History
On October 4, 2023, the United Soccer League announced that the city of Lancaster, California, had been awarded a USL League One expansion team which would start play in the 2025 season. John Smelzer, an entrepreneur who worked with the United States Soccer Federation for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, was announced as founder and president. [1]
On May 16, 2024, Brian Kleiban was announced as the team's inaugural head coach. Kleiban had held coaching roles with FC Barcelona, Los Angeles FC and Chivas USA. [2]
The club's name — AV Alta FC — and logo were unveiled on May 17, 2024. [3] Former U.S. international and Major League Soccer player Miguel Ibarra, who hails from the area, was announced as the club's first player on December 9, 2024. [4]
In their first match in club history, the club lost to the South Georgia Tormenta FC 2–0 away. [5] However, in their inaugural match in both the U.S. Open Cup and at the Lancaster Municipal Stadium, AV Alta won 3–1 over the Ventura County Fusion, with Jerry Desdunes scoring the first goal in club history. [6]
Club identity, crest and colors
The club's official name, crest and colors were unveiled in front of thousands of fans in Lancaster on May 17, 2024. [7] "AV" is a common local nickname for the Antelope Valley, while "Alta" is meant to allude to the region's location in the high desert, its ties to the aerospace industry, and to Alta California, the region's name prior to California statehood.
The club's official colors are referred to as Joshua Green and Desert Sand, the former in reference to the abundant Joshua trees in the area. The shape of the crest is meant to resemble a California poppy, while the angled font of the "AV" at the center of the crest was inspired by angular shape of the B2 stealth bomber.
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