The 2007 USL Premier Development League season was the 13th season of the PDL. The season started on April 28, 2007. The regular season ended on July 25, 2007.

USL Premier Development League
Season2007
ChampionsLaredo Heat
2006
2008

Laredo Heat finished the season as national champions, beating the Michigan Bucks on penalty kicks after a 0–0 tie in the PDL Championship game in Laredo, Texas on August 11, 2007.

Hampton Roads Piranhas finished with the best regular season record in the league, winning 14 out of their 16 games, suffering no losses, and finishing with a +36 goal difference.

Fresno Fuego striker Pablo Campos was the league's top scorer, knocking in 18 goals. Thunder Bay Chill's Gustavo Oliveira led the league with 15 assists, while Hampton Roads Piranhas keeper Evan Newton enjoyed the best goalkeeping statistics, with a goals-against average of 0.222 per game, and keeping 8 clean sheets in his 14 games.

Changes from 2006

edit

Name changes

edit

New franchises

edit
  • Ten teams joined the league this year, including seven brand new franchises:
Team Name Metro Area Location Previous Affiliation
  Baton Rouge Capitals Baton Rouge area Baker, LA expansion
  Fredericksburg Gunners Fredericksburg area Fredericksburg, VA expansion
  Long Island Rough Riders Long Island area New Hyde Park, NY previously in USL-2
  Mississippi Brilla Jackson area Clinton, MS expansion
  Lancaster Rattlers Antelope Valley area Palmdale, CA expansion
  San Jose Frogs Silicon Valley area San Jose, CA previously in NPSL
  Spokane Spiders Spokane Valley area Spokane, WA expansion
  Springfield Demize Springfield area Springfield, MO expansion
  Toronto Lynx Toronto area Toronto previously in USL-1
  Ventura County Fusion Ventura County area Ventura, CA expansion

Folding

edit

Playoff format

edit

The top two teams in each division advance to the playoffs, with all playoff matchups consisting of one game. Each conference will hold separate playoffs at a host location. The format for each conference playoff consists of one division winner playing against the other division's second-place club, with winners advancing to the conference final. The winners of each conference play in the national semifinal, determined as such: Central vs Western, Eastern vs Southern. The winners of these matches play in the final match scheduled on August 11.

Current standings

edit
Legend
Division champion
Team qualified for playoff berth

Central Conference

edit

Great Lakes Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Michigan Bucks 16 11 2 3 48 15 +33 36
2 Chicago Fire Premier 16 8 4 4 23 17 +6 28
3 West Michigan Edge 16 6 5 5 21 24 −3 23
4 Toronto Lynx 16 6 6 4 25 21 +4 22
5 Indiana Invaders 16 5 9 2 19 31 −12 17
6 Cleveland Internationals 16 5 10 1 22 35 −13 16
7 Fort Wayne Fever 16 4 11 1 21 38 −17 13
Source: [citation needed]

Heartland Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Thunder Bay Chill 16 10 3 3 35 17 +18 33
2 St. Louis Lions 16 10 6 0 39 24 +15 30
3 Kansas City Brass 16 8 3 5 26 28 −2 29
4 Des Moines Menace 16 8 7 1 41 24 +17 25
5 Colorado Rapids U23's 16 7 5 4 37 22 +15 25
6 Springfield Demize 16 4 11 1 16 44 −28 13
7 Sioux Falls Spitfire 16 3 11 2 15 41 −26 11
Source: [citation needed]

Eastern Conference

edit

Mid Atlantic Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Hampton Roads Piranhas 16 14 0 2 42 6 +36 44
2 Ocean City Barons 16 9 3 4 33 20 +13 31
3 Virginia Legacy 16 9 5 2 27 19 +8 29
4 Reading Rage 16 7 5 4 30 29 +1 25
5 Fredericksburg Gunners 16 7 7 2 31 22 +9 23
6 Richmond Kickers Future 16 5 7 4 23 25 −2 19
7 Northern Virginia Royals 16 3 11 2 15 48 −33 11
8 Delaware Dynasty 16 3 11 2 20 35 −15 11
9 West Virginia Chaos 16 3 11 2 20 37 −17 10[a]
Source: [citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ West Virginia was penalized 1 point for circumstances not released by the USL.

Northeast Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Cape Cod Crusaders 16 9 1 6 35 15 +20 33
2 Brooklyn Knights 16 9 4 3 31 24 +7 30
3 Westchester Flames 16 7 4 5 34 17 +17 26
4 Long Island Rough Riders 16 7 6 3 26 22 +4 24
5 Albany Admirals 16 7 7 2 20 27 −7 23
6 Vermont Voltage 16 4 9 3 20 43 −23 15
7 Ottawa Fury 16 3 8 5 17 21 −4 14
8 Rhode Island Stingrays 16 4 11 1 19 33 −14 13
Source: [citation needed]

Southern Conference

edit

Mid South Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Laredo Heat 16 10 2 4 29 12 +17 34
2 El Paso Patriots 16 8 6 2 19 17 +2 26
3 DFW Tornados 16 7 6 3 22 24 −2 24
4 Mississippi Brilla 16 6 5 5 30 21 +9 23
5 New Orleans Shell Shockers 16 5 6 5 28 22 +6 20
6 Baton Rouge Capitals 16 5 7 4 20 32 −12 19
7 Austin Lightning 16 3 12 1 13 31 −18 10
Source: [citation needed]

Southeast Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Carolina Dynamo 16 11 3 2 41 14 +27 35
2 Central Florida Kraze 16 11 4 1 47 21 +26 34
3 Atlanta Silverbacks U23's 16 10 2 4 32 14 +18 34
4 Bradenton Academics 16 8 4 4 39 19 +20 28
5 Cary RailHawks U23's 16 7 6 3 22 17 +5 24
6 Palm Beach Pumas 15 4 10 1 20 36 −16 11[a]
7 Nashville Metros 16 2 11 3 12 32 −20 9
8 Cocoa Expos 15 0 13 2 1 63 −62 2
Source: [citation needed]
Notes:
  1. ^ Palm Beach was penalized 2 points for circumstances not released by the USL.

Western Conference

edit

Northwest Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 BYU Cougars 16 13 1 2 37 14 +23 41
2 Tacoma Tide 16 10 4 2 36 23 +13 32
3 Ogden Outlaws 16 6 7 3 23 22 +1 21
4 Abbotsford Rangers 16 5 6 5 38 24 +14 20
5 Spokane Spiders 16 6 10 0 25 49 −24 18
6 Yakima Reds 16 3 9 4 22 35 −13 13
7 Cascade Surge 16 3 11 2 17 38 −21 11
Source: [citation needed]

Southwest Division

edit

Pos Team Pld W L T GF GA GD Pts
1 Fresno Fuego 16 10 4 2 41 28 +13 32
2 San Fernando Valley Quakes 16 9 2 5 33 16 +17 32
3 San Jose Frogs 16 10 5 1 24 16 +8 31
4 Ventura County Fusion 16 9 4 3 27 19 +8 30
5 Los Angeles Storm 16 6 5 5 23 25 −2 23
6 San Francisco Seals 16 6 8 2 18 23 −5 20
7 Southern California Seahorses 16 5 6 5 26 24 +2 20
8 Bakersfield Brigade 16 6 10 0 22 29 −7 18
9 Orange County Blue Star 16 3 9 4 18 27 −9 13
10 Lancaster Rattlers 16 2 13 1 23 48 −25 7
Source: [citation needed]

Playoffs

edit

Playoff bracket

edit
Conference Semifinals Conference Finals National Semifinals PDL Championship Game
            
MA1   Hampton Roads Piranhas 1 (5)
NE2   Brooklyn Knights (AET/PSO) 1 (6)
NE2   Brooklyn Knights 1
Eastern Conference
NE1   Cape Cod Crusaders 0
NE1   Cape Cod Crusaders 5
MA2   Ocean City Barons 0
NE2   Brooklyn Knights 1 (4)
GL1   Michigan Bucks (AET/PSO) 1 (5)
GL1   Michigan Bucks 4
HL2   St. Louis Lions 1
GL1   Michigan Bucks 3
Southern Conference
GL2   Chicago Fire Premier 0
HL1   Thunder Bay Chill 1
GL2   Chicago Fire Premier 3
GL1   Michigan Bucks 0 (3)
MS1   Laredo Heat 0 (4)
MS1   Laredo Heat 4
SE2   Central Florida Kraze 0
MS1   Laredo Heat 2
Central Conference
SE1   Carolina Dynamo 1
SE1   Carolina Dynamo 1
MS2   El Paso Patriots 0
MS1   Laredo Heat 1
SW1   Fresno Fuego 0
NW1   BYU Cougars 2
SW2   San Fernando Valley Quakes 0
NW1   BYU Cougars 0
Western Conference
SW1   Fresno Fuego 3
SW1   Fresno Fuego (AET) 4
NW2   Tacoma Tide 1

Conference semifinals

edit
  Brooklyn Knights1 – 1
(AET)
  Hampton Roads Piranhas
Cambridge   22'
Niebles   44'
Matos   87'
Matteo   89'
Damiani   111'
Haywood   53'
Joseph   89'
Wheeler   89'
Penalties
Matteo  
Charles  
Dragoi  
Berenzen  
Damiani  
Belke  
Cioffi  
6 – 5   Wheeler
  Mottinger
  Lima
  Kinney
  Thomas
  Newton
  Joseph

  Chicago Fire Premier3 – 1  Thunder Bay Chill
Hlavaty   53' (PK)   62'
Fleak   76'   77'
Gold   3'
Putrus   15'   90'
Swartzendruber   57'
Moldenhaur   62'
Alvarado   85'

  El Paso Patriots0 – 1  Carolina Dynamo
Cervantes   10'
Morin   70'
Franks   12'
Jata   81'
Attendance: 143
Referee: Rudy Nino (USA)

  Ocean City Barons0 – 5  Cape Cod Crusaders
Carmichael   22'
Holloway   24'   24'
Evans   30'
Chery   36'   49'
Short   44'
Wright   52'
Massie   57'   57'
Nyazamba   72'
Attendance: 878
Referee: Mark Geiger (USA)

  San Fernando Valley Quakes0 – 2  BYU Cougars
Shaw   18'
Leslie   59'   72'
Borak   63'
Paladini   68'
Fellows   64'   76'
Attendance: 2,746
Referee: Colin Arblaster (USA)

  Michigan Bucks4 – 1  St. Louis Lions
Dube   26'
Jafta   45'
Holody   79'
Djokic   86'
Uzoigwe   90'
Clayes   29'
Angus   45'   70'

  Laredo Heat4 – 0  Central Florida Kraze
Morales   4'   4'   26'
Galvan   7'
Ibarra   60'
Mulamba   64'
Macias   89'
Herbet   24'
Attendance: 1,401
Referee: Jeff Katawar (USA)

  Fresno Fuego4 – 1
(AET)
  Tacoma Tide
Nunes   22'   38'
Rivera   43'
Blanco   74'   102'
Cabello   75'
Cignetti   90'
Machado   95'   108'
Campos   100'
O'Brien   27'   74'
David   63'
Schomaker   102'
Attendance: 2,746
Referee: Mike Kampmeinert (USA)

Conference finals

edit
  Brooklyn Knights1 – 0  Cape Cod Crusaders
Dragoi   34'   38' (PK)
Niebles   40'
Cioffi   49'
Barnett   53'
Short   54'
Stratford   88'
Nyazamba   88'
Attendance: 231
Referee: William Guarini (USA)

  Michigan Bucks3 – 0  Chicago Fire Premier
Dube   57'
Shipalane   74'
Daniel   79'
Uzoigwe   89'
Katic   42'
Fallon   85'
Ratner   88'

  Laredo Heat2 – 1  Carolina Dynamo
Galvan   32'
Ibarra   48' (PK)   48'
Infante   71'
Morales   74'
Garcia   76'
Blackwell   90'
Loyd   30'
Lahoud   54'
Lewis   84'
Attendance: 1,457
Referee: Michael Brow (USA)

  Fresno Fuego3 – 0  BYU Cougars
Nunes   5' (PK)
Campos   51'   55'   90'
Vogt   74'
Van Wagenen   80'
De Francis   90'
Attendance: 1,872
Referee: Yader Reyes (USA)

National Semifinals

edit
  Michigan Bucks1 – 1
(AET)
  Brooklyn Knights
Clark   17'
Dube   33'
Smith   15'
Matos   60'
Velasquez   108'
Penalties
  Uzoigwe
  Djokic
  Brunner
  Shipalane
  Holody
5 – 4 Matteo  
Dragoi  
Niebles  
Charles  
Belke  
Attendance: 1,061
Referee: Chad Ulinger (USA)

  Laredo Heat1 – 0  Fresno Fuego
Quinones   34'
Infante   48'
Garcia   83'
Su   90'
Codeceira   31'
Cabello   64'
Blanco   88'
Nunes   90'
Attendance: 2,713
Referee: Colin Tait (USA)

National final

edit
  Laredo Heat0 – 0
(AET)
  Michigan Bucks
Infante   109' Nowak   80'
Djokic   86'
Holody   109'
Penalties
  Galvan
  Ordaz
  Morales
  Blackwell
  Ibarra
  Garcia
4 – 3 Djokic  
Balc  
Brunner  
Fuzetti  
Holody  
Daniel  
Attendance: 6,640
Referee: Oscar Ortiz (USA)

See also

edit

References

edit