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Marta
Leads All-Star Win With Two Goals
Marta with a pair of goals led her Marta
XI to a 5-2 victory over Abby XI at the 2010 WPS All-Star Game presented
by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve in front of 4,610 fans at KSU Soccer Stadium
in Kennesaw, Ga.
Amy Rodriguez added a goal and an assist for the victors
while Heather O’Reilly chipped in two assists in
a losing effort.
The night started with the precision performance and timing of the U.S.
Coast Guard drill team during pre-game festivities and a rare public appearance
from U.S. women’s soccer legend Michelle Akers,
who made the ceremonial first kick. But it was Marta who showed the most
precision on the field of play.
The Brazilian forward, who was voted the MVP of the 2010 WPS All-Star
Game presented by U.S. Coast Guard Reserve by the media, did her damage
in the early going as she set the tone for her team’s win.
The all-star game featured an unuaual format with teams selected by the
top two vote-getters, Marta and Abby Wambach.
In the 7th minute, Marta XI scored the first goal of the match as FC Gold
Pride defender Rachel Buehler made a run up the right
flank and passed laterally to Kelly Smith. The Boston
Breakers midfielder slipped a pass to Marta that split the Abby XI defense
and the FC Gold Pride forward buried her shot past Atlanta Beat goalkeeper
Hope Solo.
A minute later Marta struck again for a 2-0 lead.
The third goal was scored by FC Gold Pride forward Christine Sinclair
who knocked in a rebound of an Allison Falk shot.
Abby XI finally got on the scoreboard in the 35th minute when Sky Blue
FC midfielder O’Reilly crossed the ball into the box from the right
flank. Abby Wambach was making a far post run and drove a header on goal
that Washington Freedom teammate Erin McLeod dove to
stop, but Atlanta Beat forward Eniola Aluko pounced on
the rebound shooting it into an empty net.
Atlanta Beat midfielder Aya Miyama scored the fourth
Marta XI goal in the 74th minute.
The second Abby XI was scored by Lauren Cheney, while
Rodriguez had the fifth Marta XL score.
The 2010 WPS All-Stars
ABBY’S XI — Hope Solo (Jillian
Loyden, 56'), Cat Whitehill, Amy LePeilbet, Tina Ellertson, Lori Chalupny,
Lori Lindsey (Laura Kalmari, 57'), Shannon Boxx (Angie Kerr, 57'), Lauren
Cheney (Karen Carney, 52'), Heather O’Reilly (Kelley O’Hara,
52'), Eniola Aluko (Tasha Kai, 52'), Abby Wambach
MARTA’S XI — Erin McLeod (Nicole Barnhart,
57'), Brittany Taylor, Allison Falk (Christie Rampone, 46'), Rachel Buehler
(Becky Sauerbrunn, 46'), Sonia Bompastor, Kelly Smith (Alex Scott, 46'),
Kristine Lilly, Ramona Bachmann, Aya Miyama (Cristiane, 46'), Marta, Christine
Sinclair (Amy Rodriguez, 46')
WPS’
Saint Louis Athletica Folds
For the second time this season, Women’s Professional
Soccer has lost a franchise.
The Saint Louis Athletica folded on Thursday. The league, in its second
season, saw its marquee team from 2009, the Los Angeles Sol, fold last
February.
The Athletica’s players, including U.S. national team stars Hope
Solo, Shannon Boxx and Lori Chalupny, will be available as free
agents to sign with other WPS teams next week. The league will restructure
the rest of the 2010 schedule into a seven-team format.
At the moment, AC St. Louis, the D-2 Pro League men’s club operated
by the same ownership group, continues to operate.
The WPS has covered the Athletica’s last two player payrolls, but
efforts to secure additional owner support for the rest of the season
went without success and the decision was made the fold the club.
“It’s incredibly difficult to lose a team in mid-season like
this,” said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci. “We
looked at a few options as a league together with our Board and U.S. Soccer,
but the operational hurdles and finances just didn’t work out. In
the face of a severe funding gap in St. Louis, the local ownership group
is shutting down the team at this point.”
Two British-based investors, owners Sanjeev Vaid and Heemal Vaid,
had agreed to fund Athletica for the 2010 season, but defaulted on that
contract.
"Saint Louis Athletica is a painful outcome from the funding shortfalls
and ultimate default by the investors who had the obligation to fund and
operate the team on a day-to-day basis,” said Athletica founder
and chairman Jeff Cooper, who was instrumental in bringing
pro soccer back to St. Louis.
“I’ve given this matter my complete attention since returning
to a more active role in the last few weeks, and numerous parties have
spent a lot of hours during that time exploring what options or solutions
might be available. Despite best efforts, nothing was found that would
answer the immediate needs of the franchise. With more time, it is possible
the answer to the financial challenges Athletica faced would have been
met, but unfortunately we do not have the benefit of extra time."
Prior to starting the Athletica and AC St. Louis, Cooper had sought a
Major League Soccer franchise for St. Louis for a number of years. However,
MLS officials rejected the overtures, citing concern for the level of
local ownership funding, and has awarded franchises to Portland and Vancouver
for 2011 and Montreal for 2012.
No
Bull…..New York 3, Juventus 1
The New York Red Bulls gave fans value for their money as
they beat Italian giants Juventus 3-1 in an exhibition game.
Juventus fielded some of their top players, such as Alessandro
Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Diego, but nevertheless
failed to deal with a Red Bull side of which several regulars were being
rested.
After a goalless first half, goals from Tampa native Jeremy Hall,
Conor Chinn and former Aston Villa forward Juan Pablo
Angel led Red Bull to a very comfortable 3-0 lead.
Only substitute Amauri did something back for the Italian
visitors, who did have the support of most of the crowd, pulling one back
in the 90th minute, 3-1.
Juventus' season has come to its end as some of the clubs players are
now switching focus to the World Cup, while the Red Bulls are right in
the middle of the U.S. Major League Soccer season.
Timbers
Sign Former W&M Keeper Brown
The Portland Timbers have signed veteran goalkeeper Adin
Brown for the 2010 season, it was announced pending USSF approval.
A former member of the U.S. National Team, Brown has played the last five
seasons for Norway’s Aalesund FK.
Brown, 31, returns to the United States, where he started his career in
2000, to join the Timbers.
“Adin is a tremendous goalkeeper, and while he is coming off surgery,
the opportunity to sign him was too good to pass up,” said Gavin
Wilkinson, Timbers head coach and general manager. “His
ability and mentality have never been questioned, and when he is healthy
he is one of the best goalkeepers in North America. We both feel this
is an opportunity for him to focus on getting fit and healthy and reach
those heights again. ”
Brown, who underwent successful foot surgery earlier this month, is scheduled
to join the club in mid-March and begin rehabilitation with Sports Medicine
Oregon. He is expected to be available for selection starting in mid-June.
A native of Pleasant Hill, Calif., Brown played in 69 games during his
time with Aalesund FK from 2005-09. In 2006, he led Aalesund to a second-place
finish in Norway’s second division, and a return to the country’s
Premier League in 2007. Brown scored his first professional goal in 2007,
netting the equalizer in a 2-2 draw against Rosenborg.
Brown played five seasons in Major League Soccer before taking his career
abroad. Selected third-overall in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by the Colorado
Rapids, he spent most of his time in MLS with the New England Revolution
(2002-04), leading the club to the 2002 MLS Cup final. In total, he started
83 MLS games for Colorado (2000-01), Tampa Bay Mutiny (2001) and New England,
recording 396 saves and a 1.73 goals-against average.
He joined the U.S. U-23 National Team in 1998, serving as the team’s
starting goalkeeper when it qualified for the 2000 Olympics. Brown was
a member of the U-23s for three seasons (1998-2000) and also helped the
team claim a bronze medal at the 1999 Pan-Am Games. He has been called
into camp with the senior U.S. National Team on several occasions and
was on the 18-man roster for the 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Brown had a standout collegiate career at the College of William and Mary.
Following his senior season in 1999, he became just the third goalkeeper
at the time to earn two All-America honors during a collegiate career.
Brown led the Tribe to the Colonial Athletic Association championship
in 1999 and ranks among the school’s career leaders in saves (417)
and shutouts (34).
Richmond
signs three for 2010
RICHMOND, VA -- The Richmond Kickers have announced that
former Kickers youth player, Roger Bothe, signed with
the Kickers pro team following his collegiate career at William &
Mary. Bothe joins the return of Kickers midfielder Ross Mackenzie
as well as rookie midfielder Jonathan Villanueva, out
of the NCAA Champion University of Virginia. The new signings will be
eligible pending USSF approval.
A native of Chester, Virginia, Bothe spent seven seasons with the Kickers
youth system, joining the club as a U-15 Elite player in 2002 before graduating
to the Kickers Premier Development League team, the Richmond Kickers Future,
in 2006.
“Roger's signing is a significant moment in Kickers history,”
comments Leigh Cowlishaw, Director of Soccer and Head
Coach. “He will be the first of our youth players to return to Richmond
and play professionally.’ your hometown team.”
Bothe concluded his collegiate career at William & Mary as co-captain,
receiving numerous accolades including VaSID All-State First Team, All-CAA
Second Team, NSCAA All-South Atlantic Region Second Team and Scholar All-American
Second Team honors.
The Kickers welcome the return of midfielder Mackenzie, who re-signs after
making 12 appearances with the 2009 Championship team. Mackenzie registered
four goals and four assists during his rookie professional season with
the Wilmington Hammerheads, and joined the Carolina RailHawks of the USL
First Division in 2008.
A 2006 graduate of Old Dominion University, Mackenzie captained and led
the Monarchs to the Sweet 16 his senior year. Finishing third on the team
in points with 13 that season, the 5’11” midfielder tallied
14 goals and added 13 assists for 41 points during his collegiate career.
Selected to the All-District, All-Metro, All-Region and All-State First
Teams as a senior at Clover Hill High School in Midlothian, VA,
Villanueva joins the Kickers in 2010 after leading the University of Virginia
to the NCAA Championship last fall. His two assists in the semifinal win
over Wake Forest boosted the Cavaliers to the title match, earning the
College Cup’s Most Outstanding Offensive Player award. During a
standout career at UVA, the 5’10” midfielder tallied nine
goals and 18 assists. He was named to the ACC All-Tournament Team in 2008
and ACC All-Freshman Team in 2006. A product of Grand Prairie, TX, Villanueva
came to UVA after scoring 31 goals and 13 assists at South Grand Prairie,
helping them to advance to the regional quarterfinals as a senior.
Villanueva will make his professional debut against his alma mater in
the Kickers home opening Pro-Am Challenge on Saturday, April 3. Kicko
11
ACC Players Drafted By MLS Teams
Six ACC student-athletes were selected in the first round
of the 2010 Major League Soccer SuperDraft, on January 14 at the Pennsylvania
Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA. All totaled, 11 ACC standouts drafted,
including three among the first five picks, were drafted.
The overall 64 draft selections represented 41 different schools, including
five ACC institutions.
Tony Tchani, a midfielder for Virginia’s 2009 NCAA
Champion men’s soccer team, was selected second overall by the New
York Red Bulls. Tchani wrapped up his Cavalier career with 17 goals, seven
assists and 41 points. He was a first team All-America selection by both
the National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) and College Soccer News.
In 2009, Tchani scored eight goals, including two game-winners, and tallied
four assists for the NCAA Champion Cavaliers. Additionally, Ross
LaBauex was selected seventh in the second round (23rd overall)
by the Colorado Rapids.
The San Jose Earthquakes selected Wake Forest defender and the 2008 and
2009 ACC Defensive Player of the Year Ike Opara with
the third overall pick. Opara marked the first of a MLS-record four first-round
draft picks out of the same school.
Demon Deacons teammates Zack Schilawski (ninth overall
to New England Revolution), Corben Bone (13th overall
to Chicago Fire) and Austin Da Luz (14th overall to New
York) rounded out the complement. The previous record of student-athletes
drafted by one school in the first round of the MLS Draft was held by
UCLA (2000) and Maryland (2009).
FC Dallas grabbed versatile North Carolina midfielder Zach Loyd
with the fifth overall selection. Loyd, a native of Verdigris,
Okla., will begin his professional soccer career in the closest MLS market
to his hometown, while another Tar Heel senior defender, Jordan
Graye, was taken by DC United in the fourth round as the 55th
pick overall. Graye will also be playing professionally close to home
as he is a Washington native and DeMatha Catholic graduate.
Maryland had a second-round and third-round selection as Drew
Yates and Kevin Tangney became the latest in
a long line of Terrapins to be drafted in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft
Thursday. Yates was selected with the 29th pick by the Chicago Fire. The
Severna Park, Md., product played in all 92 matches during his four-year
college career, finishing with 14 goals.
Tangney, who was drafted 35th by Chivas USA, takes his game to professional
ranks after an inspirational career at Maryland. The Newtown, Pa., native
spent five years in College Park after suffering two major knee injuries.
He led the Terrapin defense to nine shutouts as a senior in 2009.
NC State defender Korede Aiyegbusi was drafted by the
Kansas City Wizards in the second round (20th overall). Aiyegbusi, originally
from London, England, spent the past two seasons at NC State after transferring
from Essex Community College. Aiyegbusi finished the 2009 season with
one goal and three assists, and helped the Pack advance to the ACC Championship
game and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
2010 MLS SuperDraft
1st Round
1. Philadelphia, Danny Mwanga, Oregon State, F
2. New York, Tony Tchani, Virginia, M
3. San Jose, Ike Opara, Wake Forest, D
4. Kansas City, Teal Bunbury, Akron, F
5. FC Dallas (from Toronto FC), Zach Loyd, North Carolina,
M
6. Philadelphia (from FC Dallas), Amobi Okugo, UCLA,
M
7. Philadelphia (D.C. United), Jack McInerney, Cobb FC,
F
8. Columbus (from Colorado), Dilly Duka, Rutgers, M
9. New England, Zach Schilawski, Wake Forest, F
10. Chivas USA, Blair Gavin, Akron, M
11. Seattle, David Estrada, UCLA, F
12. Columbus, Bright Dike, Notre Dame, F
13. Chicago, Corben Bone, Wake Forest, M
14. New York (from Houston), Austin da Luz, Wake Forest,
M
15. Real Salt Lake (from Los Angeles), Collen Warner,
Portland, F
16. Los Angeles (from Real Salt Lake), Michael Stephens,
UCLA, F
2nd Round
17. Philadelphia, Toni Stahl, Connecticut, M
18. New York, Tim Ream, Saint Louis, D/M
19. San Jose, Michael Thomas, Notre Dame, M
20. Kansas City, Korede Aiyegbusi, N.C. State, D
21. FC Dallas (from Toronto FC), Andrew Wiedeman, California,
F
22. Colorado (from FC Dallas), Andre Akpan, Harvard,
F
23. Colorado (from D.C. United), Ross LaBauex, Virginia,
M
24. Toronto (from Colorado), Zach Herold, West Pines
United, D
25. New England, Seth Sinovic, Creighton, D
26. Chicago (from Chivas USA), Kwame Watson-Siriboe,
Connecticut, D
27. Seattle, Michael Seamon, Villanova, M/F
28. San Jose (from Real Salt Lake, FC Dallas, Columbus), Justin
Morrow, Notre Dame, D
29. Chicago, Drew Yates, Maryland, M
30. San Jose (from Houston), Steve Beitashour, San Diego
State, D/M
31. New England (from New York, Los Angeles), Zak Boggs,
South Florida, M/F
32. Real Salt Lake, Justin Davis, New Mexico, M/F
3rd Round
33. Philadelphia, Kyle Nakazawa, UCLA, M
34. New England (from New York), Conor Chin, San Francisco,
F
35. Chivas USA (from San Jose), Kevin Tangney, Maryland,
D
36. Kansas City, Nick Cardenas, San Diego State, D
37. San Jose (from Toronto FC), Andrew Hoxie, William
& Mary, F
38. FC Dallas, Jason Yeisley, Penn State, F
39. Real Salt Lake (from Los Angeles, D.C. United), Chris Schuler,
Creighton, D
40. Colorado, Chad Borak, Cal State Northridge, D
41. Kansas City (from New England), Mauro Fuzetti, Michigan,
M/F
42. Chivas USA, Isaac Kissi, Dayton, M/F
43. Houston (from Seattle), David Walker, UC Santa Barbara,
M/F
44. Dallas (from Columbus), Eric Alexander, Indiana,
M
45. Chicago, Steve Kinney, Chicago, Elon, D
46. Houston, Samuel Appiah, Boston Univ., M
47. Chivas USA (from Los Angeles), Ben Zemanski, Akron,
M
48. New England (from New York, Real Salt Lake), Jason Griffiths,
Kentucky, M/F
4th Round
49. Philadelphia, Brian Perk, UCLA, G
50. New York, Irving Garcia, UC Irvine, M
51. Chicago (from San Jose), Sean Johnson, UCF, G
52. Kansas City, Ofori Sarkodie, Indiana, D
53. Toronto FC, Joseph Nane, Old Dominion, M
54. FC Dallas, Dane Saintus, SMU, M
55. D.C. United, Jordan Graye, North Carolina, D
56. Colorado, Chris Cutshaw, Bradley, F
57. New England, Adam Welch, Lehigh, D
58. Chivas USA (from Toronto, Chivas USA), Chris Ross,
Colgate, M
59. Seattle, Jamel Wallace, San Diego State, D
60. Columbus, Kwaku Nyamekye, Harvard, D
61. Columbus (from Chicago), Othaniel Yanez, Louisville,
M
62. Houston, Euan Holden, New Mexico, D
63. Columbus (from Los Angeles), Shaun Francis, Lindsey
Wilson, D
64. Real Salt Lake, Kris Banghart, Denver, D
Division
2 Pro League Will Operate In 2010
The U.S. Soccer Federation, United Soccer Leagues (USL)
and the North American Soccer League (NASL) have come to an agreement
on the formation and operation of a Division 2 professional soccer league
for the 2010 season. Under the agreement, U.S. Soccer will oversee the
league for the 2010 season, working with both the USL and NASL on the
day-to-day league activities.
The agreement pertains only to the 2010 season, and during the next year
U.S. Soccer will continue to work with USL and NASL to build a long-term
solution for the future. U.S. Soccer will also be developing new standards
to govern Division 2 professional league applicants to ensure the long
term viability and sustainability of the leagues and teams.
“We are extremely pleased that we were able to come to a solution
that ensures we will have Division 2 professional soccer in the United
States in 2010,” said U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati.
“This agreement allows us to continue to develop the professional
game in many important markets around the country, while at the same time
working towards the long-term stability of Division 2 professional soccer.
I’d like to thank the representatives from both the USL and NASL
for the time spent during our negotiations, especially their efforts in
the past seven days.”
The league will consist of two six-team conferences – the USL Conference
and the NASL Conference. The USL Conference will include teams from Austin,
Minnesota, Portland, Puerto Rico, Rochester and Tampa Bay. The NASL Conference
will consist of teams from Baltimore, Carolina, Miami, Montreal, St. Louis
and Vancouver.
In the near future, U.S. Soccer will announce details of the new league,
including league rules, a match schedule, television rights and other
important operational issues.
As part of the agreement, all pending claims between the USL and NASL
will be dropped.
U.S.
SOCCER BOD VOTES UNANIMOUSLY NOT TO SANCTION
USL OR NASL FOR DIVISION II STATUS IN 2010
CHICAGO (Dec. 30, 2009) – The U.S. Soccer Board of
Directors voted unanimously on Tuesday to not sanction either the USL
or the NASL to operate a Division II professional league in 2010.
The decision was made on the recommendation of the Professional League
Task Force, which determined that neither organization on its own was
able to provide a viable and sustainable operation during the upcoming
season. Both organizations were unable to meet U.S. Soccer’s requirement
of a minimum of eight viable teams for 2010.
Despite the ruling, the U.S. Soccer Board of Directors has given both
organizations seven days to try to work out an interim solution for the
2010 season.
“After carefully reviewing the findings from the Task Force it
was clear there are still too many uncertainties for both organizations,
which would be extremely difficult to resolve in a timely fashion that
would allow them to prepare for the 2010 season,” said U.S. Soccer
President Sunil Gulati.
“In the best interest of soccer in the United States, we decided
to not sanction either league at this point. However, we did encourage
both leagues to come together in the next week and attempt to develop
another plan which would allow a single league to be approved on a provisional
basis. We are committed to finding ways to improve the long-term viability
of all leagues and teams and continue the growth of soccer in the United
States.”
Moreno,
Salinas Taken By Philadelphia In Expansion Draft
NEW YORK (Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009) – Major League
Soccer held its 2009 Expansion Draft today for the League’s 16th
team, Philadelphia Union, with the team selecting 10 players from among
nearly 200 left unprotected by all Major League Soccer clubs.
Highlighting Union head coach Peter Nowak’s 10
selections are MLS veterans Alejandro Moreno and Shavar
Thomas, both of whom started 17 games for their respective clubs
in 2009. Moreno, a Venezuelan international, just completed his eighth
year in MLS, has scored 43 regular season goals in his career, and scored
in MLS Cup 2008 for the Columbus Crew. Thomas has seven seasons under
his belt as a centerback, represents Jamaica internationally, and was
part of Chivas USA’s stingy defense in 2009 that allowed just 31
goals in 30 games.
Philadelphia also selected Sebastien Le Toux, the first
player signed by Seattle Sounders FC who had led the USL Sounders in scoring
and who played in 28 MLS regular season games in 2009. The complete list
of 10 selections is below.
Moreno played collegiate soccer at UNC Greensboro. Former Furman standout
Shea Salinas was also taken from the San Jose Earthquakes.
Five teams did not have a player selected – FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo,
Kansas City Wizards, Real Salt Lake and Toronto FC. Each of the League’s
15 teams was allowed to protect 11 players, leaving all others unprotected
and available for selection by the Union.
The 2008 expansion draft proved fruitful for Seattle Sounders FC, who
selected Nate Jaqua, Brad Evans and
James Riley last year. Sounders FC were the first expansion
team to make the playoffs since 1998.
Philadelphia Union, Major League Soccer’s 16th team, will begin
play in the Eastern Conference in the 2010 season. They will play their
home opener at Lincoln Financial Field on April 10, 2010 and open their
home stadium, Union Field, during the 2010 season. Below is a complete
list of player selected in this year’s draft.
Philadelphia Union 2009 Expansion Draft Selections
(listed in alphabetical order)
Player (Pos.) Former Club
Jordan Harvey (D) Colorado Rapids
Andrew Jacobsen (M) D.C. United
Brad Knighton (G) New England Revolution
Sebastien Le Toux (F) Seattle Sounders FC
Stefani Miglioranzi (M) LA Galaxy
Alejandro Moreno (F) Columbus Crew
Dave Myrie (D) Chicago Fire
Shea Salinas (M) San Jose Earthquakes
Shavar Thomas (D) Chivas USA
Nick Zimmerman (M) New York Red Bulls
USL
Awards, HOF
TAMPA, FL -- United Soccer Leagues officially closed the
door on the 2009 awards Friday night at the USL Hall of Fame and Awards
Dinner as they recognized outstanding performances by its member teams
and executives for the season along with the 2009 USL Hall of Fame induction
ceremony at the Hyatt Regency Tampa.
The evening opened with speeches from Gary Mellor of
Beswicks Sports and Richard Nightingale of Umbro as well
as USL Chairman Rob Hoskins and USL founder Francisco
Marcos. It continued with the induction of the 10+ Clubs into
the USL Hall of Fame, honoring the Charlotte Lady Eagles, Ottawa Fury
and Thunder Bay Chill.
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the Story
New
Outdoor League Formed
Six former USL-1 teams, the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina
Railhawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact and Vancouver
Whitecaps, along with St. Louis Soccer United have joined forces to create
a new soccer league set to begin play in 2010.
“This is not your typical new league,” Joey Saputo,
the President of the Montreal Impact and recently-appointed league chairman
said. “Most of our teams have existed for years. We have united
some of the best owners, teams and markets around a new vision for a professional
soccer league in North America. We look forward to elevating our teams
and league in order to give more opportunities to players, coaches, media
and sponsors, entertain our fans and play our role in helping soccer truly
recognize its potential in the United States and Canada.”
The owners submitted an application for sanctioning of the new league
as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League by the United
States Soccer Federation.
Jeff Cooper, the principal owner of the St. Louis club
stated the league is finalizing plans for a commissioner and that the
name and marketing plan for league will be released shortly.
The USL will continue in 2010 with up to 11 teams actively participating
in the coming season’s play.
Sounders
Win U.S. Open Cup
The expansion Seattle Sounders knocked off defending champion
D.C. United 2-1 to claim the 2009 U.S. Open Cup championship before a
crowd of 17,329 at RFK Stadium in Washington,DC.
Both clubs sought to host the championship game, with D.C. United getting
the game after a good bit of bickering between the two organizations,
each claiming that hosting would be a home-field advantage. In the end
it was the visitors who got the victory.
Fredy Montero and Roger Levesque scored
Seattle's goals. Clyde Simms got a late goal for United, but a brain-lock
by goalie Josh Wicks left the home team a man down for
the last 30 minutes.
Wicks played the hero and the villain. He kept United in the game with
a number of key saves but was thrown out for stomping on Montero seconds
after the forward scored Seattle's first goal. In United's previous game,
Wicks nearly came to blows with teammate Marc Burch.
"A player doesn't come before the team," coach Tom Soehn
said. "[Wicks] has to be smarter than that. Anytime you are short-handed,
you are setting yourself up not to be successful."
Added Wicks: "I made a mistake. It cost our team a player and the
game eventually."
United started with forwards Jaime Moreno and Luciano
Emilio leading a 3-5-2 formation. However, Seattle had the best
of the run of play in the first half. Chris Pontius got
the start over Santino Quaranta on the right flank. Seattle
was missing its two key central defenders, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado
(suspension) and Tyrone Marshall (injury).
It was end-to-end soccer, and Wicks again came up big to stop Freddie
Ljungberg on a breakaway. Just before the break, Wicks pulled
off another big save, reacting quickly to stop Montero's header.
United made a change after the interval, replacing Fred with Santino Quaranta.
The deadlock finally was broken on a Seattle breakaway in the 67th minute.
Winger Steve Zakuani headed the ball into the path of
Ljungberg, who was stopped on a great save by Wicks. But the United keeper
could not hold on to the ball, and Montero hit home the rebound. Wicks
then walked toward Montero, who was lying on the ground, and stomped on
the striker with both feet. Wicks was red-carded and had to be forced
off the field by officials.
Milos Kocic replaced Wicks, forcing United to pull off
Christian Gomez and play the rest of the contest a man
down.
"I'm upset that he got a red card. From a couple of accounts, I heard
that it was warranted," captain Ben Olsen said.
"If that's the case, great. Kudos to the referee for doing their
job. We have to stay focused and be composed after that, but that wasn't
the story of the game. We were under the gun a lot."
Seattle made it 2-0 in the 86th minute when Levesque converted a Sebastian
Le Toux cross. United answered three minutes later when Simms
converted a rebound off Rodney Wallace from Quaranta's
free kick.
USL
Owners Want Bigger Say
Before this week, the United Soccer Leagues' Team Owners'
Association was a relatively-unknown entity.
That changed when the group fired a salvo expressing "extreme disappointment"
in Nike's decision to sell the USL to NuRock Soccer Holdings last week,
and made public its desire to pursue "all league options for the
2010 season and beyond."
NuRock’s Rob Hoskins will serve as Chairman of
the league, with Alec Papadakis becoming the CEO. Current
USL Vice-President Tim Holt will be President of the
organiztion with founder Francisco Marcos transitioning
to the position of President Emeritus and Senior Director of International
Development.
The owners' association consists of current USL-1 team owners in Carolina,
Miami, Minnesota, Montreal and Vancouver, as well as the on-hiatus Atlanta
Silverbacks, 2010 expansion franchise in Tampa, Fla., and prospective
owner St. Louis Soccer United.
"It's about the professionalizing of USL-1," said Whitecaps
president Bob Lenarduzzi. "There's been discussion
for a year-and-a-half now with regards to the team owners having more
of a stake — and say — in how the league is run."
The Whitecaps men's team is leaving for Major League Soccer in 2011, but
they have squads throughout the 700-team USL pyramid — PDL, W-League
and Super Y — and could look to retain a USL-1 team in another market.
Umbro used to own USL, but when Nike bought Umbro in 2007, the apparel
giant also took ownership of the league which has an annual revenue of
around $5 million U.S..
"We have seen the announcement from the (owners' association), which
contains several incorrect statements, but have no further comment at
this time," said Tim Holt, league president.
A concern of the TOA is that third-party corporate league ownership in
the past has stunted the growth of the league and limited its recognition.
NuRock, described by some in the owners’ association as another
"third-party" owner, does own a Premier Development League team
in Atlanta, and has rights to acquire USL-1 teams in Atlanta and Birmingham,
Ala.
"We have a very sincere interest in the USL," said Lenarduzzi.
"It goes beyond the senior men's team."
The owners' association represents just under half of USL-1 — a
league that is set to expand to 13 teams next season with the addition
of Tampa Bay and New York, though reports out of Miami suggest that franchise
could be done after this season.
WPS
All-Stars defeat Umeå IK, 4-2
FENTON, Mo. (Aug. 30, 2009) – The WPS All-Stars downed
Swedish national champion Umeå, 4-2, in the WPS All-Star Game presented
by the Coast Guard on Sunday, Aug. 30 at The Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park
in Fenton, Mo. After falling behind 2-0 after 15 minutes, the WPS All-Stars
responded with four unanswered goals to win the inaugural WPS All-Star
Game.
In just the second minute, Umeå IK served notice that they would
be a formidable foe as Mami Yamaguchi, who won the 2007
MAC Hermann Trophy as the NCAA’s best player while at Florida State,
sent a through ball to Madelaine Edlund on the right
side of the box. With only the Los Angeles Sol’s Karina
LeBlanc to beat, Edlund fired her shot past the WPS All-Star
goalkeeper to give Umeå an early 1-0 lead.
Umeå kept on the attack as two minutes later Yamaguchi unleashed
a dipping shot from 30 yards out, which LeBlanc had to tip out of bounds
to keep from going into the upper right corner.
In the 15th minute, Umeå made it 2-0 when Edlund again found space
on the right flank and cranked a shot which LeBlanc got a paw to, but
the rebound went straight to Sofia Jakobsson. The Swedish
forward banged a shot off the left post to increase Umeå’s
lead.
“We know each other so well, so of course we had the advantage,”
said Umeå head coach Mika Sankala. “We pressed
them higher at the beginning and tried to win the ball early. And I think
we did very well. We created great chances and scored goals.”
Down by two goals, the WPS All-Stars began to settle into the game and
find their rhythm. In the 24th minute, Marta zoomed down
the left flank and attempted to serve a cross into the box, but it deflected
off teammate Cristiane right back to Marta. The Los Angeles Sol forward’s
next serve found its mark as Lilly streaked to the top of the box to fire
a shot that bounced off the left post before finally settling into the
goal to trim Umeå’s lead to 2-1.
Gaining momentum after their goal, the WPS All-Stars had a few prime
opportunities to knot the score. In the 28th minute, Marta went on a breakaway
down the left flank, but Soberg rushed out to stuff Marta’s shot.
The rebound fell to Megan Rapinoe at the top of the box,
but the Chicago Red Stars’ midfielder mishit the ball, which looped
harmlessly out of bounds.
A minute later, the Sol’s Shannon Boxx sent a
cross into the penalty area, which Saint Louis Athletica’s Tina
Ellertson headed off the left goalpost.
In the 40th, Marta tied the score as she received the ball at the top
of the 18-yard box from Chicago’s Cristiane and threw a few fakes
to set up a left-footed shot into the far corner.
“It was nice that we went into halftime tied,” said Saint
Louis Athletica’s Lori Chalupny. “It would have been a bit
of a struggle to go in down a goal and feel like you have to come out
and get one back right away in the second half.”
Urgency, however, marked the WPS All-Stars play when they came out of
the locker room as they immediately took control of the game.
Just two minutes after halftime, the WPS All-Stars grabbed the lead as
Marta, who moved to left midfield after the break, passed the ball to
FC Gold Pride forward Christine Sinclair in front of the box. Sinclair
knocked it into the goal to give the WPS All-Stars a 3-2 advantage.
“We got a goal immediately and I think we had momentum,”
said WPS All-Star head coach Abner Rogers, who also serves as the Los
Angeles Sol’s head coach. “We started to really move the ball
around well. The movement was really good in the second half.”
Two minutes later Sinclair pushed the WPS All-Stars lead to 4-2 as she
dribbled down the right flank, drew Soberg off her line and fired it past
the Umeå goalkeeper.
In the 52nd minute, Sinclair had a chance to notch a hat trick on a breakaway,
but shot directly into Soberg’s feet. Umeå then counterattacked
as Jakobsson broke down the left flank, but Washington Freedom defender
Cat Whitehill tracked her down to force a corner kick before she could
get a shot off.
Then Marta began to work her magic in earnest. In the 69th minute, the
2009 Michelle Akers Player of the Year sent a cross into the box from
the left flank which landed at Sinclair’s feet. Still trying for
the hat trick, Sinclair blasted a rocket off the crossbar that left the
woodwork shaking.
In the 75th minute, Marta wormed her way into the left side of the penalty
box and past a Umeå defender before sending a cross to Abby
Wambach. The Freedom forward’s shot glanced off Soberg
with the rebound caroming to Sky Blue FC’s Heather O’Reilly
whose shot was cleared out of danger.
“I was taking it easy,” said Marta. “I was feeling
good in my legs. I was playing around with it a bit, just passing the
ball. It was fun.”
Edlund again caused trouble for the WPS All-Star defense in the 77th
minute as she got free on the left and unleashed a shot that Saint Louis
Athletica goalkeeper Hope Solo had to dive to her right
to snag.
In the late-going, the WPS All-Stars continued to create scoring opportunities
with Marta directing the attack. In the 82nd minute, Marta backheeled
the ball to spring Sinclair into the penalty box on the left. Sinclair’s
cross found a wide open O’Reilly, but the Sky Blue FC midfielder’s
shot was kick saved by Soberg.
Umeå played the match without their leading scorer, Ramona
Bachmann (14 goals), as the 18-year-old Swiss forward was under
the weather.
The 2009 WPS All-Star Game presented by the Coast Guard concludes the
inaugural WPS season. Next year two expansion teams in the Atlanta Beat
and Philadelphia Independence will join WPS as the league’s eighth
and ninth franchises. The Beat and the Independence will begin stocking
their rosters with the WPS Expansion Draft on Sept. 15 and the WPS International
Draft on Sept. 22. Find full coverage of the upcoming drafts at womensprosoccer.com.
Sky
Blue FC Wins WPS Title
Can you believe it? Sky Blue FC’s fairy tale run through
the Women’s Professional Soccer Playoffs finished with a happy ending.
Heather O’Reilly scored the only goal of the game
as Sky Blue FC captured the inaugural WPS Championship presented by MedImmune
with a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Sol in front of 7,218 fans at the
Home Depot Center. The victory capped a worst-to-first transformation
for Sky Blue FC, which didn’t clinch a spot in the playoffs until
the final day of the regular season.
O’Reilly earned WPS Championship MVP honors for scoring the game-winning
goal.
Jenni Branam recorded four saves to notch the shutout
for the Sky Blue FC. Branam allowed just one goal in three playoff matches
behind the strong effort from the back four of Christie Rampone,
Keeley Dowling, Meghan Schnur, and Jen Buczkowski.
"I think it’s an exceptional team we have here with Sky Blue
FC," said Rampone, Sky Blue FC's Interim Player/Coach. "It was
a great run for us, battling back to make it into the playoffs and winning
three games in eight days. We came out strong, the adrenaline was definitely
kicking with us and we went after them and had our legs. Then we got ahead
with a goal and we just settled in and tried to finish off the game. We
struggled a little bit in the second half but we still had the heart and
desire to try to fight them off to get that victory."
When Sky Blue FC started the season at 1-4-2, few people outside the
state of New Jersey gave the team any chance to make the playoffs let
alone capture the WPS Championship. Ironically, Sky Blue FC wouldn’t
have qualified for the playoffs if not for the effort of Los Angeles,
which needed to win or draw against Boston on the final day of the regular
season for Sky Blue FC to finish fourth. The Sol came through with a 2-1
win.
Sky Blue FC grasped the opportunity and made the best of it winning three
straight playoff matches on the road to capture the title. After a 2-1
win over the Washington Freedom in the first round, Sky Blue FC added
a 1-0 victory over Saint Louis Athletica in the Super Semifinal to set
the stage for its improbable championship victory over the Sol, which
was dominant during the season earning the league’s regular season
title.
With Sky Blue FC playing its third match in eight days, a strong start
was crucial and O’Reilly provided just that when she buried a shot
in the 16th minute. Keeley Dowling sent in a cross from
the right side that Natasha Kai flicked toward the far post. O’Reilly,
who also scored Sky Blue FC’s opening goal of the season –
the franchise’s first-ever, stepped into the ball and nailed a right-footed
shot that deflected off Sol goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc
and into the far side netting.
"[The play] was going down the right side and I think Keeley Dowling
got a solid cross in the box and I was kind of hanging out back post,"
O'Reilly said. "Natasha Kai is more well known for
headers in the box so I was hanging back post and seeing if Tash was going
to get anything on it. She got up well and got a good flick on it and
then the ball landed to me in front of the goal. At that point, I was
just focusing on keeping it low and getting it on frame and good thing
it happened."
The game took a critical turn in the 27th minute when a great run by
Kai led to referee Kari Seitz issuing a red card to the
Sol’s Allison Falk, leaving Los Angeles with 10
men the rest of the way. Kai carried the ball forward and cut between
two defenders leaving Falk on the wrong side of the Sky Blue FC striker.
Falk appeared to make contact, sending Kai tumbling and denying a goal-scoring
opportunity.
In the second half, Sky Blue FC had the first good chance as LeBlanc
had to come out to stuff O’Reilly in the 50th minute. Los Angeles
had the better chances the rest of the way but only produced a couple
good chances. In the 72nd minute, Shannon Boxx forced
Branam into a diving save off a feed from Marta and in the 84th minute,
Branam punched away a free kick from Marta and then grabbed a shot from
Boxx on the ensuing corner kick.
August 22, 2009 – Home Depot Center
1 2 - F
Sky Blue FC 1 0 - 1
Los Angeles Sol 0 0 - 0
Lineups:
Sky Blue FC – Jenni Branam; Meghan Schnur, Christie Rampone [Capt],
Jen Buczkowski, Keeley Dowling; Heather O’Reilly (Noelle Keselica
83’), Yael Averbuch, Francielle, Kacey White; Rosana (Collette McCallum
71’), Natasha Kai (Kerri Hanks 67’).
Los Angeles Sol – Karina LeBlanc; Stephanie Cox, Brittany Bock,
Allison Falk, Manya Makoski; Aya Miyama, Aly Wagner (Katie Larkin 68’),
Shannon Boxx [Capt], McCall Zerboni (Sharolta Nonen 35’); Marta,
Han Duan (Lyndsey Patterson 78’).
Scoring Summary:
SBFC – O'Reilly (Kai) 16'
Misconduct Summary:
LA – Falk (ejected) 27’
LA – Bock (caution) 52’
Game Summary:
Referee – Kari Seitz
Assistant Referees – Marlene Duffy, Veronica Perez
Fourth Official – Margaret Domka
Attendance – 7,218
Weather – Mostly couldy, 79 degrees
Quotes
Interim Player/Coach Christie Rampone, Sky Blue FC
Thoughts on today’s match
I think it’s an exceptional team we have here with Sky Blue FC.
I think it was a great run for us, battling back to make it into the playoffs
and winning three games in eight days. I think we came out strong, the
adrenaline was definitely kicking with us and we went after them and had
our legs. Then we got ahead with a goal and I think we just settled in
and tried to finish off the game. I think we struggled a little bit in
the second half but we still had the heart and desire to try to fight
them off to get that victory.
On Allison Falk’s red card
You know, we don’t see a lot of red cards in the league and I thought
Tash had a good opportunity on goal and when she got taken down I knew
it was a card, I just didn’t know what card was going to be presented.
I didn’t see the other defender. Maybe the other defender was out
of the play, not being able to close down Tash, but she definitely had
a good, strong cut and she was taken down. I was surprised it was a red
card because you just don’t see red cards but she was, in my eyes,
the last defender.
On her back line
I think we did a good job, especially having Marta – that speed
that never tires. I think we did a good job just being mindful of where
she was and dropping when we need to and stepping when we needed to and
just kind of playing that game with her instead of more man marking her.
You know, she’s a great player and you could see it in that 85th
minute. I still had to battle her in the corner you know, she’s
still going to goal. We definitely have a lot of respect for her and I
think our back line did a great job of communicating where she was at
all times.
On her team
Pure heart on our team and momentum and I think this team has really worked
hard together. I think that shows in finals and in playoff time and its
working for each other and not giving up and believing in each other.
I think everything we’ve been through we’ve grown so strong
as a team. I really don’t think we have any superstars on the team
– we’re just one team. Everyone works for each other and we
all believe in each other and that’s what gets you there.
Midfielder Heather O’Reilly, Sky Blue FC
On today’s match
I think the intangibles won that game for us. You never wish that you
go through so many ups and downs that we went through this season, but
I think in the end its character building. I just think the fibers of
this team are so close and so tight that nothing was going to break us.
The Sol is a great team but I think that those intangibles really showed
today.
On her game-winning goal
"[The play] was going down the right side and I think Keeley Dowling
got a solid cross in the box and I was kind of hanging out back post.
Natasha Kai is even more well known for headers in the box so I was hanging
back post and seeing if Tash was going to get anything on it and she got
up well and got a good flick on it and then the ball landed to me in front
of the goal and at that point, I was just focusing on keeping it low and
getting it on frame and good thing it happened."
Forward Natasha Kai, Sky Blue FC
On Allison Falk’s red card
"I think she was the last defender and I had a scoring opportunity
and she fouled me from the back. I mean, that was the ref’s call
and it could have been any card; she pulled out the red card. That gave
us momentum and they played with ten players, we played with eleven. It
was the ref’s call, not mine. I’m just a player."
Abner Rogers, Head Coach, Los Angeles Sol
"Firstly, credit to Sky Blue FC. They started off very well. They
got the upper hand on us. We just gave them too much room, too much space.
I felt they came out and played very well. We had to make some adjustments
in the second half and tried to close down the areas. It was really difficult
with ten players for 70 minutes, but I felt we did a really good job.
I’m very proud of the team the way we fought back. We definitely
had some opportunities to tie the game and had we got a goal I think we
could have gone on and won the game."
Shannon Boxx, Los Angeles Sol Captain
“Like Abner said, credit to the Jersey team. I think they had a
lot to deal with all season long and they ended up on top at the end.
They came in with a lot of energy. I think we did start a bit slow and
they got a goal early. I’m also proud of this team just in the way
that we turned it around second half. I think we went into halftime believing
we could score a goal and tie it up and then eventually win. We were close,
but not close enough. So credit to Jersey. They did a good job.”
“When the season started we had a bunch of goals. We accomplished
all of them but one. So you remember the last thing. I’m not disappointed
in our whole season. I think we did a great job all season, so we have
a lot we can take to the next season. So I’m not disappointed in
feeling like the year was a disaster because I think we played very well
all year. Does this one hurt? Yeah, it hurts a lot. But I think what we
can do is take something from this game after a while once we’ve
had a chance to relax from it and come back next year stronger. Hopefully
we’ll have a good core coming back and we can learn from this.”
“I’m so proud of this team. Even when we were down a man,
we fought until the end and believed we could win this match. We played
our hearts out and left everything we had out on the field today. You
can’t ask for more from this team. Soccer is a funny game that way
and today it just didn’t go our way.”
Marta, Los Angeles Sol
“It is disappointing to lose this game, it was our goal all season
long to win the championship,” said Sol forward Marta. “Soccer
is a funny game sometimes and you have to deal with that. As team, though,
we should be very proud for what we were able to accomplish all season
long.”
Adu’s
Future In Europe Uncertain
Freddy Adu’s future playing professional
soccer in Europe is still very uncertain. He is currently back in Portugal
with Benfica, the club he signed with in 2007, and there is talk about
a loan for the upcoming season with a team in The Netherlands.
Adu’s transfer to Europe from Major League Soccer hasn’t
resulted in a lot of time on the field. He got in 11 games in 2007 with
Benfica, mostly as a late second-half sub. He scored two goals.
He was loaned to AS Monaco in 2008-2009, but played even less there, getting
in only nine games with zero goals.
The former U.S. Under-17 Men’s National Team star, signed a professional
contract at age 14 with Major League Soccer and played 87 times for D.C.
United from 2004-2006. He was traded to Real Salt Lake, where he was reunited
with his former U17 MNT coach John Ellinger, and played
in 11 games before signing with Benfica.
Adu was selected for both rosters for the 2009 Confederations Cup in
South Africa, where he didn’t get in a game, and for the CONCACAF
Gold Cup, where he started in wins over Grenada and Honduras. He scored
the first U.S. goal in the 4-0 win over Grenada.
After those two games he was released by U.S. coach Bob Bradley
so that he could return to Portugal for preseason training.
Reports have indicated that Adu does not figure in Benfica coach Jorge
Jesus’ plans this year. Now 20 years old, he has reached
a point in his career that if he is to continue to improve as a professional,
he has to be with a team that will be able to use him and give him playing
time.
The
Atlanta Beat Is WPS #9 Franchise
The Atlanta Beat is back in business. At least in name only.
Women’s Professional Soccer Commissioner Tonya Antonucci
and Atlanta Team Owner Fitz Johnson has announced that
the ninth Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) will be called the Atlanta
Beat, the same name as the former Women’s United Soccer Association
club.
The Beat joins the Philadelphia Independence as expansion teams in WPS
and will begin play in the 2010 WPS Season.
“We are excited and proud to add Atlanta as our ninth WPS franchise
for 2010 and to have Fitz Johnson, who is such a passionate and dynamic
businessman, as an owner in our growing league,” said Antonucci.
“Atlanta is a soccer hotbed with its numerous youth leagues and
tournaments, and the region has played host to some big time women’s
soccer events over the eyars, including the Olympics and WUSA championship
gamres.”
The Beat’s colors will be Ferrari Red and Gold and the team will
be led by General Manager Shawn McGee, who was announced
as the Beat’s GM by .
“We are thrilled to be bringing Women’s Professional Soccer
to Atlanta for the 2010 season and are excited for this milestone announcement,”
said Johnson. “As a team, we will feature the highest level of women’s
soccer in the world and it is our goal to be entertaining, exciting and
affordable for fans.
“We feel the new team name, the Atlanta Beat, embraces our city’s
past support of a professional women’s soccer team. Our logo and
colors are distinct and vibrant, representing the flavor of the warmth,
and energy of this city. There is no question that a WPS franchise will
diversify and add to Atlanta’s robust professional sports community.”
An Atlanta entrepreneur, Johnson, former CEO of Eagle Group International,
LLC, leads the local WPS ownership group and is the team’s managing
partner. A member of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America
(NSCAA), Johnson holds an Advanced National Diploma from the organization
and has extensive ties to soccer at the youth, collegiate, amateur and
professional levels.
Johnson is a 21-year veteran of the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, having
earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Kentucky, College
of Law. Prior to serving as CEO of Eagle Group International, he served
as the organization’s Chief Counsel, V.P. for Human Resources, Executive
Vice President, COO, and President.
McGee was previously an associate athletics director at SMU and spent
10 years with FC Dallas in Major League Soccer.
Attendance
Drops In MLS
Ten weeks into the season the Seattle Sounders FC, the
league’s expansion team is averaging home crowds of 29,536, over
9,000 better than the next team on the list.
Toronto FC is second on the list at 20,151 a game, and is the only franchise
that is drawing more than it did a year ago. The improvement is a meager
31 fans per game.
Lost Angeles, which led the league a year ago with 26,009 a game, has
slipped to third with an average of 19,139.
FC Dallas and Kansas City anchor the bottom as the only franchises averaging
less than 10,000 a game. Dallas is #14 at 9,372 and the Wizards are #15
and last at 9,192.
Overall, the league average is 14,839, down from 16,460 a year ago.
ATTENDANCE AVERAGE
Team 2009 (2008 full season)
1. Seattle 29,536 (expansion team)
2. Toronto FC 20,151 (20,120)
3. Los Angeles 19,139 (26,009)
4. Houston 16,297 (16,939)
5. Chivas USA 14,833 (15,114)
6. Real Salt Lake 14,629 (16,179)
7. D.C. United 14,561 (19,835)
8. Columbus 13,263 (14,622)
9. Colorado 11,037 (13,659)
10. San Jose 11,028 (13,713)
11. Chicago 10,998 (17,034)
12. New York 10,792 (15,928)
13. New England 10,368 (17,580)
14. FC Dallas 9,372 (13,024)
15. Kansas City 9,192 (10,686)
Attendance
Down In MLS
Seattle is setting the pace for attendance in the early
weeks of the 2009 Major League Soccer season. The expansion Sounders FC,
which have played three home games, is averaging 29,939 a game.
Toronto FC, which was third in the league in attendance last year, is
second with an average of 20,465.
Kansas City, which is still playing its home games in a high school stadium,
is at the other end of the list. The Wizards have drawn an average of
8,654. FC Dallas, which plays in Pizza Hut Park, one of the league’s
premier soccer-specific stadiums, is next to last in attendance with an
average of 9,747.
The league average is 14,686, and only Seattle, Toronto, Los Angeles
(19,346), Houston (16,085) and Chivas USA (14,914) are above the league
average.
Last year’s average attendance was 15,437 at this point of the
season.
2009 MLS Attendance Through 4-20-09
1 Seattle Sounders FC 29,939
2 Toronto FC 20,465
3 Los Angeles 19,346
4 Houston 16,085
5 Chivas USA 14,914
6 D.C. United 14,310
7 Colorado 11,885
8 Real Salt Lake 11,800
9 New England 11,314
10 San Jose 11,273
11 Chicago Fire 11,208
12 Columbus 11,076
13 New York 10,485
14 FC Dallas 9,747
15 Kansas City 8,654
Leaguewide average 14,686
Two
Tar Heels Taken In WPS First Round
The Boston Breakers selected University of Southern California
star Amy Rodriguez as the #1 pick in the 2009 WPOS Draft
in St. Louis, MO.
North Carolina senior Yael Averbuch was taken with the
fourth pick in the first round by her hometown Sky Blue FC (NJ), while
Tar Heel teammate Allie Long was the first round pick
of the Washington Freedom.
Notre Dame also had two first round selections with Brittany Bock
going at #3 to the Los Angles Sol and Hermann Trophy winner Kerri
Hanks being selected by St. Louis with the #6 pick.
Full results from the
2009 WPS Draft are available at:
FIRST ROUND
1. Boston Breakers - Amy Rodriguez (USC)
2. Chicago Red Stars - Megan Rapinoe (Portland)
3. FC Gold Pride - Christina DiMartino (UCLA)
4. Sky Blue FC - Yael Averbuch (North Carolina)
5. Los Angeles Sol - Brittany Bock (Notre Dame)
6. Saint Louis - Kerri Hanks (Notre Dame)
7. Washington - Allie Long (North Carolina)
OTHER NOTABLES
35. Washington - Briana Scurry
45. FC Gold Pride - Brandi Chastain
46. Sky Blue FC - Zhang Ouying (Chinese National Team)
Zakuani
#1 Pick In MLS SuperDraft;
WFU’s Sam Cronin #2
ST. LOUIS (Thursday, January 15, 2009) – Major League
Soccer’s newest expansion club, Seattle Sounders FC, selected University
of Akron forward and Generation adidas member Steve Zakuani with
the No. 1 pick in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. The four-round, 15-team draft
was held Thursday at the St. Louis Convention Center.
Sam Cronin, the #2 pick in the dtaft by Toronto FC,
was one of six members of the 2008 Wake Forest men’s soccer team
selected in the 2009 SuperDraft
Joining Cronin in the second round was Michael Lahoud,
selected by Chivas USA in the ninth spot. Cronin joins former Wake Forest
goalkeeper Brian Edwards on the Toronto FC squad.
Defender Evan Brown was taken with the first pick of
the second round, the 16th pick overall, by MLS expansion team Seattle
Sounders FC. D.C. United selected Lyle Adams in the second
round with the 26th overall pick. Jamie Franks was selected
in the fourth round by Chivas USA with the 49th pick. Marcus Tracy,
who has already signed a professional contract with Aalborg of the Danish
league, was drafted by the Houston Dynamo in the fourth round with the
56th pick overall.
Cronin became a fixture in the Wake Forest midfield, starting every game
during his collegiate career and setting a new school record for games
played and games started with 98. The Winston-Salem native scored 10 goals
and four assists during his senior season and earned first team All-American
honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, College
Soccer News and Soccer America. Cronin was also a finalist for the 2008
M.A.C. Hermann Trophy and won the 2008 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award.
Cronin closed his collegiate career with 17 goals, 19 assists and 53 points.
Lahoud, a senior midfielder from Annandale, Va., saw time in every game
for Wake Forest during the 2008 season. Lahoud was a mainstay in the Deacon
starting 11, playing 95 games in his career, with 89 starts. The 95 career
games played ranks in a tie for second at Wake Forest, while the 89 starts
ranks fourth all-time at Wake Forest. Lahoud earned All-ACC Freshman honors
during his rookie season and finished his career with 14 goals, 20 assists
and 48 points.
Brown played in all 24 games for Wake Forest during the 2008 season, including
22 starts. He played 89 games during his career and finished with four
goals, 15 assists and 23 points. The Raleigh, N.C., native scored two
goals and added eight assists during his senior season. He also helped
to contribute to 14 shutouts during his senior campaign. Brown scored
the game-winning goal in Wake’s quarterfinal victory over NC State
in the 2008 ACC Tournament.
A defender from Orlando, Fla., Adams played in 95 games as a Demon Deacon,
including 91 starts. The 95 games played ranks Adams in a tie for second
on the Wake Forest career games played list, and the 91 starts puts him
in third on the all-time games started list at Wake Forest. Adams finished
his senior season with three goals, three assists and nine points, including
a goal in Wake’s win over South Florida in the quarterfinals of
the NCAA Tournament.
Franks, a midfielder from Medford, N.J., played in 93 games as a Demon
Deacon, making 70 starts. Franks finished his career with seven goals
and 20 assists, including three goals and 11 helpers during the 2008 season.
Franks scored the game-winning goal in Wake’s victory over South
Florida during the quarterfinals of the 2008 NCAA Tournament.
The 2008 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner, Tracy finished the 2008 season
with 13 goals and 10 assists, becoming one of only two players in college
soccer to finish the season with double-digit totals in goals and assists.
A 2008 consensus first-team All-American, Tracy finished his college career
with 30 goals, 23 assists and 83 points in 77 games played. He ranks in
the top 10 in school history in points (6th, 83), goals scored (6th, 30)
and assists (8th, 23).
As a 2009 expansion club, Seattle Sounders FC held the first selection
in each of the four rounds and selected Zakuani the 2009 MAC Hermann trophy
finalist with their first selection. Zakuani, 20, born in Republic of
Congo, grew up in London and played with the Arsenal youth program. He
played two seasons for the University of Akron, where he was the 2008
NCAA Division I scoring leader with 20 goals and seven assists. Zakuani
is only the third player from the University of Akron ever to be selected
in the MLS SuperDraft.
Wake Forest University defender Ean Brown (16th overall),
Azusa Pacific University defender Jared Karkas (31st
overall) and Harvard University midfielder Michael Fucito
(46th overall) join Zakuani as the first SuperDraft selections for Seattle
Sounders FC.
Zakuani was the first of seven Generation adidas players to be selected
in the first round. With the third overall selection, Los Angeles tabbed
University of Maryland defender Omar Gonzalez. Rounding
out the Generation adidas players selected in the first round were: Peri
Marosevic (FC Dallas, 5th), Rodney Wallace (D.C.
United, 6th), Kevin Alston (New England Revloution, 10th),
and Stefan Frei (Toronto FC, 13th).
Generation adidas, which was established ahead of the 2005 MLS season,
is a player development program that identifies and nurtures the elite
youth soccer talent in the United States. Last year, Generation adidas
midfielder Chance Myers was the No. 1 overall selection
for the Kansas City Wizards. In 2007 Toronto FC selected Generation adidas
midfielder Maurice Edu who went on to capture Gatorade
Rookie of the Year honors.
Forty-two colleges and universities were represented among the 60 players
selected. Wake Forest University led all schools with six players selected,
the most by one college or university ever in an MLS college of SuperDraft.
The University of Maryland had five players selected.
Pre-season training camps for all MLS teams may begin today Jan. 15. The
2009 MLS Regular Season begins on Thursday, March 19.
A round-by-round summary of the 2009 SuperDraft follows:
TEAM-BY-TEAM SELECTIONS:
Chicago Fire (4): Baggio Husidic (Univ. of Illinois-Chicago/20);
David Sias (Univ. of California-Irvine/43); Jokull Elisabetarson (Univ.
of North Carolina-Greensboro/52); Richard Jata (Campbell Univ./58)
Chivas USA (3): Michael Lahoud (Wake Forest Univ./9);
Kyle Christensen (Univ. of Denver/35); Jamie Franks (Wake Forest Univ./49)
Colorado Rapids (6): Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (George Mason
Univ./28); Steward Ceus (Univ. of Albany/37); Ross Schunk (Univ. of Redlands/47);
Jordan Seabrook (Univ. of South Florida/51); Henry Kalungi (Winthrop Univ./53);
Mike Holody (Univ. of Michigan/59)
Columbus Crew (3): Paul Gerstenberger (Boston College/30);
Alex Grendi (Univ. of Pennsylvania/45); Chris Clements (Univ. of Tulsa/60)
D.C. United (5): Rodney Wallace (Univ. of Maryland/6);
Chris Pontius (Univ. of California-Santa Barbara/7); Milos Kocic (Loyola
College/21); Lyle Adams (Wake Forest Univ./26); Brandon Barklage (Saint
Louis Univ./36)
FC Dallas (3): Peri Marosevic (Univ. of Michigan/5);
George John (Univ. of Washington/14); Brian Shriver (Univ. of North Carolina/27)
Houston Dynamo (2): Danny Cruz (Univ. of Nevada-Las Vegas/41);
Marcus Tracy (Wake Forest Univ./56)
Kansas City Wizards (5): Matt Besler (Univ. of Notre
Dame/8); Doug DeMartin (Michigan State Univ./22); Graham Zusi (Univ. of
Maryland/23); Neal Kitson (St. John’s Univ./42); Akeem Priestley
(Univ. of Connecticut/50)
Los Angeles Galaxy (4): Omar Gonzalez (Univ. of Maryland/3);
A.J. Delagarza (Univ. of Maryland/19); Josh Boateng (Liberty Univ./33);
Kyle Patterson (Saint Louis Univ./48)
New England Revolution (7): Kevin Alston (Indiana Univ./10);
Ryan Maxwell (Univ. of Tampa/15); Andrei Gotsmanov (Creighton Univ./24);
Dado Hamzagic (Saint Louis Univ./25); Chris Salvagionne (North Carolina-Charlotte/38);
Darrius Barnes (Duke Univ./40); Tyrel Lacey (Univ. of Tulsa/55)
New York Red Bulls (4): Jeremy Hall (Univ. of Maryland/11);
Babajide Ogunbiyi (Santa Clara Univ./18); Jack Traynor (Univ. of Notre
Dame/29); Nick Zimmerman (James Madison Univ./44)
Real Salt Lake (3): Jean Alexandre (Lynn Univ./12); Raphael
Cox (Univ. of Washington/54); Futhi Bhembe (Alabama A&M Univ./57)
San Jose Earthquakes (2): Brad Ring (Indiana Univ./17);
Quincy Amarikwa (Univ. of California-Davis/32)
Seattle Sounders FC (4): Steve Zakuani (Univ. of Akron/1);
Evan Brown (Wake Forest Univ./16); Jared Karkas (Azusa Pacific Univ./31);
Michael Fucito (Harvard Univ./46)
Toronto FC (5): Sam Cronin (Wake Forest Univ./2); O’Brian
White (Univ. of Connecticut/4); Stefan Frei (Univ. of California/13);
Mike Grella (Duke Univ./34); Kyle Hall (Syracuse Univ./39)
COLLEGE-BY-COLLEGE SELECTIONS:
Univ. of Akron: Steve Zakuani
Alabama A&M Univ.: Futhi Bhembe
Univ. of Albany: Steward Ceus
Azusa Pacific Univ: Jared Karkas
Boston College: Paul Gerstenberger
Univ. of California: Stefan Frei
Univ. of California-Davis: Quincy Amarikwa
Univ. of California-Irvine: David Sias
Univ. of California-Santa Barbara: Chris Pontius
Campbell Univ.: Richard Jata
Univ. of Connecticut: Akeem Priestley; O’Brian White
Creighton Univ.: Andrei Gotsmanov
Univ. of Denver: Kyle Christensen
Duke Univ.: Darrius Barnes; Mike Grella
George Mason Univ: Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe
Harvard Univ.: Michael Fucito
Univ. of Illinois-Chicago: Baggio Husidic
Indiana Univ.: Kevin Alston; Brad Ring
James Madison Univ.: Nick Zimmerman
Liberty Univ.: Josh Boateng
Loyola College: Milos Kocic
Lynn Univ.: Jean Alexandre
Univ. of Maryland: A.J. Delagarza; Jeremy Hall; Omar Gonzalez; Rodney
Wallace; Graham Zusi
Univ. of Michigan: Mike Holody; Peri Marosevic
Michigan State Univ.: Doug DeMartin
Univ. of Nevada-Las Vegas: Danny Cruz
Univ. of North Carolina: Brian Shriver
Univ. of North Carolina-Greensboro: Jokull Elisabetarson
Univ. of North Carolina-Charlotte: Chris Salvaggione
Univ. of Notre Dame: Matt Besler; Jack Traynor
Univ. of Pennsylvania: Alex Grendi
Univ. of Redlands: Ross Schunk
St. John’s Univ.: Neal Kitson
Saint Louis Univ.: Brandon Barklage; Dado Hamzagic; Kyle Patterson
Santa Clara Univ.: Babajide Ogunbiyi
Univ. of South Florida: Jordan Seabrook
Syracuse Univ. Kyle Hall
Univ. of Tampa: Ryan Maxwell
Univ. of Tulsa: Chris Clements; Tyrel Lacey
Wake Forest Univ.: Lyle Adams; Evan Brown; Sam Cronin; Jamie Franks; Michael
Lahoud; Marcus Tracy
Univ. of Washington: Raphael Cox; George John
Winthrop Univ. Henry Kalungi
Conway,
Parke Fail Drug Test
Major League Soccer has announced that New York Red Bulls
goalkeeper Jon Conway and defender Jeff Parke
have been suspended for 10 MLS games, including regular season
and playoffs, effective immediately, and each has also been fined 10 percent
of their annual salary.
The suspension and fines are the result of testing positive for androstatriendione
(ATD) and boldenone metabolites -- performance enhancing substances.
“Jon and Jeff have been valuable members of the Red Bulls organization,
both on the field and in the Greater New York community,“ said Red
Bull New York Managing Director Erik Stover. “This
is a sad day for our club and our fans. We are extremely disappointed
that Jon and Jeff have tested positive for a substance banned by MLS’s
policy.
“We have met with both players and they informed us that they ingested
an over-the-counter supplement that unknowingly contained a banned substance.
However, the Red Bulls support MLS’ policy and believe that performance
enhancing drugs have no place in professional sports.”
The question has arisen as to whether the Red Bulls will retain the two.
Parke’s contract expires at the end of this season. Conway signed
a new $115,000 contract prior to the start of the 2008 season.
Women’s
League Expands To Eight For ‘09
Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) announced today
that it has entered an agreement with a Bay Area investor group to operate
a team that will play in the League’s inaugural 2009 season. The
addition of the Bay Area alongside Los Angeles gives WPS two franchises
located on the West Coast.
Led by Brian and Nancy NeSmith, the Bay Area ownership
group joins investors in Boston, Chicago, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis,
Washington, D.C. and L.A. as teams planned for the League’s 2009
season, thereby giving the League a national footprint of three East Coast,
two Midwest and two West Coast franchises. WPS will expand to Atlanta
and Philadelphia in 2010 and continues to explore additional potential
franchises for 2010 and beyond. The WPS team planned for Dallas is now
slated to begin play in 2010 as the League continues to work on securing
a facility, with the intention that the Team will start play in the League’s
second season.
“As one of the top six media markets in the country, the Bay Area
is a prime growth opportunity for WPS as we seek to raise the League’s
profile among soccer fans, other potential owners, and sponsors alike,”
said WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci, whose League headquarters
are based in San Francisco.
The President and Chief Executive Officer of Blue Coat Systems, Brian
NeSmith leads the company in its mission to provide organizations
with total visibility and control of all Web communications. NeSmith has
strategically guided Blue Coat Systems, formerly known as CacheFlow, into
the number one proxy appliance position worldwide. Previously, he co-founded
and was CEO of Ipsilon Networks, which was purchased by Nokia in 1997.
He and his wife, Nancy – the first female WPS majority owner –
have two soccer-playing daughters.
“Nancy and I are eager to unite the Bay Area soccer community through
a local WPS team, which will draw fans from across the region who can
rally behind some of the world’s greatest athletes right here in
Northern California,” said Brian NeSmith. “We’re especially
looking forward to exploring and implementing cutting-edge technology
that will connect our brand, players, and fans. Whether via blogs, photo
and video sharing, or innovative in-stadium experiences, WPS and its teams
will be ground-breaking in the level of unique brand and player interaction
we offer.”
“With the U.S. Women bringing home Olympic gold and more girls
playing soccer than ever before, this is the perfect time to raise the
level of play in this country through WPS,” said Nancy NeSmith.
“I personally am proud to play a role in giving female athletes
from around the globe an opportunity to play professionally and, from
an ownership perspective, am looking forward to establishing the cornerstones
of our Bay Area franchise at this month’s allocation of the U.S.
Women’s National team.”
“As a resident of the Bay Area myself, I’m eager to welcome
Brian and Nancy to WPS,” said Jeff Mallet, WPS
investor, San Francisco Giants investor, and former president of Yahoo!
“This is a great soccer – and overall sports – market
that will continue to thrive with Brian and Nancy’s support. Their
commitment to the Bay Area soccer community, along with Brian’s
long-time involvement with area businesses, will allow a WPS team in the
Bay Area to succeed.”
The Bay Area has a rich soccer history as the WUSA’s CyberRays
called the region home from 2001-2003, winning that league’s inaugural
championship in 2001. In addition, the San Jose Earthquakes have played
a major role in Major League Soccer, winning two MLS Cup titles, and were
also a member of the North American Soccer League from 1974 to 1984. Santa
Clara, Cal-Berkeley and Stanford’s renowned collegiate women’s
soccer programs are also based in the Bay Area.
Plans for the Bay Area’s WPS nickname, logo, and colors as well
as its stadium and coaching and front office staff will be announced at
a later date. Until then, the Bay Area team will participate in the mid-September
allocation of the U.S. Women’s National Team, gold medalists in
the 2008 Olympic Games. Additional details regarding allocation and the
subsequent international draft and regional combines can be found online
at www.womensprosoccer.com.
About Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS)
The mission of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) is to be the premier
women’s soccer league in the world and the global standard by which
women’s professional sports are measured. Play kicks off in the
spring of 2009, with WPS teams based in the Bay Area, Boston, Chicago,
Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington, D.C. The
league will expand in 2010 with the inclusion of Atlanta, Dallas, and
Philadelphia. For more information, visit www.womensprosoccer.com.
Top
USL-2 Awards Announced
United Soccer Leagues announced the top USL Second Division
honors for the 2008 season Friday during the USL-2 Championship luncheon
at Cleveland’s City Hall, honoring the Rookie of the Year, Defender
of the Year, Coach of the Year and Most Valuable Player as voted on by
the league’s coaches and general managers.
Most Valuable Player – Dustin Swinehart
(Charlotte Eagles)
The USL-2 MVP honor may arguably be the most long overdue honor in the
league given Dustin Swinehart’s 11-year career with the Eagles that
includes seven overall All-League honors and numerous seasons among the
statistical scoring tables.
The veteran has been overshadowed in recent years by teammate Jacob Coggins,
who has captured numerous scoring titles as well as three MVP awards.
But perhaps without Swinehart, those accolades would not have been attainable.
Even with Coggins’ departure to USL-1 Carolina, the Eagles still
soared to the regular season title and Swinehart, stepping back into the
role as striker, led the way, capturing the Scoring and Goal Scoring Championships
with 39 points and 16 goals. He also finished second in assists with seven.
The scoring honors were not his first, having shared the Assist Leader
award with Coggins in 2004, but they were slightly unexpected despite
his history of finishing among the league leaders because of his previous
role at midfield. Being up top for the first time since Charlotte’s
debut USL-1 campaign in 2001, allowed Swinehart to show that he still
had the prowess that led him to second in points (39) and goals (18) that
season, finishing behind then MVP Paul Conway.
Swinehart had made his debut in the top 10 in scoring the year before
en route to the club’s first USL-2 title, finishing tied for fourth
in points, sixth in goals and fifth in assists. He would finish tied for
10th in points in USL-1 in 2002. Their final USL-1 season in 2003 would
be the lone year he would not finish in the top 10 in any of the categories
over the last nine years. In all, Swinehart has reached the top 10 in
points eight times, in goals five times and in assists five times over
that span.
And with statistical success also comes accolades from other teams in
the league. Swinehart earned his seventh All-League recognition this season,
sixth in the USL Second Division. Despite finishing sixth in points last
year, he was surprisingly left off the honors list for the first time
in eight USL Second Division seasons since his debut Eagles campaign in
1998. He earned his first honor as a forward in 1999 and repeated, as
a midfielder, in 2000. His outstanding USL-1 campaign earned a spot on
the First Team at forward in 2001. After two more unheralded campaigns
in USL-1, he made his triumphant return to the USL Second Division in
2004 with All-League honors and a return to the final.
Swinehart’s Career Accolades
Year
Top 10 Finishes
All-League
2008
First in Points, First in Goals, Second in Assists
USL-2 All-League First Team
2007
Tied sixth in Points
2006
Tied seventh in Points
USL-2 All-League First Team
2005
Tied fourth in Points, Tied fourth in Goals, Tied fourth in Assists
USL-2 All-League First Team
2004
Sixth in Points, Ninth in Goals, Tied first in Assists
USL-2 All-League First Team
2002
Tied tenth in Points
2001
Second in Points, Second in Assists
USL-1 All-League First Team
2000
Tied fourth in Points, Sixth in Goals, Fifth in Assists
USL-2 All-League
1999
USL-2 All-League
Rookie of the Year – Stanley Nyazamba (Richmond
Kickers)
Nyazamba joined the Kickers upon graduating from Lee University of the
NAIA Conference last spring. In his first professional season, Nyazamba
quickly became one of the top scorers, tallying eight goals and two assists
overall for 18 points. Good for third on the team in scoring, he also
finished in the top 10 in goals and points in the USL-2. Two of his eight
goals were also game-winners.
Defender of the Year – Mark Schulte (Cleveland
City Stars)
In a historic feat, Schulte became the first player since the award was
established in 1998 to repeat as the USL Second Division Defender of the
Year. The USL veteran has guided the club to incredible back-to-back seasons
of less than one goal allowed per game, finishing with just one more goal
allowed than Charlotte this season (16) after being the best in the league
last year with only 14 allowed. Schulte played in 18 games for the third
place side and also chipped in offensively with two goals and three assists.
He played in 20 games with two goals and four assists the year before.
Coach of the Year – Mark Steffens (Charlotte
Eagles)
The longtime coach of the Eagles, Steffens became the first coach in
league history to earn the USL Second Division Coach of the Year honor
twice. He first garnered the honor in 2004, receiving recognition that
may have been overdue because of the team’s three-year stint in
USL-1 following their championship in 2000. The 2008 campaign of 13-2-5
is arguably the best in the Steffen’s tenure as the team’s
coach, marking the fewest losses in a season for Charlotte. Since taking
on the position in 1997, Steffens has had only one losing season, the
final year in the USL First Division, and has reached the final now six
times, winning the 2000 and 2004 titles.
Arena
Hired By Los Angeles Galaxy
Bruce Arena, the most successful head coach
in U.S. National Team history and a two-time MLS Cup Champion Head Coach
with D.C. United, has been named General Manager and Head Coach of the
Los Angeles Galaxy. The announcement was made by Timothy J. Leiweke,
President & CEO AEG, investor/operators of the Galaxy.
Arena, who becomes the seventh coach in club history, will oversee all
of the club's soccer operations, including the first team, reserve and
academy teams and youth development.
Arena replaces Alexi Lalas, who was fired last week
as General Manager of the Galaxy, and Ruud Gullit, who
quit as head coach.
“While it has been a very difficult week, I believe the end result
is a very positive step forward for the Galaxy,” said Leiweke. “Bruce
is the best coach for the Galaxy and certainly one of the best coaches
in the history of the league. I am impressed with his passion, desire
and focus and believe that his recent experiences with the U.S. National
Team and Red Bulls have prepared and motivated him for this next challenge.”
“We have always felt that the Galaxy should aspire to be the club
that sets the pace and tone in Major League Soccer,” Leiweke added.
“I believe Bruce sees it the same way and will put us back in that
position.”
The all-time winningest coach in U.S. National Team history, Arena led
the U.S. to the FIFA World Cup twice, including an historic quarterfinal
berth in 2002 in Japan/Korea. Arena took over as head coach in November
1998 and was in charge for nearly eight years, collecting a 71-30-29 all-time
record, while leading the U.S. to the CONCACAF Gold Cup title in 2002
and 2003, the 2000 Nike U.S. Cup championship, as well as a third place
finish in the 1999 Confederations Cup in Mexico.
"I am very excited to assume this position with the Los Angeles Galaxy,"
said Arena. "I realize we have a lot of work ahead of us and I am
optimistic that with the support of management, our coaching staff and
the players, we will move forward to positioning this team to qualify
for this season's MLS playoffs. My ultimate goal is to win championships
and build a club that all of our fans will be proud of," Arena added.
"I want to thank Mr. Anschutz and Mr. Leiweke for their confidence
and support and I pledge that I and my staff will do everything possible
to build a team they will be proud of," Arena continued.
A two-time MLS Cup winning coach, Arena is one of just three coaches ever
to win the MLS Cup on more than one occasion and the only one of those
coaches to have also won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Arena was the first
coach in D.C. United history, joining the club for its inaugural season
in 1996. He would spend three seasons with United, reaching the MLS Cup
three times, winning it twice, in addition to reaching the U.S. Open Cup
Final twice, winning one. He also helped United become the first MLS team
ever to win the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the Interamerican Cup, winning
each in 1998.
Following the 2006 World Cup, Arena returned to MLS in August 2006, when
he was named the Sporting Director and Head Coach of the New York Red
Bulls. He spent a year and a half with the Red Bulls, compiling a 16-16-10
record while helping New York reach the postseason both years. He helped
to develop young stars like Jozy Altidore and Dane Richards while also
signing players like Juan Pablo Angel, who was a finalist for the MLS
MVP award and the Newcomer of the Year Award in 2007.
The 57-year old Fairfax, Va. native has a career regular season record
of 77-51-10 in MLS and a postseason mark of 14-5-2. He has the ninth most
wins in MLS history and needs nine more wins to become the third coach
in MLS history to have 100 or more wins combined in regular season and
postseason play.
Following a brief stint at the University of Puget Sound (1976), Arena
was named the head coach at the University of Virginia, in 1978. He held
that position for 18 years, helping the Cavaliers to five ACC Tournament
Championships and five National Championships, including four in a row
from 1991-1994.
Laredo
Heat Win Southern PDL Title
The defending Premier Development League champion Laredo
Heat captured its third consecutive Southern division champioinship with
a 3-1 victory over first-year Austin Aztex.
The Heat now advances to the USL PDL semifinals. Austin, led by former
UNC standout Jamie Watson, is expected to move up to
the USL-1 next season.
Austin advanced with a 2-1 win over the Bradenton Academics in one semifinal,
held in Orlando, FL and hosted by the Central Florida Kraze. The Heat
beat the Kraze 2-1 in the other semifinal.
The loss knocked the Southeastern Conference Champion Kraze out of the
playoffs and brought their season to a close at 11-3-2.
Carlos Araujo, a 22-year old Brazilian, who had 11 goals
and six assists this year, scored Central Florida’s only goal. Felix
Garcia, only 17 years old, scored the Heat’s first goal
and the game-winner came from defensive midfielder Greg Mulamba.
The Heat will play the Reading Rage, a 1-0 winner over defending Eastern
Conference champion Brooklyn Knights, in the PDL semifinals
Four
Americans Sign With Ottawa
The Ottawa Fury have announced the signing of four new players
to their 2008 W-League squad. University of Maryland graduates Ashly
Kennedy and Sarah Sample will join current University of Mississippi
players Jennifer Hance and Danielle Johnson on the Fury
roster for this upcoming season.
"We are extremely fortunate to have added players of this quality
to our roster,” said Fury Assistant Coach Dom Oliveri.
“Ashly, Sarah, and Jennifer have US National Team experience and
Danielle comes to us with a tremendous collegiate track record."
Kennedy, from Edgewater, Maryland has just completed a stellar varsity
career at the University of Maryland. She is a two-time team captain who
started all 74 matches of her Maryland career. During her time in College
Park, the Terrapins posted 23 shutouts. Recognized as one of Maryland’s
all-time best defenders, she was among the fastest defensive players in
the ACC conference with a physical style of play that set her apart from
the rest. Kennedy was a decorated youth level player and a member of the
United States Youth National Team Pool.
Sample, from Annapolis Maryland, split her college career between George
Washington University (2003/2004) and the University of Maryland (2005/2006).
Sample was ever-present and dependable appearing in a total of 73 games
(69 starts), scoring 12 goals and adding 10 assists. A versatile player,
Sample can play midfield or up front. Before college she was a three year
member of the Olympic Development Team as a US national pool player. Sample
was no stranger to honors, being selected to the First team all-Atlantic
10 in 2004 and the 2003 Atlantic 10 all-rookie team.
Hance, from Sugar Land, Texas, has just completed her junior year at
the University of Mississippi. The midfielder/forward was voted SEC Freshman
of the Year by league coaches, second-team All-American by Soccer Buzz/Soccer
America and was one of 15 finalists for Soccer Buzz National Freshman
of the Year. She participated in a US U-20 National Team camp in 2006.
Hance was consistently among the top points-getters on her college squad,
racking up 17 goals and eight assists over the past three years.
Johnson, a native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, is a leading member of the
University of Mississippi defense and midfield. In two seasons with Ole
Miss, Johnson picked up Freshman All-America honors (2006) as well as
All-SEC and All-Region honors in both 2006 and 2007. Johnson has anchored
a miserly Rebel back line that allowed just 40 goals in 40 contests over
2006 and 2007. Johnson logged 1,828 minutes in 19 games for the Rebels
last year and was voted team MVP by her peers.
The Fury has put together a tremendous W-League record over the past
five seasons. They have qualified for the W-League Championship Finals
in four of the last five years losing in the semi-finals in 2003 and 2004
and in the final to New Jersey and Vancouver in 2005 and 2006. In 2005
and 2007, the Fury was the W-League regular season champions. Last season,
the club registered an unbeaten 11-0-1 record in regular season play,
before losing to the eventual W-League champion Washington Freedom, 1-0
in the Eastern Conference final. The club has amassed a remarkable 58-5-3
regular season record over the past five seasons.
The Fury open their 2008 W-League campaign with a home game on Saturday,
June 7 when they host the Western Massachusetts Pioneers at the University
of Ottawa Athletic Complex, kickoff is at 7:00 PM. For season ticket information
visit the Fury web site at www.ottawafury.com.
Eagles
Blank Rival Kickers 3-0
The Charlotte Eagles hosted the Richmond Kickers tonight
at Charlotte Christian's Restart Field, the Eagles new home field for
the 2008 season. A win against Richmond is something that has eluded the
Eagles over the past few years, but tonight Charlotte earned that victory
with an exciting 3-0 shutout.
Dustin Swinehart scored his fifth goal in just two games.
Jonah Long and Jorge Herrera each had fantastic goals
of their own.
Jonah Long gave the Eagles an early lead in the 11th
minute of play. Joseph Kabwe moved the ball down field
and put it across to Dustin Swinehart on the right side. Swinehart dumped
the ball back into the center for Jonah Long. Long controlled the ball,
moved into space and fired a bullet shot from about 30 yards out. Long's
shot beat Richmond Goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale just under
the crossbar.
Long's goal was the only goal of the first half, but it was certainly
a spark that gave Charlotte confidence throughout the match. Charlotte
outshot Richmond 8-1 in the half.
The Richmond Kicker's came out strong at the start of the second half,
hoping to score an equalizer. Richmond got their best chance about 5 minutes
into the second half. Stanley Nyazamba took a shot from
the middle of the field at the top of the box. Eagles goalkeeper Terry
Boss made a beautiful diving save to stop the low driven shot
and deflect it over the crossbar.
Charlotte extended its lead to two goals in the 58th minute of play on
a penalty kick. Former Rickmond Kicker Robert Ssejjemba,
while attacking the goal, was taken down in the penalty box by Chavez.
Dustin Swinehart stepped up to take the penalty kick and scored with a
perfectly placed shot in the bottom left corner.
Colombian Jorge Herrera put the Eagles up 3-0 in the
75th minute. Herrera got a fast break down the right side. With pressure
hot on his heels Jorge sped toward goal and drilled a low shot just inside
the left post, beating the dive of Pascale.
"Jorge Herrera finished a great shot. With really no angle he was
still able to find the goal" commented Eagles coach Mark
Steffens.
Eagles goalkeeper Terry Boss came up big one last time in the 85th minute
with another save to preserve his shutout. Shots were more even in the
second half as Richmond pressured for a goal. Richmond had ten shots to
Charlotte's seven in the second half.
"This is a big win for us," said Steffens. "They're a
good team, and they were missing a couple guys tonight, so they'll be
better later in the season for sure. Our defense played well tonight.
Steve Shak does a great job organizing those guys in the back, and we
love the wider field. It helps us, no question."
Tonight's win extends the Eagles record to 2-0-0, and is the second shutout
win for goalkeeper Terry Boss. The Eagles next two matches are on the
road in Wilmington on May 3rd and in Harrisburg on May 10th. Charlotte
returns to Restart Field for the next home game on Friday May 16th in
a doubleheader with the Lady Eagles season opener kicking off at 5:30
pm.
RailHawks
Edge Battery In USL Opener
The Carolina RailHawks (1-0-1) defeated the Charleston Battery
(0-1-2) in their home opener on Saturday April 26th at WakeMed Soccer
Park 1-0 with a goal by Connally Edozien in the 32nd
minute.
Edozien played an excellent give-and-go with Kupono Low just
outside the box, allowing him to get the ball back just inside the 18.
He would dribble across the top of the box, eluding four Battery defenders
before turning to let loose a rocket that zipped into the upper corner
outside of goalkeeper Dusty Hudock’s reach.
The RailHawks held their own throughout the game and even found themselves
one man up when Charleston’s John Wilson was ejected
in the 60th minute for a bad tackle on Martin Nuñez.
The victory maintained the second-year RailHawks’ perfect record
against their southern rivals after sweeping the three-game series last
year.
The event was presented by WakeMed and culminated in a spectacular fireworks
display to celebrate the 2008 home opener.
Next the Carolina RailHawks travel to Florida to face Miami FC on Sunday
May 4th at 6:00 PM. The match will be broadcast live on www.usllive.com.
Fans are encouraged to log on and sign up for a season pass to be able
to watch all the action of the Carolina RailHawks away games from the
comfort of their computers.
The Carolina RailHawks return to WakeMed Soccer park on Saturday May
10th at 7:30 PM as they host the Atlanta Silverbacks. For information
on the Carolina RailHawks home gamesand the RailHawks men’s and
women’s 2008 schedules, please visit www.carolinarailhawks.com or
call the LGFCU Box Office at 919-859-5425.
Atlanta Silverbacks Win
The Montreal Impact (1-2-0) lost its second game of the
season 3-2 (halftime 1-1), Friday, against the Atlanta Silverbacks (1-0-1),
at RE/MAX Greater Atlanta Stadium.
The Silverbacks’ win was headed by forward Macoumba Kandji
(19th minute), defender David Hayes (52th minute)
and midfielder Jason McLaughlin (70th minute).
Midfielder Patrick Leduc, with his 10th career goal in the 32nd minute,
and Charles Gbeke, from Gbeke, in the 84th minute, scored for the Impact.
Miami FC Blues Lose
In their second rain-drenched encounter of the weekend against the Miami
Blues, the Puerto Rico Islanders came to the field full of energy and
sporting a new bright green uniform, ready to avenge the 2-0 loss suffered
on Friday. And so they did with a 3-1 victory over the visitors.
Afoul inside the box on Puerto Rico’s Noel Fabrice
set up the first goal of the game. Victor Herrera had
no problem blasting the penalty kick past keeper Josh Saunders
for the score. But Miami came back in minute 24, as Alex Afonso also made
good on a penalty kick that Bill Gaudette was unable
to stop, evening the score 1-1.
First Real Maryland Victory
The expansion Real Maryland Monarchs recorded their first-ever victory
in USL-2 with a 2-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in front of a
raucous crowd of 1,800 at the Maryland SoccerPlex Saturday in a slightly
shortened affair due to lightning.
The Monarch fans didn’t have to wait long for games first goal.
In the sixth minute, Dennis Alas floated the ball into
Devlin Barnes who snuck behind the Riverhounds back line.
Barnes took the ball down and squared it for William Brindley
to score the first-ever goal in Real Maryland history.
Philly
Makes #16 For MLS
Major League Soccer unveiled plans for the league’s
16th team, as MLS Commissioner Don Garber awarded Philadelphia
an expansion team that will begin play in 2010. The Philadelphia team
will play in a new 20,000-seat stadium to be constructed as part of a
major development project in Chester, Pa.
The Philadelphia club will be owned by iStar Financial CEO Jay
Sugarman, Swarthmore Group Chairman James Nevels,
Philadelphia attorney William Doran, veteran sports executive
Nick Sakiewicz and Christopher and Robert Buccini,
founding partners of The Buccini/Pollin Group.
“We are thrilled to welcome Philadelphia to Major League Soccer,”
said Commissioner Garber. “Philadelphia brings in one of the most
passionate sports markets in the country and provides a natural rivalry
with the New York Red Bulls and D.C. United.
“Thanks to the steadfast commitment of Jay Sugarman’s group
and the vision of Pennsylvania government officials, MLS is coming soon
to Philadelphia,” Garber added. “We look forward to celebrating
the world’s most popular sport in the country’s fourth-largest
market and in a state-of-the-art soccer-specific stadium.”
“Major League Soccer is truly a league with the wind behind its
sail,” said lead investor Jay Sugarman, CEO of iStar Financial.
“I am very excited to join the distinguished list of existing MLS
owners and to help guide the League’s growth into one of America’s
great sports cities. We’re going to build a first-class organization
on and off the field and we will create a development that makes the community
proud.”
The MLS Philadelphia club will play their home matches in a 20,000-seat
soccer-specific stadium in Chester, just 13 miles from downtown Philadelphia
and easily accessible from Interstate 95 and public transportation via
the R2 SEPTA train and SEPTA buses. The stadium will serve as the hub
of a $500 million waterfront development project that will also feature
townhomes, apartments, office space, a convention and exposition center,
retail space, new streets, greenways and a riverside promenade that will
include boat slips.
Eastern Pennsylvania and the Philadelphia area have a rich soccer tradition
that has produced some of the country’s best players throughout
the years, including 2006 U.S. World Cup team members Ben Olsen
of D.C. United, Chris Albright of the New England Revolution and former
D.C. United and current Reading FC midfielder Bobby Convey.
Professional soccer in Philadelphia dates back to the 1920’s and
the formation of the American Soccer League with charter member Philadelphia
F.C. In addition, the National Soccer Hall of Fame was organized by the
Philadelphia Old-Timers Association in 1950.
With the announcement of the 16th team, MLS added its sixth team since
the start of the 2005 season. Expansion conversations continue with approximately
10 markets throughout the United States and Canada. MLS officials will
continue those discussions as the League could feature as many as 18 clubs
by 2011.
“As evidenced by our patience in the case of Philadelphia, we will
only expand when we believe the circumstances are right,” Garber
said. “We continue to seek the essential combination of strong ownership,
an appropriate facility controlled by that ownership, and a market with
a tradition of supporting the sport. St. Louis is one of the leading candidates
we are considering and we are hopeful that all elements will come together
soon for the city to join the League.”
The fourth largest metropolitan area in the United States with 6.8 million
people, the Delaware Valley features a diverse population and some of
the most fervent sports fans in the country. Philadelphia has hosted many
international soccer matches, including the Manchester United vs. Barcelona
game in front of more than 68,000 fans that opened Lincoln Financial Field
in 2003 and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2003.
Philadelphia’s name, logo and colors will be unveiled at a later
date, along with the coaching and administrative staff. For more information
and season ticket availability, fans should visit www.MLSPhilly2010.com
or call 1-877-MLS-2010.
New
Women’s League Launched
Formally announced in September, the new women’s professional
soccer league launching in Spring 2009 now has a name, Women’s Professional
Soccer (WPS). With the unveiling of the league logo and launch of its
website, WPS made its official debut at the NSCAA annual convention in
Baltimore.
One thing the new league wants to make clear is that this is not a remake
of the WUSA, which folded in 2003 after three seasons. The new league
has announced teams in Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York/New
Jersey, Washington, D.C. and St. Louis. The door is also open for an eighth
team.
“A long and careful process led to the selection of Women’s
Professional Soccer and the subsequent WPS acronym,” said Tonya
Antonucci, WPS commissioner. “The league and team owners
reviewed countless variations of league names and logos and conducted
numerous focus groups before ultimately deciding on a brand identity that
we strongly believe will resonate with fans for years to come.”
The WPS logo, developed by branding agency Adrenalin, Inc., features
a deep navy, red, and gold color scheme while showcasing a familiar silhouette
– FIFA World Cup champion, Olympic Gold Medal winner and Hall of
Fame player Mia Hamm, renowned as a pioneer for women’s
soccer.
“I am extremely honored and humbled to personify the WPS brand,
knowing full well that this league will be revered by generations of soccer
fans around the world,” said Hamm. “Above all else, this league
represents opportunity – not just for female soccer players, but
for women everywhere.”
The league launched its official website at www.womensprosoccer.com,
an interactive source for all information related to the league, WPS teams,
prospective players and women’s soccer in general.
Since the league was formalized four months ago, operations have been
underway at the WPS office in San Francisco and the team offices in Boston,
Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New Jersey/New York, St. Louis, and Washington
D.C.
Staffing has been among top priorities for both the league and its teams.
In recent months, WPS has hired Boston Breakers General Manager Joe
Cummings as senior consulting chief operating officer, Vicki
Veenker of Shearman & Sterling LLP as general counsel, and
Aaron Burch as league development/relationships manager.
Teams have also been active in hiring staff. Former Women’s National
Team Head Coach Tony DiCicco was named as the head coach
of the Boston Breakers. The Washington Freedom, meanwhile, appointed Joe
Quinn as team president and general manager, Jim Gabarra
as head coach, Louise Waxler as director of
operations, and Clyde Watson as assistant coach. Likewise,
Chicago’s WPS team announced Marcia McDermott,
former coach for the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) Carolina
Courage, as general manager.
“Momentum is definitely in our favor as we draw closer to the inaugural
WPS season in 2009,” said Antonucci. “The next year promises
to be an exciting one for women’s soccer, as our nation’s
elite athletes compete against the best international stars in the Beijing
Olympics with the knowledge that they’ll come home to the opportunity
to play professionally. As the players prepare, we’ll be working
diligently toward the 2009 kick-off with more league and team news, facility
announcements, and community events.”
Nyarko,
Phelan Drafted In First Round
UCLA defender Chance Myers was the #1 pick
in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, taken by the Kansas City Wizards. The Wizards
traded defender Nick Garcia to the expansion San Jose
Earthquakes for the #1 pick.
U. S. Under-17 National Team midfielder/defender Brek Shea
went to FC Dallas with the second pick of the draw.
Virginia Tech junior Patrick, Nyarko was the first forward
selected, going to the Chicago Fire as the #7 pick in the first round.
Tech’s Ben Nelson, a midfielder from Stafford,
VA, was drafted by FC Dallas in the fourth round.
Wake Forest defender Pat Phelan was taken with the #10
overall pick by Toronto FC. Phelan was one of three members of the Deacon’s
2007 national championship team, selected in the draft. Goalkeeper Brian
Edwards was the #28 overall selection, also going to Toronto
FC, and defender Julian Valentine was the first player
selected in the third round by the Los Angeles Galaxy.
Midfielder Joe Germanese from Duke, who played at Vanderbilt
before that program was dropped after his sophomore year, went #27 to
the New England Revolution. He was one of three Blue Devils drafted. Midfielder
Michael Videira was the first taken, at #18 overall in
the second round by New England. Midfielder Spencer Wadsworth
went in the fourth round to the Revolution.
Furman’s Shea Salinas, a midfielder, was the
first player taken in the second round with the #15 overall selection,
by the San Jose Earthquakes. Salinas’ Furman teammate, Jonathan
Leathers (Athens, GA) was taken #25 by the Wizards.
Two Old Dominion defenders were drafted. David Horst
was selected with the #14 overall pick, by Real Salt Lake. The Wizards
drafted Yomby William at #23 overall.
The Columbus Crew at #22 in the second round drafted Lee University (TN)
forward Ricardo Pierre-Louis, the NCAA Division II Player
of the Year. Lynn University (FL) forward Dwight Barnett
was a third round selection by the Chicago Fire. Another Division II player,
West Florida’s Keith Savage, was the first player
taken in the fourth round, going to Chivas USA.
The New York Red Bulls drafted UNC midfielder Scott Campbell
in the fourth round. Virginia midfielder Jeremy Barlow
was the last player selected in the draft, #56 overall, by the
Houston Dynamo. Maryland midfielder Stephen King was
taken by Chicago in the third round.
D.C. United had only one player in the draft, selecting midfielder Andrew
Jacobson of Cal-Berkley in the second round.
2008
MLS SuperDraft Order
Coaches and general managers of Major League Soccer’s
14 teams will have their scouting expertise tested Friday as the 2008
MLS SuperDraft takes place on at the Baltimore Convention Center (400
Level Ballroom) in Baltimore. The event begins at 2 p.m. ET and will be
carried live by ESPN2 and MLSnet.com. The draft order and rules are listed
below.
As an MLS expansion team, the San Jose Earthquakes currently hold the
first overall selection in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. The SuperDraft consists
of four rounds with 14 selections each round. Currently, Western Conference
teams FC Dallas and the Los Angeles Galaxy hold the most selections in
the draft with seven (7) each. The Chicago Fire of the Eastern Conference
hold six (6) selections heading into Friday’s SuperDraft. Western
Conference club Chivas USA may be looking to deal for draft picks as they
hold only one (1) selection that lands in the fourth round.
Last year, 2007 expansion side Toronto FC selected University of Maryland
midfielder Maurice Edu with the first overall selection in the SuperDraft.
Edu starred for Toronto FC in his first year in the League and became
the first-ever No. 1 pick to capture Rookie of the Year Honors. With a
surprising pick at No. 5, the New England Revolution selected Wake Forest
midfielder Wells Thompson, who proved his worthiness
over the course of his first pro season. The Revolution has developed
a number of previously unheralded players into stars, including Shalrie
Joseph, Michael Parkhurst and Clint Dempsey.
The first hour of the SuperDraft will be televised live on ESPN2. The
remainder of the draft, which consists of four rounds of 14 picks each,
will be streamed live on www.MLSnet.com,
the League’s official Web site.
For the sixth consecutive year, the MLS SuperDraft will be held in conjunction
with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention.
Thousands of youth soccer coaches from across the country will be in Baltimore
on Friday and many will watch from the draft floor as their brightest
pupils make a leap from amateur to professional.
The MLS SuperDraft draft features the finest collegiate and youth soccer
prospects in the United States. The majority of draft prospects are graduating
college seniors from NCAA schools. Others come from Generation adidas,
a joint program between MLS and adidas that is dedicated to developing
exceptional domestic talent in a professional environment. Each year,
a handful of top domestic underclassmen and youth national team soccer
players are signed to the league and placed in the SuperDraft through
this program.
The MLS SuperDraft is open to the public at no charge, and fans are invited
to attend, however seating is limited, and fans are encouraged to arrive
early. Fans must pick up a ticket at the fan check-in table outside the
ballroom.
Credential requests should be sent directly to MLS Communications. Submit
requests to Stephen Rodriguez at stephen.rodriguez@mlsnet.com
and Justine Kraus at justine.kraus@mlsnet.com.
Below are details on the selection order, rules and procedures for the
2008 MLS SuperDraft.
The 2008 MLS SuperDraft order follows (as of January 15, 2008):
1st ROUND:
1. San Jose Earthquakes
2. FC Dallas (From Toronto FC)
3. Real Salt Lake
4. Los Angeles Galaxy
5. Colorado Rapids
6. Columbus Crew
7. Chicago Fire (From New York Red Bulls)
8. FC Dallas
9. Toronto FC (From Chivas USA)
10. Toronto FC (From D.C. United)
11. Kansas City Wizards
12. Chicago Fire
13. New England Revolution
14. Real Salt Lake (From Toronto FC)
2nd ROUND:
15. San Jose Earthquakes
16. New York Red Bulls (From Toronto FC)
17. Real Salt Lake
18. New England Revolution (From Los Angeles)
19. FC Dallas (From Colorado Rapids)
20. Columbus Crew
21. Los Angeles Galaxy (From New York Red Bulls)
22. FC Dallas
23. Kansas City Wizards (From Chivas USA)
24. D.C. United
25. Kansas City Wizards (From Los Angeles Galaxy, Kansas City Wizards)
26. Chicago Fire
27. New England Revolution
28. Los Angeles Galaxy (From Houston Dynamo)
3rd ROUND:
29. Los Angeles Galaxy (From San Jose Earthquakes)
30. Toronto FC
31. FC Dallas (From Real Salt Lake)
32. New York Red Bulls (From Los Angeles Galaxy)
33. D.C. United (From Colorado Rapids)
34. Los Angeles Galaxy (From Columbus Crew)
35. Toronto FC (From Colorado Rapids, New York Red Bulls)
36. Colorado Rapids (from Dallas)
37. Real Salt Lake (from Chivas USA)
38. Chicago Fire (from D.C. United)
39. Kansas City Wizards
40. Chicago Fire
41. New England Revolution
42. Houston Dynamo
4th ROUND:
43. Chivas USA (From San Jose Earthquakes)
44. New York Red Bulls (From Toronto FC)
45. FC Dallas (From Real Salt Lake)
46. Los Angeles Galaxy
47. Colorado Rapids
48. Columbus Crew
49. Colorado Rapids (From New York Red Bulls)
50. FC Dallas
51. Los Angeles Galaxy (From New York Red Bulls, Real Salt Lake, Chivas
USA)
52. D.C. United
53. Kansas City Wizards
54. Chicago Fire
55. New England Revolution
56. Houston Dynamo
Selection Order:
The MLS SuperDraft selection order is determined as follows: The first
selection is awarded to Major League Soccer’s expansion team, San
Jose Earthquakes. The next four selections are from teams that did not
qualify for the 2007 MLS Cup Playoffs beginning with the team with fewest
2007 regular season points (3 points per win, one point per tie). The
remaining eight positions are ranked by fewest regular season points among
the teams that were eliminated in the same round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Procedural rules for the 2008 MLS SuperDraft:
Draft Rounds: The 2008 MLS SuperDraft will include four rounds and 56
selections. Once a team has passed, it may no longer participate in the
Draft (e.g. may no longer select players, use a timeout, etc.)
Selection Clock: Teams are permitted four (4) minutes to make a selection
in the First and Second Rounds. Teams are permitted three (3) minutes
to make a selection in the Third and Fourth rounds.
Intermissions: There will be a five (5) minute break between each round.
Timeouts: Each team is permitted one (1), five (5) minute timeout. Selections
must be made immediately following the timeout (no additional time given).
More than two (2) timeouts cannot be used consecutively.
Failure to Make Selection in Designated Time: Teams that fail to make
their selection in time must wait until the next selection is made, regardless
if their choice is presented prior to the next team’s decision.
The team that was delinquent with its selection must immediately have
its choice in hand following the selection of the team that followed.
If not, the original team must again wait for the next selection to be
made.
Trades: Prior to being announced, trades need to be verified and approved
by the Commissioner and/or his designee. Trade announcements should not
reveal the identity of players until those players have been contacted
by their respective clubs. For example, Team A trades a “player
to be named later” for Team B’s first selection.
Team Passing: In the event a team passes, it shall be precluded from making
any further picks for the remainder of the Draft.
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