Here we are in late-February, pre-season schedules or tournaments have been announced as well as the regular season slate of matches. For some reason it seems, to my addled brain, that this is a tad earlier than we've seen schedules before. Of course, as I said, addled. Yet I digress, the point here is that we have a schedule and now is the time to start planning.
Speaking of planning, instead of just yammering off a bunch of match-ups that look great on paper, I challenged some people in the know and with varying degrees of knowledge about the USL to take a look at the schedule and pick their marquee matches for the upcoming season. A few of them were actually gracious enough to take up the challenge. So, before I dig into my top five list of highly anticipated matches let's take a look at what others are looking out for coming into the 2007 season.
Dan Gaichas (The Fire Alarm/Matchnight Chicago)
Seattle Sounders @ Vancouver Whitecaps
Saturday, April 21
Opener for defending champion Whitecaps
California Victory @ Vancouver Whitecaps
Saturday, April 28
First match for Victory
Rochester Rhinos @ California Victory
Saturday, May 12
Home opener for Victory
Vancouver Whitecaps @ Rochester Rhinos
Wednesday, May 16
Rematch of championship at PAETEC
Vancouver Whitecaps @ Montreal Impact
Friday, June 1
All-Canada matchup
Dan Barnes (uslfans.com Editor-in-Chief/Publisher)
Vancouver Whitecaps @ Rochester Rhinos
Friday, May 4
After playing solid all season and making it to yet another championship match, only to have Vancouver hammer them 3-0, this will be another exciting rematch from last season.
Rochester Rhinos @ Charleston Battery
Sunday, May 6
After losing out to Rochester in the semi's (1-0 on aggregate) after playing strong last season, and certainly with their eyes on a better performance trying to return to the championship in 2007, I would fully expect a Charleston versus Rochester match to be a must see.
Vancouver Whitecaps @ Montreal Impact
Friday, June 1
After playing through two playoff matches to a draw and having it decided in OT, I am anxious to see their first meeting of this upcoming season. Montreal will surely be looking for revenge.
Puerto Rico Islanders @ Miami FC
Thursday, June 7 (and Saturday, June 9)
These two relative newcomers (Puerto Rico's 3rd season and Miami's 2nd) have not only shown well from the start both on the field and in the stands, but bring a regional flair to the USL map that we had not seen before.
Puerto Rico Islanders @ Charleston Battery
Saturday, July 7
Another strong rivalry exists here, and any match between these two teams is guaranteed to be exciting, as their 1st round playoff matches showed last fall.
] Buzz Carrick (3rddegree.net)
Virginia Beach Mariners @ Puerto Rico Islanders
Friday, April 13
Can the Islanders compete? Hot rumor: The Islanders want into MLS.
Seattle Sounders @ Miami FC
Friday, April 27
Seattle lost its three leading scorers, Cam Weaver to Norway, Maykel Galindo to Chivas USA, and Andrew Gregor was released. Miami saw both Romario and Diego Walsh depart. Can either team recover?
Rochester Rhinos @ Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, July 14
Two teams that can make a case they belong in Major League Soccer go head to head. MLS2 anyone?
Carolina RailHawks @ Charleston Battery
Tuesday, August 14
One of the new kids gets their first taste of the coolest venue in the USL, and arguably all of US soccer, Blackbaud Stadium, in what I will be the first to call the Carolina Derby.
Montreal Impact @ Rochester Rhinos
Saturday, September 8
The two best regular season teams in 06 go head to head in the final weekend of the season. Could this be for first place?
Tim Holt (USL Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer)
Virginia Beach Mariners @ Puerto Rico Islanders
Friday, April 13th
First match of the 2007 competition - involving two teams that figure to be amongst the league's elite, as well as the return to the USL of Mariners' Head Coach Colin Clarke
Vancouver Whitecaps @ Rochester Rhinos
Friday, May 4th
Rematch of 2006 USL-1 Championship
Vancouver Whitecaps @ Montreal Impact
Friday, June 1st
2006 USL-1 Champions vs. 2006 USL-1 Commissioner's Cup (regular
season) holders, not to mention our clash between two long-time Canadian rivals
Carolina Railhawks @ Rochester Rhinos
Friday, July 6th
The first appearance as Carolina Railhawks by Chris Economides (Managing Partner) & Scott Schweitzer (Head Coach), who return to meet the franchise with which they were so successful over the past decade.
California Victory @ Carolina Railhawks
Friday, August 3rd
First meeting of the League's two expansion franchises
Now, I have to follow that? Okay, here goes, with as little homerism as I can possibly come up with:
Virginia Beach Mariners @ Puerto Rico Islanders
Friday, April 13
It's the season opener! You have to pick this one if you're a fan of the league because it means the long, cold winter is gone and the boys are back to knocking the ball around. Plus, this should be a nice indicator of where these two clubs could be headed this year. I currently have the Islanders penciled in as a darkhorse contender for the title.
Seattle Sounders @ Vancouver Whitecaps
Saturday, April 21
I can't even begin to describe how much I enjoy it when the Cascadia teams decide to take out their anger on each other. Being where I am, the Southern Derby is the big one for me, but the Cascadia rivalries are practically venomous at times especially when the games are staged at Swangard.
Carolina RailHawks @ Atlanta Silverbacks
Saturday, May 12
The 'hawks first attempt at the Southern Derby gets underway at Atlanta's place. This should be the perfect curtain raiser on this year's edition of the Derby, and in my opinion, the most promising one yet to display the best futbol out of the competition to date.
Charleston Battery @ Atlanta Silverbacks
Wednesday, July 4
July 4th matches are always ones I look forward to, as I'm sure the attendance takers also love these games. Pity it's a Wednesday this year but on the bright side, we will have these two clubs who share a like/hate relationship with each other going toe to toe.
Montreal Impact @ Rochester Raging Rhinos
Saturday, September 8
Now, I have to jump to the end of the season. It really is hard to narrow down just 5 matches when there are so many intriguing storylines for the upcoming season but this one has "#1 seed" written all over it. Buzz, Carrick not Lagos but the coach might even though we failed to ask, and I agree that this one could determine the regular season champ, although it is daunting to pick winners this early. Wait, that's never stopped me before.
Honorable mention for best set of one day matches:
Saturday, April 28
Montreal Impact @ Charleston Battery
Virginia Beach Mariners @ Carolina RailHawks
California Victory @ Vancouver Whitecaps
This Saturday at the end of the opening month features some great storylines: Montreal, one of the most dominant teams in recent memory travels to Blackbaud early in the year. The Battery look, on paper, to be a little bit down after losing some key players like Omar Daley and Gavin Glinton, but the Impact were also raided by Toronto FC. Then there's the Mariners and 'hawks - this could be the blossoming of a real rivalry for the Mariners since the Kickers stepped down to D2 last year. Last, for this Saturday, you have the debut of California who will travel to Swangard. This one has the potential to be an enlightening match, either a shocker or a demolition. Regardless, you'll want to keep an eye on it.
I have to thank Buzz, Tim, Dan G, and Dan B for taking part in this piece. It'll be interesting to see who makes the most cash for frosty beverages from this little misadventure. Hopefully we haven't completely cursed the above mentioned teams but if so, you gotta like your chances, Minnesota and Portland! While we're at it, go ahead and send me your top 5 lists and we can compare the compelling results at the end of the season.
If you're not reading Buzz's and Dan G's stuff you're really missing out on some quality stuff. Click those links by their names up there because, even though matchnight.com might be going away, it's likely that great writers and fans of the game like Buzz and Dan will continue to have their sites. So get reading and get ready for the coming season preview in which I look over teams with half complete rosters and trades, injuries and mystery loans that have yet to happen and predict who the best teams in the league will be… so you know just who not to bet the mortgage on. And, just like Tim Holt said "This just scratches the surface!!!" because it does only scratch the surface of what looks to be another exciting year around the USL.
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