Northern Virginia Royals
Encyclopedia
Northern Virginia Royals is an American soccer team based in Woodbridge, Virginia
, United States
. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League
(PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.
The team plays its home games at Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium in nearby Manassas, Virginia
, where they have played since 2010. The team's colors are blue, gold and white.
The team has a sister organization, the Northern Virginia Majestics
, who play in the women's USL W-League, and fields a team in the USL’s Super-20 League
, a league for players 17 to 20 years of age run under the United Soccer Leagues
umbrella. Throughout their recent history, the Royals have enjoyed minor league affiliation with D.C. United
, the nearby Major League Soccer
franchise.
in the Atlantic Division with a 5-12-1 record. Their second season, 1999, was a major improvement, with the team winning 10 of their 18 regular season games, and finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division behind Charlotte Eagles
, with striker Tim Prisco scoring a team-leading 14 goals. The team also qualified for their first US Open Cup campaign in 1999, but were upset in the first round by Florida PDL side Cocoa Expos
, losing an 8-goal thriller 5-3. In the playoffs they beat divisional rivals South Carolina Shamrocks
2-1 in the first round before falling 4-0 to Charlotte in the conference semi final, but the progress on the field seemed to bode well for the future. The 1998 season and the Royals were featured in the book "Unlucky: A Season of Struggle in Minor League Professional Soccer" by Dave Ungrady, who trained and played briefly for the Royals as well. The book was highly critical of the teams ownership and the USL as a whole.
The 2000 season was a disappointment, as the team slumped to a 6-12-0 regular season record and finished the year 7th in the Southern Division behind Texas Rattlers. The Royals did qualify for the US Open Cup for the second time in 2000, but lost at the first attempt for the second straight year, losing 3-2 to the Hampton Roads Mariners in the second round. 2001 was even worse for the Royals, as the team hit rock bottom with just one win all year long, and finished dead last Southern Conference. In a truly testing season they scored just 9 goals while conceding 63 - a quite appalling record. 2002 was an improvement, but only just, as the Royals secured three victories in the 20 game regular season, but still finished in the basement of the Southern Conference, a full 55 points behind divisional champions Wilmington Hammerheads
.
; they finally picked up their first win the last weekend of the opening month, 4-2 over West Virginia Chaos
, but promptly lost their next four games on the trot. The Royals did enjoy brief run of form in late June in which they won three straight games, including an exciting 3-2 victory at home over Greenville Lions
, and they followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 win over the Chesapeake Dragons
in early July, but this as good as it got for the team in 2003. They lost four of their last five games down the home stretch, falling 4-1 to Wilmington Hammerheads
on the road on the final day of the season, capping a largely dispiriting year.
If 2003 was bad, then 2004 was even worse as the Royals finished the season rock bottom of the Southern Division, with just three wins all year. The victories - 3-2 over the Long Island Rough Riders
in May with two goals from Matthew Osborne, 2-1 over Chesapeake Dragons
in June, and then 4-1 over Chesapeake again in July with two goals from Fabio Andrade - were scant reward for a season where they dropped points and conceded goals left right and center everywhere else. They conceded 5 goals in their games against Harrisburg City Islanders
, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
and Charlotte Eagles
in the early part of the season, and then let Charlotte hit them for six in the return fixture in mid-July, their most ignominious defeat of the season. Times were hard in northern Virginia.
The USL Pro Select League became the USL Second Division in 2005, and dispensed with divisions in favor of a single-table format; for the Royals, this proved to be yet another disastrous season. In what was undoubtedly a long and demoralizing season, the Royals picked up just two wins all season, lost all of their 18 other games, conceded an astonishing 90 goals in the process, and finished bottom of the league, 37 points behind regular season champions Western Mass Pioneers
. The wins - a hard fought 4-3 victory over Wilmington Hammerheads
and a 3-1 triumph at home over New Hampshire Phantoms
with 2 goals from Matthew Osborne - were the loan high points of the season. The Royals were truly awful in every other game: they conceded 5 goals on 5 different occasions, let in 6 goals twice, and lost 7-0 to Charlotte Eagles
on the opening day of the season, to Harrisburg City Islanders
in late July, and to Pittsburgh Riverhounds
in the penultimate game. First choice goalkeeper Alexander Hall ended the year with a dismal 4.514 GAA average, while top scorer Fabio Andrade managed just four goals all season.
With declining attendances and awful on-field performances, the Royals management took the decision to self-relegate themselves to the USL Premier Development League
for the 2006 season.
, the Royals suffered spotty form for most of the season thereafter, never quite building up enough of a head of steam to put together a decent run of victories. They beat Reading Rage
4-2 at home in a seesaw game thanks to two goals from substitute Davorin Husadzinovic, and put together a pair of back-to-back wins over Virginia Legacy and West Virginia Chaos again in early June, but their form on the road was their downfall. A run of five heavy defeats stretching into mid-July, including a 6-0 walloping at the hands of the Virginia Beach Submariners
, put pay to any scant playoff hopes they might have had, and despite gaining a 3-1 revenge win over Virginia Beach in the penultimate game of the season, their 2-0 defeat to Raleigh Elite on the final day left them fourth in the Mid Atlantic Division, ten points off the playoff positions. Davorin Husadzinovic was the Royals' top performer, with 4 goals and 8 assists on the season.
The Royals slumped even further in 2007, picking up just three wins all season long, and traveling across Northern Virginia to play home games in four different stadiums. The three wins - 1-0 over Delaware Dynasty
, 2-0 over West Virginia Chaos
and 2-1 over Reading Rage
on the last day of the season - were the lone high points in an otherwise terrible season. Expansion side Fredericksburg Gunners
demolished them 7-0 in their first meeting in mid-May, and put another four past them in the return meeting in late June, while Ocean City Barons
, Hampton Roads Piranhas and Virginia Legacy all registered comprehensive victories during the Royals' awful mid-season period, 4-0, 5-0 and 6-1 respectively. The Royals finished the year 8th in the Mid Atlantic Division, just one point above basement-dwellers West Virginia Chaos
. The team's token top scorers were Francis McCardle and James Stevens
, with 3 goals each. Long-time head coach Silvino Gonzalo resigned after the home game against the Fredericksburg Gunners
to take up a post with new USL2 franchise Real Maryland Monarchs
, and he was replaced by former Royals goalkeeper John Pascarella.
Despite this, things didn't get any better for the Royals in 2008: just three wins, just 20 goals scored, and fifth in the Mid Atlantic Division, out of the playoffs for the third consecutive season at this level. The year actually started quite brightly when the Royals handed the Hampton Roads Piranhas their first home loss in franchise history, 1-0 off an injury-time goal from striker David Atkinson. This proved to be a false dawn, as the Royals failed to win any of their next 10 games: they lost 4-0 to Fredericksburg Gunners
in their very next match, lost to them again 3-0 in early June, and frustratingly let a 2-goal lead slip in their 3-3 tie with Richmond Kickers Future
. The Royals earned a little bit of revenge over Fredericksburg in early July with a tight 2-1 victory at home, and managed to beat 10-man Virginia Legacy 3-1 on the home stretch, but these were small highlights, and the bigger picture was yet another disappointing one. Matthew Brady and AJ Sheta each scored 4 of the Royals' 20 goals, while Irad Young
contributed 3 assists. Unusually, three of the Royal's games in 2008 were abandoned due to inclement weather.
During the 2008 offseason, head coach Pascarella left the team to take up a goalkeeper coaching position with the Kansas City Wizards
; he was subsequently replaced by Royals' former Super-Y League coach Tom Torres.
The 2009 season was a disappointment for the Royals, they collected 11 points in posting a 2-9-5 record with a 17-34 goal difference. Their only wins being 3-0 over the West Virginia Chaos
and 2-0 over the Virginia Legacy both of which were at home. The leading goalscorers were David Atkinson with 6 goals, and Maurice Hughes
with 5 goals. They started off well with a Jonathan Romero goal earning them a 1-1 draw away to Reading Rage
, one of only 3 regular season games the Rage never won. Reality soon sat in though as home and away defeats to the Cary Clarets
, 3-1 at home and a trio of poor officials saw them lose 6-1 down in North Carolina
. An entertaining 1-1 draw at home to Hampton Roads Piranhas
was followed by a narrow 1-0 away defeat to local rivals Fredericksburg Gunners. May was closed out with a pair of weekend games at Virginia Legacy the first a 0-0 draw, the second a 4-0 defeat. June saw the side travel down to the Carolina Dynamo
where their bad luck with Tarheel officials saw them lose 3-1. Then began a run of four home games which saw them beat the West Virginia Chaos
3-0, draw 1-1 with the Fredericksburg Gunners
, then lose 3-1 to the Carolina Dynamo
and squander a 2 goal lead in a 3-2 defeat to the Reading Rage
. July's games ended with a 2-1 defeat to West Virginia Chaos
which saw David Atkinson score the first penalty the team had been awarded in their PDL time. A 2-0 win over the Virginia Legacy was their last success of the campaign, with a 4-0 loss to the Reading Rage
and a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Hampton Roads Piranhas
rounding out the season. The final loss was made all the more gruelling as the team took up to 7 hours to travel the short journey down to Virginia Beach due to traffic congestion and accidents on I-95, I-295
, I-64 and at the I-64 tunnel. The team had to start the delayed game with some of their starters still stuck in traffic.
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Yu Hoshide
Troy Perkins
Sergio Salas
James Stevens
Doug Warren
Woodbridge, Virginia
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
(PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.
The team plays its home games at Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium in nearby Manassas, Virginia
Manassas, Virginia
The City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
, where they have played since 2010. The team's colors are blue, gold and white.
The team has a sister organization, the Northern Virginia Majestics
Northern Virginia Majestics
Northern Virginia Majestics is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 1998. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada...
, who play in the women's USL W-League, and fields a team in the USL’s Super-20 League
Super-20 League
The United Soccer Leagues Super-20 League is an American-Canadian soccer league for players 17 to 20 years of age. Introduced in 2006 it took the place of the U-19 age bracket in the Super Y-League....
, a league for players 17 to 20 years of age run under the United Soccer Leagues
United Soccer Leagues
The United Soccer Leagues is the organizer of several soccer leagues with teams in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. It includes men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Leagues currently organized are the USL Pro, the USL Premier Development League, the W-League, and...
umbrella. Throughout their recent history, the Royals have enjoyed minor league affiliation with D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
, the nearby Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
franchise.
D-3 Pro League
The Northern Virginia Royals joined the USISL D-3 Pro League as an expansion franchise in 1998, and ended their first season in 7th place behind Delaware WizardsDelaware Wizards
The Delaware Wizards were soccer club based in Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware. The team played their first game in 1993 and their last in 2000...
in the Atlantic Division with a 5-12-1 record. Their second season, 1999, was a major improvement, with the team winning 10 of their 18 regular season games, and finishing fourth in the Atlantic Division behind Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles is an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
, with striker Tim Prisco scoring a team-leading 14 goals. The team also qualified for their first US Open Cup campaign in 1999, but were upset in the first round by Florida PDL side Cocoa Expos
Cocoa Expos
Cocoa Expos was an American soccer team, founded in 1993. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The team played its home matches at...
, losing an 8-goal thriller 5-3. In the playoffs they beat divisional rivals South Carolina Shamrocks
South Carolina Shamrocks
The South Carolina Shamrocks were an American soccer team that played in Spartanburg, South Carolina.-Year-by-year:...
2-1 in the first round before falling 4-0 to Charlotte in the conference semi final, but the progress on the field seemed to bode well for the future. The 1998 season and the Royals were featured in the book "Unlucky: A Season of Struggle in Minor League Professional Soccer" by Dave Ungrady, who trained and played briefly for the Royals as well. The book was highly critical of the teams ownership and the USL as a whole.
The 2000 season was a disappointment, as the team slumped to a 6-12-0 regular season record and finished the year 7th in the Southern Division behind Texas Rattlers. The Royals did qualify for the US Open Cup for the second time in 2000, but lost at the first attempt for the second straight year, losing 3-2 to the Hampton Roads Mariners in the second round. 2001 was even worse for the Royals, as the team hit rock bottom with just one win all year long, and finished dead last Southern Conference. In a truly testing season they scored just 9 goals while conceding 63 - a quite appalling record. 2002 was an improvement, but only just, as the Royals secured three victories in the 20 game regular season, but still finished in the basement of the Southern Conference, a full 55 points behind divisional champions Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
.
Pro Select League/USL Second Division
The D-3 Pro League became the USL Pro Select League in 2003, and the Royals suffered yet another disappointing season, finishing bottom of the 3-team Southern Division, with just 6 wins for the year. The year began poorly with a 5-game losing streak in May that included a 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Wilmington HammerheadsWilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
; they finally picked up their first win the last weekend of the opening month, 4-2 over West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
, but promptly lost their next four games on the trot. The Royals did enjoy brief run of form in late June in which they won three straight games, including an exciting 3-2 victory at home over Greenville Lions
Greenville Lions
Greenville Lions were an American soccer team, founded in 2001, and was a member of the United Soccer Leagues D-3 Pro League and Premier Development League , the third and fourth tiers of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2003, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The...
, and they followed that up with a comprehensive 3-0 win over the Chesapeake Dragons
Chesapeake Dragons
Chesapeake Dragons were an American soccer team, founded in 2001. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Dragons played their home...
in early July, but this as good as it got for the team in 2003. They lost four of their last five games down the home stretch, falling 4-1 to Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
on the road on the final day of the season, capping a largely dispiriting year.
If 2003 was bad, then 2004 was even worse as the Royals finished the season rock bottom of the Southern Division, with just three wins all year. The victories - 3-2 over the Long Island Rough Riders
Long Island Rough Riders
Long Island Rough Riders is an American soccer team based in South Huntington, New York, United States. Founded in 1994, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its...
in May with two goals from Matthew Osborne, 2-1 over Chesapeake Dragons
Chesapeake Dragons
Chesapeake Dragons were an American soccer team, founded in 2001. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2004, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The Dragons played their home...
in June, and then 4-1 over Chesapeake again in July with two goals from Fabio Andrade - were scant reward for a season where they dropped points and conceded goals left right and center everywhere else. They conceded 5 goals in their games against Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
, Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1999, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
and Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles is an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in the early part of the season, and then let Charlotte hit them for six in the return fixture in mid-July, their most ignominious defeat of the season. Times were hard in northern Virginia.
The USL Pro Select League became the USL Second Division in 2005, and dispensed with divisions in favor of a single-table format; for the Royals, this proved to be yet another disastrous season. In what was undoubtedly a long and demoralizing season, the Royals picked up just two wins all season, lost all of their 18 other games, conceded an astonishing 90 goals in the process, and finished bottom of the league, 37 points behind regular season champions Western Mass Pioneers
Western Mass Pioneers
Western Mass Pioneers is an American soccer team based in Ludlow, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home games...
. The wins - a hard fought 4-3 victory over Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads
Wilmington Hammerheads is an American professional soccer team based in Wilmington, North Carolina. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
and a 3-1 triumph at home over New Hampshire Phantoms
New Hampshire Phantoms
New Hampshire Phantoms is an American soccer team based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
with 2 goals from Matthew Osborne - were the loan high points of the season. The Royals were truly awful in every other game: they conceded 5 goals on 5 different occasions, let in 6 goals twice, and lost 7-0 to Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles
Charlotte Eagles is an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
on the opening day of the season, to Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders
Harrisburg City Islanders is an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2004, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in late July, and to Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Pittsburgh Riverhounds is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 1999, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in the penultimate game. First choice goalkeeper Alexander Hall ended the year with a dismal 4.514 GAA average, while top scorer Fabio Andrade managed just four goals all season.
With declining attendances and awful on-field performances, the Royals management took the decision to self-relegate themselves to the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
for the 2006 season.
USL Premier Development League
The transition from professionalism to amateurism was not a wholly smooth one for the Royals in 2006. Despite winning their first ever game in the PDL, 3-1 over West Virginia ChaosWest Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
, the Royals suffered spotty form for most of the season thereafter, never quite building up enough of a head of steam to put together a decent run of victories. They beat Reading Rage
Reading Rage
Reading United A.C. is an American soccer team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference....
4-2 at home in a seesaw game thanks to two goals from substitute Davorin Husadzinovic, and put together a pair of back-to-back wins over Virginia Legacy and West Virginia Chaos again in early June, but their form on the road was their downfall. A run of five heavy defeats stretching into mid-July, including a 6-0 walloping at the hands of the Virginia Beach Submariners
Virginia Beach Submariners
Virginia Beach Piranhas is an American soccer team based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2006 as the Virginia Beach Submariners as part of the development system of the now-defunct USL First Division franchise, the Virginia Beach Mariners, the team plays in the USL Premier...
, put pay to any scant playoff hopes they might have had, and despite gaining a 3-1 revenge win over Virginia Beach in the penultimate game of the season, their 2-0 defeat to Raleigh Elite on the final day left them fourth in the Mid Atlantic Division, ten points off the playoff positions. Davorin Husadzinovic was the Royals' top performer, with 4 goals and 8 assists on the season.
The Royals slumped even further in 2007, picking up just three wins all season long, and traveling across Northern Virginia to play home games in four different stadiums. The three wins - 1-0 over Delaware Dynasty
Delaware Dynasty
Delaware Dynasty was an American soccer team, founded in 2006. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2007, when the team left the league and the franchise was terminated.The team played its home games at...
, 2-0 over West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
and 2-1 over Reading Rage
Reading Rage
Reading United A.C. is an American soccer team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference....
on the last day of the season - were the lone high points in an otherwise terrible season. Expansion side Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners was an American soccer team based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The...
demolished them 7-0 in their first meeting in mid-May, and put another four past them in the return meeting in late June, while Ocean City Barons
Ocean City Barons
Ocean City Nor'easters is an American soccer team based in Ocean City, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
, Hampton Roads Piranhas and Virginia Legacy all registered comprehensive victories during the Royals' awful mid-season period, 4-0, 5-0 and 6-1 respectively. The Royals finished the year 8th in the Mid Atlantic Division, just one point above basement-dwellers West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
. The team's token top scorers were Francis McCardle and James Stevens
James Stevens (soccer)
James "Jim" Stevens is a German-born American soccer player who last played for Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Second Division.-College:...
, with 3 goals each. Long-time head coach Silvino Gonzalo resigned after the home game against the Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners was an American soccer team based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The...
to take up a post with new USL2 franchise Real Maryland Monarchs
Real Maryland Monarchs
Real Maryland F.C., commonly known as the Real Maryland Monarchs, is an American soccer team based in Rockville, Maryland, United States...
, and he was replaced by former Royals goalkeeper John Pascarella.
Despite this, things didn't get any better for the Royals in 2008: just three wins, just 20 goals scored, and fifth in the Mid Atlantic Division, out of the playoffs for the third consecutive season at this level. The year actually started quite brightly when the Royals handed the Hampton Roads Piranhas their first home loss in franchise history, 1-0 off an injury-time goal from striker David Atkinson. This proved to be a false dawn, as the Royals failed to win any of their next 10 games: they lost 4-0 to Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners was an American soccer team based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The...
in their very next match, lost to them again 3-0 in early June, and frustratingly let a 2-goal lead slip in their 3-3 tie with Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future was an American soccer team based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2002 as part of the development system of the Richmond Kickers USL Second Division franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...
. The Royals earned a little bit of revenge over Fredericksburg in early July with a tight 2-1 victory at home, and managed to beat 10-man Virginia Legacy 3-1 on the home stretch, but these were small highlights, and the bigger picture was yet another disappointing one. Matthew Brady and AJ Sheta each scored 4 of the Royals' 20 goals, while Irad Young
Irad Young
- Playing career :Professional Career: Irad Young was signed by Hapoel Haifa of the Israel Premier League, the same club his father, Roby Young captained and starred throughout the 1960's, for the 1993–94 Liga Leumit season...
contributed 3 assists. Unusually, three of the Royal's games in 2008 were abandoned due to inclement weather.
During the 2008 offseason, head coach Pascarella left the team to take up a goalkeeper coaching position with the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
; he was subsequently replaced by Royals' former Super-Y League coach Tom Torres.
The 2009 season was a disappointment for the Royals, they collected 11 points in posting a 2-9-5 record with a 17-34 goal difference. Their only wins being 3-0 over the West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
and 2-0 over the Virginia Legacy both of which were at home. The leading goalscorers were David Atkinson with 6 goals, and Maurice Hughes
Maurice Hughes
Maurice Hughes is an American soccer player currently playing for Northern Virginia Royals in the USL Premier Development League.-College and Amateur:...
with 5 goals. They started off well with a Jonathan Romero goal earning them a 1-1 draw away to Reading Rage
Reading Rage
Reading United A.C. is an American soccer team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference....
, one of only 3 regular season games the Rage never won. Reality soon sat in though as home and away defeats to the Cary Clarets
Cary Clarets
Cary Clarets was an American soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2002, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.During their...
, 3-1 at home and a trio of poor officials saw them lose 6-1 down in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. An entertaining 1-1 draw at home to Hampton Roads Piranhas
Hampton Roads Piranhas
Hampton Roads Piranhas is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 1995. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada...
was followed by a narrow 1-0 away defeat to local rivals Fredericksburg Gunners. May was closed out with a pair of weekend games at Virginia Legacy the first a 0-0 draw, the second a 4-0 defeat. June saw the side travel down to the Carolina Dynamo
Carolina Dynamo
Carolina Dynamo is an American soccer team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
where their bad luck with Tarheel officials saw them lose 3-1. Then began a run of four home games which saw them beat the West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
3-0, draw 1-1 with the Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners
Fredericksburg Gunners was an American soccer team based in Fredericksburg, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The...
, then lose 3-1 to the Carolina Dynamo
Carolina Dynamo
Carolina Dynamo is an American soccer team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
and squander a 2 goal lead in a 3-2 defeat to the Reading Rage
Reading Rage
Reading United A.C. is an American soccer team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference....
. July's games ended with a 2-1 defeat to West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos
West Virginia Chaos is an American soccer team based in Charleston, West Virginia, United States. Founded in 2003, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the South Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference.The team plays its home...
which saw David Atkinson score the first penalty the team had been awarded in their PDL time. A 2-0 win over the Virginia Legacy was their last success of the campaign, with a 4-0 loss to the Reading Rage
Reading Rage
Reading United A.C. is an American soccer team based in Reading, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference....
and a narrow 3-2 defeat to the Hampton Roads Piranhas
Hampton Roads Piranhas
Hampton Roads Piranhas is an American women’s soccer team, founded in 1995. The team is a member of the United Soccer Leagues W-League, the second tier of women’s soccer in the United States and Canada...
rounding out the season. The final loss was made all the more gruelling as the team took up to 7 hours to travel the short journey down to Virginia Beach due to traffic congestion and accidents on I-95, I-295
Interstate 295 (Virginia)
Interstate 295 is an eastern and northern bypass of the cities of Richmond and Petersburg in the U.S. state of Virginia. The southern terminus is a junction with Interstate 95 southeast of Petersburg...
, I-64 and at the I-64 tunnel. The team had to start the delayed game with some of their starters still stuck in traffic.
Current roster
As of June 8, 2011.Notable former players
- See also: All-time Northern Virginia Royals rosterAll-time Northern Virginia Royals rosterThis list comprises all players who have participated in at least one league match for Northern Virginia Royals in the USL Premier Development League since the USL began keeping detailed records in 2003...
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Yu Hoshide
Yu Hoshide
is a Japanese soccer player currently playing for Global F.C. in the United Football League.-Career:Hoshide played for Meiji University, and spent eight years with YKK AP in the third division Japan Football League before coming to the United States in 2008.Hoshide signed for Harrisburg City...
Troy Perkins
Troy Perkins
Troy Perkins is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
Sergio Salas
Sergio Salas
Sergio Salas is a Bolivian footballer who currently plays for West Texas United Sockers in the USL Second Division.-Youth:...
James Stevens
James Stevens (soccer)
James "Jim" Stevens is a German-born American soccer player who last played for Real Maryland Monarchs in the USL Second Division.-College:...
Doug Warren
Doug Warren
Douglas Patrick "Doug" Warren is an American soccer goalkeeper, who last played for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. He was a member of the U.S. team at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship....
Year-by-year
| Year | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | Open Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 3 | USISL D-3 Pro League | 7th, Atlantic | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 1999 | 3 | USL D-3 Pro League | 4th, Atlantic | Conference Semifinals | 1st Round |
| 2000 | 3 | USL D-3 Pro League | 7th, Southern | Did not qualify | 2nd Round |
| 2001 | 3 | USL D-3 Pro League | 4th, Southern | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2002 | 3 | USL D-3 Pro League | 4th, Southern | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2003 | 3 | USL Pro Select League | 3rd, Southern | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2004 | 3 | USL Pro Soccer League | 3rd, Southern | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2005 | 3 | USL Second Division | 9th | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2006 | 4 | USL PDL | 4th, Mid Atlantic | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2007 | 4 | USL PDL | 7th, Mid Atlantic | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2008 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Mid Atlantic | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2009 | 4 | USL PDL | 7th, Mid Atlantic | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2010 | 4 | USL PDL | 5th, Mid Atlantic | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
| 2011 | 4 | USL PDL | 2nd, South Atlantic | Conference Quarterfinals | Did not qualify |
Head coaches
Silvino Gonzalo (1998–2007) John Pascarella (2007–2008) Tom Torres (2009–2010) Richie Burke (2011–present)Stadia
- Stadium at Forest Park High School; Woodbridge, VirginiaWoodbridge, Virginia-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
(2003–2005) - RFK Memorial Stadium; Washington, DC 1 game (2003)
- Ida Lee Park; Leesburg, VirginiaLeesburg, VirginiaLeesburg is a historic town in, and county seat of, Loudoun County, Virginia, United States of America. Leesburg is located west-northwest of Washington, D.C. along the base of the Catoctin Mountain and adjacent to the Potomac River. Its population according the 2010 Census is 42,616...
1 game (2003) - Stadium at Trinity UniversityTrinity Washington UniversityTrinity Washington University, founded in 1897 by the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, is a Roman Catholic university located in Washington, D.C. across from Catholic University of America and the Dominican House of Studies...
; Washington, DC 3 games (2005) - Stadium at Gar-Field High School; Woodbridge, VirginiaWoodbridge, Virginia-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
(2006–2007) - Valley View Sports Complex; Nokesville, VirginiaNokesville, VirginiaNokesville is a census-designated place in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 1,236 at the 2000 census.-History:...
2 games (2006–2007) - Stadium at Fairfax High SchoolFairfax High School (Fairfax, Virginia)Fairfax High School is a public high school in Fairfax, Virginia. The school is owned by the City of Fairfax, but is operated by Fairfax County Public Schools, as part of a contractual agreement....
; Fairfax, VirginiaFairfax, VirginiaThe City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
(2006–08, 2011) - Word of Grace Christian Center; Herndon, VirginiaHerndon, VirginiaHerndon is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area of the United States. The population was 21,655 at the 2000 census, which makes it the largest of three towns in the county.-History:...
1 game (2006) - Robinson Field at George Mason UniversityGeorge Mason UniversityGeorge Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
; Fairfax, VirginiaFairfax, VirginiaThe City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
(2007, 2010, 2011) - Stadium at Washington-Lee High SchoolWashington-Lee High SchoolWashington-Lee High School is one of three traditional public high schools in the Arlington Public Schools district in Arlington, Virginia, covering grades 9-12. As of 2009-2010, the school had over 1,800 students and 120 teachers...
; Arlington, Virginia 1 game (2008) - Stadium at Wakefield High SchoolWakefield High School (Arlington County, Virginia)Wakefield High School is one of three public high schools located in Arlington, Virginia, and is just one block away from Alexandria. There are 140 teachers and 1364 students as of March 2008. It is a fully accredited high school based on Virginia's Standards of Learning examinations...
; Arlington, Virginia 1 game (2008) - Howison Homestead Soccer Complex; Woodbridge, VirginiaWoodbridge, Virginia-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 31,941 people, 10,687 households, and 7,769 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 3,047.8 people per square mile . There were 11,026 housing units at an average density of 1,052.1/sq mi...
3 games (2008) - Hellwig Memorial Field Stadium; Manassas, VirginiaManassas, VirginiaThe City of Manassas is an independent city surrounded by Prince William County and the independent city of Manassas Park in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Its population was 37,821 as of 2010. Manassas also surrounds the county seat for Prince William County but that county...
11 games (2009–present)
Average attendance
Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html.- 2006: 362
- 2007: 581
- 2008: not yet available
- 2009: 319
- 2010: not yet available