The Revolution(ary) Blog

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New England Force Announce Exhibition w/Real Boston Rams via Twitter

Earlier today the newly formed New England Force announced via twitter how they will be taking on the Boston Rams in "early April," tentatively making them the first non-collegiate, professional opponent the club will face in its 2013 schedule.

The NE Force are also scheduled to play Bryant University at Bulldog Stadium before heading down to Florida for several closed-matches on May 8th and 10th. 

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Out of Nowhere; "New England Force" Launch from Rhode Island, Proclaim USL/NASL/MLS Ambitions

Emerging from almost complete secrecy, the New England Force have launched a website and campaign with an "intent... to apply to either the USL, NASL, or MLS and begin league play in the spring of 2014."

The club currently plays in no official league and will be holding a series of closed- and open-matches over the span of 2013 against local colleges and undisclosed teams in Florida and Washington D.C., including a match against Mexican Football club Tigres de la UANL

Stating on Facebook they will be training in the Mount Vernon Sports Underdome in New York, the team's website points to Providence, RI as the potential home of the NE Force. Bryant University's Bulldog Stadium in Smithfield is listed as NEF's home field for matches against both the college's own soccer team and Los Tigres.

According to the team's own "Q&A" section, the New England Force plan to sign & pay players and have already finished deals with Southern New Hampshire University striker Kenny Doublette and El Salvador U20 player Irvin Herrera.

Taken from their website, here's a list of players invited to participate and trial with the Force in the coming year:

Currently, the Rhode Island Reds are the Ocean State's sole professional soccer team, playing in the National Premier Soccer League (US 4th division).

EDIT 8/28: Post originally mentioned Umbro and Marriott Hotel as sponsors. Images of companies have since been taken down from site with no indication of sponsorship. 

Most of the information found here has either been updated or removed from the site since this post was written. A more recent article regarding the Force can be found here: http://nesoccertoday.com/?p=19958

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Found on Bleacher Report's twitter feed.

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Just a reminder: New England has more than one soccer team. These are just the PDL ones.

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These wounds will never heal...

(From the Rebellion's Facebook photo album)

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CFC Azul Announces First Signings

In their first moves since a string of successful tryouts in January, CFC Azul announced SCSU midfielder Paul Templeton and Hofstra keeper Greg Cumpstone as the team's first official signings in its history earlier this week. 

After examining and testing 150+ players from both public and private tryouts, the two collegiate veterans will take part in the Connecticut Football Club's venture into the Premier Development League (PDL), two and a half months before Azul plays their opening match against fellow expansion club, Boston Victory SC, at Yale University Reese Stadium.

Templeton, a native of Saltcoats, Scotland, was a vital component in the Southern Connecticut Owl's offense since 2008 before signing with Azul, making the Northeast-10 Conference All-Academic team in 2009 and receiving honors in 2008 and 2010.

The midfielder was also a top-scorer during his Freshman year in 2008 alone, scoring 7 goals and putting up 40 shots on goal in total. 

Meanwhile, from Hofstra University in New York, Greg Cumpstone joins Azul as its first veteran keeper, having four seasons with the Long Island school and 16 shut-outs under his belt.

The Connecticut resident also has a staggering save percentage of .752 % after 40 appearances and only nine goals allowed during the 2010 season.

From what has been released and taken from previous interviews, Templeton's and Cumpstone's commitments to CFC solidifies the club's interests in player experience as well as collegiate players, being situated in the midst of several major Connecticut Universities, from Yale to Quinnipiac to SCSU.

More moves and announcements, including the (now released) official 2012 Premier Development League schedule, are expected from Azul as well as all other Northeast Division clubs heading into the new season starting in late April/ early May.

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Ottawa Fury Goalkeeper In Talks W/ Dayton Lions & Edmonton

In an interview with USLsoccer.com posted on Wednesday (Feb. 8th), Northeast Division PDL player Brandon Heembrook hinted at contacts/talks with several major USL Pro clubs after participating in the 2012 USL Pro Combine that took place at the end of January.

I got an email from Dayton yesterday … we’re going to contact them in the next couple of days and see how serious they are before I fly out from New York to Ohio. Other than that, we talked a bit with FC Edmonton...

The 2011 Ottawa Fury MVP and captain was one of two goalkeepers from the Northeast Division tapped to participate in the scrimmage and training camp known as the USL Pro Combine. Ryan Brooks-Newton of the Vermont Voltage was the only other keeper of to join the Fury, along with four other PDL Northeast veterans.

I talked with Steve O’Kane in Ottawa, and they said they already have two ‘keepers but they’d be more than glad to bring me back in case I didn’t get anything else, so that’s kind of where I am right now, just hoping for something, but if I don’t I still have PDL for another year, which is pretty good.

The Ottawa Fury were recently awarded an expansion into the North American Soccer League, the second tier of American Soccer, in late 2011 after placing first in their division in both the 2009 and 2010 PDL seasons.

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NEVER BE NORMAL!

(Western Mass mascots still scare me)