TUKWILA, Wash. – The table is set at the 2015 PDL Championship presented by Nike as four remaining teams take to the field Friday in the tournament’s semifinal stage at Starfire Stadium. All four clubs are in pursuit of their first PDL title in this 21st installment of the PDL Championship.
No. 2 seed and Eastern Conference champion New York Red Bulls U23 faces No. 3 Ocala Stampede, the Southern Conference champion, at 9 p.m. ET. That is followed by No. 1 seed and Central Conference champion K-W United FC taking on fourth-seeded host side and Western Conference champion Sounders FC U23 at 11 p.m. ET.
The semifinal winners advance to the PDL Championship’s title game on Sunday at 5 p.m. ET.
Both the semifinals and the title game at the 2015 PDL Championship presented by Nike will be streamed live on the PDL’s YouTube channel (www.youtube.com/USLPDL), with live updates also available through the league’s official Twitter account (@USLPDL).
Host Sounders FC U23 finished third in the Northwest Division, advanced with a 4-1 divisional playoff win against rival Portland Timbers U-23s and then traveled to Arizona where the Sounders U23s defeated two division champions in Burlingame Dragons (1-0) and FC Tucson (2-1). Head coach Darren Sawatzky said this stepping stone is another chapter in the players’ development and professional path.
“The PDL has been a great breeding ground for young professionals, and our team is excited for the weekend,” Sawatzky said. “DeAndre Yedlin played every minute for the 2012 Sounders U23 team and he led the charge in helping guys move on. We send players to the professional ranks each year and we can’t wait to see who in this crop of players moves on to the next level after the PDL final.”
Sounders FC U23 faces a K-W United FC team that took second place in the Great Lakes Division. Then in the playoffs, the Sounders U23s topped the Des Moines Menace 3-2 and knocked off the defending PDL champion Michigan Bucks 3-1 on their home turf.
“We are delighted to have qualified for the PDL Championship weekend,” K-W United head coach Chris Pozniak said. “It is another step in K-W United’s short history in developing a culture of success and nurturing soccer talent. We hope to put our best foot forward and showcase the talented squad we have assembled. We would also like to make our loyal fans in Kitchener-Waterloo proud, by playing attractive soccer on the field and representing our club and region well off it.”
New York Red Bulls U-23 won the Mid Atlantic Division with a 9-2-3 record, capping off the regular season with four consecutive victories. NYRB U-23 then defeated GPS Portland Phoenix 4-0 and the Jersey Express 2-1 in the playoffs to clinch a spot in the 2015 PDL Championship in its first season. A good portion of this PDL squad, as well as its head coach, were part of the Red Bulls’ U-15/16 U.S. Soccer Development Academy team that won a national title during the 2011-12 season.
“The New York Red Bulls U-23s are proud to have reached the PDL Championship,” head coach Rob Elliot said. “It is a testament to all of our players coming together, training hard and playing well over these summer months. As an organization, we are excited that our young players will have the opportunity to play such meaningful games and test themselves against the best competition the league has to offer.”
The Ocala Stampede, based out of Marion County, Florida, claimed their fourth consecutive Southeast Division title since joining the PDL in 2012. Ocala earned its second consecutive Southern Conference championship with a 2-0 victory against FC Miami City Champions to once again advance to the PDL Championship.
“We are really excited to be back in the finals this year,” Ocala Stampede head coach Cheyne Roberts said. “We have had a good season with some great learning points and are looking forward to getting on the field in Seattle. We have a great ownership group and a great group of players that are focused and ready for the opportunity. We know NYRB is a great opponent and we will look to stay the course and execute with excellence as we have strived to do all season long.”
PDL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNERS
2014: Michigan Bucks
2013: Austin Aztex
2012: FC London
2011: Kitsap Pumas
2010: Portland Timbers U23s
2009: Ventura County Fusion
2008: Thunder Bay Chill
2007: Laredo Heat
2006: Michigan Bucks
2005: Des Moines Menace
2004: Central Florida Kraze
2003: Cape Cod Crusaders
2002: Cape Cod Crusaders
2001: Westchester Flames
2000: Chicago Sockers
1999: Chicago Sockers
1998: San Gabriel Valley
1997: Central Coast Roadrunners
1996: Central Coast Roadrunners
1995: Richmond Kickers
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