Media Kit: Archived Press Releases

Head Coach Kenny Farrell says Shell Shockers Set to Sizzle this Season

The New Orleans Shell Shockers are aiming to light up the league - and Head Coach Kenny Farrell can’t wait for the big kick-off. A young and enthusiastic squad sparkled at times last year, and Coach Kenny believes if they nail the consistency and concentration they occasionally lacked then their raw talent can take them all the way to the national play-offs.

Speaking after a well-attended open try-out session at Pan American Stadium he explained: “We had an excellent season in 2005 considering I had rebuilt the whole team with a very young squad. I blended the best local talent with a handful of high-profile international players.

“The campaign was all about the players getting experience at this level and was the first stage of a three-year plan I had developed for the squad. But I am delighted to say that we are well ahead of schedule and that with a bit of luck things could have been even better. We were only two wins away from the play-offs and sometimes the guys performed out of their skins — beating El Paso who only lost on penalties in the national championship. But sometimes our inexperience showed and that cost us.

“That’s why I’m going to add a few experienced players who can take us to a higher level. I know that we can match the quality of soccer played by anyone, and we will build on the platform laid last year and with our new additions I am confident we will be successful.”

The Premier Development League has undergone a restructuring this year and the Shell Shockers have been placed in the Mid South Division of the Southern Conference along with four Texas teams. Coach Kenny feels geography and the United Soccer League have given him a tough battle — but one he is relishing.

“I’m very excited about the coming season even though we are in the toughest conference in the country. It is made up of full-time professional teams, and when the season finishes a lot of the squad star in Mexican leagues. There are very good teams stuffed full of talented players but I believe we are better than all of them, and if we do qualify for the next round then we will probably find the opposition weaker than the teams in our regular season games.

“We showed our skill in flashes last year, for instance raising our performance to defeat Laredo, but then we got beat by less skilful outfits like Nashville and Memphis, and ultimately it was these slip-ups which cost us.”

Pre-season training for the elite crop of New Orleans soccer talent starts soon, and once again the side will be built around a local core.

“We have lost Steve McAnespie who was our best and most experienced member, but the good news is we have Nick Lambert from Brother Martin High School back. He will be vice-captain and is a fabulous central defender whose injury in the first game of last season was a massive blow. Captain will be ex-Jesuit PJ Kee, and we also welcome back Pablo Araya from Chile who scored 11 goals last campaign. He will be a better player with a year under his belt and won’t let defenders intimidate him like they sometimes did last year.”

And Coach Kenny feels that this year the Shell Shockers are not just representing soccer but are a symbol of the rebirth of a whole city.

“We are dedicated to New Orleans and need to give the people something they can be proud of. We want to win the championship not just for ourselves but for the city and the community. Even during the darkest days of the storm, as I watched our stadium being drowned under 20 feet of water, I never thought for a minute that we wouldn’t be back. In fact the myriad obstacles provided by Katrina have only made us even more determined to win something for the success-starved sports fans of New Orleans.

“We have one of the youngest squads in the States and if they can handle the responsibilities and challenges of the forthcoming season the future is bright - and can only get brighter.”

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