Category Archives: NASL

Lance Parker Signs With FC Edmonton in NASL

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Former Missouri State Bear goalkeeper Lance Parker is trading in his flip flops and shorts for the cooler environs of Edmonton, Canada. Parker has signed with FC Edmonton, one of eight teams in the North American Soccer League (NASL) that has been provisionally-add

Parker moves to Edmonton from NASL team Miami FC, soon to be renamed the Strikers.

The 25-year old goalie started his career at Missouri State University, where he was twice named All Missouri Valley Conference second team and posted a goal-against average of below one. While with the Missouri State Bears he also played with the Colorado Rapids U-23 team. Parker was signed to Chivas USA in 2008.The American goalkeeper played in the 2008 North American Superliga for Chivas. He was with Miami for two years.

RIP – AC St Louis

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AC St Louis logoAs first reported on the Inside Minnesota soccer website, AC St Louis is no longer in business. The remaining employees were let go this week according to the story. The story also offers information on the AB Soccer Complex:

Cooper is believed to still be looking for a buyer of A-B Park, which was given to him by Anheuser-Busch in 2009 to help Cooper’s bid to bring an MLS team to St. Louis. There were conditions placed on the special warranty deed by Anheuser-Busch that would have required Cooper to have an MLS or D1 team playing in the stadium and that he’d need to add an additional 4,000 seats to the stadium. If Cooper did not meet those conditions Anheuser-Busch could reclaim the property and sell it to a public entity or not-for-profit charitable entity. But Cooper told IMS last fall that he was able to remove those special conditions this past summer which would allow him to sell the park to whomever he wanted.

The story has received broad coverage in the St Louis press since the story broke on Monday.

St Louis Business Journal AC St Louis Shuts Down

St Louis Post-Dispatch AC St Louis Goes Out of Business

St Louis Post-Dispatch Pro Team May Be Dead But Soccer Park Isn’t For Sale

Today, Anheuser-Busch released a brief statement noting that the company has “no continuing claim” to the property. Cooper told Timmermann that he won’t make any public comments about the folding of the team until later this week.

When asked via e-mail whether the soccer park is for sale or if youth league play scheduled there will be affected, team spokesman Tony Hubert said that there is “no news” about the facility and that “the status of the Soccer Park remains unchanged.”

I’d dispute the article headline based upon the quote offered. Cooper has withdrawn his support from St Louis Scott Gallagher in addition to cutting his losses with the shutdown of the women’s team and now the NASL team. There is no reason for him to maintain what appears to be a money-losing facility prone to flooding. Hey Lake Country Soccer, I’d say it’s time to bid for the State High School tournament now!

Again, from the Inside MN Soccer website:

Their first home game was April 17, 2010 with an attendance of 5,695. It was played against the Austin Aztex in which St. Louis lost 2-1. The team’s last home game was October 2 with an attendance of 3,447. They played the Rhinos and lost 2-1.

Average attendance for AC St. Louis was 2,750 which was 7th highest in the league. The team’s highest attendance was 5,695, which was their home opener mentioned above. Total attendance for 2010 season was 41,252.

AC St. Louis finished up their first and only season going 7-15-8 and ended up in 11th place in the 12 team league.

I was on hand for that inaugural game and captured the first ever goal scored by the team on video

Chris Shuler Joins AC St Louis

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Chris Shuler, Real Salt Lake

Chris Shuler, Real Salt Lake

From the St Louis Globe Democrat: Chris Schuler, a 22-year-old former All-America defender at Creighton University, has been loaned to AC St. Louis by Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. Schuler will be with AC for at least four games, starting with Wednesday night’s match in Montreal.

The 6-foot-4, 185-pound Schuler was born in St. Louis and grew up in Aurora, Ill. He red-shirted his freshman season at Indiana University before transferring to Creighton, where he played for former Saint Louis University coach Bob Warming. Schuler made the All-Missouri Valley Conference team three times. A third-round selection in the 2010 MLS draft, Schuler has not appeared in any of Real Salt Lake’s games.

Note: Shuler’s father Chris is a Springfield referee and his cousin’s include Michael (Kickapoo/Missouri State) and Tyler Bennett (Kickapoo/Oglethorpe), both Springfield SC players.

Although with a record of 3-9-4 and in last place in the NASL Conference of the Division 2 Pro League, AC is still in the running for a playoff berth with 14 matches to go. The team lost to Montreal last Wednesday night, 0-3 with Shuler starting and playing the whole game. The team followed that up with a 1-0 win over Baltimore on Saturday with Shuler playing the entire match. AC St Louis is hosting the Portland Timbers this evening.

AC St Louis Face LA Galaxy Tonight In US Open Cup

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Dale Schilly, AC St Louis debut (on left)

Dale Schilly, AC St Louis debut (on left)

ST. LOUIS, MO (June 29, 2010) – AC St. Louis of the U.S.S.F. Division II Pro League will face the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer tonight in a third-round match in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Kick-of is set for 9:30 p.m. CT from The Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Fans can follow the action on Match Commentary this evening at www.ac-stlouis.com and at lagalaxy.com.

AC St. Louis has advanced to tonight’s game by registering back-to-back 1-0 road wins over the Des Moines Menace and the NSC Minnesota Stars. Tonight will be the first game this season for the Galaxy in this competition. Major League Soccer teams enter the U.S. Open Cup in the third-round, just as English Premier League teams enter the FA Cup in the third round. Los Angeles has previously won the U.S. Open Cup in 2001 and 2005. The Galaxy have an all-time record of 4-1 in third-round matches.

Tonight’s matchup is one of polar opposites in the standings of professional soccer in the United States. The Los Angeles Galaxy enter tonight’s game with the best record in Major League Soccer, 10-1-3, plus the Galaxy have allowed only four goals throughout their MLS season. Meanwhile, AC St. Louis is at the foot of the U.S.S.F. Division II table with a mark of 2-7-2. However, AC St. Louis has turned their slow start around by recording a 4-3-2 record in all competitions since May 1. Furthermore, St. Louis is unbeaten and un-scored upon in their last four outings.

Jeremy Alumbaugh with Dale Schilly, State Semifinals, Nov 2009

Jeremy Alumbaugh with Dale Schilly, State Semifinals, Nov 2009

On a related note, AC St Louis has a new head coach in Dale Schilly who is the man that lured Jeremy Alumbaugh to St Louis. Schilly previously has overseen the club formerly known as Metro United, now St. Louis Scott Gallagher Illinois, for the past 15 years. Schilly has 14 years of experience as a head coach with the Region II Olympic Development program, and has over 25 years of coaching experience at the youth and collegiate levels. This is his first head coaching role with a professional team.

“I was excited about the opportunity to work here in St. Louis, my hometown,” said Schilly. “I want to help develop the pro game in this area. It is something that this community has been starving for quite a while. I am looking forward to helping out.”

AC St Louis And Athletica In Trouble?

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AC St Louis logoWebsite MLS Talk is reporting that there is financial trouble within the AC St Louis family that may lead to the NASL men’s team and WPS women’s team folding. From their story:

Athletic Club of Saint Louis is on the verge of folding its North American Soccer League and Women’s Professional Soccer clubs, sources have confirmed. The club’s weakened cash reserves may not allow them to make their next payroll obligations, and despite ongoing conversations amongst the United States Soccer Federation, NASL, and WPS, no plan is currently in place which will allow the teams to complete their 2010 seasons.

The situation came to light when AC St. Louis failed to make a regular payment to the NASL league office. Each club within NASL periodically sends money to the league office to cover the owner-operated league’s operating costs. Upon investigation, the NASL learned the Jeff Cooper-led group did not have the cash reserves to meet the obligation or its future operating expenses.

This would be a blow to St Louis soccer should the pro teams fold. It may have an impact on the St Louis Scott Gallagher programs in Missouri and Illinois as well.

The Post-Dispatch dug into the details a bit further in their story Athletica, AC St. Louis rumors

But something is going on. WPS has released a statement that says:

“We’re aware of the situation in St. Louis. The League’s Owners continue to review and monitor the situation in conjunction with the US Soccer Federation.”

Asked what the situation is, the response was that there would be no further comment. U.S. Soccer says pretty much the same thing, that they “are aware of some challenges that are currently going on and we are diligently working through the situation.” The NASL is referring all inquiries to U.S. Soccer, since they run the league.

So there’s “a situation” of some sort. The team has had no comment, and all most people over there know seem to know are the rumors that they’ve read online.

Finally, Inside Minnesota Soccer, which has distinguished itself in it’s coverage of the NASL/USSF 2nd Division soccer including the season preview I pointed to last month, offers some additional information on both AC St Louis and Crystal Palace Baltimore:

Several sources are saying that Cooper has indeed left his post of the two troubled teams and “has distanced himself from the club.” One source believed that operating expenses of the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park, which was given to Cooper’s group last summer, was the main culprit of cost overruns.

AC St Louis Draw 5695, Fall 1-2 to Austin Aztex

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Fans Celebrate At AC St Louis home opener

Fans Celebrate At AC St Louis home opener

I had an excellent time at the AC St Louis home opener on Saturday night as Athletic Club of St Louis pulled out all the stops to put on a professional event for the fans. With over five thousand fans in attendance, including the Knights fan club featured in the photo above, the atmosphere was what St Louis deserves as home to one of the strongest soccer traditions in the country. I had the great fortune to see Hall-of-Fame member Harry Keough with his son Ty in advance of the game and they were kind enough to give me a short interview. As Harry noted, it’s been much too long since we’ve had professional soccer.

The game featured a new team (AC St Louis) and a second year team (Austin) and as such was a bit rough around the edges, especially for the local boys. There are game reviews from the Post-Dispatch and the AC Fanatic, a new fan site, that offer more details. I’ve got a few photos from the game but as we’ve experienced before at the High School tournament, the lighting limited my opportunities. I haven’t found any other photos so I’m not the only one who experienced that problem.

I did have some good luck capturing the first ever goal scored by AC St Louis on video, check it out below:

All-in-all, I’d say that I think you and your family would enjoy an AC St Louis game. I know I plan on attending several this year, especially since it’s easier for me to visit St Louis than it is Kansas City. The schedule is available on my overall soccer calendar so you can stay up-to-date.

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AC St Louis Loses At Carolina

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AC St Louis logoWell, I don’t think this bodes well for the team, not when you open your first game like this. The idea that one player is valuable enough to play short a man for almost an entire half? Hmmm

From the St Louis Post-Dispatch – A.C. St Louis Drops Opener 2-0

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a game where a team started with 10 men and then finished with 11, but that’s what AC St. Louis did in its first-ever game. Midfielder Manuel Kante didn’t have his ID with him — he’s registered with the U.S. Soccer Federation, but still had to prove who he was — and had to go back to the team hotel to get it. Since he was on the roster that coach Claude Anelka had given to the officials, if someone had gone in in his place, Kante wouldn’t be able to return and it would cost AC one of its subs.

The team might want to consider a hotel closer to the stadium next time. Kante missed the first 37 minutes or so and by the time he got back, AC was down 2-0. It was a pretty rough start for AC, which could barely get the ball past midfield. Once the game got back to 11 v. 11, it wasn’t quite as lopsided, though I’d say Carolina still had the better of the run of play.

AC St Louis Preview By Inside Minnesota Soccer

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AC St Louis logoThe website Inside Minnesota Soccer is the go-to source for USSF Division II soccer news, the category directly below Major League Soccer. Site operator Brian Quarstad has compiled team previews for each of the 12 teams competing this year including AC St Louis. The league includes the Portland Timbers and the Vancouver Whitecaps, both of whom will be joining MLS in 2011.

This new USSF Division-2 Pro League will see the addition of 4 new teams this season. Crystal Palace Baltimore moves up from Division III to Division II. Also joining the league are the NSC Minnesota Stars, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who return to outdoor soccer after 17 years and AC St. Louis, the first outdoor pro team in over 30 years for the St. Louis area.

This year’s table will find 12 teams broken into 2 conferences: The NASL and USL.

The NASL conference includes: AC St. Louis, Carolina Railhawks, Crystal Palace Baltimore, Miami FC, Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Here is Brian’s preview of AC St Louis and the other 11 teams

AC ST. LOUIS
Founded 2010
Stadium: Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park: SSS – Grass (capacity: 6,200)
Conference: NASL
Last season’s record: NASL Expansion Team
Head coach: Claude Anelka (1st Year)
Key players: Steve Ralston, Luke Kreamalmeyer, Jack Traynor
Team Website
Roster

by Dave Lange – St. Louis Globe Democrat

If one person could be the face of AC St. Louis, it would be midfielder Steve Ralston.

He’s a St. Louisan, the first player signed by the team, and he’s a question mark.

Question marks abound in any discussion of AC St. Louis. They’re a new team, led by a coach with questionable credentials that is trying to assimilate players with widely varying experience.

Ralston, a 14-year MLS veteran, is coming back from a knee injury and he’s 36 years old. Whether or not he can take the field when the season opens April 10 is anybody’s guess.

Ralston has a dual role as player-assistant coach, a considerable asset for head coach Claude Anelka. Anelka, the brother of Chelsea’s Nicolas Anelka, coached Scotland’s Raith Rovers to only one of a potential 24 points before stepping aside as coach in 2004. His only other coaching experience was with France’s FC Trappes and with youth soccer in Florida.

Anelka and Ralston have a few players that USL soccer followers may recognize: defenders Tim Velten (Charleston, Rochester, Harrisburg) and Jack Traynor (Miami), and midfielder Luke Kreamalmeyer (Carolina, Portland, Rochester). All three are natives of the St. Louis area. AC St. Louis made a conscious effort to sign local players from St. Louis, a city rich in soccer heritage. The team started training camp with seven St. Louis natives, including 23-year-old goalkeeper Chad Becker.

Goalkeeper Alex Duffy (one game with New York Red Bulls of MLS last season) signed just before camp opened.

St. Louis’ most experienced international player is Brazilian right winger Gauchinho, who played four seasons in Denmark’s second division.

A good indication of the team’s potential figured to be a friendly in Kansas City March 19 against the MLS Wizards. The Wiz won 2-0, but a stiff wind and sub-freezing temperatures made conditions far from ideal. AC gets a second chance when the Wizards come to St. Louis for a preseason rematch April 3.

AC St Louis Opens NASL Season At Carolina Saturday

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https://www.google.com/calendar/images/calendar_plus_en.gifThe 2010 USSF Division-2 Pro League season will kick off this weekend with eight teams in action. The Carolina RailHawks will host the first of two opening-day matches when first-year club AC St. Louis visits WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C., on Saturday, April 10 at 7 p.m. ET. That match will be closely followed by the contest between the Rochester Rhinos and Miami FC at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Two more matches round out the weekend on April 11 when the Montreal Impact visits the Austin Aztex at House Park in Austin, Texas, at 7 p.m. ET and the NSC Minnesota Stars head to Swangard Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, to take on Vancouver Whitecaps FC, also at 7 p.m. ET.

U.S. Soccer, in conjunction with Ooyala, a leading provider of end-to-end video platform applications and services, has announced that all 180 D-2 Pro League matches will be available to watch via streaming video free of charge. The live match video will be broadcast via the club websites, giving fans access to watch every game of the season at no cost. For local television coverage, fans and media should visit the participating team websites for a broadcast schedule.

Each of the 12 teams participating in the league will play 30 regular season games. The 12 teams are divided into two conferences – the USL Conference and the NASL Conference. The USL Conference includes Austin Aztex, NSC Minnesota, Portland Timbers, Puerto Rico Islanders, Rochester Rhinos and Tampa Bay Rowdies. The NASL Conference will consist of Crystal Palace Baltimore, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Montreal Impact, AC St. Louis and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

The season will come to an end on Oct. 3, with the playoffs beginning the following week. Eight teams will advance to the postseason, with the winners of each conference earning the top two seeds. The next six teams with the most points during the regular season from either conference will also move on to the playoffs.

The first round, semifinal round and championship will be home-and-away series determined by aggregate goals. The final details for the playoff dates and location of the championship match will be announced at a later date.

Opening Weekend Matches (all times ET)

April 10, 2010
AC St. Louis at Carolina RailHawks; 7 p.m.
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.
Rochester Rhinos at Miami FC; 7:30 p.m.
Lockhart Stadium; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

April 11, 2010
Montreal Impact at Austin Aztex; 7 p.m.
House Park; Austin, Texas

NSC Minnesota Stars at Vancouver Whitecaps; 7 p.m.
Swangard Stadium; Vancouver, British Columbia

For more information, please visit the websites of the participating D-2 Pro League clubs:

AC St. Louis: ac-stlouis.com
Austin Aztex: austinaztex.com
Carolina RailHawks: carolinarailhawks.com
Crystal Palace Baltimore: palacebaltimore.com
Miami FC: miamifc.com
Montreal Impact: montrealimpact.com
NSC Minnesota Stars: nscminnesota.org
Portland Timbers: portlandtimbers.com
Puerto Rico Islanders: prislandersfc.com
Rochester Rhinos: rhinossoccer.com
Tampa Bay Rowdies: fctampabay.com
Vancouver Whitecaps: whitecapsfc.com

St Louis Double Header Saturday – Wizards vs AC St Louis, SLU vs SIUE

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AC St Louis logoHere’s some good news. It’s only a Spring exhibition game but it’s a good start – the renewal of the SLU vs SIU-Edwardsville Bronze Boot game that used to draw 20,000 fans to Busch Stadium in the 80′s and was played into the 90′s.

AC St. Louis, playing in the USSF Division 2 Pro League, announced that the classic rivalry between St. Louis University and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is back. The teams will play at the Anheuser-Busch Soccer Park for a special spring edition. The game will take place prior to AC St. Louis facing the Kansas City Wizards from Major League Soccer on Saturday night April 3.

SLU Billikens vs SIU-Edwardsville Cougars – 5 p.m.
AC St. Louis vs Kansas City – 7 p.m.
AB Soccer Park, Fenton, MO

SIUE and SLU met in the Bronze Boot Classic for many years when both schools were NCAA Division I, but the series was stopped when the Cougars dropped to D-II status. SIUE recently returned tio NCAA Division I.
Tickets for the match can be obtained by calling the AC St. Louis box office at 1-888-STL-GOAL.