SEATTLE, WA — (press release) The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) (wiki) is proud to announce that a team in the Seattle area will be joining the league as an expansion team. They will begin play in the new Northwest Conference of the West Region in 2014.

“We’re excited to welcome our first Washington club to the NPSL as part of the newly formed Northwest Conference,” NPSL Commissioner Michael Hitchcock says. “They are bringing NPSL soccer to one of the true soccer hotbeds in the U.S. They share the NPSL vision to growing the game in our communities while providing opportunity for local players to develop at a high level. It’s exciting to see the NPSL continue to expand its presence in the Northwest.”

The club, which will get its name through a community campaign, is led by Owner/President Victor Perez, Senior Vice President of Operations Craig Tomlinson, and Vice President of Operations Aaron Johnson.

“Already knowing the passion and what soccer means to fans of Seattle and the Northwest, we expect to bring a high level of talent that will compete every game and continue to raise the level of play in the NPSL,” Johnson commented.

Perez has devoted his time to raising the level of soccer in the Seattle area, launching his first club soccer team in 2002. He is also the founder of Rairdon FC, which has been one of the most successful amateur clubs in the state of Washington. Rairdon has won ten titles since 2008 and competed in USASA Region IV National Cup the past two years.

Tomlinson, a former Jamaican National Team player, is no stranger to the Pacific Northwest thanks to nine seasons with the Seattle Sounders. His electrifying play led the Sounders to a regular season title, two national titles, and multiple appearances in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals and semifinals. “The Speedster” was also a star in the college game with Central State University, Fresno State University, and Ohio State University, finishing his playing career in 2011 after additional stops with the North Sound Seawolves, Wichita Wings, Nashville Metros, and Tennessee Rhythm FC.

Johnson spent two years playing collegiate soccer before joining the Seattle Wolves FC for four seasons. He would later join the PASL with the Snohomish Skyhawks and Arlington Aviators, spending another four seasons in the national indoor league. He would finally finish his playing career with Rairdon FC, helping the team to ten championships.

“Ours goals are to build a strong foundation with the community and we expect to create a competitive soccer organization that will compete for a Northwest Conference title,” Johnson concluded.

The club is partnering with goalWA.net to allow the community to help name the NPSL team.

www.SeattleNPSL.com / Facebook

Seattle joins ASA Charge (Gambrills, MD), Del Rey City SC (Los Angeles, CA), Spartans Futbol Club (Portland,OR/Vancouver,WA), SO Samba FC (Hood River, OR), FC Carolina Discoveries (Rock Hill, SC), BCS United Clash (Bryan-College Station, TX), Minnesota United FC Reserves (Blaine, MN), Greater Lowell Football Club (Lowell, MA), Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves (Atlanta, GA), NPSL Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach, VA), FC Bordo Saint Louis (St. Louis, MO), PA West Soccer (Pittsburgh, PA),Gate City FC (Greensboro, NC), Nashville Atlas FC (Nashville, TN), Virginia Legacy (Williamsburg, VA), Cincinnati Saints (Cincinnati, OH), Flower Mound FC (Flower Mound, TX), Temecula FC (Temecula, CA), Storm FC (Broward County, FL), and Lansing United (Lansing, MI) as expansion clubs for the 2014 season.

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. Two Major League Soccer (MLS) clubs, D.C. United and the New York Red Bulls, operate U-23 squads in the NPSL.