Eleven Should Be More

 

Brave is the man who would even begin to suggest that 2014 was anything but a successful campaign for Indy Eleven. Yes, the team finished near the foot of the overall table once the dust had settled on the regular season, but the on-field expectations were always going to be rather muted in the team's inaugural campaign. Off the field, however, Indy Eleven were box office darlings, playing before capacity crowds for every home game and boasting one of the most passionate fanbases in the league.

Following a promising run of results to end the season and the obvious financial windfall generated through the aforementioned ticket revenue, expectations for Indy Eleven amongst fans were considerably higher for 2015. Unfortunately, such hopes for cracking the league's top four do not appear to be on track at this juncture.

A Homecoming Of Sorts

I remember my first trip to Silverbacks Park well. It was in the early stages of the 2013 season (yes, not that long ago) when I made my way up I-85 to see the Silverbacks take on Carolina, they won 2-0 in comprehensive fashion, and I was instantly hooked. Along the way of that 2013 season, I had the pleasure of finally having an American club to pull for, meeting lots of great people while tailgating before and after games, seeing the team win the first trophy in its history, interviewing players for my radio show, and gaining a greater appreciation for soccer in this country outside of MLS.

2014, despite the team's on-field struggles and shaky outlook for the future, was, in many ways, a dream for me. I was fortunate enough to become the team's play-by-play commentator for the season, and it was an honor that I embraced with open arms. Even as the losses mounted, it meant a lot for me to be able to, quite literally, be a voice for my team and further connect with Atlanta fans, other NASL fans, and even fellow commentators from around the league.

A More Secure 2015

With Bill Edwards hitting the ground running last year as Tampa Bay's new owner, the Rowdies' fanbase had every reason to believe that Ricky Hill would be in a position to bring more silverware to the Gulf Coast of Florida. Ultimately, that couldn't have been any farther from the truth.

Yes, Tampa Bay made some splashes in 2014's market by way of signing Brian Shriver, 2013's NASL Golden Boot winner, the versatile Anthony Wallace and Blake Wagner, and MLS veteran goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Despite such encouraging signings, many were concerned that more wasn't done to bolster the heart of the defense, and as the dust settled, with the Rowdies well outside of the top four, these concerns were justified. Tampa Bay was leaky throughout the season, and Ricky Hill was dismissed.

Carolina: Where Traffic Is Good

The phenomenon of Traffic Sports is one that has been quite well known in and inherent to the NASL landscape over the last few years. Indeed, Traffic has played a significant role in financing the league, and as of 18 months ago, still owned the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, Carolina Railhawks, and a stake in the Atlanta Silverbacks.

Having divested themselves of their share of the Silverbacks and the Strikers, Traffic's financial obligation in the NASL has been greatly reduced, with now only Carolina remaining in their portfolio. Such a reduction of financial outlay hardly means that Traffic's influence in the league won't be felt in 2015, however. If recent off-season moves are any indication, it appears that the Railhawks and their fans will be happy beneficiaries of Traffic's streamlined NASL operations.

Reflection Time: The Preseason NASL Picks That Were Right And Horribly Wrong

With the dawning of any new season, we as pundits love to take a deeper look at all of the comings and goings around our league of choice, read between the lines, and come up with some sort of road map of just how the coming months will take shape. It's a fun exercise in prognostication, and it give us all, whether fans or media, something to talk about before a first ball is kicked in anger.

Inevitably, predictions will end up falling somewhere within the spectrum of correct, almost, and completely misguided. With the NASL regular season having reached its conclusion last weekend, perhaps there is no better time to see just how my preseason thoughts held up.

Landon Donovan: The End of an Era

 

Maybe yesterday's announcement of Landon Donovan's retirement at the end of this MLS season shouldn't have come as a surprise to any of us. Though Donovan is just 32 and could conceivably still have some very good years left in him, we have borne witness to his sometimes fluctuating passion for the game and his longing for a meaningful life that exists well outside of the bounds of white lines on a field.

It is indeed a seminal moment in American soccer, this retirement of a player who, over the span of more than a decade, was often able to transcend the collective gaze of soccer fans in this country and, in doing so, became something of a household name even amongst those sports fans who knew next to nothing about soccer. In a crowded American sporting landscape in which soccer has, in relative terms, only recently begun to captivate the multitudes, such an accomplishment only serves as a microcosm for what he has meant to the sport here.

Life With Jason Smith: So Far, So Good

As is the case with any managerial change, regardless of circumstance, there is a certain pause that supporters take in assessing just how a change at the top will affect a club's fortunes going forward. Fans of struggling teams hope that a changing of the guard brings a reversal of fortunes, fans of contenders pray that the upward trajectory continues, while all fear that it will all go wrong and that their clubs will have to start again from square one in order to get it right.

While two games may serve as a rather small sample size by which we can assess the success of the decision to bring Jason Smith back to the helm of Atlanta Silverbacks, the initial returns are promising indeed and certainly give Silverbacks fans that glimmer of hope that begins to suggest the possibility of sincere competition for fourth place in the overall table and a potential spot in The Championship, the NASL's four team postseason.