Join Now  | 
Home About Contact Us Privacy & Security Advertise
Soccer America Daily Special Edition Around The Net Soccer Business Insider College Soccer Reporter Youth Soccer Reporter Soccer on TV Soccer America Classifieds
Paul Gardner: SoccerTalk Soccer America Confidential Youth Soccer Insider World Cup Watch
RSS Feeds Archives Manage Subscriptions Subscribe
Order Current Issue Subscribe Manage My Subscription Renew My Subscription Gift Subscription
My Account Join Now
Tournament Calendar Camps & Academies Soccer Glossary Classifieds
Clubs head to Arizona to prep for season
by Ridge Mahoney, January 19th, 2010 7AM
Subscribe to Soccer America Daily


MOST READ


[MLS] A new soccer complex in Casa Grande, Ariz., will be hosting a few MLS teams next month as part of their preseason training if pending plans can be finalized.

Seattle, Colorado, Real Salt Lake, and possibly Los Angeles, as well as USL club Vancouver, will train at the "Casa Grande Performance Institute at the Francisco Grande" complex south of Phoenix. The multi-sports facility also has several football fields and other facilities. Ground was broken last June for the complex, which is being funded in part by bonds underwritten by the City of Casa Grande.

The Sounders would visit first, in early February, before it heads off to participate in the La Manga Cup in Spain. Vancouver, which will play in the merged NASL-USL operation before joining MLS next year, will follow and its visit will overlap with that of its Northwest rival Seattle.

Colorado and RSL will also be in Arizona at the same time though their dates are not yet confirmed, and the Galaxy's arrival will probably occur when at least two other teams are present.

Complex officials have also discussed visits with other MLS teams. Former MLS and U.S. defender Greg Vanney, who coaches youth ballin Arizona and worked Seattle TV broadcasts last season as a color commentator, is serving as liaison.

Seattle will compete in Group A of the La Manga Cup, starting with a Feb. 18 match against Dutch club SK Rosenborg. It will then play two more matches depending on results for its final placing in the eight-team event.

MLS Cup champion RSL previously confirmed it would return in March to the Carolina Challenge Cup, which it won last year by beating D.C. United, 3-0, Toronto FC and host Charleston (then in the USL) by 2-1 scores. The same four teams will play round-robin games against each other this year.


No comments yet.

Sign in to leave a comment. Don't have an account? Join Now


AUTHORS

ARCHIVES
FOLLOW SOCCERAMERICA

Recent Soccer America Daily
Teen keeper's disastrous debut includes an own goal for the ages    
[VIDEO PICK: Off the Post] An 18-year-old goalkeeper in Moldova tossed the ball straight into his ...
Mexico recalls Peralta, de Nigris and Barrera    
[HEXAGONAL COUNTDOWN] Winless with three ties in its first three games in the final round of ...
USASA teams move into spotlight    
[U.S. OPEN CUP] Two teams from the USASA -- Icon FC from New Jersey and the ...
Four goals for Press; two for Horan    
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Christen Press scored four goals to lead Tyreso to a 10-2 win over last-place ...
Mexico emerges as key in development chain    
[AMERICANS ABROAD] No foreign country has proved a more fertile ground for developing American players than ...
Goodson's Brondby avoids relegation    
[AMERICANS ABROAD] Clarence Goodson started for Brondby, which beat Horsens, 1-0, to stay up in the ...
What They're Saying    
"We apologized to Crystal Palace as soon as the vandalism in their dressing room was discovered, ...
Falcao's fierce assist tops week's finest footwork    
[VIDEO PICK: Magic Feet] Atletico Madrid's victory over Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey final ...
Battery chalks up interleague win; Rhinos fire Myer    
[USL PRO REWIND: Week 9] The Charleston Battery moved into second place in USL PRO behind ...
Sky Blue FC completes road sweep    
[NWSL REWIND: Week 7] Sky Blue FC completed a sweep on its road trip to the ...
>> Soccer America Daily Archives