PDL Preview
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
The Southwest Division has seen a number of top players emerge and move on to the professional ranks in recent years, with the Ventura County Fusion’s Gabriel and Michael Farfan now with the Philadelphia Union and Gyasi Zardes joining the LA Galaxy this offseason. The Fusion are the defending division champions, and they were joined in the playoffs a season ago by newcomer FC Tucson, who were impressive in their debut.
BYU Cougars – BYU has had some good preseason results, defeating a number of local colleges as it prepares for its opener. The side returns Jace Green, who led the team with six goals a season ago, while goalkeeper Brian Hale and forward Garrett Losee, who had five goals and four assists a year ago, are also expected to return.
FC Tucson – With a new stadium on the way, set to be completed in November, things are moving forward strongly on and off the field in Tucson. Some players have moved on, Reid Schmitt and Donny Toia signing with USL PRO’s Phoenix FC, but returning to the side is 2012 All-Conference selection Conor Spence, who appeared in all 16 regular-season games last year. He is joined by Aaron Long, who had a goal and three assists last season.
Fresno Fuego – The Fuego finished third in the division a year ago, but have a good core returning led by the attacking duo of Paul Islas and Tyler Reinhart. Islas had seven goals and four assists for the Fuego last summer, and he is joined by midfielder Robert Garcia, who had five goals. Defender Edinson Gonzalez, who finished second to Islas with 1,208 minutes in 15 appearances, is also back to anchor the club’s defense.
LA Misioneros – The Misioneros made a marked improvement under their new identity in 2012, and they will try to build on their fourth-placed finish of a year ago this summer. To help them achieve that, former Chivas USA supplemental draft pick Jose Diaz has joined the squad, while the side is also hopeful of big things from Nigerian striker Kyrian Nwabueze. Angel De Alba returns after making 14 appearances to lead the club’s defense as it tries to reach the playoff for the second time.
OC Blues Strikers FC – After finishing in last place a season ago, the former Pali Blues have nowhere to go but up this season. Among the new faces hoping to help the Strikers achieve that are UCLA goalkeeper Juan Cervantes, who appeared in five games for the Bruins as a freshman last fall, and defender Patrick Matchett. Also joining the side is the UC Irvine duo of Enrique Cardenas and Marco Franco, who will look to shore up the club’s defense.
Southern California Seahorses – The Seahorses struggled defensively a season ago, and it took a toll on their finish in the division as they claimed just three wins last summer. Among those who will be looking to turn things around are Kelvin Fares, a 6-foot-3 defender who started 17 games for Vanguard University as a freshman. Alex Anderson of California Baptist is also set to join the side after scoring nine goals and adding five assists last fall.
Ventura County Fusion – The division champion also made a run to the third round of the U.S. Open Cup a season ago, and appears to have another strong squad as it looks to reach the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season. Some have moved on, such as Zardes and Travis Bowen to USL PRO’s Phoenix FC, but players such as Jack Avesyan and Hagop Chirishian, who both spent last season with the Wilmington Hammerheads in USL PRO, will add experience to a group that also contains UC Santa Barbara’s Ema Boateng, who is coming off a freshman season that saw him score four goals and add four assists for the Gauchos. Sam Hayden also returns in goal after making seven appearances a season ago.