KELLY: Long after Thunder, the Lightning strikes

Louisville has first indoor pro team in 22 years

BY AIDAN KELLY

It took 22 years but indoor professional soccer returns to the area this Friday the 13th and the Louisville Lightning will be hoping it’s a lucky beginning.

Its inaugural season in the Professional Arena Soccer League will kick off against Cincinnati at the newly-renovated Mockingbird Valley Soccer Club at 7:30 p.m.

The expansion team, owned and chaired by Jeffersonville architect Wayne Estopinal, and Ted Nichols, will play 17 games — nine at home — from November to March.

Estopinal and Nichols also are the owners of Mockingbird Valley Soccer Club, which will serve as the team’s venue for the 2009-10 season.

The nickname of Lightning was selected, says its owners, to acknowledge the city’s original professional franchise, the Louisville Thunder, which played from 1984 to 1987 and won the 1986-87 American Indoor Soccer Association championship.

“We are very pleased to bring the Louisville Lightning to reality this year,” said Estopinal. “Continuing to build upon our area’s soccer history and enthusiasm is our goal.”

The league’s Eastern Division includes the Lightning, Ohio Vortex, St. Louis Illusion, Detroit Waza and Cincinnati 1790 Express. The Western Division comprises of the Texas Outlaws, San Diego Sockers, Denver Dynamite and reigning PASL champion California Cougars.

The Lightning will play games — which will be six versus six and comprise of four 15-minute quarters — within the Eastern Division in a home-and-away format. League playoffs will be held in March.

It will also field a reserve team in the amateur Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL-Premier).

St. Xavier product and former Centre College assistant coach David Horne will be the Lightning’s general manager and head coach. He played for 1790 Cincinnati last season, helping them capture an Eastern Division championship and second-place finish in the North American championship.

The 18-player roster includes eight from Louisville, while an international flavor is added with the inclusion of two Bosnians and a Mexican. Most have college experience, while some have previously played in a professional environment.

“We are very grateful to have such gifted players from our local community and the professional ranks,” said Horne.

For information on purchasing individual tickets ($10-$15), season tickets ($75-$115) or family packages ($40-$280), visit LouisvilleLightning.com or call 502-896-2412.



SUPPORT INDIANAPOLIS WORLD CUP BID

World Cup fever is building and the final available spots at South Africa 2010 will be snapped up over the next eight days, ahead of the draw on Dec. 4.

The 11th-ranked USA, of course, has already secured its place at the big dance next June, but the country’s bid committee is looking further into the future and is working hard to have one of the world’s greatest sporting events return to these shores, either in 2018 or 2022.

Those who have expressed an interest in both World Cups are Australia, England, Russia, Indonesia, Japan and the United States, while Belgium/Netherlands and Portugal/Spain are bidding jointly. South Korea and Qatar are interested in bidding for 2022 only. Mexico withdrew from the race in September.

With Brazil already chosen to host the competition in 2014, and the likelihood of a European nation (England or Russia) hosting in 2018, the USA would seem to have a more realistic chance of being successful in its 2022 bid.

If chosen by FIFA for either when it makes its decision in December 2010, one of the cities likely to host matches will be Indianapolis, with Lucas Oil Stadium as the venue. The home of the Colts, completed last year, has a seating capacity of 64,200.

The bid committee reports that more than 100,000 fans have signed an online petition in support of hosting the event in the United States. As part of this initiative, it has set up individual Web pages for each of the 27 cities that remain in contention to host World Cup games should the USA receive the bid.

It says it will factor in the level of support for each city when it determines which ones are included in the final bid.

The bid process will continue over the next few months, with the committee allowed to include no more than 18 cities in their bid to FIFA.

Approximately 12 cities will ultimately host several matches as part of the event. So if the petitions are anything to go by — which currently have Indianapolis (more 10,000 signatures at the time of writing) in fourth place among 27 — the city is in with a very good chance of being considered.

However, there can be no complacency and soccer fans are being asked to support the Indianapolis bid by signing the online petition at www.gousabid.com/indianapolis.

Contact Aidan Kelly at aidokaydo@gmail.com.

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