, despite heavy pressure from the visitors. That pressure finally told, though, when Bruno Lapa levelled in the 70th minute and the game opened up. 901 looked like they'd found the winner with just two minutes left to play when the impressive Marlon got his third of the season but the reliable Tristan Trager was on hand to grab a 2-2 draw for Monterey right on ninety minutes, seven minutes of stoppage time unable to separate the teams. There was just one game on Sunday and it saw The Miami FC face their latest crucible with the visit of Indy Eleven. Eleven have been in great form these past few weeks, fired up by the shenanigans pulled by Mayor Joe Hogsett around their new stadium, and they followed up their Open Cup win over San Antonio in the week with a third straight league win. The 1,004 crowd looked much more at home at the FIU Soccer Stadium rather than the Football Stadium down the road but they had little to cheer, Adrian Diz giving the visitors the lead four minutes before half-time. Luisinho did restore parity in the 57th minute but after that it was the Augustine Williams show as the striker slotted home a penalty given for a foul on Younes Boudadi in the 67th minute, and then secured the win three minutes later. It finished 3-1 despite two good chances for Frank Lopez and Miami sit bottom of the Eastern Conference, their rebuild year going very badly indeed. CPL round-up Week five in the Canadian Premier League began with the Friday night visit of Valour FC to York United in the Toronto suburbs, a chance for the Winnipeg side to register their first points of the season. A crowd of just over a thousand saw the visitors take the lead a quarter of an hour in through Dante Campbell, only their second league goal of the season, an advantage they held for over fifty minutes before Noah Abatneh managed to pull York level in the 68th minute. Brian Wright put York ahead six minutes later and any hopes Valour had of getting back in the game were dashed when Mo Babouli made it 3-1 a minute into time added on. Valour's fifth straight defeat meant that the point HFX Wanderers earned at home to Cavalry FC on Saturday lifted them off the foot of the table. Wanderers haven't been playing badly but just haven't managed to convert some decent soccer into results; it looked like it would be more of the same on Saturday as they dominated the game but fell behind just before the hour to William Akio's goal for the Cavs. Still, the Nova Scotians kept at it and got their reward with twelve minutes left to play, Giorgio Probo's goal earning them their first point of the season. The clash of Pacific FC and Forge FC, the only two sides to win the title in the CPL's short history, was a hard-fought affair at Starlight Stadium on Vancouver Island, but neither side could find a way past the opposing defence. The game finished 0-0 but Forge had the better of the action, with more possession and chances at goal than their rivals; they also finished with more men on the field as Reon Moore saw red in the third minute of stoppage time for the home side. Nevertheless, the point put Pacific top of the table, for 24 hours at least, and marked the visitors' first dropped points of the campaign. Following that draw, Atletico Ottawa knew that they'd go top of the table if they could win away at Vancouver FC on Sunday, but the home side didn't let them have it all their own way. The first-half ended scoreless despite several chances for both sides, and it was the visitors who finally made the breakthrough in the second-half, Ruben del Campo scoring just before the hour. Vancouver have been hit and miss this season but generally decent at home and they made sure their unbeaten record in Langley remained with an equaliser from Alejandro Liceaga in the 68th minute, the 1-1 result putting Ottawa joint top of the CPL on eleven points, although third-place Forge on ten have a game in hand. USL Jägermeister Cup round-up Round two of the USL Jägermeister Cup took place on Saturday with all twelve USL League One teams in action for the first time this season. Charlotte Independence won their first match in the tournament away at South Georgia Tormenta - on penalties after the tie finished 1-1, largely thanks to the efforts of goalkeeper Austin Pack, but the first thing he had to do in their home tie against Forward Madison on Saturday was pick the ball out of the net, Christian Chaney putting the Flamingos in front in less than two minutes at American Legion Memorial Stadium. A disappointing crowd of 798 showed that not everyone is on board with the new competition but they at least got to see Juan Carlos Obregon Jr level the scores just past the hour, his seventh goal in nine games this season. It was all for nought, though, as Madison picked up a handy away win to make up for their away loss in round one, substitute Derek Gebhard making it 2-1 with eleven minutes left on the clock. The clash between Greenville Triumph and South Georgia Tormenta at Paladin Stadium featured two sides who lost on penalties first time out and it looked like it might be going in the direction of spot-kicks again when Jamie Smith made it 2-2 from the penalty spot in the 68th minute. Lyam MacKinnon had given Triumph the lead with his eighth goal of the season just past the quarter hour, but Tormenta had roared back with a two-goal salvo from Mason Tunbridge and Jackson Khoury to take a half-time lead. Some of the 1,471 fans may even have been heading for the exist as Smith opped up to score his second and give Greenville the win with just four minutes to go, putting them top of the East Group. Lexington SC remain unbeaten in their Jägermeister Cup campaign, floowing up a home win over Forward Madison with a shootout victory over Central Valley Fuego on Saturday. Twelve hundred fans saw the visitors reduced to ten men in the fifth minute when Christopher Heckenberg was deemed to be the last man, giving Cameron Lancaster the opportunity to score a tidy free-kick to give the Boys in Green the lead in the eighth minute, an advantage doubled fourteen minutes later by Ates Diouf. Fuego have been poor to middling all season but they found some inspiration in the second-half, Alfredo Midence reducing the gap to a single goal on 65 minutes. Two minutes into time added on at the end of the game, Raul Mendiola grabbed a leveller, sending the game to a shootout, which the home side side won 4-1 to go top in the Central Group. They could have been joined there by One Knoxville were it not for the Tennessee side having an absolute nightmare at home to Northern Colorado Hailstorm in front of a good crowd of 1,700. Things went the way of the visitors as early as the second minute, when Isidro Martinez gave Hailstorm the lead, and it was 3-0 just past the half-hour courtesy of a brace by Bruno Rendon. Kempes Tekiela did manage to pull one back for the Scruffy City side on 36 minutes, but it was 4-1 at the half thanks to Ethan Hoard's fourth of the season. The second-half brought just one more goal, Haruki Yamazaki becoming the first Japanese player to score for Northern Colorado, and a 5-1 win was a lovely was to bounce back from their defeat on penalties in the first round. A hundred miles southwest, and half an hour later, Chattanooga Red Wolves welcomed Richmond Kickers to CHI Memorial Stadium, where another solid crowd of almost 2,500 saw the home side earn their first win of the Jägermeister Cup campaign. Kickers had managed to win a shootout after a late equaliser at Greenville in round one and it looked like it might be going to spot-kicks again when Red Wolves found a winner five minutes from time, Kickers 'keeper Ryan Shellow putting through his own net. The final game of the weekend was out west, where Spokane Velocity met USL-1 form side Union Omaha at a busy One Spokane Stadium, just five hundred short of a sell-out. After a cagey few minutes it was the visitors who took the lead, but Missael Rodriguez's eleventh minute goal was cancelled out five minutes later by Andre Lewis. That was it for the first-half but Union went ahead again six minutes into the second-half when Pedro Dollabela converted a penalty given for a foul on Rodriguez. Again, that advantage was short-lived, Spokane equalising through former Omaha man Luis Gil five minutes later, and it seemed like a draw would be the most likely result as it stayed 2-2 into stoppage time, only for Martin Gil to find a winner in the third minute of time added on, taking the hosts top of the West Group. NISA round-up There were just three games again in the NISA league this weekend, starting with the visit of unblemished Michigan Stars to Atlanta's Silverbacks Park to face new boys Georgia FC on Saturday. Stars had won all four league matches so far but found themselves behind in the 32nd minute when Patrick Okonkwo opened the scoring for the home side, with Kevin Herrera making it 2-0 two minutes later. Half-time was a chance to reset but it brought no instant dividend before Okonkwo grabbed his second to put the Georgians 3-0 ahead. Sacko Konate did manage to get on the scoresheet for Stars with two minutes left to play, but a stoppage time goal from Victor Valencia gave Georgia their second win of the season. The first of Sunday's games saw Maryland Bobcats visit Winter Park, Florida, to face the veterans of Club de Lyon. The Lions went above their rivals with a surprise win at Georgia FC last week but it was business as usual this week with the Bobcats 2-0 up at half-time, thanks to a penalty from Darwin Espinal and an Elijah Amo goal. It didn't get any better for the Floridians after the break as Espinal grabbed his second and Josselin Possian put them 4-0 with two minutes to go, the only blemish on the night being Juan Manuel Martinez's consolation in stoppage time. Expansion club Arizona Monsoon hosted Los Angeles Force, top of the Western Conference, for the first time on Sunday and were given a lesson in direct soccer and clinical finishing. Michael Salazar opened the scoring for Force in the eleventh minute and that was how it stayed until 21 minutes into the second-half, when Daisuke Otsuka put Monsoon back on level terms. The tie was short-lived, though, as Bryan Ortega restored LA's lead with a nice goal in the 69th minute, and it was left to former Club Leon prodigy Chila, now carrying some extra timber at 28-years-old, to finish the job for the visitors in the 90th minute, a 3-1 win just reward for their efforts. MLS Next Pro round-up Sitting pretty at the top of the MLS Next Pro league, former NISA club Chattanooga FC grabbed another win at the weekend, turning over Inter Miami II at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Of course, the halfpint Herons don't have the galacticos of their first team but it's still a good effort by the Boys in Blue, who took the lead in the thirteenth minute through Jesus Ibarra, an advantage they held to the break. A minute into the second-half, though, Miami pulled level through the implausibly named Idoh Zeltzer-Zubida, and it looked like things might be heading for the shootout used to settle drawn games in this league. Four minutes from time, though, Mehdi Ouamri found a winner for the Chatts, who are now three points clear at the top of the Eastern Conference. Elsewhere, Portland Timbers 2 had a huge 4-1 Cascadia derby win over Tacoma Defiance, and St Louis CITY II went top in the West with a home win over 2023 winners Austin FC II.
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May 14, 2024 17:34
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