Alavanja Injured, Out Of Lineup

Lazo Alavanja - Image From Charleston Battery Website

Ironmen forward Lazo Alavanja sustained an injury during a match on July 19th and has been out of the lineup for his Charleston Battery since.

Alavanja was subbed out in the 8th minute against the Portland Timbers after he "fell awkwardly" to the turf, according to the Battery's match report. The report did not elaborate on the nature of the injury.

Alavanja was not in the starting lineup nor listed as a reserve during the Battery's recent two game road swing.

We are yet to find official word on when Alavanja will be returning to the lineup. We here at the Local Fe26 will keep you updated as soon as specific details are known.

Irons in the USL (Weekly Update)

Sorry for the slight delay with the update this week. I've been trying to shake off a cold these past few days.

It was a relatively quiet week for Ironmen players, who failed to make their way onto the score sheets for the first time since the beginning of the season.

John Krause's Puerto Rico Islanders were the big story this week. Los Islenos rode their five-game win streak to within a point of the co-leading Vancouver Whitecaps and Charleston Battery. Their latest win came against Frederico Moojen and the Minnesota Thunder on Sunday night.

The Islanders have a game-in-hand on both the Whitecaps and the Battery.

The Battery had a disappointing week as they were only able to earn a single point in two matches. The Battery played the Whitecaps to a 1-1 draw on the road Tuesday night, but then fell in Seattle 1-0 on Saturday.

New League Structure Still In The Works

A number of you have recently asked us about the status of the new league. The last we heard, a committee had been formed and a decision regarding the structure of the new league would be made within a couple of weeks. However, that was the beginning of June. So what has been going on since?

Owners have been focusing on regionalizing the league. Under this structure, the majority of a club's games would be played against teams from a specified local region. Teams would crossover and play inter-regional games, but there would be fewer meetings. This structure would allow the league to become more economically streamlined as travel costs would be reduced.

However, the new league structure has not been finalized because owners have yet to determine the number of scheduled league games. The Ironmen front office has told the Local Fe26 that the team is still intent on playing 15 home games next season. If the number of league games are reduced, Ironmen officials are considering the possibility of scheduling friendlies against international clubs to make up for the lost home games.

The Ironmen front office has also told us that the start to next season will most likely be pushed back as a result of the delay in finalizing the new league structure. League owners will formally announce the new structure once all details have been hammered out.

The Ironmen expressed that they are looking forward to the upcoming season and thanked the supporters for their patience while the matter gets worked out.

As always, we here at the Local Fe26 will keep you updated as soon as anything develops.

Islanders Continue Winning Ways (Irons in USL Update)

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

The Puerto Rico Islanders won their fourth straight match when they shutout the Carolina RailHawks 2-0 Friday night. Ironmen John Krause played the duration of the match on the defensive back line for the Islanders. Fellow Ironmen teamate Dan Antoniuk went 67 minutes for the RailHawks and registered one shot.

The win allowed the Islanders to continue the hottest streak in the USL. Los Islenos have come out on the winning end seven times in their last nine matches. John Krause has been a mainstay on an Islanders defense that has conceded only six goals and earned five clean sheets during the streak.

The Islanders sit in second in the USL-1 standings. They are only three points behind the Charleston Battery who defeated the Portland Timbers Saturday to retain sole possesion of first.

Ironmen To Take Part In Soccer Night

The Ironmen will be on hand for the New Jersey Jackals' "Soccer Night" promotion, which takes place Sunday July 20th. The game is slated to begin at 5:05 PM at Yogi Berra Stadium on the campus of Montclair State University.

Members of the Ironmen dance team and forward Nebo Stamenkovic will be appearing during the game to sign autographs and hang with the crowd.

Sounds like a good reason to catch a baseball game. Look for members of your Local Fe26.

Alavanja Stays Hot; Islanders Cruise On (Irons in the USL Update)

Lazo Alavanja - Image From Charleston Battery Website

Lazo Alavanja scored for the third straight game when his Charleston Battery took on the Puerto Rico Islanders Saturday night. Alavanja got the Battery off to a great start when he sent a laser of a shot into the upper 90 of the goal frame from 30 yards out.

Despite Alavanja' spectacular goal, John Krause and the Islanders' defense were able to shutdown the Battery attack for the remainder of the game. The Islanders would eventually cruise to a 3-1 victory.

The win at Charleston was the Islanders' second of the week. They downed the Portland Timbers 2-0 on Thursday. The Islanders have now won six of their last eight contests and sit second behind the Battery in the USL standings.

Elsewhere in league play, Dan Antoniuk picked up his third goal of the season in the Carolina RailHawks' 1-1 draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Frederico Moojen notched an assist when the Minnesota Thunder played Antoniuk's RailHawks to a draw earlier in the week.

Alavanja Scores in Upset; Palace Comes Close

Lazo Alavanja - Image From Charleston Battery Website

The Charleston Battery pulled off a major upset last night when they knocked off FC Dallas of the MLS in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup by a score of 3-1. Ironmen forward Lazo Alavanja was a key contributor in the Battery's win. He opened the scoring for the Battery in the 29th minute when he chipped the ball past an onrushing Dario Sala.

Alavanja left the game in the 70th minute. However, his night was not done. A few minutes after being subbed out, Alavanja threw a water bottle cap in the direction of the referee, which promptly lead to a sending off. The ejection will mean that Alavanja will not be available for the Battery's semifinal match with the Seattle Sounders.

Crystal Palace Baltimore came close to upsetting the New England Revolution, but ultimately fell on penalty kicks. Gary Brooks had an active match for Palace before being subbed out in the 81st minute. Ibrahim Kante did not suit up for Palace because of a red card in the third round. His absence was felt in the penalty shootout as Kante is one of Palace's regular penalty takers.