E-mail Friend

Tuesday, February 5

COCOA, FLORIDA – Following a full day of live matches at the Cocoa Expo Center in eastern Florida, the ’92-‘94 girls attending United Soccer Leagues Super Y-League ODP National Camps accompanied the SYL ODP Coaching Staff in surrounding fields A and H at 7:30PM to view the highest-quality players thus far.

The first of two SYL Select Team Matches, this evening’s matches provided a more accurate test of each player’s speed of play and their ability to compete at the national and international level.

The ’92 & ‘93/’94 Select Team Lists will be evaluated again before tomorrow’s final SYL Select Team Matches. The final SYL Select Team list will be published tomorrow following the game. Players named to the list will be recommended for inclusion in U.S. National Team Programs on a player-to-player basis.

“The atmosphere here at these camps is great for the girls,” said General Manager and Head Coach of the expansion USL W-League Franchise West Virginia Illusion, Joe Dorini. “All the coaches are very open-minded when it comes to doing what is in the best interest of the girls. The weather is perfect too, much nicer than West Virginia this time of year.”

“There are also a few potential W-League level players here, too,” added Dorini.

Established in January of 2008, the Illusion, based in Morgantown, West Virginia, is the first and only elite women’s soccer franchise in the history of the state of West Virginia. They will join the Eastern Conference’s Atlantic Division this season, officially opening W-League play on Saturday, May 10 when they host the Charlotte Eagles at Pony Lewis Stadium in Morgantown.

“The soccer scene in West Virginia is getting better and better,” said Dorini. “We now have more youths playing soccer than any other sport. Moving forward, we need to focus on getting some high-level coaches and establishing a few premier-level clubs.”

Dorini brings instant creditability to the Illusion, having played for the Carolina Dynamo in the USL Second Division. His search for the talent needed to compete at the W-League level begins with some past stars at West Virginia University as well as the best talent in the surrounding areas.

“We contacted a number of major Division I programs in search of players,” said Dorini. “If there are a few capable girls at the Division II or Division III level, we will take a look at them too.”

“Our ultimate goal as an organization is to change the overall perception of West Virginia Soccer,” added Dorini. “Down the road the Illusion will be looking to create a feeder system by adding a Super Y-League club to support our W-League squad and, depending on the success we have on that level, maybe a Premier Development League side. That is one of the reasons I wanted to come to the Super Y-League ODP Camps – to do a bit of networking with other coaches in the SYL system, and to better understand the level of players in the league.”