United select Nick DeLeon 7th overall in 2012 MLS SuperDraft

D.C. United has used the number seven overall selection in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft to select Nick DeLeon a midfielder out of Louisville.




DeLeon will look to join forces with the rest of the young United squad and hopefully contribute quickly as the Red and Black are looking to return to the MLS playoffs this season. He will have plenty of weapons to distribute to in the often potent United attack including 2011 MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario and 2010 MLS ROY Andy Najar.




What do you think about United's selection? Tell us in the comments section.

Former Mason Men's Soccer Player Borrajo Signs With NY Red Bulls

George Mason University and the New York Red Bulls announced this week that former Mason soccer player Jonathan Borraja has signed with the MLS club:


  
gomason.com: Former Mason Men's Soccer Player Borrajo Signs With NY Red Bulls

newyorkredbulls.com: Jonathan Borrajo's New York Homecoming a Dream Come True

Kickers 2012 Schedule Announced, Host Battery in Opener

Richmond Kickers News Release:

RICHMOND, VA – (Wednesday, January 11, 2012) – The Richmond Kickers are pleased to announce the 2012 professional schedule, opening their 20th Anniversary season against longtime rival Charleston Battery on Saturday, April 7 at 5:00 p.m.  As one of the three longest tenured professional soccer clubs in the United States, the Kickers will celebrate 20 years alongside the Battery and the Charlotte Eagles in 2012.  The home opener will commemorate the Kickers 20th season with ticket specials, alumni appearances and 1993 retro jerseys.

2012 USL Pro Schedule

“Our first season in USL PRO exceeded all expectations,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Head Coach and Director of Soccer.  “We are looking forward to building upon that success and assembling a squad that can once again compete for a League Championship while making a strong run in the U.S. Open Cup.”

“It will no doubt be an exciting season for our fans,” added Cowlishaw.  “The level of play has never been better and with several events planned to celebrate our 20th season, it should prove to be a memorable year for the Kickers.”

Featuring six teams with more than a decade of operational experience, and more than 100 years of combined operational experience, USL PRO will field 11 teams playing a 24-game, primarily balanced schedule in a single-table format this season.  The Kickers will face all 10 opponents at Richmond City Stadium at least once this season including Antigua Barracuda FC, Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Dayton Dutch Lions, Harrisburg City Islanders, Los Angeles Blues, Orlando City Lions, Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Rochester Rhinos and Wilmington Hammerheads.  F.C. New York is no longer a member of USL PRO.

Richmond City Stadium, just off the Downtown Expressway, will once again serve as home base for the Kickers for the 2012 season.  Nine of the Kickers 12 regular season home games will be played on Saturdays with two matches taking place under the lights on Fridays, and a Tuesday, July 3 game rounding out the schedule.  The majority of home games will kick off at 7:00 p.m., with the exception of the home opener on April 7, which will begin at 5:00 p.m.  The Kickers home schedule will conclude with the fifth annual FAMILY FEST on Saturday, August 11 against the Harrisburg City Islanders before wrapping up the 2012 season one week later during a two-game road swing in Antigua.

The 2012 USL PRO Playoffs will include the top six finishers in the table, with the top two seeds receiving a first-round bye the weekend of August 24-26.  The semifinals featuring the four remaining teams will be played the following weekend, with the 2012 USL PRO Championship set for the weekend of September 7-9.  All playoff rounds will implement a single-game knockout format.

Established in 1993, the Richmond Kickers have consistently been one of the most successful professional soccer clubs in America.  Over the past 19 seasons, Richmond has qualified for postseason play 17 times, and reached the title match in 2010 for the sixth time in the past nine campaigns, falling just short of the Championship title.  Richmond's seven previous league Championship appearances (1995, 1996, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009) include winning the Premier League title in 1995, a shoot-out loss to Seattle in the USL First Division final in 2005 and taking the USL Second Division crown twice against Charlotte in 2006 and 2009.

United Academy excel at Disney Soccer Showcase

D.C. United U-15 Academy squad excels at Disney Soccer Showcase
United’s U-15 squad finishes prestigious youth tournament unbeaten

Washington, D.C. (January 10, 2012) – D.C. United’s U-15 Academy team recently traveled to Orlando, Fla. to participate in the annual Disney Soccer Showcase. The Black-and-Red finished the tournament in third place with an unbeaten record of 3-0-1, barely missing the championship game due to a two-goal differential.

United kicked-off the tournament with a match against YMS Premier. The Black-and-Red was able to overcome a one-goal deficit and a missed penalty attempt, resulting in a 3-1 victory. After going down 1-0, D.C.’s Jonathan Sousa tied the match by scoring on United’s second penalty kick attempt. The second goal came off a header by Austin Pelto, following a corner kick from Gregory Snigur. Finally, Fola Adetola sealed the victory with the game’s third goal, from an assist by Snigur.

United faced Brentwood FC in the second match of the tournament, earning a 2-2 draw. In a closely contested match, the Black-and-Red tallied the first goal with a header from Snigur after connecting with a cross from Liam Hoen-Beck. Brentwood scored two goals to take a 2-1 lead in the second half, but United kept pressing and found the back of the net with a strike by Patrick Jean-Gilles, securing the final result.
With the opportunity to play on Day 4 of the tournament at stake, United faced Norcross Premier in the third match. The Black-and-Red went into the game knowing it needed four goals to reach the final, but was not able to overcome the goal differential following a 1-0 victory. The match’s lone goal came from a free kick-goal by Jimmy Filerman.

United finished the tournament by playing Davis SC in the third place match. In a fast-paced contest, both teams had several opportunities, but neither could find the back of the net during regulation. The match went to penalties and it was United goalkeeper Derek Thomas who stole the show by stopping two strikes. Thomas’ teammates conveted four strikes to capture third place.

“It was a solid performance from the boys,” said Pre-Academy Coordinator and U-15 Head Coach Tom Torres.  “You don’t come across many teams that struggle to play at this tournament, and the players stepped up to the challenge against teams that they don’t get a chance to face in Development Academy league play.  Considering that there were three age groups and two combined teams represented, the consistency of all age groups training in the same system was evident.  Overall, there is a lot of excitement in the Academy about our youngest group.” 

D.C. United’s Youth Academy would like to thank the Dulles Sportsplex for their assistance with the trip.

2012 SYA Cardinal Cup gets an Upgrade

The Richmond Strikers, a long established club in Virginia with a rich history in soccer are bringing 20 teams to the 2012 Cardinal Cup. 


"This is a natural fit for two strong clubs to get together at a great event." says Tournament Director Steve Lovgren.  The Cardinal Cup continues to grow and attract teams to the SYA name and brand. 


"From the top down, we are succeeding at providing high quality for all our teams and events.  We are glad to have the Richmond Strikers be a part of this quality tournament.".


Along with the Strikers, the Dynamo Soccer Club has also agreed to bring 20 teams to the Cardinal Cup in 2012.

SYA Cardinal Cup Switching to GotSoccer Registration

Commonwealth Soccer Programs has switched three major tournaments to the Gotsoccer online sport support system, combining items such as college recruiting, guest player registration, referee management and tournament management in one database. Featuring these top tournaments of the CSP tournament series on the Gotsoccer system is exciting for not only CSP, but for teams interested in playing in these Virginia tournaments. Schedules and scores are automatically posted for teams, and a ranking system is implemented to better match competition. Also, individuals that want to register as a guest player for these tournaments can now do so through the GotSoccer system.

“With the rapid growth of our tournaments, switching the Capital Cup, Cardinal Cup and the Commonwealth Classic is the next step in expanding our tournaments to their potential,” said Tournament Director Steve Lovgren. CSP hopes to attract more teams with accurately competitive bracketing within the ranking system, availability for college coaches and streamlined registration with the online system.

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