Northern Virginia NASL Pro Team
Blow the bugle and sound the charge, Northern Virginia has a new professional soccer team named Virginia Calvary FC.
The team will take the field in 2014 as one of three new North American Soccer League franchises, joining teams a year from now based in Indianapolis, IN, and Ottawa, Canada.
The Calvary will play in Ashburn next year, provided Bob Farren’s VIP Sports and Entertainment group can get approval to build a 5,5000-seat stadium in time for the season opener. The proposed facility is BallPark at One Loudoun, at the corner of Route 7 and Loudoun County Parkway.
“Virginia Calvary FC is a tremendous name for Virginia’ first high-level professional soccer club,” offered Farren, VIP S&E’s CEO.
A list of possible team names where whittled down through a contest by thousands of responses from Northern Virginia fans, with Calvary beating out the next two, the Stallions and the Dominion.
The formal announcement was made on Feb. 6 at Bungalow Lakehouse in Sterling. The event was hosted by NBC Sports’ Russ Thaler, with former U.S. MNT stars John Harkes and Eddie Pope in attendance.
Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell welcomed the team to the Commonwealth via video.
While the team name was announced, yet to be unveiled are the team logo and uniforms.
The proposed stadium, which will also be the home of the minor league baseball Loudon Hounds, will have 5,500 permanent seats, with the capacity to expand to at least another 4,000.
The facility will feature an artificial playing surface.
Originally the stadium was approved for the Kincora development closer to the Dulles Town Center. Concern for moving the stadium with the new location closer to a rapidly growing residential center has been expressed by local groups of residents.
VIP is said to be working to address the concerns and reservations expressed by the local residents.