TAMPA – The penultimate day of the 2006 United Soccer Leagues Men’s Player Showcase presented by UMBRO consisted of two 70 minute, full-sided affairs in which the elite prospects at this event can distance themselves from the rest of the pack. Beginning at 8:30 AM, players competed in the first of two 11 v.11 matches. The backbone of the showcase focused on each participant’s ability during live match situations.
“USL has done a good job of creating a professional environment here,” said Minnesota Thunder Head Coach Amos Magee. “Every coach in USL First Division wants to get better, and at this showcase you have guys who made sacrifices just to get here. For a guy to come down and pay money to try out, pay money to fly down – you know already they are serious about the game. You know they will work hard to make your organization better, and for that we are prone to liking them already.”
Players broke for lunch following the morning games. They returned for their second match of the day between three and seven in the afternoon.
“This is another step USL has taken to provide advantages for their clubs,” said Vancouver Whitecaps Assistant Coach Mike Toshack. “Every club has basic needs from one year to the next as far as personnel. This is a good time to see the best Premier Development League guys under one roof. You want to see guys in game situations and a competitive atmosphere. Here, you have both.”
“Being the first year for an event like this, USL did a great job putting everything together,” added Portland Timbers Assistant Coach Gavin Wilkinson. “It is a fantastic event from our perspective. The U.S. is just a huge country. It is impossible to see all the talented players. The fact that we can see a lot of them in one place should raise the standard of USL First Division soccer.”
Tomorrow will conclude the four day showcase with the last of three 70 minute matches. Players arrive at the fields at either 8:45 or 10:30 for their final chance to impress the scouts and coaches from over 50 organizations who attended the 2006 USL Men’s Player Showcase presented by UMBRO.
About USL Player Showcase Presented by UMBRO Beginning in 2006, United Soccer Leagues created the USL Player Showcase as a way to further the careers and playing opportunities of amateur athletes in the Premier Development League. Spearheaded by PDL Director Lee Cohen and former Professional player Vicente Bastidas, the combine attracted roughly 500 applications from players all over the world looking to be seen by North American based clubs. After narrowing down the applications to 192 of the top unsigned candidates available, USL welcomed over 50 coaches and scouts to their home in Tampa, Florida for the inaugural four day event.
The USL Player Showcase presented by UMBRO kicked-off on Sunday, December 17. The opening days of the first-time event were well-received by all English Premier League, Major League Soccer, and USL First and Second Division clubs in attendance. Looking to the future USL plans to upgrade and continue this thriving event in 2007 in hopes to raise the stature of soccer in North America and abroad.
