TACOMA, WA – (club release) Today the Premier Development League released the league schedule for the 2014 season. Over a two-month span from May 16th to July 16th, the Sounders U-23 will play a 14 match Northwest Division schedule covering over 400 miles as they compete for their second division title in three seasons. In addition, the Sounders U-23 will play three exhibition matches to prepare for the tough PDL season.

2014 Sounders U-23 Schedule

New in 2014:

The Sounders U-23 will open the 2014 regular season on the road against PDL newcomers, Lane United FC, on Friday, May 16th. “The Reds” will represent the Eugene/Springfield area in Oregon, providing a new road destination for the Sounders U-23 and the rest of the Northwest Division returners. On June 20th, the Sounders U-23 will play host to LUFC at Sunset Stadium.

There’s no place like home:

The Sounders U-23 will host eight matches in 2014 at four different sites, from Tumwater to Tukwila. Five home matches will be played at Sunset Stadium in Sumner, while the other three will be split between Tumwater District Stadium at Tumwater High School, Curtis High School, and Starfire Sports Stadium.

The Tumwater game:

For the third season in a row, the Sounders U-23 and the Portland Timbers U-23 will face off in Tumwater. The rival sides will meet at a pivotal mid-season point on Sunday, June 15th at 2:00 p.m. Hosting the Timbers U-23 in Tumwater is a great way to showcase two top PDL sides for Olympia area soccer fans.

The rivalry is real:

In an eight-team division, every game can seem like a rivalry. However, for the Sounders U-23 there are a handful of standouts. At the top of the list are the same Cascadia rivals as the Sounders FC first team: Portland Timbers U-23 and Vancouver Whitecaps U-23. Last season the three squads finished second through fourth in the final standings, with the Sounders on the short end, missing out on the post season by one spot.

Unique to the Sounders U-23 is their rivals on the peninsula, the Kitsap Pumas. Last season the two sides faced each other twice scoring a combined 12 goals that ended in two 3-3 draws. Lastly, you can count on a hard fought matchup every time the Sounders U-23 take on the Washington Crossfire. Last summer the Sounders won two of their three contests over Crossfire, with late game goals in each for two narrow 1-0 victories. Their final matchup was played on a blistering 90 degree day in Redmond, and ended in a 3-3 draw.

What’s at stake?

Once the dust has settled in mid-July and all teams have carried out their 14 matches, the top three points-earning sides will have an opportunity to compete for the PDL Western Conference title, and then possibly on to the PDL national final four. The first place finisher in the Northwest Division will automatically head to the Western Conference Final Four, while the second and third place teams will face each other in a single play-in game for the other spot in the conference final four.

Single game tickets and your 2014 Season Tickets Flex Pack are on sale at soundersU23.com.

Sounders FC U-23

The Sounders FC U-23 (est.2012) competes in the United Soccer League’s Premier Development League (PDL). The Sounders FC U-23 are independently operated from the Seattle Sounders FC, under the ownership of Lane Smith and Cliff McElroy, with minority owner, Mike Jennings. The club is officially operated with a marketing, branding, and naming affiliation contract with the Seattle Sounders FC. The Sounders FC U-23 franchise has developed more than 13 professional players since the club’s establishment in 2012.

PDL NEWS RELEASE: Friday, January 31, 2014

PDL Alignment & Schedule Announced

League’s 25th season opens May 3

TAMPA, Fla. – The PDL released its 2014 alignment and schedule today, with the 448-game regular season getting underway on Saturday, May 3. Among the exciting developments for the PDL in 2014 is the addition of a pair of MLS-affiliated clubs.

A total of eight new teams have joined the PDL for 2014, with the Montreal Impact U23 and San Jose Earthquakes of MLS leading the trend of professional clubs placing teams in the PDL. A pair of USL PRO clubs also have added to their developmental structure for 2014, with the Cincinnati Dutch Lions (Dayton Dutch Lions) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds U23 also making their debuts.

The Albuquerque Sol F.C. and Las Vegas Mobsters continue the PDL’s expansion push in the southwest U.S., while Floridians F.C. joins the Southeast Division and Oregon-based Lane United FC joins the Northwest Division.

The defending PDL champion Austin Aztex open their 2014 season when they welcome the Houston Dutch Lions to House Park on Saturday, May 10. The regular season runs through Sunday, July 20, with the playoffs – featuring 19 teams – slated to kick off the following week. The 2014 PDL Championship presented by Nike will once again feature the four conference champions with the host to be determined.

Several teams have announced name changes including F.A. Euro (F.A. Euro – New York Magic), the Midland/Odessa Sockers (West Texas Sockers), NJ LUSO Parma (NJ LUSO Rangers) and Puget Sound Gunners FC (North Sound SeaWolves).

PDL clubs will again play 14-game schedules in 2014, seven home and seven away.



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2014 PDL Schedule / Alignment

The PDL will feature 64 teams in four geographic conferences and 10 divisions, with the Mountain Division added to the Western Conference following the additions of Albuquerque and Las Vegas. The Eastern and Western conferences feature three divisions while the Southern and Central contain two divisions each.

Several divisional alignment shifts have seen the Chicago Inferno join the Heartland Division, the Mississippi Brilla join the Mid South Division, the Northern Virginia Royals join the Mid Atlantic Division, the River City Rovers join the South Atlantic Division and the Westchester Flames join the Northeast Division, while the BYU Cougars, FC Tucson and the Real Colorado Foxes join the new Mountain Division.

YouTube Live will serve as the official video platform for the PDL in 2014. Live games from throughout the league as well as team highlights and weekly league videos will provide fans a front row seat during the season. Select games will be available live for fans to view for free on the largest global video sharing site. Some of the features YouTube Live will present to fans during live games include DVR, chat, full HD support, and social media interactivity. Fans are encouraged to subscribe for free to the team-specific YouTube channels. Please visit http://www.uslpdl.com/teamdirectory/pdl/index_E.html for links to team accounts.

PDL

The top developmental men’s league in North America, the 2014 PDL features 64 teams within four conferences throughout the United States and Canada. The PDL season consists of 14 regular season matches for each team, seven home and seven away, and provides elite collegiate players the opportunity to taste a higher level of competition while maintaining their eligibility. In addition to league play, PDL teams compete in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as various exhibitions. The PDL has proven to be an important stepping-stone for top professionals now playing throughout the world.