Rio Grande Valley FC Toros
 | |
| Full name |
Rio Grande Valley Football Club Toros |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Toros |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Stadium | RGVFC Stadium |
| Stadium capacity | 9,400 |
| Owner | Rio Grande Valley Vipers |
| Head Coach | Wilmer Cabrera |
| League | USL |
| 2016 | Inaugural Season |
| Website | Club home page |
The Rio Grande Valley FC Toros are an American professional soccer team based in Edinburg, Texas operated by Lone Star, LLC. They will join the United Soccer League in the 2016 season. Lone Star has the same ownership team as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers[1] of the NBA Development League with Alonzo Cantu as majority owner.
The team will serve as a hybrid affiliate of the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.[1] Chris Canetti, Houston Dynamo president, called the relationship "an important and necessary step." The hybrid affiliation, a first for the USL, means that the Dynamo will be responsible for the tactical part of the club - selecting players and coaching staff. The ownership group, Lone Star, will be responsible for operations and day-to-day management of the club.[1][2]v Schedule
RGV FC schedule announced; home opener set for April 30 By MARIO AGUIRRE | STAFF WRITER | Posted 3 weeks ago
With its Edinburg stadium currently under construction, the RGV FC Toros will play the first four games of their inaugural season on the road, giving the club an additional month before it plays at home.
The Toros’ United Soccer League schedule, spanning 30 regular-season game over a six-month stretch, kicks off March 26 at Tulsa. They’re scheduled to debut their home field April 30 against Los Angeles.
“(The league) understands the construction going on, and they’re trying to give us leeway so we have the best possible scenario to have things ready,” RGV FC president Bert Garcia said. “They’ve been nothing but supportive. They’re not just thinking about this season, but multiple seasons down the line.”
As a result of rain, Garcia said construction has “slowed down several times,” but otherwise it has been going “going full blast” ahead of their home opener.
Houston Dynamo assistant general manager Nick Kowba, whose MLS club is a hybrid affiliate of the Toros, said the opening road trip should test RGV FC.
“It’ll be challenging, but it’s something we’re up for,” Kowba said. “It may not be ideal, but we’ll make the most of it. We’ll learn who we are early on, and we’ll just have to prepare for it.”
As a result of their four-game road trip — their longest of the season — the Toros have a backloaded home schedule. RGV FC plays eight of its last 13 games at home, including a five-game homestand from July 10 through Aug. 13.
The Toros face San Antonio a season-high four times this year, the last meeting taking place in the regular-season finale Sept. 24 in Edinburg.
The Toros, one of five USL expansion clubs this season, will play every club in its division at least two times. As the league expands to 29 franchises, the USL’s schedule also stretches from 28 games to 30, almost mirroring the MLS slate of 34 games, except in a shorter amount of time.
The MLS regular season spans from early March to middle-to-late October.
The Toros are scheduled to play 11 games on the same day as the Dynamo. Kowba said part of that is by design. In June, for example, the Dynamo are scheduled to play three games (one at home), giving the club flexibility to loan players to Toros roster without missing many, if any, Dynamo games.
“It’s just exciting,” Garcia said. “Everything’s coming together so far. For us, sometimes we’re learning on the job. But we’re excited to get everything going.”
maguirre@themonitor.com
=====================================
2016 Toros schedule
March
26 at Tulsa 7 p.m.
April
9 at Portland 4 p.m.
12 at Seattle TBD
23 at Real Monarchs 8 p.m.
30 vs. Los Angeles 7:30 p.m.
May
7 at San Antonio 7:30 p.m.
13 vs. Real Monarchs 7:30 p.m.
21 vs. Kansas City 7:30 p.m.
25 at San Antonio 7:30 p.m.
29 at St. Louis 7:30 p.m.
June 4
4 vs. San Antonio 7:30 p.m.
8 at Kansas City 7:30 p.m.
11 vs. Oklahoma City 7:30 p.m.
18 at Sacramento TBD
22 vs. Arizona 7:30 p.m.
26 vs. Orange County 7:30 p.m.
July
2 at Oklahoma City 7:30 p.m.
10 vs. Tulsa 7:30 p.m.
13 vs. Vancouver 7:30 p.m.
30 vs. Sacramento 7:30 p.m.
August
6 vs. Oklahoma City 7:30 p.m.
13 vs. Seattle 7:30 p.m.
18 at Tulsa 7:30 p.m.
21 at Colorado Springs 2:30 p.m.
27 vs. Colorado Springs 7:30 p.m.
September
3 at Kansas City 7:30 p.m.
10 vs. Portland 7:30 p.m.
14 at Los Angeles TBD
17 at Orange County TBD
24 vs. San Antonio 7:30 p.m.
History
In September 2014, Dynamo officials met with USL brass about creating a USL team and announced their intention to have a USL team in place for the 2016 season.[3][4]
In March 2015, Bert Garcia announced that the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-league had been awarded a franchise pending concrete plans for a stadium and a name[5] and confirmed a report[6] on MLSSoccer.com that the Houston Dynamo would likely be the MLS affiliate for the USL team in the Rio Grande Valley.
In December 2015, the Houston Dynamo signed Dynamo Academy product Juan "Charly" Flores as the first player of the Toros.
Stadium
The club has a 9,400-seat soccer-specific stadium under construction in Edinburg, Texas for the team. It was announced in August 2015, that the stadium would be completed and open in March of 2016 "just in time for the next season." [7]
Players and staff
Current roster
Where a player has not declared an international allegiance, nation is determined by place of birth. Squad correct as of February 1, 2016.
| No. | Position | Player | Nation |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | Forward | Catic, DzenanDzenan Catic |  Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
| — | Forward | Flores, CharlyCharly Flores |  United States
|
| — | Defender | Garcia, KevinKevin Garcia | United States
|
| — | Midfielder | Lucatero, ChristianChristian Lucatero (on loan from Houston Dynamo) | United States
|
| — | Midfielder | Malki, GeorgeGeorge Malki | United States
|
| — | Goalkeeper | Perales, DevinDevin Perales | United States
|
| — | Midfielder | Ward, CharlieCharlie Ward | United States |
Staff
Bert Garcia - Acting President
Wilmer Cabrera - Head Coach
Michael Dellorusso - Assistant Coach
References
- 1 2 3 Houston Dynamo reach affiliate agreement to start USL club: "It’s an important and necessary step", MLSoccer.com, July 15, 2015
- ↑ RGVFC awarded the USL's newest franchise, Houston Dyanamo, July 15, 2015
- ↑ Houston Dynamo brass meet with representatives in McAllen, Texas, about creating USL PRO team, MLSSoccer.com, September 9, 2014.
- ↑ Houston Dynamo GM: McAllen One of Many Possible Locations for USL-Pro Team, PlayingFor90.com, September 14, 2014
- ↑ USL PRO awards Vipers professional soccer franchise, The Monitor, March 30, 2015
- ↑ Lovell, Darrell (March 24, 2015), Houston Dynamo partnering with NBA D-League franchise to form USL team for 2016 season, MLSsoccer.com
- ↑ USL soccer stadium to be completed by March (Press Release), Action 4 News, August 11, 2015.
External links
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