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Six Teams to Compete in Cincinnati for Third North American Championship

March 9, 2011 - Professional Arena Soccer League (PASL) News Release


The best arena soccer teams on the continent will descend upon Cincinnati this weekend to compete in the third annual North American Championships March 10-12 at the Cincinnati Gardens.

This year's format remains unchanged with six teams playing over three days. The Eastern and Western Division champions of the PASL-Pro were given the top two seeds, earning them a bye into the Semifinals.

On Thursday at 6:30 the #6 seed Tacoma Stars will face the #3 seed Guerreros de La Raza de Guadalajara. The winner of that game will face the host and #2 seed Cincinnati Kings at 9:00pm on Friday.

At 9:00 on Thursday the #4 seed Calgary United, champions of the CMISL, will face the #5 seed PPM Sidekicks del Estado de Mexico, the LMFR runner up. The winner of that game will face #1 seed San Diego Sockers.

The winners of Friday's semifinals will play in the Championship Final on Saturday at 7:35pm.

The Sockers are the defending champions and are led by newly minted 2010-11 MVP Kraig Chiles and 2010-11 Coach of the Year Phil Salvagio. The Sockers are 27-5 in the regular season in their two PASL-Pro seasons and have won 11 championships over their entire history. They fortified their lineup with the midseason acquisition of 2008-09 league MVP Brian Farber.

The host Kings are led by 2008-09 Coach of the Year Craig Rhodis, First Team All-League goalkeeper Craig Salvati and 2009-10 MVP Jeff Hughes. Cincinnati is the only team to qualify for the North American Championships all three years. The Kings are three-time Eastern Division Champions ans carry an all-time regular season record of 38-10. They just had their 23 game home winning streak snapped in a loss to Louisville on March 4.

The Kings will be the local fan favorites, but the Sidekicks will be the sentimental favorite. On February 18 their team van carrying 11 players blew a tire and rolled over several times killing two players instantly. Two other players died in the hospital. Three of those four players played in last year's North American Championship in San Diego. The team decided to remain in this year's tournament and play in honor of their departed teammates. They will be led by Genoni Martinez and Carlos "Chile" Farias.

A PASL Playoff Pass is available for $25 and includes access to all five tournament matches, including the finals. Individual day tickets are $15 per person.

Thursday, March 10

6:30 p.m. Guerreros de La Raza de Guadalajara vs. Tacoma Stars

9:00 p.m. Calgary United vs. PPM Sidekicks del Estado de Mexico

Friday, March 11

6:30 p.m. San Diego Sockers vs. Calgary/Sidekicks winner

9:00 p.m. Cincinnati Kings vs. Guadalajara/Tacoma winner

Saturday, March 12

7:35 p.m. Championship Final

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Professional Arena Soccer League Stories from March 9, 2011


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