2004 A-League Season Opens Saturday

Published on April 16, 2004 under USL First Division (USL-1) News Release

The 2004 season kicks-off with a bang as the defending A-League Champion Charleston Battery head to Richmond, Virginia to take on the Richmond Kickers, 2002 A-League finalists, this Saturday, April 17th at 7pm.

Both teams have made significant changes during the off-season, as the Battery return only eight of the 16 players that took part in the championship match. Meanwhile, Richmond loaned 2003 Rookie of the Year David Testo to MLS' Columbus Crew, and have re-signed two former Kickers in Richie Williams (1993-1995) and David Hayes (2002). The Kickers also added former Charlotte Eagles midfielder Caleb Norkus as well as PDL standouts Matthew Delicate and McColm Cephas of the Richmond Kickers Future.

"We have a good mix of youth and experience," says Kickers Head Coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "We have a lot of players who want to win a championship... Not making the playoffs last year definitely motivates us. The way we finished the last ten games last year is the way we want to start the first 10 games this year."

To fill the void left by the departed players, Charleston has signed defender Nick Downing from the Portland Timbers, midfielder Justin Evans, defender Michael Green and forward Aleksey Korol from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and defender Ivan McKinley, a former MLS standout.

"Whenever you start with a new team there is some apprehension that you may not repeat," says Battery Head Coach Chris Ramsey, who points to players' skill and mental stamina as main issues in the quest to replicate last year's success. "We have to get the new players to perform."

The Battery signed forward Greg Simmonds from the Kickers to replace last year's scoring leader Josh Henderson, who is not on the playing roster at this time.

"Henderson is currently making a life-decision," comments Ramsey. "We have Greg Simmonds, so we don't feel like we've lost any firepower. It's always a blow to lose players you consider to be talented. But we don't want to look back."

The two franchises each have a storied history, as both are USL Hall of Fame 10+ Clubs. They have competed in the same league for nine of the past 11 years and have always been in the same conference or division. However the two teams have met just once in postseason play, when the Kickers used a 3-1 second leg victory to edge the Battery 4-3 on aggregate in 2002.

The Battery got their revenge in 2003, holding a 2-1-1 edge over Richmond in the season series and winning the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference on their way to capturing the A-League Championship. It was their first championship trophy since winning the Pro League (now Pro Soccer League) in 1996.

Richmond is the only USL team to ever capture the 'double' after winning the both the Premier League and the U.S. Open Cup in 1995. Charleston and Richmond both moved up to the A-League when it merged with USL in 1997. The Kickers hold a slim 14-13-2 record overall over Charleston. This is the second year in a row that these two teams have squared off to open the season, with the Battery taking a 2-0 decision in Richmond in 2003.

"We are two teams that begin training early and are ready to play games early," says Cowlishaw. "It's a great rivalry. They are the reigning champions and playing them is always a challenge. They won two from us last year, so we'll be trying to change that this season."

Tune into the Charleston Battery Webcast at 6:45 pm

http://www.charlestonbattery.com/webcast.asp

2... 2004 A-League Preview

Every Game Matters...

Sixteen teams will take to the field in 2004 with one thing in mind... that every game matters. With 28 regular season games on each schedule and only four postseason berths per conference up for grabs, each game takes on even more importance. The 2004 field is slated to be the most competitive in league history with the off-season alignment changes.

Six teams are gone from 2003 with three joining in their place. Expansion clubs in Calgary, Edmonton and Puerto Rico are looking to erase memories of the departed. The Charlotte Eagles and Pittsburgh Riverhounds took a step back to the Pro Soccer League. The Indiana Blast and El Paso Patriots dropped to the Premier Development League while Cincinnati and the previous Calgary club were dissolved. The six departing clubs combined for a record of 48-103-19 last year with Pittsburgh posting the only winning record at 15-9-4.

Four of the five returning non-playoff teams posted double-digit wins in 2003, with the Portland Timbers and Richmond Kickers also sporting winning records.

Western Conference

Calgary Mustangs: It's a new beginning for A-League soccer in Calgary. The newly-minted franchise will play the majority of their home matches at McMahon Stadium. Thomas Niendorf, who led the Calgary Storm to the PDL final in 2001, will take the helm.

Edmonton Aviators: Another expansion franchise, the Aviators will field teams in both the A-League and the W-League. The teams will play in beautiful Commonwealth Stadium. The highlight of the Aviators' player signings so far is 2001 A-League Defender of the Year Rick Titus, formerly of the Charleston Battery.

Milwaukee Wave United: During the off-season, Milwaukee signed forward Johnny Torres to a year-round (indoor and outdoor) deal. Torres previously played for the Minnesota Thunder, where he knocked the Wave United out of the 2003 playoffs on the strength of two goals, one in the second leg and one in series overtime.

Minnesota Thunder: After several years of being located in suburban Blaine, MN, the Thunder will be heading to new digs in St. Paul at James Griffin Stadium. The move should have a positive impact on the Thunder's attendance as they move closer to their fan base. Former Indiana Blast midfielder Godfrey Tenoff will take the field for the Thunder in 2004.

Portland Timbers: The Timbers return an almost identical roster to the one that amassed a 15-11-2 record in 2003. Seven of the team's 11 losses came by just one goal.

Seattle Sounders: Seattle has signed former Major League Soccer All-Star Welton Melo. ‘Welton', as he is commonly known, made his mark during the formative years of MLS before going abroad. Last season, Welton played in the Norwegian First Division.

Vancouver Whitecaps: Vancouver made some waves when they signed Martin Nash away from the Montreal Impact and Andrew Gregor from Western Conference-rival Seattle. The Whitecaps will look to take the next step as they have come very close to a good post-season run in the last two seasons, having been knocked out in series overtime (vs. Milwaukee, 2002) and penalty kicks (vs. Seattle, 2003).

Eastern Conference

Atlanta Silverbacks: The ‘backs are looking to recover from a dismal 2003 campaign with the signing of former MLS MVP Alex Pineda-Chacón. The MLS scoring champ in 2001 while with the Miami Fusion, Pineda-Chacón was a member of the Honduran National Team for more than 10 years. He was the MVP of two Gold Cups (1993, 1996).

Charleston Battery: The Battery will sport a lot of new faces in 2004, as seven of the 16 players that appeared in last years final are gone. Nick Downing from the Portland Timbers, Justin Evans, Michael Green and Aleksey Korol from the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Ivan McKinley from MLS are just a few of the recent addition to Charleston's roster.

Montreal Impact: Last year's Coach of the Year Bob Lilley has left the Impact, leaving new head coach Nick DeSantis to try to improve on last year's 16-6-6 record. The Impact won the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference, but lost in the first round of the playoffs to divisional rival-Rochester. During the off-season, Montreal signed two former Toronto Lynx players in defender Mauricio Vincello and 2002 Rookie of the Year Niki Budalic.

Puerto Rico Islanders: The Puerto Rico Islanders will begin play during the 2004 season. The first team to be based off of the continental United States since the Hawaii Tsunami (1994-96), the Islanders will be the highest level of professional soccer in the Federation of Puerto Rico Football.

Richmond Kickers: The Kickers welcome two former players back to the midfield in MLS veteran Richie Williams (1993-1995) and David Hayes (2002). The pair will take the place of U23 US National Team standout David Testo, who is on loan to MLS' Columbus Crew. Richmond also signed Virginia's State College Player of the Year Matthew Delicate, a two-year forward for the PDL's Richmond Kickers Future.

Rochester Raging Rhinos: Ground has broken for Rochester's Pae Tec Park, and it's set to open in 2005. The Rhinos raided the A-League Champion Battery, signing midfielder Ryan Trout and defender John Wilson. They also signed Chris Carrieri, formerly of MLS' Colorado Rapids. Carrieri, the top pick in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft, was in the top five in MLS in assists in 2003, with eight.

Syracuse Salty Dogs: Syracuse snagged two-time A-League Defender of the Year Scott Schweitzer in a trade with the Rochester Rhinos. The Salty Dogs posted 11 wins in their inaugural season.

Toronto Lynx: The Lynx looked to shore up both their offense and defense during the offseason, signing forward John Barry Nusum and goalkeeper Bryheem Hancock from the Atlanta Silverbacks.

Virginia Beach Mariners: Virginia Beach returns their leading scorer from 2003 in Roland Aguilera. Aguilera tied for fifth in the league with 29 points (10g, 9a) while Dante Washington notched an 18-goal season, which catapulted him into third in the league (37 pts, 18g, 1a).

Off the field, many clubs will be looking to build on a fantastic 2003. The new Edmonton and Puerto Rico clubs have created a lot of excitement and could see outstanding attendance right from the start. Four clubs surpassed an average attendance of 5,000 last season with Vancouver nearing that mark in just their first year under new ownership. Rochester led the league yet again with over 10,000 fans per game. Montreal's new management has guided its numbers to over 7,000, while first-year club Syracuse nearly reached that same plateau. Portland continued to do well with nearly 6,000 people regularly attending Timbers matches. The league average also increased for the fourth consecutive season.

"We are expecting a fantastic season both on and off the field in the A-League this year," says USL's Chief Executive Office Dave Askinas. "It looks like it will be a very open race for the title once again."

The 2004 season kicks off when the A-League Champion Charleston Battery head to Richmond to take on the Kickers at 7pm this Saturday, April 17th.

USL First Division Stories from April 16, 2004

• 2004 A-League Season Opens Saturday - USL-1
• Lynx Kick Off Season This Weekend - Toronto Lynx
• Battery Opens 2004 Campaign in Richmond - Charleston Battery

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