THERE’S QUITE THE Irish influence in the North American Soccer League (NASL) these days.
Former Sligo Rovers midfielder Richie Ryan is captain of the Jacksonville Armada while Colin Falvey is the skipper at Indy Eleven, where Eamon Zayed is a team-mate.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland international Jonny Steele is with the Ottawa Fury in Canada.
Zayed grabbed all the headlines last weekend as he scored twice in the dying moments to give Indy a dramatic come-from-behind win against reigning champions New York Cosmos.
Elsewhere, Ryan’s Armada managed to win their home opener against Miami FC – managed by legendary Italian defender Alessandro Nesta – thanks to a winner from Pascal Millien – another ex-Sligo player.
Both Zayed and Millien’s performances were good enough for both to make the NASL Team of the Week.
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Congrats to everyone who got an award there tonight, all well deserved. Thought probably the most hotly contested one was the young player of the year award. I’d have given it to Jeremy Loughman but equally it could have been Fineen wycherly too and in the same breath you cAnt argue with goggin winning it either.
@Jim Demps: g’wan Jim Jim. We know you want an award as well: The mystic meg memorial award
@Roibeard O’ Beachain: good contribution.
@Jim Demps: Goggin looked sharp when he came on the other day, like to see more of him AND Sammy, and Bill, and Casey, and Flannery and both Wycherly’s AND the list goes on.
@thesaltyurchin: yeah I’d fully expect you’ll see plenty more of them next year. This season seems to be about sorting out the squad in terms of the players Van Graan wants and thinks are up to it and the ones who will move on. The young players he likes have seen plenty of action. It’ll be very interesting to see the academy players once it’s finalised. I know James McCarthy and Matt more are gone and I’d expect some more as well and then there will be plenty of additions.
A Cork person was definitely picking those awards…!
@Treaty Bhoy: why do you do it
Will never understand giving awards to referees?? They should all be doing the exact same job, so why pick one out and say you are doing it better. Is there any other sport that does this??
@Kyle Mac Creddin: Soccer, GAA do it. Plenty others as well.
Why not recognise referees as much as players/coaches/teams for work/successes during the season?
@Ormond: Exactly. Players are thought the same things but some perform better than other, it’s the same for referees.
@Kyle Mac Creddin: Is there a sport that doesn’t do this? If you don’t have referees, you don’t have games. Playing is the easy part, I often wonder what makes someone want to ref. They deserve the awards and recognition for excelling as much if not more than players.
Unbelievable performance from Donal L.
Congrats to all the award winners. A special congrats and thank you to Donal Lenihan, Munster’s and Ireland’s
greatest rugby performer on and off the field.
Think Goggin had a fantastic season very strong and quick in the centre. I would have had no complaint if whycherly got it as he has also been fantastic this season.
@Top Class: hopefully Wycherley has a good future ahead of him in Red, and he’s only 21. Agree he would have been a worthy winner of the award, he’s made a great impact this season.