• Where Reach 11 Sports Complex 2425 E. Deer Valley Rd. Phoenix, AZ 85050 http://phoenix.gov/parks/parks/reach11comp.html • When Friday, September 21 5:00PM – 9:00PM and Friday, October 26 5:00Pm – 9:00PM http://phoenixfc.proudkap.com/
A few members of LFR will be heading up there around 6 to practice making noise. We have at least one guy from LFR that's trying out for the team.
They ran 2 - 45 minute halves and 1 - 30 minute half (at least that's what it seemed like) There were three guys out there that really stood out to me a GK, a RB and a striker. The level of the trialists was pretty good. This tryout was mainly for local guys (although there were a few from California and one from Japan via Chicago). The next tryout will involve more people from all over the country.
Announcement on callbacks for second tryout session. http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/OdeenDomingoFC/172971
2nd round of tryouts. Tomorrow 10/26/12 @ scottsdale sports complex Here's a map: http://bitly.com/VInXN5 I believe it's running from 5-7. A few of us will be up there. Free and open to the public.
Phoenix FC has signed their third player http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/OdeenDomingoFC/173373 Diego Faria from Brazil, that makes three signings so far. Looks like they are trying to build a solid spine. Devon Grousis in the back, Diego Faria in the midfield and Darren Mackie up top. This means the team has 5 international spots left. and 21 spots for their total roster. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phoenix_FC
Not getting excited about any players until they announce/figure out where the team will play. I wonder how good the Campeonato Mineiro (a regional league from my understanding) is.
Brazil has a weird structure. They have a national system and a state league system. Everyone participates in state leagues (Jan-May), only the better teams play in the national system (May-Dec). The national system has three more or less regular leagues -- Serie A, Serie B, and Serie C. Serie D is a different. In any given year, it includes the teams relegated from Serie C as well as the best finishers from the state leagues who aren't already in the national system. Campeonato Carioca (Rio de Janeiro state) and Campeonato Paulista (Sao Paulo state) have lots of teams in the national system and often send teams that finish 6th or 7th because the higher-placed teams are already in. More provincial areas may have zero teams in the national system, so only the state champion qualifies for Serie D. The Belo Horizonte clubs play in Campeonato Mineiro, so it's not obscure. Atletico Mineiro and Cruzeiro play in Serie A, America Mineiro and Ipatinga play in Serie B. Tupi won Serie D in 2011 and are now in Serie C. Nacional and Guarani are in Serie D in 2012. Weirdly, Ipatinga is actually in the Mineiro second division after relegation in 2011....even though they are also still in the national Serie B. America-TO (Faria's club) seems to have risen up the ranks pretty recently. Per Wiki, they were in the Mineiro third division for a while before being promoted twice in a row in 2008 and 2009. America-TO qualified for the 2011 Serie D but withdrew for whatever reason. Faria made 9 starts and one sub appearance for the club in 2012 (the state league is only 11 games, so that's essentially a regular in the lineup).
Thanks for the great post. I had always wondered about why big Brazilian clubs played in regional competitions. I don't understand how a club can play 11 games all year. What do they do the rest of the year? Get real jobs? Anyways, good to hear that Faria was a starter on a rising team.
I think a lot of states also run a cup competition alongside the league, but yeah, it's a short season. I don't know the clubs do after the state leagues are over, but your guess is probably correct. Even the biggest and wealthiest soccer countries don't have much more than four leagues' worth of professional clubs.
Great informative post thanks, I was looking through the Serie A configuration throughout the years, they really have tried everything lol.
Let me see if I understand this correctly The state championships are played at the beginning of the year. Each state determines it's own system (group stage with knockout, balanced schedule etc.) Each state is given a certain amount of berths, given to the highest qualifying team(s) not already qualified for Series A-D. Each state is allocated a certain number of berths into Serie D chosen by state championships to total 36 teams, an additional 4 teams are added via relegation from the previous season's Serie C. Serie D is played as a group stage then a knockout round, all four semi-finalists in the knockout round are promoted to Serie C, the remaining 36 teams are essentially relegated and need to qualify through state championships again. In Serie C, the format is the same except, there are a total of 20 teams, 4 promoted from Serie D, 4 relegated from Serie B and 12 teams from the previous season that were neither promoted nor relegated. All four semi-finalists from the knockout stage are promoted to Serie B, while the last place team from each group is relegated to Serie D. In Serie B, the format is a balanced schedule, 20 teams comprised of 4 promoted teams from Serie C, 4 relegated teams from Serie A as well as 12 teams that were neither promoted nor relegated from the previous season. The top four points teams on the table are promoted to Serie A and the bottom four points teams are relegated to Serie C. In Serie A, the format is a balanced schedule, 20 teams comprised of 4 promoted teams from Serie B and 16 teams that were not relegated from the previous season. 14 teams in Serie A qualify for CONMEBOL tournaments Copa Sudamericana and Cope Libertadores, the bottom four points teams on the table are relegated to Serie B Seems simple enough lol.
Stadium announcement is coming 11/28 at 2pm. Word may trickle out before then but that's the official press conference announcement date and time.
Keeping a secret for two weeks? I'll be interested to see if they can pull that off. Unless, of course, they don't know and they're giving themselves until the day before.
It's a done deal. A few of us know already. I'm keeping quiet because I've been asked to do so. Might slip elsewhere, though.