Goal Of The Year From The NASL (So Far)

((HT: Minnesota United FC/NASL))

Christian Ramirez had complete control of this effort in the box against the Indy Eleven

But it was a two-step process and it's, definitely, golazo material...

Post by Minnesota United FC.

For the record, Minnesota United beat the Eleven 5-1

Silverbacks Decide On "No Coach" For New Coach

And it will be interesting to see how this works...

There is no doubt that, when Eric Wynalda took over as Technical Director, the Atlanta Silverbacks player personnel decisions meant that the team took it up a few notches- that included an appearance in the NASL Soccer Bowl and a first-half title...

Evidence below...


But when it was found out that Brian Haynes wasn't coming back to be 2014 head coach, Wynalda went with a different idea...

No one person would replace Haynes and Wynalda (pictured right, thanks Neal Malone and the Silverbacks their own selves) would manage from his TD role:

Here's a typical week under the reorganization...

“I’m going to talk you through a typical week under our system. You play a game on Saturday, and on Sunday, you recover. On Monday, I will give my team the day off. On Tuesday, it’ll usually be something on the physical side – in the case of preseason, weight training. Wednesday would basically be the first time you have a practice where you’re actually preparing for the weekend’s game instead of recovering. On Wednesday night, I will fly to Atlanta to be with the team on Thursday when we start the technical and tactical stuff that is necessary to prepare for an opponent. On Friday, we’ll train and travel – maybe not in that order – and then I’ll manage our team during our games on Saturday.”

“I know this system sounds less conventional, as our country is used to having a “head coach,” but that’s maybe something we’ve accepted as the norm. This is different. We’re committed to it, and if we didn’t think this was the best way to go, we wouldn’t be doing it.”

Wynalda has proven that, with his initial overseer role with his Cal FC club, that he knows talent and he knows how to create relationships and opportunities that make all aspects of his creative ladder work. He also knows that, living in California, it will be an adventure in being on two coasts at once running a franchise...

The HQ will keep an interested eye on this franchise operation model and see how it works for a league runner-up to go into their 15th season...

The HQ is all for putting people in charge who know what they're doing and leaving them alone to work their model...
Let's see if the ownership group is going to allow that to go 100-percent, growing pains and all...

Anarchy In The NASL- Cops, Ejections, And A Draw (VIDEO)

Odds are... this game will be under review at the league office very quickly after its conclusion...

37th minute... FC Edmonton's Lance Laing scores off a free kick and it sets off the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers coaching staff...
The Eddies were given a second chance at the free kick because of the windy conditions in Alberta...even after they made contact with the ball... (calmer moments are pictured right, thanks Tony Lewis/Ft Lauderdale Strikers Facebook page)

As a result, both head coach Gunter Kronsteiner and goalkeeper coach Ricardo Lopes along with midfielder Walter Restrepo were escorted away by the local constabulary. Trainer Jennifer Milos was the only one left not in uniform. But the cops weren't done...

58th minute, the Strikers get the equalizer and the locals were trying to get the coaches kicked out of the building as they were viewing the match from the stands and, apparently, sending instructions down to the sidelines via cell phone.

The game ended as a 1-1 draw with all of the sendoffs and such...
No word on whether or not Milos gets the credit for the draw at present...

Until the video trickles out of Edmonton, here's highlights of the Strikers last match against San Antonio...
((HT: FTL Strikers))


UPDATE: Here's the game in full, thanks to the NASL their own selves...
The incident starts around the 47:00 mark...


Video streaming by Ustream

Cosmos Reboot Success In Game One

The reboot of the New York Cosmos was a game one success...

Before the Cosmos first match in nearly 30 years, Cosmos legends Pele, Carlos Alberto and the late Giorgio Chinaglia, represented by his son George, were honored. And if the crowd of almost 12,000 at Hofstra University was a sign- it looks like a good one... for both the Cosmos and the NASL...

Commissioner Bill Peterson was also joined by Shep Messing and Nene Cubillas as part of the celebration:

“Before Carlos [Alberto] came and helped us build the Cosmos name and win championships, I played in this stadium in my first professional game,” Messing said. “The Cosmos becoming one of the most famous teams in the world didn’t happen overnight. We had 1,500 fans, 2,000 fans, 3,000 fans. … I wish we had a crowd like this my first game for the Cosmos, but it will be one step at a time to reach hopefully the heights that we had before.”

Here's the look from the endzone seats as the Cosmos won 2-1 over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers...
((HT: GuillermoGuzman))


And here's your postgame presser with head coach Giovanni Savarese, defender Carlos Mendes and Peri Marosevic....


Next up Saturday is another rivalry reboot with a game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies...

As the Cosmos say: "Don't Call It A Comeback..."