Seattle Sounders FC U-23
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| Full name | Seattle Sounders FC U-23 |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2006 (as Tacoma FC) |
| Stadium |
Sunset Chevrolet Stadium Sunmer, Washington |
| Capacity | 3,000 |
| Owners |
Lane Smith Cliff McElroy |
| Head Coach | Darren Sawatzky |
| League | Premier Development League |
| 2016 | 2nd, Northwest Division Playoffs: Dvisional Playoff |
| Website | Club home page |
Seattle Sounders FC U-23 is an American soccer team based in Tacoma, Washington, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.
In 2011, Cliff McElroy and Lane Smith also acquired the Tacoma Tide Men's PDL Franchise which took on the name; Sounders FC U-23 PDL Team. The function of the Sounders FC U-23 PDL team will be to compete for a PDL title while helping to develop young future Sounders FC Players. The Sounders U-23's will play their home games in the Tacoma South Sound area and will wear the official kit of Sounders FC.
Tacoma were introduced into the league at very short notice in 2006 when it was announced that the now-defunct Spokane Shadow franchise were suspending operations for the season, and during their first season they were simply referred to as Tacoma F.C.. Under the leadership of Mike Jennings as head coach, Tacoma finished 5th in the Northwest table, 16 points off the leaders. Rory Agu was the top scorer with 5 goals, while Spencer Schomaker registered 3 assists.
2007 began with a new official name, the Tacoma Tide. By the end of the regular season Tacoma sat in second place in the Northwest division.Rory Agu was again one of Tide's top marksmen with 7 goals, while MLS-bound Ciaran O'Brien notched an impressive 7 goals and 5 assists.
Tacoma were looking to build on their impressive sophomore season in 2008. The Conference Final saw them face divisional rivals Vancouver Whitecaps Residency for a third time. Tacoma were on the receiving end of a 4-1 final score. Rory Agu and Spencer Schomaker ended the year as Tide's top marksmen, with 11 and 9 goals respectively, with Schomaker also contributing 5 assists.
O'Brien was replaced as Head Coach by former Rochester Rhinos and Seattle Sounders midfielder Greg Howes in 2009, and the change in leadership, combined with the excellence of the expansion teams in the Northwest, seemed to affect Tacoma on the field. A 4-3 loss to the Kitsap Pumas on the final day of the season left the Tide in seventh place, a full 20 points behind divisional champions Kitsap, and out of the playoffs for the first time in three years. Rory Agu was again Tacoma's top scorer, hitting the net 11 times, while Leighton O'Brien provided 4 assists.
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