2015 Fourside Eagles FC season

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The 2015 Fourside Eagles FC season is the sixth in the Fourside Eagles FC's history, and the third under the Eagles name. It is the fourth year for the Eagles' long standing manager Richie Williams.

Pre-Season

Despite rumours that manager Richie Williams might have gone elsewhere after the 2014 season, Williams signed a two-year deal a few weeks after the season for the Eagles. His first priority after signing the deal was to gain big on transfers, namely with Steven Gerrard and Jozy Altidore. When Gerrard turned down an offer from the Eagles to sign with the LA Galaxy, Williams set his sights on Altidore, but by then his team, Sunderland, had an informal agreement with Toronto FC to transfer Altidore there. The Eagles did not make a transfer inwards this off-season, causing lots of criticism from the press. The MLS SuperDraft was a bit of a disaster as well, as their second and third round draft picks, Edwin Rivas and Tomas Gomez did not sign for the Eagles. Only the first round draft pick, Sergio Campbell, signed a deal, and was sent immediately on loan to the San Antonio Scorpions.

For the first time in the teams' history, the Eagles made the Quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions League. They were drawn up against Club America, one of the biggest clubs in Mexico. In the two legs against Club America, Fourside looked unremarkable and timid, losing 2-0 at home and then 3-0 in Mexico at the Estadio Azteca, losing the aggregate 5-0. After their second loss to Club America, the Fourside Sun ran a headline that said, "Unplayable, Unattractive, Uncooperative, Unpaid, And Now, Unwatchable."

The reference to the team being "unpaid" referred to the financial situation the team had entered during the off-season. The MLS CBA that was signed in 2010 had expired, and the players' union and the MLS ownership looked certain that a strike would cancel a good portion of the season. Micronesians in particular react very negatively to strikes, as during their history, strikes are always viewed as a negative event, and those who strike are disassociated from the public. The 2012-13 NHL strike can be viewed as an example in sports, as viewership ratings for the NHL plummeted since the strike, and have yet to recover. In preparation for the strike, the Eagles froze all their assets, and withheld payments to players until the strike could be resolved. The Eagles were preparing for the worst-case scenario, as they were refunding single-game tickets for the home games in March, April, and May, and did not sell any tickets during the new year. The team only sent one representative to CBA meetings, Daniel Lovitz, who didn't speak at all during the discussions, and often abstained from votes. In the early hours of Wednesday, March 4, the last possible day a deal could be reached without any games being officially cancelled, the Eagles laid off all 250 of their administrative staff. However, a tentative deal was reached hours later, and the season would start as planned. All the workers who were laid off were offered to come back, but 25 people had turned down that offer. Meanwhile, the first game against Colorado on March 7 was postponed due to the sudden strike aversion, and the fact that all the single-game tickets had been refunded, so the game was moved back to give fans a chance to buy tickets.

Regular Season

With the financial situation resolved, the team started their season against Real Salt Lake on March 14, though dark clouds were still laying over the team after their elimination from the CONCACAF Champions League. It didn't get any better as they lost 3-1, despite a "wonder goal" from superstar Miguel Senna. However, the Eagles rebounded with a win over FC Dallas. After an uninspired performance against Colorado, and losses against Chicago and Kansas City, there were rumours that manager Richie Williams would get the sack if the teams' form did not improve. A win over NYCFC put an end to those rumours, however. The next three games did not go well for Fourside; a 1-1 draw at New York City, a scoreless draw against New England, and a 0-2 loss at Columbus.

Despite the bad run of form, Fourside remained in a playoff spot going into May. However, a 2-1 loss to Toronto FC caused concern from the fans. The team was booed off the pitch, after letting the deciding goal. After a successful leg in the Micronesian Championship, Fourside tied Vancouver 3-3 in a wild match, with Cristian Maidana scoring for the first time after 16 months with the club. The Eagles were looking for their run of form to continue in the Micronesian Championship final against Dawson. The Eagles fell down to an early two-goal deficit after 25 minutes, but clawed their way back after the Lions' goalkeeper was sent off after their first goal. The game was tied 2-2 after full time and extra time, requiring penalties to decide the winner. The Eagles won after backup goalkeeper Ryan Meara (replacing Evan Newton, who had suffered a hamstring injury weeks prior to the match) made a save on the third penalty, with Fourside advancing on penalties 5-4 overall. Despite the win, the media declared the match too close for their own comfort, and called for Richie Williams to be sacked with the headline, "Thanks for the Memories, but it's time to say Goodbye." The board released a statement giving Williams their vote of confidence to Williams in the future.

The speculation to Williams' future intensified, however, with a bad run of form in the weeks afterwards, with two losses and a draw in the next three games. Williams said the recent stretch was "tough" and that they should expect more results in the future. After the game, Eddie Johnson announced his retirement due to a heart ailment. Johnson, then the fourth-highest goalscorer in Eagles history, was given a ceremonial sendoff. The team responded, however, with two wins against Columbus and New York City, including a late winner from Fabian Castillo. After a loss to the LA Galaxy, the Eagles board fired the General Manager Laurence McCarthy and replaced him with Richard Gerhart, two weeks before the start of the secondary transfer window on July 8. Gerhart said that he would "overhaul" the roster but wouldn't elaborate on who would get sold.

On the opening of the transfer market on July 8, the team officially released Eddie Johnson, sent Cristian Maidana to the New York Cosmos on a free transfer, sent Rodrigo Brasesco to Uruguay for free (per his own request), sent Michael Green to North York United in the Micronesian Premiership, and finished off the day by transferring three players to teams within the MLS. Logan Emory went to Orlando City for $20,000, John Stertzer went to Chicago for $25,000, and Perry Kitchen went to D.C. United for $50,000 after handing in a transfer request. This left the team short a few players, but the Eagles made some more transfers a day later, signing Cameron Reid and Remi Didot from their academy, as well as transferring Matt Hedges from FC Dallas and Jackson Goncalves from Toronto FC for $40,000 each. The Eagles also managed to sign Leon Best from Blackburn Rovers for a maximum contract as well.

The new transfers weren't eligible to play on July 11 against Portland, but they were still able to play very well despite losing 1-0. The new transfers were able to play against Toronto the following week, as Jackson and Hedges was in the starting lineup, and Didot came in the game as a substitute. Didot scored two goals including a "Maradona-esque" goal tying the game at 1-1. Senna added to the total as the Eagles beat Toronto 3-1. Senna's goal led the league with 14, which was enough for him to be named to the All-Star Team by Colorado coach Pablo Mastroeni, including Fabian Castillo and Drew Moor.

The next two weeks were mixed for the Eagles. A loss to D.C. United drew a blow to their playoff hopes, and the three All-Stars named to the game against Tottenham (Senna, Castillo, Moor) were ineffectual in the All-Star Game. But a narrow 4-3 victory over the New York Red Bulls boosted the team, with goals from transfer target Leon Best and Danny Koevermans. The Eagles won the game in the final minutes after a handball was called in the box by the same player who dragged another player down just moments earlier, with Miguel Senna scoring the penalty. The Eagles then tied Orlando City off a corner kick goal from Senna at the last minute.

The month of August was very positive for the Eagles, which saw them get 7 points out of 9 in the next three games in the MLS Regular Season. In the game against Chicago, Senna scored twice in that game, making it his 20th goal in the regular season, the fastest person to do so. Evan Newton also put up a good performance against Montreal, when Didier Drogba made his debut for the team. In the CONCACAF Champions League, Fourside swept the two games against Municipal, giving them an early lead in their group.

The next three games were a tough stretch for Fourside, with a loss to New England, a win over San Jose, and a loss to Columbus. Miguel Senna only scored one goal during that stretch (a late goal in a 2-1 loss to Columbus). Senna had only started one game during the three-game stretch due to international duties with Brazil, though luckily, the games were all in the USA. Senna scored another goal against Columbus in a loss, and contributed to the CONCACAF Champions' League win against Real Salt Lake with a goal and two assists, despite only coming on in the 70th minute. Senna scored against Houston, bringing his goal total to 22, leading the MLS. His 10th assist in the game made him the first to get 20 goals and 10 assists in a MLS season, making him the MLS MVP favourite. However, the Eagles were in a very tight playoff race, as they had a three point advantage over eighth-place Toronto FC. The Eagles helped that case as they beat New England 4-1, with Senna getting his first hat-trick of the season, and his 25th goal in the process.

With October approaching, Fourside was well within a playoff spot. They helped their case in a 2-1 victory over Toronto, with Senna scoring a goal, followed by a narrow corner kick goal from Leon Best. Senna's goal drew some ire over the Toronto fans, as Senna mimicked the "Edwing" celebration after his goal. A draw against the Red Bulls followed afterwards, after a late goal from the retiring Danny Koevermans. In the season finale against Orlando, Senna scored three goals, breaking the MLS single-season goals record with 29.

The Eagles won their first playoff game against Columbus in a 2-0 decision, with Senna and Didot scoring. It was the Eagles' first playoff win since 2012. However, Remi Didot was suspended for the next match for diving after drawing a foul which led to his penalty goal as the game was ending. Senna said that the foul was "a bit silly." The Eagles did not appeal the suspension, as it was understood that Didot confessed to diving to the team after the game. In the Conference Semifinal against the New York Red Bulls, Fourside won the first leg at home after a late goal from Fabian Castillo, but lost the second leg in New York after holding a 1-1 game late, with New York scoring two late goals to win 3-1 and take the aggregate 4-3.

Regular Season Games

Date Team Stadium Final Score W-L-T Record
March 14, 2015 Real Salt Lake Rio Tinto Stadium 1-3 0-1-0
March 20, 2015 FC Dallas Virgin Stadium 3-0 1-1-0
March 24, 2015 Colorado Rapids Virgin Stadium 0-0 1-1-1
March 29, 2015 Chicago Fire SC Toyota Park 0-1 1-2-1
April 5, 2015 Sporting Kansas City Sporting Park 1-3 1-3-1
April 11, 2015 New York City FC Virgin Stadium 2-1 2-3-1
April 16, 2015 New York City FC Yankee Stadium 1-1 2-3-2
April 19, 2015 New England Revolution Virgin Stadium 0-0 2-3-3
April 25, 2015 Columbus Crew SC Mapfre Stadium 0-2 2-4-3
May 2, 2015 Toronto FC Virgin Stadium 1-2 2-5-3
May 9, 2015 Vancouver Whitecaps FC BC Place 3-3 2-5-4
May 17, 2015 DC United Virgin Stadium 1-2 2-6-4
May 24, 2015 New York Red Bulls Red Bull Arena 1-1 2-6-5
May 30, 2015 DC United RFK Stadium 1-3 2-7-5
June 3, 2015 Columbus Crew SC Virgin Stadium 4-0 3-7-5
June 6, 2015 New York City FC Virgin Stadium 2-1 4-7-5
June 20, 2015 LA Galaxy Stubhub Center 1-3 4-8-5
June 24, 2015 Seattle Sounders FC Virgin Stadium 1-0 5-8-5
June 27, 2015 Montreal Impact Virgin Stadium 2-2 5-8-6
July 11, 2015 Portland Timbers Virgin Stadium 0-1 5-9-6
July 18, 2015 Toronto FC BMO Field 3-1 6-9-6
July 26, 2015 DC United RFK Stadium 1-3 6-10-6
August 1, 2015 New York Red Bulls Virgin Stadium 4-3 7-10-6
August 8, 2015 Orlando City FC Citrus Bowl 1-1 7-10-7
August 16, 2015 Chicago Fire SC Virgin Stadium 4-0 8-10-7
August 22, 2015 Montreal Impact Stade Saputo 2-0 9-10-7
August 29, 2015 New England Revolution Virgin Stadium 0-1 9-11-7
September 5, 2015 San Jose Earthquakes Avaya Stadium 2-1 10-11-7
September 12, 2015 Columbus Crew SC Virgin Stadium 1-2 10-12-7
September 20, 2015 Houston Dynamo Virgin Stadium 2-0 11-12-7
September 26, 2015 New England Revolution Gillette Stadium 4-1 12-12-7
October 3, 2015 Toronto FC BMO Field 2-1 13-12-7
October 18, 2015 New York Red Bulls Red Bull Arena 2-2 13-12-8
October 25, 2015 Orlando City FC Virgin Stadium 4-0 14-12-8

Other Games

Date Team Location Final Score Competition
February 24, 2015 Mexico.png Club America Virgin Stadium 0-2 CONCACAF Champions League - Quarterfinals
March 3, 2015 Mexico.png Club America Estadio Azteca 0-3 CONCACAF Champions League - Quarterfinals
May 4, 2015 Micronesia.png Washington Thunder Heinz Field 2-0 Micronesian Championship
May 7, 2015 Micronesia.png Washington Thunder Virgin Stadium 3-1 Micronesian Championship
May 13, 2015 Micronesia.png Dawson Lions Virgin Stadium 2p-2 Micronesian Championship
August 20, 2015 Guatemala.png Municipal Virgin Stadium 2-1 CONCACAF Champions League - Group Stage
August 25, 2015 Guatemala.png Municipal Estadio Mateo Flores 1-0 CONCACAF Champions League - Group Stage
September 15, 2015 USA.png Real Salt Lake Virgin Stadium 3-1 CONCACAF Champions League - Group Stage
September 24, 2015 USA.png Real Salt Lake Rio Tinto Stadium 0-0 CONCACAF Champions League - Group Stage
October 28, 2015 USA.png Columbus Crew SC Mapfre Stadium 2-0 MLS Cup Playoffs - Knockout Stage
November 1, 2015 USA.png New York Red Bulls Virgin Stadium 2-1 MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinals
November 8, 2015 USA.png New York Red Bulls Red Bull Arena 1-3 MLS Cup Playoffs - Conference Semifinals

Goal Scorers

Player MLS Season Mic. Champ CONCACAF Playoffs Total
Brazil.png Miguel Senna 29 0 2 2 33
France.png Remi Didot 6 0 1 2 9
Netherlands.png Danny Koevermans 6 0 0 0 6
England.png Bradley Wright-Phillips 5 0 1 0 6
Colombia.png Fabian Castillo 5 0 0 1 6
England.png Leon Best 4 0 0 0 4
Brazil.png Jackson 2 0 2 0 4
Colombia.png David Ferreira 0 2 0 0 2
Micronesia.png Jesse Mitchell 0 1 0 0 1
USA.png Eddie Johnson 0 1 0 0 1
USA.png Dillon Powers 0 1 0 0 1
Argentina.png Cristian Maidana 0 1 0 0 1
USA.png Brian Carroll 0 1 0 0 1