Well, it appears today we start a new season, a new journey. Much is at stake. A strong perfromance in the Caribbean Cup (hopefully defending our title) puts us in group play for the CONCACAF Champions League this fall. Making the CL group play should bring the crowds that make the club more financially sound and bring more prestige to the club. In the NASL, we need to make the play-offs and balance that with the CONCACAF CL. In the meantime, we need to dodge the national team call ups that devastated us last year. Hey, let the fun begin! Vamos Islanders!!!
I've heard that the two teams that qualify are dropping out so Bayamon FC and the Islanders are going to take their spots.
The season is only starting and the pot is already boiling. La Primera Hora announced over the weekend that Puerto Rico would play Spain in a friendly on August 15th. It appears the game will be played in Las Islandera. To have an opportunity to play the number one ranked team in the world is exciting and also problematic. Even if Spain is not full strength, I would still want to play them as a player. I am sure a number of the Islanders will be called up for the game. I would not begrudge them the chance to play. A look at the NASL schedule shows we play in Edmonton on the prior Sunday. So, do the selected players play that game and fly back on Monday before the Wednesday game or just pass on the Canadian trip. Also, according to CONCACAF, Champions League group play will be under way by then. The Islanders may have a group play game that Wed. or Thurs. (unless the 15th is a FIFA scheduled friendly date). I hope all of this gets worked out and that the compromises benefit both the PR national team and the Islanders.
Islanders finally sign/re-sign some players Islanders Sign Midfielder Yaw Danso and Goalkeeper Cody Laurendi
http://www.primerahora.com/islandersanadenmassazonboricua-624264.html Richard, Noah, Alexis and Foley look to be coming back, as well as goalkeeper Richard Martin, who should be fighting with Cody for the #1 spot.
http://www.primerahora.com/islandersanadenmassazonboricua-624264.html Richard, Noah, Alexis and Foley look to be coming back, as well as goalkeeper Richard Martin, who should be fighting with Cody for the #1 spot.
Intru, good stuff. Thanks. It appears the nucleus of last year's team is back. It looks like this will be a very competitive Islanders team. The starting team is taking shape: Keeper: ? Defenders: Martinez, Needham, Cunningham, ? Mid-field: Foley, Delgado, ?, ? Attackers: Fana, Adlery It will interesting to see who else has been signed and / or is working out in Bayamon. Seeing the team come together over the next month should be fun.
There's a couple of pictures on the teams twitter showing training and it seems they have at least 20 players in camp. Also Burse just signed for Carolina Also the friendly between PR and Spain has been confirmed so we are losing all Islanders players from the nat team on the 15 of august, I don't know what games we have around then.
To keep a stream on info coming here's the name of several trialist that some Islanders fans have painstakingly figure out in the absence of real info. Justin Folo Andres Perez Anthony Vazquez Eddie Edward Yaw Nana Jose Alvarez Haya Also The Islanders beat the PR sub-20 I think it was 2-0, The are playing against Caribbean University at 2 today.
Intru - we won 3-0. Don't short us a goal! Any idea why the team has been slow to give roster information or who is in camp as a trialist? Also, how do the starting 11 look and how do the subs or reserves look? Having been up 1-0 at half time to Bayamon FC and then losing 2-1 at full time, I assume the Islanders made a lot of subs in the second half. It sounds like our second half players had a few breakdowns. It also looks like they did better in the game against the U-23's.
Since I'm not in PR I cant really give my opinions but from the Bayamon game people where impressed by a new midy. About the secrecy, the Islanders have always been that way. The CIA has more leaks than the Islanders!
Thanks. BTW The CFU released the schedule for the Caribbean Club Cup. The Islanders will enter in the Second Round. PRI will host a group of four that includes two teams that advance from the First Round and Caledonia AIA from Trinidad. The Second Round will be played May 1 through 6. The Finals are May 23 through 27 at a site to be determined. Also, the Digicel Nations Caribbean Cup will start in August with Puerto Rico playing in Group B. The First Round games will be August 25, 27 and 29. They will be played in the Dominican Republic. If the Blue Hurricane advance, the Second Round will be held toward the end of October. The Islanders need to do well in the CFU Club Cup and start the season well against their NASL competition. The second half of the year will be filled with NASL games, CONCACAF CL group games and players gone for playing Spain and the Digicel Cup. As Sir Alex Ferguson says, "It is all about squad rotation."
Also there's talks about Valencia coming to play a pre-season game in PR, all depending on how well the PR vs Spain game sells. Thanks for reporter Esteban Pagan for the info,
Islanders 5 - 0 Universidad del Turabo in another game between the two clubs yesterday. On Sunday they will play Bayamon FC
Intru, thanks. It looks like we are starting to find our rhythm. The pictures on the Islanders' facebook page look like the celebrity game was a lot of fun. And it is always nice to add hardware to the trophy case, even if it is a pre-season tournament. Do we know when the team has to make final cuts for its roster and how many players they will keep this year? Squad rotation is going to be as important this year as it was last year. Also any update on how the stadium construction is coming. I hope to be in San Juan at the end of May. Hopefully by then it will be finished.
It looks like the squad is pretty much set even if they haven't announced the new signings. The team should end up with around 26 players, that is the number they hover around each year.
Anthony Vazquez and Andres Perez have both signed with the Islanders, raising the amount of puerto ricans on the team to eight. For the first time since 2004 Puerto Ricans make up the biggest racial group on the team.
And now the fun begins. Enjoy the home opener for me. I am hoping to make it to San Antonio for their home opener against PRI. My wife and I will be the ones in the orange. Vamos Islanders!