Antigua & Barbuda’s lone professional football outfit, Barracuda FC, will kick off their United Soccer Leagues (USL) campaign on April 17 when they host the Los Angeles Blues at Sticky Wicket Stadium.
This is according to a USL release listing the newly formed football club as part of their International Division for their 180-game (home and away) regular season competition slated to commence on April 2.
Also listed in the International Division are Puerto Rico United, River Plate Puerto Rico and Sevilla FC Puerto Rico.
Reports are that Barracuda FC have made a number of new signings which include Grenadian striker Kithson Bain, as they look towards their USL debut in April.
Meanwhile, the opening weekend in the USL will be highlighted by the debut of Orlando City, which travel to face the Richmond Kickers at City Stadium.
Also making their USL PRO debuts that night are Caribbean powers Sevilla FC Puerto Rico and River Plate Puerto Rico, who will see their rivalry grow as they meet at Sevilla FC Stadium.
USL PRO will feature three five-team divisions in 2011 – American, National and International.
The National Division will feature the Dayton Dutch Lions, Harrisburg City Islanders, FC New York, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and the Rochester Rhinos.
The American Division contains the Charleston Battery, Charlotte Eagles, Orlando City, the Richmond Kickers and the Wilmington Hammerheads.
Teams will play 24 games in the 2011 season, facing each team in their division at least once at home and once on the road.
The format for the 2011 USL PRO postseason will be announced in the coming weeks.
The final weekend of the regular season is set for August 12 and 13, with 12 of the 15 teams in action as the race for playoff spots winds down.
Designed to help ensure the long-term stability of professional soccer in North America below MLS, USL PRO will benefit from national television and online broadcast packages.
Focussed on franchise stability and longevity, USL PRO will feature an unprecedented six teams with more than a decade of operational experience in 2011, and more than 100 years of combined operational experience.
