The Ole Ballcoach
Champions League & Europa League
Wow – has this Champions League run over the last 16 been something or what? First 2 Time Defending Champ Real Madrid is bounced in the Round of 16, as does then favorite Juventus in the round of 8. But now Barcelona are sent packing after bringing a 3-0 lead into Anfield against Liverpool. The Miracle at Mercy-side had Liverpool score an amazing 4-0 victory to send home the world’s best player and Barcelona as the Reds advanced to the Champ League finals for the 2nd year in a row (click to see the after scenes from Anfield as You’ll Never Walk Alone gave me chills). Then not to be outdone – Tottenham fell behind 3-0 in aggregate to up-in-comers Ajax (the team that beat Juve & Real Madrid) before scoring 3 straight goals in the 2nd half – the last one in stoppage time no less with Lukas Mora’s hat-trick. I feel sorry for US Fans and Fox Sports – as TNT and BR Sports and their horrific coverage of Champions League – somehow got THE MOST EXCITING Champions League ever. Unfortunately, much of the US couldn’t see much of it on LIVE TV or even on replays for that matter – man do I miss Fox having the UCL. Either way we get an all England Final with Liverpool vs Tottenham on Saturday, June 1. And it’s an All-England Europa League final as Arsenal advanced 7-3 and Chelsea went to penalties to beat Frankfurt 3-2. It will be the first final for Arsenal since 2006 and first for Chelsea since they won it in 2013.
USA World Cup
The US Ladies World Cup Roster was announced late last week – with no major surprises. Of the 23 players with winners medals from 2015, 12 are back for another go. And 15 of the 18 from the 2016 Olympics are among this year’s 23. There’s a lot of experience – 1,841 national team appearances, to be exact. There’s been relatively little turnover. The names you’ll remember are Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Becky Sauerbrunn. They’ll be starting in the same positions (striker, winger, winger and center back) as four years ago. The fifth starting lineup holdover is Julie Ertz – formerly Johnston, before marrying Philadelphia Eagles tight end Zach in 2017. A defender in 2015, she’s now the defensive midfield destroyer. Among other 2015 starters, attacker Carli Lloyd, midfielder Morgan Brian and fullback Ali Krieger are now reserves. (Conversely, defender Kelley O’Hara and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher, reserves in 2015, are now starters. Forward Christen Press is still great, but still stuck behind others on the depth chart.). The are some concerns regarding Jill Ellis’ decisions but for the most part this looks like a team that should be favored to at least make the semi-finals if not win it all. A potential showdown with home team France in the semi’s, along with a questionable defense is one reason I am not penciling us in just yet. Check out the Casual Fans Guide to the Women’s World Cup and follow along on Yahoo Soccer for all the updates. You can watch the USWNT’s send-off friendlies starting this Sunday: Against South Africa on May 12 (4:30 ET, Fox), New Zealand on May 16 (8 ET, ESPN2), and Mexico on May 26 (Noon ET, ESPN).
The World Cup from France gets underway June 7 with the US starting June 11.
- Tues, June 11: 3 p.m. ET, Fox US. vs. Thailand,
- Sun, June 16: Noon ET, Fox US. vs. Chile,
- Thurs, June 20: 3 p.m. ET, Fox US. vs. Sweden
- Great to see American Christian Pulisic reward his coach with his first start in months for Dortmund with a solid solo goal run from midfield leading to Dortmund’s first goal. He had a few other chances and was one of the top players on the day for Dortmund. Unfortunately for Dortmund the tie at home all but eliminates them in the title race with Bayern who now has 4 pt lead with 2 games left in the season. Dortmund will be on Saturday at 9 am on FS1, American Tyler Adams might be back from injury with RB Leipzig to face Bayern Munich with the title on the line on Fox at 9 am., while American Weston McKinney will travel with Schalke to Bayern Leverkusen at 9 am on Fox Soccer. Of course, the top 8 teams in the Bundesliga are still mathematically alive for that 4th Champions League spot or certainly a top 7 Europa league position to the race will be to the finish.
EPL
So we are down to the final weekend in the EPL – with Sunday’s all game coverage across all the network’s of NBC at 10 am. Unfortunately, only the title race is still in play as Man City hold a slim 1 point lead over Liverpool. Liverpool, fresh off their amazing comeback in Champions League midweek, will face Wolverhampton on NBC 10 am. Meanwhile, Man City will travel to relegated Brighton on NBCSN. Both of the top 2 had to pull a rabbit out of the hat last weekend to secure late victories so this one isn’t over yet – but realistically I don’t see Man City losing. With Arsenal and Man United inexplicitly losing last weekend the race for the top 4 Champions League spots is over as Chelsea and Tottenham will join Liverpool and Man City. Of course,Arsenal can still play their way in as Europa League Champions in late May.
Indy 11
The Indy 11 will host a US Open Cup game this Wednesday night at the Butler Bowl – at Butler University at 7 pm. Tickets are available for as low as $15 at IndyEleven.com/Tickets. The 11 threw their 2nd shutout in a row a 0-0 tie with North Carolina last weekend as GK Evan Newton recorded his 41st USL shutout earning him USL Player of the Week honors. The Indy 11 also announced they will host a Coaches Symposium on Tues, May 21st at Grand Park for just $30.
at Butler/Tickets.
GAMES ON TV
Sat, MAY 11 (American’s in parenthesis)
9:30 am Fox Sport 2 RB Leipzig (Tyler Adams) vs Bayern Munich
9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Dortmund (Pulisic) vs Dusseldorf
9:30 am Fox Soccer Bayer Leverkusen vs Schalke (McKinney)
11 am beIN Sports Angers vs PSG
1 pm ESPN+ Cincy vs Montreal Impact
2 pm Univision Dallas (Matt Hedges) vs NY RB
2:30 pm ESPN+ Fiorentina vs Milan
4 pm ESPN LA Galaxy vs NYCFC
10 pm ESPN+ San Jose vs Cincy
10:30 pm ESPN+ LAFC vs Chicago Fire
Sun, MAY 12
10 am NBC Liverpool vs Wolverhampton
10 am NBCSN Brighton vs Manchester City
10 am CNBC Liecester City vs Chelsea
10 am USA Man United vs Cardiff City
10 am SyFy Tottenham vs Everton
12 noon FS1 Frankfort vs Mainz
2:30 pm Fox Atlanta United vs Orlando City
2:30 pm ESPN Roma vs Juventus
3 pm beIN Sport Marseille vs Lyonnais
4:30 pm FOX USA Ladies vs South Africa – Send off Series
7 pm Fox Sport 1 DC United vs Sporting KC
Mon, MAY 13
7 & 8 pm ESPN+ USA Open Cup games USL teams vs lower division teams
Wed, MAY 15
7 & 8 pm ESPN+ Indy 11 vs USA Open Cup @ Butler Bowl
8 pm ESPN+ Toronto FC vs DC United
8 pm Fox Sports 1 New England vs Chelsea
Thurs, MAY 16
8 pm ESPN2 USA Ladies vs New Zealand– Send off Series
Sat, MAY 18 (American’s in parenthesis)
9:30 am Fox Sport 2 Bayern Munich vs Frankfurt
9:30 am Fox Sports 1 Borussia M’gladbach vs Dortmund (Pulisic)
9:30 am Fox Soccer Schalke (McKinney) vs Stuttgart
12 noon ESPN+ Manchester City vs Watford – FA Cup Final
2 pm Univision San Jose vs Chicago Fire
7 pm WISHTV Indy 11 vs Charlestown (Lucas Oil)
Sun, MAY 19
3 pm ESPN+ Orlando City vs Cincy
5 pm Fox Sport 1 NY Red Bulls vs Atlanta United
Fri, MAY 24
12 noon ESPN2? Copa Del Rey Barcelona vs Valencia
2;30 pm Fox Sport 1 USA U20s vs Ukraine U20 WC
Sat, MAY 25
2 pm ESPNNews German Cup Bayern Munich vs RB Leipzig (Adams)
7 pm WISHTV Indy 11 vs Nashville (Lucas Oil)
Weds, May 29 Europa League Finals
Sat, June 1 Champions League Finals
Women’s World Cup June 7-July 7
- Fri, June 7 3 p m France vs South Korea
- Tues, June 11: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Thailand,
- Sun, June 16: Noon ET, Fox S. vs. Chile,
- Thurs, June 20: 3 p.m. ET, Fox S. vs. Sweden
- Sun, July 7 3 pm ET, Fox Women’s World Cup Finals from France
Gold Cup TV Schedule June 15– July 7
NWSL. You can stream every game live on Yahoo Sports.
International Champions Cup Schedule July 16-Aug 18
Where to Watch Soccer Games on Which Channels
Indy 11
Indy 11 tie North Carolina 0-0 thanks to GK Evan Newtons 41st shutout
GK Evan Newton is USL Player of Week w/2 Clean Sheets
Indy 11 tie Tampa Bay Rowdies 0-0 a man down- Indy Star Kevin Johnston
Indy 11 in USL Academy Cup for ages U13-U17
Sat 8 am Soccer Talk with Greg Rakestraw on 1070 the Fan & 107.5 FM
Champions League
Klopp made us Beliveve – Goal.com
Liverpool’s Comeback tops any magic Anfield has ever seen – Mark Odgen ESPNFC
– Ogden: Spurs’ comeback fitting to season of close calls
– Ajax captain de Ligt calls loss ‘a nightmare’
– Social reaction to another Champions League classic
– Kane hopeful to be back for Champions League final
– Hunter: Barca were the ‘dopes’ in shock loss to Liverpool
– Social reaction: LeBron, Mourinho stunned by comeback
– Liverpool ratings: Origi, Fabinho top list of heroes vs. Barca
– Barcelona ratings: Alba 3/10 as his mistakes start collapse
Marcotti: In Liverpool loss, Barca didn’t learn from Roma collapse
– Tottenham vs. Liverpool: When is the UCL final?
Aubameyang hat trick sees Arsenal into Europa final
EPL
Roma ready to offer Sarri escape route out of Chelsea – Telegraph
Come from Behind Win for Liverpool – Battle of Will – ESPNFC
— Liverpool ratings: Origi, Robertson rescue Liverpool’s title hopes
Tactics on the Last Goal for Liverpool-NBCSN
– Wright Thompson: What a title would mean to Liverpool
Kompany Delivering Title would be fitting farewell for Captain
– Ratings: Kompany 9/10 in thrilling win
– Kompany: My teammates said ‘don’t shoot’
– Premier League sprint to the finish: What’s left?
— The worst is yet to come for Man United
— Sanchez has been a disaster
— Man United Keep/Dump: Assessing Solskjaer’s squad
Arsenal’s Hopes of Top 4 Over after Home Draw with Brighton
USA
Pulisic’s Brilliant Goal not enough for Dortmund who are tied at home – Fox Soccer
Lletget is the most interesting man in U.S. soccer 10dNoah Davis ESPNF
Lloyd, Morgan, Rapino Headline US 2019 World Cup Roster – Graham Hays ESPNW
US Ladies Roster – 2 Reasons to Relax and 1 to be Concerned – Stars and Stripes
- A casual fan’s guide to the USWNT at the 2019 Women’s World Cup
- The USWNT has roster problems of Jill Ellis’ own making
- Whatever her role, Lloyd determined to help USWNT repeat
- Why the 2019 World Cup could be Alex Morgan’s ultimate moment
Women’s World Cup Hub on Yahoo Sports
Women’s World Cup Full Schedule
- June 11: U.S. vs. Thailand, 3 p.m. ET, Fox
- June 16: U.S. vs. Chile, Noon ET, Fox
- June 20: U.S. vs. Sweden, 3 p.m. ET, Fox
GK
Quick Corner Shocks Ter Stegan of Barcelona
Great Saves by both Keepers in Chelsea vs Frankfurt Europa Semi
Double Save not enough for Onana vs Arsenal in Europa Semi loss
Liverpool’s comeback tops any magic historic Anfield has ever seen
May 7, 2019Mark OgdenSenior Writer, ESPN FC
LIVERPOOL, England — Jurgen Klopp hinted that he didn’t believe Liverpool could pull off a Champions League miracle against Barcelona, admitting Monday that “beautiful failure” was perhaps the best his team could hope foragainst the Spanish champions.Come on, Jurgen, you need to have more faith. Your players have shown they are capable of anything, but nothing can match this: a 4-0 rout of Barcelonawhen every odd was stacked against them.
Trailing 3-0 from the semifinal first leg in the Camp Nou, when Liverpool were taken down by the genius of Lionel Messi, Klopp and his players had the faintest of hope going into the second leg at Anfield. To make their task even more daunting, they had to make do without their two world-class forwards — Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino — due to injury.
But this is Liverpool, and this is Anfield, and, well, all the myths and fairy tales surrounding this place came true on an unforgettable night of pulsating and fearless football. Barcelona — mighty Barcelona — were ruthlessly dispatched with two goals from a makeshift striker (Georginio Wijnaldum) and another two from a player (Divock Origi) who was on loan at Wolfsburg at this time last season.
This was Liverpool’s night, make no mistake about that. It was a comeback for the ages, topping anything this historic old ground has ever seen, but Barcelona played their part in a way they never could’ve imagined in their worst nightmares.
– Hunter: Barca were the ‘dopes’ in shock loss to Liverpool
– Social reaction: LeBron, Mourinho stunned by comeback
– Liverpool ratings: Origi, Fabinho top list of heroes vs. Barca
– Barcelona ratings: Alba 3/10 as his mistakes start collapse
They were supposed to have learned their lessons from last season’s quarterfinal meltdown in Rome, when a 3-0 defeat saw them crash out in the Stadio Olimpico, but this was worse. Barca collapsed. Perhaps they started the game believing it was won — too complacent, too arrogant — and Liverpool punished them mercilessly.But this is what Liverpool do at Anfield on European nights, regardless of who is in charge on the touchline. From David “Supersub” Fairclough’s winner against Saint-Etienne in 1977 to Luis Garcia‘s “ghost goal” that was enough to beat Chelsea in 2005 to the incredible fightback against Borussia Dortmund in 2016 and the pummeling of Manchester City last season, Anfield turns the men in red into superheroes when European glory is at stake, and Barca became the latest and greatest name on that lengthy list of victims.et the noise from the Kop was only one ingredient of this stunning victory. The supporters were the 12th man, but Klopp and his players were the architects and builders of a win that took Liverpool to next month’s final in Madrid.Alisson, the Liverpool goalkeeper, was part of the Roma team that produced its own miracle against Barcelona last season, and he admitted that that result played a part in his preparation for this tie.”You try to visualise it before the game, but it’s nearly impossible to do, to imagine that things will work out just as you want them to,” Alisson told Sky Italia. “It happened for me last year with Roma. It happened again tonight.”To turn this tie around, Liverpool had to get everything right. They could not afford Barcelona any opportunity to score a killer away goal, which would leave the home side needing to score five, and they had to take every big chance that came their way.But good fortune smiled on Liverpool in the seventh minute, when Jordi Alba‘s misplaced header fell into the path of Sadio Mane, who fed the onrushing Jordan Henderson. The Liverpool captain burst into the penalty area and shot goalward, but his effort was saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The Barca keeper could only palm the ball away, however, and Origi struck from 6 yards to give Liverpool the dream start.Anfield shook, but Barcelona responded with fire, as Messi forced Alisson to tip a clipped shot over the bar on 14 minutes. Luis Suarez, once the darling of Anfield, became its enemy as he became embroiled in ugly tangles with Andy Robinson and Fabinho, prompting his old fans to decry him as a “cheat” and then sing “F— off, Suarez!”The passion in the stands drove the Liverpool players, but half-time arrived, and it was only 1-0. Liverpool needed two more goals. But Wijnaldum, a half-time replacement for the injured Robertson, earned himself a place in Liverpool folklore by scoring twice in the space of 120 seconds, on 54 and 56 minutes, to haul Klopp’s team level on aggregate.If Anfield shook after Origi’s opener, it was now rocking from its foundations because the crowd sensed that Barcelona were falling to their knees. Even Messi looked shell-shocked by the scenes around him.”Things got on top of us after those two quick goals,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde admitted post-match. “We didn’t manage to get on the score sheet, and they rolled us over, really.”Valverde was right. Barcelona were rolled over. So much for the best team in Spain; they simply crumbled when faced with Liverpool’s intensity and hunger.But it wasn’t all done at 3-0. Barcelona were still in it, knowing one goal would swing the pendulum back in their favour and keep them on course for Madrid. Yet their world well and truly caved in on 79 minutes, when Origi struck again to make it 4-0 and put Liverpool ahead.Barcelona simply fell asleep at a corner, with Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s cross to Origi catching them completely flat-footed. Origi still had a job to do by putting the ball into the net, but yes, this is Anfield, so where else was it going to end up?It was 4-0, and thousands of Liverpudlians could start to book their flights to Madrid, while the same number of Catalans began to cancel their hotels. This was Liverpool’s night, and nobody inside Anfield will ever forget it.”The whole game was too much,” Klopp said. “It was overwhelming. We played against maybe the best team in world. Winning is difficult, but winning with a clean sheet, I don’t know how they did it. It’s unbelievable.”I saw James Milner crying on the pitch after the game. It means so much to all of us. It’s the best phase of football. There are more important things in the world. But creating this emotional atmosphere together is so special.”Beautiful failure? Maybe not. Liverpool’s sixth European Cup is waiting to be lifted next month.
‘Klopp made us believe’ – Liverpool captain Henderson reflects on remarkable Champions League comeback
Goal.com Wed, May 8 7:00 AM EDT
For Jordan Henderson there is no doubt.“It has to be the top,” said the Liverpool captain, unable to keep the smile from his face. “Just an unbelievable night.”It was more than an hour since the final whistle at Anfield, since the end of the most remarkable night of European football you could ever hope to witness.Barcelona were long gone. Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Philippe Coutinho had left with barely a sideways glance. They headed back to Catalunya shell-shocked, dumb-struck by what had happened.For Henderson and his team-mates, the mood could not have been different. Liverpool’s players had stayed on the pitch at the final whistle, to be hugged by their manager and serenaded by their supporters. The greatest night in Anfield’s long and illustrious history? It just might be.“From start to finish I thought the lads were amazing,” Henderson would say. “The atmosphere was amazing.”Liverpool had arrived, naturally, as underdogs. But the 3-0 advantage Barcelona had brought with them from the first leg would be wiped out within 56 ferocious minutes. And when Divock Origi netted in front of the Kop, 11 minutes from the end of the 90, the Reds were on their way to the final.“I think a lot of people would have written us off,” Henderson said. “But we have a belief in this team. We knew that if we gave everything, you know never know what can happen in football. We said we would fight for everything right to the end“I think we proved quite a few people wrong tonight, We showed that if you never give up and you keep trying you can produce special things and create a special night.”He’s got that right. Liverpool had been unlucky to lose by three at Camp Nou a week ago, but they tore into Barcelona from the first whistle here. They were ahead through Origi inside seven minutes and never looked back. Gini Wijnaldum, a substitute, scored twice in three second-half minutes before Origi’s late winner. It was frenzied.Afterwards, a beaming Jurgen Klopp spoke of “big hearts” and “genius” moments. The triumph belonged to the manager as much as his players or fans.“I think he believed because of the talk he gave before the game before we came to the stadium,” Henderson said. “I think the players could see that the manager believed which helps us believe in what he said to us. “He said we can enjoy the night and maybe tell the grandkids one day it was a special night. “The manager has ingrained that belief into us – no matter what happens you keep fighting right until the end until the final whistle goes. That is what we have done all season and we will continue to do that on Sunday [when Liverpool face Wolves in their final Premier League game] and in the final as well.“We have two big games to look forward to and we just have to keep with that belief and that spirit. Then we will be OK.”As for Henderson himself, he can look forward to joining Emlyn Hughes, John McGovern and Steven Gerrard as Englishmen to have captained clubs in two European Cup finals. The 28-year-old continues to make a mockery of those who doubt his credentials at the highest level.“I quite enjoy it now,” he smiled. “I’ve got used to it!“But is only a [good] display from me because of my team-mates. It is nothing to do with one person. Yes I contributed but so did everyone else who played. It was everybody together.“For me throughout my career I have always wanted to prove people wrong and that will never change. I will continue to do that until I finish playing football. “Football is like that anyway. It changes that quickly. Whether you are winning trophies or not there are always questions asked, someone else saying you cannot do this or that. So there are always things that you want to prove. I want to improve as a footballer and keep getting better to contribute to the team to be successful”For now though, he can reflect on a job well done. Liverpool are into the Champions League final. Whatever happens in Madrid on June 1, Tuesday night will be remembered forever.“It was just an amazing night,” he finished. “I was honoured to be a part of it.”
Barcelona’s fall highlights team’s Messi-dependency
TALES AZZONI,Associated Press Wed, May 8 9:45 AM EDT
Barcelona's Lionel Messi leaves the playing field after losing the Champions League semifinal, second leg, soccer match against Liverpool at the Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Tuesday, May 7, 2019. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
MADRID (AP) — If Lionel Messi doesn’t come to the rescue for Barcelona, no one will.The Argentina forward has saved Barcelona time and time again over his career, coming up with extraordinary goals and incredible assists that have led the club to dozens of titles over the years.And it was his remarkable performance in the first leg of the Champions League semifinals against Liverpool that helped Barcelona overcome an off-night by the rest of the team. Messi scored two goals last week to put Barcelona in position to make it to the final for the first time in four years.But when Barcelona struggled again collectively in the second leg, Messi wasn’t able to turn things around.Liverpool reversed the 3-0 loss from the Camp Nou with a spectacular 4-0 win at Anfield, extending Barcelona’s European title drought for yet another year.The loss highlighted Barcelona’s dependency on Messi, who put in a solid performance but couldn’t produce any more epic goals to keep the team in the tournament.”We shouldn’t blame anybody,” Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde said. “We are a team in the good situations and in the bad situations. In the end, it’s the coach who has to bear the responsibility.”Catalan sports daily Sport called Barcelona’s defeat “the worst ridicule in the history” of the club, saying the result in England was “unforgivable.”A video reproduced online by Spanish media showed what appeared to be Barcelona fans verbally confronting the team’s players at the airport in Liverpool after the match.Valverde rested Messi more than ever this season, knowing how crucial he could be in the decisive moments of the season. He had been key to the team in several occasions, either deciding games as a starter or when coming off the bench.The Argentina playmaker was rattled by Liverpool players from the start on Tuesday, at one point having his head shoved by defender Andrew Robertson as he prepared to get off the ground.Messi had a few good moments, though, including two great throughballs that Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez squandered in front of the goal. Philippe Coutinho also had an opportunity off an assist from Messi but couldn’t capitalize on it.Messi missed a good chance himself, one that he would not normally miss, with the ball by his feet inside the area, but he couldn’t get a shot on goal. Still, he had the most attempts for Barcelona, with two being stopped by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.Barcelona had been mostly outplayed against Liverpool in the first leg, but Messi still scored twice to give his team the advantage. It was Ousmane Dembele who had the chance to add to Barcelona’s result in that match, failing to score in a late counterattack that was started by Messi.The defense also faltered at Anfield, with Alba’s mistakes being mostly to blame for two of Liverpool’s goals.Barcelona also couldn’t survive Messi’s ordinary performance in the team’s elimination against Roma last season, when it squandered a three-goal first-half advantage in the quarterfinals.”What hurts the most is that it has happened again,” Valverde said. “I think it will take a long time for us to put this behind us.”It had been a nearly perfect season for Messi and Barcelona so far, with the playmaker putting up some of the best numbers of his career and the club reaching the final stretch of the season with a chance to win the treble.Barcelona has already won the Spanish league, and it has a chance to win the Copa del Rey in a final against Valencia on May 25.But there will be no fifth Champions League trophy this year for Messi, who had promised at the beginning of the season “to do everything we can to bring that beautiful and coveted cup” back to Barcelona. Maybe next year.
Barcelona, Valverde didn’t learn from Roma shock last season. Then it happened again vs. Liverpool. Why?
May 8, 2019 Gabriele MarcottiSenior Writer, ESPN FC
Maybe as a kid you didn’t see the point in history class, reading up on all those men (and yeah, they were probably mostly men) of yesteryear, with their outdated ideas and senseless battles won and lost. Maybe you failed to see how events from centuries ago have any relevance to the here and now. And maybe that’s why some annoyed teacher or parent quoted the philosopher George Santayana to you: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”Ernesto Valverde was likely never told this. Or, if he was, he wasn’t paying attentionThere are few other explanations for what unfolded at Anfield on Tuesday night.Let’s be very clear. This column focuses on Barcelona’s deficiencies. It should in no way detract from the Herculean effort put out by Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, from the way foot-soldiers like Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum turned into game-changers and from the way an assembled sea of red and Scouse helped turn an implausible notion into real, live history through the sheer din of wanting it to happen.It was a night that will live on in Anfield lore. It was extraordinary. But so, too, was what happened to Barcelona, and not in a good way.Rewind 13 months, because this was a mashup of “Groundhog Day” and “Nightmare on Valverde Street.” Ernesto Valverde’s Barca roll to victory by a three-goal margin at the Camp Nou against Roma. The score should have been closer than it was — Allison was in goal for the opposition — and then, in the return leg, it all falls apart. Just like at Anfield.It’s not just a symmetry of results and circumstances, it’s a symmetry of events.Barcelona slumbered through the first few minutes and conceded a goal after misjudging a speculative ball down their left flank. At the Stadio Olimpico, it was Edin Dzeko after six minutes; at Anfield, Origi after seven. Galvanized by the early strike and spurred on by the crowd, Roma held an absurdly high defensive line and pressed the stuffing out of Barca’s midfield, often engaging them in the opposing half. Pretty much like Liverpool on Tuesday night.They didn’t score again until the second half but the marker was laid down: we will give everything and gamble by pressing in your half and daring you to hit balls over the top for Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. It was a gamble — of course it was — and it put a strain on the central defenders. But Barcelona couldn’t exploit it, whether because their strikers are now in their 30s and asking them to sprint 30 yards time and again isn’t a great idea, or whether because the opposing defenders were that good on the night.Roma made it 2-0 just before the hour mark. Liverpool made it 2-0 and then 3-0 just before the hour mark. Valverde stared, helpless from the bench. In both scenarios, he was now a single goal away from elimination.So what did he do?Not much. In Rome, he waited actually until nine minutes from time to make his first change, Andre Gomes for an exhausted Andres Iniesta. At Anfield, he struck at the hour mark, taking off Philippe Coutinho for a full-back, Nelson Semedo, and moving Sergi Roberto into midfield. In Rome, a third goal conceded would have knocked out Barcelona on away goals so you can sort of see the logic: let’s take off an attacking midfielder for a defensive one. In Liverpool, because the first leg had finished 3-0, there wasn’t much to defend. Barcelona had to score or face the prospect of extra-time.Roma’s winner came eight minutes from time, when Kostas Manolas caught Nelson Semedo napping at the near post. Liverpool’s was 11 minutes from time, the difference being that at Anfield, it was the entire Barca defence that switched off and were punished by the trickery of Trent Alexander-Arnold and the coolness of Origi.Then, as now, a 60-something Bostonian billionaire owner laughed and rejoiced like he hadn’t done since he made his first million. Maybe more so.It didn’t take Nostradamus to predict how Klopp would approach the game: early gamble, high press and intensity, hope for a quick goal to get the crowd into it. Heck, he had the whole Roma blueprint from the year before. Maybe Valverde thought (wrongly) that Liverpool would do things differently, fine. But once he saw things unfold just as they had a little over a year ago, why not look for alternatives? Why not actually read the game and try something different?He might point out that, relative to the Roma game, Barca did create better chances and did force better saves from Alisson. But they also kept getting overrun in the middle of the park. For Andres Iniesta — a non-factor in Rome — read Coutinho at Anfield, bar from a single shot that was saved by Alisson. Arturo Vidal‘s wild man schtick fooled nobody, Ivan Rakitic was spending so much time helping Sergio Busquets (hampered by a first-half booking and the fact that he isn’t the one-man gang he once was) that he was gassed when he got on the ball. And the less said about Jordi Alba‘s night, the better.A coach is on the sideline, all blame must be shared with the players. We get it. It’s a footballing mantra. Nobody is exonerating the players: nine of them were in Rome too, you’d imagine they might have remembered what happened. But it’s the coach’s job to read and understand his players, to put the right ones out in conditions where they can best contribute even when they’re having a bad day. And if circumstances change, find a more suitable approach. Or change the players.Valverde chose the wrong game plan, seemingly oblivious to what Liverpool would do, and when it wasn’t working, he was slow to act. When he finally did act, he made the wrong choices. Sharing the blame with the players doesn’t mean he gets a free pass, on the contrary.Frankly, neither does the club. When you have the second-highest wage bill in the universe and your reserve centerforward is Kevin Prince Boateng — who only arrived in January, on loan from a mid-table Serie A side, is not a centerforward and is Kevin-Prince Boateng — something is seriously wrong. It means either you believe Messi and Suarez — who are 31 and 32, respectively — are invulnerable to injury or suspension (and we know with the latter, that’s not the case), which is foolish, or you believe that the rest of the team is so gifted that it doesn’t matter, which is deluded.Maybe Valverde thought Ousmane Dembele would be around to provide fresh legs off the bench, even though in Rome he only sent him on in the final five minutes: wrong. Maybe he thought that against Grandpa James Milner, any old Malcom would do: wrong again. Maybe he thought Messi would load the whole kit and caboodle on his back, like he did in the first leg and at so many points in the season: wrong. (Messi spawns more miracles than anyone, but even his supply isn’t limitless.)(Oh, and while we’re at it: Suarez has not scored away from home in the Champions League since September 2015. That’s 18 games and counting. To not have an alternative, or at least some help, other than the ubiquitous Messi, the ghost of Coutinho and Dembele, who has lasted 90 minutes just four times this season, plus of course Boateng and Malcom, boggles the mind.)Valverde may well go on to win the Double this season, just as he did last year. And just like last year, it will feel that little bit empty. Not because they were knocked out of the Champions League, per se, but because they went out in eerily similar circumstances, their reaction barely shifting as they lived out the copycat sequel to their own personal horror show.It’s one thing for a manager and his players to make mistakes; it’s quite another to not learn from them and, in near-identical circumstances, take the exact same wrong course of action they took before, hoping for a different result.
Carli Lloyd, Alex Morgan headline U.S.’s Women’s 2019 World Cup roster
ESPN’s Julie Foudy joins Golic & Wingo to talk favourites to win the 2019 Women’s World Cup and her new podcast Laughter Permitted. (2:11)
May 2, 2019Graham HaysespnW.com
- FacebookCarli Lloyd will be back for her fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup after United States coach Jill Ellis announced her 23-player roster for the 2019 edition this summer in France.Ellis attempted to bridge the gap between experience and change, with almost half of the players named to the U.S. roster set to participate in the sport’s signature event for the first time.The roster includes 11 first-time participants, three more than the team that won the World Cup four years ago and tied for the third-most rookies among U.S. entries in the women’s tournament that began in 1991.
But the roster announced Thursday also includes eight players who started in the 2015 World Cup final against Japan. That experience includes Lloyd, the tournament’s reigning Golden Ball winner and now the ninth American woman to appear in four World Cups. Six more players are appearing in their third World Cup — including a potential starting forward line of Tobin Heath, Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe. Morgan and Rapinoe share the captain duties with Lloyd.”Coming out of the Olympics it was looking at just not player personnel but profiles, what kind of players, where were things headed, where we trending and making sure we had players to fill those needs and being able to contribute to where I envisioned the game going four years on,” Ellis said during a conference call.”What we’ve come to is exactly that, a team with great energy, a team with great experience.”Even though there is younger players, I think those players have been with us for awhile and have experience a lot of top quality matches.”Defenders Ali Krieger, Kelley O’Hara and Becky Sauerbrunn also make a World Cup roster for the third time, with O’Hara and Sauerbrunn likely to fill starting roles on the back line.In all, 12 players return from the 2015 team that won the championship.There is also experience of a sort among the newcomers. Only goalkeeper Adrianna Franch, midfielders Rose Lavelle and Samantha Mewis, forward Jessica McDonald and defenders Abby Dahlkemper, Tierna Davidson and Emily Sonnett have no prior major tournament experience. Mewis and Sonnett were Olympic alternates in 2016 who traveled with the team before and during that tournament in Brazil.Those 2016 Olympics turned out to be something of an early look at 2019. Despite Ellis’ stated desire to expand the player pool and open up competition after the U.S. was eliminated from that event in the quarterfinals, 15 of the 18 players named to the smaller Olympic roster also appear on the current World Cup roster.Crystal Dunn, Lindsey Horan and Mallory Pugh, all first-time World Cup participants who are expected to play leading roles, made their major tournament debuts in the Olympics.
FIFA WWC 2019: Schedule, news, analysis, TV inf
This year also marks the first time since the first Women’s World Cup in 1991 that a U.S. team will compete in either the World Cup or Olympics without either Briana Scurry or Hope Solo among its goalkeepers. Named to this roster, Alyssa Naeher and Ashlyn Harris were part of the 2015 team but did not play any minutes in the tournament. Among the notable omissions were defender Casey Short, who started 13 of the team’s 16 games as recently as 2017, and midfielder McCall Zerboni, an NWSL standout who became the oldest player to earn her first cap when she debuted in 2017. After giving debuts to current and recent college players such as Emily Fox, Hailie Mace, Savannah McCaskill and Andi Sullivan, Ellis also opted to instead complete the roster with veterans such as Morgan Brian, Krieger, Allie Long and McDonald.The average age of the World Cup roster is 28, as was the case for the roster four years ago. That despite the inclusion of Davidson, the youngest player on the roster at 20, and Pugh, 21. Both Davidson and Pugh are younger than any player on the 2015 roster.The only holdover from the 2007 team, Lloyd is the oldest player on the roster at 36.The United States plays Thailand in its opening game on June 11 in Reims, France. It also faces Chile and Sweden in Group F play. The only other team in the group ranked among the top 30 in the world, Sweden eliminated the U.S. in the 2016 Olympic quarterfinal.
Women’s World Cup roster by position (Club):
Goalkeepers (3): Adrianna Franch* (Portland Thorns FC), Ashlyn Harris** (Orlando Pride), Alyssa Naeher** (Chicago Red Stars)
Defenders (7): Abby Dahlkemper* (NC Courage), Tierna Davidson* (Chicago Red Stars), Crystal Dunn* (NC Courage), Ali Krieger*** (Orlando Pride), Kelley O’Hara*** (Utah Royals FC), Becky Sauerbrunn*** (Utah Royals FC), Emily Sonnett* (Portland Thorns FC)
Midfielders (6): Morgan Brian** (Chicago Red Stars), Julie Ertz** (Chicago Red Stars), Lindsey Horan* (Portland Thorns FC), Rose Lavelle* (Washington Spirit), Allie Long* (Reign FC), Samantha Mewis* (NC Courage)
Forwards (7): Tobin Heath*** (Portland Thorns FC), Carli Lloyd**** (Sky Blue FC), Jessica McDonald* (NC Courage), Alex Morgan*** (Orlando Pride), Christen Press** (Utah Royals FC), Mallory Pugh* (Washington Spirit), Megan Rapinoe*** (Reign FC)
* First Women’s World Cup ** Second Women’s World Cup *** Third Women’s World Cup **** Fourth Women’s World Cup
Galaxy creator and partner to a pop star: Sebastian Lletget is the most interesting man in American soccer
May 1, 2019 Noah DavisESPN LOS ANGELES –
Five o’clock on the Friday of a holiday weekend is not an ideal time to be driving on the highways of Southern California. But here we are, somewhere between the apartment Sebastian Lletget shares with his girlfriend, pop star Becky G, and Dignity Health Sports Park, home of the LA Galaxy — The 26-year-old star, a facilitator of his Major League Soccer club’s potent attack and arguably the one man in the U.S. men’s national team player pool with the ability to press Christian Pulisic for his starting spot (although the ideal lineup probably involves them both), weaves in and out of the early-evening traffic. He has somewhere to be.
In the past, Lletget wouldn’t have been the first one to the stadium on game day. He is now, however, hitting the gym to get 100 touches even before heading out to the field to warm up for the Galaxy’s matchup with the Houston Dynamo. The new routine is a result of growing older and having a body that’s not quite as pliable as it used to be, and also of returning from a foot injury that nearly cost him his career.In March 2017, he scored his first goal for the U.S., in a key qualifier in front of a home Northern California crowd. Minutes later, an Ever Alvarado tackle ended his night, breaking bones and tearing ligaments, requiring surgery and a long rehab. Two years later, Lletget is only now returning to form.”The first year post-injury, I basically didn’t touch a ball,” he tells ESPN FC. “To build off of all that and use last year to gather all my skills back, my sense of the game, and my instinct took longer than I expected. Prior to an injury like that, you feel invincible. When this happens, it kind of breaks you. You don’t have that Superman shield that you think you have subconsciously.”The superpower of youth becomes the preparation of a veteran. Lletget drives a Chevy Traverse that’s new enough to maintain its dealership shine but dusty enough for a Galaxy staffer to lovingly write “Wash Me” on the driver’s side door after he parks it in the bowels of Dignity Health. He jokes with the perpetrator, smiles for a few photos, says goodbye to his parents (who come to town for most of his home games), and walks down a hallway past trophies from previous Galaxy squads, and into the locker room to prepare, alone.
Sebastian Lletget the person is not Sebastian Lletget the social media account. His Instagram, @theylovedaboy, boasts 506,000 followers — a lot, until you realize that Becky has 17.6 million and counting — and a remarkable variety of selfies featuring him Blue Steeling it for the camera. He got the idea for the Drake-inspired handle one night in England when he was a teenager who was trying — and ultimately failing — to find his way at West Ham. He started the account, then went to sleep.”I wake up the next morning and I’m getting killed by my teammates,” he says. “Just murdered, nonstop. First-team players and coaches are asking what I was thinking.”Some guys would have deleted their foray into social media, or at least changed their handle. Not Lletget. He loved the reaction, the good-natured ribbing. He still does.”I got so much s— for my last media post, which is hilarious,” he says. “I love going in and everybody cracking jokes at me. It starts that banter in the locker room. It will happen without fail. I have a really good time with it.”He tells this story in a Manhattan Beach coffee shop, sipping a decaf Americano and a bottle of water, wearing a simple white t-shirt and shorts. He could be anyone, just another anonymous, fit, sun-kissed surfer with a megawatt smile and easy charisma. Lletget is quieter, more subtle than Da Boy, although the overlap is obvious. There’s an easy through line between the guy sitting in front of me, and the one in a hot tub, teaching Alan Gordon and Dan Gargan how to take a selfie. Lletget understands the balance, the value of showing off his personality.
“I think we’re at a point in sports in general of blurring the lines between street scene and fashion,” he says. “It’s kind of OK to do something away from soccer. I think people enjoy seeing a different side of you.”Of course, he also knows that the off-field fun is only tenable if he’s producing on the field.”Once a coach sees my dedication and my focus in what the common goal is in the locker room, I don’t think they care as much,” he says. “They know I know that when it’s time to work, it’s time to work. If you show every day that you’re into this, if you don’t have that brush-off mentality, I think coaches will be OK with you being you, especially off the field.”Injury aside, Lletget has been good for the Galaxy since joining the team in 2015. He’s competitive — “Not like [Zlatan Ibrahimovic],” he says. “Ibra’s intense.” — and wants the ball in a way not a lot of Americans do: gesturing for it demonstratively, emphatically and aggressively. The Galaxy offensive philosophy primarily involves getting the ball within about 40 yards of the opposition net, then looking for Ibrahimovic. (This strategy, it should be said, has been proven to work.) But there are also some intricate exchanges, weaves between Lletget, Jonathan dos Santos and Joe Corona; quick one-twos with Lletget and the big Swede; other variations that demonstrate Lletget’s improving understanding of his teammates and the game.
On the American team, he’s one of Gregg Berhalter’s No. 10s, and he’s loving the push the new U.S. boss gives him.”It’s uncomfortable, but he really does make you see the game a little bit differently,” Lletget says. “I have certain habits in my position, and they weren’t necessarily the best habits. He’s trying to take me out of those. I was comfortable, but I could be in a more dangerous area that’s more risky. He dragged me out of my comfort zone in the short time we’ve worked together. When you do things he advises you to do and they work, it’s like, ‘Oh my god, I’m progressing.'”He credits Berhalter with helping him improve his awareness, his positioning, and his game, skills that he’s brought back to the Galaxy and wants to deploy at the Gold Cup this summer.It’s a contract year for Lletget, and there are thoughts about the future. Europe calls in that way it does, although perhaps not as aggressively as it does for some others. There’s a tension between the cliché of athletes wanting to test themselves against the best in the world and the fact that Lletget did that already as a teenager and it went poorly for reasons both his fault and not. Though he thinks he has the skill to play in Europe now, he’s cautious.”Going back to Europe could be in the cards,” he says. “It has to be a right situation. You want to go to the right organization. A manager that really wants you there. I think Americans think Europe is the best thing for us, then we get there and immediately regret it.”Plus, he’s carved out a damn nice life for himself in LA. He’s nearing 100 appearances for a single club, which has been a lifelong goal. This Galaxy team might be the best in years, with a chance to bring home a trophy. His parents are close by. His favorite NBA team, the Golden State Warriors, play at a reasonable time. He and Becky share an apartment in a quiet neighborhood a few minutes from the beach. There’s parking and a pool, a place to make a home. She’s gone a lot, touring and being a star, but they are figuring it out.”We don’t see each other often. It’s almost like a long-distance relationship but we live together,” he says. “Once you get the hang of it, it’s not that hard. It’s finding that partnership.”Last year, he organized a surprise birthday party for her, an event that earned the TMZ treatment, with him being called “her soccer boyfriend, Sebastian Llejay.” The pair take the pressure off of their respective careers, Lletget pretending he knows about music to make Becky laugh, Becky kicking the ball around with him. (Lletget’s scouting report of her: “a little rat” with “some good control.”) I asked him about his skin-care routine because the dude has some nice skin, and he said that Becky always puts stuff on the bed for him. “I don’t know if I should take it as an insult, but she always gives me a boatload and tells me I’ll thank her when I’m 40,” he says, laughing. “She’s investing in herself, too. She has to look at me, so I get what she’s doing.”Whatever the next move is, the pair will decide it together. For now, however, the future can wait. It wasn’t so long ago that his return was a real question mark. Lletget’s just happy to be back playing, back taking selfies, back doing what he loves.”I feel like I’m going to keep playing better,” he says. “Maybe I only notice that. But I definitely want it more. I’m grateful for these opportunities. It’s just awesome to be part of a special moment in time with the club and with the national team.”Da Boy, man; he’s going places.
Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas released from hospital after heart attack
10:33 AM ETAssociated Press
Veteran Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas has been released from the hospital five days after having a heart attack.
The 37-year-old Casillas fell ill during a practice session last Wednesday and underwent a catheterization after being rushed to the hospital.
Casillas saidMonday he doesn’t know “what the future holds,” and that the most important thing was to be standing there talking about himself.He said he was “feeling much better” but will need to rest “for a couple of weeks or a couple of months.”The Spanish goalkeeper said he feels “very lucky” the incident didn’t have more serious consequences, and thanked the outpouring of support he’s received.Casillas joined Porto in 2015 after helping Real Madrid win five league titles and three Champions League trophies.He also helped Spain win one World Cup and two European Championships.Casillas recently had his contract with Porto extended until the end of the 2019-20 season, with an option for another year.
‘Ederson is Premier League’s best keeper’ – Schmeichel leaves De Gea & Alisson off global list
Goal.com May 6, 2019, 3:40 AM
Manchester City’s Ederson is ahead of David de Gea and Alisson as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, according to Kasper Schmeichel.The Brazilian still serves as number two for his country at international level behind the Liverpool shot-stopper, despite another stellar campaign for his club.City have the joint-best defensive record in the Premier League this term and Ederson has recorded 19 clean sheets in total, which is just one behind Alisson’s current tally.For many years Manchester United’s De Gea has been revered as the finest ‘keeper in English football, but he has failed to live up to his high standards at Old Trafford in recent months.Schmeichel, who will line up against City for Leicester on Monday, believes that Ederson is now the best in the business, citing “bravery” as his standout attribute between the sticks.”I would say Ederson along with Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Jan Oblak are the three best goalkeepers in the world and have been for a while for me,” he told Sky Sports.”The way Ederson plays is so brave. To dare to play like that is bravery and it also enables City to play with a much higher press.”They are able to really press because they know any ball in behind he will sweep up.”His bravery in daring to be in those positions, knowing the slightest mistake will cost his team, that’s proper goalkeeping for me and I think he has been the best goalkeeper in this league for a while.”
RECAP | EVAN NEWTON’S RECORD-BREAKING EFFORT EARNS INDY ELEVEN POINT VERSUS NORTH CAROLINA FC
By IndyEleven.com, 05/04/19, 11:00PM EDT Three Second Half Saves Help Eleven to 0-0 Draw, Newton to USL Championship Record 41st Career Shutout
#INDvNC HIGHLIGHTS via Indy Eleven YouTube Channel
Indy Eleven (4W-1L-2D, T-7th) earned another hard-fought point at home in the club’s second Week 9 match-up, this time via a 0-0 draw against long-time rival North Carolina FC (4W-1L-3D, T-4th). Goalkeeper Evan Newton made three second half saves to collect his third shutout in as many 2019 home contests, and the 41st clean sheet of his USL Championship career, setting the league record in the category.“The guys in front of me are doing a great job. We’re getting in sync and guys are battling. I think we played a lot better and had good chances,” said Newton, who joined Indy Eleven in the offseason from FC Cincinnati. “You can’t lose if you don’t get scored on. We got a point and we’ll take it and run with it. A little frustrating we didn’t get three, but it could be worse.”North Carolina looked the fresher side out of the gates, but it was Indy Eleven that nearly nicked the opener against the run of play nine minutes in. Midfielder Nico Matern parlayed a smooth turn on a 50-50 ball in his own defensive third into a free break up the middle of the field, Dane Kelly’s one-touch flick springing forward Tyler Pasher on a 50-yard foray. The speedy winger took one touch too many when baring down on NCFC ‘keeper Alex Tambakis’ goal, allowing a defender to poke the ball away and end a golden opportunity for an early lead.While fruitless, that play seemed to spark the Boys in Blue, who created numerous chances of quality in the 10 minutes to follow. Kelly, a USL Championship April Player of the Month nominee, had two bites of the apple in the 13th minute, first just getting beat to a pass outside of the NCFC area by Tambakis before his sidewinding effort from 15 yards flared wide. Pasher wreaked more havoc in the 17th minute when his low cross buzzed through the six-yard box before Kelly could catch up to it.At the stroke of the half-hour Indy Eleven nearly capitalized on its first corner kick opportunity, Alex Crognale forcing Tambakis into a save at his right post off the Indy defender’s header. The last 10 minutes of the half saw Indy press Tambakis into two more saves off of efforts by Thomas Enevoldsen and Ayoze.As it did early in the first half, “Route 1” opened once again for the Eleven three minutes into the second stanza, this time Enevoldsen’s through ball for Kelly finding its target. The Jamaican was able to fire from 10 yards, but his near-angle shot was sent into the right outside netting. In the 51st minute Neveal Hackshaw, who wore the captain’s armband out of the locker room for the Boys in Blue, did well to rise and connect with Ayoze’s back post corner, but the defender’s header was sent right to Tambakis on his line.“[Wearing the armband] was great. When [Coach Rennie] brought it to me I was like, ‘Oh me?’ So, being the guy to lead them out was so fantastic,” said Hackshaw. “It made me feel a little above. I have to make sure I’m on point because I have the band on and I have to show leadership.”It was finally time for Tambakis’ opposite number to get called into service a minute later, and Newton was up to the task for his first saves of the night. The Eleven netminder first extended low to his right, pushing Andre Fortune’s tricky shot from outside the area off his right post before bouncing off the turf to set himself for a kick save off the rebound. The saves were the first for Newton in over three halves of action after not being forced to stop a shot on Wednesday night against Tampa Bay or in this evening’s opening half.Shots from distance were Indy Eleven’s go-to in the minutes to follow, with Pasher’s 58th minute attempt sent into the hands of Tambakis and Kelly’s three minutes later whistling just over the crossbar. Kelly had another half-chance go wanting in the 63rd minute, his sliding effort to get to Thomas Enevoldsen’s flick sailing high from eight yards out.North Carolina’s Ben Speas nearly made his old team pay in the 67th minute when he had ample space to fire from 20 yards out on a counter, only to see his low shot with pace gobbled up by Newton without a rebound. In the 77th minute it was Kelly again seeing a ball sit up for him, but he couldn’t steer his shot from 12 yards out on frame. Just minutes after coming into the match, Indy substitute Josh Penn looked to have claims for a penalty after fellow substitute Graham Smith’s swim move put the Eleven attacker to ground inside the area, but the referee let play continue without a whistle.Three substitutes and three minutes of stoppage time at the end of the second half wasn’t enough for either side to find another scoring opportunity, resulting in a stalemate in the Circle City. The point was not the three Indy desired, but did push its undefeated streak against its former NASL rival to eight games (6W-0L-2D) dating back to October 2016.“I think we had a lot of good chances, and in both halves we dominated play and defended well, but we need to not be too happy with that and put the ball in the back of the net,” said Indy Eleven head coach Martin Rennie. “The score needs to be on the scoreboard. We’re dominating these games. We’re better than the teams were playing against but we have to show it on the score.”Prior to getting back to league play in two weekends, Indy Eleven will enter the 106th edition of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in a Second Round fixture on Wednesday, May 15. The Boys in Blue will host a 7:00 p.m. kickoff at Butler University’s Sellick Bowl against the winner of next week’s First Round match between Lansing Ignite and AFC Ann Arbor. Indy Eleven will resume USL Championship action three days later on Saturday, May 18, when it welcomes the Charleston Battery on “Armed Forces Night” at Lucas Oil Stadium. Tickets for the 7:00 p.m. kickoff remain available for as little as $15 at IndyEleven.com/tickets or by calling 317-685-1100.
USL Championship Regular Season Indy Eleven 0:0 North Carolina FC
Saturday, May 4, 2019 – 7:00 p.m. ET Lucas Oil Stadium – Indianapolis, Ind. Attendance: 9,017
Indy Eleven (4W-2L-2D, 14 pts., T-7th in Eastern Conference)
North Carolin FC (4W-1L-3D, 18 pts., T-4th in Eastern Conference)
Scoring Summary:
None
Disciplinary Summary:
IND – Alioune Diakhate (Yellow card) 90+1’
Indy Eleven lineup (3-4-3, L–>R): Evan Newton (GK); Neveal Hackshaw (captain), Alex Crognale, Karl Ouimette; Ayoze Garcia, Tyler Gibson, Nico Matern, Macauley King (Matt Watson 72’); Dane Kelly (Alioune Diakhate 86’) , Thomas Enevoldsen, Tyler Pasher (Josh Penn 74’)
IND Substitutes: Jordan Farr (GK), Lucas Farias, Kenney Walker, Ilija Ilic
North Carolina FC lineup (4-1-4-1, L–>R): Alex Tambakis (GK); Aaron Guillen, Sam Brotherton, Alexander Comsia, D.J. Taylor; Thomas McCabe; Steven Miller (captain) (Donovan Ewolo 81’), Andre Fortune (Graham Smith 68’), Ben Speas, Manny Perez; Marios Lomis (Robert Kristo 86’) NC Substitutes: Darrin MacLeod (GK), Caleb Duvernay, Victor Igbekoyi, Yamikani Chester
Indy 11 Soccer Camp – Carmel Dad’s Club Badger Field June 17-20 9-12 noon.ages 6-14 $135
CHS Boys Soccer Skills Camp – Murray Stadium July 15-18 8:30-10:30 am ages 8-14 $85
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