Preview: Orlando City-Charleston (Game 1)

Well after a disappointing loss to Rochester last Saturday, the Battery head down to Orlando, Florida for two matches with Orlando City. The first match is on Wednesday, while the second will be on Saturday night. Both will be played in the Citrus Bowl.

Orlando City:
This Season: Orlando City has the most points in the league, and they are leading the American division by 3 points. Orlando is looking to clinch home field throughout the playoffs in this series with Charleston.
Who's Playing Big: Griffin Maxwell leads the league and Orlando City in goals with 9, while Jamie Watson and Lewis Neal are tied for the most assists with 3. Watson has scored 3 goals, and Neal has scored 4.
Who Need's to Step Up: Not really anyone. City has only lost 3 matches, and have only given up 2 goals in their last 5 matches. City is pretty much a lock to win the league.

Charleston really need to grab at least one win in these two matches. With only three matches left in the Battery's season, its crunch time.

The match will be available on  USL Live, and will be played at 7:30. Orlando has a quality broadcast, so make sure to check that out.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com. Also follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/scsoccerblog.

Keeping Up With the Cobras: Part I

Okay so first off let me apologize to all of the people who read my blog for the updates on the Central SC Cobras, because honestly I haven't been posting much about them lately. So with that said onto these updates on the Cobras:

• The Cobras Will Officially Play in the W-League: In a press release, the USL announced that the Cobras would officially join the USL W-League for the 2012 season and will be the 28th team in the league.
• Three Friendlies Were a Huge Success: A home and home series with the Charlotte Lady Eagles along with an inter-squad scrimmage gave the Cobras their first few tastes of the pitch. The crowds came out to support the team, and the Cobras have their foot in the door on making an impact on the sports scene in Columbia.
• Meet the Cobras: In three press releases in a four part series, the Cobras started introducing their players to the soccer world: http://wleague.uslsoccer.com/home/543070.html hhttp://wleague.uslsoccer.com/home/541739.html ttp://wleague.uslsoccer.com/home/541137.html

The Cobras will continue to develop the women's game in South Carolina and to keep up with all the news on the Cobras, check out their website, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com. Also follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/scsoccerblog.

USL Derby's: Are There Any True Rivalries in the League?

I've been wanting to write this piece for awhile, but with the Portland Timbers-Seattle Sounders match this previous Saturday, it seemed like the perfect time.
Let's start with a fact: Rivalries are crucial to all sports.

Major League Baseball has the Yankees and the Red Sox, the NBA has the Celtics and the Lakers, college football has Michigan-Ohio State, and the list goes on and on. But in soccer, there is something special.


The derby (pronounced darby) is something that is unique to soccer, and is exhibited in leagues all around the world. Barcelona-Real Madrid, Manchester United-Manchester City, Celtic-Rangers, I could name them all day, but that's not the point I'm trying to make.

What I'm trying to get at here is; Are there any real derby's in the USL? And the answer is a challenge.
You may be wondering, "Why the USL? What about the MLS? There are plenty of clubs that have a hatred for each other in the top league."

Well a couple of reasons. First off, its the league I cover, so I know the more about it than a lot of other leagues, and also the USL has been around longer than the MLS, so they've had more time for the rivalries to develop.

Plus their are only two real rivalries in the MLS, the Rocky Mountain Cup between Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids, and the Cascadia Cup which involves the Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, and Vancouver Whitecaps.
The latter laid its ground in the NASL in the 70's and 80's, but developed in the USL in the late 90's and early 2000's. So its obvious that the USL can support rivalries, and that they aren't always friendly.
Right now the rivalries are a little more laid back, and are a lot more likely to be discussed between the sides over a couple of drinks in the parking lot before the match than in previous years. But inside the stadium and within the various forms of internet taunting we still see some bad blood between a couple of teams.

The Battery are involved in the Southern Derby, which currently also includes the Charlotte Eagles and Wilmington Hammerheads. Other teams that have participated in the past are; the Raleigh Express, Atlanta Silverbacks, and the Carolina Railhawks. This derby was completely fan-started and fan-based. Here's an article on No Quarter about it.

Most of the others are pretty obvious, but not really official. You have the North Carolina Derby between the Eagles and the Hammerheads, and a brand new one up in Pennsylvania that's contested between the Harrisburg City Islanders and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Another rivalry/derby of note, is the most historic USL rivalry of all time. The Richmond Kickers and the Charleston Battery have played each other 42 times dating back to 1993. It couldn't be any closer, as both teams hold the same record (19-19-4) in this rivalry. They will face one more time this season to decide who will take the edge.

Luckily for the fans in Chucktown, we have a few matches to look forward to every year that can be considered "derby's" or "rivalries." They may not be what they have over in Europe, but its our own little slice of what the rest of the world gets to enjoy.

(Sorry about the formatting issues if there are any, Blogger seems to be having some technical difficulties.)

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com. Also follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/scsoccerblog.

Three Puerto Rican Teams Removed from the USL Pro

I'm taking a break from the USL Pro Weekly Observations to talk about some devastating news came out today. The three USL Pro teams based in Puerto Rico, River Plate Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico United, and Sevilla FC Puerto Rico were removed from the league. Yes, they didn't leave, they were removed.

The Puerto Rican teams failed to meet some of the standards of the USL. 2 of the 3 teams suffered major economic problems and medical stituation that forced the USL to remove the PRSL teams from the league.

USL CEO Alec Papadakis had this to say on the situation:

"In the best interests of USL PRO and its teams, it was necessary to remove the three PRSL teams. USL PRO has established high standards which are an integral component of the league model, and we are determined to preserve the integrity of these standards on and off the field. Dealing proactively with this situation allows us to reset our daily focus on supporting the efforts of our USL PRO teams in maintaining the league’s position as the strongest, best operated domestic league below MLS.”

There signs of this from the beginning of the season, especially in the case of Puerto Rico United.

An anonymous commenter on this blog posted this on one of my articles on April 20th:

"To say Puerto Rico United is a mess is an understatement! Been speaking to their players. Their owner is a joke, a phony and a habitual liar. He promises uniforms, places to live, player signings, and paychecks. He has come through on NOTHING!! These players have hung in there for the love of the game and a chance to play USL football. Players have been there for many weeks and NOT ONE HAS SEEN A SINGLE CENT. He shows occasionally and makes a promise to, THE NEXT DAY, pay them, move them into decent housing, and get them decent uniforms. He has done this repeatedly . He has broken these promises EVERY time he's made them. League officials need to step in and stop this player abuse or risk the integrity and reputation of the entire league."

Strong words.

Each team will still play 24 regular season matches, but some tweaking of the schedules will have to be made. So we might be seeing some teams more than twice.

Besides that, the main effect this will have on the Battery will be who we play on one of our nationally televised games. July 1st we were supposed to play Puerto Rico United, but this will not happen. We'll have to wait and see who we play, and if this game will still be televised, but I assume it will be.

If you need to contact me, e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com. Also follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/scsoccerblog.



Charleston Battery: US Open Cup, Charlie Davies Visiting Charleston, and More

Besides the upcoming USL Pro season, the Battery have the Carolina Challenge Cup in early March, a pair of mid-season matches against local colleges in mid-March, and now the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup to play.

Today it was announced that the Battery's first round match in the US Open Cup will be against a team that qualifies for the tournament from the  USASA (United States Adult Soccer Association). The Battery will play at home on June 14th against one of these teams. The tournament will consist of 40 teams; 8 from the MLS (6 automatic bids, and 2 for the winners of a 10 team playoff), the 11 U.S. based USL Pro teams, 9 from the PDL, and 12 from the USASA. Seattle Sounders FC will be the returning champs and are going for their 3rd straight US Open Cup championship.

The Battery have had success in the US Open Cup (see the 2008 tournament), as well as against MLS teams. Last year the Battery got to the quarterfinals, with wins over the USASA's Capital Area Soccer League Elite (CASL Elite), the USSF D2's Carolina Railhawks (who happen to share a stadium), and the MLS' Chicago Fire on PK's, before losing to the Columbus Crew. The two games against the CASL Elite and Carolina Railhawks were played at Blackbaud Stadium while the two games against Major League Soccer teams were played away.

The US Open Cup is my favorite part about soccer in the United States, due to its similarity to the FA Cup, and I'm excited as always to the see the Battery playing in this great tournament. Hopefully we'll see good first and second round match-ups so we can face an MLS side in the round of 16 like last year. The Carolina Challenge Cup could give us a look to future matches in the US Open Cup. Toronto FC can't play in the US Open Cup because, well they're a Canadian team. DC United and Chicago Fire are not automatic qualifiers for the Cup, but are playing for 2 of the berths, and with the addition of Charlie Davies, DC should have no problem qualifying.

Speaking of Charlie Davies, we're gonna be seeing him in the Carolina Challenge Cup! A couple of days ago it became official that Davies will be playing for United next year. I can't begin to explain how excited I am about DC signing Davies. Though having USMNT players playing against the best over in Europe is great, it's also nice to be able to see them play here in the US, and when they're coming to Charleston, that quadruples the excitement.

On the women's side, the Central SC Cobras have been very busy. This Saturday, the Cobras will be holding an open tryout from 9:00-4:00 at North Springs Park in Columbia. Good luck to all that will be trying out, and hopefully in a while they'll be competing for a W-League championship. They also have been releasing videos on a YouTube page called OPP2434. Make sure to check that out as well as this page where they are selling shirts, and keep giving support to the Cobras as they make the transition into the W-League.

Also check out this article on The Shin Guardian. The article talks about the possibility of an MLS expansion team in the Southeast.

If you have any questions or if you need to contact me, you can e-mail me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com.

A Couple of Thoughts On the USL I-League



Any time you spell extreme as Xtreme,
 you have a problem. Yes we're looking
 at you XFL.



This upcoming fall, the United Soccer Leagues are trying to start a brand new level of soccer in the United States: the I-League. The I-League will be an indoor soccer league, to go along with the other American indoor soccer league, the Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL). Many former indoor soccer leagues in North America have failed (see the Xtreme Soccer League, the Major Indoor Soccer League's first attempt, and second attempt), but the I-League can be successful. And for a little bit of added interest for the fine soccer fans in South Carolina; we could get a team.


If any indoor soccer league would ever have a chance to succeed, it would be the I-League. The difference between the I-League is the experience of the USL. Not to pick on the MISL, (as they are still going, with 5 teams) but they are a stand alone league. From 2001-2008 it was sanctioned by the USSF, but not anymore. The United Soccer Leagues are an experienced organization that have enough sense to not expand to quickly. According to the map of their proposed expansion for the next 4 years, they are going to add a region or two every year until they cover the whole of the US and Canada.

The I-League is looking for markets to start teams in, and the 3 teams that have already been announced are the Norfolk SharX, the Rochester Lancers, and a team based in Syracuse, New York. According to the I-League website, the requirements for the franchise's arena are:

• A capacity of 2,000-10,000
• The arena must be able to hold a field with the dimensions of 200X85

Any arena that hosts minor league hockey are perfect for this. So connect a couple of dots here.

Look up at the map above. South Carolina is in the area for expansion this year. Barely, but we're there. We have plenty of good arenas for this; the Bi-Lo Center in Greenville, which hosts the Greenville ECHL team, the Road Warriors, or the North Charleston Coliseum, home to the Charleston ECHL team, the Stingrays, are the most likely candidates for this. The only reason I don't mention Columbia's Colonial Life Arena, is because of the 2,000-10,000 seating capacity range that the I-League is looking for (the Colonial Life Arena holds 18,000). The Bi-Lo Center, are much closer to the 10,000 seat range, with the Bi-Lo Center holding 13,000 for hockey, and the North Charleston Coliseum holding 11,000. In this situation, hockey is the most comparable to indoor soccer, capacity wise.

The one edge I would give to Greenville is that they don't have a soccer team, but of course the edge to Charleston is that they do. It has advantages and disadvantages for getting a team. Having another team in Charleston could "mess with attendance" because of economic issues, while not already having a team in Greenville could give them a clean slate for the city. But what comes with already having a team, is a market for soccer in Charleston, while not having a team in Greenville, well gives them a clean slate. Both would be tough fits, and this is all speculation, but you would hope that some city in South Carolina wants an indoor soccer team. But finding the right place, poses the problem.

More information on the I-League can be found on their website: http://ileague.uslsoccer.com/
You can contact me at SCSoccerblog@gmail.com.

Central SC Cobras Official Website Launced

The newest team of the United Soccer League's W-League, Central SC Cobras FC, has launched their official website. The website includes information on the staff, sponsors, as well as news on the team. Hopefully the women's club can be successful and advance the growth of soccer in South Carolina. The Cobras will represent women's soccer in South Carolina, which until the upcoming season, has been the only state on the east coast not represented in the W-League.

Here's their website:
http://centralsouthcarolinacobrasfc.com/

Make sure to check out their Facebook page also:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Central-SC-Cobras/128341960518197

USL W-League Coming to Columbia

The 2010 W-League season consisted of 29 teams, and now they're adding a 30th in Columbia,  South Carolina. The team, named Central SC Cobras, will start play in the 2011 W-League season in the Eastern Conference. The team's home field has not been announced, but open tryouts have been held. With a successful USL-Pro franchise in the Charleston Battery, will the Central SC Cobras be able to be a long-lasting staple in Columbia?

With Columbia being one of the largest metropolitan areas in the state, attendance should be steady if the team can be successful and play their cards right. Stadium selection is the key. If the Cobras can find a stadium on either the Charleston side or the Greenville side of Columbia, the attendance will be maximized as many people would not be as willing to drive into the heart of Columbia. USL has created many opportunities for soccer growth and the women's side of this is just as important. The youth leagues in South Carolina are bursting at the seams with new teams every year, and the chance to see professional soccer will help the development of soccer in South Carolina.

Hopefully the support will be there for this new women's team, and they can be as successful as the other women's franchises in the southeast. Soccer is still in its infancy in SC, but signs of hope have been here since 1993. The Battery have proved that soccer can work in South Carolina, and the Cobras could drive the point home.

You can find out more about the Central SC Cobras at their website.