Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Silverbacks set to host Blanco's Irapuato in October exhibition game The Atlanta Silverbacks will host Mexican soccer legend CUAUHTEMOC BLANCO and his team, Irapuato FC, in an exhibition game at Atlanta Silverbacks Park on October 19, the club announced Friday. The Silverbacks just concluded their inaugural season in the NASL last weekend, but will return to the field in less than a month to play opposite Blanco, who is the second leading goalscorer in the history of the Mexican national soccer team. “I'm excited to be coming to Atlanta to play the Silverbacks in a couple weeks,” Blanco said via translator. “I know it's going to be a great match, and I look forward to meeting all the Atlanta soccer fans.” http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1371
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II 2011 NASL PLAYOFFS QUARTER-FINALS OCTOBER 1, 2011 Minnesota Adavnces to NASL Semifinal Luke Mulholland scored his first goal for the NSC Minnesota Stars on a 27th minute free kick, and resolute defense and timely saves by goalkeeper Joe Warren made the lead stand up as the Stars topped FC Tampa Bay 1-0 in the opening round of the North American Soccer League playoffs. The Stars progress to face the Carolina RailHawks, the league's regular season champions. The first leg of that home-and-home series is Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at NSC Stadium in Blaine, Minn. Strikers Defeat Edmonton 5-0; Advance to NASL Semi-finals FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Oct. 1, 2011) - An Abe Thompson hat-trick and a Brian Shriver brace put the Fort Lauderdale Strikers through to the NASL semi-finals with a 5-0 victory over FC Edmonton in the highest team-scoring game this season on Saturday, Oct. 1, at Lockhart Stadium. "To be honest I expected us to be good tonight, but I didn't expect to win that way," said Strikers head coach Daryl Shore."Edmonton's a good team and I think the second goal deflated them." Thompson finished off his hat-trick with a well-placed shot into the far post corner in the 77th minute to finish the five-goal rout.
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II 2011 NASL PLAYOFFS SEMI-FINALS OCTOBER 8 & 15, 2011 vs. @PUERTO RICO @FORT LAUDERDALE vs. @MINNESOTA @CAROLINA
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Minnesota 1:0 Carolina Like their last trip to the National Sports Center, the Carolina RailHawks were moments away from a scoreless draw only to see Minnesota score in the dying moments and deal them a heartbreaking defeat the RailHawks are going to return to the championship final for a second straight season, they’ll have to beat Minnesota next weekend at WakeMed Soccer Park by two goals in order to win the aggregate goal series. A tall order, considering the RailHawks are now 0-2-3 against the Stars in 2011. However, en route to last season’s championship, they came back from Minnesota in the quarterfinals needing a win to advance. Despite an 0-1-2 record against the Stars prior to the return leg in 2010, the RailHawks got the job done with a 4-0 victory. Puerto Rico 1:3 Fort Lauderdale The Fort Lauderdale Strikers won the first leg of the NASL Semifinal against the Puerto Rico Islanders 3-1 at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 8. The loss was the first all season at home for the Islanders. The Strikers return home to play the second leg of the semifinal on Saturday, Oct. 15, at Lockhart Stadium. http://www.nasl.com/
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Minnesota Stars survive wild game, bound for NASL championship series The Stars will begin the two-game, total-goals championship series against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CDT at NSC Stadium. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1444 Shriver Double puts Strikers Through to First NASL Championship FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Oct. 15, 2011) – Three semifinal goals in the series from Brian Shriver enabled the Fort Lauderdale Strikers to defeat the Puerto Rico Islanders 5-2 on aggregate Saturday, Oct. 15, at Lockhart Stadium to move on to their first NASL Championship series. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1443
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Minnesota Wins 3-1 in NASL Championship Series First Leg http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1482
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II NSC Minnesota Stars capture the NASL Championship The NSC Minnesota Stars won the first North American Soccer League title against the Fort Lauderdale Strikers on a 3-1 aggregate following a 0-0 draw Saturday, October 29th, on a wet Lockhart Stadium. Being the lowest ranked seed in these playoffs, the NSC Minnesota Stars went through a tough gauntlet of teams to get to this point. They had to go through the third-seeded FC Tampa Bay, the regular season champion Carolina RailHawks, and finally, the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The match tonight was tough for both teams. A rainstorm prior to the match caused the field to be very wet, making the ball tough to play with a simple touch or pass. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1505
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II FC Edmonton Signs Kevin Hatchi Posted on Thu, Nov 17, 2011 EDMONTON, AB. – FC Edmonton have come to terms with import defender/midfielder Kévin Hatchi on a one year contract. Hatchi last played in the NASL for the Montreal Impact in 2011 before being released from the team in June. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1562
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II The Rowdies Return The Rowdies are back! Citrus Sports Group, LLC, the ownership group of FC Tampa Bay, today announced that the team name will be changed from FC Tampa Bay to the Tampa Bay Rowdies starting immediately for the 2012 season and beyond. Citrus Sports Group reached an agreement with Texas-based Classic Ink, Inc. giving Citrus Sports Group immediate exclusive rights and future ownership of the Rowdies trademark. “The Rowdies name has been synonymous with the highest level of professional soccer in the Tampa Bay area for decades,” said Citrus Sports Group President Andrew Nestor. “We are thrilled to bring it back for soccer fans in Tampa Bay, around the country and around the globe. The Rowdies were Tampa’s first ever pro sports franchise and claimed Tampa Bay’s first pro championship in 1975 winning the NASL Championship. We are appreciative of Classic Ink and their willingness to work with us on this agreement.” The club unveiled today a new primary team logo, which prominently features the word Rowdies and is a direct link to the original Rowdies logo. The team’s new website will be located at RowdiesSoccer.com. The team will unveil new uniforms and secondary branding leading up to the 2012 season. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1609
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II 2012 NASL Combine Now Accepting Player Applications Last week, the North American Soccer League (NASL) announced that it will hold its 2012 combine from February 10-12 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The annual event allows players the opportunity to display their talents to coaches, scouts and staff from all eight NASL clubs. Beginning December 19, players are invited to apply for participation in the combine via an application form on the league website. The application period will close on January 10, 2012. The NASL expects to invite no more than 66 players from the applicant pool to participate. Players will be notified if they have been accepted on a rolling basis. Email inquiries about the 2012 NASL Combine will be received at combine@nasl.com.
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II NSC Minnesota Stars are now the Minnesota Stars FC The NSC Minnesota Stars launched a new logo Monday night at Brit’s Pub in Minneapolis, and with it, a slight name change. The Stars dropped the “NSC” from the club moniker, announcing that the team will now be known as Minnesota Stars FC. Dark Clouds member Kevin Joseph designed the logo for the team in a six-month process that started last summer. The new logo made the star element of the original logo more prominent while increasing the prominence of the word “Minnesota” and adding the name Stars, which was an unofficial nickname when the National Sports Center launched NSC Minnesota in 2010. Joseph’s design also includes the Minnesota state motto and a subtle soccer ball element. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1632
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Scorpions Unveil Stadium Plans and New Players SAN ANTONIO – The start of construction this spring on a 6,100-seat, state-of-the-art stadium constitutes another major stride forward as the San Antonio Scorpions FC, San Antonio’s new professional soccer team, prepares for entry into the North American Soccer League (NASL). “Scorpions Community Stadium will be a premier sports and special-events venue when it opens for the 2013 season,” said Gordon Hartman, founder of Soccer for a Cause, the community-wide effort to grow soccer in Greater San Antonio as well as benefit non-profit Morgan’s Wonderland family theme park. “In the meantime, we’re making tremendous progress on all fronts as we get set for the Scorpions’ first NASL home game just a dozen short weeks away on April 15.” Hartman, who unveiled multiple architectural renderings, said the new stadium paralleling Thousand Oaks Drive across from Morgan’s Wonderland in Northeast San Antonio will be constructed with private funding and will be expandable to 18,000 seats. Stadium features include a grass playing field built to FIFA and NCAA specifications, luxury suites, a VIP lounge, a team merchandise store, a patio/beer garden, a large video scoreboard and shaded seating on the west side of the stadium. While the team’s new home is being built, the Scorpions will play 2012 NASL home games in North East Independent School District’s 11,000-seat Heroes Stadium at Wurzbach Parkway and Thousand Oaks Drive. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1631
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II NASL Releases Complete 2012 Schedule MIAMI, Fla. (January 19, 2012) – The North American Soccer League (NASL) today announces its complete 25-week, 112-game 2012 regular season schedule, with action beginning in just 79 days on April 7. The NASL regular season is a balanced schedule, in which each of the teams face the seven other NASL teams four times (twice home and twice away) for a total of 28 games, concluding on the weekend of Sept 22-23. The playoff format for 2012 remains unchanged from last season with the top six finishers at the end of the regular season qualifying for the playoffs. The top two teams will receive byes directly into the semifinal round, while the other four teams will play against each other in a pair of single-leg quarterfinals the weekend of Sept 29-30. Those winners will advance to the two semifinal series which will be contested over two legs against the top two finishers in the regular season. The NASL Championship Series will be a two-leg affair beginning the weekend of October 20-21 with the final leg taking place the weekend of October 27-28. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=12
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II @the NASL Combine: Norwegians, Aussies and red cards By Joe Prince-Wright first day of the NASL combine started on the training complex of the Ft. Lauderdale strikers, with the level of play high and a few tiring matches in the heat. For the weekend, we have been split up into four teams. I am in the white team and we have an international mix with Argentines, Brazilians, Australian’s, Norwegians and, obviously, an Englishman. Follow MLSsoccer.com's Joe Prince-Wright at the NASL Combine http://www.mlssoccer.com/blog/post/2012/02/09/follow-mlssoccercoms-joe-prince-wright-nasl-combine JPW at the NASL Combine: Arrival in Ft. Lauderdale http://www.mlssoccer.com/blog/post/2012/02/09/jpw-nasl-combine-arrival-ft-lauderdale http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6a8lWpSmK6k
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II @the NASL Combine: Wrapping things up from Ft. Lauderdale By Joe Prince-Wright The final day of the NASL combine came to a close in fine conditions down in Fort Lauderdale. My team again played well but failed to find the net, though personally the game went well. The last two days I have played as a center back and right back, getting the chance to show my versatility to coaches and scouts. On Saturday night, my Aussie roommate Joel and I went to watch the new Denzel Washington film, Safe House, at a mammoth shopping and leisure complex. The NHL’s Florida Panthers’ stadium was right across the street, and it was great to have some down time to stroll around and get out of the confines of the hotel for a few hours. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ugvw3W-kw0&feature=player_embedded http://www.mlssoccer.com/blog/post/2012/02/13/jpw-nasl-combine-wrapping-things-ft-lauderdale
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Scorpions to Scrimmage U. S. Under 23 National Team Posted on Tue, Feb 14, 2012 SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Scorpions FC, the community’s pro soccer team, will compete in a scrimmage against the U. S. Under-23 Men’s National Team at 7:30 p.m. CST Friday, Feb. 24, at the FC Dallas Stadium Complex, 9200 World Cup Way in Frisco, Texas. The scrimmage will be open for the public to attend. “When we play the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team, we’ll have had only a week of practice under our belts,” said Scorpions Head Coach Tim Hankinson, who will welcome Scorpions players and coaches for their first workout Saturday, Feb. 18. “I think this scrimmage will help jump-start our preparations for North American Soccer League (NASL) competition in April”. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1731
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Major Renovations in High Gear at Puerto Rico Islanders Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, home of the Puerto Rico Islanders of the NASL, is going under major renovations in a multi-phase plan. The stadium built in 1974 currently seats 12,000 but was in need of a facelift. The new construction was proposed by the mayor of Bayamón, Ramón Luis Rivera, Jr., who has committed to a rehab of the stadium that will cost nearly $7 million. The planed renovation will put additional seating of at least 8,000 around most areas of the field and increase the capacity up to a possible 24,000 seats according to the mayor. Rivera has been quoted as saying he would like to see MLS in Puerto Rico someday and hopes to help draw the Pan American Games to the Island in 2019 http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/...n=Feed: InsideMinnesotaSoccer (IMSoccer News)
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II NASL Receives Full USSF Sanctioning MIAMI, Fla. (March 3, 2012) – The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) today formally admitted the North American Soccer League (NASL) as a member to continue operating as a Division 2 men’s outdoor professional soccer league in the United States. The NASL’s candidacy for full membership was approved this morning by a vote of the USSF National Council at the USSF Annual General Meeting in Miami. “We’ve worked tirelessly over the past several years to create a new, sustainable long-term platform for Division 2 professional soccer in North America and the Caribbean. We thank the Federation for their leadership and cooperation in helping us elevate second division standards in order to make our vision a reality,” said Aaron Davidson, Chairman of the NASL Board of Governors. “After a successful inaugural campaign in which we worked to stabilize Division 2, we are pleased to have the formal approval that fully empowers us to move ahead with our plans to grow our league. We look forward to continuing to play a critical role in the development and maturation of soccer in North America and the Caribbean,” said David Downs, NASL Commissioner. The 2012 NASL Regular Season kicks off on April 7 with all eight active teams in action on that Saturday night. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1808
Re: Minor League Soccer - Division II Silverbacks Partner with Coca-Cola The only thing better than attending an Atlanta Silverbacks game is enjoying an ice-cold Coca-Cola® while you’re there. The Atlanta Silverbacks today announced a five-year agreement with The Coca-Cola Company, making it the Silverbacks’ official beverage provider. “We’re extremely excited to be partnering with such an incredible Company,” said Silverbacks Director of Corporate Partnerships Scott Flood. “Coca-Cola has been a household name in Atlanta for more than 125 years. We look forward to working with the Company not only at Atlanta Silverbacks Park, but also in the local community in the coming years.” With the new agreement, both of the organization’s facilities, Atlanta Silverbacks Park and Suwanee Indoor, will serve Coca-Cola products such as Coca-Cola, POWERADE® and DASANI®. The deal also includes consumer promotions aimed at maximizing marketing collaboration. http://www.nasl.com/index.php?id=3&newsid=1834
