 | |||
| Full name | West Virginia United | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 | ||
| Stadium | Cougar Field at Capital High School Charleston, West Virginia | ||
| Owner | Joe Johns | ||
| Head Coach | Daniel Smee | ||
| League | USL League Two | ||
| 2023 | 4th, South Atlantic Division Playoffs: DNQ | ||
| Website | Club website | ||
West Virginia United (formerly West Virginia Chaos and West Virginia Alliance FC) is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia. Founded in 2003, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The West Virginia Chaos joined the PDL in 2003, but suffered a disappointing first season, ending in 6th and last place in the Mid-Atlantic Division with a 2–14–1 record; their only wins came over Greenville Lions in May, 1–0 off a goal by Stuart Bracher, and over the Columbus Shooting Stars in June, 3–2 with goals by Thomas Whittaker, Benjamini Chavolla and Hans Schubert.
2004 saw an improvement in form, with four wins on the season, but the team still finished last in their division, behind Chesapeake Dragons on goal difference, and 21 points behind league leaders Carolina Dynamo. The Chaos actually started the season on a positive note, winning three of their first four games (3–1 over Chesapeake Dragons, 4–0 over Raleigh CASL Elite and 1–0 over Williamsburg Legacy), and played out an astonishing 10-goal game against Carolina Dynamo in which Chaos's Shaun Oliveira scored a hat-trick but still ended up on the losing side. However, the Chaos suffered a dramatic downturn in form as the season progressed, suffering a 6–1 thrashing by Chesapeake Dragons, and three consecutive 4–0 losses to Raleigh, Williamsburg and Richmond Kickers Future.
2005 was much of the same; a disappointing series of high-scoring losses peppered with one or two impressive wins left them Chaos fifth of six in the mid-Atlantic, with 5 victories on the board, but a much too leaky defense. The highlight of the year was a dramatic come-from-behind 4–3 victory over Richmond Kickers Future on the final day of the season, with the winning goal being scored by striker Stanton Smith. Unfortunately, too many losses kept Chaos from progressing much further – Carolina Dynamo beat them 4–0 in mid-May, Augusta FireBall put six past them in mid-June, and Williamsburg Legacy out-shot them 5–2 at the end of June. Stanton Smith was the Chaos's top scorer, with 4 goals for the season, while Shaun Oliveira contributed 5 assists.
There wasn't much of a change in Chaos's fortunes in 2006, as for the fourth consecutive year they finished outside the playoffs – although the team did pick up six wins, their highest annual victory tally to date. Despite failing to put together a winning streak at any time in the year, Chaos did enjoy some encouraging results: they hammered Northern Virginia Royals on the road in early June off a brace by David Lilly and, most impressively, beat divisional champions Virginia Beach Submariners 3–2 on the final day of the season, with two goals by Karim Boukhemis. Unfortunately, Chaos continued to be weak at the back, with Raleigh Elite, Atlanta Silverbacks U23's and Virginia Beach Submariners all putting four or more goals past them.
However, as encouraging as 2006 was, 2007 was – at the time – the worst season in Chaos's history. They picked up just three wins all year and finished dead last of the 9-team Mid Atlantic Division, 34 points behind champions Hampton Roads Piranhas. The single bright spot of an otherwise dismal season was the 3–1 victory over Northern Virginia Royals at the end of May; elsewhere, however, Chaos suffered defeat after defeat, and having to endure a 7-game winless streak until the final game of the season, when they bested new boys Fredericksburg Gunners 3–2. Chris Whalley, Stanton Smith and Chad Duernberger were the Chaos's top scorers, netting 13 of their 20 goals between them.
Chaos's poor form continued on into 2008, despite transferring from the Eastern Conference Mid Atlantic Division to the Central Conference Great Lakes Division, and despite hiring a young, talented head coach in the shape of Englishman Luke Ibbetson. Chaos endured a demoralizing 14-game winless streak from the beginning of the season through to mid-July, during which they picked up just 5 points from five tied games. They lost 3–0 to eventual division champs Michigan Bucks, were overpowered 5–0 by Cleveland Internationals, and suffered another 5–0 defeat, this time to Indiana Invaders at the end of June. They even managed to let winning positions slip, conceding two late goals in their tie with Chicago Fire Premier; their single victory came in the penultimate game of the season when – out of the blue – they annihilated Fort Wayne Fever 5–0 in front of a set of home fans who had waited three months for a victory. Ultimately, however, Chaos finished the season rooted to the bottom of the division, a full 31 points behind Michigan, and the overall fifth-worst team in the country. That the three players tied at the top of the goalscorers list – Matthew Clare, Luke Ibbetson and Avneet Shergill – scored just two goals, each correctly highlighted the team's main problem.
2017 signals change for the Chaos. Having made the transition to the Great Lakes Conference in the Central Division of the PDL, the Chaos look to build a culture of success and professionalism within the club, led by former player and new head coach, Luke Duffy.
In 2018, the Chaos organization combined with the youth teams of Charleston FC in Charleston, WV, and Fury Soccer Club in Morgantown, WV to form the West Virginia Alliance. [1]
Charleston FC was rebranded as FC Alliance South, whereas Fury Soccer Club will become FC Alliance North. The Chaos will operate under the same branding for the remainder of the 2018 PDL season, then become the West Virginia Alliance. [2]
In 2021, they renamed as West Virginia United. [3] Under new leadership, their form improved drastically, finishing 3rd in the South Atlantic division and qualifying for the playoffs for just the second time, (their first since 2014).
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Virginia Chaos | |||||
| 2003 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2004 | 4 | USL PDL | 6th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2005 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2006 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2007 | 4 | USL PDL | 9th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2008 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Great Lakes | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2009 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2010 | 4 | USL PDL | 7th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2011 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, South Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2012 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, South Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2013 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, South Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2014 | 4 | USL PDL | 1st, South Atlantic | Conference Finals | did not qualify |
| 2015 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, South Atlantic | did not qualify | 2nd Round |
| 2016 | 4 | USL PDL | 7th, South Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2017 | 4 | USL PDL | 3rd, Great Lakes | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| West Virginia Alliance FC | |||||
| 2018 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Great Lakes | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2019 | 4 | USL League Two | 5th, Great Lakes | did not qualify | did not qualify |
| 2020 | 4 | USL League Two | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||
| West Virginia United | |||||
| 2021 | 4 | USL League Two | 3rd, South Atlantic | Conference Quarterfinals | did not qualify |
| 2022 | 4 | USL League Two | 2nd, South Atlantic | Conference Semifinals | did not qualify |
| 2023 | 4 | USL League Two | 4th, South Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify |
Marty Martinez (2005–2007)
Luke Ibbetson (2008) Chris Whalley (2009) Adam Mitchell (2010–2014) Richard Wall (2016) Luke Duffy (2017)
Romain Folz (2018) Daniel Smee (2019–)
Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html Archived 2010-01-05 at the Wayback Machine .
Northern Virginia FC is an American soccer club from Leesburg, Virginia competing in USL League Two, USL W League, Eastern Premier Soccer League and the Major Arena Soccer League 3.
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league features 122 teams for 2023, split into eighteen regional divisions across four conferences. USL League Two is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
The Long Island Rough Riders are an American soccer team based in South Huntington, New York, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
Chicago Fire U-23 was an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team last played in the PDL, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. They last played in 2016, choosing to leave the PDL.
Augusta FireBall United, more commonly known as simply Augusta FireBall, was the American soccer team from Augusta, Georgia, founded in 2005. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.
Ocean City Nor'easters is an American soccer team based in Ocean City, New Jersey. Founded in 1996, the team currently plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The Virginia Beach Piranhas were an amateur American soccer team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2006 as the Virginia Beach Submariners as part of the development system of the now-defunct USL First Division franchise, the Virginia Beach Mariners, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. From 2007 to 2010 the team was known as the Hampton Roads Piranhas.
Delaware Dynasty was an American soccer team, founded in 2006. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.
Paul Kenneth Dalglish is a Scottish former professional footballer.
The 2006 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June through September, open to all soccer teams in the United States.
The 2004 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June through September, 2004, open to all soccer teams in the United States.
The 2003 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup ran from June through October, 2003, open to all soccer teams in the United States.
Jersey Express was an American soccer team based in Springfield, New Jersey. Founded in 2007, the team played in the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Prior to the 2011 season the team was known as Newark Ironbound Express. The team's colors were white, Emerald and Gold.
Atlanta Silverbacks U23’s was an American soccer team based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.
The 2012 USL Premier Development League season was the 18th season of the PDL. The regular season began on 22 April with a match between the Los Angeles Misioneros and Fresno Fuego, and ended with 14 matches on 15 July 2012. The regular season was followed by a postseason tournament of conference winners which determined the league's champion, Forest City London. Thirteen teams were added to the league and 4 teams dropped, bringing the total number of teams in the league to 73 for 2012.
The 2013 USL Premier Development League season was the 19th season of the PDL. The regular season began on May 4 with 3 matches and ended on July 21 with 9 matches. The regular season was followed by a postseason tournament of conference winners to determine the league's champion. Four teams were added to the league and 13 teams dropped, bringing the total number of teams in the league to 64 for 2013.
Rob Vincent is a former English footballer. He is also a coach at the Pittsburgh Riverhounds Academy.
The 2014 USL Premier Development League season was the 20th season of the PDL. The regular season began on May 3 and ended July 20. The regular season was followed by a postseason tournament of conference winners to determine the league's champion. Seven teams were added to the league, bringing the total number of teams in the league to 64 for 2014. The Austin Aztex were the defending champions.
North Carolina FC U23 is an American soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. It was founded in 2002 as the Raleigh Elite, and the current affiliate of North Carolina FC, a third division club in the United Soccer League. The team plays in USL League Two, and previously in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). The team was known as the Cary Clarets in 2008 and 2009; and went dormant for a year in 2010. As a member of the USASA League, the then-Carolina RailHawks U23's took the Men's Region III Championship in 2011, 2012, and 2013 and won the U-23's National Championship in 2011 and 2013. The team's colors are navy blue, gold, and cardinal red.
Marcelo Palomino is an American professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder for Superettan side AFC Eskilstuna.
| Eastern Conference |
|  | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Conference |
| |||||||||||
| Southern Conference |
| |||||||||||
| Western Conference |
| |||||||||||
| Seasons |
| |||||||||||
| Miscellaneous | ||||||||||||
