 | |||
| Full name | VisionPro Sports Institute Tampa Bay Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | Flames | ||
| Founded | 2011 | ||
| Dissolved | 2013 | ||
| Stadium | Plant City Stadium Plant City, Florida | ||
| Capacity | 6,700 | ||
| General Manager | Alex Miranda | ||
| Head Coach | Joel Harrison | ||
| League | USL Pro | ||
VSI Tampa Bay FC was an Americansoccer team based inPlant City, Florida. They played inUSL Pro, the third tier of theAmerican soccer pyramid, in the 2013 season. VSI Tampa Bay FC were owned by VisionPro Sports Institute and were affiliated with awomen's team in theW-League, anamateur team in theUSL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in theSuper-20 League.[1] All the teams folded in 2013.
In 2011, English soccer development academy VisionPro Sports Institute announced a venture to establish a soccer organization in theUnited Soccer Leagues in the United States. VSI partnered with the localBrandon, Florida area youth soccer organization, West Florida Flames, to build VSI Tampa Flames, "the perfect platform for vertical progression, giving talented youngsters the opportunity to progress from junior soccer all the way through to the professional game," according to VSI's CEO, Simon Crane.[1] TheUSL Pro team was to serve as the pinnacle of the youth pyramid for men; the club also included awomen's team in theW-League, anamateur team in theUSL Premier Development League (PDL), and a youth team in theSuper-20 League. The W-League, PDL, and Super-20 League teams started play in 2012, while the USL Pro team was to join in 2013. On November 22, 2012, the team changed its name to "VSI Tampa Bay FC" and namedMatt Weston as the head coach.[2][3]
Their first game was played on March 30, 2013, losing toPhoenix FC 1–0.[4] They defeated theLos Angeles Blues 1–0 for their first win on April 2, 2013.Antonio Neto scored the first goal in team history.[5][6]
VSI Tampa Bay chosePlant City Stadium as their home venue on April 4, 2013, moving all the teams there.[7] Matt Weston resigned as Head Coach on May 8, 2013, and Joel Harrison was named as Interim Head Coach.[8]
While the W-League and PDL teams had been successful in 2012, the USL Pro team struggled throughout its only season. The remote stadium in Plant City made it difficult to attract fans, and the team suffered from competition from the more successfulTampa Bay Rowdies of theNorth American Soccer League. The organization folded all of its teams after the 2013 season.[9]
Joel Harrison – Head Coach
Sheldon Cipriani – Head Coach, PDL Team / First Team Assistant Coach
Sam Mitchell – Head Coach, Super-20 League Team / First Team Assistant Coach
Jorge Zavala – Goalkeeping Coach / First Team Assistant Coach Mac McCarthy – Performance Coach John Mitchell – Head of Operations Clay Roberts – Director of Soccer| Year | Division | League | Regular season (W-T-L) | Playoffs | Open Cup | Avg. attendance | Top scorer | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 3 | USL | 10th (9–5–12) | did not qualify | 2nd Round | 452 |  Mauricio Salles | 10 |
| Coach | Nationality | Start | End | Games | Win | Loss | Draw | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Weston |  United States | November 2012 | May 2013 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 071.43 |
| Joel Harrison | United States | May 2013 | August 2013 | 19 | 4 | 10 | 5 | 021.05 |
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