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.

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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.