Pics From XtremBol Soccer Tourney

A few of us here at the Local Fe26 made it out to the Ironmen's XTremBol street soccer tournament today in the Prudential Center parking lot. The event turned out to be a pretty good time despite the early rainy weather. Below are a few pictures that we took of the scene. Click on each image to enlarge.

Tony Meola, Goran Vasic and Nebo Stamenkovic greet the Master of Ceremonies

Jersey's Finest (maroon) and Master Railing (yellow) get ready for a set piece

Some of the festivities included music and food

Freestyle juggling

Some reggaeton flavor

The ref steps in

XSL Schedule Released (First Look)

The league schedule was unveiled last night on the XSL website. The Ironmen will open the season at home against the Chicago Storm on December 14th. The regular season will conclude on April 4th with the playoffs getting underway the following week. There is no word yet on the playoff format.

Most noticeably absent from the schedule are dates with NISL sides. It remains to be seen if inter-league matches will be added at a later time. We will keep you updated on anything that develops.

As for what we have now, the Ironmen will play 10 home matches and 10 away. They will meet with Chicago and Detroit seven times and with Milwaukee six. There will be 15 games played on a Saturday or Sunday, four Friday games and one Wednesday.

Here's how the schedule shapes up (home matches are in bold):

December 14: Chicago at New Jersey
December 20: New Jersey at Detroit
January 4: New Jersey at Chicago
January 9: Chicago at New Jersey
January 11: Milwaukee at New Jersey
January 16: New Jersey at Milwaukee
January 24: New Jersey at Milwaukee
January 25: New Jersey at Detroit
February 8: Chicago at New Jersey
February 15: New Jersey at Chicago
February 18: Detroit at New Jersey
February 22: Detroit at New Jersey
February 28: New Jersey at Detroit
March 8: New Jersey at Detroit
March 13: Chicago at New Jersey
March 15: New Jersey at Chicago
March 22: Milwaukee at New Jersey
March 27: Detroit at New Jersey
March 29: New Jersey at Milwaukee
April 4: Milwaukee at New Jersey

Ironmen To Host Street Soccer Tourney

The Ironmen will be hosting a 4-on-4 street soccer tournament this Sunday in the Prudential Center parking lot located on the corner of Lafayette and Broad Street. 12 teams will compete throughout the day in two enclosed cages. Games are set begin at 9:00 AM and end around 8:00 PM.

The event will feature music, food and other festivities. A few Ironmen players will be present throughout the event.

Sounds like an event worth checking out. Look for members of your Local Fe26. You can read more on the event on the Ironmen website.

Islanders Stun Santos, Take Group Lead (Irons In USL Update)

Image From Puerto Rico Islanders Website

The Puerto Rico Islanders scored another CONCACAF Champions League upset when they downed Club Santos Laguna at home last night by a score of 3-1.

Both teams had difficulty linking up in the opening minutes as the match began in a heavy downpour that waterlogged the pitch. The standing water hampered a Santos clearing attempt in the 15th minute that resulted in a shot that was deflected and then redirected into the net by Osei Telesford for the Islanders' first tally. Noah Delgado would add another one for the Islanders just before the break and Edwin Miranda tallied the third in the 50th on a wide open shot from well inside the box.

John Krause once again was a defensive standout as he effectively pressured the ball and closed down space to attackers inside the box.

The win allowed the Islanders to take an early lead in the group D standings. They have six points on a 2-0-0 record. Their first group win came against Tauro FC.

The Islanders next match will be away in Panama against CSD Municipal.

Islanders Take On Santos In CCL (Irons In USL Update)

John Krause and the Puerto Rico Islanders will be hosting Club Santos Laguna tonight in CONCACAF Champions League group D play. The match will air at 11:00 PM ET on Fox Soccer Channel.

The Islanders upset Tauro FC in their first group match. They opened up the tournament by shocking LD Alajuelense in the preliminary round.

Santos defeated CSD Municipal in their first group match by a score of 3-2 at home.

XSL Unveiled

As we mentioned earlier, The Xtreme Soccer League was officially introduced at a press conference in Milwaukee yesterday afternoon. Here are the main aspects that were covered:

• The league will consist of four teams: the New Jersey Ironmen, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition and Milwaukee Wave.
  
• Each team will have a 20-game schedule broken down into 10 home and 10 away.
  
• The season will open up on December 1st and end late in March.
• Rules will be unchanged from last year. The multi-point scoring system will once again be in effect.
• All league games will be streamed on the XSL website. The site will also have a number of interactive features.
  
• The league will host 3 on 3 soccer tournaments for youth and adults throughout the year and expand their summer camp program.

Let's start with the positives:

The XSL website was well thought out. Online game streaming will make following the Ironmen much easier. Feeds for away games were nearly impossible to find last year.

The league also made a good move in keeping the same rules as last year. Although some purists might disagree, the multi-point scoring system is one facet that adds excitement and a sense of uniqueness to the indoor game.

Now our concerns:

The press conference was lacking in a number of ways. A four member league is obviously very small. It will be interesting to see how the league handles inter-league games. Matches against National Indoor Soccer League sides would allow teams to have a more diversified schedule. Meaningful inter-league matches would also help the Ironmen to establish a natural regional rivalry with the NISL's Philadelphia Kixx and Baltimore Blast.

The press conference also failed to address what teams will be playing for. Noticeably absent was any mention of playoffs or a league cup. A championship game or series between the XSL and NISL winners would be a very appealing prospect.

Hopefully the league will address these issues when they release more information in about a week. As always, we here at the Local Fe26 will keep you caught up.

Another Champions League Win For Puerto Rico (Irons In USL Update)

The Puerto Rico Islanders scored another upset last night when they downed Panamanian powerhouse Tauro FC by a score of 2-1 in the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League.

Former Metro Petter Villegas opened up the scoring for the Islanders in the 11th minute with a clinical finish to the near post from inside the box. Kendall Jagdeosingh added the second goal in the 26th on a shot from 25 yards out that caught the Tauro keeper off his line.

Aside from the one lapse that lead to a goal, John Krause and the Islanders defense were able to mark out Tauro attackers and absorb their pressure. The defense came up big late in the game after the Islanders went down to ten men in the second half.

The Islanders next Champions League match will be against Club Santos Laguna on September 23rd. Check the CONCACAF website for more information.

Soccer Night With The Newark Bears

The Ironmen will take part in the Newark Bears' Soccer Night promotion this Thursday at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium. The defending Atlantic League champion Bears will be taking on the Somerset Patriots starting at 7:05 PM.

The Ironmen dance team will be appearing along with head coach Omid Namazi who will sign autographs for fans.

The game will be a crucial one for the Bears who trail the York Revolution by 3.5 games with five left to play in the regular season.

Many of us here at the Local Fe26 are big fans of the Bears. Thursday's game will give us a chance to check out two of our favorite clubs in one night!

XSL Unveiled (First Look)

The Xtreme Soccer League was officially introduced today at a press conference in Milwaukee. As we previously reported, the league will consist of four teams: the New Jersey Ironmen, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition and Milwaukee Wave.

The XSL website was also unveiled at the conference.

We here at the Local Fe26 will have much more on this story a bit later. In the meantime, you can check out the press release here.

Islanders Begin Group Stage (Irons In USL Update)

John Krause and the Puerto Rico Islanders will open up CONCACAF Champions League group play at home against Panama's Tauro FC. The match will be aired tonight on Fox Soccer Channel starting at 11:00 PM ET.

The Islanders are coming off a shocking upset of past Champions Cup winner LD Alajuelense in the preliminary round. Krause has been a mainstay on an Islanders' defense that has conceded the least number of goals in the USL this season.

Tauro FC are the most prolific team in the Panamanian ANAPROF, winning the league championship seven times. They defeated Chivas USA in the preliminary round by a deficit of 3-1 on aggregate.

Report: XSL To Play 20-Game Season; Salary Cap Instated

More details on the Xtreme Soccer League's business model and upcoming season are starting to come to light. Sources have told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that teams will play a 20-game regular season schedule starting in December.

The league will consist of four teams: the New Jersey Ironmen, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition and Milwaukee Wave. Additional teams are being considered for future seasons.

Sources have also told the Sentinel that the XSL will employ a salary cap in an effort to reduce costs. To promote stability, all teams must enter into a five year commitment to the league.

The XSL will be a single-entity league governed by a commissioner. As we reported earlier, the rival National Indoor Soccer League will be decentralized with no league office or commissioner. League decisions will be made by teams cooperatively.

The NISL will not use a salary cap.

We here at the Local Fe26 will offer our thoughts once all details have been announced. The XSL has a press conference set for September 16th. Markets and schedules should be made available at that time. You can check out the Sentinel's article here.

NISL To Have No Cap; Hale Sounds Off

The Baltimore Examiner has reported that the National Indoor Soccer League will not have a salary cap. The inaugural season will begin in mid-November.

It will be interesting to see what sort of impact the absence of a cap has on the league. It is hard to imagine teams from smaller markets able to match the Baltimore Blast and Philadelphia KiXX dollar for dollar. But on the other hand, the lack of cap may allow the NISL to siphon off the best talent from other leagues.

Clearly, NISL ownership believes that their business model will produce the top-flight of indoor soccer. “This will be the absolute best league there is in talent,” Baltimore Blast owner Ed Hale stated. Hale also sees the possibility of the NISL expanding west and splitting into two divisions by early as next season.

The NISL will take a decentralized approach to their business structure. The league will put its focus on franchises and will not have a league office.

There is no word yet from the Xtreme Soccer League on its proposed business model. The league will hold a press conference on September 16th to introduce their commissioner and announce further details. We here at the Local Fe26 will keep you up to date on any developments.

Kudos to the Baltimore media for their coverage of the new leagues so far. You can check out the Examiner's article here and one from the PressBox of Baltimore here.

Ironmen To Participate In Somerset Patriots Soccer Night

The Ironmen will take part in the Somerset Patriots' Soccer Night promotion set for Monday, September 15th. The game between the Patriots and Lancaster Barnstormers will get underway at 7:05 PM at Commerce Bank Ballpark in Bridgewater, NJ.

The Ironmen dance team will be appearing along with Ironmen players (the press release does not specify which ones). Red Bull New York and Sky Blue FC of the WPS will also be on hand.

The Local Fe26 will definitely make the trip out to the ballpark for this one. Sounds like a good opportunity to greet some soccer players and check out a good Atlantic League matchup.

Brooks Awarded (Irons In USL Update)

Gary Brooks - Image From Crystal Palace Website

The United Soccer Leagues named Crystal Palace Baltimore forward Gary Brooks to the USL-2 All-League Second Team.

Brooks finished the season with seven goals and one assist in 14 games played. His knack for scoring in big games was a key factor in Palace's success this year. His goal against the Harrisburg City Islanders in the first round of the USL-2 playoffs helped propel Palace into the semifinals. Brooks also scored in Palace's shocking upset of Red Bull New York in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.

We here at the Local Fe26 congratulate Gary on his productive season. It would be great to see him back in an Ironmen uniform when the new season gets underway!

National Indoor Soccer League Unveiled; Orlando To Play Additional Out-Of-Conference Schedule

It's good to finally have a bit of hard news.

As mentioned earlier, the National Indoor Soccer League (NISL) was introduced today. The league will be comprised of five teams. The Baltimore Blast, La Raza de Monterrey, Orlando Sharks and Philadelphia KiXX of the former MISL will join last year's American Indoor Soccer League champion Rockford Rampage in the inaugural NISL season set to begin in mid-November.

Competition on the pitch will be governed by the same rules used by the MISL last season. The multiple-point scoring system will once again be in effect.

The league has also announced that each team will play an 18-game schedule broken down into nine home games and nine away. Playoffs will start at the beginning of April.

So what does this mean for Ironmen supporters? Well, the possibility of inter-league matches between NISL and XSL sides seems strong. The Orlando Sharks announced in their version of the NISL press release that they will be playing an "out-of-conference schedule" in addition to their regular schedule. Whether any of these matches will be meaningful is yet to be known.

The NISL plans to release more information later this month. More details on the Xtreme Soccer League are set to be unveiled September 16th.

We here at the Local Fe26 will have much more as this story develops. You can check out the Orlando Sharks' press release here.

National Indoor Soccer League Announced (First Look)

The National Indoor Soccer League was just announced about an hour ago.

Four former MISL sides (the Baltimore Blast, La Raza de Monterrey, Orlando Sharks, Philadelphia KiXX) and one crossover American Indoor Soccer League team (the Rockford Rampage) will take part in the inaugural season.

We here at the Local Fe26 will have more on this story a bit later today. In the meantime, you can check out the Blast's press release here.

Second New League Unveiled Tomorrow

The Baltimore Sun has reported that a second new indoor soccer league will be announced tomorrow.

League play is expected to commence in mid-November with the playoffs taking place some time in April.

As we recently reported, the league will be comprised of four former MISL sides (Baltimore Blast, Philadelphia KiXX, Orlando Sharks, La Raza de Monterrey) and at least one additional team.

The Ironmen will begin the upcoming season as part of the recently unveiled Xtreme Soccer League. There is no word yet on whether there will be inter-league play between teams from the XSL and the second new league. The topic was discussed by owners over the summer. More details, including markets and schedules, will be announced by the XSL on September 16th.

We here at the Local Fe26 will offer our thoughts on this issue as soon as more information is made known. You can check out the Sun's article here.

Ironmen To Take Part In Community Event

The Ironmen staff and dance team along with forward Nebo Stamenkovic will be taking part in the Newark Gets Healthy Dance Event hosted by the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network. The event is scheduled to begin on Tuesday at 11:00 AM in Newark's Military Park.

Also scheduled to be on hand is Newark Mayor Cory Booker and 98.7 KISS FM deejay Ruben Toro. Some of the festivities include giveaways and free health screenings. You can learn more about the event here or on the New Jersey Organ and Tissue Sharing Network website.

Sounds like a good reason to skip out of work for a couple of hours. Look for members of your Local Fe26.

Puerto Rico Advances To Groups With Upset Win

John Krause and the Puerto Rico Islanders advanced to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League after upsetting former Champions Cup winner LD Alajuelense 2-1 in the second leg of the preliminary round last night.

The Islanders opened the match looking a bit shaky on the rain soaked pitch at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium. Alajuelense struck just five minutes into the match when Eithel Rodriguez found net off a low shot from just outside the box. The goal brought the aggregate score to 2-1 in Alajuelense's favor.

But the Islanders regrouped shortly thereafter and completely dominated play the rest of the way. Their big breakthrough came with time running short in the 87th minute when the Alajuelense keeper came way off his line in an attempt to secure the ball in the corner of the 18-yard box. Kendall Jagdeosingh wrenched the ball away from him and lofted it into the open net to bring the aggregate to 2-2.

Taiwo Atieno put the Islanders ahead on aggregate just two minutes later after bringing down a failed Alajuelense clearance and beating the keeper to his right to send the Islanders through to the group stage.

John Krause had another solid game for the Islanders. Krause's aerial play was key in shutting down the Alajuelense attack after the first goal.

The Islanders will compete in Group D with Santos Laguna (Mexico), Municipal (Guatemala) and Tauro (Panama).

Charleston Falls Just Short After Controversial Call

Lazo Alavanja - Image From Charleston Battery Website

Lazo Alavanja and the Charleston Battery were unlucky not to get the result after matching DC United step for step in the Final match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Luciano Emilio opened the scoring for United four minutes into the match on a shot from just atop the box. But Charleston pressured right back and found an equalizer six minutes later when Chris Williams broke free in the box and found Ian Fuller who deposited the ball into the net.

The Battery controlled stretches of play during the rest of the match, but it was United who found the go ahead goal when Fred was sprung free on goal and finished low and to the near post to make it 2-1.

The Battery seemed to have equalized in the final minute of stoppage time after they won the ball in front of goal and sent it into the net. But the linesman's flag went up and the goal was disallowed. The Battery appeared to be onside on Fox Soccer Channel's replay.

Lazo Alavanja was the Battery's best player. Alavanja'a ability to hold the ball in the midfield and create space in the box lead to a number of quality chances. The best one came in the first half when Alavanja made a run into the box and unleased a low and hard shot that caromed off the far post.

Puerto Rico and Alajuelense Delayed

Tonight's CONCACAF Champions League match between the Puerto Rico Islanders and LD Alajuelense has been delayed due to severe weather. The match is now scheduled to air tonight at 1:00 AM ET on Fox Soccer Channel.

Former MISL Teams Split Up

Sean Welsh of the Baltimore Examiner has reported that eight former MISL sides will split off into two new leagues.

The New Jersey Ironmen, Milwaukee Wave, Detroit Ignition and Chicago Storm will comprise the newly introduced Xtreme Soccer League. It is yet to be seen if other markets will be included in the league. More information will be available September 16th.

The other new league will be announced as early as this week. The Baltimore Blast, Philadelphia KiXX, Orlando Sharks, La Raza de Monterrey and at least one additional team will take part in that league.

There is no word yet as to whether teams will crossover for inter-league matches.

The California Cougars will join the Professional Arena Soccer League in the upcoming season.

We here at the Local Fe26 will keep you updated as soon as anything develops. You can check out the Examiner's article here.

Puerto Rico In Champions League

John Krause (left) and Teammates - Image From Puerto Rico Islanders Website

Lazo Alavanja is not the only Ironmen to play in a big game for his USL side tonight. John Krause and the Puerto Rico Islanders will host Costa Rica's LD Alajuelense in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League preliminary round.

The match will begin on a 1-1 aggregate after the Islanders earned a suprise draw in the first leg on Alajuelense's home ground.

The Islanders are undefeated in their last eight USL league games and have conceded a league low 22 goals this season.

The match will be aired on FOX Soccer Channel at 11:00 PM.

Wow! It sounds like a great night to veg out in front of the TV with both the USOC Final and Champions League play on the tube.

Charleston Looks For Major USOC Upset

Lazo Alavanja will look to be a thorn in his former team's side when the Charleston Battery take aim at DC United in the final match of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The tilt is slated to get underway tonight at 7:30 PM at RFK Stadium. FOX Soccer Channel will broadcast the match live.

The Battery are not unaccustomed to upsets. Their road to the USOC final included victories over a pair of MLS sides. Lazo Alavanja scored the opening goal in a 3-1 win over FC Dallas in the quarterfinals. The Battery also knocked off current MLS Cup holder Houston Dynamo in the third round.

The Battery will need to pick up their play if they plan to score a major upset. They are 0-3-3 since their last win exactly one month ago. The Battery have been outscored 8-3 during the drought.

DC United were 4-2-1 in MLS league play during the month of August.

The two teams have met a pair of times in the USOC tournament. The Battery stunned United with a third round 4-3 extra-time win in 1999. United took the second meeting the following year 4-0.

Alavanja played 17 games in 2002 for United. He currently has five goals and two assists for the Battery in league play this season.