EXCLUSIVE
Kentuckiana is about have a new team play in the top U23 men’s soccer league in North America.
The newly formed River City Rovers will join the United Soccer League in the summer of 2011. It will have a 16-game schedule in the Premier Development League – or PDL -- section between the months of May and August.
The team’s home is still to be decided, but the ground will be in Louisville. Among the venues believed to be under consideration are the University of Louisville and St Xavier High School.
A southern Indiana resident is among the 10-strong group of owners.
The PDL is seen as a shop window for Major League Soccer clubs looking to discover and identify aspiring pros.
Many of the players currently playing in the MLS began their careers there, while notable US internationals with PDL experience include Brian Ching, Charlie Davies, Brad Guzan, Jonathan Spector, Clarence Goodson, Herculez Gomez, Robbie Findley, Jay DeMerit and Eric Wynalda.
Muhamed Fazlagic, who founded Louisville youth travel soccer club United 1996 FC, will serve as technical director and head coach, while Thabane Sutu will be the assistant coach.
"I am so excited to be part of creating this opportunity for local players who currently play for top-ranked national colleges,” said Fazlagic. “Now they'll be able to play at the highest level in front of their friends and family. River City Rovers is certainly a new and positive chapter in Louisville’s soccer history."
Peter Laventis, one of the owners and vice-president at United 1996, said the formation of River City Rovers is the natural progression of soccer in the area.
“This team will have the ability to showcase the talents of the best players from all of the clubs, while allowing them to retain their amateur status for NCAA eligibility,” he said. “Rovers’ games will provide local fans with the highest level of soccer experience, short of an MLS game.”
Unofficially, the PDL is considered to be the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid, behind the MLS, the USSF Division 2 and the USL Second Division.
It had 67 teams competing in four conferences -- split into eight regional divisions across the US and Canada -- in 2010. So far, three new franchises have been announced to participate in 2011 season.
Average attendances have risen in recent years to about 550 a game in regular season, and over 1,100 for the play-offs.
Rovers will play in the Great Lakes Division along with the likes of Indiana Invaders from South Bend, Chicago Fire and Cincinnati Kings.
Mary Nieto, marketing director of River City Rovers, said the club welcomes players from all area club and collegiate backgrounds.
“River City Rovers will be representative of the best soccer players the greater Louisville area has to offer,” she said.
“By joining the Premier Development League, our players will be exposed to additional scouts and recruiters who, in turn, report their findings. This provides players additional time on the pitch in front of fans and against collective opponents -- competition that is as close to MLS performance as we can get.”
As for the future, Nieto said the club would be “thrilled” to one day reach MLS qualifications and status.
“Realistically, it takes a lot of investment power to make that happen but we're prepared to put in the time with the River City Rovers,” she said.
“If MLS becomes an achievable goal, we certainly wouldn't say no.”
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Cards set for last 16 date with Buckeyes
Another record crowd is expected when the top-ranked and unbeaten University of Louisville (17-0-3) faces No. 16 Ohio State (11-5-3) in the third round of the NCAA Division I men’s soccer tournament at Cardinal Park at 7 p.m. Sunday.
The Cards beat College of Charleston 3-1 on Sunday in front of 5,197 fans, pleasing the vast majority of them with two late goals. The attendance smashed the previous school record of 3,583, set against Indiana University in 2005.
Louisville opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a Nick Deleon effort, but Sean Flatley evened the score just five minutes later for Charleston.
With seven minutes remaining in the game, Deleon put Colin Rolfe through for his seventh goal of the season, and Charlie Campbell wrapped it up with 88:13 on the clock following a fine build-up down the left involving Rolfe and Dylan Mares.
Meanwhile, Ohio State made it through with a 2-1 home victory over Providence, a team beaten by Louisville in the Big East Tournament final on penalty kicks last week.
Louisville met the Buckeyes in a regular-season encounter at Cardinal Park in September, with the game ending scoreless.
It was the only game the Cards failed to win at home, where it is now 9-0-1 for 2010. In fact, the last time they lost at home was to Jacksonville in the NCAA tournament in 2008.
The winner will face the victor of Dartmouth and UCLA in the quarterfinal on the weekend of Dec. 3, a tie that would also be at Cardinal Park should Louisville emerge victorious against OSU.
The College Cup (the Final Four) will be held in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Dec. 10 and 12.
Meanwhile, No. 14 Indiana will play at No. 3 Akron at 4 p.m. Sunday after beating Tulsa 5-1. Goals came from Will Bruin (two), Andy, Adlard, Nikita Kotlov and Harrison Petts.
The Cards beat College of Charleston 3-1 on Sunday in front of 5,197 fans, pleasing the vast majority of them with two late goals. The attendance smashed the previous school record of 3,583, set against Indiana University in 2005.
Louisville opened the scoring in the 19th minute with a Nick Deleon effort, but Sean Flatley evened the score just five minutes later for Charleston.
With seven minutes remaining in the game, Deleon put Colin Rolfe through for his seventh goal of the season, and Charlie Campbell wrapped it up with 88:13 on the clock following a fine build-up down the left involving Rolfe and Dylan Mares.
Meanwhile, Ohio State made it through with a 2-1 home victory over Providence, a team beaten by Louisville in the Big East Tournament final on penalty kicks last week.
Louisville met the Buckeyes in a regular-season encounter at Cardinal Park in September, with the game ending scoreless.
It was the only game the Cards failed to win at home, where it is now 9-0-1 for 2010. In fact, the last time they lost at home was to Jacksonville in the NCAA tournament in 2008.
The winner will face the victor of Dartmouth and UCLA in the quarterfinal on the weekend of Dec. 3, a tie that would also be at Cardinal Park should Louisville emerge victorious against OSU.
The College Cup (the Final Four) will be held in Santa Barbara, Calif., on Dec. 10 and 12.
Meanwhile, No. 14 Indiana will play at No. 3 Akron at 4 p.m. Sunday after beating Tulsa 5-1. Goals came from Will Bruin (two), Andy, Adlard, Nikita Kotlov and Harrison Petts.
Javanon '94 off to a National League flyer
Javanon ’94 got off to a flyer in the US Youth Soccer National League at the weekend.
Coach Jason Bell’s charges played four games in Wilson, North Carolina and came through all four of them unbeaten to sit atop the eight team U17 Blue Division.
After opening with a 2-2 draw against WAZA – ranked sixth in the nation -- on Thursday night, Javanon then went on to beat Blast FC of Ohio South (1-0) and fourth ranked Sereno of Arizona (1-0).
It rounded out the trip with a 2-0 victory over RSL Florida, who was last year's national runner-up.The team mates attracted plenty of interest from college and national coaches with their performances.
The second round of games will take place from February 19-21 in Weston, Florida, when Javanon will encounter crunch matchups against joint leaders Tulsa TSC (Oklahoma), Annandale United (Virginia) and PSC Coppa (Pennsylvania).
Should Javanon win its league, it will automatically punch its ticket to the 2011 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Phoenix, Arizona next July.
Next up for the team is the Disney Soccer Showcase in Florida from December 27-30.
Coach Jason Bell’s charges played four games in Wilson, North Carolina and came through all four of them unbeaten to sit atop the eight team U17 Blue Division.
After opening with a 2-2 draw against WAZA – ranked sixth in the nation -- on Thursday night, Javanon then went on to beat Blast FC of Ohio South (1-0) and fourth ranked Sereno of Arizona (1-0).
It rounded out the trip with a 2-0 victory over RSL Florida, who was last year's national runner-up.The team mates attracted plenty of interest from college and national coaches with their performances.
The second round of games will take place from February 19-21 in Weston, Florida, when Javanon will encounter crunch matchups against joint leaders Tulsa TSC (Oklahoma), Annandale United (Virginia) and PSC Coppa (Pennsylvania).
Should Javanon win its league, it will automatically punch its ticket to the 2011 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Phoenix, Arizona next July.
Next up for the team is the Disney Soccer Showcase in Florida from December 27-30.
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