PEORIA, Ill. — Pre-professional soccer is coming to Peoria beginning in May of 2020.
The United Soccer League (USL) announced the expansion franchise of Peoria City on Jan. 23, and a news conference was held Thursday in Peoria to officially announce the team.
Peoria City will be competing in the USL 2 Heartland Division and will play a 14-game league schedule. Home games during the season will be played at Bradley University’s Shea Stadium.
The season will be played during the summer months with the regular season starting in May 23 and ending on July 12.
Local developer Kim Blickenstaff, who played a major role in ensuring the club is able to begin play this season, likes that the league is played during the summer.
“It’s that gap in the summer where there’s less to do. I was always bored in the summer. There was only baseball,” said Blickenstaff.
Blickenstaff also stated that Peoria City can build upon a strong youth and college soccer fan base already present in Peoria by having players that could possibly play in Major League Soccer in the future.
Veteran Bradley Soccer head coach Jim DeRose, who will have a front office role with Peoria City, said that this team can fill a void in Peoria.
“Our purpose with this is to showcase this community in this space of May to mid-July. Yes, we’re going to win, but we are here to fill a space with some really cool promotional and marketing activities that we’re excited to bring to you,” said DeRose.
The head coach of Peoria City is third-year Bradley assistant coach Tim Regan. Regan played for Bradley and was an All-American defender from 1999-2002. Regan then went on to play in the MLS for six seasons.
Players will begin to be signed to the team Saturday, Feb. 1 through the beginning of the season.
The official colors of the soccer club are red, black, and white; and Peoria City will reveal its identifying shield this spring.
