The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) has officially announced that there will be a Northwest Conference of the big national league. SO Samba FC of Hood River Oregon are joining the NPSL, and according to a press release from that club’s owners, “SO Samba is so pleased to be a founding member of the new Northwest Conference.We are exceptionally proud of our region and our new team. The Northwest is fertile ground for soccer; both the players and the fans are crazy about the game.”

This weekend the league is scheduled to announce two teams in Oregon, SO Samba FC, and Spartans Futbol Club (Portland / Vancouver metro area.) They are still working on a third from the Beaver state that may or may not eventually join.

Meanwhile in Washington there have been various moves going on behind the scenes to get two teams into the division. One of the Washington clubs has been very active and is setting itself up to make a splash, once they are given the green light to officially announce. We’ve learned that team is the former Rairdon.com, owned by Victor Perez.

goalWA.net has been reporting on their efforts to join the NPSL for a few weeks now. Perez has been sharing his movements through social media. They include a visit to the Renton City Hall, a tour of Renton Stadium, and the likely hiring of a former USL Sounder as head coach. Further, the Renton team plans to have a name-the-team contest to let fans pick the final name of the team.

Another source says that the other Washington team in the NPSL is likely to be Inter United FC, a club with an African flavor that could play out of south Seattle, Tukwila, or even Shoreline.

NPSL Commissioner Michael Hitchcock is expected to visit the region near the end of December to meet all of the owners and officially launch the conference.

Projected 2014 NPSL Northwest Conference

SO Samba (Hood River, Oregon) —announced

Spartans Futbol Club (Portland / Vancouver) —announcement 12/7

Renton club (Renton, Washington) — announcement coming

Inter United FC (Tukwila or Shoreline, Washington) — in negotiations

Portland club (a possible second Portland-area club) —in negotiations

About the NPSL

The NPSL is a national league that operates in the 4th Division of the U.S. Soccer pyramid. NPSL teams are eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup through their affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA). The NPSL is the fastest-growing national soccer league in the U.S., operating in 70+ markets across the country. Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls, operate U-23 squads in the NPSL.



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