U.S. Soccer has announced that all 180 D-2 Pro League matches will be available to watch via streaming video free of charge. The live match video will be broadcast via each club’s website, giving fans access to watch every game of the season at no cost. Fans need only to go to their club's website to watch games. The video player will be in embedded on each team's site, so no registration will be required.
The free video streaming is good news for University of Evansville soccer fans, because two former Purple Aces--Alec Dufty and Cory Elenio--will square off Saturday when Dufty's AC St. Louis takes on Elenio's Carolina RailHawks in the season opener for both squads at Cary, N.C. at 7 p.m. EDT (6 p.m. CDT). The match will be available at carolinarailhawks.com and ac-stlouis.com. Dufty, a goalkeeper, and Elenio, a forward, were both all-Missouri Valley Conference players under Coach Mike Jacobs at UE.
That match will be closely followed by the contest between the Rochester Rhinos and Miami FC at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., at 7:30 p.m. ET. Two more matches round out the weekend on April 11 when the Montreal Impact visits the Austin Aztex at House Park in Austin, Texas, at 7 p.m. ET and the NSC Minnesota Stars head to Swangard Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia, to take on Vancouver Whitecaps FC, also at 7 p.m. ET.
Each of the 12 teams participating in the league will play 30 regular season games. The 12 teams are divided into two conferences – the USL Conference and the NASL Conference. The USL Conference includes Austin Aztex, NSC Minnesota, Portland Timbers, Puerto Rico Islanders, Rochester Rhinos and Tampa Bay Rowdies. The NASL Conference will consist of Crystal Palace Baltimore, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Montreal Impact, AC St. Louis and Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
The season will come to an end on Oct. 3, with the playoffs beginning the following week. Eight teams will advance to the postseason, with the winners of each conference earning the top two seeds. The next six teams with the most points during the regular season from either conference will also move on to the playoffs.
The first round, semifinal round and championship will be home-and-away series determined by aggregate goals. The final details for the playoff dates and location of the championship match will be announced at a later date.
Opening Weekend Matches (all times ET)
April 10, 2010
AC St. Louis at Carolina RailHawks; 7 p.m.;
WakeMed Soccer Park; Cary, N.C.;
Streaming Video: carolinarailhawks.com and ac-stlouis.com
Rochester Rhinos at Miami FC; 7:30 p.m.;
Lockhart Stadium; Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.;
Streaming Video: miamifc.com and rhinossoccer.com
April 11, 2010
Montreal Impact at Austin Aztex; 7 p.m.;
House Park; Austin, Texas;
Streaming Video: austinaztex.com and montrealimpact.com
NSC Minnesota Stars at Vancouver Whitecaps; 7 p.m.;
Swangard Stadium; Vancouver, British Columbia;
Streaming Video: whitecapsfc.com and nscminnesota.org
