NASL Tampa Bay Rowdies

Seven Players Returning to FC Tampa Bay

Published on November 9, 2010 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Tampa Bay Rowdies News Release


TAMPA, Fla. (November 9, 2010) - FC Tampa Bay confirms defender Yendry Diaz, midfielders Scott Buete, Pascal Millien, Jeremy Christie and Chad Burt, and goalkeepers Phil Lamarre and Daryl Sattler will be returning for the 2011 season. These players were signed prior to the 2010 season to multi-year contracts with the club.

FC Tampa Bay also confirmed that defenders Julian Valentin, Rob Valentino and Erik Ustruck, and midfielders Takuya Yamada and Drew Yates are now free agents.

FC Tampa Bay is close to securing a new long-term contract with Takuya Yamada and currently has an offer into Ricardo Sanchez, whose option for 2011 was declined by the club.

Quick 2010 Stats on Players:

Buete, who was sidelined for much of the 2010 season due to recurring injuries, played in six games with five starts during the inaugural season. Buete had surgery during the summer and is expected to be at full strength for the 2011 season.

Burt, a local St. Petersburg native, scored his first professional goal in one of the 14 games played in this past season.

Christie played in 11 matches for FC Tampa Bay and scored two goals. Christie also played for the 2010 FIFA World Cup New Zealand National Team, appearing in two games in South Africa. He was the only player in USSF D-2 Pro League to participate in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

Diaz played in 23 of FC Tampa Bay's 30 matches this season and scored one goal for the team. He was seventh on the team for most minutes played on the pitch.

Lamarre did not see any playing time for FC Tampa Bay during his first professional season.

Millien was the only FC Tampa Bay player to play in all 30 matches this past season, scoring one goal and two assists. He is ranked third on the squad for most minutes played. Millien also played for the Haiti National Team in the 2010 Digicel Caribbean Cup appearing in all three group matches.

Sanchez joined FC Tampa Bay in July 2010 after a trade from Vancouver Whitecaps FC. Sanchez started in all 12 matches he was available for, and ranked second on the team with five goals and 11 points.

Sattler was FC Tampa Bay's starting goalkeeper in 24 of the 30 matches with a goals against average of 1.42 and four shutouts. He was fifth on the squad in minutes played.

Valentin, captain of the 2010 FC Tampa Bay squad, played in 29 matches and was first in minutes played on the field. Valentin scored two goals during the season.

Valentino, who played and started in 27 matches, was second on the squad for most minutes played.

Ustruck played in five matches before being sidelined for the rest of the season because of a broken leg in July.

Yamada played in 29 of the 30 FC Tampa Bay matches with 25 starts and two assists. Yamada was fourth on the squad for most minutes played.

Yates played in 14 matches for FC Tampa Bay, starting in seven of those games.

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North American Soccer League Stories from November 9, 2010


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