Puerto Rico Islanders
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| Puerto Rico Islanders | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Puerto Rico Islanders Football Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Nickname(s) | Tropa Naranja (Orange Troop) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Founded | 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium (Capacity 12,500) |
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| Chairman |  Andy Guillemard-Noble |
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| Manager |  Colin Clarke |
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| League | USL First Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | in progress | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Puerto Rico Islanders is an Puerto Rican professional soccer team, founded in 2003 . The team is a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
They currently play at Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium in Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The team is currently coached by Colin Clarke. The team's colors are orange, navy blue and white.
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[edit] 2008 Squad
As of May 25, 2008
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[edit] Club History
The Islanders were founded late in 2003, although another team by that name existed several years earlier. Their first season would be the 2004 A-League season, in which they finished with a disappointing record of 5 wins, 17 losses, and 6 ties. However, in 2005 the team improved to 8 wins, 12 losses, and 8 ties, almost making the playoffs.
Historically, the team has relied largely on Argentinean, Brazilian and other Latin American nationals, although many native Puerto Ricans were in the roster in the club's first year. The team had three major Puerto Rican players in the 2005 season, namely defender Marco Vélez, and defender/midfielders Alexis Rivera and Rafael Ortiz, both of whom started 27 of 30 games. These three were supplemented by a significant foreign contingent, including Salvadoran Raúl Díaz Arce, Brazilian Mauricio Salles de Alencar, Honduran Ricardo Alcerro, and American Christopher Gores.
In 2006 the Islanders played in the CFU Club Championship for the first time, in an attempt to reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup. But fell in their second group stage game to Trinidad and Tobago champions W Connection. The Islanders have qualified for the 2007 edition of the cup by winning the Puerto Rican cup with their reserve team, the Islanders B.
[edit] USISL
In 1995, a team called the Islanders joined the USISL, now the United Soccer Leagues (USL), was founded by Joe Serralta and other Puerto Rican businessmen. The team played only four games in Puerto Rico and then folded, after an abrupt ending of that first season, Serralta decided to move the franchise to Houston, Texas, and the team’s name changed to the Houston Hurricanes.
This team marked the beginning of new era for Puerto Rican soccer. No less than ten year later Serralta came back to remake the Islanders into the current Puerto Rico Islanders FC.
[edit] 2006 Season
The Islanders opened their 2006 season with a mix of new players like Argentinian Gustavo Barros-Schelotto, Chilean Arturo Norambuena, Canadian Alen Marcina, and homegrown talent Marco Vélez, Alexis Rivera, Joshua Norkus, and American Dan Kennedy to create one of the strongest lineups in the clubs short history in a serious attempt to take the USL Div. 1 title for the first time.
Formed under the management of then head coach Jorge Alvial, the 2006 Islanders had a recod of 3-2-1 up to early June. At this time Jorge Avila put in his resignation to became a scout for the English club Chelsea. The club lumbered across the last half of the season barely making the playoffs, under the new head coach Toribio Rojas, Jorge Alvial's assisten coach. Finishing the season in 6th place and with a record of 10-10-8.
In the weekend before the 2006 playoffs the Islanders hosted Miami FC twice, who had Brazilians Romario and Zinho in their line up. The Islanders needed four points to qualify for the Playoffs. After going down 0:2 in the first half the Islanders managed to come back and win 4:2 in front of 8,600.
In the final game of the season, against Miami on September 10, 2006, attracted a record crowd of nearly 11,000 fans. A draw was sufficient for the Islanders to qualify in front of Seattle and Atlanta but early in the second half Miami took the lead. It was not until the 43rd minute of the second half that the Islanders equalized with a Arturo Norambuena penalty.
In the first round of the playoffs the team played a home-away series against the Charleston Battery. Unfortunately for the Islanders, Charleston won the series 3:2, ending the 2006 season for the Puerto Ricans.
[edit] 2007 Season
The team came into the season on a high, they had just played a preseason tournament against MLS teams and achieved very successful results. They also had signed several dangerous players like Panamanian trio Victor Herrera a Panamanian international, Gustavo Avila, and Alberto Zapata, a new goalkeeper Josh Saunders, rookie Jay Needham, plus a return of players like Marco Vélez, Petter Villegas and Noah Delgado. The squad was considered a serious contenders for the title.
After one early successes, the team took a turn for the worst. It was evident that Toribio Rojas had lost his edge and after an embarrassing 2:1 lost against bottom table Minnesota Thunder was let go from his coaching position and given the post of Youth System Director, when he left the team had a record of 1-3-3. Also attendance went down
The FO quickly found a replacement in ex-FC Dallas coach Colin Clarke, who had found himself without a job after the debacle of the Virginia Beach Mariners. He immediately establish himself as a hard and hotheaded coach. Because of the way he conducted the teams practice he was given the nickname of "El General", because he worked the team like a general would with his troops.
The rapid change was also seen on the field, first game under Clark the team beat Minnesota Thunder 2:1, just a week after it had lost against them. Clark and the Islanders turned around, even with some bad roster decisions by Clark in American Jared Montz and Jamaican Gregory Simmonds, he redeem himself by sinning players like Haitian Fabrice Noel, Englishman Taiwo Atieno and bringing Willie Sims on loan from the New England Revolution. This players had a positive impact on the squad and the team ended comfortably six on the table, to spots on top of the last playoffs spot.
The Islanders went into the playoffs with an air of confidence but facing powerhouse Montreal, passing the quarterfinals seemed very difficult. After a 2:3 lost in Montreal the team came back at home with the 3:0 victory, winning the series 5:3. In the semifinals the team face the same problem but now against regular season champions Seattle Sounders the Islanders lost at home but managed to tie the series in Seattle,[1] losing the series 4-2 in penalties.
[edit] CONCACAF Champions Cup
Though the team never played a game in the tournament itself, it participated in its Caribbean qualifiers, CFU Club Championship, in the last two years, 2006 and 2007, of the tournament before the announced change into the CONCACAF Champions League in 2008. This is possible because Puerto Rican football is governed by the Federación Puertorriqueña de Fútbol instead of the United States Soccer Federation. 2006 was the first time a team from Puerto Rico ever participated in its confederation's club competitions and the Islanders are the only team from the island that has participated in the tournament.
In November 2006 the Islanders took part for the first time in the CFU Club Championship in attempt to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The Islanders were drawn to play Hoppers FC from Antigua and Barbuda and W Connection from Trinidad and Tobago in the group stage, which was played in the Islanders home stadium in Bayamon. The Islanders beat Hoppers FC 3-1 but lost to W-Connection 0-1 to be eliminated from the tournament.
In October 2007 the Islanders came into the CFU Club Championship with a much stronger squad, which was relatively unchanged from the squad that made it to the semifinals of the USL First Division playoffs and it showed making it all the way to the tournaments semifinals losing out to Joe Public FC 0:1 from a late goal. The entire tournament was played in Trinidad and Tobago, the Islanders headed their group with a 2:2 tied against Harbor View FC, which later became the tournaments champions, and two victories.
In this tournament the team also broke several of their on-field records, it achieved its highest score line, a 10:0 victory over Hitachi Centre SAP FC, in the same game player Fabrice Noël scored the teams first ever beaver trick with a tally of four goals.
This would be the last time the Islanders would play to try to qualify to the incarnation of the Confederations top Club tournament as the CONCACAF Champions Cup will stop in 2008 and it will be substituted by the CONCACAF Champions League.
[edit] CONCACAF Champions League
This tournament was created to substitute the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 2008-2009. As so the Islanders where given a chance to qualify due to the fact that the 2008 installment of the CFU Club Championship would be played after the CCL starts, three Caribbean sides would be chosen from last years CFU CC; the Champions, runner-up and the third place team. Since the third place game wasn't played during the tournament the Islanders and San Juan Jabloteh have been called up to play in March and April of 2008 to choose the team that would take this spot and be the third team that would represent the CFU. The Islanders would face Liga Deportiva Alajuense of Costa Rica in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions League.[2]
[edit] Head Coaches
Hugo Hernán Maradona - (2004-2005)
Jorge Alvial - (2006)
Toribio Rojas - (2006-2007)- Colin Clarke - (2007-current)
[edit] Notable Former Players
Raúl Díaz Arce
Dan Kennedy
Alen Marcina- Drew McAthy
- Yuri Morales
- Caleb Norkus
- Sebastian Rozental
Mauricio Salles- Gustavo Barros Schelotto
- Marco Vélez
[edit] Year-by-Year
| Year | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Puerto Rican National Cup | CFU Club Championship | CONCACAF Champions League |
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| 2004 | USL A-League | 9th, Eastern | Did not qualify | N/A | Did not participate | Did not participate |
| 2005 | USL First Division | 7th | Did not qualify | N/A | Did not participate | Did not participate |
| 2006 | USL First Division | 6th | Quarterfinals | Champion | Group Stage | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | USL First Division | 6th | Semifinals | Champion | Third Place | Qualified |
[edit] Supporters ("La Hinchada")
El Batallón S-10 During the course of the club's three first years a group of fans banded together and formed the Hinchas Isleños Autoconvocados which after a while became known as Batallon S-10, which comes from the area where the group sits (on top of Section 10), the Islanders most hardcore supporters. The group is known as one of the loudest and energetic ultras groups in the league, present at every home game and with members from California to Spain. Its loyalty to the Islanders goes unquestioned.
BOO (Big Orange One) Another band of supporters is the "BOO" or Big Orange One (Formerly "UDP" or "Ultras de Populoso" named after the famous bear mascot of the Islanders, Populoso). The BOO are made up of a number ex-pats and locals living in San Juan. Sometimes this group numbers around 30 fans.
A feature of the BOO is that they drape the flags of the various countries they come from on the seats behind the goal. Flags such as Puerto Rico, Great Britain, England, Ireland, Scotland, Canada, Australia and others. Within their ranks is a Scottish bagpiper and St. Mirren fan who performs the fans with various tunes. The BOO members wear various European club football shirts of which Arsenal of England and Cork City of Ireland are the most prominent.
The BOO are also known for drinking large quantities of beer at matches, and for being very loud and offering funny comments to the opposition over a megaphone.
Goalkeeper Dan Kennedy was a Big Orange One favorite until his departure in early 2007.
OSU OSU stands for Orange Star Ultras, the group claims to be one of the only ultra type group in the Caribbean. They take up the corner sections of the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium to the right of the north goal. They are one of the only groups in the United States that uses pyro in their tifos on a constant basis. The group is relatively small with around 20 registered members. The group has become well known among supporters in the league because of their flare displays.
[edit] Club Rivalries
Carolina Railhawks In the 2007 preseason the Railhawks announced their colors as orange, navy blue and white enraging Islanders fans, but the real rivalry began after the Caleb Norkus signing controversy[3] an ex-Islanders. Still its not considered a mayor rival by Islanders supporters as its in it infancy. Islanders are 1-0-1 against the Railhawks
Charleston Battery Oldest of the rivalries, is against the Charleston Battery, it goes back to the first year the Islanders played in the A-League. Charleston was the first team the Islanders beat and since then the Islanders have rottenly beaten or tied Charleston ever since. Charleston blame the Islanders of cheating and diving in most of the encounters between the teams. They constantly chant and curse at Islanders players at their home ground, where its a tense atmosphere for the teams players. Islanders supporters call the Battery names like Blabbery, "Pistolas de Aguas" or "Nuestros Hijos", which mean Water Guns and Our Sons in Spanish.
In 2006, Charleston stopped the Islanders playoffs run giving them the one and only victory against the Islanders. In 2007, the Islanders returned the favor by tying against them in the last game of the season preventing them from taking the last playoffs spot.
Record against, 7-1-7
[edit] Native Puerto Rican players in the roster
2004 - 46.2% 12 (out of 26): Francisco Quiles (MF), Alexis Rivera Curet (DF), Rafael Ortiz Huerta (MF), Carlos Garay (MF), Álvaro Torres (DF), Jorge Rosa Crespo (DF), Ángel Mussenden (DF), Isaac Nieves Rivera (MF), Héctor Rivera (MF), Carlos Astondoa (FW), Eduardo Memendi (GK), Eligmadier Amaro (GK) 2005 - 20.8% 5 (out of 24): Marcos Vélez (DF), Alexis Rivera Curet (DF), Isaac Nieves Rivera (MF), Rafael Ortiz Huerta (DF), René Bezarés (GK) 2006 - 21.4% 6 (out of 28): Marco Vélez (DF), Alexis Rivera Curet (MF), Isaac Nieves Rivera (MF), Rafael Ortiz Huertas (DF), Milton Blanco (MF), Carlos Juan Torres (MF) 2007 - 26.1% 6 (out of 23 as of April 13): Marco Velez (DF), Alexis Rivera Curet (MF), Rafael Ortiz Huertas (DF), Luis Arroyo (DF), Maximilano Torlacoff (GK), Carlos Juan Torres (MF)
[edit] Reserve Squad and Women's Teams and Academy
The Islanders reserve squad is called Sevilla FC Puerto Rico and plays in the Puerto Rico Soccer League it plays it home games at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in Bayamon, Puerto Rico.
Islanders senior womens team is called Lady Islanders which plays in Liga Superior de Futbol Femenino de Puerto Rico which also call the Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium home. The Lady Islanders is part of PRISA.
The Puerto Rico Islanders Soccer Academy or PRISA was founded in 2006 and its made up of U6, U8, U12, U14, U15, U17 youth teams and the Islanders C team.
[edit] Past Squads
2006 USL Division 1 Season
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2005 USL Division 1 Season
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2004 USL A-League Season
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[edit] External links
- Official site (Spanish)
- Batallon S-10 Supporters Group (Spanish/English)
- Islanders Newsletter Group (Spanish/English)
- Orange Star Ultras Supporters Group
- United Soccer League Official Site
[edit] References
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| Competitions in American Soccer | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Cup Competitions in American Soccer | |||||||||||||||||||||||
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