Ironmen in US Open Cup; Local Fe26 Hits The Road

There will be five Ironmen players in action when the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup gets underway tomorrow. The round will feature eight matchups between USL and MLS clubs. Check the US Open Cup Website for game times.

Dan Antoniuk and the Carolina RailHawks earned a matchup with the Kansas City Wizards after edging the Real Maryland Monarchs 1-0 in the second round. The Wiz will travel to WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC for the third round meeting with the RailHawks.

Mauricio Salles' goal against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds helped propel the Rochester Rhinos into the third round where they will face DC United at Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds, MD.

It took a penalty kick in the 90th minute for Lazo Alavanja's Charleston Battery to squeak by the Charlotte Eagles 2-1. The Battery will now play host to the Houston Dynamo at Blackbaud Stadium in the third round.

Ibrahim Kante and Gary Brooks helped Crystal Palace Baltimore outlast the Harrisburg City Islanders in a wild match that featured six yellow cards, two reds, an equalizer in the final minute of extra-time and a PK shootout. Ibrahim Kante's successful PK helped his side prevail in the shootout 3-1. Palace will now host Metro/Red Bull New York at Lawrence E. Knight Stadium, on the grounds of Broadneck High School in Annapolis, MD. The pairing gives the Local Fe26 a chance to check out the match since most of us are also members of the Empire Supporters Club, which is the main supporters group for Metro. We'll snap a few pictures and have a good rundown for you when we get back.

Moojen Nets First; Irons In The USL Update

Frederico Moojen - Image From Minnesota Thunder Website

The Puerto Rico Islanders and Minnesota Thunder met twice this week at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, PR. In Friday's match, John Krause was part of a backline that helped the Islanders shutout the Thunder 1-0. The Islanders made a first half goal stand-up by holding the 10-men Thunder to just two shots in the second.

It was more of the same in the Sunday's match as Puerto Rico held Minnesota's offense in check for most of the game. Frederico Moojen finally put the Thunder on the score sheet late in the second half, but it was too little, too late as the Islanders cruised to a 3-1 victory. The goal was Moojen's first of the season.

The two victories gave the Islanders a .500 record for the first time this season at 4-4-3. The Thunder fell behind the Carolina RailHawks in the standings by a point and now occupy fifth place.

Elsewhere this week, Lazo Alavanja picked up an assist as his Charelston Battery side downed Mauricio Salles and the Rochester Rhinos by a count of 3-1. Dan Antoniuk's Carolina RailHawks picked up three points when they shutdown the Portland Timbers 1-0.

Kljestan To Metro

Red Bull New York announced today that they have inked defender/midfielder Gordon Kljestan to a developmental contract.

Kljestan was the only Ironmen player to take part in every game last season. He had recently spent some time training with RBNY and took part in a Red Bull reserves match against the Kansas City Wizards reserves on May 18th.

Kljestan was originally selected out of Seton Hall University by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft. He played in one game this season for the Newark Ironbound Express of the USL's Premier Development League.

Alavanja Shines, Ironmen Players Go Head to Head (USL Weekly Update)

Lazo Alavanja - Image From Charleston Battery Website

Lazo Alavanja earned Man of the Match honors for his strong performance against the Minnesota Thunder in the Fox Soccer Channel USL Game of the Week. Alavanja was the lone goal scorer for the Charleston Battery in the 1-1 draw. His goal came in the 55th minute when he sent a Chris Williams cross into the net with a snapping header from just atop the six yard box. The goal was his first of the season. Alavanja nearly put the Battery back on top a few minutes after the Thunder leveled the match when he sent a low and heavy shot toward goal that ticked off the keeper's fingertips and caromed hard off the post. He registered four shots on goal in the match. Fellow Ironmen player Frederico Moojen came on as a substitute in second half stoppage time for the Thunder.

Two other Ironmen players went head to head on Friday when Mauricio Salles' Rochester Rhinos played Dan Antoniuk and the Carolina RailHawks to a 3-3 stalemate at PAETEC Park. Salles opened up the scoring when he converted a penalty kick in the game's opening minutes. The goal was his fourth of the season. Antoniuk also found his way onto the score sheet when he assisted on Matt Watson's goal in the 37th minute. The Rhinos are situated just two points behind the first place Vancouver Whitecaps in the USL overall standings. The RailHawks slipped to ninth place with their loss to the Montreal Impact on Sunday.

John Krause was also in action this week when his Puerto Rico Islanders fell to the Atlanta Silverbacks on Saturday by a count of 3-1. The Islanders sit in last place in the standings.

Meola In Homerun Derby

Ironmen keeper Tony Meola will be taking part in a homerun derby for charity this evening at FirstEnergy Park in Lakewood. Meola's appearance is part of the Lakewood Blue Claws' "Soccer Night" promotion. The derby is slated to begin at 6:30 PM. Also making an appearence will be the Ironmen dance team. The BlueClaws will take on the Lake County Captains in a Class A matchup following the derby.

Sounds like a good night out. Look for members of your Local FE26 if you decide to come out. We'll be there watching Tony swing for the fences.

Ironmen Players Help Lift Palace Out Of Rut

Gary Brooks' goal in the 59th minute proved to be the winner against the Cleveland City Stars last Friday at UMBC Stadium. The goal was Brooks' sixth of the season. Fellow Ironmen and Palace teammate Ibrahim Kante was part of a back line that helped fend off a late Cleveland onslaught that included defenders and the keeper pushed up the field into the attacking third.

The 2-1 victory got Crystal Palace Baltimore back on track after dropping their last three league meetings. Palace now sits third overall on the USL Second Division table.

Irons in the USL (Weekly Update)

Mauricio Salles - Image from Rochester Rhinos Website

John Krause started the week off on a high note when he scored his second goal of the season to help lift the Puerto Rico Islanders over Dan Antoniuk's Carolina RailHawks by a score of 3-0. The win was the Islanders' second of the year.

The RailHawks' luck didn't change in their second match of the week against Miami FC. The RailHawks were unable to recover from an early goal in the first minute and ultimately fell by a count of 2-0. The loss was their third straight in league play. Antoniuk played the full 90 minutes and registered three shots on goal.

But it was (former?) Ironmen forward Mauricio Salles who had the most remarkable week among USL players. Salles tallied two goals and an assist in the Rochester Rhinos' 3-0 blowout of the Vancouver Whitecaps at waterlogged PAETEC PARK on Friday night. Salles now has three goals and two assists on the season.

Irons In The USL (Update)

John Krause - Image from Puerto Rico Islanders Website

It wasn't a particularly good week for Ironmen players in the USL First Division. Ironmen players were active in five games, but were able to pick up only one victory. Lazo Alavanja's Charleston Battery defeated the Montreal Impact 3-1 at Blackbaud Stadium on Saturday. Alavanja played 60 minutes and registered two shots on goal.

Frederico Moojen of the Minnesota Thunder did not see action in Wednesday's 0-0 draw with the Portland Timbers, but started Saturday in a 3-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders. Moojen registered two shots.

John Krause's Puerto Rico Islanders played the Atlanta Silverbacks to a 1-1 draw in the Fox Soccer Channel USL game of the week. Krause was a formidable presence the entire match while playing in a center back role.

However, no Ironmen player registered a goal or an assist during the week.

Ironmen Owners Stand Firm

In a statement released last Thursday, Ironmen ownership expressed their continued commitment to the team. “We remain committed to the New Jersey Ironmen and the overall success of the game of indoor soccer,” co-owner Jeff Vanderbeek affirmed. Co-owner Michael Gilfillan also expressed his commitment and added that ownership's ultimate goal is to bring "a league championship to the New York/ New Jersey metropolitan area.”

The statement went on to note that a committee has been formed to steer the restructuring of the league. The committee will determine what the new structure will look like in "the next couple of weeks."

Meola Set To Return Despite League Shake-up

Ironmen goalkeeper Tony Meola has expressed his intention to return to the team next season. According to the longtime U.S. National Team keeper and Kearny, NJ native, "Right now, the plan is to come back for one more season."

With MISL operations coming to a halt this week, all players are technically free agents until the league re-forms under a new name and structure. Despite this tentative situation, Meola sees himself in an Ironmen uniform next season. "I don't see myself going anywhere," Meola affirmed.

The new league looks set to begin next season with a revamped ownership/investor base.

As for Meola's Ironmen teammates, head coach Omid Namazi isn't too worried. "I'm sure there will be a gentlemen's agreement not to touch other team's players," Namazi stated.

Ironmen Will Play Next Season

The New Jersey Ironmen will be around next year. With the announcement that the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) has ceased operations, it has inspired speculation about the future of the franchises and sport.

In an email exchange with John Archibald (Director of Communications), we feel secure in saying the Ironmen will be here next year:

Ownership and staff, “are fully committed to the future of our franchise… While there will be some changes regarding the league going forward, you can fully expect the Ironmen to be part of the future of our game.”

We here at LocalFe26.com believe that the folding of MISL may be for the best. A restructuring of the league could be exactly what is needed for the continued growth and survival of the sport. The Baltimore Blast and Philadelphia Kixx have already made statements about their intentions to continue operations.

We will keep you updated, as we continue to follow this story and information becomes available.

http://www.localfe26.com

MISL Ceases Operations

The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) has announced today that the league has ceased operations effective immediately. According to the official MISL press release, the move was implemented in an effort to "restructure" the league.

The MISL believes that moving to a new league structure "will help lower costs and attract additional owner/operators."

Baltimore Blast owner Ed Hale affirmed in a statement that the Blast will play next season and stated that the shake up will allow the new league to jettison "some of the stock ownership from previous owners." The fate of current MISL teams will be decided "soon," according to Hale's statement.

There is no word yet from the Ironmen. We here at the Local FE26 are tracking down our sources. We'll report any developments as soon as they are known.