Wednesday, October 28, 2020

Top 5 Moments - Greg Rakestraw

See original post here.

Greg Rakestraw

  1. 1994 World Cup, US vs. Brazil - I pick this moment simply because this is where my soccer fandom began. I was just graduating high school and getting ready to head off to college. You could play youth soccer in the next town over, but there was no such thing as high school soccer for any of the schools in my home county growing up. I watched that match, with 90K+ fans in the Rose Bowl, then ended up rooming with a soccer player my first year at UIndy. The rest is history :)
  2. 1997 Public Address Announcer for the Indiana Blast and Blaze - This isn't a particular moment per se, but a first notch in the soccer resume. I think what made me most attractive to the team was what I charged the team for doing the work...nothing. There would be Friday and Saturday night crowds at Kuntz Stadium where the team played in front of 2-3k people, and you were like, hey, we're onto something. And there would be Sunday afternoon games where I could have stood in the stands, done my PA work without a microphone, and everyone would have heard me just fine. BTW, old man moment the other day, I called a Marian soccer match on ISC where the goalkeeper for Marian is Brandon Weiger. His uncle Steve played on that Blast team. I'm now officially an old man in soccer, too.
    Editor's Note: I found some Indiana Blast games on YouTube (there are even some Indiana Twisters clips in there too). If you're interested in watching the 2nd half of an Indiana Blaze match from May of 1997, YouTube has it.
  3. 2009 IHSAA Boys' soccer state finals, Zionsville vs. Homestead - This is the first soccer match I ever broadcast. Nice to start on a small stage with a state final, right? Little did I know that the match would feature Dylan Mares and AJ Corrado, who would also feature in another moment or two further on down the list. I'm sure there were things I misspoke about, or terminology I got wrong. At the time, I knew broadcasting much better than I knew soccer. I think (I hope) I've got a pretty good grasp on both these days. 
    Editor's Note: Mares and Corrado won that state championship game with a scoreline of 3-1, with Mares getting the Eagle's first goal of the game, his 24th of the year, tying Corrado for the team high for the season. If you would like to see the game and listen to Greg's entry into soccer broadcasting, you can watch the game on YouTube (in nine parts, each 9 minute long... 123456789 ... remember the day when you had a limit to the file size for YouTube?) FYI - Mare's goal happens around the 3:10 mark of Part 3.
  4. 2014 Opening Night for the Indy Eleven - I almost got the play-by-play job by default. There were conversations with other play-by-play guys about the Indy Eleven gig, but I think I was the only local guy up for the job. Because I had approached the team about the concept of Soccer Saturday on the Fan in the fall of 2013 after the Chelsea/Inter Milan match at Lucas Oil, I think that made me the natural lead choice for the job. The excitement, the atmosphere, and the social media response I got during and after that broadcast were absolutely amazing. Plus, it introduced me to Brad Hauter, who I had never met until two weeks before the season started at the team's picture day/media session at WISH-TV. Brad and I are truly friends away from the broadcast booth, and I think that comes across on the telecasts.
  5. 2016 The Miracle at the Mike - June 11th 2016, is one of the best non-marriage, non-birth of child days of my life. I broadcast two softball state finals that day. My alma mater in Lanesville won their baseball semi-state that day to get to the state finals the next week, and I knew I would be on the broadcast the following Saturday. So then we get to the Mike and it's unlikely that the team wins the spring season title, but there's a chance. One of the things that I remember most from that night is the lack of reaction to Carolina's lone goal that night. Because the Indy Eleven were thinking about getting to 4, and not worried about allowing the 1, it was just like, 'Oh well, the other team scored a goal. Moving on.' And Brad Ring wasn't the only person to chug a beer on camera that night. Ok, Hauter and I didn't chug a beer, but we did enjoy a Silver Bullet together on camera in the post-game show. It was all legal that night.
  6. Two World Cup moments stand out for me, so I'll cheat and claim two here.
    2006 World Cup Final between Italy and France - It wasn't so much the play of that match, although the Zidane head butt is impossible to forget, but rather it was getting there at least 4 hours before kickoff to stake out the best seat in a small house to watch the match, and realizing that the investment of my time was totally worth it. Ah, the things you could do before you had kids...
    Now, let's fast-forward to 2010. USA-Algeria - Howard outlet, Landon scores, Western Hemisphere goes ape (bleep). I'm watching this match at home. Just me. I'm like running up and down the street to see if anyone else is home, watching the match, looking for someone, anyone, to hug, kiss, cry with, etc. Lesson learned, always watch big matches in a crowd so you've got someone to embrace, or punch, or kick if necessary.

Top 5 Moments - Brad Hauter

See original post here.

Brad Hauter

  1. #5 - The Birth of Indy Eleven - I have known Peter Wilt since 1989 (there is an awesome story there for another time) and when he contacted me in 2013 and asked to meet for dinner in Greencastle I jumped on it. While meeting over wings and a beer, he asked if I thought pro soccer could make it in Indiana. As a long-time Hoosier, having spent my club, high school, and college playing days in Indiana, I did not hesitate in saying "Heck yes" (It may not have been that tame). Once I knew Peter was involved, I was thrilled as he has always delivered for pro soccer. Listening to his and Ersal's vision was an electric feeling I'll never forget.
    The reason this is one of my top 5 is that I grew up in Indiana wanting to play pro soccer and could not even imagine having a team to support, like Indy Eleven is now, that is so committed to growing soccer in Indiana. Every young player in the state NOW has a team and players to look up to and tangible goals to shoot for.
  2. #4 - Tying into the above... Pro soccer in the late 80's and early 90's was all over the place as far as professionalism. Some clubs were well run and some were not. In 1991, I remember being with the Illinois Thunder and heading to Milwaukee to play Peter Wilt's Milwaukee Wave. Most teams in the league drew 3,000-ish. The Wave averaged 15,000 that year. They were 7-0 and we went to Milwaukee and played in front of a sold out Bradley Center. We were up 1 with 10 seconds to go when Milwaukee came in on a 2 on 0 with me in goal. Goals in the league were 1, 2, or 3 points in value. The shot was taken and I didn't think I could get it, but I got a finger to the ball and pushed it wide. However, the 17,000 fans did not see the save and thought they won the game. The sound of 17,000 fans screaming because they thought they won the match in the final seconds to the immediate silence in the stadium as they saw the ball roll up the boards will be a memory I will never forget.
  3. #3 - The Miracle at the Mike. Having to win and win by 3 goals is an unrealistic thing to believe in, but as announcers, Greg and I held out the belief that it could be done. The emotion we felt in the booth as the impossible unfolded before us was simply amazing.
  4. #2 - In 2015, DePauw advanced to the Sweet 16 in Saint Louis by beating Washington University in Saint Louis in penalty kicks at Wash U. We won 8-7 in PK's with 5 of our 9 kids being from Indy... All 5 Indy kids scored BTW.
    Editor's Note: The Indy kids represented Zionsville HS, Center Grove HS, & Cathedral HS (X3). Additionally, former Indy Eleven player Adrian Ables was a senior on that 2015 DePauw squad.
  5. #1 - Advancing to the 2nd round in the NCAA tournament in 2016. The Monon Bell game is a historic and iconic football game between DePauw and Wabash each year; an old and epic rivalry. We were playing at home in the NCAA tournament as the football team was playing at Wabash in Crawfordsville. We were down 2-1 to Centre College late in the 2nd half and scored the equalizer with 20 minutes to go. A few minutes later, the football team returned to campus after winning the Monon Bell at Wabash. As their 3 buses pulled up behind the goal at the soccer field, we scored the go-ahead goal with minutes to go in the match. The football players were pounding on the bus windows so hard that the buses were rocking and I thought they might flip over. An absolutely incredible feeling.

Top 5 Moments - Hauter & Rakestraw

@Hauter Photo

When I first started thinking about doing this series, I had originally envisioned it being mostly for players. I figured that at some point, coaches and front office staff might get pulled in to get more people involved. However, I'm only two editions into the series and I have already included someone from a front office and another that is from the broadcast booth. It just goes to show that soccer touches so many lives and the moments that stick with people can come from so many different perspectives. For now, I'm still going to limit the Top 5 to folks that have a direct connection to the events and not just from a fan perspective. Though I suspect that will evolve into being a part of this series in the future as well. I know that Peter Wilt was thinking about his fan Top 5 when he put together his list for Edition #1.

As a reminder, this series is where I get players (and front office staff and now broadcasters) to give me their Top 5 Moments from their soccer careers. This can be from anytime from their days as a youth to their final game as a professional or international.

As was mentioned by Greg Rakestraw when he had me appear on Soccer Saturday on the 17th, one of the first people that I approached about taking part in this series was Brad Hauter, a fellow DePauw graduate and someone who has frequently helped me with questions over the years as I try to learn the business, coaching, and goalkeeping sides of the sport. Given Brad's playing, coaching, and announcing careers in soccer, I suspected that his list might include aspects of each stage. After I posted the first edition, Greg Rakestraw reached out to me, eager to participate himself, which I quickly adjusted my "rules" and gladly accepted his Top 5 Moments. 

With the inclusion of Greg's and Brad's inputs (Brad's actually count down from 5), we have the Top 5 - Broadcaster Edition.

Brad Hauter

  1. #5 - The Birth of Indy Eleven - I have known Peter Wilt since 1989 (there is an awesome story there for another time) and when he contacted me in 2013 and asked to meet for dinner in Greencastle I jumped on it. While meeting over wings and a beer, he asked if I thought pro soccer could make it in Indiana. As a long-time Hoosier, having spent my club, high school, and college playing days in Indiana, I did not hesitate in saying "Heck yes" (It may not have been that tame). Once I knew Peter was involved, I was thrilled as he has always delivered for pro soccer. Listening to his and Ersal's vision was an electric feeling I'll never forget.
    The reason this is one of my top 5 is that I grew up in Indiana wanting to play pro soccer and could not even imagine having a team to support, like Indy Eleven is now, that is so committed to growing soccer in Indiana. Every young player in the state NOW has a team and players to look up to and tangible goals to shoot for.
  2. #4 - Tying into the above... Pro soccer in the late 80's and early 90's was all over the place as far as professionalism. Some clubs were well run and some were not. In 1991, I remember being with the Illinois Thunder and heading to Milwaukee to play Peter Wilt's Milwaukee Wave. Most teams in the league drew 3,000-ish. The Wave averaged 15,000 that year. They were 7-0 and we went to Milwaukee and played in front of a sold out Bradley Center. We were up 1 with 10 seconds to go when Milwaukee came in on a 2 on 0 with me in goal. Goals in the league were 1, 2, or 3 points in value. The shot was taken and I didn't think I could get it, but I got a finger to the ball and pushed it wide. However, the 17,000 fans did not see the save and thought they won the game. The sound of 17,000 fans screaming because they thought they won the match in the final seconds to the immediate silence in the stadium as they saw the ball roll up the boards will be a memory I will never forget.
  3. #3 - The Miracle at the Mike. Having to win and win by 3 goals is an unrealistic thing to believe in, but as announcers, Greg and I held out the belief that it could be done. The emotion we felt in the booth as the impossible unfolded before us was simply amazing.
  4. #2 - In 2015, DePauw advanced to the Sweet 16 in Saint Louis by beating Washington University in Saint Louis in penalty kicks at Wash U. We won 8-7 in PK's with 5 of our 9 kids being from Indy... All 5 Indy kids scored BTW.
    Editor's Note: The Indy kids represented Zionsville HS, Center Grove HS, & Cathedral HS (X3). Additionally, former Indy Eleven player Adrian Ables was a senior on that 2015 DePauw squad.
  5. #1 - Advancing to the 2nd round in the NCAA tournament in 2016. The Monon Bell game is a historic and iconic football game between DePauw and Wabash each year; an old and epic rivalry. We were playing at home in the NCAA tournament as the football team was playing at Wabash in Crawfordsville. We were down 2-1 to Centre College late in the 2nd half and scored the equalizer with 20 minutes to go. A few minutes later, the football team returned to campus after winning the Monon Bell at Wabash. As their 3 buses pulled up behind the goal at the soccer field, we scored the go-ahead goal with minutes to go in the match. The football players were pounding on the bus windows so hard that the buses were rocking and I thought they might flip over. An absolutely incredible feeling.
Greg Rakestraw
  1. 1994 World Cup, US vs. Brazil - I pick this moment simply because this is where my soccer fandom began. I was just graduating high school and getting ready to head off to college. You could play youth soccer in the next town over, but there was no such thing as high school soccer for any of the schools in my home county growing up. I watched that match, with 90K+ fans in the Rose Bowl, then ended up rooming with a soccer player my first year at UIndy. The rest is history :)
  2. 1997 Public Address Announcer for the Indiana Blast and Blaze - This isn't a particular moment per se, but a first notch in the soccer resume. I think what made me most attractive to the team was what I charged the team for doing the work...nothing. There would be Friday and Saturday night crowds at Kuntz Stadium where the team played in front of 2-3k people, and you were like, hey, we're onto something. And there would be Sunday afternoon games where I could have stood in the stands, done my PA work without a microphone, and everyone would have heard me just fine. BTW, old man moment the other day, I called a Marian soccer match on ISC where the goalkeeper for Marian is Brandon Weiger. His uncle Steve played on that Blast team. I'm now officially an old man in soccer, too.
    Editor's Note: I found some Indiana Blast games on YouTube (there are even some Indiana Twisters clips in there too). If you're interested in watching the 2nd half of an Indiana Blaze match from May of 1997, YouTube has it.
  3. 2009 IHSAA Boys' soccer state finals, Zionsville vs. Homestead - This is the first soccer match I ever broadcast. Nice to start on a small stage with a state final, right? Little did I know that the match would feature Dylan Mares and AJ Corrado, who would also feature in another moment or two further on down the list. I'm sure there were things I misspoke about, or terminology I got wrong. At the time, I knew broadcasting much better than I knew soccer. I think (I hope) I've got a pretty good grasp on both these days. 
    Editor's Note: Mares and Corrado won that state championship game with a scoreline of 3-1, with Mares getting the Eagle's first goal of the game, his 24th of the year, tying Corrado for the team high for the season. If you would like to see the game and listen to Greg's entry into soccer broadcasting, you can watch the game on YouTube (in nine parts, each 9 minute long... 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 ... remember the day when you had a limit to the file size for YouTube?) FYI - Mare's goal happens around the 3:10 mark of Part 3.
  4. 2014 Opening Night for the Indy Eleven - I almost got the play-by-play job by default. There were conversations with other play-by-play guys about the Indy Eleven gig, but I think I was the only local guy up for the job. Because I had approached the team about the concept of Soccer Saturday on the Fan in the fall of 2013 after the Chelsea/Inter Milan match at Lucas Oil, I think that made me the natural lead choice for the job. The excitement, the atmosphere, and the social media response I got during and after that broadcast were absolutely amazing. Plus, it introduced me to Brad Hauter, who I had never met until two weeks before the season started at the team's picture day/media session at WISH-TV. Brad and I are truly friends away from the broadcast booth, and I think that comes across on the telecasts.
  5. 2016 The Miracle at the Mike - June 11th 2016, is one of the best non-marriage, non-birth of child days of my life. I broadcast two softball state finals that day. My alma mater in Lanesville won their baseball semi-state that day to get to the state finals the next week, and I knew I would be on the broadcast the following Saturday. So then we get to the Mike and it's unlikely that the team wins the spring season title, but there's a chance. One of the things that I remember most from that night is the lack of reaction to Carolina's lone goal that night. Because the Indy Eleven were thinking about getting to 4, and not worried about allowing the 1, it was just like, 'Oh well, the other team scored a goal. Moving on.' And Brad Ring wasn't the only person to chug a beer on camera that night. Ok, Hauter and I didn't chug a beer, but we did enjoy a Silver Bullet together on camera in the post-game show. It was all legal that night.
  6. Two World Cup moments stand out for me, so I'll cheat and claim two here.
    2006 World Cup Final between Italy and France - It wasn't so much the play of that match, although the Zidane head butt is impossible to forget, but rather it was getting there at least 4 hours before kickoff to stake out the best seat in a small house to watch the match, and realizing that the investment of my time was totally worth it. Ah, the things you could do before you had kids...
    Now, let's fast-forward to 2010. USA-Algeria - Howard outlet, Landon scores, Western Hemisphere goes ape (bleep). I'm watching this match at home. Just me. I'm like running up and down the street to see if anyone else is home, watching the match, looking for someone, anyone, to hug, kiss, cry with, etc. Lesson learned, always watch big matches in a crowd so you've got someone to embrace, or punch, or kick if necessary.

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Indy Eleven 2020 Recap & 2021 Off-Season Outlook

Despite any of the successes that can be gleaned from this year, the 2020 season feels like a failure. Indy Eleven were built to contend for a conference and league championship with an expectation that anything less than a run in the playoffs would be falling short of their goal. The roster was not intended to take a step back from last year and watch the playoffs from the comfort of their own homes. 

The 2020 season turned on its head with the suspension of play due to the COVID19 pandemic and the realignment of the conferences into 8 regional groups, but Indy still looked to be in a prime position to make the playoffs. While Indy's Group E initially looked like, and end up being, one of the hardest groups to get out of in the league, Indy was still considered by most to be one of the two teams that would make the playoffs from the group. Louisville looked to be a given, while Saint Louis FC and Sporting KC II would get points off of everybody. Indy's out-of-group games were some of the hardest in the league, having to face Hartford once and Pittsburgh twice, who ultimately finished as first and second in Group F, respectively (admittedly against less than stellar competition in New York Red Bulls II, Philadelphia Union II, and Loudoun United FC). 

After Indy defeated Pittsburgh on August 15th, the Eleven had a 6W-1D-2L record, were top of the group, and were 5 points clear of Saint Louis with Louisville sitting in third after a rough start to their season. Then the wheels came off as Indy finished the season with just one win, one draw, and 5 losses. Three of those losses were to Louisville and the other two occurred in 2-1 defeats in the final two games of the season, which solidified Indy's place as spectators for the playoffs. 

I've said it on numerous occasions over the years that to be the best you have to beat the best and right now, that's Louisville City FC. Indy should be competing against LCFC and getting better results based on Indy's talent, but it can be forgiven to an extent as they try to get over the hump. However, there's no excuse for spending the postseason at home after losing the final two games of the season when one of those games was at home and the team only needed a draw in the other. Indy are, and need to be, better than those results reflected. 

How the team moves past this season's setback and moves forward may be determined by what happens during this off-season.

Looking to 2021

Stadium

I'm going to touch on this briefly, only because I have addressed it in every off-season recap that I've ever written. However, from an outsiders perspective, and since I can't get any information from the team, nothing much has changed during 2020.

  • Indy still have approval from the state legislature to build a development thanks to Senate Enrolled Act 7. 
  • The stadium and development still need to be within Marion County. 
  • The stadium and development can be "discontigous," but within 1 mile of each other. 
  • Indy Eleven's ownership group has to provide 20% of the cost of the stadium, whether up-front or throughout the life of the loan. 
  • Final approval needs to go through the State, City of Indianapolis, and the Capital Improvement Board.

In last year's review of the season, I indicated that I knew that the team intended to use Lucas Oil Stadium "for the foreseeable future," which is at least 2 years, maybe 3. With the length of time required to design the stadium/development and construct it, and with seemingly no progress made this year, it looks like it's going to be at least 3 years (or 2 more years from now).

I do not have any update on a location nor do I feel like speculating about locations, having covered the stadium multiple times over the years. If I get any hints of a direction, I'll post another stadium specific article.

Coach

Many people are starting to outwardly express frustration with Coach Rennie and the team's inability under him to win against the top teams in the league, and particularly, against Louisville. Which is understandable. However, I don't see any way that Coach Rennie is let go after this season. As I indicated after the Sporting KC II loss, Rennie still has one of the highest win percentages of the modern USL for his time here. In a pandemic year where the team didn't have enough games to bounce back from a rough patch (that's a euphemism for the end of the season), unless Rennie decides to go somewhere else or is caught doing something illegal, I just don't see Ozdemir and Stremlaw firing Rennie.  

Though, and I know a few folks who this will make happy, Coach Hankinson now goes back to being the Indy Eleven coach with the highest percentage of games to get positive results. 

Last year, I stated that "I would like to see Coach Rennie take a step back from the Technical Director role that he is also filling and see the team hire a dedicated person for that role. Though I don't expect to see that happen." Thinking about it further, I wonder if it might be best to keep Rennie as the Technical Director and hire a new coach. He clearly has an ability to find talent and to get them to buy into a system, but this same group of players with a different coaching philosophy might be able to push them over the hurdle that continues to block their way, i.e. consistently scoring their opportunities and getting better results against Louisville.

Players

The 2020 season marks the third season under Coach Rennie. Many of the players were released after his first season here, which means that many of the players on this year's roster have been part of Indy Eleven for two seasons. It seems that the majority of the player contracts for Indy Eleven have been two year contracts or 1 year with a 2nd year option. Either way, there are a lot of guys whose contracts are ending. Which means that the quick player announcements that we saw last year might take a lot longer as the team will need to go through more extensive player evaluation. Last year, Barrett, Gibson, Hackshaw, Ilic, Newton, Ouimette, and Walker were quickly announced as returning, likely because they were on 2-year contracts. With the way that this season ended, guys could decide that they have unfinished business and are eager to come back, which could make many of these guys come back for at least one more season. However, here are my thoughts on what might happen with this year's roster (these are just my opinion and I have not been able to get any information from the front office on the roster evaluation process):

Definitely gone:

  1. Contreras - Could he return since he was only released due to the COVID restrictions? Yes. Likely? Probably not.
  2. King - Coach Rennie said often that he liked King and that he thought he was poised for a breakout season. Little did he know that it would be with a different team. Macca was traded to El Paso mid-season and became an immediate starter and key cog of Coach Lowry's lineup and is now set to play Phoenix in the Western Conference finals. Seems like the trade has turned out okay for him and a new set of fans are seeing his well-placed crosses.
  3. Walker - Traded to Louisville at the end of the season for depth. He's now set to play Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals. Seems like the trade has turned out okay for him too. 

Probably gone:

  1. Dumas - He saw just 77 minutes of action in the season. I seem to use this phrase in season recaps, but if history is any guide, that's a bad sign for him being on the roster next season. 
  2. Carleton - I think he could use another season around this group and it will likely depend on what Atlanta does with their roster, but I have a hard time seeing this loan extended another season. 
  3. Farr - This is entirely contingent on what Newton does. As of right now, if Newton returns, I don't see Farr getting regular minutes, just as he didn't this season. Farr can't keep sitting on the bench behind Newton if he wants to be a regular starter and his only choice may be to try and do it somewhere else.
  4. Pasher - I see this much in the same way that Indy lost Dylan Mares. Somebody is going to offer Tyler money that he would be foolish to reject and Indy can't or won't be able to match the offer. You don't score double digit goals in back-to-back seasons without catching people's attention.

Probably returning:

  1. Antley - a young player that Rennie seemed to favor towards the end of the season. He should improve with experience and Rennie will try to keep him around.
  2. Ayoze - at Ayoze's age, he might have difficulty finding another team, though not because his talent has waned. Ayoze is still quite often the most talented player on the field and whose first touch, intellect, and vision of the field will keep him on the field another year if he desires continuing. 
  3. Barrett - Anchor of the defense. Rennie is going to want him back.
  4. Conner - Drew changed the way the midfield operated this year and is why Walker's minutes were reduced to the point where he wanted Kentucky pastures. Conner's effort in the midfield is vital in Rennie's system.
  5. Gibson - You don't start every game if the coach doesn't want you around. 
  6. Hackshaw - May be the best left back in the league. Unless Hackshaw wants to be somewhere else, Rennie would be foolish to let him go.
  7. Haworth - He was Rennie's preferred right winger and consistently had good service into the box, as well as being effective on set pieces. 
  8. Lindley - Cam has bounced around on loan to different teams, so this could go another way, but I think he showed enough promise that Rennie might try to get him back.
  9. Moon - Rennie put Moon in early and never took him out of the lineup, playing in all 16 games. Moon is much like Antley in that he is young, has potential, and will get better with experience. I think Moon did enough this year for Rennie to want to keep him around.
  10. Newton - At 32, Newton has a lot of potential years as a goalkeeper, but he might be running out of chances to make it to the next level. So he might be here until he wants to be somewhere else or Rennie decides to move forward with Farr as the starter.
  11. Osmond - Rennie's "fourth starter" on the backline. Again, I can see him wanting to be somewhere that will give him more regular minutes, but Rennie definitely likes having Osmond for depth for Hackshaw, Barrett, and Ouimette.
  12. Ouimette - He was one of Rennie's first signings in 2018 and as long as Ouimette doesn't want to play somewhere else, I suspect he will always find a place on a Rennie roster.
  13. Watson - Watson has been with Rennie in a number of locations. As I said last year, his age makes him less likely to want to make drastic changes to other locations as long as he is reasonably happy, healthy, and playing well. Watson ably filled the role that was asked of him this year and, like Ouimette, I suspect that he will always find a place on a Rennie roster if he wants to be there.

Unknown:

  1. I'm going to lump all of the Academy signings here, including the ones that left after the summer to return to their school programs: Brown, Folds, McDonald, Nieto, Roou, Senanou, and Svetanoff. The team is going to bring back or sign more Academy players because they do not require a salary and it's good to have extra bodies during training even if they aren't being used during games.
  2. I'll also put Penn and Guitar in this category. As, presumably, low income players, it would make sense for the team to bring them back for the same reasons as above with the Academy players, but with more potential as depth and gameday roster depth. Penn has already shown his ability in that regard. Yet, as young guys looking to get minutes in the league, they might find somewhere else that offers them more money or time.
  3. Ilic - Ilija has had consistent, but not earth-shattering, minutes the past two seasons. Whether that's enough for him to want to stay here may be something that gets discussed during the player evaluation period. 
  4. Rafanello - He's one of those players that could go either way for me. For the right dollar amount, he could be back.

Final Thoughts

I'm generally only partially correct with the player guesses and with so many players having their contracts ending at the same time, it really is an unknown on what the roster will look like next season. The expectation will remain that Indy will field a championship contending team, but that was what was supposed to happen this year. 

Indy really needs to provide the fans (and maybe the politicians) with something concrete on the stadium or risk losing interest. As much as fans appreciate the ability to see games in all weather conditions and the cavernous aspect of Lucas Oil Stadium that allowed Indy to be one of only 8 teams in the league to allow fan attendance at the games, it's been over a year and a half since the legislature approved the bill. No news isn't always good news.

Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Top 5 Moments - Peter Wilt

See original post here.

 Peter Wilt

  1. March 18, 1988: Jacksonville Generals at Milwaukee Wave. Playing at the MECCA Arena we had a massive walk up due to McDonald's promotion. The moment I'll always remember is when the ticket manager ran up to me before the game to ask if she could move the high school band down to the floor. I said yes, so we sold those seats and completed the league record sellout of 8,946 tickets. (Editor's Note: If you know Peter, this is exactly what Peter does and continues to do and is why fans love him. I asked Peter if the sellout helped with tickets the rest of the season and he conveyed this additional story: 
    "It was late in the season. Two days later we hosted Canton Invaders at Neenah High School (in an effort to spread team's interest upstate) during a snow storm in front of 600 fans. We had to move the turf and boards from Milwaukee and physically roll out the turf and set up the boards and glass....brutal work for me and my staff, all for 600 fans....and we lost. Owner told me the next day not to be down. It was a good lesson. Don't learn things if we don't take chances."
    Somehow I feel like Peter learned that lesson.
    )
  2. April 25, 1991: Mirko Castillo scored one minute 50 seconds into overtime to complete the Chicago Power's three-game championship sweep over Dayton in Wright State's Nutter Center. I was the team's GM and also handling analyst duties that game with legendary announcer Howard Balson. It was my first championship and, postgame, I interviewed former Chicago Sting star Bret Hall before joining the team for the on-field celebration.
  3. October 30, 1998: Frank Klopas scored the golden goal game-winner in overtime at Soldier Field to give the Chicago Fire the U.S. Open Cup title and "The Double" over Columbus. We were an expansion team and had upset the two-time defending MLS Champion D.C. United five days earlier at the Rose Bowl. Winning the Open Cup behind the hometown hero Frank Klopas in front of our home fans in overtime was special.
  4. September 27, 2006: It was the year after I was dismissed by the Fire, but it was still my team. I had acquired every player who took the field in the 2006 US Open Cup Championship at Toyota Park. The Fire won (a 3-1 win over L.A. Galaxy) and afterwards, the team's goalkeeper Matt Pickens found me standing among the supporters in Section 8, called me down, thanked me for bringing him into the team and gave me his championship medal. That moment will live with me forever.
  5. June11, 2016: All the planets needed to align to give Indy Eleven our first title, the NASL Spring Championship. The Cosmos needed to lose their final spring match - they did - and we needed to score four or more goals and defeat Carolina by at least three goals. Eamon Zayed's third goal in the 85th minute was the special moment and provided the needed margin. We all stormed the Carroll Stadium field and I cried with joy when the 4-1 victory was official.

Top 5 Moments - Jon Busch

See original post here.

 Jon Busch

  1. Playing in the U-17 World Cup in Japan in 1993 (Jon and his teammates finished 2nd in their Group behind Czechoslovakia before losing to Poland in the quarterfinals)
  2. Playing in the Final 4 in my junior year (last year) at UNCC
  3. First MLS start with the Columbus Crew vs D.C. United in a 1-0 win (April 27, 2002)
    Walking out of the locker room after warm-ups for start of the game, John Harkes stops me, gives me a handshake and says "good luck kid." I said "thanks" and kept walking. I get a few steps away and I hear him say "don’t shit yourself kid" and started laughing like crazy. I turned around with a smile on my face and said "I will try not to."
  4. Winning the Open Cup with Columbus Crew (October 24, 2002 in a 1-0 win against the L.A. Galaxy)
    After the game being in the locker room with a lot of older guys and seeing how excited they were. I remember sitting there with Brian Maisonneuve and talking with him. He had tears and it was then that I realized how hard it is to win a trophy and truly how special it is.
  5. Playing first US full National Team game vs Colombia 2005 (Jon also got the start in the U.S.'s 3-0 win on March 9, 2005 with Pat Noonan, Chad Marshall, and Clint Mathis getting the goals and if this match report is correct, Taylor Twellman getting a red card in the 76th minute, just 8 minutes after entering the game.)
    I remember when Bruce Arena told me I would be starting. The morning before the game we were at training and after we did our goalkeeping work with (GK coach) Phil Wheddon, we joined the team. As Bruce started to talk about the game, I remember looking down at my cleats because I truly thought either Joe Cannon or Kevin Hartman were going to start. They were both ahead of me on the pecking order when we entered that camp. As Bruce started to announce the lineup I heard "in goal tomorrow Busch." I looked up at Bruce and then to Phil; I wasn’t sure I had heard it correctly. Phil gave me a little head nod and I knew it was me.
  6. 500th Professional Game
    My 500th game was in Miami. Scott Stewart knew it was my 500th, but I asked him not to say anything about it until after the weekend. When I went out for warmups, my wife Nikki, and our good friends Phil and Steph, had secretly flown down and surprised me for the game. I had no idea they were coming or that they even knew it was the 500th. But they did. The result didn’t go our way but it was a big moment. 

Top 5 Moments - Lovel Palmer

See original post here.

 Lovel Palmer

  1. Scoring my first international goal for Essex Valley in the 1998 Norway Cup in a 1-1 draw 
  2. Winning the 2005 Caribbean Club Championship with Harbour View FC
    In 2005, Harbour View became the first Jamaican club to win the Caribbean Club Championship. We went on to play against D.C. United of MLS in a home and away fixture. (Unfortunately for Lovel, D.C. United beat Harbour View by a score of 2-1 in each game.)
  3. Becoming the youngest captain to win the Jamaican premier league with Harbour View at age 21. 
  4. Playing against and beating my favorite player of all time, David Beckham and L.A. Galaxy 3-0 in a packed Jeld Wen Stadium in front of the Timbers Army was electrifying. (I think Lovel is referencing this August 3rd, 2011 game when Lovel was with Portland.)
  5. Winning the 2016 NASL Spring Championship with Indy Eleven (an important moment in Indy Eleven history...)
    Winning the Spring Championship in the final game of the regular season needing to win by 3 goals. Eamon Zayed came up big with a hat trick. We won the game 4-1. Corey Miller was big for us in defense and Don Smart and Dylan Mares dominated in the midfield. The Mike was ecstatic at the end of the 90+ minute knowing Indy just won our first major trophy.

Top 5 Moments - Wilt, Busch, Palmer, & Me

Awhile back, I was talking to my wife and kids about my soccer playing days. So many years have passed since I played that many of the games and moments have long slipped into the deep recesses of my brain never to be brought forth again. Yet, for some reason, there are still the nuggets that I can recall with clarity and may be my peak ability. 

Many soccer fans may be aware of the book "Fever Pitch" by Nick Hornby, which "tells the story of the author's relationship with football [or soccer depending on where you're from], and with Arsenal Football Club in particular." It was adapted into a 1997 movie with Colin Firth, based on the book, and then a 2005 movie, based on the first movie, which changed the sport to baseball and starred Jimmy Fallon and Drew Barrymore. Hornby has also written a book called "High Fidelity," (adapted into a John Cusack movie and a recent Hulu series with Zoe Kravitz) in which Top 5 lists is a significant part of the story and is one that I really love.

That's a long way to say that as I talked to my wife and kids I started rattling off my Top 5 Moments from my playing days. I decided that it might be fun to start a new series on this site (separate from The Soccer Life survey click here if you want to see examples of that), where I get players to give me their Top 5 Moments from their careers. This can be from anytime from their days as a youth to their final game as a professional or international. Given that I didn't play beyond high school (not counting some intramural games and my time on the International Club team at DePauw), my list is entirely of my youth. However, the first participants in this series are Peter Wilt, Jon Busch, and Lovel Palmer, guys with whom I have had great conversations about soccer over the years, and have much more interesting Top 5 Moments.

Without further ado...

Drew Thompson

  1. I remember a club game in my early teenage years where we were playing in Richmond (Indiana) on a rain-soaked field. In those days, there weren't a lot of natural left-footed players around. Due to a toe-injury on my right foot many years before, I had begun to work on my left foot so that I could keep practicing while my right foot was in a boot. So it wasn't great, but it was serviceable and in this game I found myself playing left midfield. On my side of the field was a large puddle that was possible to avoid, but took the flow out of my attack. So I went through the puddle. Each time I did it, the defenders slowed down as they were sprayed with water or thought the ball was going to stay there. Using their hesitancy, I proceeded towards goal and managed a hat trick for my efforts.
  2. I prefer playing on grass fields, but we didn't play on many manicured fields in those days. So indoor games were where my skills shined. I was quick with the ball and my scientific brain did well with the passes off of the boards. Our local indoor facility was connected to a bar, which had a window that overlooked the field. One game, I scored a double hat trick. After I scored the 6th goal, I ran over to the window and yelled "SIX GOALS" at my high school coaches who were sitting in the bar drinking.
  3. In another indoor game... For those who have never played indoor, the field often has two sets of lines on each side of the field and you aren't allowed to pass a ball from beyond one to the other side of the other (kind of like icing in hockey). I remember a perfectly weighted pass from by buddy Patrick, from the defensive side of our line to just short of the line on the other team's defensive side. So we just barely kept it from getting the "icing" call. I dropped the ball perfectly to my feet from my chest and took the ball in for a goal. It was one of those rare moments where each little piece had to happen perfectly and did.
  4. In another indoor game...there's a trend here. I was having a pretty good game and I was working my way back towards our midfielder who had the ball. As I did that, I pulled two defenders with me and I dummied the ball through my legs and past the defenders before they realized that one of our other players was streaking down the sideline to the ball past them. Without the defenders, they had a clear shot on goal and scored. Another one of those moments where I saw it in my head and it developed like I had hoped. 
  5. Moment #5 borders on whether it can be considered a "top" moment, but it does significantly stick out in my brain. We were playing in a tournament, I think in Westfield, and I took a ball to the face during warmups, which proceeded to take me from the starting lineup as I couldn't get the bleeding to stop. I don't recall now why I didn't just shove gauze up it and play, but I didn't. So at some point in the 2nd half, it had finally stopped and I entered the game. The game eventually went to penalty kicks. I remember kicking it poorly; rolling along the ground poorly. However, the keeper guessed the wrong way, but was trying to make it back over to the side where I "kicked" it. Just as he stretched out to block it with his hand, the ball hit a dirt mound in the box and bounced up and over his arm, giving me the most unlikely penalty kick goal I had ever scored. I don't even remember the result of the game, but the hilarity of the goal has stayed with me.
Now for the professionals!

Peter Wilt

  1. March 18, 1988: Jacksonville Generals at Milwaukee Wave. Playing at the MECCA Arena we had a massive walk up due to McDonald's promotion. The moment I'll always remember is when the ticket manager ran up to me before the game to ask if she could move the high school band down to the floor. I said yes, so we sold those seats and completed the league record sellout of 8,946 tickets. (Editor's Note: If you know Peter, this is exactly what Peter does and continues to do and is why fans love him. I asked Peter if the sellout helped with tickets the rest of the season and he conveyed this additional story: 
    "It was late in the season. Two days later we hosted Canton Invaders at Neenah High School (in an effort to spread team's interest upstate) during a snow storm in front of 600 fans. We had to move the turf and boards from Milwaukee and physically roll out the turf and set up the boards and glass....brutal work for me and my staff, all for 600 fans....and we lost. Owner told me the next day not to be down. It was a good lesson. Don't learn things if we don't take chances."
    Somehow I feel like Peter learned that lesson.
    )
  2. April 25, 1991: Mirko Castillo scored one minute 50 seconds into overtime to complete the Chicago Power's three-game championship sweep over Dayton in Wright State's Nutter Center. I was the team's GM and also handling analyst duties that game with legendary announcer Howard Balson. It was my first championship and, postgame, I interviewed former Chicago Sting star Bret Hall before joining the team for the on-field celebration.
  3. October 30, 1998: Frank Klopas scored the golden goal game-winner in overtime at Soldier Field to give the Chicago Fire the U.S. Open Cup title and "The Double" over Columbus. We were an expansion team and had upset the two-time defending MLS Champion D.C. United five days earlier at the Rose Bowl. Winning the Open Cup behind the hometown hero Frank Klopas in front of our home fans in overtime was special.
  4. September 27, 2006: It was the year after I was dismissed by the Fire, but it was still my team. I had acquired every player who took the field in the 2006 US Open Cup Championship at Toyota Park. The Fire won (a 3-1 win over L.A. Galaxy) and afterwards, the team's goalkeeper Matt Pickens found me standing among the supporters in Section 8, called me down, thanked me for bringing him into the team and gave me his championship medal. That moment will live with me forever.
  5. June11, 2016: All the planets needed to align to give Indy Eleven our first title, the NASL Spring Championship. The Cosmos needed to lose their final spring match - they did - and we needed to score four or more goals and defeat Carolina by at least three goals. Eamon Zayed's third goal in the 85th minute was the special moment and provided the needed margin. We all stormed the Carroll Stadium field and I cried with joy when the 4-1 victory was official.

Jon Busch

  1. Playing in the U-17 World Cup in Japan in 1993 (Jon and his teammates finished 2nd in their Group behind Czechoslovakia before losing to Poland in the quarterfinals)
  2. Playing in the Final 4 in my junior year (last year) at UNCC
  3. First MLS start with the Columbus Crew vs D.C. United in a 1-0 win (April 27, 2002)
    Walking out of the locker room after warm-ups for start of the game, John Harkes stops me, gives me a handshake and says "good luck kid." I said "thanks" and kept walking. I get a few steps away and I hear him say "don’t shit yourself kid" and started laughing like crazy. I turned around with a smile on my face and said "I will try not to."
  4. Winning the Open Cup with Columbus Crew (October 24, 2002 in a 1-0 win against the L.A. Galaxy)
    After the game being in the locker room with a lot of older guys and seeing how excited they were. I remember sitting there with Brian Maisonneuve and talking with him. He had tears and it was then that I realized how hard it is to win a trophy and truly how special it is.
  5. Playing first US full National Team game vs Colombia 2005 (Jon also got the start in the U.S.'s 3-0 win on March 9, 2005 with Pat Noonan, Chad Marshall, and Clint Mathis getting the goals and if this match report is correct, Taylor Twellman getting a red card in the 76th minute, just 8 minutes after entering the game.)
    I remember when Bruce Arena told me I would be starting. The morning before the game we were at training and after we did our goalkeeping work with (GK coach) Phil Wheddon, we joined the team. As Bruce started to talk about the game, I remember looking down at my cleats because I truly thought either Joe Cannon or Kevin Hartman were going to start. They were both ahead of me on the pecking order when we entered that camp. As Bruce started to announce the lineup I heard "in goal tomorrow Busch." I looked up at Bruce and then to Phil; I wasn’t sure I had heard it correctly. Phil gave me a little head nod and I knew it was me.
  6. 500th Professional Game
    My 500th game was in Miami. Scott Stewart knew it was my 500th, but I asked him not to say anything about it until after the weekend. When I went out for warmups, my wife Nikki, and our good friends Phil and Steph, had secretly flown down and surprised me for the game. I had no idea they were coming or that they even knew it was the 500th. But they did. The result didn’t go our way but it was a big moment. 

Lovel Palmer

  1. Scoring my first international goal for Essex Valley in the 1998 Norway Cup in a 1-1 draw 
  2. Winning the 2005 Caribbean Club Championship with Harbour View FC
    In 2005, Harbour View became the first Jamaican club to win the Caribbean Club Championship. We went on to play against D.C. United of MLS in a home and away fixture. (Unfortunately for Lovel, D.C. United beat Harbour View by a score of 2-1 in each game.)
  3. Becoming the youngest captain to win the Jamaican premier league with Harbour View at age 21. 
  4. Playing against and beating my favorite player of all time, David Beckham and L.A. Galaxy 3-0 in a packed Jeld Wen Stadium in front of the Timbers Army was electrifying. (I think Lovel is referencing this August 3rd, 2011 game when Lovel was with Portland.)
  5. Winning the 2016 NASL Spring Championship with Indy Eleven (an important moment in Indy Eleven history...)
    Winning the Spring Championship in the final game of the regular season needing to win by 3 goals. Eamon Zayed came up big with a hat trick. We won the game 4-1. Corey Miller was big for us in defense and Don Smart and Dylan Mares dominated in the midfield. The Mike was ecstatic at the end of the 90+ minute knowing Indy just won our first major trophy.

Saturday, October 3, 2020

Indy Eleven vs Saint Louis FC - 07.16

Summary
- Opponent: Saint Louis FC
- Location: West Community Stadium
- Attendance: -
- Final Score: 2-1 L

- Starting XI: Newton, Hackshaw, Barrett (C), Ouimette, Conner, Gibson, Antley, Haworth, Lindley, Pasher, Moon

- Substitutions: Carleton 45' (Lindley); Ilic 61' (Antley)
- Unused: Farr, Dumas, Ayoze, Rafanello, Watson

- Scoring Summary:
STL - Blackwood 35' (assist Greig)
STL - Fall 47' (PK)
IND - Pasher 82' (PK)

- Bookings:
STL - Blackwood 8' (Yellow)
STL - Cicerone 18' (Yellow)
IND - Antley 21' (Yellow)
IND - Gibson 45'+2' (Yellow)
IND - Barrett 61' (Yellow)
IND - Conner 63' (Yellow)
STL - Adewole 69' (Yellow)

- Referee: Tori Penso
- Adage goals: None

Thoughts and Opinions
If you want to see a Rennie Bunker (TM) in full effect, tonight's starting lineup took Ayoze and Ilic out from Wednesday's starting lineup in lieu of a more defensive minded Antley, with Pasher and Moon up top. Both Moon and Pasher have experience as defenders in the past. Which means that every single player on the starting lineup is a defender or midfielder by their original trade. Indy combined that with a much less active press from the team when Saint Louis had the ball in their defensive half. Indy was not going to lose their shape in the early part of the game as long as the score stayed in Indy's favor. With a win or draw, Indy advanced to the postseason, so a 0-0 result was fine with them.

Then shortly after the hydration break, a giveaway from a deflection and Blackwood put the ball into the left side of the goal when Newton couldn't get back into position after getting off frame to accept a back pass from Hackshaw that never came. From there, the game became more open as Indy had to chase the game and Saint Louis began to slowly sit in their own bunker, but still managed to find some opportunities late in the half. By contrast, Indy managed just one shot on target in the first half.

A substitution was made at halftime to be able to get a goal back to flip the postseason qualifier position, bringing on Carleton for Lindley. Less than 2 minutes into the half, an inadvertent handball was called on Ouimette in the box giving Saint Louis a penalty kick that Fall put past Newton's right side, despite Newton getting a hand on the ball.

After the penalty kick goal, the game was all over except the final score. Indy has not shown any ability to finish their shots late in the season and while Indy was able to hold more possession and get more shots on target, they were only able to get a single goal through a penalty kick in the 82nd minute from Tyler Pasher that was setup from a Moon run where he was taken down at the top corner of the 18. 

However, there just wasn't enough time left in the game and what started as a promising season whimpered to an end with Indy finishing the season on a 1W-1D-5L record in the last 7 games. Indy's periodic defensive mistakes reared their head again and Indy's complete inability to finish their chances is ultimately how this season is going to be remembered. I suspect that next year's roster is going to have at least a few differences, but I'm not confident that the team's inability to consistently score will be addressed or at least one that can score consistently within Rennie's system. That's a discussion for another day though. 

Today, the team has to make a bus ride home knowing that a season got away from them and on the last day of the season. When they needed to get a draw to continue playing into the postseason, their defensive mistakes and offensive woes prevented a good, but not great, season from continuing. 

The Game Beckons Game Ball
I didn't know who to "reward" with the Game Beckons Game Ball, but Moon's persistence in trying to get a penalty was rewarded and is what gave Indy a moderate chance of hope at the end of the game. So in a season ending loss, that's going to have to do.

Thursday, October 1, 2020

Indy Eleven vs Sporting Kansas City II - 07.15

Summary
- Opponent: Saint Louis FC
- Location: Lucas Oil Stadium
- Attendance: 6,039
- Final Score: 2-1 L

- Starting XI: Newton, Hackshaw, Barrett (C), Ouimette, Conner, Gibson, Ayoze, Haworth, Lindley, Ilic, Pasher

- Substitutions: Carleton 45' (Lindley); Moon 69' (Ilic); Watson 69' (Conner); Rafanello 86' (Gibson)
- Unused: Farr, Antley, Dumas

- Scoring Summary:
SKCII - Harris 41' (assist Mompremier)
IND - Carleton 49' (assist Pasher)
SKCII - Sparks 90'+5'

- Bookings:
IND - Lindley 38' (Yellow)
IND - Watson 73' (Yellow)
SKCII - Sparks 86' (Yellow)

- Referee: Calin Radosav
- Adage goals: Two

Thoughts and Opinions
It wasn't a "must-win" game tonight against Sporting Kansas City II, but the prospect of going to Saint Louis to get a draw or a win in Saint Louis' potential last game ever, put some expediency into Indy's offense early, creating numerous chances. However, midway through the first half, SKCII began to see more chances of their own until they eventually took the lead on a 41st minute goal by Harris on a "chipping wedge in his bag" cross by Mompremier. Indy had four first half shots on target, but SKCII's goalkeeper, Prieur, was better than Indy's shots in the first half. 

"We have to finish." - Coach Rennie (at halftime during telecast)

Rennie was referencing the number of chances that they had around the goal that they were unable to convert into goals. We would find out later that it also could have referred to finishing the game. 

After the halftime break, Rennie substituted Carleton in for Lindley. Carleton's creativity and vision were immediately made apparent. Within five minutes, Pasher sent a cross/pass towards the top of the box that Carleton buried into the lower right corner away from Prieur. For the moment, it looked like the game would be salvaged as Indy evened the game and still had 40 minutes remaining to get a much needed second goal. 

And yet, the finishing around the goal never happened again, despite 3 more shots on target in the second half and a total of 24 crosses. Headers went just over the top. Another Carleton shot from outside the box went wide. At one point in the telecast, Rakestraw said something to the effect of "Indy isn't lacking for soccer IQ," and that their "speed of thought" was on full display tonight. What he missed what that their play was good for everywhere except that finishing touch. 

I don't want to harp on it game after game, but Indy's end-of-season scoring has not been consistent with the rest of the way they have played. Pasher, Indy's leading goal scorer, hasn't scored a goal in the run of play since August 15th against Pittsburgh. Since that time (6 games), Indy have been held scoreless twice (both against Louisville City), Pasher scored a first half stoppage time penalty kick, Moon and Rafanello scored vs SKCII, and Hackshaw headed home the game tying goal last week versus Saint Louis after a recycled corner kick. Run-of-play goals have never been the cornerstone of a Rennie team, but the team is struggling to find the goal as this season concludes.

Then there was the 90'+5' goal by Sparks that took Indy's reasonable result (from a confidence perspective as it didn't really help in the standings in comparison to Saint Louis) and threw it into the dumpster. A dumpster that many fans are going to set on fire if Indy is unable to get a result and finish the season without making the playoffs in a group where many thought Indy could have been the top team and after their promising start to the season. The good news for Indy is that they really are playing mostly good soccer and that a draw against Saint Louis on Saturday still manages to get them into the playoffs despite having a 1W-1D-4L record in their last six games. 

With their recent inability to finish chances and their ability to give up poor goals, I'm not very optimistic this season continues past Saturday. If it does, it looks like it will have to be done entirely on the road in the playoffs as Indy has one of the worst records of all of the eastern conference playoff teams.

One last thing. The #RennieOut birds are out again, so I will reiterate that I don't think this will ever happen after this season. Particularly after a COVID shortened season where the team will still be able to win 50% of their games if they get the win on Saturday. I went back to the USL Championship 2020 Record Book (which covers teams through the 2019 season). Coach Rennie's overall record for the club ranks near the Top 10 for all coaches who have been at a club for more than 2 years (I admit I could have missed a couple, but I think I was fairly comprehensive in my evaluation). Unless he gets caught saying something racist, homophobic, sexist, etc., put in jail, or finds another job on his own, I fully expect that the #RennieOut crowd better get used to him being here at least one more year.

  • Luke Spencer / Paolo Del Piccolo / George Davis IV (LCFC) 66.7% (This was only one season, but I had to include it here because LCFC had 3 player/coaches and still won 2/3 of their games. That's damn impressive.)
  • Rick Schantz (Phoenix) 65.3%
  • John Hackworth (LCFC) 55.75%
  • Preki (Sacramento) 54.1%
  • Patrice Carterton (Phoenix) 53.0%
  • James O'Conner (LCFC) 52.4%
  • Ian Russell (Reno) 51.0%
  • Bob Lilley (Pittsburgh) 50%
  • John Wolyniec (NYRBII) 48.1% overall (70% in 2016)
  • Simon Elliott (Sacramento) 48.6%
  • Martin Rennie 47.25% overall (including 2020 to date)
  • Stuart Campbell (Tampa Bay) 44.1%
  • Mike Anhaeuser (Charleston) 42.7% 
  • Paul Buckle (Sacramento) 42.4%
  • Darren Powell (San Antonio) 40.8%

The Game Beckons Game Ball
This game's Game Beckons Game Ball is going to go to two players. Andrew Carleton and Ilija Ilic. Their vision and creativity were on a different level for this game and it's a shame that some of their passes and effort weren't rewarded. We've seen promise from Moon and Rafanello, but seeing both Ilic and Carleton on the field together for 24 minutes makes we wish that we could see more of what they could do with more time.

PHOTOS (@DLTPhotog)