New Jersey Imperials

The North Jersey Imperials were a soccer club based in Paramus, New Jersey. They played in the United Soccer Leagues between 1994 and 2001. The Imperials were the first pro team of US national team goalkeeper Tim Howard. Sean Kenny was the Head Coach.

During their inaugural season in 1994, the Imperials played their home games at Bruins Stadium, which is located within James J. Braddock-Hudson County Park, in North Bergen, New Jersey. That year, the Imperials defeated the Jersey Dragons in the USISL D3 Pro League Northeast Division semi-finals, but fell to the Long Island Rough Riders. Players of note during the inaugural season were John Diffley, who went on to play for the Tampa Bay Mutiny and Kansas City Wizards, Jeff Zaun, who went on to play for the MetroStars, and Tom Lips, who went on to play for the New England Revolution. Another original Imperials player, Pat O'Kelly, was drafted by the MetroStars in 1996, but chose not to sign with the team.

The 1995 season saw the Imperials play their home games at Veteran's Memorial Stadium, in Bayonne, New Jersey. This season saw the Imperials play their two best attended games, when over 2,500 fans turned out to see them play against the Long Island Rough Riders, who featured US national team goalkeeper Tony Meola in their starting lineup, and over 4,500 turned out to see them play an exhibition against Polish club Stal Mielec. That year, the Imperials fell to the New York Fever in the Northeast Division Final.

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Wikipedia