Meola, Messing And Other Notes

Many of you have asked us why Tony Meola is no longer playing for the Ironmen. Well, it seems that the team parted ways with the Kearny, NJ native just before the season.

Michael Lewis of Big Apple Soccer reported earlier this month that the Ironmen gave Meola a letter of release after deciding to make room on the reduced-sized roster. Meola wanted to return for a second season, but team officials were reportedly only offering to bring him back on a part-time basis. He was uninterested in that scenario.

"I cannot work that way," he said. "It was all or nothing."

Meola hopes to land a goalkeeping job in the MLS. He played 10 years in the league as a member of the MetroStars/Red Bull New York and Kansas City Wizards.

The Ironmen have not released any official word about Meola.

We here at the Local Fe26 are bummed that Tony is not coming back this year. You can check out Michael Lewis's article here.

In other Ironmen related news:

* Shep Messing will be the honorary captain for the Ironmen's next home match against the Chicago Storm on January 9th. Messing played in the North American Soccer League from 1973 to 1979 and won a league championship as a member of the New York Cosmos in 1977. The Bronx native moved his game to the MISL in 1978 and played there until 1987. He is currently an ESPN soccer analyst and a broadcaster on Red Bull New York telecasts.

* Brett Phillips has taken the starting goalkeeper spot so far this season. The 40-year-old veteran keeper began playing indoor in 1992. He has been named goalkeeper of the year twice during his career, most recently in 2006 as a member of the St. Louis Steamers. He is also a member of the United States National Futsal Team.

Ironmen See Late Lead Slip, Falter In OT

The offense showed up, but it was not enough as the Ironmen fell short in overtime by a count of 16-14 to the home side Detroit Ignition (1-1).

The Irons went up by four points late in the fourth period after they put together a 9-0 run that was capped off by a Shawn Boney two-pointer at the 4:05 mark. The tally brought Boney's career regular season point total to 301.

But the Ironmen defense faltered down the stretch as Detroit scored twice after bringing on a sixth attacker with over 4:00 left in regulation. Detroit's Drew Crawford cut the Ironmen lead to two points at 2:45 and Ryan Mack got the equalizer with 5 ticks left on the clock to make it 14-14.

Mack remained hot in the golden-goal overtime period. The veteran midfielder picked up the game-winner when he finished off a Kyt Selaidopoulus pass at 11:54.

The disappointing loss drops the Ironmen to 0-2 on the season. They will have two weeks to regroup before their next game in Chicago on January 4th.

Ironmen At Detroit Ignition (Game Preview)

The Ironmen will be seeking their first win of the season Saturday night when they travel to Compuware Arena to take on the Detroit Ignition. The match is scheduled to get underway at 7:30 and can be seen live online on the B2 Networks.

The Ironmen are coming off an anemic one goal performance against the Chicago Storm in last week's season opener. A number of Ironmen players will look to get on the scoring track including Chile Farias, who notched 16 goals and 26 assists during last season's campaign.

There is no word yet on who will be in goal for the Irons. Brett Phillips got the starting nod against Chicago, but Patrick Hannigan looked strong in relief.

Last season's MISL rookie of the year Frederico Moojen is listed as questionable for the match due to a toe injury.

Detroit is coming off an 11-4 loss in Milwaukee last week. Forward Mike Apple and midfielder Vahid Assadpour were the two goalscorers for the Ignition in that match.

The Ironmen split last season's head to head meetings with the Ignition 2-2. Detroit finished the regular season in second place while the Ironmen ended sixth.

Ironmen Slip In Opener

Sunday's season opener was not a pretty sight. The Ironmen were able to muster only a single goal on 18 shots during yesterday's 4-2 loss to the Chicago Storm at the Prudential Center.

The Ironmen opened the scoring a little more than a minute into the game when Goran Vasic's free kick found a loosely-marked Aduato Neto, who directed the ball into the net from just outside the far post.

Chicago however got the equalizer about five minutes later when Chris Cerroni took a cross from the left flank and beat Ironmen goalkeeper Brett Phillips for the Storm's first tally of the season.

Both teams would show their off season rust as the game went scoreless for over 40 minutes. The scoring drought ended 1:43 into the fourth period when the Ironmen defense failed to clear a Chicago pass in front of the net. Chicago striker Awadalla Morad collected the ball and struck it past a sprawling Phillips to give Chicago a 4-2 lead.

The Ironmen generated a couple scoring chances down the latter part of the fourth, but could not find the finishing touch.

We here at the Local Fe26 were disappointed with Sunday's result, but we're confident that the talent rich Ironmen can pick up the slack soon. New Jersey's next match will be away against the Detroit Ignition on December 20th. Check back here for a game preview.

Chicago Storm 4, New Jersey Ironmen 2

SCORING SUMMARY:

First quarter: 1, New Jersey, Adauto Neto (Goran Vasic assist), 1:06; 2, Chicago, Chris Cerroni (Zlatko Zebic), 6:09.
END OF 1Q: Chicago 2, New Jersey 2
Fourth quarter: 3, Chicago, Awadalla Morad (Fabinho), 1:43.
END OF GAME: Chicago 4, New Jersey 2
Saves: Chicago 18 (Jeff Richey 18); New Jersey 7 (Brett Phillips 3, Patrick Hannigan 3, Goran Vasic 1).

Ironmen Open Season Sunday (Game Preview)

The season is finally upon us! The Ironmen will get their sophmore campaign underway this Sunday when they take on the Chicago Storm at the Prudential Center. The match is slated kick off at 4:00 PM.

The Ironmen feature an overhauled lineup that includes some of the best talent that the indoor game has to offer. The marquee off season move was the signing of star forward Aduato Neto. The 2005-2006 MISL MVP has notched an impressive 106 goals and 72 assists in 137 career indoor games.

The midfield corps will be lead by Goran Vasic, who is one of only six players to return from last season's squad. The 36-year-old Serb lead the team last year with 29 assists while adding 10 goals.

Defender Ryan Hall will help bolster a retooled back line. Hall's 57 blocked shots was third most in the MISL last season.

Tony Meola's departure will leave three goalkeepers vying for the starting spot. Brett Phillips will get the nod Sunday. Phillips most recently played for the United States National Futsal Team.

Here are a few more notes on the game:

* The Ironmen were 2-1 in head to head meetings with Chicago last season.

* The Storm's attack will be lead by former Red Bull New York first round draft pick Randi Patterson. The Hackensack, NJ native lead the Charleston Battery in scoring this past USL season.

* The Ironmen held a 14-16 record and finished in six place last season.

* Chicago went 15-15 and placed fifth.

One Returning Player And Two New Faces Introduced

Pat Hannigan

Three more players were introduced as members of the team during last week's Ironmen Media Day event--forward Nebo Stamenkovic, goalkeeper Pat Hannigan and defender Aaron Bonser.

Nebo is returning from last year's Ironmen squad. The former Red Star Belgrade reserve registered a goal and two assists after being signed by the team late in the season. He is the son of indoor great Stan Stamenkovic, who played in three MISL All-Star matches and was named league MVP in 1984.

Hannigan, a 6' 3", 200-pound goalkeeper, was originally drafted by the MetroStars in the third round of the 2005 MLS draft. The former Temple standout has spent time with Miami FC of the USL-1 and the Bray Wanderers of the FAI Irish Premier League. He was part of the Philadelphia Kixx's 2006-07 championship squad.

Bonser played last season for the California Cougars where he registered 18 blocks, two goals and an assist in 12 appearances. He played in 65 matches for the Syracuse Orange during his collegiate career.

XSL Gains U.S. Soccer Federation Membership And Other League News (UPDATED)

The Xtreme Soccer League announced yesterday that they have earned a provisional membership in the United States Soccer Federation (USSF). According to the official press release, membership benefits include licensing and insuring rights and access to USSF registered referees. Inclusion in the federation will also provide league coaches and refs with educational opportunities.

The USSF is the governing body of soccer in the United States and is a member of FIFA.

In other league news:

* Brine will be the official match ball provider for the XSL. The league announced that this season's ball will be the Triumph X 600, which will sport a green and white design. [You can check out the ball here].

* Former Red Bull New York striker Randi Patterson recently signed with the Chicago Storm. Patterson last played with the Charleston Battery where he lead the team in scoring.

* Tony Sanneh is training with the Chicago Storm according to the Chicago Tribune (link). The 37-year-old veteran defender earned 43 caps with the U.S. National Team between 1997 and 2005. There is no word yet on whether he intends to sign with the team.

Notes and Highlights From Media Day (UPDATED)

The Local Fe26 was on hand when the Ironmen introduced the players to the press during Tuesday's Media Day event. Here are the highlights and a few of our observations:

* In his opening remarks, head coach Omid Namazi reflected on a busy off season that included the signings of 1o new faces. "We had to make changes to compete for the championship," the two-time MISL Coach of the Year stated. He went on to note that anything less than a championship would be a "disappointment" for this season's highly talented Ironmen squad.

* There were two players introduced whose signings have not yet been officially announced: forward Nebo Stamenkovic and goalkeeper Pat Hannigan. Nebo is a returnee from last season. The former Red Star Belgrade reserve had a goal and two assists in seven appearances last year. Hannigan's resume includes time with Miami FC of the USL-1. [Defender Aaron Bonser was also introduced at the event. The 23-year-old defender played with the California Cougars last season].

* Namazi told the press that the Ironmen are currently waiting on the status of two players from last year's squad. The unnamed players are apparently in Brazil where they are attempting to secure the paperwork necessary for them to rejoin the team. One of the players may be forward Mauricio Salles, who was in Brazil seeking documentation for his family during the summer.

* There were two highly noticeable absences from the event. Goalkeeper Tony Meola was not amongst the players introduced. As we reported earlier, Meola is rumored to be a candidate for the general manager position with Major League Soccer's Philadelphia expansion team. Also absent was Jonathan Steele. The 2008 USL-1 MVP is currently listed on the official roster, but did not appear in the team photo that was distributed to the press. We will continue to monitor the status of both players.