This year the tryout list includes Matt Stufflebeam, who has been playing for the Springfield Demize recently as well as continuing to contribute as an assistant coach for the Hillcrest Hornet’s girls team. In addition, the list of players participating includes Cassville’s Uziel Franco (pictured). Uziel was a 2009 Southwest All-Star and set scoring records for the Cassville Wildcats.

UPDATE – Matt Stufflebeam was invited back for the second day for the third successive year.

Tryouts begin Saturday at 9 a.m. CT. For the list of participants, click here. Space will be limited around the fields due to the large number of folks trying out. If you’re in the neighborhood and want to stop by, however, feel free.

“This is a perfect way for us to introduce our new team to the fans here in St. Louis,” said player/assistant coach Steve Ralston. “For us it will be a good test against an established MLS team in Kansas City. Plus it will be nice to build up a little rivalry with the Wizards by playing this home and away series each year.”

The Kansas City Wizards are an original member of Major League Soccer. Founded in 1996, the Wizards will begin their 15th season of play this spring. The Wizards have begun construction on a new state-of-the-art stadium, which is scheduled to open in the summer of 2011. AC St. Louis was established in November of 2009, and will begin its first season of play in the newly formed USSF Division 2 Pro League.

“Part of our game plan is to always bring the best soccer we can to St. Louis,” said AC St. Louis Chairman Jeff Cooper. “Playing our first ever game against Kansas City is really special, and I want to thank the entire Wizards organization for coming together with us and creating this home and away series. I think fans in both cities will be quite happy to see these games, and both clubs are excited that St. Louis and Kansas City can finally meet.”

The “Supporters Showdown” will be played on Saturday, March 20th at the Wizards’ Swope Park training facility, with the Wizards and A.C. St. Louis playing first at 2 p.m., and the supporters’ teams playing each other on an adjacent field immediately afterward. The winner of the competition will be determined by combining the scores of the two games, with a trophy awarded to the captain of the winning teams’ supporters.

For supporters who are interested in playing in the March 20 “Supporters Showdown” and are already a member of an AC St. Louis supporter’s group such as; Day Pints, The United Knights, Eads Brigade, and St. Louis FC United, please contact AC St. Louis at 1-888-STL-GOAL.

AC St. Louis and Saint Louis Athletica season ticket holders will receive a free ticket to the April 3 match. To purchase season tickets call 1-888-STL-GOAL. Non-season ticket holders can purchase tickets now for $10 by calling 1-888-STL-GOAL.

Chris Shuler, Real Salt Lake

I was impressed with the pace and intensity shown by both the veterans as well as the new comers, the size of Chris Schuler is simply impressive. It is easy to read that a guy is 6′ 4″ but when you see him moving around and with the other players it is easy to see why many experts think RSL may have gotten a real steal in the 3rd round of the draft:

You can also catch a short audio interview on the KeepinitReal website. Chris is learning the ropes already regarding no inflammatory comments, I’m only a rookie and I’m looking forward to the opportunity. Smart man.

WHERE: Community America Ballpark field
prior to the Wizards game
TEAM: Open to teams with players ages 18+
ENTRY FEE: Each player is responsible for selling 4 tickets to the Wizards game that evening,
or 48 tickets per team

Avila 8v8 Adult Tourney flyer
The winning team will be recognized during Wizards game.

Teams will play a minimum of three games, Games will be 25 minutes long and will be played on a half-field with 6’x12’ goals. There is a limit of 16 teams which will include 8 men’s teams and 8 women’s teams.

Entry deadline: April 1
CONTACT:
Chris Clements
660.441.0223
chris.clements@avila.edu

KC Wizards Stadium renderings, Jan 2010

“This is a great day for soccer in Kansas City,” OnGoal CEO Robb Heineman said. “After a lengthy process to keep the team in the metropolitan area, OnGoal and the Kansas City Wizards are thrilled to receive final approval for our stadium and fields complex. There are so many people to thank, including Mayor Reardon and the Unified Government, Governor Parkinson and countless others. Our vision will now become reality for our supporters and organization. We have designed the first authentic American soccer stadium that will showcase and help grow the beautiful game of soccer, while providing all of the modern amenities expected from a modern American sports facility. The stadium has been designed to deliver the highest-level guest experience in an intimate, loud and intimidating atmosphere to build a true home field advantage for the Wizards.”

The Wizards stadium is part of a larger $400+ million project developed by OnGoal and LANE4 Property Group that will help fulfill the initial vision of the Village West project. Additions will include a world-class tournament field complex with 18-24 fields for major youth sporting events and an office complex for Cerner Corporation expansion. The soccer facilities are projected to host more than 300 event dates with over 800 events annually, drawing more than 2.5 million attendees to the area. The Wizards stadium would also play host to concerts, international soccer matches, American football games, rugby matches, lacrosse games, field hockey events and more. The field complex would be an attractive host to major national and regional soccer tournaments due to Kansas City’s central location in the United States and the surrounding development at Village West. The complex will also host other tournaments and sporting events for men, women and children and in multiple sports.

More details can be found here!

The tryout costs $200, and players can sign up and get all the information on the tryouts by going to www.kcwizards.com/opentryout. Any additional questions can be sent to tryouts@kcwizards.com.

“The last two years we have been pleased with the number of talented players who have taken part in our open tryouts,” Wizards Manager Peter Vermes said. “We are always looking to improve our roster, and these tryouts give us a chance to get a look at players who might be trying to take a less conventional route to MLS.”

Participants will take part in matches Saturday, with the top players called back for Sunday’s session. Finalists will then get the opportunity to tryout with the Wizards first team in March with the chance of securing a contract. Final tryout location and times will be provided to each participant closer to the event.

The Wizards held an open tryout in 2008 for the first time since their inaugural 1996 season, with the event drawing over 200 players from 15 different countries. Two players eventually signed for Kansas City; midfielders Kevin Souter and Nelson Pizarro. Both went on to play in MLS matches for the Wizards in 2008, and Souter started the final four games of the regular season and both MLS Cup Playoff matches for Kansas City. Another 200 participants took part in the tryouts in 2009. Numerous talented participants stood out, and five of the open tryout players were invited back during the season to train with the Wizards.

Kansas City Wizards Open Tryouts
March 13-14, 2010
Kansas City Wizards Swope Park Training Center
6310 Lewis Road
Kansas City, MO 64132

Mike over at Down the Byline does a great job of summarizing the details of the announcement:

The big news is that Heineman states that the team will be permanently staying out at the Village West area. This hopefully ends all the speculation of where the Wizards stadium site would go, whether in Missouri or in Kansas. He also states that we’re likely going to start seeing dirt moved out at the site starting next week.

Between now and March 1st, Heineman says the Wizards will be working on; finalizing stadium design, get renderings out sooner than later, signing the formal agreements (including those signed by the Unified Government, the state, and Cerner), and start getting the stadium up. The big thing, he says, is the selling of the STAR Bonds that needs to occur between now and March 1st.

He also talks about the final step with the stadium, the marketing the team and the brand of the Wizards. Heineman calls it a “first chance to make a second impression to all of you”. Something that many fans will find appealing. Some fans I’ve talked to have felt that OnGoal has dropped the ball in some areas of marketing the team. Hopefully this will be a new beginning in the look of the Wizards.

A formal announcement should be coming in January Heineman says.

* * * * *

The teams met twice during the regular season, with Real Salt Lake coming away with a result in each. In the first meeting, May 6 at Rio Tinto Stadium, the teams played to a remarkable 2-2 draw. As the match entered stoppage time, Robbie Findley’s 34th-minute goal seemed like it would stand up. Landon Donovan then converted a penalty kick just after the 90-minute mark, to put the score at 1-1. Yet a minute later, RSL converted a spot kick of its own to take a 2-1 lead, but just before the added time ran out, Mike Magee turned home a deflected shot for the final result. It was the third time in MLS history three goals were scored in added time, and the second time two penalties came after the 90th minute ticked over, the last occurring Aug 6, 2000 in a Chicago Fire 3-1 win vs. the MetroStars.

FRIDAY, Nov. 13 on ESPN2
LOS ANGELES-HOUSTON, Western Conference Final, 10 pm.
Sunday’s hard-earned 1-0 victory against Chivas USA in the second leg of the Western Conference Semifinals was everything Los Angeles Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena thought it would be. There were few quality chances by either side and it was an intense, physical affair that concluded with a heated confrontation between opposing coaches and players.

Arena expects more of the same in Friday’s conference final against the Houston Dynamo at The Home Depot Center. The teams played twice during the regular season, with the Galaxy owning a 1-0-1 advantage in the series, and only one goal was scored in the two games. The Galaxy earned a 1-0 victory on June 28 at home that snapped Houston’s club-record 11-game unbeaten streak. The rematch on Oct. 18 at Robertson Stadium ended in a 0-0 tie.

Did you see the Bruce Arena was named 2009 MLS Coach of the Year?

SATURDAY, Nov. 14 on FOX SOCCER CHANNEL
CHICAGO-REAL SALT LAKE, Eastern Conference Final, 7 pm.
With their 2-0 win over the New England Revolution last week the Fire advanced past the Revs with an aggregate score of 3-2 in the two game, home and away Semifinal Series, to reach the Eastern Conference Final for the third consecutive year. The winner of Saturday’s Conference Final will be presented with the Eastern Conference Trophy by Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber on the field following the match. With a win on Saturday, the Fire would advance to the 2009 MLS Cup Final in Seattle, WA at Qwest Field on Nov. 22 (7:30 p.m. CT, ESPN).

KC Wizards, Peter Vermes & Robb Heineman

“Over the past three years as the Wizards Technical Director, Peter has demonstrated strong work ethic, leadership and creative management of our team roster,” Heineman said. “As the club’s new Manager, we believe Peter has the technical and tactical qualities, attention to detail, and determination necessary to bring championship soccer back to Kansas City.”

Vermes was a founding member of Major League Soccer and a standout on the United States National Team. After retiring in 2002, Vermes became the Technical Director of Blue Valley Soccer Club before serving as a coach of the United States Under-20 Men’s National Team in 2006. Vermes retired from MLS after playing in 184 games League games (183 starts), amassing 16,384 minutes, 11 goals and 17 assists for the then New York/New Jersey MetroStars, Colorado Rapids and Kansas City Wizards over seven seasons. He scored two goals and recorded three assists in 2000, helping lead the Wizards to their first MLS Cup championship. Vermes has been a finalist for the National Soccer Hall of Fame in each of the last two rounds of voting, finishing in the top 10 both years. The National Soccer Hall of Fame announced Monday that he is again among the top 24 retired players eligible for voting.

USL_at-a-crossroads

OWNERS OF PROFESSIONAL SOCCER TEAMS IN ATLANTA, CAROLINA, MIAMI, MINNESOTA, MONTREAL, ST. LOUIS AND VANCOUVER FORM NEW PRO SOCCER LEAGUE TO BEGIN PLAY IN 2010

Nov. 10, 2009 – The owners of the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps, formerly of USL-1, together with St. Louis Soccer United today announced that they have formed a new professional soccer league to play in the United States and Canada beginning in April 2010.

The team owners yesterday submitted an application for sanctioning of the new league as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League by the United States Soccer Federation. An application for sanctioning as a Division I League will be submitted to the Canadian Soccer Association shortly and applications to other sanctioning bodies in the region will be submitted as needed.

Click on the link for the full details and for a three part series by the Inside MN Soccer website on the issues that led to this decision.

The League includes St Louis, as noted above.

Jeff Cooper, the principal owner of St. Louis Soccer United and spokesperson for the new league, said team owners have commenced a search for a league commissioner and are actively finalizing other details, including a name for the league and its sales and marking plans. The league intends to launch an extensive marketing campaign in the coming months, Cooper said.

In addition, Cooper said the team owners are in active conversations with several teams and organizations throughout the world which have expressed interest in joining the new league.

“This will be a league that will offer the best of both worlds – outstanding experience and leadership at the ownership level combined with the promise and ability to chart our own course for success as a new league,” Cooper said. “It’s this structure that motivated me to bring St. Louis into the new league, and why I believe the new league will have a lot of success at launch next year and well into the future.”