Soccer Saturday - Indy Eleven for 08-05-23

(00:00 - 5:02) - Soccer Saturday opens with host Greg Rakestraw previewing the full episode ahead. Topics will include a new goalie having to set up for the men's team and 4 women's players being named to the USL W All-League Teams. Plus, some talk of the U.S. Women's National Team in the World Cup.

(8:02 - 23:09) - Tim Trilk, the backup keeper for the Indy Eleven is getting his number called in this week's matchup against Memphis. Yannik Oettl is still recovering from an injury, so Trilk will have to step up again this season. Trilk has trained with Yannick routinely and feels as though their working together has helped him improve over the course of the season, even from a backup standpoint. Some back and forth about Trilk and Rakestraw's Indy 500 experience this year. This will be Trilk's first time in front of the home fans this season and he hopes to give the Brickyard Batallion a solid showing. The Eleven are currently 8th in the Eastern Conference which is the final playoff spot.

(26:09 - 36:51) - Reese Buckmaster, a Memphis 901 player from Auburn, Indiana joins the show. The former IU Hoosier is entering his third season with Memphis, though there was a one season break where he played for the Indy Eleven. Rakestraw asks about Memphis's recent downward turn and how the team plans to turn their luck around and keeping their playoff spot. Buckmaster has a lot of friends and family attending the game tonight, it means a lot for him to be playing professionally in his home state. How does Buckmaster deal with the Memphis stadium and how the baseball cutouts interfere with their gameplay.

(39:51 - 48:47) - Host Greg Rakestraw introduces a pre-recorded interview with Jeff Rueter of The Athletic and how the USL is considering moving to a relegation/delegation format in the future. That motion has been tabled for now, but the conversation is still relevant in the potential future of the league. The segment is just one question from his conversation with Jeff. It involves the amount of money that could potentially be made by changing the format to a potential promotion/demotion format.

(51:47 - 1:01:19) - The United States Women's team has their work cut out for them in the Round of 16. They are facing Sweden, one of the other top contenders in the tournament much earlier than expected. The level of competition this year is much more dramatic as Germany did not make the tournament and they were one of the other favorites this year. Countries like Nigeria, Moracco, and South Africa have surprised the rest of the world. Tom Brady is officially part owner of Birmingham City. Joining the long list of American's buying stake in English football.