Wave United to hold invitational tryout and combine
March 17, 2004 - USL First Division (USL-1)
Milwaukee Wave United News Release
(Milwaukee, WI) Over the next month the Milwaukee Wave United will be looking to add to its 2004 roster as over 70 players from around the world will visit the Brew City in an effort to gain a contract with the Wave.
"I feel the timing of our tryouts is great," said Wave United Head Coach Art Kramer. "Many of the MLS teams have just completed their final cuts. If you hold your tryouts earlier in the year you may not get the opportunity to see veteran free agent players compete against some of the top player's right out of college who become available at this time of the year."
The first group of participants will start training Wednesday, March 24 and conclude their tryout with a tournament in Madison, Wisconsin on Sunday, March 28. The arch-rival Minnesota Thunder will also be participating in the tournament.
Included in this group of approximately 30 players will be Wave draft choices Nino Marcantonio and Branko Savic. Marcantonio is a left sided midfielder who led the University of Maryland in assists the past two seasons. Savic is a 28-year old Croatian who starred the past few seasons at Lindenwood University in St. Louis.
There will also be a group of local players that are quite capable of making the squad. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee will be represented by midfielders Bobby Lish and Kyle Lance. "I enjoyed watching Bobby Lish and Kyle Lance play this season at UWM. They were key contributors to Coach Louie Bennett's team and I feel they have the potential to play at another level," said Kramer. University of Wisconsin Oshkosh will send All-American Derek Kasten, and UW Parkside will be represented by senior Arne Barez.
The second group of players will compete April 5th thru 9th in the Wave's first annual indoor/outdoor combine. "We received over 100 applications from players throughout the world. From those applications we have invited 40 players that we feel may have the potential to make our squad," said Kramer.
Kramer was extremely busy in the off-season attending the A-League Operational Meetings in Florida in December and then scouting players at the InfoSport combine in Cocoa, Florida and the MLS combine in Los Angeles. "I've come to the conclusion we are loaded with talented players in this country. I wish we had the ability to sign 50 players to contracts."
Wave United kicks-off the 2004 A-League season on Friday, May 14, 7:05 PM when it hosts the Edmonton Aviators at Uihlein Soccer Park. Coach Art Kramer's team, which finished the 2003 campaign with the league's best regular season record (18-10-0, 54 points) will once again feature most of the current Wave indoor squad during the upcoming campaign. Call the Wave / Wave United Office at 414-224-WAVE (9283) for tickets or more information or visit www.milwaukeewaveunited.com.
USL First Division Stories from March 17, 2004
- Wave United to hold invitational tryout and combine - Milwaukee Wave United
- Richmond Kickers Acquire Norkus and Simms - Richmond Kickers
- Thunder doubles school day games in '04 - Minnesota Thunder
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