The Aviators, who will be part of the Western Conference, will play their home games at Commonwealth Stadium. Edmonton becomes the fifth Canadian team to join the North American league, after Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto.
As for the Islanders, they will play at Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium in the city of Bayamon, 20 minutes away from San Juan.
Juan Ramon Loubriel Stadium is currently undergoing renovations designed to make the baseball facility more soccer-friendly. It is part of an overall three million dollar project that also includes a recreational park and road improvements.
"We are excited to welcome Puerto Rico and Edmonton to the USL family," said Dave Askinas, CEO of the United Soccer Leagues, the organization which includes the A-League at the top of its pyramid. "The Islanders and the Aviators both presented us with a unique opportunity to continue to expand our horizons internationally.
"The addition of the Islanders, in particular, enhances our link to the Caribbean beyond the players who play in the US and Canada with our other franchises. We feel that USL has played a critical role in developing the game in both the US and Canada and that through the Islanders, the Puerto Rican soccer federation and the city of Bayamon, we will be able to do the same in Puerto Rico and the greater Caribbean area."
A-LEAGUE DRAFT
The Islanders and the Aviators will have the first and second picks, respectively, in the 2004 A-League College Draft, to take place Wednesday at 3 pm via conference call.
Impact head coach Nick DeSantis will have the second-to-last pick in the two-round draft, since the Montreal squad finished first in overall league standings last season, tied with the Milwaukee Wave United.
"Since our philosophy is to promote local talent, we’ll be looking for young Quebecers who have done well for Canadian or American university teams," said DeSantis. "We’re interested in any talented player, regardless of his position, but there’s no doubt that we have a preference for young strikers."
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SOURCE:
bcomm
INFO:
Stéphane Banfi
514-328-3668 (ext. 27)
