VSI Tampa Bay FC

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VSI Tampa Bay FC
VSI Tampa Bay FC logo.jpeg
Full nameVisionPro Sports Institute Tampa Bay Football Club
Nickname(s)Flames
Founded2011
Dissolved2013
Stadium Plant City Stadium
Plant City, Florida
Capacity6,700
General ManagerAlex Miranda
Head Coach Joel Harrison
League USL Pro

VSI Tampa Bay FC was an American soccer team based in Plant City, Florida. They played in USL Pro, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid, in the 2013 season. VSI Tampa Bay FC were owned by VisionPro Sports Institute and were affiliated with a women's team in the W-League, an amateur team in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in the Super-20 League. [1] All the teams folded in 2013.

Contents

History

In 2011, English soccer development academy VisionPro Sports Institute announced a venture to establish a soccer organization in the United Soccer Leagues in the United States. VSI partnered with the local Brandon, Florida area youth soccer organization, West Florida Flames, to build VSI Tampa Flames, "the perfect platform for vertical progression, giving talented youngsters the opportunity to progress from junior soccer all the way through to the professional game," according to VSI's CEO, Simon Crane. [1] The USL Pro team was to serve as the pinnacle of the youth pyramid for men; the club also included a women's team in the W-League, an amateur team in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in the Super-20 League. The W-League, PDL, and Super-20 League teams started play in 2012, while the USL Pro team was to join in 2013. On November 22, 2012, the team changed its name to "VSI Tampa Bay FC" and named Matt Weston as the head coach. [2] [3]

Their first game was played on March 30, 2013, losing to Phoenix FC 1–0. [4] They defeated the Los Angeles Blues 1-0 for their first win on April 2, 2013. Antonio Neto scored the first goal in team history. [5] [6]

VSI Tampa Bay chose Plant City Stadium as their home venue on April 4, 2013, moving all the teams there. [7] Matt Weston resigned as Head Coach on May 8, 2013, and Joel Harrison was named as Interim Head Coach. [8]

While the W-League and PDL teams had been successful in 2012, the USL Pro team struggled throughout its only season. The remote stadium in Plant City made it difficult to attract fans, and the team suffered from competition from the more successful Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League. The organization folded all of its teams after the 2013 season. [9]

Final roster

No.PositionPlayerNation
1 GK Alex Horwath Flag of the United States.svg  United States
2 DF Jamie McGuinness Flag of England.svg  England
3 DF Bitielo Jean Jacques Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti
4 MF Antonio Neto Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
5 DF Troy Cole Flag of the United States.svg  United States
6 DF Kyle Hoffer Flag of the United States.svg  United States
7 MF Douglas Dos Santos Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
8 DF Alex Freitas Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
9 FW Andriy Budnyi Flag of Ukraine.svg  Ukraine
10 FW Karamba Janneh Flag of The Gambia.svg  Gambia
11 MF Tony Donatelli Flag of the United States.svg  United States
12 MF Christian Silva Flag of the United States.svg  United States
13 MF Sébastien Thurière Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti
14 DF Richard Dixon Flag of Jamaica.svg  Jamaica
15 MF Darren Toby Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago
16 MF Dominic Cutrofello Flag of the United States.svg  United States
17 MF J. T. Noone Flag of the United States.svg  United States
18 DF Sean Reynolds Flag of the United States.svg  United States
19 GK Jeremy Crumpton Flag of the United States.svg  United States
20 MF Shawn Chin Flag of the United States.svg  United States
21 MF Jarod Stigall Flag of the United States.svg  United States
22 FW Sallieu Bundu Flag of Sierra Leone.svg  Sierra Leone
23 FW Mauricio Salles Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
24 DF Josh Rife Flag of the United States.svg  United States
25 MF Chad Burt Flag of the United States.svg  United States
26 DF Cheyne Roberts Flag of the United States.svg  United States
00 GK Dave Martin Flag of the United States.svg  United States

Staff

Team Records

Year-by-Year

YearDivisionLeagueRegular season (W-T-L)PlayoffsOpen CupAvg. attendanceTop scorerGoals
2013 3USL10th (9-5-12)did not qualify2nd Round452 Flag of Brazil.svg Mauricio Salles 10

Head coaches

All time VSI Tampa Bay FC Coaching Stats
CoachNationalityStartEndGamesWinLossDrawWin %
Matt Weston Flag of the United States.svg  United States November 2012May 20137520071.43
Joel HarrisonFlag of the United States.svg  United States May 2013August 2013194105021.05

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "VisionPro Academy Headed to Tampa". United Soccer Leagues (USL). November 16, 2011. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved August 14, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Weston joins VSI Tampa Bay FC". VSI Tampa Bay FC. November 22, 2012. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  3. ↑ "VSI Tampa Names Weston As Coach". United Soccer Leagues (USL). November 21, 2012. Archived from the original on December 27, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
  4. ↑ "VSI Falls in First Road Match". VSI Tampa Bay FC. March 31, 2013. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  5. ↑ "VSI Captures First Franchise Win Over LA Blues". VSI Tampa Bay FC. April 3, 2013. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Sports Digest". tampabay.com. April 3, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  7. ↑ "VSI Tampa Bay FC announces 2013 USL Stadium Venue". VSI Tampa Bay FC. April 4, 2013. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved April 4, 2013.
  8. ↑ "VSI Tampa Bay Announces the Departure of Coach Weston". VSI Tampa Bay FC. May 8, 2013. Retrieved May 9, 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. ↑ Domingo, Odeen (November 17, 2013). "USL PRO to see teams fold; MLS to field squads; new team partnership". odfcnews.com. Retrieved June 25, 2014.
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