by Fletcher Mackel
Link to original story at Where Y'at Magazine
Where Y'at: You’ve been coaching this team for nearly a decade...what makes it so much fun?
Kenny Farrell: I have been in involved in soccer all of my life and now, believe it or not, I am too old to play. So being involved in coaching at this level of the game is just fun in itself. Moreover, I am doing it in the city I love so much. When I first started coaching in the area, I knew soccer was going to be huge in the U.S., and at some point, in New Orleans. With the new ownership and the vision Dana has for the city and this team, it’s great to be a part of the development of what may turn out to be something very big. Also, having the opportunity to have
a positive impact on these young player’s lives gives me a great deal of joy.
WYAT:You’ve put a big emphasis on having top local talent on your roster. Can you talk about recruiting the best locals and tell us about some of the top players on your team this season?
KF: We have always wanted to put the best local talent on the field and our door is always open. Our roster this year is made up of over 33% local players. However, as we see the interest and the fan base grow in the team, it is also important to recruit top athletes from around the U.S. and the rest of the world. The local players gain a tremendous amount of experience playing and competing with these international players. Also, our fans know that with the compliment of local, national, and foreign players, we can put very attractive high class soccer on the field and can compete with the best teams in the country.
WYAT: You’re the face of soccer in New Orleans. How much have you seen the sport grow since you arrived in New Orleans?
KF:It has been amazing. When I first came here, there were two youth clubs that had a couple of professional coaches. Now we have a multitude of clubs that all have professional coaching staffs. The World Cup will be held in South Africa this year, and you will find it hard to find anyone in the U.S. that doesn’t know about it. When the U.S. hosted the World Cup in 1994, there was no major soccer league in America, and no one was broadcasting games from around the world. Now we have a full-blown major league that appears to be getting stronger and stronger. Also, we can see many games from around the world on many of the designated soccer TV channels. ESPN is even covering the English Premier League. I’ve also seen an increased interest among all of the young children that we visit at schools around the city, as well as the great feedback fans have given us this season.
WYAT: The new ownership made a big push to make games fan friendly last season. Can you talk about some of the promotions you’ll have at Jesters games this season and why fans should come to games?
KF: Since this is a World Cup year, we feel that more people will be introduced to soccer. The Jesters want to provide new fans of the sport, those that are curious and those that just want a night out in New Orleans, a chance to experience world class soccer with New Orleans Flavor! After every game, all the children can go onto the field and get autographs and hang out with all of the players—while running wild. We should have some great halftime entertainment as well as live music, petting zoos for the kids, and all kinds of fun games. The bottom line is that parents can take the whole family out for an inexpensive fun-filled night and experience great soccer with some added lagniappe.
WYAT: How important is the newly refurbished Pan-American Stadium to your club?
KF: We absolutely could not have achieved the success we had last year if it had not been for Pan American Stadium. It is a great place to play and the fans love it. The atmosphere is tremendous and the surface, albeit artificial, is great for soccer. Every congregation has to have a chapel, and Pan American is that for the Jesters.
WYAT: How important is it to have a dynamic young owner who’s committed to making soccer work in New Orleans?
KF: Great question! Dana Stumpf, our owner of two years, has been vital to this organization. Dana is deeply involved in many non-profits around the city. She saw the Jesters as a great way to touch the community in a tangible way. I don’t think one can get a better candidate to be in charge of what one day might be a very big sports franchise here. She constantly reminds everybody involved that we have to invest in this city and its people in every way possible. Our players are constantly visiting the schools and hospitals to work with the kids so they can help do their part in the community. We have soccer camps throughout the summer, and we all get so much joy from teaching children the game of soccer and spreading it throughout the region. With her business sense, her devotion to New Orleans, and her passion and energy for the franchise, we are in very good hands.
WYAT: Final question. A prediction—what will your teams record be when the season ends?
KF: Man, you make it tough! Of course, I would like it to be 16-0 in the regular season and end up with a national championship. Realistically, it will take about 10 wins to make the playoffs. Out of all the conferences across the nation, I believe that we are in the toughest. That being said, I would hope it will be about 11-5. That should be good enough for the playoffs and then we will need to win another 4 matches to get through the playoffs and win the championship.
Soccer Hits South Africa this Summer for the 2010 World Cup
By Kenny Farrell, Head Coach/GM, New Orleans Jesters
Link to original story at Where Y'at Magazine
Soccer fans across the world are bracing themselves for the kickoff of the 2010 World Cup in June. And right here in the US, we’re wondering what we can expect from our national team. The US has a long and interesting history of ups and downs representing our country in the world championship, and this year in South Africa, they have a chance to shine.
This summer, the World Cup will be an ideal opportunity to measure exactly how far the US team has come over the last 80 years. In the very first World Cup in 1930, the US soccer team made it all the way to the semi-finals. Since then, the US has tried to position themselves as an elite team on the international stage. In 1990, the US was no more than a college team—they placed at the bottom of their group and didn’t advance to the second round. Four years later as host of the 1994 World Cup, they made it to the second round where they lost to Brazil, but certainly proved they were coming together as a viable, mature team with talent. 2002 marked arguably their best World Cup performance to date. Upsetting the Portuguese allowed the US to advance to the second round; then came a tremendous win over their archrival Mexico in the round of sixteen. The US lost 1-0 in the quarterfinals to eventual finalist, Germany, but the bar had been set for US soccer. Unfortunately, while our hopes were high in 2006 for our team, the World Cup proved to be disaster for the US, with the team finishing last in their group.
While the US team has a rocky history, the future looks bright. The US has a tremendous opportunity to return to prominence on an international stage in South Africa—with a great chance of winning their group, consisting of England, Slovenia, and Algeria. The team’s much anticipated opening game against England is one I believe the US could win. They’ve proven over the last four years they can take on the national powerhouses and come home with a favorable result. In order for this to happen, the US has to be at their best and England must slip up. Currently, the English side has some off-the-field issues and is unsure what their final roster will be. These distractions, coupled with the possibility of underestimating the Americans, could lead to a favorable result for the US. If the Americans do win, they could maintain tremendous momentum, winning their group and advancing in the tournament.
So what about the other teams? Certainly, Argentina has the ability to win the World Cup; they have the best player in the world in Lionel Messi, along with a very talented group of players around him. Although they sometimes struggle to make it through their group stages, if head coach Diego Maradona can keep a stable ship, they would have to be considered one of the favorites. Brazil should be another favorite to win it all. According to the FIFA World Rankings, the Brazilians rank number one and have multiple World Cup championships in their back pocket. Just behind Brazil, second-ranked Spain always seem to come up a bit short, but a fully-fit Fernando Torres has the ability to change the outcome of any game, giving his team the added boost to win the championship. The dark horse has to be the Netherlands. They’ve been to the finals twice before, but never have secured a championship. This year, their squad might be as good as the squads of 74 and 78 which made it to the World Cup final.
For the first time, the World Cup is being played in South Africa, and no team outside of South America or Europe has ever won it. Fans will get an opportunity to see soccer being played at its highest level. I expect the final four to be dominated by South American and European teams, but because we’re on their territory, we may see an African team sneak into the final rounds for the very first time. Depending on group play, it’s difficult to predict who will meet in the knockout rounds, but here are the teams I believe have a strong chance to make it to the final four: Argentina, Spain, France, and Brazil. If things pan out the way I predict, look for Spain and Brazil to battle it out in the final. But it’s anyone’s game!
