TAMPA, Fla. – The PDL announced today that the United Soccer League’s Saint Louis FC has acquired the rights to Springfield Synergy FC effective immediately.
Founded in 2006, Springfield Synergy FC plays in the Mid-South Division of the PDL’s Southern Conference. The team plays its home games at the Cooper Sports Complex, where it has played since 2011.
Springfield Energy FC, under the direction Andrew Bordelon, opens its 2016 season at home on May 24 versus OKC Energy U23. Saint Louis FC will lead the technical staff and coaching.
The PDL features 67 teams within four conferences and 10 divisions throughout the United States and Canada. Four of the PDL’s current members are owned and operated by a United Soccer League club.
“We are pleased to welcome Saint Louis FC to the PDL through its acquisition of Springfield Synergy FC,” PDL Director Todd Eason said. “We are always encouraged and excited by the prospects of a USL franchise seeing the long-term value developing players through the PDL, and we look forward to the team competing and operating at the highest level.”
Saint Louis FC played its first USL season in 2015 and plays its matches at World Wide Technology Soccer Park. The team is aligned with St. Louis Scott Gallagher, a well-renowned St. Louis youth club.
“The PDL has been a great environment throughout the years for player development. As a club we will now have an opportunity to provide another level of play for players during the summer months,” said Saint Louis FC General Manager Jeremy Alumbaugh. “It is a tough task to be up and running in eight days, but we are excited about the possibilities that this brings for the club.”
The highest level of amateur soccer in North America, the PDL has a history dating back more than two decades that has helped top-level players rise to the professional ranks. Among the PDL’s alumni are players such as U.S. Men’s National Team members Brad Guzan, DeAndre Yedlin, Gyasi Zardes and Geoff Cameron. More than 200 PDL alumni competed in the 2015 Major League Soccer season, with another group of league alumni set to begin their professional paths following the recent 2016 MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore, Md.
The PDL has provided a major development platform for future professional players, with 12 of the league’s current membership being owned and operated by an MLS or USL club, or holding a partnership with an MLS or USL club. Seventy percent of the players selected in the MLS SuperDraft over the past seven years are PDL alumni, while Homegrown Players such as Gyasi Zardes, Harry Shipp, Darwin Jones and Jay Chapman also competed in the league on their path to the professional ranks.
The PDL has received strong support from both Major League Soccer and the USL as it provides a proven pathway to the professional ranks for top college-aged players in North America.