Re: USSF Division Two Soccer JOSÉ MANUEL ABUNDIS Named Silverbacks Head Coach The Atlanta Silverbacks announced today that JOSÉ MANUEL ABUNDIS will join the club as its head coach. Abundis, a first-time coach, will take the helm of the Silverbacks immediately. Abundis, 37, is best known for the 17 years he spent competing at the top levels of international soccer. As part of the Mexican national team from 1996 to 2001, he appeared in 47 games and scored 10 goals, representing Mexico in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and in the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup. As early as 1992, Abundis made a name for himself as the top player for Toluca, a club in Mexico's top soccer division. He totaled 270 appearances and notched 80 goals there, and he also played for Mexican clubs Atlante, Pachuca, CF Monterrey, and Querétaro. In 2006, he played a season for Major League Soccer's New England Revolution. Since arriving in Georgia, Abundis has led youth soccer clinics and become a respected part of the Atlanta community. http://www.nasl.com/article/abundis-named-silverbacks-head-coach
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer FC Edmonton Pens Partnership with PMI By Andreas Morse FC Edmonton FC Edmonton has come to terms with Playbook Management International (PMI) for the 2011 season. With this agreement, PMI and FC Edmonton plan to use all their resources to create a tradition, culture and fan-fare worthy of the FC Edmonton name. PMI, led by Michael Hitchcock, has been successful in building fan bases for several MLS clubs and FC Edmonton General Manager Mel Kowalchuk sees this partnership as one of the first critical steps in working towards a successful launch of FC Edmonton in the NASL on April 9. “We are extremely pleased to have PMI join the FC Edmonton team as we prepare for our inaugural season in the NASL,” Kowalchuk said. “The expertise and experience Michael Hitchcock and his team bring to FC Edmonton should help ensure our inaugural season is a success on and off the pitch.” http://www.fcedmonton.com/content/fc-edmonton-pens-partnership-pmi
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer The Atlanta Silverbacks announced today that the club will field a reserve team, which will begin play this spring. The Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves, formerly known as Atlanta FC, will compete in the National Premier Soccer League in 2011. Atlanta FC was founded in 2007 and went on to win the NPSL Southeast regional title in 2008 and qualify for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2009. The team’s re-branding as the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves marks the beginning of the team’s official partnership with the Atlanta Silverbacks. “We’re excited about the chance to become a part of the Silverbacks family,” said Chris Goeckel, owner of the reserve squad. “The new relationship will give us a powerful way to develop players and the sport, while providing the Atlanta community yet another opportunity to watch great soccer.” The Reserves will retain Head Coach Ricardo Montoya and Assistant Coach Alejandro Pombo, who will be continuing in their roles for the fourth straight year. Assistant Coach and Video Analysis Expert Bert Leonard and Physical Trainer Juan Castellanos will round out the team’s technical staff. The Reserves will have a direct link to allow players the opportunity to advance to the professional level. The Silverbacks coaching staff, meanwhile, will enjoy the opportunity to scout developing talent and to call players up to the professional team as needed. The Silverbacks Reserves will play four regular season home games in 2011. They will play at Atlanta Silverbacks Park and will compete against Chattanooga FC, the Knoxville Force, Rocket City United, and the Georgia Revolution. http://www.nasl.com/article/silverba...o-play-in-npsl
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Islanders Ink Addlery Again The Puerto Rico Islanders are very pleased to announce the return of stellar forward Nicholas Addlery. Addlery joined the Islanders in January 2009 making a great impression to the technical staff during pre-season and proving it with his excellent performance during that year’s USL season and CONCACAF Champions League. Addlery scored two goals against CD Marathon of Honduras to go through to the Champions League Semifinals. And scored two goals in the Semifinals’ first leg against Mexico’s Cruz Azul. Then he played on loan with Aguila in El Salvador, and tried out for Mexico’s Cruz Azul, but came back to Puerto Rico in 2010 looking for a Championship and got two; the Caribbean Championship and the USSF D-2 Championship. In 2011 he re-signs with the Puerto Rico Islanders looking to repeat those titles and go even further in the CONCACAF Champions League. “Nick Addlery is a very important player for us. He is a strong forward with a vast experience and excellent definition. We are very excited to have him back for the 2011 NASL (North American Soccer League) season, the CFU (Caribbean Football Union) Championship and eventually the CONCACAF Champions League”, said Islanders President, Andrés Guillemard. http://www.nasl.com/article/islanders-ink-addlery-again
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer USSF Board of Directors Narrowly Approves 1-year Provisional Sanctioning of NASL; AGM Must Still Ratify In a narrow 6-5 vote with both U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati and MLS Commissioner Don Garber abstaining, the USSF Board of Directors approved the North American Soccer League (NASL) to provisionally sanction Division 2 pro soccer in the U.S. for 2011. The approval came with a special 1-year provisional status and must be ratified in today’s Annual General Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. According to sources close to the situation, U.S. Soccer’s review committee made up of Carlos Cordeiro, Executive Vice President Mike Edwards and Secretary General Dan Flynn met with NASL executives on Thursday evening. The committee reviewed the NASL’s financial documents and judged whether the proposed league met the tough new U.S. Soccer standards set for division 2 pro soccer. The committee had tough questions for the NASL in Thursday evening’s meeting and NASL officials left the meeting with good reason to be concerned http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2011/...al-sanctioning-of-nasl-agm-must-still-ratify/
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Fans to Decide Scorpions FC Logo SAN ANTONIO – The judges have narrowed 300 entries in the “Design Our Team Logo” contest to three, and now fans can help determine which of the three finalists will become the logo of San Antonio’s new pro soccer team, the Scorpions FC. Fans will be asked to vote for their favorite design at www.SoccerforaCause.com from Tuesday, Feb. 15, until 5 p.m. CST Monday, Feb. 28. Plans also call for ballots to be printed in the San Antonio Express-News. The winning logo will be unveiled in early March. http://www.nasl.com/article/fans-to-decide-scorpions-fc-logo
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer FC Tampa Bay Signs Portland's Keith Savage FC Tampa Bay has signed attacking midfielder Keith Savage to a one-year contract, along with a one-year club option for 2012. Savage, a Gulf Breeze, Fla. native, most recently played for Portland from 2009-2010. While with the Timbers, Savage appeared in 40 matches, scoring three goals and recording three assists. During the 2009 season, he was one of only two players to appear in all 30 regular season matches. Savage was also a part of the squad which set a USL-1 record with a 24-game unbeaten streak during the 2009 regular season and which won the 2009 USL-1 Commissioner’s Cup. Savage was limited in the beginning of the 2010 season due to injury but appeared in 10 games with eight starts at the end of the season http://www.nasl.com/article/fc-tampa-bay-signs-keith-savage
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer NY Red Bulls 2- FTL Strikers 0 “I felt our players responded well to the early goal, considering it was our first preseason game and we’ve only been in camp four days. With that being said it was great to see so many fans at our first preseason match and we would like to see them again in the near future.” said Strikers Coach Daryl Shore. Later in the first half, there was a controversial non-penalty decision when Strikers’ forward Aaron Wheeler went down in the penalty area with no call toward the end of the first half. Bryan Arguez nearly leveled the scoring when his shot from 13 yards out narrowly missed the crossbar. New York midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy doubled the Red Bull’s advantage midway through the second half with a blazing run from the left wing and then beating Strikers’ goalkeeper Matt Glaeser at the far post. Even with the Red Bull’s roster of star players, the Strikers still held a large portion of possession and as well as multiple scoring chances in both halves of today’s friendly. The Strikers will look to build on this game as they continue their preseason preparations into March. http://www.nasl.com/article/ny-red-bulls-2-ftl-strikers-0
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer David Downs Named NASL Commissioner Veteran soccer and broadcast executive to lead NASL MIAMI, FL (March 28, 2011) - The North American Soccer League (NASL) is pleased to announce the appointment of David Downs as the league's first Commissioner. Downs will assume his new role with the NASL on April 4th. Downs joins the NASL after serving as Executive Director of the USA Bid Committee, the organization created by the U.S. Soccer Federation to participate in the bidding process to host the FIFA World Cup™ in 2018 and 2022. Prior to that, he spent more than 30 years in the broadcast industry as an executive with both ABC Sports and Univision Communications. During his broadcast career, Downs was instrumental in the successful negotiations to secure the U.S. television rights to every World Cup from USA '94, through Brazil '14. "I'm excited to hit the ground running with the NASL as we work to elevate second division soccer in North America and play an active role in taking soccer to the next level in the region," said Downs. "We plan to work closely with the fans, players, administrators, other leagues and everyone else involved in this beautiful game to build up the NASL at a league and local market level." http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=234
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Fort Lauderdale Strikers Release New Logo Strikers unveil new logo to South Florida community FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (MARCH 27, 2011) -- The Fort Lauderdale Strikers unveiled its new team logo Sunday evening during the City of Fort Lauderdale centennial celebration. The primary color palette of the logo consists of a deep Striker Red connecting with the heart and passion of the players and fans of the "Beautiful Game," while the Striker Gold symbolizes the warmth of the "Sunshine State" and City of Fort Lauderdale. The Striker Charcoal Gray serves as an accent honoring the proud heritage of the original Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The secondary colors of Strikers Metallic Gold and Strikers Beach Sand are complimentary colors to the Strikers' primary color palette, which aims to deepen the connections between fans, partners, the community and the team. The new primary logo leverages on the brand identity’s visual attributes of the original mark in addition to utilizing an evolved "Fort Lauderdale" script and "STRIKERS" typeface. This direction presents a neoclassical take on the traditional football club crest badge incorporating a contemporary seven-pointed sun with ball signifying the golden era of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers from 1977 to 1983. The logo also has a distinctive tie to the City of Fort Lauderdale’s landmark wave wall columns of Las Olas that bookend the memorable Strikers jersey hoops embracing the heritage and at the same time evolving the Strikers brand for future “Striker Likers. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=233
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Strikers and Community Celebrate Uniform Unveiling Strikers present new uniforms to fans at ceremony FORT LAUDERDALE, FL (MARCH 29, 2011) – The Fort Lauderdale Strikers had their uniform unveiling celebration last night at The Hard Rock Café at the Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood, Florida. “Tonight was the culmination of a long, remarkable journey that sees us breathe life back into the legacy and legend that is the Fort Lauderdale Strikers,” states Commercial Director Tommy Knapp. “The place was packed! It was great to have so many fans join us at the Hard Rock Café to share in the excitement about the team and jersey—the stripes are back and we can already hear the fans chanting Red and Yellow, Red and Yellow, Red and Yellow!” http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=241
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer FC Edmonton Announce Sears Financial as Jersey Sponsors EDMONTON, Alberta- When FC Edmonton players take to the field this season they’ll be backed by a premier partner represented on the team’s home and away jerseys. Owner Tom Fath and the rest of the club’s players, coaches and staff are pleased to welcome Sears Financial as FC Edmonton’s major sponsor. “It’s my extreme pleasure to announce our main sponsor, Sears Financial, who is making such a significant statement of support,” Fath said. “It is a great privilege to have an international organization with such a strong reputation join us, support us and share in the great things we hope to do in, for and with this city.” http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=249
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Help Choose The San Antonio Scorpions Jersey Scorpions fans helped the newest NASL team choose a team name and menacing-looking logo, and now we invite everyone to help us choose one of three Scorpions jersey designs. The Scorpions have collaborated with Nike Inc., recently announced as one of the team's major sponsors, on coming up with three designs in team colors of black, red and gold. You can vote here from now until Tuesday, May 31, 2011. Ballots also can be found in editions of the San Antonio Express-News. After all the votes are tallied, the winning jersey will be unveiled in June. Just like the "Select Our Logo Design" contest, a voter chosen at random will be awarded four tickets to a Scorpions home game and a package of team gear including a new jersey. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=417
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Ottawa to Join NASL Posted on Tue, Jun 21, 2011 June 20, 2011 (Ottawa, ON.): The North American Soccer League (NASL) today announced that Ottawa, Ontario has been awarded an expansion team. The new team will be owned by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) and play home games at Lansdowne Park. The club will commence League play upon the completion of a major stadium reconstruction project which is expected to commence later this year. The North American Soccer League is a Division II men’s outdoor professional soccer league with teams based in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. “We welcome Ottawa to the NASL,” said League Commissioner David Downs. “As we continue to expand and collectively grow professional soccer in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean, Ottawa is a natural market with a vibrant business community, large soccer fan base and an exceptional ownership group.” OSEG partner John Pugh, who is also the CEO and Owner of the Ottawa Fury Soccer Club, has been named President of the new NASL franchise. Pugh says he’s committed to building a successful team on and off the field: "This will be, by far, the highest calibre of soccer we’ll have seen in Ottawa since the 2007 FIFA Men’s U-20 World Cup,” said Pugh. “We are committed to fielding a competitive team from the get-go, providing a lively, entertaining game day experience for families and establishing strong ties with all soccer players and fans across the region. It’s a privilege to have this opportunity.” Ottawa’s new 24,000 seat soccer-friendly downtown stadium will be built to exacting FIFA specifications. The City of Ottawa and OSEG are partners in the project and, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson says it’s an exciting time for the entire city: “Residents are excited about NASL soccer, our bid for the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, CFL football and other events that will take place in Ottawa, thanks to a newly redeveloped Lansdowne Park," said Mayor Watson. "With 65,000 registered players in our region playing the world's game, it’s high time Ottawa had a professional soccer team and a world-class stadium.” OSEG is offering Ottawa soccer fans an opportunity to reserve the right to purchase season tickets for their NASL team before they become available to the public at large. A limited number of priority reservation numbers (PRNs) are now available for a fully-refundable $25 deposit or free for current season ticket holders for the Ottawa Fury and Ottawa 67’s and, PRN holders for Ottawa’s new CFL football franchise. Details for this program are available at www.ottawafury.com or www.ottawa67s.com.
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Text Your Choice for the San Antonio Scorpions Away Jersey Enter to win a Scorpions Away Jersey After you vote, you will be prompted to reply with your name, enter your name and you will be entered to win a Scorpions away jersey. Standard text message rates apply
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer Fans Help Select Jersey Design SAN ANTONIO – Mexican soccer legend Jorge Campos today unveiled the jersey selected by a vote of San Antonio Scorpions FC fans. The community's new pro soccer team took another step forward toward North American Soccer League (NASL) competition next spring. More than 3,000 fans voted either online or by way of a printed ballot in the San Antonio Express-News and chose a predominantly black jersey with horizontal stripes bearing the team's menacing-looking scorpion logo. Nike USA Inc., which became a major Scorpions sponsor in January, presented three jersey designs, but fans had the final say. Those who would like to purchase Scorpions jerseys can do so online at www.SanAntonioScorpions.com http://sanantonioscorpions.com/club...scorpions-fc-san-antonios-new-pro-soccer-team
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer NASL Implements League Concussion Policy Posted on Tue, Aug 16, 2011 The North American Soccer League (NASL) today announced the implementation of a league-wide policy to deal with possible concussions sustained by its players during training and match play. The policy will go into effect immediately, and includes a number of components from general education on the issue to neurocognitive testing. The NASL has also instituted procedures regarding mandatory evaluation of concussion symptoms and substitution of concussed players. Prior to the implementation of this league-wide policy, the medical staffs of each team within the NASL set their own guidelines for dealing with concussions suffered by a team’s players. The new NASL Concussion Policy was modeled on the current protocol in place in Major League Soccer (MLS) and created with the cooperation and assistance of MLS. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1094
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer 2011 NASL PLAYOFFS QUARTER-FINALS OCTOBER 1, 2011 Edmonton at Ft. Lauderdale Minnesota at Tampa Bay
Re: USSF Division Two Soccer The North American Soccer League named the 2011 NASL Best XI team today. The Best XI was selected by a vote of the coaches of the eight teams that played in the 2011 season. This year’s Best XI in alphabetical order is as follows: Mike Ambersley, Etienne Barbara, Hassoun Camara, David Foley, Brad Knighton, Lance Laing, Kupono Low, Pascal Millien, Shaun Saiko, Toni Stahl, and Matt Watson. Forwards Mike Ambersley, FC Tampa Bay Ambersley joined FC Tampa Bay in 2011 after spending the 2010 season with AC St Louis. He ranked tied for third in the NASL with a team-high 11 goals and third in the NASL with a team-best seven assists in 2011. He also led FC Tampa Bay in minutes played (2,275). Etienne Barbara, Carolina RailHawks In his second season with the RailHawks, Barbara led the NASL in scoring with 20 goals and eight assists. Barbara was recognized as the NASL Golden Boot winner on Tuesday, and twice earned NASL Player of the Month awards (April & May). Midfielders David Foley, Puerto Rico Islanders An attacking midfielder, Foley scored seven goals and added six assists for the Islanders in 2011. He joined Puerto Rico in 2010, after seven seasons with Hartlepool United in his native England. Pascal Millien, FC Tampa Bay The pacey Haitian international netted four goals and added five assists in his second season with FC Tampa Bay. A classic winger, Millien was named NASL Offensive Player of the Week on July 5th. Shaun Saiko, FC Edmonton A local product, central midfielder Saiko topped FC Edmonton in both goal scoring (9) and assists (5). The 21-year-old appeared in 27 NASL games and one Nutrilite Canadian Championship game during the 2011 season and helped lead his team to the post season in their inaugural professional season. Matt Watson, Carolina RailHawks A rugged defensive midfielder, Watson has been a member of the RailHawks since 2008. Watson appeared in 24 matches and played 2,031 minutes, contributing three goals and two assists. Defenders Hassoun Camara, Montreal Impact During his first season with the Impact, Camara led the team with 22 starts and anchored a stalwart Montreal back line that permitted opponents less than one goal a game. The French central defender also tallied two goals and an assist. Lance Laing, Fort Lauderdale Strikers In his first Strikers’ season, Laing was second on the team in minutes played. Laing, from Trelawny, Jamaica, began his professional career with Jamaican pro clubs Harbour View FC and Village United. The outside back has represented his country at both the youth and senior national team levels. Kupono Low, Carolina RailHawks Hawaiian-born Low appeared in 26 matches and led all RailHawks field players in minutes played (2,300). In his fifth season at Carolina, Low captained the RailHawks following the July transfer of Brad Rusin to Danish top flight side HB Køge. Toni Stahl, Fort Lauderdale Strikers A 6-3 center back from Finland, Stahl provided consistency in the Strikers’ defense. After being named the 2009 Big East Midfielder of the Year at the University of Connecticut, Stahl was drafted by the Philadelphia Union in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. Goalkeeper Brad Knighton, Carolina RailHawks In his first season with the club, Knighton played every minute between the pipes for the NASL Regular Season Champions. He recorded a stellar 0.94 GAA, 113 saves, and eight shutouts while finishing as the runner up for the NASL Golden Glove award. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1365
