Friday, June 5, 2015

It's not a good day, but it is a good day! (updates and preview Ft Lauderdale V Indy Eleven 6/6/15)

Sommer and Telfer during preseason.
The title is a quote from an interview with new Indy Eleven interim head coach Tim Regan earlier this week while referencing the removal of two of our coaches and his own advancement, somewhat poignant but accurate. As supporters we have been with Juergen Sommer from the start and I know a lot of us were happy at the arrival of Paul Telfer, a player coach with a wealth of experience and I am sure he helped tighten up our defense. I am very grateful to both for being a part of this club, both have been very accessible and approachable guys who never shy away from talking to the supporters and giving their opinions and also socializing with us.

It's not really for us to know what goes on behind the scenes but things obviously were not good, it was showing in the frustration of the players and in the performances, the body language, and in the results. Losing to Louisville was probably the final straw, I doubt very much it was the performance against Tampa but as much a I enjoyed the game, we lost another two points at home. Change was inevitable, I actually thought it may happen before Spring season, and was surprised it happened before the end. But happened it has, and I am sorry to see both go, but the team, the new coach and the supporters need to move on. Whichever path Juergen and Paul choose from here I wish them both the very best.

Over the coming months I am sure there will be a lot of speculation about who we could hire as a coach, but for now Tim Regan is our coach and we need to get behind him and the team. Tim has the respect of the players and we should allow him his opportunity to show what he can do with the team. I also think it is a good move to give Kleberson an assistant position, it is unlikely that we may ever see him play for Indy Eleven again, so what better way for him to be involved than to work alongside Tim to help get us back on our feet again.

Indy on the road to Fort Lauderdale....

This could be a good week for us in Florida, we have  new coach who will have a new set of ideas and I am sure the the news this week will affect the players more positively than negatively, so I doubt any research the Strikers have done on us will do them any good. Strikers are not having much more success than we are right now, currently DLLD in their last four games compared to Indy's LLLD. The Strikers were a much more consistent team last year under 
Günter Kronsteiner, but they seem to be very up and down this season under new business management and new coach Marcelo Neveleff, so it is a good chance for us, also a win would put us 2 points ahead of them. I think it's achievable, and I also think Indy need to try and hit that ten point mark before spring season is over, if we want to have a chance at making a playoff run we need all we can get right now. It would be the first time if we do win, Indy have played the Strikers three times previously losing 3-2 and 2-1 in Florida and drawing 0-0 in Indy last fall. Ft Lauderdale have only won one of their four home games this season. If Indy can show the same hunger as they did last week against Tampa, they can definitely come away without losing. I remember a long time ago reading a study that referenced betting on soccer in Europe and the statistics are high that a team playing their first game under a new manager do not lose. As I said last week Indy have nothing to lose and all to gain, we are on the bottom, go out there firing on all cylinders and go for it!

Who is going to be in Timmy's team? ....

I probably don't need to keep mentioning that Kleberson will not be playing but as new assistant coach he will most likely travel with the team, and also it is unlikely that Judson McKinney will either he is listed as questionable, even if ready it will be too early for him to take a place away from someone else. Sergio Pena will remain out through injury but expect Brad Ring who was probable and played in the last game to be ready to start. The news on Daniel Keller is he is listed as injured for this week and recovering from concussion sustained against Tampa. This leaves coach Tim Regan with nineteen players to choose his 18 man roster for the game. Most likely one of our three keepers will not suit up and everyone else will be in. We will just have to wait and see how our new coach will start his lineup, not going to make any guesses on that.

LET'S GET A WIN!!


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