San Diego Gauchos
 |
|
| Full name | San Diego Gauchos |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Gauchos |
| Founded | 2002 |
| Dissolved | 2006 |
| Stadium | Torero Stadium |
| Stadium capacity |
7,035 |
| Chairman |
 Obed Ferrari
|
| Manager |
Bob Maruca
|
| League | USL Premier Development League |
| 2006 | 8th, Southwest Division |
San Diego Gauchos were an American soccer team, founded in 2002. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2006, when the team was sold to new owners, and the franchise was disbanded.
The Gauchos played their home games at Torero Stadium on the grounds of the University of San Diego in the city of San Diego, California. The team's colors were blue, white and yellow.
San Diego joined the USL D-3 Pro League as an expansion franchise in 2002 and enjoyed a very successful first year in competition, finishing the regular season with a 10–7–3 record, second in the Western Conference behind Utah Blitzz, and into the post season at the first attempt. The Gauchos also made a brief foray into the US Open Cup, beating USASA amateur side Mexico SC 2–0 in the first round before losing heavily to A-League mainstays Minnesota Thunder 6–1 in the second round. The Gauchos defeated the Arizona Sahuaros 3–0 in the first round of the playoffs, before falling 1–0 to Utah in the quarter finals. Nevertheless, it was a very promising first season; future MLS star Herculez Gomez was the Gauchos' top scorer, with 17 goals, while goalkeeper Daniel Sirota posted an impressive 1.36 GAA average.
Despite having finished 2002 on a high, 2003 was a difficult season for the Gauchos, who slumped to a 3–13–1 record, and finished dead last in the Western Conference. Their only wins came over California Gold, 3–2 on the opening day of the season; Nevada Wonders, a sluggish 1–0 home victory in June; and over Gold again, a 2–0 win in mid-July off goals from Kristofer Larsen and Akbar Zareh-Mendez. The majority of the rest of the season was a struggle; they lost often to non-conference opponents, and even found makeup games against lower-division teams trying. They lost 3–0 to Fresno Fuego at home in mid May, were hammered 4–0 by Utah Blitzz, received five of the best from Western Mass Pioneers on the road in June, and received a 5–1 shellacking from an Orange County Blue Star team that boasted Jürgen Klinsmann and future MLS star Robbie Rogers in their starting eleven.
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