USL-1 North Carolina FC

Carolina RailHawks Announce 2009 USL-1 and Fox Soccer Channel Schedule

Published on January 23, 2009 under USL First Division (USL-1)
North Carolina FC News Release


Cary, NC (Friday, January 23, 2009) -The Carolina RailHawks, under the direction of the United Soccer League's D-2 Coach of the Year, Martin Rennie, will open their USL-1 season at home against the Minnesota Thunder on Saturday, April 11, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. and close the season Friday, September 18, when the Montreal Impact visit WakeMed Soccer Park. This was announced by The United Soccer Leagues today together with the alignment and the schedule for the 2009 USL-1 season.

Coach Rennie, who led Cleveland to the USL D-2 Championship last season, is putting together an exciting team, featuring several marquee international players. Many of his player signings will be released in the coming weeks.

The fifteen home games will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park and are included in the "All-Inclusive" Season Ticket Package. Individual tickets for the USL games will go on sale through the RailHawks newest ticketing partner, ETix, in early March.

Set to kick off with 11 teams, including the expansion Austin Aztex and recently-promoted Cleveland City Stars, the USL First Division will again see each team play 30 matches with three against each opponent. The season will come to a close September 20 with seven teams advancing to the postseason. Not returning to the USL First Division are the Seattle Sounders (MLS expansion) and the Atlanta Silverbacks.

The biggest change will be the expansion of the two-leg, aggregate score series format, used in earlier rounds in USL-1 since 2000, to the USL First Division Championship. It will mark the first time the format will be used for a top-level US-based league since the North American Soccer League's 1970 season.

The USL also announced the 29-game Fox Soccer Channel lineup that will include 22 USL-1 matches and seven playoff and championship games. The RailHawks will be on Fox Soccer Channel on May 22, when they visit the Cleveland City Stars, May 29, when they host Cleveland and July 17, when the 2008 USL-1 Champion Vancouver Whitecaps travel to WakeMed Soccer Park.

Fox Soccer Channel's schedule also includes the championship games for the W-League (August 7), Premier Development League (August 8) and USL Second Division (August 29). The schedule concludes with second leg matches from the USL-1 Quarterfinals and Semifinals and both legs of the USL-1 Championship. The 2009 campaign will mark the eighth straight year USL's top league will be featured on America's premier soccer network.

The Carolina RailHawks' 2009 season ticket drive is in full swing with the "All-Inclusive" package, that includes the Major League Soccer exhibition against the New England Revolution on March 14, 2009, as well as other packages tailored to every soccer fan's needs. For more information contact the LGFCU Box Office at 919-859-KICK (5425) or visit www.carolinarailhawks.com.

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USL First Division Stories from January 23, 2009


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