Know Your Enemy: Lansdowne Bhoys

2nd Round US Open Opponent

Here is a little lunchtime reading about the Hounds opponent tonight with our boys (not bhoys) again looking for the first win of the season in the US Open Cup, just like 2014, a trend I hope we can end sooner than later.

About our Irish visitors to the Highmark on Wednesday, the Lansdowne Bhoys, I was looking forward to researching this club, being of Irish heritage myself and what I found was pretty interesting.

What started as a pub team in Lansdowne Bar in Yonkers has built itself in to quite the community based soccer entity.

The Bhoys play in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League of NY, playing mostly other club teams from NY. They defeated the Long Island Rough Riders in the 1st round of the cup to set up their date with the Hounds.

The club has grown significantly it seems since its inception in 1997, they are winning the Cosmopolitan Soccer League regularly and are now fielding a second and third team in lower leagues. They also have a small Academy set up and youth team in 2013. In addition they have a partnership with the famous Glasgow Celtic, regular Scottish Premiership Champions; it is at the youth level ages (9-15). They are gaining notoriety in the Irish footballing world as well, being name dropped in some Ireland national team games on ESPN by commentator Tommy Smyth.

Looking at the players on the field, most of the players are of Irish descent, with some Jamaican’s thrown in there, interesting combination. I’m not sure at what point these guys emigrated to America or why they did, but most of their bio’s say they are from the Emerald Isle. A couple players from County Donegal, where my grandparents were originally from, which was cool to see.

Stephen Roche has USL experience with former side FC New York and Sean Kelley is a former Arsenal youth product and Irish U-23 International. There is some talent on this team.

Also, pretty cool is that most of the team work day jobs in construction for the kit sponsor, Emerald Tile & Stone.

I have a feeling tonight’s game is going to be close, with Hounds 2-1 win. Hope to see everyone there and maybe a little Pens action in the pub afterwards.

#UNLEASH