Lions, Eagles and Rhinos.. Oh My!

United Soccer Leagues announced their USL Pro 2011 regular season schedule today.  The league will consist of 15 teams with the Charleston Battery pairing up with familar foes, Charlotte and Richmond while meeting Wilmington Hammerheads for the first time in league play.  The Battery will also face new comers the Orlando City SC, Dayton Dutch Lions and FC New York amongst others.

According to sources, The preparation of the rumored 16th team didn't met the USL standards for the 2011 season and they were told to wait until 2012.

The league is divided into three conferences;  National, American and International.

The Charleston Battery will belong to the American conference along with Orlando City SC, Charlotte Eagles, Richmond Kickers, and Wilmington Hammerheads. 

The National conference consists of Rochester Rhinos, Harrisburg City Islanders, FC New York, Dayton Dutch Lions, and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

The International Conference will be made up of three teams from the island of Puerto Rico,  River Plate PR, Puerto Rico United, and PR Sevilla FC as well as the Antigua Barracudas and the LA Blues.

The regular season will run a total of 24 matches, 12 at home and 12 away.  The post season format is set to be released in the upcoming weeks.  The Battery kicks off the season at home April 9 against Charlotte Eagles and ends the regular season August 12 against the Eagles at home as well.

Here is a quick look at the Battery schedule. 
Home games

Saturday, April 9 Charlotte Eagles 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 30 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 7:30 PM
Friday, May 13 FC New York 7:30 PM
Tuesday, May 24 Richmond Kickers 7:30 PM
Saturday, May 28 Harrisburg City Islanders 7:30 PM
Friday, June 17 Dayton Dutch Lions 7:30 PM
Saturday, June 25 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 7:30 PM
Friday, July 1 Puerto Rico United 7:30 PM
Saturday, July 9 Orlando City 7:30 PM
Thursday, July 14 Wilmington Hammerheads 7:30
Saturday, July 30 Rochester Rhinos 7:30 PM
Friday, August 12 Charlotte Eagles 7:30 PM

Six Saturday night, four Friday night matches and two games midweek. Not as many Saturday night matches as last season but there has been some rumors of a TV deal with FSC once again this season.  If it is handled like it has been in the past, those televised matches were on Friday nights.  EDIT:  An email release from the Battery Front Office contained a chart of the Battery Schedule the letters "TV" next to two matches, the July 1st match against Puerto Rico United and the season finale on August 12 against Charlotte.  Set your DVRs!

Away games

Saturday, April 16 Dayton Dutch Lions 7:30 PM
Saturday, April 23 Richmond Kickers 6:30 PM
Friday, April 29 Charlotte Eagles 7:00 PM
Friday, May 6 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 7 Rochester Rhinos 7:00 PM
Saturday, May 21 Wilmington Hammerheads 7:30
Friday, June 3 FC New York 7:30 PM
Saturday, June 4 Harrisburg City Islanders 7:00 PM
Thursday, June 9 Sevilla FC Puerto Rico
Saturday, June 11 Puerto Rico United 8:30 PM
Saturday, July 23 Dayton Dutch Lions 7:30 PM
Saturday, August 6 Orlando City 7:35 PM

Only one trip to Puerto Rico for the Battery with one match on Thursday and the second on the Saturday over June 9 -11.  There are also two back to back matches on the road.   The first is May 6 against Pittsburgh and May 7th against Rochester.  The second is June 3 against FC New York followed by June 4 against Harrisburg City Islanders. 

Overall the it looks like an exciting schedule with the Battery playing most teams twice.  The exception being no matches against LA Blues, Antigua or River Plate PR.  The Battery also plays Charlotte three times, twice at home and once on the road.

Look for information about a bus trip to Wilmington on May 21 with the possibility of other as well. 

Creating flags and banners

With two months until the Carolina Challenge Cup, it is the perfect time to create you own banner or flag. As we mentioned in an earlier No Quarter entry, here are a few basic tips to get you started.

The Idea

The age old adage of K.I.S.S. (keep it simple stupid) is the best motto. A simple short phrase or logo is the best. I start with an idea and then use Photoshop or hand sketch and then scan the picture to get a basic design laid out. For example, I used the crossed cannons from the Battery logo in a few of my designs. Simple, relevant and easily recognizable. On one design I added a skull above the cannons as a take off the classic Jolly Roger design which has gone on to be used on T-shirts as well as a two-pole banner.

Materials

Pretty much any fabric will work. Cotton or cotton blends probably are the best for the paint but tend to get a bit heavy if they get wet. Plastic tarps don't work too well as the paint flakes off and they only come in limited colors. The best paints are cheap acrylic paints. They are waterproof and while will dry a bit "stiff" will still work just fine on banners. When I designed the bar flags, I used 100 foot rolls of plastic table cloth material that I bought at a party supply store for less than $15.00 a roll. I then cut yellow and black pieces about two foot long and taped them together with black duct tape in alternating colors to give a black, yellow, black pattern that is about six foot long and about 4 foot high (that was the width of the roll, no need making more work for myself!)tape that to a five or six foot length of PVC pipe. I have a flag that cost about $2.00 each and took about 5 minutes to create.

The Work

Now comes the tricky part. Putting those great ideas onto the banner. Ideally you would have a large area in a climate controlled area to work, but anywhere will really do. Access to a computer hooked up to a projector will make the transfer of the design a lot simpler. Just trace the design onto the fabric with a pen. An old school overhead projector would work fine as well but you will have to print out your design onto a transparency. If you really want to kick it old school, free hand your design onto the fabric.

Start painting your design using a variety of size brushes. Start on the edge with narrow brushes and use larger brushes or rollers on the bigger areas.  Make sure you put your new banner somewhere where it will have plenty of time to dry before it starts to rain or the where the neighbor's cat won't walk over it.

Finishing It Up

Now that its dry, you need to figure out how to display it come game time. Depending on it size, you might be able to use a two pole design. Make a sleeve on either side by either using liquid stitch or if you can, sewing a seam up the side and leaving it large enough for a pole. I use PVC pipes for poles because they are cheap and easy to find. A larger banner you might add some grommet holes so you can tie it up with zip ties or string. Even duct tape works well if it isn't too wet out. Blackbaud stadium is pretty open to bringing in flags or banners, as long as you don't hit the ticket takers in the head with the poles trying to get through the turnstiles (sorry who ever that was!) and be mindful of waving a flag in front of other fans. Or to be safe, come on over to E10 where flag waving is welcomed.

All this seem to much work? The Battery Proshop sells a a great two-side 3'x5' Charleston Battery flag that has a sleeve ready for a pole.

Here are a couple instructional videos from the good folks in Toronto. You may have seen many of their banners during the last couple Carolina Challenge Cups. In fact if you watch the second video you will see one of them wearing a Battery jersey and showcasing the scarf banner in section E01 at Blackbaud stadium.

Got an idea, but are stuck? Leave a comment and well do our best to help. We also have a tentative plan to have a banner making BBQ one afternoon come closer to March.

Women's team coming to Columbia

While not officially announced yet, the Central SC Cobras have put all the wheels in motion to compete in the USL W-league for the 2011 season. 

Based in Columbia, South Carolina, the Cobras have been working hard throughout 2010 to make the team a reality.

Several details, such as stadium location and player selection, are still being worked out but they have set up the front office personnel and have established a color scheme and crest, shown at the left.

The Cobras will most likely be put in the W-league's Atlantic Division, playing against the Atlanta Silverbacks, Charlotte Lady Eagles, Hampton Roads Piranhas, Northern Virginia Majestics and the Tampa Bay Hellenic. Typically, the W-league season runs 10 to 12 games.

You can follow them on facebook Central SC Cobras and check out their website for more info.

No Quater will continue to update you as well!  Good luck ladies!

USL Wraps up Annual General Meeting

The USL wrapped up the Annual General Meeting down in Tampa, Florida this past weekend.  The Battery twitted that a tentative schedule has been made and to expect an exciting season.  Several other tidbits of information came out of the meetings via the USL Press Release .

First it looks like there will be 16 teams in USL Pro.  Officially USL has only announced 13 of those teams; Antigua Barracuda FC, Charlotte Eagles, Charleston Battery, Dayton Dutch Lions, FC New York, Harrisburg City Islanders, Orlando City SC (formally Austin Aztex) , Pittsburgh Riverhounds, Richmond Kickers, River Plate Puerto Rico, Rochester Rhinos, Sevilla FC Puerto Rico , and Wilmington Hammerheads.  But rumors on the www.bigsoccer.com point to another team from Puerto Rico joining, Puerto Rico United.

the other two team aren't as clear but the signs point to two new expansion teams.  Ft. Lauderdale in Florida and Pali Blues in LA, California.  Ft. Lauderdale is rumored to actually be the Haitian national team.  The natural disasters the island country has suffered over the last couple years has left no infrastructure for the players or organized soccer.

The Pali Blues rumor comes from a blog posted a month or so ago by someone in the organization claiming they were to be the new coach of the expansion team.  If they are indeed one of the three remaining teams,  it opens up the issues of travel from one side of the country to the other.  Hopefully the team can afford the travel.

The regions and schedules will be released in December according to the press release.

The release tells us that there will be 24 regular season matches, four more than last season for Battery fans.  Playoffs format will also be released in December.

There was also representation from several possible expansion teams at the meetings.   Look for a 20-24 team league in 2012 with interest coming from the Mid-west and West coast.

Well pass along the details as we get them.

2011 USL Player Combine at Blackbaud Stadium once again

The USL has once again chosen the Charleston Battery and Blackbaud stadium to host the 5th annual USL Player Combine between January 20-23.

Over the last couple years, No Quarter has watched a few of the training sessions and matches.  While most players are looking to catch the eye of several coaches and team representatives that attend,  we just like to go to see some future stars and see who is there looking at the potential talent.

A couple years ago, Tommy Heinemann it was at the combine that he attracted the attention of the Battery.  Heinemann had a very successful 2010 season with the Battery, being named co-MVP of the 2010 USL2 Champions match and with the Carolina Railhawks, scoring six goals in just 12, including a vital last-minute goal that knocked the Montreal Impact out of the playoffs.

For more information on the USL Player Combine and how to apply, please read the Press Release.

No Quarter plans on bringing a report from the combine and hopefully some insight to the players, coaches and representatives attending.

Wilmington Likely to Return!

Looks like Charleston will pick up another local rival and competitor for the Southern Derby Cup for the 2011 USL Pro season.

Reports from both WECT TV and Wilmington Star News are saying that the Wilmington Hammerheads will likely return in 2011. 

Official word is likely to come out later this month,  in No Quarter's opinion, most likely before or during the USL Pro league meetings which are schedule for around November 18. 

The club also looks like it will retain the Hammerheads name and will retain its logo and color scheme.

Wilmington historically has been a tough team, qualifying for the playoffs 9 out of 13 years of their existence, winning the 2003 USL D3 championship and averaging close to 3000 fans a match.

Battery Looking for Players

The Charleston Battery announce three sets of player trials; open trials are Dec 10-11 and  Jan 28-29.  the invite only trial is Feb 18-19.

The trials are well run and several other clubs are often invited in to scout players as well. 

For more information and details on registration., check out the Battery website

Charleston Battery Website

No Quarter will do it's best to bring you details from the trials, so keep watching this space.

One on One with....Tom Heinemann

Affectionately nicknamed “the Beast” by Battery fans, Tommy Heinemann’s beard, shaggy locks and size, as well as his physical play, gives him the look of wild-man or a medieval barbarian.  In reality, the 6’4’ forward is more of a gentle giant, a religious man with a big smile.  Tommy was joint MVP in the 2010 USL2 Championship match and had a great season with the Charleston Battery.  The pairing of Heinemann’s physical and holding presence, along with league MVP Lamar Neagle’s pinpoint accuracy and nose for goal, gave the Battery one of the deadliest strike partnerships in recent years. 

As the USL2 season ended, the Carolina Railhawks were looking at Heinemann to bolster their offensive as they push for a USSF Division 2 championship. 

“I spoke with Auggie (Coach Mike Anhaeunser) at the end of the year and he told me that Carolina had expressed interest to the club about me. So, we just took it from there,” Heinemann told No Quarter. “I had heard great things about Martin Rennie, the coach for the Railhawks, as well as great things about the organization. We also played against them two times this year, once in the preseason and once in the open cup. After playing against them, I felt like I could fit into their system and be effective.”

So far he has been effective, scoring four goals in seven appearances for the Railhawks.

His game has been steadily improving since becoming a pro and joining the Battery two years ago.  But it started much earlier.

“I started playing soccer at age 4 for a local recreational team,” said Heinemann.  “I started playing select soccer at age 9.  I liked to run around a lot when I was a kid, and soccer fit the bill for that!”

He went on to play college soccer at Rockhust University where he was named to the NSCAA/NCAA Division II Men’s All-America Team as a sophomore and as a junior.  He also played PDL with the St. Louis Lions, where he scored 35 times in 36 games over three seasons with the Lions.  Heinenmann came to Charleston after a successful showing at the USL Men’s Player Showcase in 2008.

Heinemann like many professional athletes, counts his family as having a big part in his success.  ” My support that I have received from my family is so huge in my life,” said Heinemann.  “Knowing that they support me in all I do goes such a long way.  When I spoke to my immediate family during my last semester of college about trying to play professional soccer and foregoing my MBA (I was on a five year masters program), I was a bit nervous as to what they would say, but not to my surprise they jumped right on board and supported me in that.”

“They knew that was my dream,” he continued.  “To this day, I don't think they understand how much their support means to me.”

Nearly 50 Regiment and other Battery fans made the trip up to see the Battery play Charlotte in late July this past season.  At that match, Tommy had requested 18 tickets for his family and friends. 

“They are so freaking loud at the games!  I am sure you can attest to that,” joked Heinemann.  “They were hilarious at the Charlotte game. They are such a fun bunch.”

Heinemann also credits his past coaches and the big man upstairs.  “Jim Garvin, Tony Glavin, and Tony Tocco have coached me, trained me, and equipped me with the tools I need to play the game. I am very thankful for them.  Most importantly, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” continued Heinemann. “He has blessed me with the opportunity to play soccer professionally and is the only reason I am in the position I am today. All my credit and glory goes directly to Him as He has guided me throughout the course of my life.”

Heinemann scored eight goals and seven assist in 25 games for the Battery this season.  He was named co-MVP in the 2010 USL2 Championship match.

“The last two years in Charleston have been great! Charleston is such a beautiful city to live in and to play in,” said Heinemann.  “The Battery are a very stable organization that has helped me along in the early stages of my career. I have really learned how to be a professional off the field, as well as tons of things from a playing perspective.”

“This year was such a fun year, winning the Championship,” he continued. “Every player on our team did an outstanding job and it was a complete team effort all year long. The final was just evidence of that. I was really proud to be a part of such an exciting and hard working team.”

When asked who his dream side would be to play for would be “Liverpool,” laughed Heinemann.  “I know, I know, they are sucking right now, but they are my team through thick and thin!”

So what will 2011 bring for Heinemann?  “I am not sure at this point,” said Heinemann.  “I am just trying to take it one step at a time and focus on the task at hand here in Carolina (winning a title). Charleston is a great city and a great organization and I really enjoyed playing for the Battery, but for now, I just need to take it one step at a time.”

One thing is for sure, if Heinemann keeps scoring and starting for Carolina, he will have plenty of opportunities next season and “No Quarter” wishes him the best of luck but the selfish part of us would love to see him back at the ‘Baud in the Yellow and Black for next season.

Where Are They Now....Oct 3...

This weekend was the final week of the regular USSF D2 action.  And across the pond, IFK Mariehamn continues to fight against relegation in the Finish league.

Tommy Heinemann scored his fourth goal in six matches Friday night for the Carolina Railhawks.  A powerful shot that Austin Aztex keeper got a hand to but couldn't keep from trickling across the goal line.   Carolina won the NASL conference and will take on the NSC Minnesota Stars in a home and away playoff series starting on Wednesday in Minnesota.

Mayard still is looking to open up his goal tally in Montreal.  Montreal start their playoff run playing Ian Fuller and the Austin Aztex in Montreal on Wednesday as well. 

In Finland, Lamar Neagle scored a goal in IFK Mariehamn's 2-1 defeat against MyPa on Saturday.  IFK sit four spots above the relegation zone with two games remaining in the regular season.

Battery "Very Happy" with USL Restructure

The Charleston Battery ended any speculation about its 2011 season plans with its official announcement to join USL's restructured USL PRO league recently.

No Quarter caught up with Charlestonn Battery President, Andrew Bell to talk about what fans can expect in 2011.

No Quarter:  Was the Battery happy with the USL decision to merge its professional leagues?

Andrew Bell:  " Very Happy.  We've been an advocate of this for awhile; I think it's the only model that makes sense for soccer below MLS.  If you look at the history of USL we are essentially moving back to the model that was in place back in the late '90s and it was incredibly successful (I think there were 30 teams in the league in 1999!)  Once the decision was made to switch USL1 to a single table we started to see a very high level of franchise attrition and churn. USL PRO has the added advantage of essentially being run by the teams, all major decisions will be made by a board with each team represented.  Assuming we can continue to bring in like minded ownership groups the commonality of purpose will add tremendous value to the league."



NQ:  Will the decisions of that board include expansion teams.

AB:  "Yes, it's my understanding that the board's responsibility will include expansion."


NQ:  Have you heard anything about new clubs or teams moving up from PDL to join USL PRO?

AB:  " I know that it is a strong possibly but I can't comment on other teams that might participate.  I think the next couple of years we will see the league grow very quickly; the challenge is going to managing that growth."


NQ:  Tim Holt mentioned in a recent press release that there could be up to "four regional divisions" in 2011.   Has there been any hint as to which regions those division might be and who the Battery might be aligned with?

AB:  "It's my understanding that the regions will become clear once the participating teams have all been announced."


NQ:  Do you have any idea what that timeline might be?

AB:  "I would hope everything is clear before the AGM in November."



NQ  Any chance we might see the Wilmington Hammerheads return in 2011?

AB:  "I would love to see a team back in Wilmington sometime soon;  there is no doubt that it is a great market for a team at this level."


An article out of Wilmington went to press the same time we were putting together this interview.  The article explains the Hammerhead situation and hope of bringing back the team.

Ex-owner trying to get Hammerheads back


NQ;  I know the Battery season just finished, but things have got to be moving onto next season already.   Can we expect the Carolina Challenge Cup in March again?  How about another great exhibition with another EPL team?

AB:  "We are working on the Carolina Challenge Cup and will hopefully be able to announce the participating teams a little earlier this year.  We are definitely interested in bringing over an EPL side for another exhibitions next summer; hosting Bolton Wanders was great all around experience."


NQ:  Can we expect a similar length season in 2011 as we had in 2010?

AB:  "Yes, I would expect a similar length of season but again it's my understanding that this well be decided by the Board of Governors."

Thanks Andrew for taking the time to talking to us.


Additional news.

The NASL bid to USSF mentioned in the last article on No Quarter has been submitted.  Here is an interesting quote from an article on Inside Minnesota Soccer:

The Rochester Rhino's are conspicuously absent from the NASL bid even though team owner Rob Clark has a multi-year commitment to the NASL.  Clark was contacted several times today for comment but did not return the calls.  Clark has admitted to attending the USL PRO meeting in Orlando in September and told IMS he was considering his options.

Read the entire article at the following link.

NASL Submits Bid for Division-2 Sanctioning for 2011

Battery Joins USL Pro

The Charleston Battery officially announced they are joining USL-Pro for the 2011 season.

Official Charleston Battery Announcement

Much speculation over which team will join the Battery in 2011 continues, mostly due to the fact that the U.S. Soccer Federation placed new stricter standards for leagues and teams applying for Division 2 status and weather or not many USL PDL teams will look to join the new regionalized league.  

Currently the NASL is the only league looking to apply for Division 2 status for 2011, but with the departure of Portland and Vancouver for MLS, the future of Minnesota, St. Louis and Baltimore in question and a few other teams not meeting some of the USSF new D2 standards, there is a possibility that USSF will not sanction NASL for Division 2.  USSF recently gave NASL an extension to the end of September to try and bolster its numbers and strengthen the finances of the teams that are currently involved in NASL's bid.

So who will the Battery be playing next season? 

No Quarter thinks we will see the return of the six USL2 teams from 2010; Richmond, Real Maryland Monarchs, Harrisburg City, Pittsburgh, Charleston and Charlotte.  The Dayton Dutch Lions announced they will join USL pro in 2011 during the summer.  Both  USL1 expansion team Orlando and FC New York look like likely candidates as well. 

The much pondered USL Caribbean region looks like it will feature Antigua, and two teams from Puerto Rico and possibly two more additional Puerto Rico teams.  Former USL1 team, The Puerto Rico Islanders announced that they would be joining NASL for 2011 shortly after the USL restructuring announcement was made.

There has been some speculation to Rochester returning to USL but recently have said they will not make a decision until after their current season is completed.

If NASL fails to secure sanctioning from USSF, that could leave several teams looking for a league and USL Pro being the a viable option.

USL2 now part of USL Pro

It wouldn't be an off season in the lower divisions of soccer without some sort of change. It looks like this one will be no different.

United Soccer Leagues announced today a restructuring plan than combines USL1 and USL2 into one league, USL PRO.  

USL Restructures Professional Division - USL

USL headquarters have confirmed that USL PRO will not be applying for official Division 2 status and that the intent of the new league is to run it regionally, much like USL2 was run this season.   

The article mention that teams involved in USL PRO in 2011 will be announced in the upcoming weeks.  But from the photo on the ULS press release, it looks like Austin, as well as last seasons USL2 teams will be part of the restructure.

It also mention that there could be up to four geographical division.  Tim Holt has mentioned the possibility of a Western Division of USL2 a couple months ago so that is one possibility.  I would imagine the primary East coast USL2 will be divided into a North East and South East (or Southern) division.  The fourth possibility is a little more elusive, possibly the Caribbean division with Puerto Rico and Antigua or even a Heartland division with teams like Des Moinse, and St. Louis Lions.

We have sent out some emails in hopes of getting some more information and will update "No Quarter" if we hear anything.