New USL Pro team to play in Fullerton in 2011
The yet to be named team will play "most" of its games at Titan Stadium on the campus of Cal State Fullerton in Orange County, sources affiliated with the team told 100 Percent Soccer.
USL Pro is the new designation for what is essentially the third level of soccer in the U.S. The North American Soccer League, which expects to be an eight-team league in 2011, has applied for Division 2 status.
USL Pro has so far announced 13 of an expected 16 teams with the Orange County club expected to be formally announced next month.
It's an offshoot of the W-League's Pali Blues and the President of Operations/coach of that club, Charlie Naimo, will serve as the coach of the new USL Pro club he announced in a blog post last month:
The addition to the Blues organization and my personal career is the arrival of the USL PRO men's team. Our ownership has had the dream of rolling out a professional men's team for a while, and now is the time. I was asked to take on the challenge of building the team on and off the field and so far, so good. We identified and hired a GM, Director of Operations and a VP of Sales and Marketing, and we have already begun working. Also in place is our coaching staff. Yours truly will be Manager (Head Coach) while Shayon Jalayer will serve as first team coach and director of youth development. We have already begun the process of fielding two academy sides with very aggressive plans attached. We have also brought on a very successful player personnel liaison. There are a few roles yet to fill, but we are in a great place.
Naimo was also GM of the WPS LA Sol, which won the inaugural league title before going belly up.
The general manager is David Adams who played collegiately in the LA area and spent some time on MLS reserve squads
More details on the USL PRO league including what's expected to be a 24-game schedule and conference alignment are also expected in December.
About 100 Percent Soccer
Sportswriter Nick Green has written the 100 Percent Soccer column since 2005 for the Daily News, Daily Breeze and other Los Angeles area newspapers. The blog of the same name began in 2007. A native of England, he began writing about soccer in the mid-1980s and in 2000 permanently exchanged a seat in the stands for one in the press box. He lives six miles from Carson's Home Depot Center, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA and the training headquarters for U.S. Soccer and is married to a long-suffering soccer widow. Join Nick on FaceBook and follow him on Twitter.
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