Congratulations to the Richmond Kickers, the new champions of USL’s 2nd Division. They defeated the Charlotte Eagles 3-1 in a fast and furious matchup. Richmond joins Ventura County Fusion (PDL) and Pali Blues Soccer Club (W-League) as the best teams in their respective divisions.
First, the Cleveland City Stars (USL-1) were put up for sale. Now their sister club, the Cascade Surge (PDL) is also on the market. The Salem-based club is owned by Surge International, a nonprofit organization that uses soccer as part of its sports ministry program. The Surge has produced a multitude of talent over the years, including soccer gurus Mark Geissbauer and Dr. Aaron Tredway. And don’t forget Martin Rennie, Terry Boss, and Darren Sawatzky. Rennie is the current Head Coach of the
Hotchkin and Gilstrap were named to Week 20 USL First Division Team of the Week. Both put in solid performances in Saturday’s victory over the Minnesota Thunder. Coach Rod Underwood said, “Getting two guys on the team is great news after a good result for us over the weekend.” We were surprised to see that striker Teteh Bangura was not given this honor after two weeks of spectacular play.
“Major League Soccer has had a relationship with the United Soccer Leagues since MLS’ inception in 1996. The USL’s size and longevity speaks to the sport’s widespread popularity and the need for multiple professional divisions in the United States and Canada.” “We recently evaluated the opportunity to purchase the USL but elected to not submit a bid for the league. We will continue to communicate with the USL as both organizations work to grow the sport of soccer in the region.” The
Sources close to United Soccer League franchises report that the USL could be under new ownership in the coming weeks. Umbro, the league’s majority owner, was purchased by Nike in the fall of 2007. At that time there were some serious questions regarding whether Nike wanted to be in the business of running a soccer league. Therefore, it is not much of a surprise to see Nike looking into unloading the league onto another party. The deal would reportedly give money back to the
An article this week in the Cleveland Plain Dealer broke the news that the club was up for sale. Everyone knows that there has been struggles on and off the field this season, but this came as a surprise to many. No official statement has been given by the club; the topic was revealed to the reporter during an interview with Dr. Aaron Tredway, who serves as Executive Director of the City Stars. The article focused on the negative aspects of the situation,
The City Stars received some devestating news this week with the resignation of GM Mark Geissbauer. Geissbauer was always visible at home matches as he greeted fans that soon became friends. He helped create a welcoming environment for all that share a passion for soccer. Geissbauer was recognized several times for his work in the front office, but was also active in community service in the Cleveland area and in Mozambique as well. The city doesn’t shine as much when we lose someone