Indy Eleven- Soccer Saturday 1/18/25

(00:00-03:57) - Greg Rakestraw is back with another edition of Soccer Saturday on 93.5/107.5 The Fan and opens today's show by recapping the win last week for the boys in blue, sharing a couple notes regarding the 16-0 win for the Indy Eleven women last night, and previews conversations he will have with today's guests. (06:59-17:40) - Head Coach Mark Lowry makes his weekly appearance on Soccer Saturday with Greg Rakestraw to recap their 2-0 win over Hartford Athletic last week, explains how he maneuvered through the moments leading up to the match when he found out Jack Blake wouldn't be able to suit up for his club, and accesses what the return of Stefano Pinho means to the team. (20:41-30:33) - Midfielder Cam Lindley of the Indy Eleven joins Greg Rakestraw on Soccer Saturday to estimate how many messages he got after his goal last Saturday that appeared on SportsCenter's Top 10, explains what was going through his mind when he saw the ball coming his way with an opening to take the shot from 25 yards out, how he feels about Pinho's return to the Indy Eleven, and what he makes of the team only winning one home match compared to three road matches. (33:35-42:52) - Forward Stefano Pinho returns to the Indy Eleven and Soccer Saturday with Greg Rakestraw to explain his decision to return to the Indy Eleven, how different the club is now compared to when he left last August, what it means to finally play with Sebastian Guenzatti instead of against one another, and what his missed about Indianapolis in his brief time away from the city. (45:52-56:47) - In the final segment of today's show, Rake recaps the Indy Eleven's historic 16-0 win, what went through his mind when he realized that the women would have a two player advantage, and highlights some of the performers that found the back of the net. Additionally, Greg spends some time recapping the national soccer news since last week's program.

1 Juli 202359min

(00:00 - 3:28) - This edition of Soccer Saturday kicks off with host Greg Rakestraw recapping the Indy Eleven Women's teams double victory last week. A win next Friday will earn them a USWL playoff spot for the second time in two seasons. The men's team, still plagued by injuries took on Birmingham FC in a losing effort last week which will be recapped in the episode as well. (7:20 - 19:20) - Younes Boudadi joins the program and discusses his road to recovery from injury. Rakestraw asks Boudadi to detail just how physical a soccer match can be for those who may underestimate how the game takes a toll on the body as a whole, not just on the feet. Despite still recovering from injury, Boudadi was active in Birmingham last Saturday. According to Boudadi, the brace on his shoulder to prevent another dislocation affected his gameplay. Boudadi played for the Indy Eleven's next opponent last year, the former Hartford Athletic Defender recounts his time with the team and what to anticipate against them as opponents. (22:40 - 33:16) - The half-way point of Soccer Saturday welcomes Maddy Williams to the show. The Purdue Graduate who spent time playing in Spain previously talks about balancing their regular 9-5 job with the Indy Eleven's schedule. Williams goes into detail about her work with CuriMeta and how that environmental work can sometimes get in the way of a professional soccer players schedule. Rakestraw wants to know what has changed for Williams year after year in the Indy Eleven. She is a second-year player in the team's second year of existence and sees how the girls on the team have evolved in maturity from last season to this one. (36:20 - 51:30) - Personality from the Dan Patrick Show, Seton O'Conner is the final guest for this Soccer Saturday. Rakestraw has christened him "Hartford Athletics Most Famous Fan" and he delivers the opponents point of view on the upcoming Men's squad matchup. O'Conner claims that Hartford is seen as a "Minor League City" but having a USL championship team fills in the gap between two MLS squads. It allows local fans to appreciate professional soccer for a cheaper price and ultimately grows the game of soccer as whole. He views the USL Championship league's growth as being big for the city of Hartford. (54:30 - 57:58) - The U.S. Men's National Team beat Canada 2-0 last week in CONCACAF play. Now the team will face off against Jamaica later tonight in the opening of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. The Women's World Cup roster was revealed this week, there will be 14 first time participants on the roster.

24 Juni 20231h 1min

(00:00 - 6:58) The June 16th edition of Soccer Saturday begins with host Greg Rakestraw previewing the upcoming Indy 11 matchup against the Birmingham Legion. The Legion are a strong team on a cold streak, while the Indy 11 are hoping to make this their third straight game without a loss. The Indy 11 Women's team suffered a rare regular season loss last week, they will hope to rebound against Kings Hammer FC tomorrow. (10:00 - 20:06) - Segment two features Rakestraw's weekly interview with Indy 11 head coach Mark Lowry. Lowry addresses the team's injury troubles right out of the gate and how the 11 plan to address their short staff on defense against the Birmingham Legion. This challenge causes Coach Lowry to reflect more on the potential of his current squad vs. the squad they are about to face. Former Indy 11 player Tyler Pasher is now on the Birmingham squad, Rakestraw asks how Lowry feels facing his former player. (23:08 - 33:56) - USL Super League President Amanda Vandervort joins the program to talk about the Indy 11 Women's teams future entrance into the Super League. She hypes up 11 Park, the stadium intended to host all the future matchups of both the Indy 11 Men's and Women's teams which just broke ground this past week. In an update from their previous conversation the USL Super League is looking to receive a division 1 sanction over the league. Scheduling in the Super League will be a big advantage to the players who want to try and compete locally while still keeping a calendar open for international competition. (36:59 - 49:28) - The fourth segment of Soccer Saturday is a full recap of the U.S. men's national team's continued streak of good luck against Mexico. The U.S. is on a 6-game streak without suffering a loss to Mexico, including their most recent match which was a 3 - 0 victory. The victory was well earned, but two red cards will set the team back in their finals matchup against Canada. The team will be down two players against a fresh and fully stocked Canadian National team. Gregg Berhalter is back as the U.S. Men's National Team head coach through the 2026 World Cup. (52:30 - 57:00) - Soccer Saturday wraps up with a quick recap of the both the men's and women's team schedules. Finally, Premiere League talk as Manchester City was victorious in the Champions League Final earning the country of England their first treble since 1998.

17 Juni 20231h

(00:00 - 4:47) - This June 10th edition of Soccer Saturday opens with a preview of the Indy 11 versus Hartford matchup coming up. The 11 have luckily come away with three points in every game against Hartford so far. The Indy 11 Women's team have 4 matches left in the regular season and are in control of their playoff destiny with these final few games. Finally, the news everyone has talked about this past week, Lionel Messi is landing in America to play soccer with Inter Miami. (7:48 - 18:00) - Roberto Molina comes onto the show for the second segment. The former Las Vegas Lights forward joined the Indy 11 in May and talks about getting caught up to speed on a team half-way through the year. Molina discusses the winning culture that has been formed in the Indy 11 camp and how that influences his drive to play. Rakestraw asks Molina to catch listeners up on his upbringing as a player originally born in El Salvador and then being raised in America. Post-interview Rakestraw details when and where soccer fans might be able to witness Messi play. (21:02 - 30:27) - Addie Chester joins the program fresh off two wins from Tuesday and Friday. Both games were 2-0 victories against Racing Louisville FC and Lexington SC. Chester, a Muncie local, has returned for her second season with the 11 women's team. Rakestraw wants to know what feels different from last year to this one and Chester believes that the biggest change is that the general public now knows that the 11 women's program is a quality soccer team. Chester talks about the honor of wearing an 11 Crest while playing and the comradery this team displays on and off the field. (33:29 - 45:42) - USL Tactics John Morrissey is the third guest of the show, he is immediately asked about Mark Lowry's midfield injury issues and how the coach can deal with them moving forward. Morrissey gives a scouting report on the Men's team's future opponent in Hartford Athletic. He notes that Hartford has struggled this season, but they still have a very energetic and fast offense that the 11 need to be prepared for. The 11 can control the game by preparing for the long ball and disrupting that offensive attack. While Hartford certainly has the talent, they just don't have the system in place to be a winning team yet. (48:44 - 59:46) The show closes out with more talk of Lionel Messi coming to America to play with Inter Miami in the MLS. A brief recall of 2007 and when David Beckham came to America and the hype that surrounded his arrival. Messi is arriving to an Inter Miami team that sits in 15th place, or last place in the Eastern Conference. Even at last place the addition of Messi has made Inter Miami one of the most talked about teams in American Sports this past week. Then, the usual breakdown of Premiere League happenings and the Champions League final occurring later this afternoon.

10 Juni 202359min

(00:00 - 06:22) - Soccer Saturday opens with the big news of the Indy 11's big win over the weekend where they scored a 4 - 0 victory over the Charleston Battery with the help of a red card three minutes into the match. (9:24 - 17:59) - Indy 11 Women's head coach Paul Dolinsky joins Rakestraw for the second segment. The 11 were head to head with Racing Louisville FC, the game settled at a 1 - 1 draw. It was their first time being down in a regular season game this season, but the team was fortunate enough to bring things to a draw before time expired in the second half. Four games into the regular season now and Dolinsky believes that the talent on this Women's 11 team has a lot of potential. The team is going to turn around and play Racing Louisville FC again as the away team, just three days after their home matchup. (21:00 - 29:31) - The halfway point of the program includes a replay of Rakestraw's interview earlier in the week with Brad Hauter as he was a part of the grounbreaking for 11 Park, the future home of the Indy 11. Hauter calls the experience surreal, finally getting to see years worth of work pay off and a bigger step towards their professional end goald being taken. Hauter details the future of Eleven Park as well as what it means for the organization in the short and long term. (32:30 - 42:18) - Head Coach for the Men's squad Mark Lowry comes on and breaks down the 11's impressive 4 - 0 win over the Charleston Battery last week. Lowry himself claims to have never seen a red-card penalty that quickly into a match in his career. Then Lowry has praise for Aodhan Quinn the team's penalty taker who managed to make two in that match. He says that Quinn has that "Under Pressure" personality where he can thrive in situations where most players would feel nervous. The team is still struggling with injuries, not just on the main roster but even academy players are injured making Lowry's job of roster management all the more difficult. (45:20 - 56:22) - Last on the show is the man himself, Aodhan Quinn joins the show. Quinn had two penalty goals last night, contibuting to the teams win and earning the squad 3 points. Quinn states the team has been focussing it on starting off quick and last nights opening penalty was the perfect quick start. Rakestraw wonders what makes Quinn the man for penalty shots and he responds that it is just a natural confidence he has on the pitch. While Quinn is supposed to have the weekend off, he has to get home and get straight into father duty as he has a 7 month old waiting at home. Finally, Rakestraw closes by asking Quinn his feeling on the groun breaking of Eleven Park. The program closes with Rakestraw breaking down the Premiere League's FA cup finals.

3 Juni 202359min

(00:00 - 3:56) - This edition of Soccer Saturday kicks off with Host Greg Rakestraw teasing the rivalry match between Louisville FC and the Indy 11, the Louisville-Indianapolis Proximity Association Football Contest (LIPAFC), being played at home later tonight. Then he gives the rundown of upcoming guests on the program. (6:57 - 22:28) - The first full segment of Soccer Saturday reviews the teams most recent home victory over the Colorado Spring Switchbacks. Head Coach Mark Lowry was frustrated even following a win, Rakestraw plays some audio from an interview with Lowry immediately following the team's victory. Lowry Believed the team should have been able to be up 2 or even 3 to 0 in a game that almost went 100 minutes due to added time. This segment also features a player interview with Younes Boudadi. Boudadi played outside his usual position against Colorado Springs and breaks down the difference in playing different sides of the field. The segment closes out with a recap of the Indy 11 Womens squad winning over Kings Hammer FC, 1 - 0. Including comments from head coach Paul Dolinsky. (25:29 - 36:03) - Rakestraw takes the time to highlight the USL Academy teams and their expansion of competition coming up. To help bring in this big announcement, Rakestraw introduces Phil Presser, an academy coach for the Indy 11. The ECNL and MLS Next are two U20 Academy leagues that the Indy 11 will compete in to help develop youth players around the state of Indiana. The Indy 11 Academy will compete simultaneously in Academy and MLS Next/ECNL matches. Presser adds that competing in these extra leagues adds an extra air of legitimacy to the academy system and will help youth players in their ability to transition to professional football either in America or over seas. (39:04 - 49:36) - This segment features an interview with one of the sponsors of the Indy 11. Jimmy Carson of Sogility joins the program. Sogility being a soccer focused training facility that uses the latest technology to assist players in their growth. Sogility being local is an advantage for Indy 11 players who may not be able to see the amount of touches per game they need to stay game time ready. Sogility partners with players of different ages and skill levels, Carson brings up "Little Kickers" being very young players who stop in to receive training sessions. (52:37 - 56:37) - The home stretch of Soccer Saturday features Rakestraw discussing the promotion final in the Premier League. These matchups are often referred to as the richest matches in soccer as a promotion to the Premier League comes with a hefty pay increase for the clubs.

27 Maj 202356min

(00:00 - 2:55) - Soccer Saturday kicks off with a quick recap between the Men's and Women's weekends, then previews the topics and guests for each segment of the upcoming show. (5:55 - 19:40) - President of the Indy 11, Greg Stremlaw comes on the show to announce that the Indy 11 Women's team will be participating in the USL Super League next season. Stremlaw believe this league is going to serve as another reach for women's soccer and professional soccer as a whole in the United States. The league is still roughly two years out, and Indy has several milestones to hit before then like the opening of 11 Park. Stremlaw believes that this expansion is just another example of how the Indy 11 has helped to grow the sport of soccer not just in Indiana but in America as a whole and give Hoosier kids a chance to participate in professional soccer without having to leave the country. (22:40 - 30:51) - Forward for the Indy 11 Women's League team Maisie Whitsett is the next guest on the show. Just signed in April of this year the Louisville grad is in her debut USL season. Coming off an 8 - 0 win against St. Charles FC. Coming up she and the team will take on Lexington SC on Sunday, May 21st. Whitsett has a connection with Indy 11 Head Coach Paul Dolinsky as he was a coach at the same San Diego high-school as Whitsett. She also was previously a teammate with several of the Indy 11 Roster as the team has 5 total former Louisville University Cardinals playing for them this season. (33:51 - 42:21) - Patrick Seagrist joins for segment four of Soccer Saturday, the former Indy 11 loan from 2021 now plays for the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, the 11's next opponents this season. Seagrist says that signing with Colorado Springs was a no brainer given his mother's connection to the state and the coaching staff that Colorado currently has put together. Seagrist recalls his favorite memories as an Indy 11 member, as well as with his team previous to Colorado Springs in the Memphis 901. (45:21 - 58:20) - The show finishes off by welcoming back Macauley King to the Indy 11. King played with Indy from 2019 to 2020 then spent two years away with the El Paso Locomotive and Colorado Springs Switchbacks. King has been especially busy moving across the country in such quick order. Rakestraw goes back and forth with King on his memories with the team before, his decision to return, and a bit of light banter about his youth team in Leicester City back in England.

20 Maj 202358min

(00:00 - 2:30) - Short first segment to kick off today's episode of Soccer Saturday. Host Greg Rakestraw talks about the Indy 11's improvement from last month to the month of May and teases guests coming up on the show. (5:31 - 18:03) - The second segment is Rakestraw's weekly conversation with Indy Eleven head coach Mark Lowry. Lowry details the 11's most recent victory before highlighting several players. Lowry give praise to players like Juan Tejada and Macauley King. Greg inquires to how the team handles heavy travel days like the ones coming up next week. (21:04 - 31:48) - Sam Dewey is the next guest on the program and discusses getting the chance to play with her sister Rachel. Dewey played overseas before suffering a knee injury, Rakestraw wants to know if her signing with the Indy 11 is just scratching a competitive itch or an opportunity to return to professional soccer overseas in time? Dewey is impressed with the Indy 11 squad and that there is an air of competitiveness in the league. (34:50 - 46:21) - Segment four has a special appearance from Indy 11 alumni player, Jared Timmer. The former Butler Bulldog has moved west to fellow USL Championship team in the Sacramento Republic. The conversation revolves around Timmer's experience playing in the western conference as opposed to the east. Timmer talks about players he is excited to play with who used to be opponentes as well as the feel of the western conference and how it differs from the east. (49:22 - 56:59) - Rakestraw ends this edition of Soccer Saturday with a guest appearance from Juan Tejada. Tejada scored the game winning goal in the Indy 11's last game against Loudon United. Rakestraw wants to know Tejada's gameplan for moving from a bench player to a 90 minute starter. Tejada give a players take on the fatigue that comes with traveling in the USL.

13 Maj 202356min