NASL North Carolina FC

South Korean Professional Soccer Team Coming to Train and Play at WakeMed Soccer Park

February 11, 2015 - North American Soccer League (NASL)
North Carolina FC News Release


Cary, NC (February 11, 2015) - The 7th Annual Hilton Garden Inn Durham Southpoint Community Shield Match will see Seoul E-Land FC journey to WakeMed Soccer Park on Sunday, March 8th to face the RailHawks. Kickoff for the Community Shield Match is set for 3:00pm ET. Tickets are currently on sale.

"We are looking forward to this game. This is a high-profile international game very early in the season for us and it will give us a good test," said RailHawks Head Coach Colin Clarke. "It's never easy to start this early in the season, but I feel very comfortable with the new signings because we reached the targets we had ahead of the season."

The RailHawks and Seoul E-Land FC have a direct connection through former RailHawks coach Martin Rennie. He coached the RailHawks from 2009 to 2011. Rennie led the RailHawks to an amazing 2010 season, in which the RailHawks had the best overall record in the league and made it to the championship game. In 2011, the team finished first in the standings during the NASL regular season.

"Martin Rennie was successful with the RailHawks in the past because he coaches the right way, so I'm sure this will be a competitive and fun game to watch," said Clarke.

In 2012 Rennie left the RailHawks to coach MLS' Vancouver Whitecaps. In July of 2014, Rennie was appointed as Manager of Seoul E-Land FC.

"I am really looking forward to coming back to WakeMed Soccer Park to face the RailHawks. I had three wonderful years coaching the RailHawks and I met many friends who I look forward to seeing when I return," said Rennie. "The RailHawks are one of the premier franchises in North America and I know that being hosted by the RailHawks will ensure that my new team, Seoul E-Land FC, will be well taken care of. I also know that spending time in the Triangle will be a great experience for my staff and players."

Rennie said he enjoyed playing against the RailHawks twice before in preseason games when he was the coach of the Vancouver Whitecaps and knows his team will experience soccer at its most competitive level by facing a team like the RailHawks.

"In the last few years the RailHawks have had big wins against MLS teams in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the team continues to be seen as one of the best and most talented in the NASL," said Rennie.

This match is a unique opportunity for the soccer fans in the Triangle to see a top-level professional team from South Korea, which has a population of over 10 million people. Seoul E-Land's notable players include former Vancouver Whitecaps and FC Edmonton defender, Carlyle Deon Mitchel and former Real Salt Lake and San Jose Earthquakes forward, Ryan Johnson.

The 7th Annual Hilton Garden Inn Durham Southpoint Community Shield Match against Seoul E-Land FC will be included in the RailHawks Season Ticket Package. RailHawks 2015 Individual Game Tickets and Ticket Packages are currently on sale and can be purchased by calling the Johnson Maserati Box Office at (919) 459-8144 or by clicking here. Individual game tickets start as low as $11. For more information on Season Tickets and Flex Plans, visit www.carolinarailhawks.com. Keep up with all RailHawks news by following them on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

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