As the Sacramento Republic stand guard waiting to challenge for the USL throne next season, a new foe has emerged.
An official USL announcement this afternoon from Toyota Field confirmed that San Antonio has been granted a franchise and will be joining the fray for the upcoming season. It is expected that the team will join the USL’s Western Conference and thus would be an opponent of the Republic for at least a home and away game next season.
While the name of this new team has yet to be unveiled, what is known is the man who will be managing the club on the pitch next season. As first reported by Paul Tenorio of the Orlando Sentinal, Darren Powell will be leading the yet to be named San Antonio franchise in its inaugural season. Powell was most recently a top assistant with the Orlando City FC Youth Academy and previously the head coach of Elon University for 9 seasons. Powell achieved a moderate level of success with Elon, leading the Phoenix to 3 consecutive conference titles as well as a first ever win in the post-season NCAA tournament.
According to a USL press release, the name, badge, and color scheme of the team will be announced in coming weeks.
What do you think about this new Republic opponent? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, and in the comments below.
