USL PRO Season Preview
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Since the announcement of their official partnership a little less than two months ago, the wheels have been fully in motion for the Richmond Kickers and D.C. United.
While the two clubs previously held a working relationship, with United players Ethan White and Long Tan spending time in Richmond a season ago, the new agreement which resulted from the new initiative entered into by USL PRO and Major League Soccer in January, is set to benefit both clubs as they strive for success in their respective leagues.
For the Kickers, who have a storied history that includes victory in the U.S. Open Cup in 1995 and three USL Championships, 2013 begins a new and exciting chapter in the club’s history. To begin the process of fostering the relationship between the two clubs, Kickers Director of Soccer and Head Coach, Leigh Cowlishaw, spent time in Florida with United Coach Ben Olsen and his staff, observing practices and matches as the club competed in the Disney Pro Soccer Classic in February.
“It’s been fantastic,” Cowlishaw said of the experience. “You get a front-row seat, and they’ve been very welcoming, we’ve been part of everything, so we’re just learning as much as possible, taking in as much information as possible, and trying to make sure we’re both on the same page moving forward. It’s been extremely beneficial.”
In addition to Richmond, the Harrisburg City Islanders, Orlando City and Rochester Rhinos have also entered into partnerships with MLS clubs this season, with Coaches Bill Becher, Adrian Heath and Jesse Myers all making the same visits to their MLS counterparts as Cowlishaw this preseason. The most immediate impact for the four USL PRO teams will be on the field, where they will receive a minimum of four players from their affiliate for the season. Orlando was the first club to announce its additions last week, with Richmond, joining them on Tuesday with the addition of Casey Townsend, Connor Shanosky, Taylor Kemp and Michael Seaton to their squad.
For the Kickers, the additions will add to a strong returning squad as the club aims for a 10th consecutive playoff appearance this season. Henry Kalungi, who this week was again called into Uganda’s national team squad, David Bulow and William Yomby are among the returnees, giving Cowlishaw the challenge of finding the chemistry needed to compete at a high level from the start of the season.
“It’s always exciting to be able to have players available to your squad that you know are of the highest level,” Cowlishaw said. “It’s certainly going to cause us challenges as well, because we have to try and now mix a nucleus of players into a more flexible arrangement. Certainly, there will be some players long-term, but also there would be some players coming back and forth I would imagine, so we have to try and jell that together over the long-term, but I think we can. I think we have some fantastic facilities, some great coaching, we’ve got a great field, and I think we’ll have a very successful season.”
From United’s end, the new partnership offers opportunities to find playing time for players such as Seaton, who at 16 years old recently signed as a Home Grown Player after starring for D.C.’s Academy program, and will enter his first professional season in an environment that will offer him the chance to develop alongside seasoned professionals while getting regular first-team minutes.
Olsen is eager to see how the new relationship with the Kickers develops this season, and how his players perform at the USL PRO level.
“We’re excited about having a partnership with Leigh and the Kickers,” Olsen said. “We believe in what they’re doing, they believe in what we’re doing, I think it’s a healthy relationship and we’re going to help each other down the line to make both programs better.
“We’re going to have guys down there, we’re going to have guys from Richmond come up with us and train when we need numbers, I think it’s very healthy. I like that our reserve guys can get real games with a real crowd in games that actually mean something.”
That level of competition, and the heightened environment of USL PRO that sees teams competing week in and week out for a chance at the playoffs and a championship, is expected to help refine loan players’ games. It will also, of course, give players currently in USL PRO a chance to be scouted regularly by MLS teams, and create a path such as the one forged by Sporting Kansas City’s Mechack Jerome (Orlando), Chivas USA’s Carlos Borja (LA Blues) and the Philadelphia Union’s Sheanon Williams (Harrisburg).
“If I’m a kid coming out of college and I have the chance to play and hopefully make the jump to MLS, I think that can only help the individuals get minutes, and it can only help the teams that they’re going to,” said the Charleston Battery’s Nicki Paterson, who spent this preseason with the New York Red Bulls after a standout 2012. “Seeing the way it works in baseball and hockey, where guys get sent down and get brought up, it’s a two-way street. If someone for Richmond’s doing well, there’s every chance D.C. will have a look at them.”
Add in the academy players who will get the opportunity not only train with their USL PRO counterparts this season, but have the opportunity to compete thanks to the league’s new academy player rules, and Cowlishaw sees the Kickers offering opportunity to players at a number of different levels.
“Our younger professional players certainly are trying to get in the shop window and impress,” Cowlishaw said, “and some of our younger academy players may get the opportunity to train this summer, so we’re very excited for all of our players.”
As with any new partnership, Richmond and D.C. are expecting bumps in the road as the two teams continue to get a feel for the way the other operates. In the long-run, however, the partnership seems set to provide both clubs with a platform that will allow both clubs to grow.
“This is a big first step for the league, and for American soccer, and each year it’s going to get better,” Olsen said. “We’ll just have to find out how quick this starts to roll.”