The Charlotte Independence defeated the Richmond Kickers Friday with a 3-2 win at the Ramblewood Stadium. The match started a bit slow for the Independence, and things did not look good when Richmond player Sunny Jane made the first goal in the 20th minute. The Independence was able to get back on their feet with a goal from forward Caleb Calvert, which evened out the first half to 1-1. The second half saw a more energetic and determined Independence. Midfielder Enzo
Beach soccer is on the rise in the U.S. It is a game played in Virginia, California, even the Great Lakes in Ohio and Michigan. But when you want to talk about beach soccer, you talk to Florida Beach Soccer FC. They are the leaders in the sport, landing some serious hardware in 2011. The most impressive was the Major Beach Soccer Men’s National Championship, claimed by FBS on December 18th after a 1-0 victory over Team Spartan in Clearwater, Florida.
Vancouver Whitecaps FC women (8W-1L-4D) saw their bid for a third United Soccer Leagues W-League championship title fall short, as they lost 3-1 to Buffalo Flash (14W-0L-2D) in the 2010 W-League Championship Final at Harry Welch Stadium in Santa Clarita, California, on Saturday night. Amy Vermeulen opened the scoring in the second half for the Whitecaps, but Buffalo struck back with two quick goals to take a decisive lead. Spanish international Veronica Boquete then added her second goal of the game
The Bermuda Hogges and Western Mass Pioneers have announced that they will be playing in the PDL next season. Both played in the USL’s Second Division last season. Perhaps this is the first of many moves caused by the USL/NASL dispute. The good news is that the USL-2 home openers have been announced and there are some exciting matchups.
A source with the USSF says that a definitive answer may not be available until next week, but some are suggesting that it indeed could be after the holidays. The Professional League Task Force is currently gathering and evaluating information from both groups. Another source was able to tell us that one committee has yet to see any documentation or be advised on the situation. This suggests that the process may not be as far as expected. I thnk everyone can agree
First and foremost, the Austin Aztex are truly lucky to have someone the caliber of Adrian Heath leading their organization on the field. The Austin Aztex made news worldwide when they released the bulk of their squad, a total of 14 players. The most notable was Gifton Noel-Williams, who was the franchise’s first major signing. It was a grueling and difficult decision for Heath, but one that should make the club more competitive. Heath believes they can build around midfielder Yordany Alvarez,
Multiple sources suggest that the sale of the City Stars will be official sometime next week. We were told that it is “now in the hands of the lawyers” and should be wrapped up soon. Officials with the United Soccer Leagues declined to make specific comments on the matter, but did say an important update on the City Stars would be made available next week. Past comments from the club suggest the franchise will remain in the USL in some capacity. The City Stars have
The addition of Tampa Bay and Baltimore to the NASL certainly helps the cause of the North American Soccer League. The league now has nine clubs, which is one more than the required eight. Each club must be able to sign at least 12 professional players, which shouldn’t be a problem whatsoever. Our sources are confident a decision will be made in the next four weeks. This will give each league some time to get “their house in order” before the beginning of preseason training. I
Several stories have surfaced regarding the Cleveland USL franchise. They range from a guaranteed drop to USL-2 or even dropping out of USL altogether. All sources point to a new ownership group bringing the club back in USL-1. We have been told that the new owners have “deep pockets” and are willing to spend money to improve the team. All indications suggest that the franchise will be run as a business with less emphasis on non-profit ventures. The league office is fully committed to